As the press conference concluded, major online news sections were instantly dominated by the topics of ‘Parallel World’ and ‘Honorary Academician.’ The latter, in particular, was actively promoted by special departments to stabilize public opinion during the initial, precarious phase of contact between the two worlds.
Those who had previously participated in or organized the online harassment campaign received their due punishment. The most serious offenders were prosecuted for spreading false information, and the entire process was swift and discreet. By the time Tang Xiao realized what had happened, all traces of the past had been wiped clean.
At the same time, his position at the Joint Research Institute was quietly finalized. Administrative staff contacted him with a friendly inquiry about when he could start work, emphasizing the urgency of the current situation.
Tang Xiao understood this well—this might be the last period he could spend at home for a while.
Once the necessary formalities were completed, his name was officially entered into the national talent database.
A low-profile black sedan slowly drove into the residential complex. Tang Xiao stepped out of the back seat, and the driver straightened his posture, saying, “I will wait for you here.”
“No need, no need, go take care of your own matters. I probably won’t be done anytime soon.”
“Ensuring your personal safety is my duty,” the driver said firmly. “The security within the community has already been replaced with our personnel, but we cannot rule out the possibility of a sudden attack from a superpower.”
Tang Xiao thought to himself, anyone who dared to cause trouble here would basically be marching to their own doom.
However, he did not reject the driver’s good intentions and simply nodded. “Thank you for your hard work.”
Before Tang Xiao could even knock on the door, the villa’s entrance opened from the inside. His parents had already received news of his return, their faces beaming with joy. “Xiaoxiao~ Look who’s back!”
Tang Xiao froze for a moment, then saw a familiar figure behind his parents. “Brother! Your mission is over?”
“Yeah, after escorting that group of people who got lost in the parallel world, my task was complete,” Tang Chen smirked and teased, “Oh, I should call you Academician Tang now.”
Tang Xiao had once proudly insisted that Tang Chen call him Dr. Tang. But now that his title had been upgraded, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Just stick with Dr. Tang…”
All four of them laughed. Mother Tang warmly invited the driver inside for tea, but he politely declined. However, he did accept some water and snacks from her.
Back in the living room, Father Tang was the first to ask, “So, you’re heading to the research institute now, right? This time it’s for real?”
Tang Xiao smiled sheepishly. “Yeah.”
“Sigh, children really do grow up and leave home,” his father sighed, waving a dismissive hand. “Go, go.”
Mother Tang held his hand. “I heard your brother will also be transferred to the institute to protect you scientists. That way, you two can look out for each other.”
Tang Xiao hadn’t known about this. He glanced at Tang Chen, who nodded in confirmation.
“By the way, about your relationship…” Father Tang hesitated. He had actually discussed it with Tang Chen before, but Tang Chen had tactfully advised him not to meddle too much. The other party's identity was complicated, and most importantly, the two were deeply in love.
“I really don’t understand how young people think these days,” his father sighed. “Do whatever you want.”
“Thank you, Dad, Mom.” Tang Xiao knew this was their way of giving him their utmost support. The gap between species was not something that could be bridged overnight, but they had done their best to accept it in the limited time they had.
“Go on, you probably have things to say to Jun Tesi.”
“Yeah, but before that…” Tang Xiao hesitated momentarily and pulled his father into the kitchen. “There’s a small thing I want to ask. Didn’t you say I once went missing for a period of time? That you couldn’t find me even in my rental apartment?”
“Yeah, I even went into your room once and didn’t see you,” his father recalled. “But the second time I checked, you were there. I even asked you where you’d been.”
Tang Xiao’s eyes flickered thoughtfully, but he casually brushed off the topic with a laugh.
When he returned to his room on the second floor, he saw white mycelium creeping along the windowsill, shifting into the form of Jun Tesi.
“Where did you just go?” Tang Xiao asked curiously.
“Nowhere,” Jun Tesi averted his gaze slightly.
He certainly couldn’t say that he had been maintaining the network connection and, along the way, tracked down the ringleaders of the online harassment campaign after the press conference—just to rough them up a little.
Tang Xiao eyed him suspiciously but didn’t press the matter. He sighed. “Forget it. I have something important to tell you.”
“You’re going to the research institute, right?” Jun Tesi had already expected this. “That’s fine. I’ll go too.”
After all, they weren’t going to be separated. At worst, he would just sneak into Tang Xiao’s dorm and live with him like before.
Tang Xiao let out a small bitter smile. “Heh, yeah, that’s something I needed to tell you. But there’s something even more important.”
Since he had decided to take on this research project, he needed to uncover the truth about world fusion. Hidden variables could become major risks, and he didn’t want any secrets between him and Jun Tesi anymore.
His expression turned serious. Jun Tesi sensed it and felt a vague unease.
“Jun Tesi, you’ve been disappearing from time to time lately. What exactly have you been doing?” Tang Xiao asked.
Jun Tesi froze slightly. “I have my own things to do too… I can’t be stuck to you 24/7…”
The more he spoke, the guiltier he felt. Under Tang Xiao’s sharp gaze, his voice gradually trailed off.
Tang Xiao didn’t say anything, but his expression clearly read: “Weren’t you stuck to me 24/7 before? Don’t think I don’t know just because you hide your mycelium in the walls.” Jun Tesi had no way to refute that.
“Jun Tesi... I’ve already asked my brother. Everyone who enters the Fog Thunder Zone eventually appears at the edge of the Alliance,” Tang Xiao said. “But why? Clearly, they enter different fog-covered areas, so why do they all end up in the same place?”
“Also, the place where I appeared was completely different from theirs. The latitude and longitude coordinates of my university don’t overlap with the Third Eye base in that world. Is it really such a coincidence that stepping inside immediately leads to the Third Eye base?”
“It’s almost as if… the entrances and exits are being manipulated by some kind of force.”
Tang Xiao knew of only one existence capable of doing something like this.
His calm questioning made Jun Tesi’s expression gradually withdraw, his eyelashes lowering slightly.
Although Jun Tesi always seemed like a cheerful, affectionate big dog around Tang Xiao, when he lost his expression, the restrained nature hidden beneath his flawless face would leak out, giving him an overwhelming sense of presence.
Tang Xiao knew this was a dangerous conversation, but he also understood that a wound had to be opened up to prevent it from festering.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, “Jun Tesi… are you really unrelated to the world’s fusion?”
Tang Xiao had asked Jun Tesi the same question before. His response had been clever, and Tang Xiao hadn’t detected any outright lies—but he had felt something was being withheld.
From Li Xiaoyi, Tang Xiao had learned that the fusion of the two worlds had actually begun three years ago. Back then, Jun Tesi wasn’t even the King of Mushroom yet, so when he claimed the previous King had initiated the world’s fusion, it was likely true.
But now, the previous King was dead, and the fusion had not only continued but accelerated.
Moreover, Jun Tesi had a reason to do it at that time.
For a moment, the air in the room stood still.
Jun Tesi finally lifted his eyes and spoke softly, “Xiaoxiao is very smart…”
“I wasn’t the one who started this, but I didn’t stop it either—because I needed to find you.”
Tang Xiao: “Now that you’ve found me, why haven’t you stopped it?”
“...I couldn’t bear the thought of you dying where I couldn’t see you,” Jun Tesi’s voice trembled involuntarily. “You’ve died so many times, over and over again.”
Died… many times?
Tang Xiao was momentarily stunned. Then he realized Jun Tesi was referring to the incident at the university campus, and he was at a loss for words.
“It happened so many times that I was nearly driven mad,” Jun Tesi’s golden eyes locked onto Tang Xiao, the red mycelium inside them pulsating slightly.
Suddenly, Tang Xiao realized that Jun Tesi had always known about it—but he had never mentioned it.
Not because he had moved past it, but because he had been using his own methods to ensure it never happened again.
“I know Xiao Xiao is brave and kind. You can’t turn a blind eye to people in need,” Jun Tesi said quietly. “That’s fine. Then I will take control of both worlds.”
That day, Tang Xiao had poked Jun Tesi’s forehead and helplessly complained that with his abilities, did he really need to resort to locking people up?
Jun Tesi had found the argument quite reasonable.
As long as the two worlds were fused, no matter where Tang Xiao went, Jun Tesi would always be able to sense him. No matter what Tang Xiao did, he would always know.
Tang Xiao would willingly remain in this prison named ‘the world.’
For a moment, Tang Xiao didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected that his casual pursuit of freedom had inadvertently become one of the driving forces behind this massive event. He rubbed his forehead, about to speak again, but Jun Tesi, as if predicting his words, cut in first: “But I really can’t stop the fusion process. I wasn’t lying about that. I can only speed it up, not stop it. So, it’s better to rip the bandage off quickly rather than prolong the pain.”
“Have you considered the consequences?”
“...Some people may disappear during the fusion. Some islands might vanish. The Earth’s magnetic field might become unstable for a short period, causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters,” Jun Tesi muttered in a small voice. “I’ll do my best to save as many humans as possible, but this is a mess left behind by the previous King. You can’t expect me to take full responsibility, can you?”
“I never said that,” Tang Xiao laughed bitterly. “But this isn’t all you’ve been doing, is it?”
“Jun Tesi, why are you hunting the game system?”
Jun Tesi suddenly fell silent, his eyes boring into Tang Xiao as realization dawned upon him. “It’s inside you?”
He took a step forward, trying to grab Tang Xiao’s hand. Tang Xiao was startled and instinctively stepped back. “Wait a second—!”
“Xiaoxiao, that thing is no good! You can’t use it! It wants to kill you!” Jun Tesi didn’t stop. Mycelium spread from his feet, wrapping around Tang Xiao’s ankle and yanking him down onto the bed. Jun Tesi pounced on him, pinning him by the shoulders.
The game interface suddenly popped up in front of Tang Xiao, flashing erratically. Whatever Jun Tesi was doing, it triggered a series of alarms.
[Warning! Warning! Imminent destruction!]
“Jun Tesi!” Tang Xiao panicked. “Wait!”
“No waiting.” Jun Tesi tightened his grip. For the first time, his face showed genuine hatred, ferocity… and a deeply hidden fear. It made Tang Xiao feel like he was back at the very beginning of everything. But this time, he knew the hatred wasn’t directed at him—it was aimed at the game system lodged within him.
Tang Xiao suddenly felt the urge to sigh.
“...What you’re really trying to hide is that you can stop the world’s fusion—but only if you completely devour me. Am I right?”
The game interface abruptly stopped flashing.
Jun Tesi’s movements halted. He stared blankly at the young man pinned beneath him on the bed. “Did it tell you that?”
“No,” Tang Xiao met Jun Tesi’s gaze calmly. “I guessed.”
Previously, when Tang Xiao had asked Jun Tesi about the specifics of his species, Jun Tesi had brushed it off, saying he hadn’t fully digested the information yet.
He asked Father Tang and learned that during the staged death mission, he had briefly disappeared from reality. He had clearly been playing the game the whole time, so where had his body gone during that period?
Why did Jun Tesi suddenly have such strong hostility toward the game system?
What was it that made even Jun Tesi—who wasn’t afraid of death—feel fear?
Even the concept of lifespan couldn’t stop him. What was still standing between them?
At that moment, Tang Xiao realized what Jun Tesi’s true inner struggle was—one that couldn’t be resolved even by marriage or mutual sacrifice. The answer was right in front of him.
That one time—when Tang Xiao had tricked Jun Tesi—Jun Tesi had believed that Tang Xiao had chosen humanity’s survival over their shared fate.
Even though he later learned that Tang Xiao had done it to ensure his survival, who could guarantee that if the same choice arose again, Tang Xiao wouldn’t make the same decision?
This was a question Jun Tesi didn’t even dare to think about.
So he ran from it. When he discovered the existence of the system and learned about the world’s main storyline through Fu Yichen’s system, he realized that Tang Xiao was in another world. Without hesitation, he accelerated the world fusion. He wanted everything to be settled before Tang Xiao even became aware of it—he wanted to eliminate the possibility of that choice ever appearing again.
Hunting down the game system was partly because he wanted to prevent Tang Xiao from gaining access to that information.
But now, Tang Xiao knew.
He knew.
A single tear fell onto Tang Xiao’s face.
He blinked slightly, startled, and instinctively wiped away the tear, staring at Jun Tesi, who was shedding tears with a blank expression.
“…Are you going to abandon me again?”
Jun Tesi asked softly.
It felt like his heart was slowly sinking into an abyss.
In his mind, images of Tang Xiao—brilliant and dazzling on the screen—flashed by. He should have been happy. He loved seeing Tang Xiao like that. But deep down, he felt an unsettling fear. He feared that the moment Tang Xiao took up responsibility again, things would play out just like before.
And it seemed the more he feared it, the closer it came.
What should he do?
Jun Tesi’s vision blurred, black spots clouding his sight. He saw Tang Xiao open his mouth to say something, but the words sounded like noise—he couldn’t hear them.
He really was… about to go insane.
“Jun Tesi!” Tang Xiao raised his hand and smacked Jun Tesi’s face with a sharp slap. “Are you even listening to me?”
…What?
Tang Xiao sighed. “Don’t destroy the system. I still need its attribute allocation function. The upcoming research requires cross-disciplinary knowledge, and there’s not much time left. I don’t have the luxury of slowly learning everything from scratch—I can only use this method to quickly grasp the basics.”
Jun Tesi stared blankly at Tang Xiao, momentarily unable to process what he had just said.
Tang Xiao hooked his finger and wiped away the tears from Jun Tesi’s face. “Are you stupid? It’s not like I’m some reckless lunatic who doesn’t value his own life. Back then, I only did what I did because I thought that was the way for both of us to survive.”
It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to sacrifice himself for humanity—he just didn’t believe that would lead to a good ending, either for humans or for Jun Tesi.
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll accept this world fusion.” Tang Xiao’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Humanity and I—we have to struggle until the very last moment before we know the outcome, don’t we?”
According to Jun Tesi, the current world fusion would indeed cause several disastrous effects. But it hadn’t yet reached the point of complete destruction, and Jun Tesi had also said he could save as many people as possible. Tang Xiao chose to consider that the worst-case scenario—a fallback plan. Beyond that, he would fight for survival with everything he had.
Jun Tesi blinked blankly. “…Ah?”
“Sigh,” Tang Xiao sighed again. “Don’t you get it yet? This time, I won’t even consider the option you’re so afraid of.”
It was enough to know what Jun Tesi had been hiding. He just had to bring it to light and let Jun Tesi understand that the past wouldn’t repeat itself. He wouldn’t choose that ‘route’ again. And besides, he firmly believed that wasn’t the only option.
He wasn’t arrogant enough to think that he alone had to bear the weight of the entire world. Jun Tesi didn’t owe humanity anything, and he had no obligation to pay such a heavy price.
“It’s okay now.” Tang Xiao sat up and wrapped his arms around Jun Tesi, whispering in his ear. “The nightmare is over. Now, this is reality—And it’s the beginning of a future that will continue forward.”
This wasn’t a one-sided pursuit. Tang Xiao would work hard for it, too. Marriage, the future—he was serious about it all.
He had already chosen him.
Jun Tesi wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, trying his hardest not to embarrass himself by crying too much.
“...Alright.”
[Blackening Value: 0%]
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