Chapter 35.2 Gu Xuyu
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Having eaten his fill, Lin Zhaohe had nothing to do, so he went home and watched some TV.
Nowadays, there weren’t many TV dramas. It was mostly a mishmash of variety shows and news. This particular episode of a variety show was quite exciting, as they invited over a dozen love experts from the world of anime and manga to discuss love.
Each of them was attractive and pleasing to the eye. If Lin Zhaohe remembered correctly, some of them seemed to have met a rather tragic end in their respective works…
Lin Zhaohe marveled at the coincidence and changed the channel.
The TV happened to show the previously visited Min’an Street, but now it was unrecognizable from when Lin Zhaohe had left. The previous buildings had become ruins, and a dramatic black castle stood erect in the center of the subdistrict, completely contrasting with the surrounding environment.
In front of the castle, Lin Zhaohe spotted the black carriage he had seen before. Two steeds, emanating black smoke from their hooves, stomped in place and neighed. Their eyes resembled two enormous black voids, utterly inhuman.
Despite such an environment, the journalists bravely carried out their reporting. “A severe fusion event has occurred on Min’an Street. Several subdistricts have been sealed off, and the government is redefining the areas for fusion assessment. Residents are advised not to approach for the time being.”
As he spoke, a resident happened to pass by, and the journalist called out, “Sir, do you live around here?”
The man, whom he referred to as “sir,” abruptly turned his head, revealing a skull-like face. “Huh?”
The journalist, true to their profession, remained silent for three seconds but quickly regained composure and repeated the question, “Sir, do you live in this area?”
“Yeah,” the skull-faced man calmly answered the journalist’s question in an indistinguishable dialect. “I died here. The environment here is good. Even after death, I still want to come back and live here.”
The journalist remarked, “This is truly a case of ‘returning to one’s roots.’ The homesickness of Mr. Skull is genuinely touching.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” I find it more touching how you are affected.
Feeling that this world was beyond redemption, Lin Zhaohe silently turned off the TV and decided to go to sleep.
No matter how dire the world may be, remarkable individuals could still live a vibrant life, thought Lin Zhaohe. When he died, he also wanted to rise from the ground and return to his apartment…
The sky, which had been clear for over ten days, finally started to rain the next day.
Following his usual routine, Lin Zhaohe woke up and headed to work. Since he hadn’t slept well the previous night, he felt tired and yawned his way to the office.
Xiao Ci was humming a tune and applying makeup while holding a mirror. However, the moment she saw Lin Zhaohe, the mirror slipped from her hands and landed on the ground with a clatter. Her mouth gaped open, and she stared at Lin Zhaohe in shock. “Brother Lin, you… you’re still alive?”
Lin Zhaohe: Not only am I alive but I even made it to work on time. He replied, “That’s right. Boss dug me out of the grave…”
Xiao Ci kept her mouth wide open, unable to close it for a while.
Lin Zhaohe: “Just kidding. I haven’t died yet.”
Xiao Ci was thrown into a state of confusion. “So, you’re still alive… No, wait, your Grandpa… Oh no!”
Lin Zhaohe found her reaction amusing and quickly explained what had happened. After learning that Lin Zhaohe’s grandpa was actually Lin Zhaohe himself, Xiao Ci scolded him fiercely, berating his lack of manners and accusing him of deceiving people as his own grandson. Lin Zhaohe couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
When Lin Zhaohe arrived at the office, everyone looked at him with astonishment. It was evident that they had already accepted the fact that he had passed away, so seeing him back left everyone feeling uneasy.
Among them, Qi Ming expressed his surprise, “How come you’re back? I was planning to organize a memorial gathering for you on the seventh day.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Can you show some basic respect for the deceased?”
Qi Ming: “Well, you’re already dead anyway…” He raised a lamp in his hand and added, “I wanted to see if this spirit lamp actually works.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Brother, you really won’t let me rest even after death.”
On the other hand, Zhang Xiaoxiao started to feel sorry for her own 4,000 yuan. In this day and age, that amount of money could buy several cans of milk powder for his child.
Lin Zhaohe could only console his dear brother for a few moments, persuading Qi Ming to give up the idea of using the spirit lamp. Then he asked, “Where’s the boss?”
“Meeting with a client,” Qi Ming replied. He whispered, “A big client came.”
Curiosity got the better of Lin Zhaohe. “Tell me more.”
“You know Gu Xuyu, right? Rumor has it that he’s the one visiting this time,” Qi Ming said. It was clear that Qi Ming had read more novels than Lin Zhaohe and immediately recognized the famous character. Qi Ming continued, “When he was talking to the boss, I overheard him saying he’s the protagonist of ‘Immortal of Shu’.”
Gu Xuyu did indeed come, but nobody knew why he was here.
Lin Zhaohe: A character with such explosive popularity must have terrifying combat strength. If even he couldn’t handle him, how would others manage?
“I haven’t read that book,” Lin Zhaohe said. “What’s his personality like?”
“I’ve read a bit, but it’s been a long time, so I can’t remember clearly,” Qi Ming replied. “From what I recall, he’s the type who doesn’t show much interest in anything other than his own cultivation. But as you know, personalities can change…” Qi Ming’s mood suddenly became gloomy as he seemed to remember something.
Lin Zhaohe knew what the “change” referred to. It was similar to what happened with A’Yan in the past. In the original work, A’Yan was a protagonist known for his integrity, bravery, and unwavering kindness. No one could have anticipated that his personality would become so twisted upon entering the three-dimensional world.
Qi Ming, being a local, might also have lost loved ones in that incident.
Lin Zhaohe didn’t continue the conversation and found a random excuse to return to his workstation. He was thinking that this time he probably wouldn’t be involved in anything when someone tapped him on the shoulder.
“Brother Lin, the boss wants to see you,” Zhang Xiaoxiao called him.
Lin Zhaohe had no choice but to get up and head to the office.
“He’s here?” Zhuang Lao asked.
Lin Zhaohe said, “Boss…” When he saw Gu Xuyu sitting on the sofa, there was no expression on his ethereal and dignified face, as if he lacked any desires.
“You’ll handle this case,” Zhuang Lao said.
Although Lin Zhaohe was unsure about what was going on with Gu Xuyu, being an ordinary person, dealing with immortals like him was quite troublesome. He said, “But Boss, my shoulder still hurts.” He felt extremely wronged, like a child complaining to their parents about how difficult their homework was.
“It’s alright,” Zhuang Lao reached out and patted Lin Zhaohe’s head. His action seemed so natural that Lin Zhaohe didn’t feel anything amiss. Zhuang Lao reassured him, “This time it’s not about security. It’s relatively simple. Just consider it a break for yourself.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaohe finally breathed a sigh of relief. “What’s the matter?”
“Mr. Gu has just integrated into this dimension,” Zhuang Lao said. “He has also found his own friends, but he feels a bit uncomfortable and wants to find someone familiar with this dimension to help him adapt to life more quickly.”
Lin Zhaohe realized that this was nothing more than a tour guide’s job. “Is there anything else?”
“There shouldn’t be anything else,” Zhuang Lao replied.
“I have a few disciples and fellow cultivators,” Gu Xuyu, who had been silent all this time, spoke in a cold, crisp voice, as clear and captivating as a falling pearl on a jade plate. “They seemed to have arrived earlier, but…”
Lin Zhaohe: “But what?”
Gu Xuyu: “They are behaving strangely. I’m not sure if it’s the influence of this world.”
From Lin Zhaohe’s perspective, Gu Xuyu was merely a character in a story, but he had flesh and blood, his own emotions and life, even though all of this… was written by someone else.
Gu Xuyu seemed to be lost in thought, his eyes slightly darkened. Lin Zhaohe, who stood beside him, inexplicably felt an immense pressure. If this had happened before, Lin Zhaohe might have immediately felt weak and fainted, but today he didn’t feel much. He rubbed his shoulder and said, “Could it be that they haven’t adapted to this world yet?”
“Not really,” Gu Xuyu said. “They have been here for over a year. It’s impossible that they haven’t adapted yet. Moreover, they found me on the day I arrived,” he said. “It’s somewhat illogical.”
“That’s true,” Lin Zhaohe also found it a bit strange. He rubbed his chin and asked, “Mr. Gu, how do you plan to have me help?”
“I’ve arranged a rented apartment for him on your floor,” Zhuang Lao said. “You just need to help him get through the initial period, adapt to the rules of this world, and learn some common knowledge about daily life.”
Lin Zhaohe thought it was easy enough and nodded. “No problem!”
Zhuang Lao: “Mr. Gu, would you like us to take you shopping for some daily necessities later?”
Gu Xuyu: “Is money needed?”
Zhuang Lao: “You have plenty of treasures. What you gave me before is enough to cover these expenses.”
Gu Xuyu nodded slightly.
Then Zhuang Lao drove Lin Zhaohe and Gu Xuyu to the supermarket, where they bought a bunch of daily necessities. Zhuang Lao also took the opportunity to explain the uses of the products in the supermarket.
Fortunately, there were many creatures from the two-dimensional world now, so Gu Xuyu didn’t seem out of place in the supermarket. He was full of curiosity, walking and stopping from time to time, observing carefully.
Lin Zhaohe and Zhuang Lao accompanied him nearby. Lin Zhaohe whispered, “Boss, how much did he give you? Why do you have the leisure to accompany him for supermarket shopping?”
Zhuang Lao: “It’s enough to pay you a lifetime’s salary.”
Lin Zhaohe’s spirits lifted.
“He has a good temper,” Zhuang Lao said. “Accompanying him will be a good way for you to heal.”
Lin Zhaohe obediently nodded.
After buying the items, Zhuang Lao escorted Gu Xuyu back to his place. His rented apartment was right above Lin Zhaohe’s. Hearing this, Lin Zhaohe was dumbfounded. Wasn’t that place haunted? And they were letting Gu Xuyu stay there? But Zhuang Lao remained composed. “Your apartment is fully occupied, and that place happens to be vacant. Besides, he’s a cultivator. Is he afraid of ghosts?”
Lin Zhaohe thought for a moment and said, “…There’s some truth to that, but not much.”
Gu Xuyu himself didn’t seem to care about whether the place was haunted or not. He quickly became intrigued by the gaming console next to the television and asked Lin Zhaohe what it was.
Lin Zhaohe was surprised to find the latest gaming console in the room. Such items were forbidden in the present era… Most of them had been destroyed.
“It’s a gaming console used to play games,” Lin Zhaohe sat down and picked up the controller to demonstrate it to Gu Xuyu. “There are quite a few games on here…”
Gu Xuyu’s eyes had been calm and serene all along, but when he saw the gaming console, Lin Zhaohe clearly saw a sparkle in his eyes, as if he had discovered something extremely interesting.
“How do you play?” Gu Xuyu asked.
“Like this…” Lin Zhaohe began explaining to him.
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