The barbecue on the lawn started at noon and would continue until the evening.
Xiao Bai stopped by once, but knowing that his presence would make it difficult for many researchers to let loose and have fun, he only stayed briefly before leaving.
After he left, several senior scientists approached Tang Xiao. It wasn’t clear who had told them that Tang Xiao was looking for a mentor, but they each extended olive branches to him.
Though Tang Xiao politely declined those related to the mushroom field, he was surprised that even some researchers in completely unrelated fields came to ask if he was interested in their directions.
Tang Xiao could only laugh and politely refuse. After more than an hour, he hadn’t eaten much of the barbecue but had collected a stack of business cards and contact details.
Yu Ming looked on enviously and said, “How nice. Back when I was doing my PhD, I had to apply one by one and was lucky to get a response from just one person. Now you’re getting to pick and choose.”
Tang Xiao didn’t know how to respond, so he sighed helplessly, “At least your mentor back then had pure intentions when they accepted you.”
Yu Ming thought about it and nodded, “That’s true.”
Some of those who approached Tang Xiao earlier may have been genuinely enthusiastic about talent, but for others, their hypocrisy was almost written on their faces. It was likely that once he joined their PhD program, they wouldn’t let him go easily.
It was one thing if they just wanted to hold on to a promising student, but the fear was that some might be trying to pull him into academic factions. Although the Third Eye was still free of academic cliques under the current leader’s control, that might change after the leader passed away.
Even geniuses had their own troubles.
Yu Ming, feeling more at peace with himself, happily stuffed another piece of barbecue into his mouth.
At that moment, Professor Ye, whom Tang Xiao found somewhat familiar, walked over with a plate of barbecue. “Tang Xiao.”
“Professor Ye,” Tang Xiao said, a bit surprised.
Professor Ye glanced at the business cards in Tang Xiao’s hand, smiling as he said, “Seems like you’ve gotten quite a few invitations.”
“Yes,” Tang Xiao replied, a bit embarrassed. He quickly pocketed the business cards and said with a wry smile, “I’m grateful for the attention from so many senior scientists, but I’m still not familiar with their research fields…”
“Don’t be nervous. I’m not here to ask about your decision,” Professor Ye said in a lighthearted tone, winking playfully. “Of course, if you apply for my PhD program, I’d definitely approve it.”
Tang Xiao laughed awkwardly without responding and instead asked, “So, what brings you here?”
“Oh, I wanted to ask what your next research topic will be,” Professor Ye said. “If you’re at a loss for ideas, would you be interested in joining my research group? The direction you mentioned earlier—we’ve researched it for a while, and it shows promise. We’re planning to continue, and if you join us and there are results, a ‘co-first author’ position is totally achievable.”
Yu Ming, standing nearby, couldn’t help but swallow. Wow, Tang Xiao had just completed a top journal paper, and now another major research offer?
What’s more, this was joining a project mid-way, not starting from scratch like Tang Xiao had done before. The conditions were incredibly favorable. If things went well, they could get results within a few months, which would mean another core paper at least. The offer was certainly tempting, but Tang Xiao remained calm and politely declined, saying, “Sorry, I really don’t have much interest in that field.”
Mainly, he really didn’t want to push himself too hard anymore.
“Ah, okay.” Professor Ye sighed. “If you change your mind, feel free to come find me anytime.”
“Thank you for the offer.”
After seeing Professor Ye off, Tang Xiao noticed a strange look in Yu Ming’s eyes. “What’s up?”
Yu Ming, looking conflicted, said, “...Nothing, really.”
But after thinking for a moment, he couldn’t help but ask, “What research topic are you planning next? If there’s something I can help with, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
It was clear to him now—that having a big-name figure in your research group was a huge advantage.
In just a few months, Tang Xiao had already produced results in a top journal, and building his academic profile was well within reach!
Tang Xiao, embarrassed, replied, “I honestly haven’t figured it out yet. I’m not just brushing everyone off... Plus, didn’t you guys get the bonus? You should be able to start your own projects now.”
Thanks to the bonus Xiao Bai had distributed, Tang Xiao was no longer short on money. He’d given most of it to the rest of the team, especially Yu Ming and the others. Since Xiao Bai would be the one deciding on authorship rights for the paper, and Tang Xiao believed he had made the biggest contribution to the project, he didn’t say much when he was given first authorship. However, when it came to the bonus, he unconsciously allocated more to Yu Ming and the others.
Lodge didn’t mind at all. For an assistant researcher, it was already great to be listed as a third or fourth author. Being the second author was a significant achievement.
Yu Ming, feeling conflicted, said, “Yeah, I didn’t expect to be unsure about my next project either. For now, I’ll focus on writing another paper from the current research and see where that goes.”
The two of them discussed their projects for a bit longer before Aberk, having shaken off her earlier hesitation, approached Tang Xiao with freshly grilled meat. Seeing that they were still discussing research, she suddenly felt her heart sink and quickly placed the meat on their plates. “Alright, alright, it’s a day off! Stop talking about experiments already. The barbecue doesn’t even taste good anymore!”
Tang Xiao and Yu Ming stopped talking. Yu Ming said, “You’re right. This is a celebration party. I won’t pester our star contributor anymore. Go have fun.”
Tang Xiao helplessly responded, “Stop teasing me. Let’s leave it at that for now. We can discuss work when we’re back in the office.”
He said that then paused for a moment in surprise. Office? How naturally that came out. Wasn’t he just playing games? When did he start thinking of this as work?
Taking advantage of the moment, Aberk dragged Tang Xiao into the crowd. A few eager researchers quickly surrounded him. After spending time together, they realized that Tang Xiao wasn’t as difficult to approach as he appeared, so they wanted to take the opportunity to get to know him better.
Suddenly, Tang Xiao found himself the center of attention, as he had been since he arrived at the party.
He thrived in the crowd, living under the sun.
In the shadows, Jun Tesi quietly watched Tang Xiao’s figure.
Not in the form of mycelium, but as a human. In recent days, through Xiao Bai’s experiments, he had awakened new abilities. As it turned out, while the flesh and blood of superhumans didn’t compare to Tang Xiao’s, they still held some value for him. His new ability allowed him to stand here, invisible to everyone else.
But suddenly, amid his conversation, Tang Xiao turned and looked directly in his direction.
428’s heart quietly raced.
Tang Xiao, still talking to some unfamiliar researchers, suddenly felt a burning, greedy gaze.
He had grown quite familiar with this feeling and didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Jun Tesi. When he turned his head to check, he indeed saw a figure standing in the shadows.
For a moment, Tang Xiao was startled. Really? That blatant? What if others saw him…
“Tang? What are you looking at?” Zhan Yuchen asked, puzzled. He followed Tang Xiao’s gaze but saw nothing. “Is there something over there?”
Tang Xiao watched as the shadowy figure of Jun Tesi turned and left. He glanced at Zhan Yuchen, noticing his confused expression as he strained to see in that direction, yet without any hint of surprise.
He didn’t see anything? Or was there another reason?
Tang Xiao’s mind was in disarray. Handing his plate to Zhan Yuchen, he said, “Sorry, I just remembered something urgent. You go ahead.” After that, Tang Xiao chased in the direction where the figure disappeared.
“Huh? But the barbecue is going to get cold!”
“It’s fine! You eat it!”
Zhan Yuchen stared blankly as Tang Xiao walked off into the distance, then looked down at the plate of perfectly grilled meat. After a while, he popped a piece into his mouth.
“Mmm, not bad.”
Tang Xiao hurriedly parted the crowd, heading in the direction where Jun Tesi had disappeared. Along the way, he saw several researchers. Given Jun Tesi’s distinct features and his custom-made strait jacket, anyone who saw him should have noticed, yet no one had paid any attention, not even a glance. At most, they just looked at Tang Xiao as he ran by.
What had… 428 done?
Finally, Tang Xiao followed the figure into a building that resembled a bell tower.
The architecture of the Third Eye headquarters was generally modern, with tall, high-rise lab buildings. However, this area, possibly meant for entertainment, lacked the cold, sterile design. Instead, it was full of Gothic feeling, like the bell tower in front of him.
Without hesitation, Tang Xiao climbed the stairs. The inside of the building was eerily quiet as if no one had been there for a long time. He could even hear the creaking of the wooden boards beneath his feet.
“428? Are you here?”
Tang Xiao stepped onto a stair and peeked around. This place resembled a clock tower, with a bell not far away, stained glass windows similar to those in a church, and a low ceiling. A person around 1.9 meters tall would likely have to watch their head here.
He didn’t see any sign of 428.
Tang Xiao entered this small building, looking confused. Did he come to the wrong place?
Just then—
A chill ran down his spine, and a tall figure suddenly wrapped an arm around his shoulder from behind. Tang Xiao shuddered, but when he heard that familiar voice, “Xiaoxiao,” he finally calmed down and sighed in resignation, “428, you scared me.”
What was his problem? Always showing up in his blind spots and at such a close distance?
Upon thinking about it, this seemed to be a habit of his for some time now. Tang Xiao had been startled several times before.
Jun Tesi didn’t reply. Instead, he pressed his forehead pitifully against the young man’s shoulder and said, “Xiao Xiao, you promised to call me Jun Tesi privately.”
“Sorry, just a habit. Jun Tesi.” Tang Xiao corrected himself smoothly. “Why did you come to find me?”
“For a reward.”
“What?” Tang Xiao pretended not to hear.
But 428 wasn’t giving him any room to play dumb. He turned Tang Xiao’s body to face him, and under the youth’s wide-eyed gaze, 428’s chest ‘opened up’ like a carnivorous plant, revealing layers of rib bones. From within, he pulled out a notebook made of silk.
But as he read on, it got weirder. ‘Intimidating spores,’ ‘scaring other mushrooms’—what even were those? And it only got more ridiculous toward the end: ‘Wanted to kiss but didn’t disturb Xiaoxiao’s experiments,’ ‘Didn’t wake Xiaoxiao up at night,’ and ‘Didn’t kill the opponent.’ And there were so many marks! Why did you write it down? Why did you write down so many things?
Tang Xiao raised his head, giving Jun Tesi a deep look, half-smiling. “So, if I count this up, do I owe you a hundred rewards?”
“Not that many, only 29!” Jun Tesi corrected eagerly.
“You sure know how to calculate. Should I give you a year-end bonus too?” Tang Xiao couldn’t help but speak sarcastically.
“Really?” The little monster’s eyes lit up.
Tang Xiao: "..."
Why was he being sarcastic with a creature that didn’t understand human speech? It only took things literally.
Wait, it understood ‘year-end bonus’? Did it really not understand human speech?
Tang Xiao couldn’t help but feel doubtful, but Jun Tesi couldn’t care less. At this distance, the scent of the young man was practically overwhelming his senses.
So fragrant, how could it smell so good?
Having gone over two months without a satisfying meal, the creature’s eyes had become cold, inorganic vertical pupils, and even the skin around them showed signs of degeneration.
Tang Xiao felt a cold, greedy aura wash over him, like being stared down by a predator. Before he could react, Jun Tesi lifted him by the waist, pressing his back against the wooden pillar of the tower.
The feeling of his feet hanging in the air, combined with the biological shudder of being in the presence of a monster, caused Tang Xiao to tighten his grip on Jun Tesi’s shoulders. “428!”
Jun Tesi was nearly a head taller than Tang Xiao, and even in this position, it didn’t hinder him from leaning in, his red eyes fixated on the young man’s pale pink lips. Like a puppy, he began placing kisses on the tightly sealed line of his mouth. “Xiaoxiao… smells so good.”
Tang Xiao frowned and turned his head, annoyed, lightly punching Jun Tesi on the shoulder. “Put me down!”
This time, Jun Tesi pretended not to hear, pressing his forehead against Tang Xiao’s. Their breaths intertwined, and those vertical pupils stayed locked on him, while his Adam’s apple bobbed restlessly. “Xiaoxiao, call me by my name.”
Not that experimental code—just Jun Tesi.
This was a name only Tang Xiao used, a secret just for the two of them.
Tang Xiao’s fingers trembled for a moment, clearly thinking about the same thing. His eyelashes fluttered uneasily.
He thought of all those entries in the notebook: ‘Scaring other mushrooms,’ ‘Didn’t disturb Xiaoxiao’s experiments,’ ‘Assisted with experiments.’
Something in his heart softened a little.
“Jun Tesi… mmm.”
As soon as he spoke, 428, who had been closely observing Tang Xiao’s expression, caught a certain signal—just as he had always delivered the killing blow to his prey before—and sealed Tang Xiao’s lips with a kiss.
His flexible tongue slipped past Tang Xiao’s teeth, stirring within as faint, ambiguous sounds of moisture filled the air.
“Wait… your tongue, don’t… don’t let it grow longer.”
Mid-kiss, Tang Xiao gasped and emphasized between breaths.
“Okay,” Jun Tesi murmured as he rubbed Tang Xiao’s waist with both hands, responding obediently.
He watched the young man’s moist eyelashes and the faint, pale complexion that had now taken on some color under his influence.
That irrational anxiety that had come when he saw Tang Xiao, surrounded by people on the lawn, slowly dissipated.
His treasure had been discovered.
This realization made Jun Tesi both happy and uneasy.
He had witnessed Tang Xiao’s downfall, and he had seen his rise.
The dazzling soul that he alone knew had been uncovered, and the thought that this treasure no longer belonged solely to him left Jun Tesi feeling completely lost.
But he couldn’t take him away—Tang Xiao belonged here.
Even though, deep down, he desperately wanted to.
……
Very strange.
Tang Xiao had prepared himself for the same kind of brutal, predatory kiss as last time. But this time, except for the initial kiss, Jun Tesi’s touch slowed down.
As if he was forcibly suppressing his instinct to devour, he kissed him slowly, patiently, and restrained.
From lips to tongue, even along the teeth.
The light pink of Tang Xiao’s lips gradually deepened into a tempting shade of red.
Tang Xiao’s ears were completely flushed. The ambiguity of the atmosphere left him dizzy. This kiss was entirely different from the last—then, he had only felt his scalp tingle as if being consumed. But this time…
Tang Xiao managed to pull a few words from the blankness of his mind.
He’s getting more skilled.
This was entirely like a kiss shared between lovers.
Sticky, full of passion, the kind where they couldn’t bear to part no matter where they were, always holding hands, and whenever their eyes met, they couldn’t contain their feelings—a kiss full of shy yet passionate affection.
Could a monster’s learning ability apply to this?
Tang Xiao felt light-headed from the kiss, his back tingling, arms and legs turning weak. He was even thankful that it was Jun Tesi’s strength supporting him; otherwise, he’d have embarrassingly collapsed on the ground by now.
Something was wrong, very wrong.
Tang Xiao thought to himself, summoning enough strength to push Jun Bos away. “Wait, wait... I can’t breathe.”
Jun Tesi stepped back a little after hearing this, giving the fragile human some space to catch his breath.
Tang Xiao panted, looking at Jun Bus, who was now just inches away from him.
In those bright, golden-tinted eyes, he saw his own reflection.
Blushing, eyes moist, looking thoroughly kissed, soft, and completely immersed.
...Was this really him?!
Tang Xiao felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and for a moment, his previously clouded mind cleared.
This... didn't feel right at all. He had a growing sense that something was slipping out of his control, making him uneasy.
Perhaps, he shouldn’t continue like this. It might lead to getting himself trapped.
“Xiaoxiao.” Seeing Tang Xiao remain silent for too long, a hint of sharpness crept into Jun Tesi’s previously confused gaze. He lowered his voice and leaned closer, “I'm still hungry.”
“No, wait,” Tang Xiao, now sensing something was off, wanted to cool things down. “Don’t come any closer.”
“...”
Jun Tesi looked at him with a pitiful expression. Even his previously dangerous, inhuman slit pupils became round, puppy-like eyes, making him look almost innocent. “You promised.”
In the past, when he made this face, though Tang Xiao wouldn’t show it outwardly, he would always soften a bit. But now, Tang Xiao had calmed down.
He had been using rewards to tame this dangerous creature.
But what if 428 had learned how to get a human accustomed to his kisses instead?
He was learning too fast, too cleverly. The intelligence humans gained over decades was quickly caught up with, even surpassed, by the approaching footsteps behind him. This feeling of being chased, even overtaken, made Tang Xiao's skin crawl.
From the clues, 428 wasn’t as harmless and submissive as he appeared on the surface.
For example, using what looks like a weak posture to make Tang Xiao lower his guard...
The prolonged silence and the fading atmosphere of intimacy made Jun Tesi realize something was off. He lowered his head, brushed the top of Tang Xiao's hair, and chuckled softly, “Xiaoxiao, still as cautious as ever.”
He had known for a long time—Xiaoxiao would give in to gentleness, not force. But every time Jun Tesi felt close to capturing this beautiful little deer, the deer would sense the trap and cleverly escape.
This intelligence and wariness made Jun Tesi both love and hate him.
Why couldn’t Xiaoxiao just let him catch him?
“Jun Tesi, let me go,” Tang Xiao said calmly.
“If I let go, you’ll just keep your distance from me again,” the man replied, raising his head.
Tang Xiao slowly widened his eyes.
The man’s handsome face now bore traces of blood-red mycelium strands creeping from the corners of his eyes. His smooth neck had split open with cracks, from which several orange-yellow slit pupils emerged.
It was as if the human facade had begun to tear, revealing the monster's true form from within.
The combination of human and monster was grotesque... yet to Tang Xiao, it was strangely beautiful.
Jun Tesi knew that Tang Xiao liked his true form. But humans were only drawn to their own kind, only showed sympathy for their own, and only desired their own kind.
The human shell was pleasing enough to Tang Xiao... but what about this?
From the quickened heartbeat of the young man, Jun Tesi found his answer.
“Are... are you seducing me?” Tang Xiao asked, in disbelief.
“I like Xiao Xiao…” Jun Tesi whispered, continuing to place kisses along Tang Xiao’s neck. “I’ve figured it out—I like you, I love you, in the human sense of the word.”
He wasn’t lying, Tang Xiao could tell.
428’s favorability on the game screen was rapidly increasing, reaching 70, 75...
“I never expected you to feel the same way,” Jun Tesi said. “I just hope you won’t take back the deal.”
He lifted Tang Xiao’s hand and gently kissed his fingertips.
“I’ll serve you.”
Was this also a trap?
Tang Xiao didn’t respond for a long time, and as the sun set, the light in Jun Tesi’s eyes faded along with the last rays of sunlight.
At some point, the light inside the building had dimmed, and night had taken over the sky.
Bang!
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion echoed, startling both of them. Tang Xiao didn’t need to look back—he could see the colorful fireworks lighting up the sky outside the threshold building from the corner of his eye.
After a moment, a smile slowly crept onto Tang Xiao’s lips.
Even if it was a trap, it didn’t matter—it was just a game after all.
He pushed down the panic that had arisen in his heart earlier, mocking himself for having been so immersed that he had almost treated this as reality.
A deal was a deal—after all, this was just the main romance plotline.
No matter what, the player always wins.
The kiss Tang Xiao initiated stunned Jun Tesi, who then burst with joy.
“Have you seen Tang Xiao?” Lodge asked, holding a glass of champagne as he searched around the lawn. “We’ve opened the champagne! This is from Dr. Xiao himself—it’d be a shame to miss it... Have you seen him anywhere?”
“No,” Aberk replied, downing her drink and wiping his mouth.
Lodge was about to say something else when the booming sound of fireworks drowned out his words. They instinctively raised their heads, surprised at this unexpected display, clearly not expecting it. ‘Did Dr. Xiao arrange this too?’
“It’s not from us—it’s from the nearby settlement. They’re celebrating the New Year,” Aberk shouted over the noise.
Everyone raised their heads to watch the fireworks exploding in the night sky. None of them noticed the shadow pressed against the stained glass of the clock tower, locked in a passionate and loving kiss.
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