ASV Chapter 73: Thick Nerves

(T/N: warnings at end of chapter) 

Qin Kaiyi spent the following days happily as a rice worm. 

Shen Feixiao didn’t try to force him again, so Qin Kaiyi did nothing but eat and sleep until his face became round. 

To a certain extent, Qin Kaiyi had really tough nerves. Normal people in his situation, though maybe they wouldn’t go crazy, their mood would definitely fall. But Qin Kaiyi… 

“I want to eat shredded pork with garlic sauce.” A certain person stuffing food in his mouth was very dissatisfied with today’s meal. “Why are all these dishes vegetarian?”

“…” The man holding the fish meat in his chopsticks paused when he heard these words, and then nodded slightly.

“It would be even better with some wine.” Gaining an inch and wanting a foot, Qin Kaiyi saw that Shen Feixiao practically unconditionally acceded to all his requests, so he thickened his face to say, “I want it older than a hundred years.” 

“…” Shen Feixiao slowly raised his head and looked at Qin Kaiyi without expression. He actually felt like he didn’t know what to say… Since that day he forced Qin Kaiyi to eat a pastry, Qin Kaiyi, who should have fiercely resisted, suddenly had an attitude as if he might as well make himself at home… 

Of course, it turned out that Shen Feixiao was too naive. He would never know that Qin Kaiyi’s method to comfort himself was to repeat one sentence: life is like being r*ped, since you can’t resist then you might as well enjoy.

Qin Kaiyi still had 25% of return value left to collect. According to the previous rules, he probably would be able to complete his return value with one more task. As the system had not given him any tasks and he had no good way to escape Shen Feixiao, he might as well eat and drink well. After all, the body is the revolution’s capital (T/N: Mao Zedong saying, basically you have to be in good health to work)… As for the terrifying experience of Shen Feixiao forcing him, Qin Kaiyi has already pressed it into the deepest part of his mind; he no longer tried to recall those memories, but regarded them as fading nightmares. 

“Shixiong.” Looking at Qin Kaiyi seeming like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water (T/N: fig.: undaunted), Shen Feixiao’s tone changed as he said, “Is your injury better?”

“What do you want to do?” Qin Kaiyi, who heard this sentence, instantly became alert–this fellow Shen Feixiao wasn’t still thinking to do something to him?

“Just concerned about you for a bit.” Putting down the chopsticks, Shen Feixiao said, “I have some ointment here, you remember to use it.”

“En.” Qin Kaiyi gave a half-hearted and pithy agreement–although he didn’t show timidity in front of Shen Feixiao now, the fear deep in his heart could not be eliminated.

He could hardly imagine that him firmly pretending to be calm was like a little beast who was scared stiff, but tremblingly baring his fangs to show that he was not afraid at all. A glimmer of a smile flashed through Shen Feixiao’s gaze. “Relax, I won’t touch you now.” —Doing that kind of thing was just to finish claiming ownership. Now that you are a canary in my cage, how could I intentionally hurt you?

“Thank you.” He obtained Shen Feixiao’s guarantee, but Qin Kaiyi’s expression wasn’t too good. He looked at the plentiful dishes on the table and somewhat felt that he was eating without tasting the food (T/N: common figurative meaning = worried or downhearted). 

Then there was silence between the two. This atmosphere might be hard to endure for Qin Kaiyi, but it was a wonderful time for Shen Feixiao.

From his childhood to his adulthood, before falling down the cliff and meeting Yu Hong, he rarely had the opportunity to eat a proper full meal. Therefore, the status of food in his eyes was very important.

And after being taken care of by Yu Hong, he with his heart demons had a more important goal.

Shen Feixiao ate the food in front of him bit by bit with his chopsticks. His gaze was calm and serene… After completing this goal, he finally had the opportunity to happily sit down and eat a hot meal.

No one could see the foreboding signs of heart demons from the tranquil man in front of Qin Kaiyi. Qin Kaiyi snuck a confused glance at Shen Feixiao. He knew that Shen Feixiao’s heart demons were quite related to himself, but as a participant in this affair, no matter how he thought about it he couldn’t understand why Shen Feixiao would have heart demons because of him. 

“I know shixiong is very puzzled.” Not missing any of Qin Kaiyi’s minute expressions, Shen Feixiao calmly smiled: “Why am I doing this to you.”

“…” Qin Kaiyi lowered his head and averted his gaze from Shen Feixiao’s.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if I don’t explain it, shixiong will understand one day.” Looking at Qin Kaiyi’s evasive gaze, Shen Feixiao didn’t react very much. He stopped eating and pinched a long strand of Qin Kaiyi’s hair. “I’m not in a hurry.”

Qin Kaiyi’s body momentarily shrunk into itself because of Shen Feixiao’s action.

“Shixiong needn’t be so afraid of me.” Letting go of the strand of hair in his hand, Shen Feixiao looked at Qin Kaiyi with a smile, “Before shixiong’s injury heals, I won’t do anything to you–of course, on the condition that shixiong takes good care of his injury.”

“I’m full.” Unwilling to talk to Shen Feixiao anymore, Qin Kaiyi got up and walked to the side of the bed. 

“…” Shen Feixiao also didn’t speak anymore. After eating all the dishes clean, he tidied up the table and walked towards the door carrying the basket.

“Shen Feixiao…” Qin Kaiyi saw Shen Feixiao about to leave, and hurriedly stopped him.

“En?” Shen Feixiao turned his head and looked at Qin Kaiyi. 

“… How’s shifu?” Qin Kaiyi choked these words back for a long time but didn’t succeed in the end. He vaguely remembered that Qing Xuzi was about to reach the Ascension stage. 

“Shifu? He is very good.” Shen Feixiao gave Qin Kaiyi a pensive look. 

“Oh.” Dully replying, Qin Kaiyi didn’t know what to say again.

“Then I’ll go first.” Shen Feixiao walked out of the room with the basket, leaving Qin Kaiyi stupidly staring at the wall in a daze. In actuality, if Shen Feixiao didn’t have those inclinations for him, and didn’t keep him here… he would have a favorable impression of Shen Feixiao… after all, this was a child he watched grow up with his own eyes. 

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“Yo (T/N: indicates slight surprise, flat-toned yo), just coming out like this?” Shen Feixiao exited the door and immediately heard a crisp, clear voice. He didn’t look back, and his tone was indifferent: “How is your investigation of the things I asked you to check?” 

“Ah, that woman named Tang Shayun?” A man in purple clothes slowly followed Shen Feixiao, and his utterances held deceptive overtones, “Master, she has a natural demonic body. Isn’t it a pity to ruin it like this?”

“Why?” Shen Feixiao paused his steps when he heard this. He turned to look at the sable behind him which had turned into a human form. “I haven’t given you enough lessons?”

“Hehe… Master, I’m just kidding.” The sable who had been called an eggplant had now turned into a handsome young man dressed in gorgeous purple clothes. He glanced at Shen Feixiao again and a flash of fear flitted in his gaze, “No… I mean such a good ingredient, why ruin it?”  He couldn’t eat Qin Shi; it couldn’t be that he couldn’t bite into that Tang Shayun woman either? 

“Do you want it?” Shen Feixiao smiled in a way that seemed unlike a smile. “Okay, as long as you help me check what I want, how you take care of that woman is up to you.”

“Is that true?” The eggplant lit up.

“Of course it is true,” Shen Feixiao affirmed lightly.

“Great!!!” The eggplant received Shen Feixiao’s promise and almost jumped with joy. He spent most of his strength to transform. With the supplement of a natural demonic body, his power could increase further. 

“What did you see when you entered his dream?” Shen Feixiao asked, suddenly remembering something.

“Ah?” Suddenly asked this question, the eggplant paused a moment and then frowningly said, “In his dream I… saw something I had never seen…”

“What do you mean?” Shen Feixiao’s brows frowned as he listened to the eggplant’s unclear description.

“I can’t describe it.” Eggplant scratched his head in distress, “I’ve never seen those weird things, that iron box with four wheels, you could see the wall outside and…”

“Okay.” After interrupting the eggplant, Shen Feixiao’s eyes gradually darkened. It wasn’t clear what came to his mind. “Where is Tang Shayun?”

“Her ah.” Eggplant carelessly replied, “When Ziyang Pei delivered her, she was almost crazy. I didn’t dare to forcefully enter her dream. I was afraid she would become completely mentally disabled as soon as I entered.”

“… Arrange for her to meet Qin Shi.” Shen Feixiao swept his gaze over the bamboo basket he was carrying and said softly, “You know what to do.”

“Yes.” Eggplant got the answer from Shen Feixiao’s eyes–that delicious food called Tang Shayun would definitely be his.

Shen Feixiao finished talking, while Qin Kaiyi started staring at the wooden door like he was the Amah Rock. (T/N: stone in Hong Kong that appears like a woman gazing out for her husband while carrying a baby. Legend has it that the faithful wife of a fisherman climbed the hills every day while carrying her son to watch for her husband’s return. The Goddess of the Sea turned her into a rock so that her spirit could reunite with her husband). 

Although he was a homebody otaku in his original world, those were modern times. Computers and phones were enough to support his simple interpersonal network. He also didn’t have to worry about eating, he could order takeout. Coming to this world… don’t mention computers and phones, it would have to be enough just for Shen Feixiao to replace the takeaway brother’s job and deliver food to him every day.

He didn’t feel it when he was in seclusion cultivating, but now that his power was sealed, Qin Kaiyi’s entire person felt not good. He lay bored on the bed in every position, and his imagination began to run wild again. Of course, he absolutely would not admit that he was fantasizing what he would do to Shen Feixiao if he were the protagonist… 

“It’s too malicious, too malicious.” Qin Kaiyi buried his head in the pillow like an ostrich and murmured, “Shen Feixiao do you want to suffocate me to death… mother’s eggs. The moe little kid from back then, what happened? (T/N: he pronounces what happened = ze me le as zhong me le, facetious internet speak). I thought we agreed to raise you properly (T/N: he refers to the raising of your game character in an online game, or watching your favorite idol develop), I thought we agreed to turn you into an outstanding character of the world, agreed to see each other again as fellow villagers from the same hometown with tears in our eyes… according to standard novel plots, when he found out the truth shouldn’t he have been deeply grateful and recognized me as his daddy… fine, even if you don’t thank me, ignoring me would have been good too…” *crying noises* Already beginning to talk nonsense, Qin Kaiyi tiredly closed his eyes… and finally dizzily fell asleep. 

Sometimes, having thick nerves could really be an unequalled skill. Qin Kaiyi smacked his lips and began to snore quietly. 

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Warnings: flippant treatment of sexual violence, translator does not endorse 

Obviously translator is not a virtue signaller either, since translator continues to translate. Read at your own risk