The Creatures That We Are-Chapter 1204: Honor

Chen Ying’s heart lurched. It suddenly felt like she was treading on ice. She went up to Nine Frost and asked with a lightness she didn’t feel, “Why are you being so serious?”

Nine Frost was unusually calm. “I promised you that I would never hide my decisions from you, Chen Ying. I’m going to tell you everything. Listen to me until I’m finished.”

...

It took five minutes for Nine Frost to explain the second and third contingency plans. While invisible, Gao Yang remained on the side as a silent witness.

“No.” Chen Ying clenched her fists together with suppressed emotions, but her pale face betrayed her feelings. “I say no, Nine Frost.”

“Captain has given me the go-ahead,” Nine Frost said.

Chen Ying shuddered, her eyes brimming with stormy waves that raged ceaselessly yet uselessly. No matter how much it protested to the sky, the downpour and lightning weren’t going to stop for it.

After a silent beat, Chen Ying said in a low voice, “Is there...no other way?”

“There is no other way,” Nine Frost confirmed.

Tears streaked down from Chen Ying’s eyes. She wiped them away after a beat. “Alright. Have Dr. Jia prepare me a ring, too—”

“You can’t multitask like I do, and there’s no reason to make unnecessary sacrifices. Live. You’ll still be needed after the fight.”

Chen Ying didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say. Then after a moment, she smiled.

“Okay. Let’s do as you said.”

Chen Ying went up to hook her arm around his neck, pressing her lips to his. Nine Frost responded, kissing her gently and thoroughly, but she was in no place to enjoy it. Her one hand reached into the pocket of her shirt, where she kept Medicine C and Medicine D, but the syringe of Medicine D was gone when she reached for it.

She shuddered, her pupils blowing up. Nine Frost had injected her neck with Medicine D before she could do it.

She collapsed into his arms.

Nine Frost picked her up and placed her on the couch. Before her consciousness slipped, she stared up at Nine Frost with tears in her eyes. She wanted to say something, but her lips wouldn’t move.

Nine Frost wiped the tears from her face. “I promise you, Chen Ying. We’ll be together forever. But not now. The world’s beautiful. You should wander around, feeling the wind and the sunlight. Then find me once the world goes dark.”

Chen Ying tried her best to keep her eyes open, to brand the visage of Nine Frost into her soul, but her eyelids grew so heavy. She fell into an involuntary slumber.

Nine Frost bent down to press a kiss on her cool forehead. When he got up, Gao Yang had come out of Invisibility.

“Captain, have Dr. Jia erase my memories about this conversation and my consideration leading to the third contingency plan. I must be fooled before I can fool Greed.”

Gao Yang nodded, opening and closing his mouth without managing to utter a word. Sorrow fluctuated in his gaze like tides.

Nine Frost gave him an easy smile. “Do you remember what I said about you, Captain?”

Gao Yang stared at him.

“For cowards, even an undignified survival is greed, but for the brave, forging a path through heaven and earth is a calling.” Nine Frost reached out to Gao Yang. “It’s my honor to have walked the same path with you.”

“No.” A tear ran down the young leader’s face. He took Nine Frost’s hand. “It’s my honor.”

...

Strange Realm, Qingyang Bridge.

Game setting: Grove

“If you love me, I won’t be just one of your dates, but your only lover.” Zhang Wei paused. “For me, you’re the only woman in my heart.”

The blood coating his arm stretched into two crimson hands with long sharp fingers. They closed around Zhang Wei’s neck as if they would kill him after caressing him gently.

Zhou Jing looked at Zhang Wei with what could be disappointment or confusion. Her smile slid off, and the desire in her eyes cooled. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Strangely, Zhang Wei’s heartbeat remained steady and slowed instead of racing, as if it was showing a weak side out of instinctual fear.

Thump, thump, thump.

Thankfully, nothing terrible happened.

The blood hands pulled away from Zhang Wei’s neck, returning to the heart pendant on Zhou Jing’s chest. The Strange Realm managed to stop the situation from spiraling out of control.

Zhou Jing said with disappointment, “Zhang Wei, why must you tie me down? Can’t we just be happy together? We could’ve been free and liberated. Why should we restrict each other?”

Fear dissipated. Zhang Wei calmed down and recovered his confidence and courage enough to keep advancing. With an earnest expression, he took Zhou Jing’s hand in his. “I’m not restricting you, but wanting someone is different from loving someone.”

He committed to the role fully, his eyes simmering with love. “Zhou Jing, it isn’t love if you can only give me what you’ve given to others.”

Zhou Jing lowered her eyes. She seemed to waver for a moment before she shook her head. “No, love should make people happy. Anything that can bring pleasure is love.”

“That’s not the case.” Zhang Wei racked his brain for a response, piecing together the quotes he had read in his life with all the melodramatic flare he could muster. “Love isn’t just about pleasure and joy. Love can come with disappointment, heartbreak, jealousy, and even pain. All those come together to constitute love...”

“We may want many at the same time, Zhou Jing, but we can only love one person. With that love, you come to realize that the person is different, special, irreplaceable...”

“But—”

“Hush!” Zhang Wei put a finger to her lips to quiet her. He grabbed one of her hands and pressed it to his chest. “Say no more. Let’s feel it with our hearts.”

Zhou Jing hesitated, but then she closed her eyes and tried to feel love. Her expression changed minutely, brows furrowed and breathing unsteady. It was as if a blanket of nightmare had trapped a foot of hers. It didn’t terrify her, but it unnerved her.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and shoved Zhang Wei away. He fell off the boulder and landed on his bottom.

“You’re lying!” Zhou Jing shot to her feet and snarled. “You’re just trying to restrict me! Control me! Your talk about love is nothing but bullshit! There’s nothing like that in the world!”

“No, love is real!” Zhang Wei countered. “Love is more complicated and sophisticated than want. It’s like the difference between happy feelings and happiness. Happiness is much more—”

“SHUT UP!” That struck a nerve. Zhou Jing lost her calm to rage. “Who gives you the right to judge me? I don’t need love! I just need to be happy!”

She turned on her heels and stalked away.

Slumping, Zhang Wei watched Zhou Jing disappear at the edge of the scene. He groaned, lying flat on his back.

“The game’s too hard! I can’t do this anymore! Not anymore!”