Everyone Is Non-Human Except Me [Rebirth] Chapter 125

On the day Kunlun Void was nearly destroyed, Xie Tianfa was brought back to Fanzhou by the demon slayer master and his son. He remained unconscious for a full day and night before waking.

Before he awoke, he had a long, long dream. The dream was full of radiant sunlight, and everywhere he looked, there was a figure—a backlit silhouette bathed in swirling light. The whole world turned like a grand, resplendent ball. He was merely a spectator, gazing intently at that beautiful figure, trailing in their footsteps.

That figure gradually grew taller. The once-childish frame elongated in the glowing, pale golden air, becoming slim and lean.

Then, in a blinding moment, the figure turned around and the light burst forth, everything becoming hazy.

He couldn’t see the face.

But he could hear the voice. A voice stubbornly pleading, repeating the same sentence over and over again:

“Don’t let me live alone in this world.”

He seemed to have promised—once. But in the end, he had broken that promise. He cruelly abandoned the vow he’d silently sworn to uphold for a lifetime and left that person alone in a world of chaos and darkness, to survive on their own.

The flowing light turned cold, then transformed into shimmering water that suddenly flooded over him. The suffocating feeling mounted—and just as he approached the edge of death, he broke free from the dream and opened his eyes.

Everything around him was unfamiliar. It was as if his senses had undergone forced hibernation, and now that they were awakening, everything felt foreign. He could clearly hear the smallest sounds—the rustling of leaves outside the window. His eyes were overly sensitive to light, making it hard to fully open them.

And touch—he could feel someone holding his hand.

Turning his face slightly, Xie Tianfa struggled to open his eyes. As his vision gradually cleared, he saw someone leaning over the bed, apparently asleep, but tightly holding his hand.

Even after twelve years had passed, he didn’t hesitate. He knew with certainty: this person was Qing He.

He didn’t know why, but his skin broke out in chills, and a sour ache spread through his nose, expanding uncontrollably. He tried to sit up but realized then how much pain he was in—so many sources of it that he couldn’t tell which hurt more. Gritting his teeth, he turned halfway over and trembled as he reached out his free hand.

He wanted to touch Qing He’s hair. He didn’t know why.

Even in the past, he’d never done anything like that—he couldn’t overstep, couldn’t do anything more than protect him.

Rather than a caress, it was more like the tip of his finger lightly brushing the strands before withdrawing. His hair was indeed soft, Xie Tianfa thought.

Whether by coincidence or some subtle instinct, Qing He’s eyelashes twitched. The eye not covered by his blindfold slowly opened. The fog in his eyes faded, and the sleep-blurred confusion gradually cleared—

Until he saw Xie Tianfa in front of him.

In that instant, Qing He froze. His pupils dilated. His body shot upright. His breath came in short gasps as he blinked rapidly. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reflexively raised a hand to cover his blinded eye.

He let out a long breath and lowered his hand.

“You… you’re awake.”

As he spoke, Qing He glanced down at their hands still clasped together. As if stung by something, he quickly let go and scooted back in his chair with a loud screech of its legs against the floor.

“I’ll go get them.”

Qing He lowered his head and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. But instead of finding Li Lingkong or Mo Tong as he’d said, he leaned against the door and took a deep, trembling breath.

He didn’t know why, but all he wanted to do was cry. He couldn’t tell if it was from joy or sorrow, but the tears wouldn’t stop, soaking through his black blindfold. He wiped them away hastily with the back of his hand and left.

Xie Tianfa sat up, leaning against the headboard, eyes still on the door.

He’d grown up. During those years he hadn’t been there, Qing He had suddenly grown up. Xie Tianfa felt a hollow space inside his chest—but even as he thought this, he reflexively touched his chest.

Was there still a human heart inside him?

If he had simply woken up, it might have been a good thing. But the worst part was—he remembered everything. Far too clearly. He could recall in vivid detail the torture, the cold, hard surgical table, the mingled stench of blood and chemicals, the drugs that broke his will, the brainwashing procedures.

He had really woken up. No longer drifting in ignorance.

He remembered every face he had killed.

Those faces pleaded, contorted in pain, eyes bulging with tears. They were right before his eyes.

The door suddenly opened. Xie Tianfa’s throat bobbed, but he didn’t look up.

“Can you take a look at him? I don’t think there’s anything seriously wrong,” Qing He said.

His voice was deeper now—steadier than it had been in youth—but still recognizable. His features had matured, but the upturned corners of his eyes were still unique, unmistakable.

A middle-aged man sat by the bed. He had a handsome, rugged face, marred by a scar across his right eye. He held out his hand, and a surge of silvery light poured forth, covering Xie Tianfa.

“There’s no more demon energy left in him.”

Xie Tianfa watched the man turn to Qing He.

“How’s his physical condition?” Qing He asked.

“You’ll need to ask a doctor about that.”

Qing He lowered his eyes—he’d panicked. After giving a few more instructions, Li Lingkong turned to leave. Qing He followed him out into the corridor.

“Back when Mo Tong first woke up… did anything unusual happen?” Qing He asked.

Li Lingkong paused. “I don’t know what kind of ‘unusual’ you mean, but I’ll tell you this—Mo Tong, as one of the few survivors of the demon puppet project, remembered his entire transformation process. It left deep psychological trauma. He was only eleven then. I was young and had never taken care of anyone. He didn’t speak. I left him alone to sleep in a room.”

“Then one morning, I saw him at breakfast. He looked pale and hollow, with wounds on his arms. That night, I forced him to sleep in the same room with me. He protested, but I made a bed on the floor. That was when I realized—he hadn’t slept a single night since I found him.”

Qing He’s eyes shimmered.

“Why?” he whispered.

“Because whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the moment his leg was sawn off while he was still alive.”

Hearing that, Qing He felt a chill down to his bones.

“I forced him to sleep with me after that. I filled his days with tasks and physical training so he’d be too tired to stay awake at night,” Li Lingkong said. His voice grew bitter. “Thinking back now, raising that kid was no easy feat. I was about your age then.”

Qing He said softly, “He’s had a hard life. To survive and grow up safely wasn’t easy. The reason you believed in Nine Phoenix back then… it was for Mo Tong, wasn’t it?”

Li Lingkong smiled—a tacit acknowledgment.

“Mo Tong never lies. He said Nine Phoenix saved him, and I believed it. If he hadn’t been rescued, he wouldn’t have met me.”

He didn’t say more, only patted Qing He’s shoulder. “But you need to understand—he’s different from Mo Tong. Mo Tong wasn’t a fully successful experiment and never served those people. He has no such memories.”

Those words made Qing He’s hand tremble at his side. He clenched his fist.

Xie Tianfa waited a long time before the door opened again. He looked up to see a beautiful young woman in a black leather jacket enter with Qing He. His gaze grew uncertain, a trace of panic flashing through.

“Leah, I’ll leave it to you.”

Leah nodded, placed her medical case on the table, and opened it with a click. Inside were all kinds of medical tools. Xie Tianfa’s heart eased a bit.

A doctor.

Qing He sat by the bed. He carefully restrained his emotions and gave Xie Tianfa a calm smile, the kind one gives to a recovering friend. “Tianfa, don’t worry. Leah may look too pretty to be trustworthy, but she’s an amazing doctor.”

Hearing his name called, Xie Tianfa’s expression showed a flicker of surprise—but only for a moment, quickly suppressed.

He nodded. “Alright. Thank you.”

He didn’t blame him. But that somehow weighed heavier on Xie Tianfa’s heart.

Leah carefully examined and treated him. “There’s no major issue, but he has a lot of injuries. I’ve handled the basics, but full recovery will take time. Otherwise, everything’s stable.”

Qing He relaxed a little. After seeing Leah out, he returned to the room. The silence was uncomfortable for both of them.

“Are you hungry?”

Xie Tianfa shook his head.

Qing He glanced at the chair beside the bed, hesitated, then sat on the sofa by the door. He felt ridiculous. He’d dreamed for years of this moment, promising himself that when Tianfa woke up, he’d embrace him immediately.

But now, he didn’t dare.

If everything in between was erased, their bond would revert to its origin—protector and protected.

Xie Tianfa didn’t know he liked him.

The air was so still it felt frozen. The gruesome memories kept flashing through Xie Tianfa’s mind. He took silent, deep breaths, trying to dispel them. He tried to think of the past—but even back then, Qing He rarely spoke to him. He had grown more silent as he aged. Sometimes, watching his retreating figure, Xie Tianfa didn’t know what to say.

Just like now.

“Have you… been well these years?” He finally spoke the most cliché line one says after a long separation.

Qing He didn’t look up—he gave a soft chuckle.

“Pretty well.”

Two words to summarize twelve years. Pale and ironic.

“I got lucky. Met a lot of kind people. Not just humans—some demons too. They helped me a lot. I’ve got a job now, friends too. They helped me find you and bring you back. I think it’s pretty good,” Qing He looked up and smiled again. “You’re back now—that’s all that matters. Things will get better.”

Xie Tianfa nodded.

Qing He fidgeted. He didn’t know what else to say or how far to go. He stood up.

“I… I won’t disturb your rest. I’ll go now.”

Xie Tianfa looked up.

Why did you save me?

He didn’t ask aloud. He already knew the answer. Gratitude? A promise? It could only be those.

Li Lingkong’s words lingered in Qing He’s mind. That night, he sat outside the door, watching Xie Tianfa via the monitor. He didn’t know if Tianfa slept—he just lay there silently all night. In the morning, Qing He brought him porridge, and Tianfa sat up and ate it obediently, like a cooperative patient.

While he ate, Qing He played the news. Tianfa just watched silently. Twelve years had passed, everything had changed, but he asked nothing. He simply looked on. Several days passed like this.

Then one day, the news reported on a demon politician. Xie Tianfa suddenly trembled, knocking over the bowl of porridge and scalding himself. Qing He panicked and hurried to clean it up, hearing Tianfa repeatedly apologize, breaking his heart.

“What happened just now?” Qing He asked as he applied burn cream. But Tianfa didn’t answer. “Just an accident.”

Qing He investigated and learned that night that the politician’s wife and daughter had been killed by demon puppets.

Qing He went cold. Tianfa really did remember everything.

That night, he sat outside as usual, but didn’t turn on the monitor. He felt exhausted.

His communicator rang—Wei Huan was calling.

“I heard from Yun Yongzhou that Tianfa’s awake? How is he? Any adverse reactions?”

This guy was still as warm-hearted as ever. Qing He gave a brief reply, then couldn’t help but tell him what had happened that morning.

Wei Huan fell silent for a moment, then smiled gently.

“It’s fine. As long as you’re with him, he’ll be okay.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Where are you now? Don’t tell me you’re not by his side? No way—back when he was in the underground cell at Shanhai, you never left him.”

“But he wasn’t awake then.”

That’s why he had dared to stay by him day and night.

“Qing He,” Wei Huan’s tone grew serious, “You survived for him, didn’t you? Now that he’s back—why are you the one who’s afraid? Didn’t you want to be with him?”

Qing He didn’t want to admit it.

“I never thought about it that way. I just want him to get better, return to who he was. The rest… it’s up to him. Consider it my way of repaying him for saving my life.”

“Then at least help him get better.”

Hearing that, Qing He looked up.

“And besides, how do you know he doesn’t care about you? If he didn’t, why didn’t he hurt you even when he’d lost his mind? Aren’t you curious?”

“Qing He, don’t be so stubborn. I know your stubbornness helped you survive—but when it comes to the person you care about, don’t be so guarded.”

Xie Tianfa stared at the white wall, trying hard to recall every moment he had spent with Qing He—the way he used to skip ahead with a little schoolbag on his back. Only with these thoughts could he keep the horrible memories at bay.

He thought, it couldn’t go on like this. Being cared for like this… what if he lost control someday?

It might be better to tell Qing He tomorrow—

To take him to a hospital.

A faint sound suddenly came from behind—it was the sound of a door opening. Xie Tianfa didn’t turn around. He thought it was probably Qing He coming to check whether he’d fallen asleep. After everything that had happened that morning, Qing He likely couldn’t rest easy. So Xie Tianfa quietly closed his eyes.

What he didn’t expect was that the bed dipped on one side, and the blanket was lifted.

“I can’t sleep.”

Qing He laid down beside him.

Xie Tianfa’s heart started pounding uncontrollably. He didn’t know what to do with his hands or feet.

“Are you asleep?” Qing He turned to face Xie Tianfa’s back. But Xie Tianfa didn’t respond or turn over—just as Qing He had expected.

“Can I hug you? I’m so cold.”

Xie Tianfa opened his eyes and felt Qing He wrap his arms around his back.

“None of this is your fault. You weren’t conscious. You did nothing wrong.” Qing He’s face pressed gently against his back, his voice soft. “You’re a victim too.”

Xie Tianfa’s eyes burned. He bit his lip and said nothing.

So Qing He knew. All the fear and struggle he had tried so hard to hide—Qing He had seen through it all.

“I lied to you that day,” Qing He confessed honestly, both to him and to himself. “These past years were not good at all. But I gritted my teeth and lived on—because I wanted to find you. You might be wondering why I was so determined to find you. I didn’t plan to say it—I figured you were already in enough pain, and I didn’t want to add to your burden…”

“I like you. I’ve liked you since we were kids.”

Xie Tianfa froze, body going stiff.

Was it because he hadn’t rested in so long? Was he hallucinating?

The arms around him tightened.

“You were the reason I kept going.”

Qing He never expected any response from Xie Tianfa. He simply continued, “Back then I was childish. I deliberately distanced myself from you because I didn’t want you to stay with me just because of what my father said. I wanted your attention. I wanted you to see me as an ordinary person, not as your assignment. Every day I was miserable. Seeing you happy made me sad, because I couldn’t go back to the kid I once was.”

Still, Xie Tianfa didn’t respond—just like how he used to be.

“But don’t worry.” Qing He forced a light tone, “I’m not the same person I was. I just wanted to say it. If you can’t accept it, you can push me away. After all, we’ve spent more time apart than we did together. What happened when we were kids doesn’t mean that much anymore. I’ll stay with you as a friend, help you, support you—until you get better.”

These weren’t words spoken on impulse. He had thought about them for days and was mentally prepared. But suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed his wrists and pried his arms away.

Qing He’s heart ached sharply. He had promised not to regret it—but now he was already starting to.

He withdrew his arms, curling up like an earthworm afraid of being stepped on, shrinking back into the mud.

But the next moment, Xie Tianfa turned around and pulled him into his arms.

His chest heaved, his breathing heavy, arms trembling. After nearly a full minute of silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Qing He…”

Hearing his name, Qing He snapped out of his daze and softly replied, “I’m here.”

Xie Tianfa didn’t say anything more. He just kept repeating Qing He’s name over and over, as if trying to make up for the years they had lost. Qing He closed his eyes, listening to his voice. His mind was filled with all the memories of Xie Tianfa protecting him—deliberately walking backward so every step he took, he could still see Qing He’s face and expression.

He thought of how the teenage Tianfa had handed him a woven grasshopper, saying he would never disappear.

“Qing He, I love you.”

The memory halted right there.

Qing He’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked up at him.

Xie Tianfa gently kissed his eyes—both the one exposed and the one covered by the blindfold.

“I love you.”

All of Qing He’s stubbornness over the years melted away as he finally sobbed uncontrollably in Xie Tianfa’s arms.

That night, they held each other tightly and spent their first peaceful, restful night since their reunion.

The next day, Wei Huan suddenly came over, and naturally, Yun Yongzhou came too. They brought a huge pile of strange demon supplements. Xie Tianfa recognized them—his most formidable opponents from his memories.

“You didn’t have to bring so much,” Qing He grumbled on purpose. “He might not even eat it all.” 

Wei Huan scoffed, “You underestimate me. This is all stuff humans can eat too—good stuff. What do you know?” He plopped down right at Tianfa’s bedside, speaking in a familiar tone, “I’m Wei Huan, Qing He’s good buddy.”

Xie Tianfa was surprised—because he knew that the corpses used in his transformation experiment had belonged to Wei Huan’s parents.

He wasn’t the type to sugarcoat things, so he asked directly, “Don’t you hate me?”

Wei Huan hadn’t expected that question. He paused, then replied, “You didn’t do anything wrong. Why would I hate you? I already took care of the ones I needed revenge on.”

Then he shot Yun Yongzhou a look. Yun Yongzhou gave him a glance, then walked over to Qing He. “I’ve got something I need to talk to you about,” he said, leading Qing He out of the room.

Xie Tianfa watched the door close, then turned his gaze back to Wei Huan.

Wei Huan met his eyes and said calmly, “I understand how you feel. Saying ‘it’s not your fault’ doesn’t actually lessen the guilt. I’ve been through something similar. Let me put it another way.”

“If, back then, you and Qing He had switched places—if you had escaped and lived in hiding, and Qing He was the one hunted down, turned into a mindless demon puppet that only knew how to kill. If you spent over ten years trying to find him, to bring him back, to awaken his mind… but he still thought himself unforgivable, no matter what you said or did, and in the end, he chose to leave you—or even end his own life.”

Wei Huan looked him in the eye. “What would you do?”

Xie Tianfa lowered his head. His chest hurt.

“You couldn’t accept that. And neither can Qing He.” Wei Huan placed a hand on his shoulder. “So whether it’s for yourself, or for Qing He—try again. Try to make peace with yourself.”

When they left, Tianfa could clearly sense that Qing He didn’t want to say goodbye. Unlike when sending off others, Qing He lingered at the door, chatting with them from afar. It was only after quite a while that he came back to the bedside. As he tidied things up, he grumbled, “That guy, really… bringing so much without asking if we could even eat it all…”

“He’s a good person,” Xie Tianfa suddenly said. Qing He paused mid-movement, then continued, “He really is—too good, in fact. He treats everyone like family, always cheerful even though his own life has been miserable.” He sat down beside Tianfa and held his hand. “To wake you up, he gave up his parents’ demon hearts, letting their souls vanish completely.”

Tianfa felt deeply upset. He couldn’t connect the pain of that loss with the bright, smiling guy from earlier.

But for the sake of those lost demon souls… maybe he shouldn’t give up so easily.

“Can you cook now?” Tianfa asked.

“…What?” Qing He looked surprised. “C-cook?”

The corner of Tianfa’s lips lifted in a faint smile. “I’m suddenly a little hungry.”

Half an hour later—

“Ah…” Qing He stared in a daze at the bowl of eggs in front of him. This was already the fourth one where he’d cracked the shell directly into the bowl.

Tianfa watched beside him and couldn’t help laughing—but quickly reined it in. He took Qing He’s hands, brought them to the sink, and helped him wash them clean.

“I’ll do it.”

“There’s two left—I’m sure I can get it right!”

Tianfa dried his hands. “I was teasing. How could I let you cook?” He casually cracked the last two eggs into the bowl with one hand. Qing He felt a flutter in his heart hearing the word let. He didn’t know where to put his hands.

“Th-then I’ll boil water for the noodles!”

Just as he reached for the pot, Tianfa caught his wrist.

“Here, you stir the eggs,” he said, pushing the bowl toward him while skillfully moving on to the other ingredients. He dug up whatever ingredients he could find and tried to throw together a decent meal. The sound of whisking eggs was strangely pleasant. Qing He felt like he was dreaming. Being able to interact with Tianfa like this—it felt like…

“I thought you’d learned to cook,” Tianfa said softly, lifting his head now and then to smile at him.

Qing He got a little flustered. “I… I’m usually busy coding, so I just eat instant stuff.”

Tianfa sliced up kelp and tossed it into the soup, covered the pot, washed his hands, dried them, then reached out and touched Qing He’s head.

“No more eating junk like that from now on.”

“…Okay.” Qing He couldn’t even lift his head. The soup was bubbling in the pot, steam rising thickly as if to envelop his whole face. Tianfa took his hand, looking at this once-noble young master who had suffered so much to grow up. His heart ached. He lifted Qing He’s hand and kissed the back of it.

Neither of them had expected it. The moment lingered with a touch of awkwardness.

Qing He stared at him in surprise.

Tianfa’s ears flushed a bit. His palms were sweating. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Qing He replied quickly.

He could hardly breathe.

“If it’s okay…” Tianfa asked softly, “Can I kiss you again?”

Qing He’s heart raced wildly, but he mumbled, “If you want to kiss me, then just do it. Don’t ask me.”

“…Alright.” Tianfa lowered his head and kissed Qing He’s black blindfold.

That kiss made Qing He feel a little sad. He swallowed hard. “Don’t be curious. There’s a demon mark under here. It’s ugly.” As he spoke, he even reached up to take off his blindfold to prove his point. But Tianfa lowered his head again and pressed another gentle kiss to the spot.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, cupping Qing He’s face and gently brushing his thumb over his cheek.

“My Qing He is the most beautiful of all.”

That kind of tenderness felt like a lifetime in the making. Qing He’s eyes stung with unshed tears. But suddenly, he remembered something and grabbed Tianfa’s hand.

“You’re not thinking of running away, are you?”

Tianfa blinked in confusion. “Run? What are you…”

“You—why are you suddenly asking to eat, and cooking for me, and being so nice, and even kissing me…” Qing He’s voice sped up. “I saw people say online that when someone who’s depressed suddenly acts all happy and does nice things, there’s an 80% chance they’re about to leave or kill themselves…” His eyes went wide. “Wait—you’re not planning to kill yourself, are you?! I—!”

After that long, frantic outburst, Tianfa was completely stunned.

The two of them stared at each other.

Then Tianfa finally gave in and burst out laughing.

“What are you even thinking, my little prince?”

He pulled Qing He into his arms, gently rubbing his back.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not killing myself. I just want to try to get better again.”

Qing He was still sniffling in his arms, like a little animal.

“No one would go and kill themselves right after being confessed to by their long-time crush, you silly thing.”

He reached into his pocket and rummaged around, pulling something out and placing it in Qing He’s hand.

Qing He lifted his arm to look—

It was a grasshopper made of woven straw.

“I’ll never leave you again.”