Chapter 156
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Editor: Casey
Shi Qing could feel the zombie virus rampaging through his body as time went on.
He thought it was about time, so he called the System: [Tong-er, take care of the zombie virus in my body.]
The System immediately got to work.
It prepared to go back when it finished, but Shi Qing stopped it. [Aren’t you going to try and get me to buy a few props with points?]
The System: [Oh right.]
It was so worried about the Host that it forgot to ask.
Shi Qing made a few rudimentary calculations. [Go tally up the total and deduct it from my account. Oh, and don’t come out these next few days. I’m going to be busy bonding with my Songsong.]
The System dutifully ran off.
Song Xiabing was struggling to send over his ability when he suddenly noticed the wound beneath his hand healing at a rate visible to the naked eye. The green tinge to Shi Qing’s skin also gradually faded away.
He breathed a sigh of relief but continued transfusing his ability just to be safe.
But the man impatiently slapped his hand away. “Alright, alright. I’m fine already!”
“Let me remind you one more time: Laozi didn’t stop you because I like you or love you. I only consider you a brother, a brother, got it?”
His shove didn’t have much force behind it. Song Xiabing was currently wondering why his ability was still here, and why he was alright.
Being pushed like that, his eyes narrowed slightly. Then he smoothly fell to the ground..
He also let out a rather fragile cry of alarm.
Sprawled on the ground, he weakly coughed a few times. His peach blossom eyes were rimmed with red as he pitifully looked up at Shi Qing. “Boss, I feel so weak right now. My chest hurts.”
As expected, the man immediately tensed up.
He came over and helped him up, patting Song Xiabing all over like he usually does. “Are you okay? Your ability isn’t really gone, is it?”
Song Xiabing, who was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with power, had a pained expression on his face. He coughed a few more times. “I can’t feel my ability anymore. Boss, you might’ve really sucked me dry.”
Anyone could tell that he was about to collapse.
Shi Qing: [Hehe.]
[This crafty guy.]
He didn’t have the phantom fox physique to begin with, and the zombie virus was cleared by the System. Song Xiabing clearly still had his ability, but he put on such a convincing act.
Shi Qing played along by looking very shocked.
“f.u.c.k! How can that be?! Laozi still has my ability, ah. Didn’t Zhou Xuanxuan say that my ability would disappear too? Why’s yours gone but mine’s still here?”
Cough cough cough.
Song Xiabing didn’t know either.
But that didn’t stop him from making up random nonsense. “Maybe it’s because I noticed your wound healing just now. I increased the amount I was putting out because I was afraid you’d lose your ability.”
The implication was that he sacrificed his own ability to save Shi Qing’s.
Since Zhou Xuanxuan wasn’t here right now, who could refute him?
“Cough, cough, cough. Boss, my chest hurts so much. I feel so weak and sick…”
Song Xiabing tried his best to embody the words frail and helpless, covering his chest and coughing incessantly.
As expected, guilt flashed across the Blazing Thunder boss’s features. He then carefully patted the young man on the back like he didn’t know what else to do.
“Then, then why don’t I go find a doctor. Didn’t Zhou Xuanxuan say that only a portion of your ability would be siphoned off?? That noodle master of his is still alive, so you’ll definitely be fine too.”
“D-don’t go.”
Song Xiabing ‘weakly’ grasped Shi Qing’s hand before breaking into another coughing fit. “Boss, I’ve made a lot of enemies while gathering grain recently. Our Blazing Thunder’s only made it through because of you and because of my high-level ability. They’ll definitely come looking for trouble if they catch word that my ability’s gone.”
He deliberately said ‘ours’. As expected, Shi Qing was in too much of a panic to suspect him of trying to stage a coup like before. He hated the man blabbering on and on about ‘Laozi’s Blazing Thunder’, ‘Laozi’s grain’ and what not.
The young man coughed a few more times. “Boss, it doesn’t matter if I die, but what if something were to happen to your Blazing Thunder or your grain? I won’t be able to die in peace then.”
“The f.u.c.k you saying? Grain and Blazing Thunder can always be restored later. You only have one life.”
If he had firecrackers, Song Xiabing would set them all off right now.
Finally…
Finally!!!
He finally heard Shi Qing say that he was more important than food. Song Xiabing had never felt so rea.s.sured before.
He wanted to grab Shi Qing and battle with him for three days and nights.
But out of consideration for this rare moment when the man’s attention was on him alone, positive to boot, Song Xiabing tried very hard to suppress the urge to carry Shi Qing into the bedroom. He only softly held onto Shi Qing’s hand with his fingers.
In an especially weak tone, he whispered, “Boss, can you carry me back? I’m fine aside from losing my ability.”
Shi Qing nodded and picked him up in a bridal carry.
It’s a good thing Song Xiabing didn’t mind. His head very naturally rested against the man’s chest once he was picked up. Out of sight from the man, he sniffed the crisp fragrance of a phantom fox lingering around him.
At this moment, being held by the man, Song Xiabing’s heart finally settled down.
Shi Qing was now his.
His Shi Qing.
Shi Qing carried the man to his room.
He checked over Song Xiabing’s body again, only relaxing when he found no wounds.
Song Xiabing laid ‘weakly’ on the bed, but his eyes lingered on the man’s big, fiery red tail that had exploded in response to his anxiety. His long fingers twitched.
In the end, he couldn’t resist running his hand through the fluffy fur.
The man tucking him in was caught off guard and let out a surprised cry. Astonished, he turned to Song Xiabing, already flushed due to his physique.
“What are you doing??”
Song Xiabing took in his frightened expression and the tail tucked in between his legs.
By now, his fingers weren’t the only thing itching.
“Cough, cough.”
After fake coughing twice, he said, “Boss, I didn’t mean to. I was just sad thinking about how I’ll never get to touch your tail again now that I’ve lost my ability.”
The man gradually became uneasy. He glared viciously at Song Xiabing. “Out of all things, this is what you’re worried about after losing your ability??”
“Yeah, it’s not a big deal. I know that Boss will take care of me. I’ll be fine even if you don’t. I know that you’ve always hated me. I can’t even threaten you like before now that I’ve lost my ability. If you really want to, you can even find a mutant plant like you said before and have me hallucinate for the rest of my life.”
His words were tinged with grief, but Song Xiabing’s expression showed understanding and acceptance.
Even the most hard-hearted person would soften with that.
Not to mention the Blazing Thunder boss, who no longer hated him.
The man cursed up a storm as he sat on the edge of the bed and roughly tucked Song Xiabing in. “What do you take Laozi for? You lost your ability for my sake after all. I’m not the type to repay kindness with cruelty.”
“Do you really think that I, Shi Qing, would do such a heartless thing?”
Song Xiabing’s eyes glittered with grat.i.tude. He nodded. “Boss, thank you for not abandoning me.”
“Your hands are still perfectly functional, so why would Laozi abandon you? Pei, stop with the theatrics. It’s p.i.s.sing me off. Hurry up and close your eyes.”
Disregarding the vicious words, Song Xiabing noted the discomfort and embarra.s.sment that flashed across Shi Qing’s eyes.
He was delighted and struck while the iron was hot. “Boss, I want to…”
“Stop wasting time and spit it out already.”
“I want to touch your tail.”
Song Xiabing hastily continued when he saw Shi Qing’s surprise. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I’ve always been disdained and bullied growing up. I’ve never felt safe before. In all my life, I’ve only been at peace while touching your tail, Boss.”
“I feel so sick right now, but I still want to touch Boss’ tail. That way, at least I can feel better on the inside.”
As expected, his words made Shi Qing’s demeanour gradually soften.
The man has always been straightforward. He didn’t beat around the bush after deciding to let Song Xiabing touch his tail.
“Fine. Since you saved my life today, you can touch it.”
Saying that, he turned around sharply and handed the big fiery red tail directly to the young man. Song Xiabing nodded softly before lightly touching it a few times.
He was so careful and gentle that it made Shi Qing ticklish.
He scowled and flicked his tail slightly. “Hey, are you touching my tail or poking it?”
“My hands are too weak right now.”
Song Xiabing purposely stretched out his words. “Boss, I’m going to touch it again.”
“En. Go ahead– Wu!”
Then came the young man’s very insincere apology. “Sorry Boss, I couldn’t help myself.”
“It’s fine. Do you feel better on the inside now?”
“Yeah, but my body still feels bad. Boss, can I touch the root of your tail?”
“Boss, your tail root is so pleasing to touch. The fur here is so fine and soft.”
“Boss, you’re sweating! Why don’t I help you wash those clothes later?”
“Boss, are you tired out already? Aiya, I accidentally fell on you, Boss. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Boss, can I?”
Song Xiabing had a lot of patience this time. He endured until Shi Qing answered him. The sweaty man opened his eyes with a scowl and shoved him.
“Why the f.u.c.k do you always trail off while talking? Just do it already, ah.”
For the next few days, Blazing Thunder’s little brothers didn’t see hide nor tail of their boss or Song-ge. But there was a rumour going around about the two recuperating together using some sort of special healing treatment. After all, they still called for meals to be delivered.
After a few days, the two finally came out.
But something didn’t add up…
If Song-ge was the one who needed treatment, why was their boss the one limping around??