Chapter 145 - Raising a Big Cat in the Apocalypse (24)
Chapter 145- Raising a Big Cat in the Apocalypse (24)
The sound died out right away, like a phone where the caller had dialed the wrong number and hung up immediately, making people feel that it was just an illusion.
Chi Xiaochi looked around in surprise, “Liu-laoshi, did you hear anything?”
061 asked, “What?”
… Was he the only one who’d heard it?
Could it really be an illusion?
Chi Xiaochi felt that the voice from just now had been very familiar.
Although he couldn’t remember who the voice belonged to at the moment, Chi Xiaochi’s continued downcast mood recovered slightly due to this small incident.
He casually stretched out his hands and feet, leisurely turning over to lay on the black leopard’s back, using his fingers to tease the black leopard’s nose and whiskers.
The black leopard leaned down, faithfully carrying its master’s weight. At the same time, it turned sideways and licked his calloused fingers with a barbed tongue.
Chi Xiaochi felt much better cuddling the furry Boss from behind.
After adjusting his mentality, he said to 061, “Liu-laoshi, after this, I plan to take Ding Qiuyun’s team…”
“…… Sh.”
To his surprise, 061, who’d always been a gentleman, interrupted him decisively.
“Don’t think about anything. Don’t do anything.” 061 said, “Close your eyes and have a good rest. At the very least, don’t be Ding Qiuyun tonight and go back to being Chi Xiaochi.”
… Go back to being Lou Ying’s Chi Xiaochi, okay?
Chi Xiaochi’s heart seemed to stop for a moment when he heard this. The slight heat and itchiness at his fingertips from the leopard’s licking changed and felt more vivid and distinct.
He wrapped his arm around the black leopard’s neck uneasily and smiled to cover up the strange feeling, “Liu-laoshi, you’re too skilled at attracting the bees and butterflies. That’s not good.”
061 chuckled, “Is that so.”
He didn’t move and let this butterfly he’d provoked lay on his body as he liked.
Chi Xiaochi was reminding him, while also reminding himself, “Isn’t there someone waiting for you to go back?”
061 opened his mouth briefly.
He wanted to say, I’ve already gotten him. He wanted to say, the person I’m waiting for is currently on my back. I can take you anywhere you want to go, and accompany you to watch the sunrise.
But he was restricted by the security system and couldn’t say a word.
Chi Xiaochi misunderstood his silence. He gently drew a line with 061 while reaching out to tease and tickle Boss’s chin, “Don’t let that person hear, otherwise I’ll have committed a great sin… ah!”
The black leopard had placed his troublemaking hand inside its mouth, chomping down in a way that wasn’t too light or heavy.
At the same time, he heard 061’s voice, clear and warm with a hint of helplessness, “Your biggest sin is your disobedience.”
Chi Xiaochi’s hand was numb from the bite, and his heartstrings felt like they’d been plucked by that voice. His wrist and half of his face tingled.
This tone of voice was a bit strange to Chi Xiaochi, but at the same time, it was surprisingly familiar.
He suddenly felt a little flustered. The speculation that he’d deliberately ignored for a long time rekindled in his heart, making Chi Xiaochi’s entire body tense up.
A mouthful of sharp teeth bit into his clothes behind his shoulder and turned him over vigorously.
This was a common skill that leopards used to hunt.
However, even before Chi Xiaochi had time to panic, Boss had pressed him under its body, nestling its head lightly against his neck before stopping its movements.
Cold wind blew through the high platform, the whistling chill gusts of air mixing with dusty cold air. Inhaling it into one’s lungs would only make them more sober and awake.
The beast’s hot body temperature scalded Chi Xiaochi. Every muscle that touched him was stretched out slightly, containing primitive, wild, and terrible power.
However, it offered up this power tamely, trying to disguise itself as a furry blanket that was harmless to human and animal life.
Chi Xiaochi guessed at Boss’s thoughts, thinking that it was likely that his attempt to leave so suddenly after it had bitten him had given it a scare.
Most animals were particularly sensitive to being abandoned. Chi Xiaochi understood that he’d done something wrong, so he softened his tone and hugged the black leopard like a dog, gently rubbing its head against the hollow between his ear and shoulder, “Alright, I love you, want you.”
The leopard raised its eyes to look at him. There was a very beautiful layer of mist in its gray blue eyes, and its tail brushed at Chi Xiaochi’s lower legs before finally wrapping around his ankles.
Chi Xiaochi was helpless against its entanglement and could only coax it, “I won’t leave.”
Only then did the leopard’s mood improve. It nibbled at one end of Chi Xiaochi’s scarf and tightened the loose fabric for him.
Unlike being an open sentry, the hidden sentries remained in the dark, so they couldn’t make a fire. Generally, they would be allocated an automatic heated army blanket to avoid freezing from the chill in the middle of the night.
Chi Xiaochi rustled and squirmed into the warm blanket. He could hear the voices of the team members as they drifted up from downstairs, but his thoughts were focused on 061’s words to him.
… Today was too tiring. Don’t be Ding Qiuyun.
… Have a good rest.
061 seemed to understand his thoughts. He spoke gently, “Go to sleep. Boss and I will keep watch for you.”
Boss rubbed against him knowingly and crouched down beside him.
061 and Boss’s words and actions were too synchronized, and Chi Xiaochi couldn’t help but be suspicious of it.
However, he comforted himself the same way he’d done before. How could that be?
061 was 061 and could never be Brother Lou.
If that wasn’t the case, then he would’ve seen all of the scheming, calculation, and despicable acts he’d done during this period of time.
He wrapped himself up tight in the little blanket and pretended to say casually, “It’s not fun being Chi Xiaochi. It’s not like he’s any good.”
061’s voice was gentle as he replied, “Chi Xiaochi’s very good. Don’t say that about him.”
Chi Xiaochi fell into a daze again.
He thought, what the hell. It was just a mere system, yet its small mouth chattered and talked just like a property salesman. There was no logic in this world.
He shrank into the blanket and covered up his flushed ears and the red rims of his eyes. Even so, his heart really calmed down, and was quickly followed by an overwhelming, irresistible exhaustion.
While asleep, he dreamed of the past again.
This dream was a little messy, but the protagonist was the same as usual. It was still that warm and bright person.
When Chi Xiaochi had still been in the fifth grade of primary school, arcade games and the red and white Famicom machines had become popular amongst primary and middle school students.
Lou Ying had gotten broken red and white machine. After taking the discarded unit and making work again, he’d moved it into his own room. From then on, he often invited Chi Xiaochi over to play at home.
The original owner of the second-hand red and white machine had clearly been suffering immaturity, because they’d stuck small stickers on the front and back of the red and white machine.
According to the Chi Xiaochi from back then, those small stickers had been placed to depict a monster with a goat’s head.
He asked Lou Ying, “What’s this?”
Lou Ying replied, “Satan. A monster from the West.”
Chi Xiaochi made a sound of acknowledgement, “I thought that it was some sheep powered immortal.”
Lou Ying had laughed and touched Chi Xiaochi’s head, “Oh you, what strange things you have in your head.”
Chi Xiaochi was a sweet talker. He held the handle and said, “It’s filled with Brother Lou, there’s no one else.”
Lou Ying pinched his face, and Chi Xiaochi tilted his head, obediently letting him pinch.
When the two brothers had played around enough, Lou Ying had inserted the FC game card he’d purchased into the machine and taught Chi Xiaochi how to play.
In the dream, the game images in front of Chi Xiaochi were vague. They were just dazzling patches of light and shadow. The only clear thing was the slightly warm handle, and the mechanical clatter that came when the plastic keys were pressed and popped back up again.
They played racing for a while, but Chi Xiaochi always lost.
However, Chi Xiaochi was very stubborn. He pressed the direction keys and looked at the screen. His mouth was slightly open and his expression was serious.
It was unknown when it began, but Lou Ying began to lose. His winning and losing rate gradually grew even with Chi Xiaochi, and their win rates both started to show a 50-50 trend.
Chi Xiaochi’s little tail had cocked up in pride, “Brother Lou, you can’t do it.”
Lou Ying shook the console handle and said, “I can’t find my feel for it.”
Chi Xiaochi: “You’re making excuses.”
Lou Ying: “I’ll beat you in the next set.”
Naturally, Lou Ying lost the next set.
Him and Chi Xiaochi played back and forth, relishing the game.
Later on, they played a strategy game called Red Fortress together.
In this game, Lou Ying was an even worse player. Especially after they entered the third level of the game – the character he played was always killed before Chi Xiaochi’s.
Chi Xiaochi was working on clearing the lane soldiers, but as soon as he turned around, he discovered that Lou Ying was gone. He laughed at him, “Brother Lou, you’ve died again.”
Lou Ying spoke, “I’m still not familiar with games.”
Chi Xiaochi: “You’re making excuses again.”
Although the jeep that Chi Xiaochi operated was bound to be blown up within less than half a minute after he laughed at Lou Ying, he still felt proud.
Over time, Chi Xiaochi felt that his skill with the red and white machine was somewhere in the middle of the pack.
So, on a certain weekend, he gladly accepted an invitation from several students to play on their red and white machines back home.
This was the first time Chi Xiaochi had seen what a powerful person was like.
Chi Xiaochi, who’d been beaten and abused until he was bloody, felt that the outside world was too terrible. It wasn’t after he returned to the tube buildings and saw Lou Ying working on his homework under the weak light of the window on the first floor, that he felt like he’d found a long-lost relative.
Chi Xiaochi knocked on Lou Ying’s door and rushed into Lou Ying’s arms.
His tone was aggrieved, “Brother Lou, you’re still the best.”
The half grown youth was a little confused by the hug. He looked down at the child in his arms, and first rubbed his head to cox him before asking him about what had happened.
Chi Xiaochi had reluctantly explained the causes and effects of the matter, and his entire person wilted, “I’m too bad.”
Lou Ying couldn’t help laughing. He comforted him, “You’re very good. Don’t say that about yourself.”
Chi Xiaochi changed his tune, “I’m too crappy.”
“I’m crappy too.”
Chi Xiaochi thought about it and still felt like he’d been comforted.
He made up his mind to stick with Brother Lou in the future. They could continue to be crappy together forever.
A small crappy little bird had found another crappy young bird, so he happily crowded in with him thinking that they were keeping keeping each other warm, but he didn’t see protective wing over his head that blocked countless virtual bullets for him.
Later on, they once again set up a doubles team in Red Fortress, and they were always able to clear the stages in one go.
At first, Chi Xiaochi had thought that his own skills had improved along with Lou Ying’s.
Until one day, long after Lou Ying left, he started up the old red and white machine, pushed the old Red Fortress cartridge into the card slot, and chose the single player mode.
Only then did he discover that, he couldn’t even pass the first level without his teammate.
Only then did Chi Xiaochi realize that Lou Ying hadn’t lied to him at the time.
Previously, they hadn’t been able to pass the third level because Lou Ying wasn’t familiar with the game.
After getting familiar with the game, he was able to clean up all the NPCs who came from all directions for Chi Xiaochi, who charged ahead the whole way, without getting caught by stray bullets in the cross fire.
When playing with Chi Xiaochi, Lou Ying had always been playing for both of them. He also hadn’t forgotten to comfort Chi Xiaochi, “You’re not crappy at all. Even if others say that, at the very least, you have me to keep you company.”
After that, Chi Xiaochi didn’t try to change his style in the game. He was still as rampant as ever, stubbornly killing out a bloody path in the game of life. He rushed towards the crown and charged all the way to the peak, obtaining a happy ending early during his originally mediocre life.
However, no one knew how much he missed that doubles mode, and the teenager who’d tried his best to disguise himself as a crappy rookie so that he could pass the levels with him, who loved playing games.
He woke up to the sound of the electronic music that played at the end of the game.
The leopard was still curled up at his feet to keep them warm. After he opened his eyes, the early morning sun pierced through the clouds heavy with mist like a spear, coating its surroundings with a golden haze.
He was lucky enough to see such a magnificent sunrise during the apocalypse. For a moment, he fell into a trance, thinking that he was a child on the second floor of the tube building he’d lived in during his childhood, opening up his eyes blearily to see the half open window covered with newspaper. Through it, he could see the fish scale colored clouds stained with gold.
Brother Lou was downstairs, at a distance he could reach as soon as he lifted up his legs.
A gentle greeting rang in Chi Xiaochi’s ears as he was still caught between reality and falsehood, “Good morning.”