Cataclysm Chapter 135: Extras · Fated Marriage 06

Chapter 135: Extras · Fated Marriage 06

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

The round, plump cat, Big Fatty, crouched on the courtyard wall. Kou Xuanling extended his finger and poked at the cat’s chubby behind. The deep depression immediately sprang back as soon as his finger was withdrawn. He poked again, and it bounced back—softer than a spring, more elastic than bread, like jelly. Big Fatty’s tail swished and struck Kou Xuanling’s arm with it, glancing toward Lu Xiuzhi, who was standing in the courtyard. “Your friend?”

Kou Xuanling nodded. Big Fatty asked, “Boyfriend?”

Kou Xuanling replied, “My brother.”

Big Fatty stood up energetically and gracefully walked along the edge of the wall, its tail swishing back and forth, its butt swaying. Unable to resist, Kou Xuanling stood on tiptoe and grabbed the two fleshy cheeks of its behind. Big Fatty halted, turned around, and glared coldly. Kou Xuanling sheepishly laughed and let go, saying, “A moment of impulse.”

The round black ball expanded, obscuring all four legs, covering the edge of the wall, looking like a rolling coal ball. Big Fatty jumped onto the stone table in front of Lu Xiuzhi and asked, “I heard you’re Kou Xuanling’s boyfriend—”

Kou Xuanling brandished a peach wood sword, and Big Fatty quickly corrected itself, “Oh, brother.”

Lu Xiuzhi glanced at Kou Xuanling before answering Big Fatty, “Just a friend.”

Big Fatty looked at Kou Xuanling, who was still ready to threaten it, and wagged its tail, whispering, “A male friend or a boyfriend?” Lu Xiuzhi smiled without speaking, and Big Fatty understood, offering its advice, “A straight guy isn’t worth it. You won’t win his heart.” It described chasing after a straight guy as trying to climb invisible glass mountains. After clearing obstacles, one finally sees a red, beating heart, and just when you’re about to cherish it, you hear it bounce back: “Hey, bro! Want to be brothers?”

Lu Xiuzhi smiled and said, “We have an engagement.”

Big Fatty’s tail froze for a moment, then began wagging madly. It blinked its bright eyes, signaling Lu Xiuzhi to continue. Lu Xiuzhi obliged, “We arranged the engagement over a decade ago. A’Xuan proposed to me twice, and we have tokens of our love and engagement.” He said this without missing a beat, still smiling and calmly requesting, “I hope you can keep it a secret.”

Big Fatty patted its chest. “No problem.” It jumped off the stone table and circled around Kou Xuanling twice, clicking its tongue in admiration. It hadn’t expected that the so-called “straight guy” who seemed clueless about love was actually ahead of everyone else, already standing at the starting line.

Kou Xuanling sighed, “Big Fatty, behave.” Big Fatty snickered and jumped into the branch office, where it saw Mao Xiaoli drawing symbols. It nestled its head against hers, whispering secrets. From time to time, it glanced back at Kou Xuanling and Lu Xiuzhi, whose eyes lit up, and she secretly grinned at Kou Xuanling.

Kou Xuanling crossed his arms and asked her what she was laughing at. She waved her hand, shaking her head, claiming there was nothing to laugh at, but then turned back to grin at him, almost driving him crazy.

Mao Xiaoli created a WeChat group specifically for this purpose and added everyone from the branch office. Within half an hour, everyone knew that Kou Xuanling had brought back his current boyfriend, whom he was pursuing, and that they were probably about to get married.

Big Fatty kept quiet about the engagement between Kou Xuanling and Lu Xiuzhi but did spill that Kou Xuanling had already proposed to Lu Xiuzhi. As for whether Lu Xiuzhi had agreed, it wasn’t sure, but it asked Mao Xiaoli to keep it a secret. Mao Xiaoli promised not to tell and then posted in the group that Kou Xuanling was pursuing Lu Xiuzhi and had confessed, but it wasn’t known whether he’d agreed.

Chen Yang replied that when he returned to Kou Xuanling’s hometown, he’d realized the two of them weren’t acting quite right. Old Kou had insisted they were just brothers, but it was clearly a special “brotherhood.” He also reminded Mao Xiaoli to share any gossip as soon as it came up, and he’d be back from the neighboring province in a couple of days.

Lu Xiuzhi managed to grab two movie tickets. The cinema was in a nearby shopping mall, which also housed a food court, supermarkets, and clothing stores, making it a popular spot for couples. When he got the tickets, he asked Kou Xuanling if he had time, but he replied, “No.”

Lu Xiuzhi asked, “Are you busy?”

“Not bad.” Kou Xuanling took fresh fruit from the fridge in the kitchen and said, “But I need to bathe, burn incense, and worship the ancestor. It may take two or three hours. In short, I’ll miss the movie ticket time we agreed on, so I won’t be going.”

Mao Xiaoli walked over, and after observing their interactions over the past few days, she had figured out the truth: it wasn’t Kou Xuanling chasing Lu Xiuzhi, but the opposite. She stood in front of Lu Xiuzhi and said, “On behalf of the whole branch office, I offer my sympathy and encouragement. The road is long, but persistence will pay off.”

Lu Xiuzhi sent a screenshot of the movie ticket codes to Mao Xiaoli. “For you.”

Mao Xiaoli smiled. “How embarrassing.” She then took out her phone and opened WeChat. “Just add me and send it directly.”

After receiving the movie ticket codes, she realized that the showtime was in about half an hour. If she hurried, she would just make it.

Zhang Qiudao passed by the kitchen holding a bottle of fresh milk, poking the straw in, and glanced at Mao Xiaoli’s phone screen. “Going to the movies?”

Mao Xiaoli looked up and grabbed Zhang Qiudao’s arm. “I happen to be unable to find anyone. You should come with me to watch the movie.”

Zhang Qiudao, still with the straw in his mouth, looked down at the hand Mao Xiaoli had on his arm. He then raised his gaze and saw Mao Xiaoli’s bright smile. Her delicate features became even more adorable with her crescent-shaped eyes. Zhang Qiudao let go of the straw and softly said, “Okay.”

Lu Xiuzhi sat on the living room recliner with his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but in reality, he had sent a strand of his soul to the portrait of the ancestor in Kou Xuanling’s room. The solemn and dignified eyes of the portrait subtly moved, landing on Kou Xuanling, who had just finished his bath and incense ritual. Kou Xuanling’s cheeks were flushed from the heat, appearing softer than usual. The room was filled with the scent of incense, and the smoke rose gently. Kou Xuanling, dressed in his Daoist robe and cap, solemnly placed fresh flowers and fruits, replaced the dirty water, and added more fragrant oil.

After everything was set, he lit three incense sticks, bowed respectfully, and began his ritual. Incense was always the first step in his practice. After finishing the bowing, he inserted the incense into the censer and took the peach wood sword beside the shrine. With his legs together and his sword raised, he stood firm as he performed his sword dance with unwavering devotion, as he had done for over a decade without ever slacking.

Ma Shanfeng opened the office door just in time to see Lu Xiuzhi sitting on his exclusive recliner, eyes closed, lips curved in a subtle smile. Even from a few meters away, the serene energy emanating from him was palpable. Ma Shanfeng walked to the desk, reached into the cabinet for a tea bag, but paused when he caught sight of Lu Xiuzhi’s indifferent gaze. They locked eyes for a brief three seconds. Ma Shanfeng nodded to Lu Xiuzhi, and the latter lowered his eyes, returning to his watch of Kou Xuanling’s sword dance. Ma Shanfeng grasped the doorknob, glancing up at the direction of Kou Xuanling’s room on the upper floor, silently acknowledging that this was likely the time for Kou Xuanling’s ancestor worship.

When Ma Shanfeng left for the day, he saw Lu Xiuzhi still sitting with his eyes closed, a faint smile still on his lips, but there was something unsettling in the air. He tucked his briefcase under his arm and, as he reached the door, noticed Big Fatty curled up next to the little cat, shaking his head with a sigh. “Another spring arrives.”

After finishing his ritual, Kou Xuanling, covered in sweat, went to take another shower. As the sound of the water from the shower filled the air, the eyes of the ancestor’s portrait, which had been fixed ahead, quietly moved toward the shower. When the water stopped, Kou Xuanling wrapped himself in a towel and walked to the couch to change clothes.

His honey-toned skin, glistening with water droplets, slender limbs, beautiful back muscles, and the sensual curve of his waist and perky backside were all on display as he bent down to pull on his pants, unintentionally positioning his behind toward the portrait. Water droplets dripped down, following the curve of his waist and slipping into the crevice of his hips before sliding down his smooth thighs… The beautiful scene then turned into a dazzling white light that illuminated the entire world, blinding anyone who saw it.

After changing clothes, Kou Xuanling turned around and noticed something off with the portrait of the ancestor. He quickly ran up to it and studied it closely. His brows furrowed as he wiped the surface of the portrait. “Why does it look like bloodstains? This spot… did it bleed?” The more he wiped, the more puzzled he became, but when his gaze met the ancestor’s solemn eyes, he quickly shook his head. “It must be just some accidental stain.”

At that moment, Lu Xiuzhi suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed a few tissues to wipe away his own nosebleed, coughed a few times to clear his throat, and stood up to go outside for some fresh air to cool down. Just as he turned, he ran into Du Shuo face-to-face. They had already seen through each other’s backgrounds but hadn’t formally talked until now.

Lu Xiuzhi said, “Director Du?”

Du Shuo nodded. “Let’s go outside and talk.” Lu Xiuzhi agreed, and the two of them sat in the courtyard for a while. The clouds overhead obscured the moon, and the wind would blow, parting the clouds to reveal a sliver of moonlight. Du Shuo tapped the table and asked, “You’re here in the mortal realm because of Kou Xuanling?”

Lu Xiuzhi raised an eyebrow. “You figured it out so quickly?”

Du Shuo’s gaze turned slightly cold. “Kou Xuanling is constantly worshiping you; how could I not know?”

Lu Xiuzhi hadn’t expected the portrait to be so easily noticed. Kou Xuanling had always been very devout, worshiping him both at the main office and the branch office. Both locations were under Du Shuo’s watch, so as long as Lu Xiuzhi’s divine sense was attached to the portrait, it would definitely be detected by Du Shuo. Moreover, he had been attached to the portrait, accompanying Kou Xuanling. In other words… “You knew all along?”

Du Shuo responded, “I knew three or four years ago.” He glanced at Lu Xiuzhi with a hint of mockery. “You’ve been hesitating for three or four years.” Back then, Du Shuo had sensed Lu Xian’s intentions, expecting him to act sooner. Instead, Lu Xiuzhi had dragged it out for years before finally taking action.

Lu Xiuzhi was momentarily stunned but responded curtly, “He was still young.”

Even though Kou Xuanling was around twenty at the time, Lu Xiuzhi felt he was too young—both in age and maturity. For a deity, once they were moved, it was a fixed fact that could never be undone. They rarely let themselves be swayed by emotions and only acted according to fate. If the right moment came, they would accept it without resistance, but hesitation was inevitable. They would worry that a young partner might not be steady enough, that they could confuse feelings, or that they might later regret their decision when they ‘came to their senses’ and harbor resentment.

Du Shuo snorted, thinking that Lu Xiuzhi was overly indecisive and worried too much. He had once hesitated too, but when he realized that his fated partner could only be Chen Yang, he acted immediately. “If you’re moved, just secure them firmly.” Du Shuo looked up, his smile faint. “Do you not have the confidence to stay together forever?”

Lu Xiuzhi fell silent for a long moment before replying, “That’s why I’m here.”

“Ah Zhi?” Kou Xuanling came out to look for them and greeted Du Shuo, “Director Du, you’re back? Chen Yang hasn’t returned yet.”

Du Shuo smiled and stood up. “I know.” He then walked upstairs.

Lu Xiuzhi smiled and extended his hand. “Do you have time to go watch a movie now?”

Kou Xuanling hesitated. “It’s really late… Is there another showing?”

Lu Xiuzhi grinned. “The midnight show. I just bought the tickets, and if we don’t go, it’ll be a waste of money.” Kou Xuanling felt that there wasn’t much else to do and agreed. As he passed by Lu Xiuzhi, his arm was caught, their fingers interlocking tightly.

Lu Xiuzhi, with an open attitude, asked with a smile, “Do you mind?”

Kou Xuanling felt it was a bit intimate but didn’t mind. “I remember that holding hands is either for couples or for parents and children. So in our case, are we grandfather and grandson?”

“…” Lu Xiuzhi was helpless. “We’re neither grandfather and grandson nor just a couple. I hope we’re a couple.”

Kou Xuanling suddenly looked up in shock. “When did I become single again? I don’t even know myself!” His focus was clearly on the wrong detail. Lu Xiuzhi gently cupped his face and lifted it, then leaned down to press a kiss to his lips, which were slightly parted from surprise. The kiss wasn’t passionate, but it was full of emotion, cool to the touch and comforting.

After pulling away, Lu Xiuzhi ran his thumb along Kou Xuanling’s lips. “I’m pursuing you. Do you agree?”

Kou Xuanling was about to refuse when he suddenly heard Lu Xiuzhi say, “My hairband fell.” Lu Xiuzhi picked it up and placed it in Kou Xuanling’s palm. “Can you help me tie my hair?”

When Kou Xuanling regained his senses, he realized that, like an infatuated fool, he had been touching Lu Xiuzhi’s long hair, unable to look away from his profile. Lu Xiuzhi seemed to notice his gaze, lifting his eyes and smiling, deliberately using the moonlight and angle to present himself as a graceful, ethereal figure under the moon. “You still haven’t answered me—will you accept my pursuit?”

Kou Xuanling blinked. “Accept what?”

“Accept that I’m pursuing you. Don’t be afraid, don’t avoid it. Try to accept me… unwilling?” The last words were as light as the breeze brushing against willows by the riverbank, making it hard to refuse. Kou Xuanling swallowed, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Do you really not have a long-lost sister?”

Lu Xiuzhi quickly turned his face away, showing the back of his head to Kou Xuanling. “No.”

Kou Xuanling cautiously poked Lu Xiuzhi’s shoulder with his index finger. “Are you angry? Don’t be, aren’t we supposed to go watch a movie? The midnight show?”

“We’re not going. Let’s go back to sleep.”

Kou Xuanling walked in front of Lu Xiuzhi, noticing that although his face was cold, his eyes seemed dimmer. A strange feeling welled up in Kou Xuanling’s chest, and he explained, “I just thought you looked familiar. The way your hair falls, it reminded me of someone…” He gestured with his hands to sketch out a rough outline. “I remember her being a fairy, so I asked if you had a sister. When I was younger, I often dreamt of her. But those dreams always turned into nightmares.”

Lu Xiuzhi squinted his narrow eyes. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Then… do you agree?”

“Agree.”

 

Author’s Note:
Master: Have you really fallen so low as to chase after women with your looks?
Author: Now I feel guilty for calling Kou Xuanling a straight man.

 

 

 

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