How to Feed an Abyss!

Chapter 31.1 – Some Past

Lu Tinghan had no expression.

Even if the most tricky psychological evaluator came over, he would not notice half of his emotions.

Lu Tinghan was not keen on socializing. He had alienated many people during his 10-year career as a Watcher, coupled with his speed of improvement like a rocket flying through the clouds, which was intimidating… He did not worry about his connections, and he had only a few good friends. Many people knew that he had a good relationship with Yan Xiangnan, but there were very few people who were qualified to say “condolences” to him.

After Yan Xiangnan’s death, his friends said their condolences, and Su Enqi simply said comforting words: Captain Yan died honorably and well.

It was just a sentence or two, and it was soon no longer mentioned.

Sacrifice was common.

They all knew that Lu Tinghan didn’t need any comforting. He was like a sharp blade, slashing the enemy with the most precision. He had experienced so many years of parting with friends and loved ones. Rather than saying that the changes had affected him, it’s better to say that they had hardened his sharpness again and again.

No one had ever said so seriously to him: ‘if you are sad, you can hug me and cry.’

Seeing that he didn’t speak, Shi Yuan asked, “What’s wrong?” He added, “You can hold me and cry with your arms around me, or touch my tail and cry secretly, you can cry however you want.”

Lu Tinghan said, “Just looking forward to me crying?”

Shi Yuan said, “You won’t be so sad if you cry.”

Lu Tinghan: “Have you ever cried?”

“Cried, only once.”

“Why?”

“Ah, that’s because… I won’t tell you! Don’t change the subject.”

Lu Tinghan smiled: “Shi Yuan, you don’t have to worry about this, I’m fine.”

Shi Yuan looked at Lu Tinghan’s expression again.

Still didn’t see anything.

He had to accept that his proposal failed and said, “Well, if you want to cry anytime, just come to me.”

The lights were turned off, the room was pitch black, and the curtains fluttered with the night wind.

Shi Yuan asked: “Lu Tinghan, what are you going to do tomorrow?”

Lu Tinghan replied: “I have a meeting with someone.”

“You just came back, don’t you want to rest for a while?”

“The situation is urgent and there are many things to do, so we must hurry up,” Lu Tinghan said. “The fried asparagus that I promised you before will have to wait a little longer.”

Shi Yuan stopped talking.

Not long after, Shi Yuan rolled into Lu Tinghan’s arms with the quilt.

Lu Tinghan said helplessly: “I really don’t…”

“But Lu Tingting might want it.” Shi Yuan hugged Lu Tinghan and lowered his head, his soft black hair rubbing against his chin. “I don’t want Lu Tinghan, I want to listen to Lu Tingting.”

Lu Tinghan paused for a moment, lowered his eyes, and asked, “…what do you want to hear?”

“I always talk about my things, you rarely talk about yours. I want to hear your story,” Shi Yuan said. “Any story is fine.”

This time, Lu Tinghan was silent for a long time.

After a long time, Shi Yuan thought he was asleep, then he heard him say, “… Yan Xiangnan and I met on the first day of school.”

Shi Yuan raised his ears to listen.

“After I signed in, I went to the dormitory, and he was the only one there. He asked me if I wanted to go to get the military uniform together,” Lu Tinghan said. “We have a good relationship. Later, I graduated early and became a Watcher. After he graduated, he stayed at the outpost and we have been in contact.”

Shi Yuan waited for a long time, but Lu Tinghan didn’t speak again.

Shi Yuan asked, “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Lu Tinghan said. “That’s the story, it’s over.”

“It’s too simple, without any plot,” Shi Yuan complained. “It seems that you are not good at telling stories, not as good as I am.”

Lu Tinghan raised his eyebrows: “You found out.”

“Is there really nothing else?”

“No more.” Lu Tinghan paused. “If I had to add something, it might be that the sunshine was good that day.”

The sun shone brightly on the first day of military school, through an old banyan tree outside the window, falling into the four-room dormitory, a warm, which was warm and light green.

Lu Zhun had just died that year, Yu Qingmei was busy with the project of Abyss No.0, and Lu Tinghan came to the military academy alone. He dragged his luggage into the gate of the military academy, passed the statue of the founding general, walked up the pathway planted with trees on both side, and saw an inconspicuous dark gray dormitory at the end of the road.

The corridor smelled of disinfectant, the sun was everywhere, and the expressions of the freshmen were excited and dazed. Yan Xiangnan sat on the bed by the window, looked up in surprise, and said, “Finally someone is here! Brother, do you want to go get the military uniform together?”

That’s how they met.

That was too long ago. If it weren’t for Shi Yuan’s question, Lu Tinghan wouldn’t have recalled it.

In Su Enqi’s words, Lu Tinghan was “extremely purposeful”, he always knew what he wanted, from studying esoteric books when he was young, to going to and from the training ground alone in the middle of the night, to stubbornly becoming a Watcher, and to signing the euthanasia bill against all odds… It seemed like nothing could stop him.

He was not nostalgic and was focused on moving forward. Memories were too luxurious for him.

It was the first time he was asked such a question.

Shi Yuan was in his arms, with his face raised slightly, waiting for his answer.

Thinking back carefully, the faces of the students became clear: Ah Tie who always wrote self-criticisms, Old Meng who was cheerful, Shan Zi who failed the military leadership class twice; there were also theory classes that seemed to be endless, field training in heavy rains, close combat from fist to flesh… After many years, everyone had already gone their separate ways, some with gorgeous epaulettes and some sleeping in the sound of death knell, each with a turbulent life.

But on this night, at this moment, they came alive again.

The young man with bright eyes.

The sunlight at that time was a pot of mellow and rich warm wine.

Shi Yuan looked at him: “The sun is very good, and then?”

“…That’s it.”

Shi Yuan: ?

Lu Tinghan patted Shi Yuan’s head: “Thank you for bringing this up.”

Shi Yuan: “Why are you thanking me?”

Lu Tinghan said: “Reminded me of the story of that time.”

“Well, although I didn’t understand your story at all… I just want to make you happy. Are you happier?”

Lu Tinghan: “Hmm.”

“That’s good.” Shi Yuan was a little surprised. “But your storytelling is really terrible…”

He muttered a few more words in a low voice and fell asleep.

In the past, Shi Yuan’s occupation of Lu Tinghan’s bed was one-sided, and not many times.

He wanted to sleep together with Lu Tinghan, like those monsters huddled together in their nests, but Lu Tinghan always kept a personal distance, and if Shi Yuan got too close, he would roll Shi Yuan back to the other side of the bed with the quilt. Generally speaking, they still slept separately.

But this night was different.

While half dreaming and half awake, Lu Tinghan seemed to put his arms around him.

The movement was very light, and the touch was almost imperceptible, making Shi Yuan think it was an illusion.