Chapter 126#

Homecoming#

1. Homecoming#

“Look — the space is collapsing!”

Someone cried out from within the crowd in the player hall. Everyone looked up in terror. The infinite space was disappearing, piece by piece.

“That rotten Main God — did it die or did it run?!”

“Aah!” Screams broke out across the crowd. From beneath the feet of those screaming, thin threads of black smoke rose and curled, as if dragging them toward something below.

Players scrambled away from the black fog rising through the floor. Without their systems and skills, they were no different from ordinary people.

You Jiu noticed the black smoke seemed to have a will of its own — it moved only toward specific people. Other players could brush against it without any effect.

“Quiet!” He called out. “Everyone stay calm — the smoke is not targeting all players!”

They had survived countless instances. At the reminder, the crowd steadied quickly.

“Every player the smoke is pulling down has a reputation — killing for pleasure in instances.” Hua Ba watched a player less than two metres from her being swallowed, screaming, and stepped back twice.

When a person abandons their humanity and begins hurting others without restraint — they can’t be counted as a person anymore.

The screaming continued until the smoke had taken each of them entirely. Then it stopped.

The players watched. No one made a sound.

In the fracturing sky of the infinite space, cracks appeared everywhere — countless fissures, each one showing a different scene on the other side.

“That’s my home!”

A player recognized the world beyond their fissure and screamed with joy. Before they could say another word, they were gone.

“There!” Another voice broke into cheers. “That’s my hometown!”

One by one, players who recognized their own worlds vanished. The ones remaining grew fewer and fewer.

“We can go back?” Hua Ba found hers. She stared through it hungrily, then slowly pulled her eyes away and looked at her companions.

They looked back at her. Joy in their faces, and grief.

They knew: this parting meant they would never see each other again.

“Take care of yourselves.” Ah Peng spoke first. His eyes were red. “Before I left — my mum made a pot of braised pork and told me to come home for dinner. I should go home.”

“Take care.” She blinked against the stinging in her eyes. “All of you — live well.”

“Goodbye, Baba.” It was the first time he’d called her that. It was also the last.

After Ah Peng’s figure disappeared, Da Chang and his brother left too. Xiao Rou reached out and hugged her. “Xiao Hua — goodbye.”

The arms around her vanished. She smiled through her tears.

It was a permanent goodbye. But she knew her companions were alive — in different worlds, still alive. That was the best ending they could have asked for.

The space emptied further. In the end, only the anti-Main God alliance remained.

“Why haven’t you gone?” You Jiu came to stand in front of Tiger Ge. The old arrogance was gone from his eyes. “The space is almost completely gone. You can’t stay.”

“I’m waiting for Xiao Juan.” He kept his eyes on the fissures overhead. “She hasn’t come back yet.”

“She may not be coming back.” He let out a quiet breath. “Look at those fissures up there — count them against how many people are left.”

He counted. A few seconds of silence. “Xiao Juan doesn’t want to go home?”

“Maybe — in this world — not everyone has family waiting for them to return.” He smiled. “And Xiao Juan really loves Xiao Chao’s world.”

“But I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye.” His shoulders dropped. The low feeling didn’t last long. “Still — if Xiao Juan gets to stay in a world she loves, that’s good too. Xiao Chao is so capable. With him as her golden thigh, she’ll definitely be happy.”

“Go.” He took one last look at the player space, nearly gone now. “It’s time to go home.”

“Goodbye. You were actually all right.” Tiger Ge grinned, and disappeared.

“Hm.” He snorted softly. He stood there alone while the last players vanished, until only he remained. Then he said to no one: “So Wang Xiao Juan really isn’t coming back.”

“Goodbye.”

The infinite space that had imprisoned countless players disappeared from the world entirely.

When he opened his eyes again, Tiger Ge was standing outside his own building.

“Liu Xiao Hu, your mother told you to go buy soy sauce — and you’re down here loafing around!” His mum’s voice came thundering from above. “If you don’t bring that soy sauce back, you’re not eating lunch today!”

“Coming, Mum!”

He turned and ran, patting his pocket. A few coins — and something stiff.

He pulled it out. A photograph.

Xiao Juan wore a birthday hat, scissors fingers raised, laughing. Beside her stood Xiao Chao and Mr. Xu, and lots of people he didn’t recognize.

She was so happy.

Seeing her this content — he could stop worrying.

2. A Meeting Gift#

“Mr. Xu—”

“Auntie, please just call me Xiao Xu.”

He sat on the sofa, both hands placed properly on his knees, with the upright posture of a kindergartener hoping for a gold star.

“Xiao Xu.” She let it settle naturally. “You’ve brought so many gifts.”

She looked at the mountain of gift boxes covering the floor, stepped over them carefully, and carried a fruit plate to him.

“Thank you, Auntie.” He stood and received it with both hands.

“No need to be so formal.” She turned to give Chao Musheng a sharp look. He was still sitting there grinning — why wasn’t he helping to clear things away?

“Sit down, we’re not big on formalities here.” He pulled him back down and reached for the fruit plate. “What did you even buy?”

“Just some ordinary things.” He was afraid Chao Musheng’s parents might not like him. “Did I bring too much? I hope I haven’t caused trouble for Uncle and Auntie.”

“They’re worried you spent too much.” He put a strawberry in his mouth and looked at his mother. “Mum — Xu Chenzhu brought all of this, you should come open some boxes and see what you like.”

“What are you talking about — who opens gifts in front of guests?” She reached over and smacked his arm.

He quietly reached out and rubbed the spot on his behalf.

“He’s not a guest.” He laughed. “Come on, open them — I’m honestly curious too.”

“Auntie.” He leaned over and lifted a box into her hands. “These are a set of pink diamonds I’ve had collected for some time — please see if they suit you.”

If not, he also had rubies, emeralds, and red jadeite.

She couldn’t bring herself to refuse, and opened the box in front of him.

“They’re beautiful!” He pulled another box over and opened it himself. “Mum, look at this brooch — look how it catches the light.”

“It’s not only sparkling — this is a limited royal collection diamond brooch from the last century.” She cradled the box with great care. “Xiao Xu — this is far too precious. Please take it back.”

“Auntie — I grew up alone. There are no other women in my family.” He looked down, an expression that was quietly lonely. “Aside from you, I wouldn’t know who else to give these things to. You’re Zhaozhao’s mother — that makes you my most important elder. Please don’t turn them away.”

No other family? An orphan?

She held the box, feeling a small pang of guilt. How could she make him bring up something painful?

She’d been a bit unkind.

When Chao’s father came out from the kitchen, he found all three of them sitting cross-legged on the floor unwrapping gift boxes with enormous delight.

“Dad, come open some too.” He waved him over. “We’ll eat after.”

He was going to say something about decorum — then he saw the out-of-print rare book in his son’s hands, untied his apron, and sat down with them.

The golden retriever who had come up to scrounge a meal was rolling happily through the pile of boxes, a pet toy clenched in its teeth — a gift from the new guest.

This human had very good manners. The small dog approved.

Another very happy day to be a dog.

The interrogation and trials he had braced himself for never came. He unwrapped gifts with Zhaozhao’s family, ate dinner with them, sat together in front of the television, and was sent off to wash up and sleep alongside Zhaozhao.

“The room next to Zhaozhao’s has been empty for a while — we didn’t know what sort of bedding you’d prefer, so we set it up the same way as his.” His father pressed two red envelopes into his hands. “The old custom in Chao Family Bay: when a child brings their partner home, the elders give a red envelope. You can’t refuse — refusing means you won’t accept their goodwill.”

“Thank you, Uncle.” He accepted them. The CEO of Kunlun — and his face went a little red.

“No need for such formality among family.” His father produced a key. “This is the house key. You and Zhaozhao are welcome home whenever you like.”

The key caught the lamplight. Clearly newly cut.

He held it tightly.

He had a key to Zhaozhao’s home.

“Get some rest.” His father clapped him on the shoulder, smiling. “See you in the morning.”

“Did you give it all to him?” She was sitting on their bed waiting, and put down her phone the moment he came back. “Is Xiao Xu happy with the room?”

“The red envelopes are given, and the key we’d had made ahead of time has been delivered.” He sat down beside her. “That’s our son’s person. I wouldn’t let him feel unwelcome in this house.”

“Good.” She yawned. “As parents — the last thing we could do is disappoint the children.”

“Xiao Xu.” He slipped into his room to find him sitting there in a daze, holding the red envelopes and key. He squeezed in beside him. “How much did Mum and Dad put in?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head. He’d been too happy to open them.

“Let’s count together then.” He stretched out across the bed and pulled him down beside him.

It was a thoroughly silly thing to do. He did it with complete seriousness.

“This one has 10,001 yuan. The other has 9,999.” He tipped out a bank card, a slip of paper with the PIN taped to the back.

“10,001 means they think you’re one in ten thousand. 9,999 is a blessing for the two of us — for a long, unbroken time together. My parents really do put thought into these things.” He laughed and rolled across the bed, then put the card in his hand as well. “I don’t know what’s inside, but it came from your elders — spend it on whatever you want. This one doesn’t need to be handed over to me.”

“Zhaozhao—” He turned the key over in his palm, his eyes full of something bright. “Does this mean Uncle and Auntie have accepted me?”

“Of course.” He held his face and kissed the corner of his mouth. “You’re so wonderful — how could they not?”

He leaned forward and gathered him close.

The best person in this world was here, in his arms.

At eleven o’clock that night, everyone who had added Xu Chenzhu to their contacts found a new post on his feed. Four drinks clinking together in a photograph.

[Xu Chenzhu: I only want to be with you for a long, unbroken time.]