Tang Xiao: …
Ah, he almost forgot.
Thinking about it, when he told Jun Tesi before that they would work hard together, for him, that meant doing research. But for Jun Tesi…
It meant working hard to eat. And he was the food.
Tang Xiao fell silent. For a moment, he felt like he had dug his own grave.
Just an illusion, right?
Taking a deep breath, Tang Xiao decided to get this over with as quickly as possible. He walked up to Jun Tesi, expressionless, grabbed his long silver-white hair, and leaned in with his eyes closed.
He felt Jun Tesi freeze for a moment before a broad hand cupped the back of his head, and soft lips slowly pressed against his.
But unlike before—when Jun Tesi had been eager, almost desperate, as if he wanted to swallow him whole—this time, his movements were noticeably slower, even a bit absentminded.
Halfway through, Tang Xiao suddenly pushed him away slightly and narrowed his eyes. “Why does it feel like you’re distracted? Is this a side effect of your evolution? Or is it the influence of your past memories?”
After all, the last timeline had ended in disaster. It wasn’t as bad for Tang Xiao, since he had spent most of his time buried in research, too busy to notice much around him. The biggest shocks for him had been Feng Shuyun collapsing and Jun Tesi failing to evolve. But in that timeline, Jun Tesi had successfully evolved—only to die. Maybe he was still affected by those memories.
“It’s not that,” Jun Tesi murmured, looking down at Tang Xiao. “If you're already exhausted, you don’t have to force yourself to feed me. You can take a bath and eat first.”
Jun Tesi loved being close to Tang Xiao—this was usually the moment he looked forward to the most.
But just now, when he saw Tang Xiao, exhausted yet still forcing himself to lean in with furrowed brows, an odd mix of sweetness and bitterness welled up in his heart. He loved the way Tang Xiao looked at him with determination, talking about saving humanity. At the same time, he was a little jealous that something other than him could make Tang Xiao show such a look.
Besides, if Tang Xiao really didn’t want to be close to him, he could always go hunt mutant beasts instead. The thought crossed Jun Tesi’s mind, and he voiced it out loud: “Even if you don’t give me a reward, I’ll still protect this base—because you’re here.”
Tang Xiao was momentarily stunned by his straightforward words. But as he processed them—combined with the faint loneliness and bitterness in Jun Tesi’s expression—a strange realization dawned on him.
“Wait… you don’t think the only reason I’m close to you is to save humanity, do you?”
Jun Tesi blinked. “Isn’t it?”
Tang Xiao: “...” Well, not entirely.
Tang Xiao stared at the subtle grievance in Jun Tesi’s eyes, at a loss for words. He thought back to their interactions so far and was suddenly struck by the realization that… it had always been like this.
Using food as a reward had been a pattern for a long time—so long that it had become an unspoken rule between them. From the beginning, Tang Xiao had defaulted to using this method as a way to control a monster. Because of that, Jun Tesi had assumed all along that Tang Xiao was only being close to him out of necessity, and that deep down, he didn’t actually want to.
Because Tang Xiao had never once responded to Jun Tesi’s feelings.
Jun Tesi had simply taken it for granted that Tang Xiao didn’t like him—that their kisses were just part of a transaction.
Did Tang Xiao love Jun Tesi?
He didn’t know. Love was a heavy word for humans. He had never been in a relationship before, so he didn’t even know what counted as love.
But he did know that this world mattered to him, that he couldn’t bear to abandon it so easily—because this was Jun Tesi’s world too.
Because Jun Tesi was in this world.
“You—”
Tang Xiao wasn’t the type to be awkward about things. Now that he understood the problem, he wanted to address it properly.
But as soon as he met Jun Tesi’s bright orange eyes, the words he had prepared got stuck in his throat. Heat crept up from his neck to his face, a faint blush spreading across his skin. Even his usual cold demeanor—enhanced by his glasses—was broken by the shyness in his gaze. The ice melted into warm spring water, revealing a beauty that caught even Jun Tesi off guard.
“If my only goal was to help you evolve, why wouldn’t I just use more efficient instruments to extract what’s needed? Kissing and everything else is far too inefficient.”
In the end, he still failed to express his feelings openly. What came out instead was the logical reasoning of a researcher, driven by efficiency.
But the meaning behind his words made Jun Tesi’s eyes widen.
It was like fireworks exploding in his mind, like floating up into the clouds, like drinking down a mouthful of the sweetest honey.
Jun Tesi had thought Tang Xiao furrowed his brows because he disliked kissing him.
But in reality, Tang Xiao was just shy. He was the type to frown whenever he got embarrassed, looking impatient and annoyed—but if you looked closely, the tips of his ears were red.
“And I want to save humanity’s future because if we don’t, the King of Mushroom will take over the land. That would put us in a passive position. Don’t you want to stand in the sunlight with me? That future belongs to both of us too.”
As soon as Tang Xiao finished speaking, he was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. Strong arms wrapped around his waist, and soft, fluffy hair tickled against his skin.
“I’m so happy.”
[Jun Tesi Favorability: 95]
Yeah, he could tell. He really was happy.
Tang Xiao patted Jun Tesi’s shoulder. “So what were you even thinking before? I didn’t run away with you because I thought that would be too passive. The King of Mushroom’s invasion isn’t just a human problem—it’s our enemy too. The stronger it gets, the worse it is for us. Right now, humans are still able to resist, but if they weren’t—” Tang Xiao kept talking, but none of it registered with Jun Tesi.
Two thoughts kept looping in his mind.
Xiaoxiao doesn’t mind being close to me. Xiaoxiao likes me.
Xiaoxiao is thinking about our future. About marriage.
So Xiaoxiao is working so hard not just for humanity, but for me too.
So happy, so happy, so happy—so happy that it feels like this emotion in my chest is about to explode.
In reality, Tang Xiao suddenly shut his mouth, staring in shock as dense mycelium began crawling out from beneath Jun Tesi’s feet. In just the span of a breath, it spread across the entire room, covering everything in a layer of red lichen. The once-modern single dormitory was instantly transformed into a monster’s lair.
Jun Tesi applied a little force and pressed Tang Xiao down onto the red lichen. He bent down, his orange-yellow pupils constricting slightly under the overwhelming joy that was about to drown him. His lips stretched into a grin so wide it nearly reached his ears—both foolish and terrifying.
“I will fight for our future.”
“Oh… okay.” A sudden sense of foreboding crept up Tang Xiao’s spine. “Wait—how exactly are you planning to fight?”
Those pupils, slowly slipping beyond the realm of humanity, locked onto the young man beneath him. His gaze stretched downward like an invisible hand. The lichen beneath Tang Xiao extended tendrils of mycelium, wrapping around his slender ankles, completely securing its prey.
“Of course, by absorbing nutrients.”
An alarm blared in Tang Xiao’s mind, and he immediately struggled to sit up. “I suddenly feel really hungry. Let’s eat first.”
Without blinking, Jun Tesi simply summoned a plate with his mycelium. On it was a sandwich. “It’s fine. You can eat while I eat.”
Tang Xiao: “...”
“Then, I’ll take a shower first.”
“It’ll get messy in a bit anyway. Let me finish first, and we can wash up together.”
Messy? What messy?!
Tang Xiao’s pupils shook violently. He instinctively tried to lift his legs to struggle, but the mycelium wrapped around his ankles had already slipped under his pant legs, pressing against his skin, gripping the flesh beneath. The fabric did nothing to block its movements—instead, it heightened his sensitivity.
Before he could resist, Jun Tesi had already leaned in, pressing a hand against the back of his head, sealing his lips in a greedy, passionate kiss. Urgently parting his lips, taking him in.
This time, it was completely different from before, yet strangely familiar. He kissed like an eager puppy—licking, sucking, yet occasionally pulling away just enough to let him breathe, leaving behind glistening, transparent strings of connection before diving back in again.
Suddenly, Tang Xiao’s entire body jolted. In disbelief, he gasped, “Where did you put your mycelium?!”
“I read books, Xiaoxiao.” Jun Tesi spoke with absolute confidence. “For males, frequent ejaculation can lead to kidney deficiency, but orgasms from behind feel much better.”
“...” Tang Xiao was momentarily stunned. “Wait—hold on. Even if that’s true—ahh…”
His calves trembled, his body turning weak. The soft pink on his face deepened into a flushed red. “That’s still… no, don’t use your mycelium.”
“It’s okay.” Jun Tesi bent down beside Tang Xiao, licking away the tear that had escaped the corner of his eye. “They’re all part of me. Don’t be nervous.”
“…Is that okay?”
The young man couldn’t speak. His glasses had long since disappeared somewhere. His eyes, usually masked by cold indifference, now shimmered with restrained emotion and moisture. He shot Jun Tesi a glare—both embarrassed and seductive. “You’re only asking me now?”
“I was just… too happy.” Jun Tesi murmured, embracing him entirely from behind. Their contrasting skin tones created an almost overwhelming sense of tension. “I feel like… even if I die right now, it’d be worth it.”
“What nonsense.” Tang Xiao let out a low chuckle, turning to cup Jun Tesi’s face in both hands. “You have to live. Otherwise, my save files would be meaningless.”
“We have to win.”
“Mm.” Jun Tesi closed his eyes. His divinely handsome face was now completely pulled down to earth by sheer desire, his eyes damp at the corners.
He had never told Tang Xiao that at the end of the last cycle, he had been utterly, utterly terrified—terrified of being a lonely mycelium drifting toward death.
In that moment, he had felt an overwhelming, uncontrollable urge to consume Tang Xiao.
He knew it was his true nature. No matter how well he pretended to be human, no matter how harmless he seemed in front of Tang Xiao, in the end, his essence was that of a cold, ruthless monster.
But because of that single tear Tang Xiao shed, Jun Tesi had managed to hold himself back.
Because Tang Xiao had rewound time just in time—he hadn’t witnessed Jun Tesi losing control of his instincts.
That was a relief.
A wet sensation touched the corner of his eye. Jun Tesi opened his eyes, just in time to see the young man’s flushed face drawing near, wiping away that tiny bit of moisture. In that instant, Jun Tesi tightened his arms around Tang Xiao, pulling him downward, his palm pressing firmly against the young man’s waist—
“Hngh—ah…”
After everything was over, Jun Tesi gently carried the exhausted young man into the bathroom to clean him up. Once he was done, he brought him back to bed, reheated the food in the microwave, and, after completing this series of tasks, stood by the bed, gazing at his beloved’s face, which still bore traces of lingering passion. Then, he left behind a single mycelium strand for security while the rest of his mycelium burrowed underground.
Just to be safe, he needed to reinforce the defenses around the Third Eye once again.
Jun Tesi was full of motivation—not just for humanity but also for the future he would share with Tang Xiao. The sense of initiative between these two motives was entirely different.
For the first time, he found himself truly looking forward to the end of this catastrophe, imagining the day they could walk outside openly, like real lovers.
Would he get to hear a heartfelt confession from Xiaoxiao by then?
The mere thought of the possibility made Jun Tesi’s mycelium threads wriggle in delight underground, almost tying themselves into a Chinese knot.
Fortunately, no other creatures were present to witness this bizarre sight of mycelium tangling themselves up mid-crawl.
The next day, after resting, Tang Xiao forced himself to endure his sore and aching waist, maintaining a blank expression as he threw himself back into his research.
“Dr. Tang, you don’t look too well. Did you have a nightmare last night?” Dr. Matulin approached with some documents to discuss their next steps. Noticing Tang Xiao’s dark circles, he couldn’t help but comment, “If you’re having trouble sleeping, you should take it seriously. I have some very effective medication—would you like to try some?”
Tang Xiao awkwardly replied, “Yeah… sure, I’ll give it a try later.”
What nonsense about post-orgasmic fatigue and kidney deficiency.
Tang Xiao was utterly exasperated. How had he been foolish enough to fall for Jun Tesi’s sweet talk? This was clearly even more exhausting.
If he let Jun Tesi climb into his bed again, he might as well be a dog.
With his minor emotional knot untangled, Jun Tesi fully immersed himself in the battle against the mutant beasts. Tang Xiao did the same, but his battlefield was in research. Each of them shone in their respective domains.
Just like in the previous timeline, Tang Xiao once again recommended Jun Tesi to Leon as the base’s defensive weapon, allowing him to openly protect its people.
It wasn’t for any special reason—Tang Xiao simply wanted Jun Tesi to be thanked by others, to know that his efforts weren’t in vain. He wanted Jun Tesi to receive an abundance of kindness.
Even if Jun Tesi didn’t mind being unacknowledged, Tang Xiao did. He wanted everyone to know who had saved them. He wanted Jun Tesi to be more than just an experiment subject—to have a broader world to live in.
For now, he was still confined within the small Third Eye base, but one day, he would be able to see and walk through the vast and beautiful world.
As for the research, it progressed rapidly at first but eventually hit a bottleneck.
That was to be expected. Third-generation gene-editing technology was new, which meant the time spent studying it had been too short. Countless issues arose—off-target effects, the limitations of the SK sequence, the impact of delivery methods, and more. Tang Xiao’s current priority was to overcome these challenges one by one.
He was prepared for multiple save-point reloads. He was also ready for this path to be incredibly difficult, even if no one else understood it.
No—actually, that wasn’t true.
Tang Xiao suddenly turned around, his gaze landing on a seemingly ordinary section of the ceiling. There was no one there, yet he could distinctly sense a pair of eyes watching him.
Stealthy, yet persistent. Clingy, yet warm.
He knew that Jun Tesi would accompany him on this long road.
All the way to the uncertain end.
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