Gu Heng looked at Zuo Shihuan, who was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach, feeling doubly wronged. Yet in his hands he still obediently held the orange fat cat Zuo Shihuan had handed to him.
He couldn’t help lowering his head to look again.
By coincidence, that orange fat cat also lifted its head and let out a rough, unpleasant “meow” at Gu Heng.
Gu Heng looked at this ugly cat with a sour face, turned his eyes away in disdain, and looked even more resentfully and aggrieved at Zuo Shihuan, who couldn’t stop laughing.
Zuo Shihuan finally finished laughing. He wiped the tears of laughter from the corner of his eyes with his finger and took the orange cat from Gu Heng’s arms, the one who had gone from a sour face to a face full of indignant grievance.
Zuo Shihuan curved his light brown eyes and stroked the orange cat as he said to Gu Heng, “When you wear a sour face it does look quite similar, but now it doesn’t.”
Gu Heng’s depressed expression improved slightly, yet he still stared unkindly at the cat in Zuo Shihuan’s arms that had already begun licking its fur, and gritted his teeth. “Shihuan, why aren’t you letting go of this ugly cat yet?”
The cat seemed to understand. It immediately bared its teeth and let out a sharp “meow” at Gu Heng.
Gu Heng instantly pointed at the sour cat and complained to Zuo Shihuan, “Look, this cat is even being fierce to me! Why don’t you hurry and throw it away? Who knows if this cat might bite people!”
Zuo Shihuan instead hooked a finger under the cat’s chin, making the cat narrow its eyes in comfort and enjoyment, its tail occasionally brushing across Zuo Shihuan’s arm.
The sight made Gu Heng even more jealous and displeased with the cat.
Zuo Shihuan smiled helplessly and said, “Gu Heng, you know this isn’t a real cat. How could it bite people?”
The orange cat in his arms turned a deaf ear and continued enjoying the human’s service in comfort. In its AI core data, it was a cat, living like a cat, with a wizard master who chased Smurfs all day long.
Gu Heng cast a cold gaze at the sour cat enjoying Zuo Shihuan’s embrace. Even he had never been held like that by Zuo Shihuan. Immediately, in a sarcastic tone, he said, “Who knows whether the mall’s programmed settings would make this cat bite people? Shihuan, you need to throw this cat far away quickly!”
Zuo Shihuan looked speechlessly at Gu Heng, who was even jealous of an AI house cat. He planned to put the cat down shortly anyway. He hadn’t really intended to keep holding it.
“Hello, travelers passing through the forest. Thank you for saving us Smurfs from Az Cat’s claws. Az Cat is Gargamel’s subordinate and has bullied us for a long time.”
A group of Smurfs as tall as mushrooms gathered together, raising their heads to express their thanks to Zuo Shihuan.
Since he was holding the cat and couldn’t squat down, and also because being too close to the cat might frighten the little Smurfs again, Zuo Shihuan bent slightly at the waist and gave them a gentle smile. “No need to be polite. I only happened to hear your call for help. And where should I put this cat so it won’t disturb you?”
The Smurfs all spoke at once.
“Thank you, kind traveler! Would you like to visit our Huskar Village? We can make delicious mushroom soup and berries for you!”
“Yes, yes! Come to my house, I’m Clumsy!”
“Come to my house! I’m Happy, I can give you a gift that won’t explode!”
“But don’t bring Az Cat. That’s the cat Gargamel keeps, and I won’t prepare food for a hateful cat.”
One Smurf, always frowning, wearing a white hat and blue-skinned all over, spoke to Zuo Shihuan and introduced himself as well. “By the way, my name is Grouchy. I hate cat fur, hate damp weather, hate lots of things…”
Zuo Shihuan actually found this little Smurf who kept saying he hated things rather cute. He looked like the very image of someone who said one thing and meant another, an arrogant little tsundere.
For some reason, he looked very much like a certain someone who randomly got jealous and wore a sour face.
Zuo Shihuan couldn’t help laughing softly. When he secretly turned his head to glance at Gu Heng beside him, who was wearing a sullen face, the resemblance seemed even stronger and even cuter.
Zuo Shihuan’s gaze unconsciously softened, and even his tone toward the little Smurfs became gentler, making Gu Heng, who seemed indifferent to the Smurfs yet had pricked up his ears to listen carefully, wear an even darker expression.
Zuo Shihuan said with a gentle smile, “I won’t be visiting your village. This cat called Az Cat, right? It’s already fallen asleep. I’ll place it at the edge of the forest so it won’t disturb you.”
Sure enough, the Az Cat in his arms had already fallen asleep, making purring snoring sounds.
The sight of the sleeping Az Cat made all the Smurfs greatly relieved. They exchanged glances for a moment, then the Smurf wearing a red hat who called himself Papa Smurf stepped forward and said, “Honored traveler, you saved me and my children. I know of something that may be useful to travelers like you. Please be sure to accept it!”
Zuo Shihuan was a little puzzled about what it could be. Just as he vaguely sensed what it might be, the Smurf had already handed him a badge printed with a colorful mushroom village and Smurfs.
The moment Zuo Shihuan took it in his hand.
The blue badge automatically played a voice message, accompanied by the sound of fireworks celebrating: “Congratulations to the customer for becoming the 5012th customer to receive the Smurf Badge. Collect ten badges from this month’s Rare and Exotic Creatures theme for a chance to win the Infinite Mall’s grand prize!”
Papa Smurf bowed and said, “It seems the traveler has obtained what you wanted.”
Zuo Shihuan turned the badge over in his hand and gave a calm “Mm,” then asked, “Excuse me, I have a companion who came as well. He helped capture Az Cat. Can he also receive a badge?”
Papa Smurf quickly glanced toward the direction of the companion the traveler mentioned, that is, toward Gu Heng. A string of data flashed through his small black eyes, and he respectfully replied, “Of course. Bravey, go fetch another badge.”
The Smurf named Bravey loudly answered “Okay!” and ran swiftly into the mushroom village, quickly returning with another badge and handing it to Zuo Shihuan.
Zuo Shihuan said thank you, then turned and handed it to Gu Heng, who had been sullen for quite a while, teasing with a smile, “Here, your reward for catching the cat, ”
Gu Heng said what he didn’t mean, “Why give it to me? I can’t even use it.”
Then he took the badge from Zuo Shihuan’s hand, put it into his pocket, and the corners of his mouth, which had been drooping gloomily, unconsciously lifted for a second.
Zuo Shihuan saw through Gu Heng’s secretly pleased look, just too stubborn to admit it, and couldn’t help laughing as he coaxed him indulgently, “Alright, just treat it as helping me hold onto it. Maybe the one in your hand will be the key to winning the prize?”
“Fine, I’ll help you hold it, Shihuan. How about later we participate in a few more of these rare and exotic creatures themed events? Whatever badges or stamps there are, I’ll help you get them all!”
Gu Heng’s expression suddenly became spirited, his bright black eyes full of fighting spirit, as if with just one command from Zuo Shihuan he could collect all the rare and exotic creature badges in the entire venue for him.
Zuo Shihuan: “…” He had only said it casually. They hadn’t come to the mall to really collect any badges.
Zuo Shihuan lowered his head slightly, covering his face as he said, “Gu Heng, how about we go buy clothes first. As for those rare and exotic creature badges, if we come across something interesting we can just take one or two.”
Gu Heng suddenly remembered the original purpose of coming to the mall. It seemed he had almost put the cart before the horse.
“Alright, then we’ll go to the clothing area. Just go straight and then turn left for 50 meters and we’ll be there.”
Halfway through speaking, Gu Heng looked at the orange fat cat still being held in Zuo Shihuan’s arms. He was no longer jealous or angry, but a strangely complicated thought flashed across his eyes.
“Shihuan, do you want to raise a pet?”
Zuo Shihuan was slightly stunned. “No.”
He lowered his head to glance at the snoring orange cat in his arms, then suddenly understood, pressing his lips into a smile. “Just because I’m holding a cat, you think I want to raise a pet?”
Gu Heng was silent for half a second, then looked toward the mushroom village in a corner of the mall where the Smurfs lived. “You also seemed to have a good attitude toward those blue little things that don’t really exist…”
Zuo Shihuan followed his gaze to the Smurfs who had already returned to the mushroom village, and silently placed the Az Cat in his arms at the edge of the forest.
As if some rule command had been triggered, Az Cat immediately opened its eyes, woke up, and swished its tail as it walked little by little into the forest, once again trying to catch the Smurfs inside.
Likewise.
Not long after, the Smurfs once again spoke their lines asking for help, and Az Cat leisurely chased after them.
Repeating the mall’s themed event again and again.
Zuo Shihuan lowered his light brown eyes and said faintly, “I just feel a little regret. Perhaps on ancient Earth there really once lived a group of Smurfs. Even though I know they’re fake and don’t exist, the moment they stand in front of us, vividly alive, that’s real enough.”
“As for pets… I think I haven’t thought it through yet, and I don’t really have the energy to take care of one. Even though the mall has many types of nanny robots, I think that since it would be a pet I’m raising, not a robot raising it, I would still need to take care of and accompany it myself.”
Gu Heng’s black eyes darkened as he abruptly asked, “If… I mean if, Shihuan, would you want a child?”
When he said this, Gu Heng silently cast his gaze toward a family in the mall shopping together with their child, a scene of reunion and happiness.
He did not envy such a scene, yet he understood that it was what many ordinary people wanted. But he wanted to know whether it was something Zuo Shihuan wanted.
Zuo Shihuan was surprised. “Why are you asking this?”
Gu Heng pressed his lips together inexplicably. “I… I just want to know. Have you thought about it, Shihuan?”
Zuo Shihuan said in confusion, “Gu Heng, why are you suddenly thinking so far ahead? Do you want a child?”
Then he hesitated and added, “If you really want a child, Gu Heng, and you’re willing to give birth… I’ll work hard.”
Zuo Shihuan’s expression was extremely conflicted and hesitant, yet his light brown eyes couldn’t help but light up with a strange, expectant gleam, as if he was truly somewhat eager to try.
Gu Heng’s heart suddenly sank. “…………”
He suddenly realized that in Zuo Shihuan’s eyes he was just a beta. Even though alphas and betas had relatively low fertility, there was still a chance of having a child.
But he was pretending to be a beta. No matter how much he resembled one, he was an alpha. He couldn’t give birth.
If anyone could give birth, it would more likely be Zuo Shihuan, who had once been a beta.
Annoyed, Gu Heng slapped his own face. What nonsense was he thinking about? Right now Zuo Shihuan was an alpha too and couldn’t give birth either. The fact that two alphas could even live together was already extremely difficult and hard-won.
He didn’t want anything or anyone to intrude into the two-person world between him and Zuo Shihuan, including pets, children, friends, and the like.
But Gu Heng also understood,
This world did not consist of only him and Zuo Shihuan. Even Zuo Shihuan himself might not necessarily want to live a life with only him in it, cut off from the outside world.
Gu Heng looked at Zuo Shihuan through the gaps between his fingers and sighed. In a heavy tone he said, “I don’t want one. But I want a longer future with you.”
Zuo Shihuan paused at once and lifted his eyes to look at Gu Heng, whose expression was heavy.
Gu Heng tugged at the corner of his mouth, but still couldn’t smile. “Shihuan, after you return to the Zuo family, will you agree to your father’s request to continue marrying a wife and having children?”
Zuo Shihuan’s pupils froze for a moment. “Of course not.”
Gu Heng lowered his black eyes, his voice low. “What if your father forces you again? Like this time, forcing you to go back. Next time he could force you to marry and have children, or even worse…”
Zuo Shihuan understood Gu Heng’s unease. They had finally managed to be together and to go on a date, yet he still had to endure alone the torment and anxiety of watching him leave again, of being separated.
Zuo Shihuan placed his hand against Gu Heng’s cheek, his gaze gentle and pained as he said, “Fool, if my father forces me again, I’ll run away. I won’t leave you behind…”
Gu Heng stared deeply at Zuo Shihuan, then hugged him again and buried his head into his neck, saying in a muffled voice, “If you want a child, Shihuan, then in the future let’s go adopt one…”
Zuo Shihuan slowly stroked Gu Heng’s back with his hand, then stopped and hugged Gu Heng tightly in his arms as well, feeling Gu Heng’s slightly taller, warm body temperature. He unconsciously revealed a faint, warm smile.
“Okay, in the future we’ll go adopt. Even if you want to raise seven, that’s fine.”
Gu Heng straightened up, holding Zuo Shihuan’s shoulders with both hands. His black eyes were heavy as he said in a muffled voice, “Shihuan, do you think I’m joking?”
Zuo Shihuan tilted his head and smiled warmly. “No, I seriously thought about it. According to the current average lifespan of Federation citizens being three hundred years, if we adopt one child every thirty years, adopting seven children and raising them to adulthood would only take 210 years. There would still be plenty of time left for a two-person world!”
Gu Heng suddenly stiffened, unable to speak. Lowering his head, he said in a muffled voice, “Forget it. Let’s not raise any.”
He could already hallucinate a bunch of children, as many as Smurfs, possibly not even as cute as Smurfs, chattering noisily together, completely disturbing the two-person world between him and Zuo Shihuan.
With Zuo Shihuan’s serious, gentle, and responsible personality, he would wholeheartedly take care of every adopted child. Even after they became adults, he would never neglect or ignore them.
It would be even more impossible to live a quiet two-person world.
Gu Heng regretted bringing up this question, and Zuo Shihuan had actually answered him seriously, even instantly calculating the time spent adopting children and arranging it comprehensively.
He appreciated Zuo Shihuan’s good intentions.
But thinking about those two hundred years, Gu Heng only felt that the future suddenly became dim and bleak.
Even the strongest alpha couldn’t withstand one troublesome child after another attacking his spirit. And for some reason, Gu Heng had an intuition that Zuo Shihuan would become the kind of soft-hearted father who doted on children and could easily be manipulated by them.
Don’t ask how Gu Heng knew.
Because Zuo Shihuan was already like that now, especially caring and soft-hearted toward the people he cared about. He was good to Gu Heng, good to his friends, and good to those people from the Zuo family as well.
Sometimes Gu Heng truly wished Zuo Shihuan could treat himself even better, not care about so many people. Even if he only cared about him alone, that would be fine.
Then there wouldn’t be… a chance for him to be hurt by others.
But Gu Heng also understood, right now, this was Zuo Shihuan at his best. The rest he would handle… He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Zuo Shihuan.
A trace of sharpness flashed across Gu Heng’s eyes. The hands gripping Zuo Shihuan’s shoulders unconsciously tightened, then he immediately realized and let go.
Gu Heng pretended to be regretful toward Zuo Shihuan, letting out a deep sigh as he said, “I think we should forget it… I can’t bear the responsibility of taking care of so many children. Just thinking about it already gives me a headache. I’ve decided not to adopt children. It’s better to donate money and let professional institutions raise them.”
Zuo Shihuan teased with a smile, “Not anymore? Gu Heng, you change so quickly.”
Gu Heng scratched his head and looked at Zuo Shihuan guiltily. “I only thought about adopting one, at most two. How would I have thought of adopting that many?”
Zuo Shihuan laughed softly, propping his chin in his hand as he looked at Gu Heng with warm eyes. “Then let’s not. I want to be with you, Gu Heng, not be with you for the sake of other people or things.”
“If I had to care about the opinions of the outside world, then I wouldn’t be able to be with you, Gu Heng. Even if I gained many things, it wouldn’t be what I truly want.”
Zuo Shihuan stepped closer and used his hand to grasp Gu Heng’s collar. His light brown eyes looked warm and moving yet incomparably sincere and firm. He pressed his lips slightly into a smile.
“So…”
Zuo Shihuan looked at the stunned Gu Heng, a trace of teasing mischief rising in his heart. With warmth and ambiguity, he seductively hooked Gu Heng with his gaze, his fingertip brushing across Gu Heng’s slightly parted, bright red lips.
“Wasn’t it what you said?”
“Even if I return to the Zuo family, you would sneak into the Zuo family, climb up to my house, and knock on my bedroom window.”
Zuo Shihuan smiled meaningfully and said to the slightly flushed Gu Heng, “Then come knock, come climb into bed, come have an affair with me.”
Hearing this sentence, Gu Heng’s pupils trembled violently, and his heart began to beat wildly like garbled code. His stunned eyes clung tightly to the seductive and enticing Zuo Shihuan.
After saying that, Zuo Shihuan stood on tiptoe, as if about to kiss Gu Heng.
Gu Heng’s pupils widened, unable to stop his heart from pounding like a drum, filled with anticipation and fluttering excitement. But just as they were about to kiss… it stopped abruptly.
Zuo Shihuan suddenly smiled slyly and said, “Gu Heng, weren’t you bothered by me kissing you like this?”
Gu Heng stiffened instantly and hurriedly denied, “I’m not bothered at all now!”
Zuo Shihuan unhurriedly pulled away, his light brown eyes flowing with relaxed, cheerful laughter. He placed both hands behind his back and squinted with a sly smile as he said, “Better not. What if you get bothered again later?”
“Shihuan, I’m not bothered at all! Really!”
Gu Heng felt like his fragile heart was being hooked up and down by Zuo Shihuan, unable to touch the ground or rise to the sky. Even his breathing in his chest became flustered and hurried.
Zuo Shihuan looked at Gu Heng with sly suspicion and dragged out his voice, saying, “Oh, really?”
Gu Heng felt like his heart had been hooked away by a bad guy. Feeling itchy yet helpless, he gritted his teeth and said, “Of course!”
Zuo Shihuan pretended to think for a moment. Then his light brown eyes rolled playfully as he said, “Then still… no. Now it’s my turn to be bothered.”
Gu Heng immediately experienced the taste of disappointment falling from the sky.
Zuo Shihuan’s brows curved, his eyes smiling as he said, “Alright, hurry up and go to the clothing store. Didn’t we agree to buy you an outfit and gear? I also need some, by the way.”
Gu Heng lifted his spirits slightly, his black eyes resentful as he said, “When we get there, will you kiss me then?”
Zuo Shihuan smiled without speaking, then said, “…Who knows?”
But that single sentence was already enough to make Gu Heng’s fighting spirit surge. He grabbed Zuo Shihuan’s hand and quickened his pace. “Then let’s hurry. It’s right over here.”
Being pulled along, Zuo Shihuan couldn’t help laughing. “Hahaha, okay.”
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