"Yes, yes, call him." "Ye Yubing is such an idiot." "Ye Yubing is so stupid, he didn't even come. He'll definitely regret it." "If the senior knew that Ye Yubing was so negligent, would he crush him with a single claw?" "Sigh, what a pity, the best looking, but the dumbest-witted." "Yes, yes."
Little Yellow Fur clapped his hands in satisfaction: "Applause for our cat demon clan's first collective competition!"
Everyone clapped their hands in unison, the sound deafening: "Applause!"
Little blond guy: "I'll take first place!"
Everyone: "Take first place!"
…………
The next day, Wendy took Deng Puyue, who was terrible at climbing, and a dog and a cat to enjoy a hike in the mountain behind Wendy's house.
This area had been developed before, but not thoroughly. Within two years, the plants had regained their individuality, displaying an air of dominance and spreading out in all directions with an imposing presence.
Considering Deng Puyue's poor energy due to her hangover, Wen Zheng and Wendy didn't venture deeper into the area, instead finding a spot to spread out a picnic blanket.
Deng Puyue: "I'm starting to...worry..." He hadn't even caught his breath yet when he put down his backpack and started pulling out lunchboxes: one with seafood, one with beef, and one with side dishes that could be eaten cold. "I heard the anchor conference...is going to involve a trip, and there will be cameras all the time. Phew...if they also go hiking or something...I'll be so embarrassed..."
Wen Zheng grunted, turned on the heated lunchbox containing seafood, and placed it on the ground: "No, it won't."
"Why?"
“Most streamers are similar to you,” Wen Zheng said calmly.
Deng Puyue: "…………"
The streamer competition has entered its second half, and Wen Zheng has also cleared three platinum dungeons after Shan Yu was caught.
Thanks to the hype surrounding the "Mountain Rain" incident, his gift count far surpassed others, exceeding the second-place finisher's by more than three times. Deng Puyue, who successfully latched onto Wen Zheng's coattails, also benefited and rose to third place.
Even if Wen Zheng stops broadcasting, it will be difficult for him to fall from the top spot, especially since he often appears with Da Wang, which will attract even more fans. Recently, their CP (couple) supertopic has become very popular. Shan Yu is gone, but everyone's lives haven't changed much.
The world is indeed heartless; it keeps turning no matter who's missing.
"My dear Zheng, who are you inviting?"
Wen Zheng had been lost in thought for a moment, and upon hearing this, he softly expressed his doubt with an "hmm".
Deng Puyue: "My dear Zheng-ge...didn't I send you the notice? Didn't your agent tell you? It's about the anchor conference!"
"Didn't you say we were going on vacation?"
"Yes, each streamer can bring one person: boyfriend/girlfriend, ordinary friend, son/parents, or even give away followers on Weibo. I've already seen some streamers do that."
Wen Zhengzhen hadn't noticed this clause. He wanted to ask if he could leave it out, but he swallowed his words.
The seafood in the self-heating lunchbox began to steam, emitting a delicious aroma. He subconsciously searched for Big Black's figure with his eyes, but after looking around, he couldn't find him.
Wendy: "What are you looking for? Your cat?"
As she cut the beef, without looking up, she said, "I just saw them go into the woods with the dog. Let them run around; the dog will bring the cat back."
Wen Zheng still frowned slightly.
In the dense forest, a sleek black cat sat under a tree, with no sign of the stupid dog around.
A silver-white bead, about half the size of a palm, floated in front of it, glowing faintly.
"How did things go?" The big black mouth didn't open, but the voice poured into the bead from the void.
"Reporting to the boss... no, reporting to the king!" The little blond's voice came from the bead: "Everyone is willing to participate, very willing, extremely willing!"
"Not bad." After praising them, Big Black continued, "Do you know what kind of competition we're going to participate in?"
"Uh..." the blond-haired guy hesitated for a moment: "A beauty pageant?"
"wrong."
Dahei said solemnly, "From what I understand, this competition tests not only beauty, but also intelligence."
"Intelligence...?"
“Yes.” Dahei assigned the task: “Go back and organize the past years’ questions, have everyone memorize the answers in advance, and also have each person write a policy essay, talking about their understanding of cooperation. Three days.”
Little blond guy: "……"
Author's Note: Quiz: What TV dramas has Ye Yubing acted in?
(While organizing my travel purchases today, I realized I forgot to bring back Wang Mingzhu's favorite item!!! Luckily, I recorded a video about it, but I kept forgetting to post it. Today, I'll share something that Wang Mingzhu would definitely love. Check out her Weibo account, Xingxingxing.)
Chapter 46
Sitting on the picnic blanket, Wen Zheng stared blankly, holding a rice ball.
He was waiting for Big Black to come back.
Deng Puyue and his newly acquainted Sister Wen were chatting enthusiastically, from the hottest chain restaurants to the most cost-effective fashion brands, which Wen Zheng couldn't understand at all. After a while, Gouza returned from some corner of the mountain with a pink slipper, but Dahei was nowhere to be seen.
Wen Zheng stood up, confirmed that the cat was not nearby, hurriedly greeted the two of them, and headed up the mountain, ignoring Wendy's calls for him.
His heart was pounding, and disappointment and resentment surged like the tide.
Why didn't they come back?
If you want to leave, you must tell him. Didn't they agree on that?
Did Big Black not understand?
If there's a very small chance that Dahei really is just a clever wild cat, and that it has returned to the mountains and forests, it probably won't come back.
Wen Zheng climbed up a steep slope and stopped, panting.
It's no use, stop looking.
He brought the cat himself, which was one of the predictable outcomes. Rather than saying it's unacceptable, it's more accurate to say he lost the gamble.
Wen Zheng thought, this is probably my fate. Those I value will always be just passersby; I can't hold onto anything.
If only I could be a little selfish.
If you really like it, keep it chained up at home. Buy the most expensive metal cage, made of military-grade materials stronger than those used in toy factories, and lock it up.
Or you could break its limbs, give it medicine, there are many ways.
At the very least, don't be reckless and take it into the mountains. Let it roam freely; at least you can keep it for a few more days.
...but he couldn't do it.
Wen Zheng stood there, the cold mountain mist blowing in the wind, making his lungs feel cold with every breath. He gave a self-deprecating laugh, turned around and went down the mountain, when suddenly a dark shadow flashed past him.
"Roar—" Big Black roared, nimbly leaping to his feet, raising its head, its eyes showing confusion.
"..." Wen Zheng opened his mouth, coughed lightly twice, pulled down the brim of his hood, and asked in a cold voice, "You didn't leave?"
Dahei was bewildered. He took two steps back, jumped, and landed on Wen Zheng's shoulder.
The tip of its tail brushed against my face, feeling both warm and ticklish.
Wen Zheng was still in a bad mood. After walking down the mountain for two minutes, he asked, "Where did you go? Didn't I tell you that you should tell me where you were going?"
"..."
"If you disappear without a word again next time, I'll throw you away."
Wen Zheng's tone was forceful, which initially made Da Hei a little angry. He thought, "I was only gone for half an hour, is it really necessary for you to make such a fuss?" But he keenly noticed the tremor in Wen Zheng's voice.
He was nervous.
On the way back, neither the person nor the cat made a sound, remaining silent the entire way. They returned to Rongcheng Wutong Garden that evening.
***
Bei Sining opened her eyes, and a bustling crowd came into view.
This is the central crystal hall of the living space. It only took a month for me to go from being shocked at the beginning to getting used to it now.
One thing must be admitted: the demon race will never be as creative, hardworking, or ruthless as the human race.
Jade palaces and ornate buildings, with carved beams and painted rafters, are places only human cultivators would live in. The demons of Beiyao Mountain build palaces that, at first glance, also seem large, but upon closer inspection, they all have a single horizontal beam overhead, and each hall is carved with the same patterns. Perhaps some lazy woodpecker demon copied them from the humans.
It's also because the Demon King of Beiyao Mountain doesn't care about these trivial matters.
But now, in a completely unfamiliar environment, Bei Sining still occasionally misses her rough palace.
Occasionally, during meetings in the main hall, a woodpecker spirit would fall off a beam while sleeping, or a kitten from the Fate Cat Clan would wriggle and play on his throne, forcing him to stand and listen to the elders' nonsense.
The style of this other world was not only completely out of place with Beiyao Mountain, but also vastly different from any human town he had ever visited. Especially each time he entered the "illusionary realm," it felt utterly alien, as if repeatedly reminding him: you have lost.
The demons of Beiyao Mountain met a tragic end.
It's all your responsibility.
It's because of you.
Bei Sining took a deep breath, clearing her mind of all her chaotic thoughts, and searched for Wen Zheng within her field of vision.
He watched Wen Zheng put on the holographic glasses and checked the list; z-bkc was online but not in the game, which meant he was in a public area.
Bei Sining walked forward along the corridor between the central crystal hall and the business center. The passageway was wide, with a flower bed in the center and rows of benches on both sides.
Wen Zheng was sitting on one of the chairs, his hands in his pockets, in a relaxed posture. The necklace around his neck was not outside his clothes, but a small protrusion could still be seen on his clothes.
Bei Sining felt inexplicably uneasy, wondering what was troubling her. Despite her young age, she always seemed preoccupied.
It makes people uneasy.
"Hey." Bei Sining walked up to Wen Zheng, first speaking to remind him, then finding the menu, flipping through it for a while, and sending a team-up request.
Wen Zheng accepted the team assignment and stared at him intently.
"What's wrong with you?" Bei Sining asked awkwardly. As the dignified Demon King of Beiyao Mountain, he had never paid so much attention to other people's feelings before, and he felt like his tongue was about to tie itself in knots: "You look unhappy."
Wen Zheng said casually, "I have a cat, and I'm always afraid it will run away."
Bei Sining coughed for a while before finally saying, "Is it the black cat on your keychain?"
"Hmm." Wen Zheng's expression softened. "It's cute."
This was the first time Bei Sining had heard Wen Zheng boast about his cuteness in his human form in front of him. His heart felt like it had been pricked by a small thorn, a kind of tingling, itchy sensation. He moved his neck and stiffly replied to the previous question: "How could it run away?"
"That's not necessarily true. It's not like it hasn't run before."
Even with a mask on, Bei Sining's long hair still drew attention, and as he and Wen Zheng talked, one standing and one sitting, passersby began to notice them.