Everyone Is Non-Human Except Me [Rebirth] Chapter 71

Wei Huan was completely stunned.

“Are you going or not?” Yang Ling called out. “Stupid human.”

“I…” Wei Huan laughed awkwardly. “I suddenly feel a little hungry.” He held his stomach. “Seriously, I’m starving. My stomach’s growling. How about this, you guys go ahead, I’ll grab a bowl of noodles out here and catch up later…” He rattled on and then winked at them. “Leave the door open for me.”

Qing He glanced at Yun Yongzhou behind Wei Huan and immediately understood. “Forget it. You better not come. You’ll just cause me a bunch of trouble later.”

An unreadable smile also appeared on Yan Shanyue’s face. “Let’s go inside, then.”

As each of them passed through the barrier, only Wei Huan and Yun Yongzhou were left in front of the worn-out doll shop. Wei Huan let out a sigh of relief, turned around, hands on his hips. “Instructor Yun, so you only ever use telepathy for stuff like this?” He hopped down a step, closing the distance between them, the height difference between them now evened out. Wei Huan leaned in a little. “Why didn’t you just say it out loud?”

Under the morning sunlight, Yun Yongzhou’s eyes looked crystal clear, like two beautiful glass beads. His lashes flickered, hiding his emotions. “Say what?”

“Say you want to eat breakfast.” Wei Huan looked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, his hands resting on his weapon belt, feet lazily balanced on the edge of the step, rocking back and forth, completely casual. “It’s not something to be embarrassed about. I really don’t get you. Don’t tell me you actually love eating from these little grubby street stalls, but because of your status and pride you don’t dare ask the others—”

“It’s not about the breakfast,” Yun Yongzhou said, staring straight at Wei Huan. “It’s about you.”

That hit Wei Huan like a direct pitch. He was completely caught off guard, like a helpless bowling pin getting knocked over with precision, his consciousness toppling his center of gravity. He slipped and fell forward.

He stumbled right into Yun Yongzhou’s arms in a full-blown accidental hug.

He really couldn’t figure Yun Yongzhou out.

Sometimes he was so awkward it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but other times, it was like he had an innate gift for doing exactly the right thing at the perfect moment.

Never missed a shot. Just rarely took one.

When Wei Huan slipped, Yun Yongzhou didn’t even raise his arms, standing there steadily, letting him crash right into his chest, calm and unbothered. Embarrassed, Wei Huan quickly grabbed his shoulders to steady himself. “Well, uh, this step is super slippery…”

Unexpectedly, Yun Yongzhou actually followed along with his excuse, “Yeah. I figured you’d fall.”

Wei Huan immediately looked up. “And you didn’t warn me? You have the nerve to say that? You just stood there waiting for me to fall, huh?”

Yun Yongzhou calmly nodded. “Yeah.”

“You—!” Wei Huan clenched and unclenched his fists. “Fine. Okay. No problem.” He fake-smiled and walked down the step, yanking Yun Yongzhou along. “Didn’t you want breakfast? Let’s go eat.” Yun Yongzhou didn’t say anything, just silently walked beside him, occasionally sneaking glances at the lively, animated expressions on Wei Huan’s face, like he was watching some adorable, unique little creature.

Yun Yongzhou was looking at Wei Huan, but Wei Huan noticed that all the demon in the crowded alley were staring at them, one pair of eyes after another, most of them fixated on Yun Yongzhou. Well, of course—in this place, even nine-tailed foxes were rare, let alone Yun Yongzhou, the only white-feathered Golden Crow in the entire demon realm.

“Want to eat this?” Wei Huan pointed to a noodle stall. “Smells pretty good. Let’s try it.”

Yun Yongzhou examined the little stall—it was relatively clean—so he nodded in agreement.

Seeing him agree, Wei Huan immediately dove toward the stall. “Boss, what kinds of noodles do you have here?”

The owner was a short, skinny little tree spirit. He seemed to catch a whiff of the demon aura on Wei Huan, but what he sensed even more was a human scent. A human, openly swaggering around the demon realm, wearing a Shanhai combat uniform, with a Golden Crow by his side—this was no ordinary guy. Realizing this, the boss didn’t dare be careless and politely pointed to the menu on the side of the stall. “We’ve got all these flavors. Take a look and see what you’d like. But…”

Wei Huan lifted his head. “But what?”

The shop owner smiled awkwardly, “You’re human. The toppings for these noodles are all ingredients from the demon realm. I’m afraid something might happen if you eat them. It’s better if you just have plain noodles.”

Wei Huan added, “I also ate demon realm food at school. Most of the time, it was fine.”

“Well… just to be safe. I run a small business here…”

Seeing the troubled look on the owner’s face, Wei Huan had to give in, reluctantly ordering the plain noodles. He then turned to Yun Yongzhou, who still looked like he didn’t really want to sit down, just standing there like an exquisitely carved wooden statue. “What about you? What are you eating?”

Finding out that Wei Huan couldn’t eat the toppings, Yun Yongzhou generously ordered noodles with all the toppings. The shop owner was shocked. “Uh… handsome guy, with this much braised topping, it’s going to be overwhelming, way too salty…”

Yun Yongzhou calmly said, “Just make it.”

“Yun Yongzhou, you’re doing this on purpose!”

Hearing Wei Huan call his full name for once, Yun Yongzhou’s face revealed the tiniest hint of joy. Wei Huan walked over and realized there were no chopsticks on the table. He muttered to himself in confusion, and Yun Yongzhou had already gone to the stall owner.

“Two pairs of chopsticks.” After speaking, he glanced at a hidden menu behind the stall.

“Boss? Can we order the items on this one too?”

By the time both bowls of noodles were ready, Wei Huan was still dutifully wiping the table for Yun Yongzhou. When he looked up, the shop owner was awkwardly placing the noodles in front of him. “Your plain noodles.”

This was too plain!

Wei Huan stared at his bowl — it was literally just white noodles soaking in clear water. Not even a sprinkle of green onions, let alone a drop of oil.

“You guys are seriously…”

The shop owner, still smiling, set down the other bowl in front of Yun Yongzhou. The toppings on top were piled into a small mountain, overflowing with meat, barely able to hold it all — one poke with chopsticks and it might collapse all over the table.

“This is so unfair.” As soon as the shop owner walked away, Wei Huan smacked his chopsticks on the table. “How am I supposed to eat this?”

“Looks good.” Yun Yongzhou completely ignored Wei Huan’s frustration, carefully wiped his chopsticks, and gently picked up a piece of meat. After tasting it, he commented, “Hmm, not bad.”

Wei Huan wasn’t even that hungry at first, but the contrast right in front of him — his ultra-basic noodles versus Yun Yongzhou’s ultra-loaded ones — made him both craving and mad.

“I’m going to eat yours.” Wei Huan gripped his chopsticks with a loud snap and reached over, but a light barrier suddenly appeared in front of Yun Yongzhou. His chopsticks struck the shimmering shield with a loud thud — he didn’t succeed.

“You!” Wei Huan was so furious he was momentarily speechless, his eyes wide.

Across the glimmering golden shield, Yun Yongzhou — completely out of place in this shabby street stall — calmly set down his chopsticks, leaned in across the table, the corners of his lips slightly curved, looking at him with those eyes Wei Huan could never get tired of. His voice was low, striking directly at Wei Huan’s heart.

“Beg me.”

The little rabbit hiding in his chest started thrashing around again, like someone had grabbed it by the ears, struggling non-stop.

His ears burned under the morning sun. Wei Huan pursed his lips. He had no idea how to handle his chaotic emotions in that moment. He instinctively lowered his head, stuffed a big mouthful of plain noodles into his mouth, puffing out his cheeks like a nervous little hamster, furiously stuffing all his feelings into his cheek pouches.

Seeing him like that, Yun Yongzhou couldn’t help but lower his own head, a smile quietly tugging at his lips. He casually pinched his cheek with his thumb and index finger, as if trying to suppress it, then picked through his own bowl, selecting some toppings, and carefully placed them one by one into Wei Huan’s plain soup noodles.

Wei Huan lifted his head, puzzled. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t like these.” Yun Yongzhou, pretending to be indifferent, tossed big chunks of meat into Wei Huan’s watery noodle bowl.

“Then why did you order so much?” Wei Huan grumbled quietly.

But coincidentally, the things Yun Yongzhou “didn’t like” were exactly what Wei Huan liked. Watching his plain noodles slowly pile up into a little mountain, Wei Huan kept complaining on the surface, but he was actually happy inside.

“Then I’ll just have them for you. You’re such a troublesome little young master.”

The way he ate was always so hearty. Even though he came from a privileged family, he was never picky — whatever he ate, he always found it delicious. He might be a son of destiny, but he naturally gave off an approachable, down-to-earth vibe that made people instinctively want to get close.

Yun Yongzhou silently watched him and was reminded of the time seven years ago. Back then, they were on the same team and would sometimes carry out missions in small towns in the demon realm. Unlike the cold steel cities like Kunlun Void or Penglai, these little cities were full of customs and real life.

At that time, Yun Yongzhou hadn’t fully integrated with the group. He still remembered one mission where he disobeyed Wei Huan’s orders and recklessly charged ahead, wanting to end things quickly, but instead fell into the enemy’s trap, causing heavy losses to the team. Afterward, Wei Huan stood alone to the side, reporting the situation to the school’s combat unit through the communicator.

That scene was still vivid in his memory. It seemed to be some kind of festival back then. The summer night was bustling, the heavy sky blooming with brilliant fireworks. The scattered firework lights flickered over Wei Huan’s injured face, bright and dark in turns.

At the time, Yun Yongzhou knew Wei Huan would definitely be unhappy, probably even hold a grudge. Although he knew it was his fault, he, who had grown up without friends, didn’t know how to make things right.

Feeling hopeless about team camaraderie, Yun Yongzhou just walked off alone, letting the crowd wrap around him, safely hiding his chaotic heart.

He had never had the chance to be part of these lively events. The wall of social class had always kept him locked in the cold upper society, never giving him the freedom to live like an ordinary little demon, doing whatever he wanted, going wherever he pleased.

Beneath the fireworks, a long line of stalls lit with lanterns stretched out — it seemed to be a temple fair. Once Yun Yongzhou was swept into the crowd, he couldn’t find the way out for a while.

As he walked, he suddenly noticed that the demons around him were all wearing masks—nine-tailed foxes, pixiu, and bian masks. Under the fireworks, the light and shadows flickered across their faces, creating a dazzling, surreal scene.

His steps stopped in front of a mask vendor’s stall. He was a little tempted.

If he put on a mask, no one would know his true identity. Maybe he’d feel a bit freer.

“You can try one on, there’s a mirror over there,” the shopkeeper, a fox spirit dressed deliberately in ancient-style clothing for the festival, fanned herself with a cheap folding fan and then snapped it shut, pointing the fan’s tip at a white dragon mask in front of Yun Yongzhou. “That one would look good on you, and it matches your red outfit.”

Yun Yongzhou hesitated but eventually picked up the white dragon mask and turned to the mirror hanging on the side of the stall to put it on.

“How is it? Looks good, right?”

Just as Yun Yongzhou was still hesitating, he suddenly felt someone pat his shoulder. He turned around but saw no one. Then, his other shoulder was tapped. A flash of light appeared, and thanks to his lightning-fast reflexes, Yun Yongzhou easily ensnared the prankster with a light whip.

“Hey, hey, let me go! What’s your problem? I was just joking~” came the familiar voice of Wei Huan from behind him.

Yun Yongzhou glanced over to see Wei Huan still wearing his blue summer uniform from Fuyou, but now with a phoenix mask on his head.

He turned and paid for the mask, intending to leave. Wei Huan quickly hopped after him like a mischievous child, chattering nonstop, “Hey, wait up! Just because you’ve got long legs doesn’t mean you can ditch me! If you’re so amazing, why don’t you just fly?”

No sooner had he spoken than Yun Yongzhou suddenly unfurled his brilliant white wings. In that instant, the bursting fireworks seemed to scatter into countless shimmering sparks, falling onto his feathers and sparkling like stars.

Noticing that the ordinary citizens around them had turned to look, Wei Huan quickly caught up and nudged Yun Yongzhou’s wings with his head, “Put them away! Everyone’s staring at you.” Seeing Yun Yongzhou ignore him, he added, “Okay, okay! You can fly, your wings are the most beautiful, now can you put them away?”

The wings suddenly vanished, and a snowy white feather drifted onto Wei Huan’s head.

“Let me go,” Wei Huan bumped him twice with his shoulder, his tone teasing, “What, do you like tying people up? Maybe you’re into bondage play?”

Flustered, Yun Yongzhou quickly retracted the light whip. Wei Huan finally freed himself and stretched with satisfaction, sticking close to Yun Yongzhou like gum, “Hey, do you want to eat those skewers? They smell so good. I want some.”

“I don’t.”

Although Yun Yongzhou rejected him mercilessly, Wei Huan pretended not to hear and dragged him along. He immediately bought two huge bunches of skewers. The stall owner enthusiastically explained, “These are fire rat skewers. They’ll make you fire-resistant after eating them—”

Wei Huan grinned and joked, “I’m not afraid of fire anyway, I’m a phoenix.”

He heard Yun Yongzhou scoff coldly from the side, so he grabbed Yun Yongzhou’s arm, “He’s not afraid either—he’s a dragon! He can even create fire!”

A little girl nearby quickly took off her mask, her face full of excitement, “Really?”

“Of course!” Afraid Yun Yongzhou wouldn’t play along, Wei Huan clung to his arm. “Quick, show her. Just one little trick~”

Yun Yongzhou acted like he didn’t hear, but Wei Huan kept pestering him, even grabbing his hand. “Just a little one, please~”

With no way out, and since they were both wearing masks anyway and no one would know who they were, Yun Yongzhou finally relented. A small flame rose from his fingertip—the one Wei Huan had been holding.

It was barely a flame to him, but to the little girl, it was the most exciting thing ever. She jumped up and down, “It’s real fire! It’s real!”

“See, I told you I wasn’t lying.” Wei Huan smugly grabbed Yun Yongzhou’s hand, then turned to the vendor, “What other meats do you have?”

Their tightly held hands were hidden amidst the bustling crowd, their nervous emotions masked beneath their carefully crafted disguises.

Yun Yongzhou’s quickening heartbeat was buried under the bloom and fall of the fireworks.

Soaring, bursting, scattering, falling.

The vendor, recognizing their Shanhai Academy uniforms and realizing these two were no ordinary little demons, rubbed his hands together excitedly and brought out his prized specialty, “There’s also this—this is great stuff. It’s false beast meat.”

“False beast?” Wei Huan was a bit surprised to find such a thing here. He squeezed Yun Yongzhou’s hand, “Hey, have you ever eaten false beast meat?”

Yun Yongzhou, momentarily lost in thought, shook his head. Taking advantage of Wei Huan’s loose grip, he slipped his hand free and hid it behind his back.

“Then I’ll take ten skewers of that!”

Wei Huan left the stall happily with an armful of food. Worried Yun Yongzhou wouldn’t follow, he secretly conjured a silk ribbon of wind and wrapped it gently around Yun Yongzhou’s pinky finger.

The soft blue ribbon quietly tugged on his reluctant heart and led him away from the bustling night market.

They eventually stopped by a small river outside the market. Wei Huan sat down on the ground, noticed Yun Yongzhou reluctant to sit, and conjured a large wind-woven mat, plopping himself on it. “Doesn’t this feel like a spring outing? Did you ever go on spring outings when you were a kid?”

Yun Yongzhou didn’t answer but at least sat down.

“I’m a little phoenix, and you’re a little white dragon.” Wei Huan scooted closer. “We both fly in the sky. We can totally be good friends, right?”

Yun Yongzhou couldn’t be bothered to reply and turned his head away. But Wei Huan cupped his chin with both hands and forcibly turned him to face him, “Don’t be so cold, okay?”

Through the small eye holes of their masks, they could see only each other’s eyes. Wei Huan’s dark irises shimmered faintly with a bluish tint, always sparkling, as if he was someone who would never run out of hope.

“I want to be your friend,” Wei Huan said, still holding his face, “There’s also a little Bifang and a little mermaid. They want to be your friends too.”

Yun Yongzhou averted his gaze. “I don’t need friends.”

“But I do!”

He paused. That unexpected answer pulled Yun Yongzhou’s eyes back.

In Wei Huan’s eyes, fireworks flickered. “I really need a little white dragon to be my friend.” As he said that, he leaned in halfway, whispering next to Yun Yongzhou’s ear, “Don’t worry, I didn’t say the little Golden Crow.”

“Will you say yes?” Wei Huan’s voice brimmed with playful laughter as he reached over to help Yun Yongzhou nod his head. “Say yes, come on. If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.” He let go of Yun Yongzhou’s hand and held out his pinky. “Pinky promise?”

Yun Yongzhou clearly looked unwilling, sitting there like a wooden statue.

But Wei Huan had never been one to shrink back from coldness. The blue silk ribbon on his wrist fluttered in the warm night breeze, wrapping around Yun Yongzhou’s pinky with practiced ease—and the other end twined around Wei Huan’s.

Draw closer. Tighten.

“Pinky promise,” Wei Huan said lightly, then cheerfully pushed the phoenix mask up onto his head, flashing Yun Yongzhou a bright smile.

The fireworks knew just when to bloom, casting a brilliant light over his face—so bright that even the battle-worn scars seemed to shimmer.

“I’m starving,” he said, taking a big bite of a small cake, then pulling a skewer of grilled meat from a paper tube and handing it to Yun Yongzhou. His words came out muffled, “Here, eat it quick before it gets cold.”

Yun Yongzhou took it, gave it a glance, and finally removed his mask to take a bite.

It tasted way better than expected. Probably because he was hungry—Yun Yongzhou didn’t think much and quickly polished off the whole skewer. Wei Huan, cheeks puffed like a hamster, handed him several more, urging, “Eat, eat up!”

After three skewers, Yun Yongzhou suddenly realized that Wei Huan hadn’t eaten a single bite. He was just watching his face intently.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Yun Yongzhou lowered the skewer and squinted at Wei Huan. “Did you do something to it?”

“Nope.” Wei Huan’s eyes darted mischievously. “Oh, right, let me ask you something…” He looked at Yun Yongzhou with anticipation and tested his prepared question, “Do you really hate us?”

Yun Yongzhou’s first instinct was denial. He didn’t truly hate the others in the group—especially…

But even though his mind said one thing, the words out of his mouth were completely different.

“Hate.”

Wei Huan’s eyes lit up and he kept going, “Are you a Golden Crow?”

“No.”

Yun Yongzhou was stunned. What he said was the exact opposite of what he was thinking. But Wei Huan looked thrilled, pulling out another skewer and spinning it joyfully. “Didn’t expect this false beast to be so useful.” He leaned in close and asked the final question: “Do you want to be friends with us?”

Yun Yongzhou clearly wanted to resist speaking, but his body betrayed him, saying the opposite of what his brain willed.

“Don’t want to.”

Wei Huan let out a long “Ohhhh,” and said, “They say anyone who eats the false beast ends up saying the opposite of what they mean. So if we string together those three answers, it means… you are the little Golden Crow, you don’t hate us, and you do want to be friends.”

When he grinned, his sharp canines were prominent—like an adorable little animal.

“Not cute at all.”

Just as that sentence slipped uncontrollably from his mouth, a grand firework exploded in the sky, brilliant as though it had fallen into the Milky Way.

“Hmm?” Wei Huan blinked. “Did you say something? I didn’t catch it.”

Yun Yongzhou tightly pressed his lips together and turned his head away.

The fireworks fell into the center of the lake, lighting up the gentle ripples in the darkness.

“What are you spacing out for?” Wei Huan knocked his chopsticks against Yun Yongzhou’s bowl, sending ripples across the soup. “Weren’t you hungry? Why aren’t you eating?”

Yun Yongzhou shook his head slightly. “I’m waiting for my side dish.” His eyes drifted toward the direction behind Wei Huan.

“There’s more?” Wei Huan turned to look—and sure enough, the owner came over smiling, carrying a small plate of sliced marinated meat. “Here you go!”

“This looks good.” Wei Huan, worried that Yun Yongzhou would throw up a light shield again like before, quickly picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. “Mmph! This is so good!”

“Slow down.” Yun Yongzhou watched him gobble it down and thoughtfully poured him a cup of water, handing it over.

Wei Huan gratefully took it and downed it in one go.

Then came Yun Yongzhou’s seemingly random question:

“Do you like being with me?”

Wei Huan set down the cup. A strange force caused his heart and mouth to misalign. The true answer buried inside him was forcibly twisted in the opposite direction—like a wild horse breaking free—and blurted out uncontrollably:

“No.”

He immediately slapped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide.

“Huh?”