I Only Choked on Noodles, Why Am I Here?! [BL]

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Zhi Zun had finally found a rare moment of peace beneath the shade of the tree, his round body sprawled lazily across the warm stone as the gentle breeze brushed through his fur. His eyes were half-closed, and his tail gave an occasional lazy flick.

For once, no one was bothering him.

Zhi Zun’s eyes were half-closed as he basked lazily in the warm afternoon sun.

Ahh, this was how life should be.

Just as Zhi Zun was about to fall asleep, his ears suddenly twitched. Something had caught his attention.

He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward the source of the gaze, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. Who was watching him while he was trying to enjoy his peaceful nap?

Not far away stood two small figures. Dong Hai was looking at him as usual, while another little boy stood beside him, clinging to Dong Hai’s sleeve.

Zhi Zun’s gaze shifted to the unfamiliar boy.

The child had bright, lively eyes and a cheerful little face. He peeked at Zhi Zun from behind Dong Hai before his eyes suddenly lit up with curiosity.

Zhi Zun narrowed his eyes.

That little brat brought a friend?

And why was this one so energetic?

His tail flicked once.

Hmph.

He had barely managed to enjoy half a day of peace, and now there were two little brats bothering him. Zhi Zun turned his head away, deciding to simply ignore them.

Unfortunately, the other child was already too curious to stay back. Wei Fan quickly stepped closer and crouched down, his eyes shining as he stared at Zhi Zun.

He looked at the cat from head to toe, then turned to Dong Hai with an excited smile and tugged lightly at his sleeve.

"Hai-Hai..."

Dong Hai followed Wei Fan’s finger and glanced at Zhi Zun. He blinked before giving a solemn nod.

"Yes," he said, then sighed as though lamenting the situation.

Zhi Zun’s ears twitched.

Yes?!

What did this little brat mean by that?!

Dong Hai completely unaware he had just wounded Zhi Zun’s dignity.

Folded his little arms across his chest and explained seriously, "Yan-gege said he should eat more vegetables."

Zhi Zun’s whiskers twitched in displeasure at the mention of it.

He clearly remembered Lan Xin telling the stinky human to give him meat, which he had immediately agreed to. So why was Dong Hai suddenly saying that he should eat more vegetables?

Hmph. Was that stinky human planning to go back on his word?

Zhi Zun’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. He would definitely complain to Lan Xin.

Wei Fan looked at Zhi Zun again, his little face becoming thoughtful as he studied the cat’s round body.

"Does he really eat vegetables?"

Dong Hai nodded. "He could have, but Xin-ge didn’t allow it."

Wei Fan’s eyes widened, his expression fell slightly. "Oh, that’s too bad. I really wanted to see it."

Dong Hai nodded again, looking equally disappointed.

Zhi Zun’s tail slapped against the ground as he listened to their conversation, his face darkening.

Were these two little brats seriously disappointed that he wasn’t being forced to eat vegetables?!

Tch.

This ancestor had truly drawn the short end of the stick. Even enjoying a little leisure time had become so difficult.

He closed his eyes again, silently gathering himself.

Just wait.

Once he finished absorbing the power within that token, he would regain his strength.

And when that day came...

He would definitely have his revenge.

Zhi Zun’s tail flicked proudly as he imagined it.

Yes. He just needed to endure a little longer.

A great existence like himself should not be bothered by such trivial matters.

Unfortunately, his peaceful fantasies were interrupted by a small, worried voice.

"Is the little fatty dead?"

Zhi Zun’s closed eyes twitched slightly as Wei Fan continued staring at him anxiously.

The boy leaned forward, his small hands resting on his knees as he examined Zhi Zun’s motionless body.

"Why is he lying like that?"

Dong Hai looked at Zhi Zun and tilted his head slightly.

Then, as though this was very ordinary, he said calmly, "Don’t worry. Fattyfluff always acts like that."

Zhi Zun just continued playing dead, hoping the two little brats would leave already. He was already getting depressed.

Can’t you two just leave me alone? he wanted to shout.

Dong Hai pointed at Zhi Zun, trying to reassure Wei Fan.

"See? He’s breathing."

Wei Fan hurriedly leaned closer and stared at Zhi Zun.

Sure enough, the cat’s fluffy belly was slowly rising and falling.

"Oh... So he’s not dead yet." Wei Fan murmured.

Zhi Zun’s whiskers twitched.

You little brat?! This ancestor is still alive and kicking! Why do you sound so disappointed?

Tch. Children these days were becoming more and more disrespectful.

Dong Hai reached out and tugged lightly at Wei Fan’s sleeve.

"Come."

"Where are we going?"

"To find Xin-ge."

Dong Hai grabbed his hand this time pulling him along and Wei Fan followed obediently.

Zhi Zun watched the two little figures disappear toward the house and let out a long, tired sigh.

By the time Dong Hai and Wei Fan returned to the house, Lin Xin and Liu De were already sitting inside, enjoying the quiet afternoon.

On the table were the pastries Lin Xin had brought out earlier, along with bowls of warm brown sugar water. The sweet aroma filled the room as they waited for the children to return.

Liu De took a small sip before glancing toward the doorway.

"Oh they’re back."

Lin Xin also looked up and sure enough, he saw them walking in.

"Little Hai, you’re back."

Dong Hai nooded while the moment Wei Fan stepped through the doorway, his eyes immediately landed on Liu De.

"De-fu!"

He ran excitedly toward him.

Liu De quickly opened his arms and caught him, smiling at his son’s excitement.

"What happened? Why are you so excited?"

Wei Fan’s eyes sparkled as he tugged excitedly at Liu De’s sleeve, his face full of excitement.

"De-fu! Hai-Hai showed me around. It was so much fun!"

Liu De smiled as he listened to his son excitedly talk about what he had been doing.

He gently rubbed Wei Fan’s head before turning to Dong Hai with a helpless smile.

"Was he being a handful?" he asked.

Dong Hai shook his head before answering, "No. He was very obedient."

Wei Fan immediately piped up "I’m not a handful, De-fu! I’m always obedient!" he said with a small pout, clutching Dong Hai’s sleeve now.

Liu De chuckled softly at Wei Fan’s reaction before saying, "Alright, alright. Come sit down. You can tell me the rest while you eat."

Wei Fan immediately nodded, humming happily as he followed Liu De to the table.

Lin Xin pushed the plate of pastries closer to him.

"Go on. Eat while they’re still warm."

Wei Fan happily picked up a pastry.

"Thank you, Uncle Lin!"

Dong Hai sat beside him and reached for one as well.

For a while, the room was filled with the sounds of the two children eating, with Wei Fan occasionally chiming in excitedly about what he had seen.

Liu De watched them with a smile, but after a moment, his expression gradually turned thoughtful.

"I can’t help but wonder how they’re doing in the mountains," Liu De said, his gaze drifting outside.

Lin Xin’s smile faded slightly as he followed Liu De’s gaze.

"They should be fine," he said gently.

"They’re both careful, and they know the mountains very well."

Although his voice was reassuring, a faint worry remained in his heart.

Liu De nodded in understanding, though the worry in his eyes didn’t completely disappear.

Lin Xin lowered his gaze to his bowl of warm brown sugar water.

He trusted Han Yan.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried.

After all, the deeper parts of the mountains were not a place anyone could afford to be careless.

...

Meanwhile, several li away, Han Yan and Wei Jun had already ventured deep into the mountains.

The farther they went, the denser the forest became.

Towering trees surrounded them on all sides their wide branches spreading across the sky and casting the forest floor in a mixture of light and shadow.

The air was cool and fresh, carrying the earthy scent of damp soil and wild grass as leaves rustled softly in the gentle breeze.

Han Yan walked ahead, carefully watching the path.

Wei Jun followed beside him, his gaze moving across the surrounding trees and bushes.

Whenever they noticed fresh tracks or signs that animals had passed through, they would slow down and examine the area.

After walking for some time, Wei Jun suddenly crouched beside a narrow animal trail.

"There are quite a few tracks here."

Han Yan stopped beside him and examined the ground.

The marks were fresh.

"This path is probably used often."

Wei Jun smiled.

"Then let’s leave a trap here."

Han Yan nodded.

The two worked together to set a simple trap beside the trail, carefully covering it with leaves and grass so that it blended naturally into the surroundings.

Once they finished, they continued deeper into the mountains.

A while later, they found another trail.

This time, the tracks were larger.

Wei Jun crouched down and examined them carefully.

"This one looks promising."

Han Yan looked at the marks.

"Let’s set another trap."

Wei Jun nodded.

They worked together again, making sure the trap was secure before concealing it.

As they continued walking, Wei Jun adjusted the bow on his shoulder, the quiver of arrows resting against his back.

"If we can get a good catch today, we can return earlier."

Han Yan nodded.

"Mm. Then there would be no need for us to stay in the mountains any longer than necessary."

Wei Jun smiled cheerfully.

They continued deeper into the mountains, carefully watching their surroundings and setting traps whenever they found fresh animal trails.

Whenever a rustle came from the bushes, they would stop and listen before continuing once they were certain there was no immediate danger.

By the time the afternoon sun began to shift westward, they had already set several traps.

Eventually, they found a quiet place beside a small stream.

A large old tree stood beside the water, its broad branches providing shade from the afternoon sun.

Han Yan looked around carefully before saying, "Let’s rest here."

Wei Jun nodded.

The two men sat beneath the tree and finally relaxed after hours of walking.

Han Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead with a cloth before taking out the food Lin Xin had prepared for him.

Wei Jun also brought out the food Liu De had packed.

With a proud smile, he placed some in front of Han Yan.

"My De’er told me to give you some of his food. He made plenty."

Han Yan glanced at the food before looking at Wei Jun with a knowing smile.

"My Xin-ge’er said the same thing."

The two men looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

It seemed their wives had given them almost the exact same instructions.

Han Yan opened his own meal and pushed some toward Wei Jun.

"Here. Xin-ge’er made plenty too."

Wei Jun looked at the food, then at Han Yan.

The two exchanged amused looks before finally settling down to eat.

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