Vol. 1 - Ch. 22 - Chu Muyun

"Is it this late already..." Chu Muyun sighed heavily, sitting on the doorstep and glancing at his pocket watch.

"Why isn't my brother back yet?" Chen Yan, resting his chin on his hand, joined Chu Muyun in staring at the street outside, longing evident in his eyes.

As the dim sunset sank below the horizon, the blue aurora in the sky became clearer. The two sat side by side, the cold wind seeping through the cracks in the wooden boards, causing the kerosene lamp on the table to sway.

Finally, at the end of the street where the aurora surged, a figure gradually emerged.

"He's back!" Chen Yan exclaimed, sitting up and waving to the distant figure, "Brother!!"

Chen Ling dragged his weary body step by step towards home. Spotting the two figures at the door, he squinted, then waved back to Chen Yan before continuing.

Chu Muyun was momentarily stunned, then stood up politely, supporting his knees with his hands and smiling as he waved.

"You are..."

"You must be Mr. Chen Ling, right?" Chu Muyun pushed up the silver wire glasses on his nose. "I'm Chu Muyun, the 'Doctor' from Aurora City."

"Oh... Hello." Chen Ling greeted, shaking hands with him, "Have you been waiting for me for a long time?"

"Not too long."

"It's been a while," Chen Yan interjected. "You left this morning, and he arrived shortly after, then sat in the living room until now..."

"He came this morning? Didn't you offer him water?"

"I did... But he didn't drink it himself."

Chen Ling's gaze shifted away from Chen Yan, feeling somewhat apologetic as he addressed Chu Muyun. "Dr. Chu, I'm sorry to have made you come all this way and wait for me for so long... Actually, I'm already cured. How about I treat you to dinner tonight and send you back tomorrow?"

At first, Chen Ling had been scared by the audience, so he sought help from a doctor. But now, he didn't think of it as an illness, nor did he believe anyone could cure him... Could a "World Destruction" level calamity be resolved by just any doctor? Not to mention the mysterious theater that could suppress a catastrophe like that of the "World Destruction."

Chu Muyun was taken aback, observing Chen Ling for a moment before speaking cautiously, "Well... Mr. Chen, often the body may not realize it's unwell. Although you may feel better now, reality could be different. Perhaps you could benefit from a more detailed examination."

"No, I don't need it."

Chen Ling's refusal was resolute this time. After all, he doesn't even have a heart now... Allowing Chu Muyun to examine him? Wouldn't that be equivalent to exposing his true identity?!

Chu Muyun paused, considering the situation.

"Dr. Chu, I'm really grateful that you came all the way from Aurora City... But I really don't need any examination or treatment right now," Chen Ling added earnestly, realising his earlier demeanour might have been off.

"Well..." Chu Muyun sighed, "But now, I might not be able to leave."

"Why?"

"The Third Zone is completely sealed off. No one is allowed in or out. Didn't you know?"

"...How did you manage to get in then?"

"I have a friend in the enforcers. I asked him to help me get in," Chu Muyun shrugged helplessly. "But you see, getting in is simple... But leaving, that's a whole different challenge."

The enforcers sealed off the Third Zone to prevent calamities from escaping. After all, some calamities were small enough to hide in human backpacks or even merge with humans. The difficulty of entering and leaving varied greatly. Chen Ling, having just joined the enforcers' reserve, understood this very well.

"This..." Chen Ling felt a bit awkward.

Chu Muyun had come all the way from Aurora City specifically to treat him, and he hadn't even asked for any payment. Calling it charity wouldn't be an exaggeration. Now that he was here and couldn't return home, Chen Ling couldn't just turn him away and let him wander on the streets, could he?

"Brother, I don't think he's a bad person," Chen Yan chimed in at the right time. "Today, when that enforcer Han Meng came and was very fierce, he helped me drive him away."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling's eyes lit up slightly.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Go ahead," Chu Muyun nodded.

"When Han Meng came today, how did you manage to send him away?"

"Oh, I just told him there was no one at home, and it's impolite to enter someone's residence without the owner's permission."

"But he's an enforcer, and enforcers have the right to search homes." Chen Ling didn't believe that stubborn guy would leave so easily.

"I spoke, and he listened," Chu Muyun replied lightly. "A few years ago, I saved his life... Twice."

"...I see."

Chen Ling nodded. "Before the Third Zone is unsealed, you can stay here for now. But I have a condition."

"What condition?"

"You're not allowed to conduct any form of examination on me without my permission... Or on my brother either."

"Alright." Chu Muyun readily agreed, pushing up his silver wire glasses.

Upon Chen Ling’s return home, he found that the original holes had been patched up with wooden boards. Although there were still some leaks occasionally, it was much better than being fully exposed like the night before.

Looking back, Chen Yan had his hands behind his back, slightly lowering his head, seemingly waiting for his praise.

"Thanks to you," Chen Ling patted his head. "Otherwise, we would have had to sleep under the open sky again tonight."

"In fact, there are still some gaps that haven't been filled... I'll go get some clay from the back mountain tomorrow and seal them up," Chen Yan admitted somewhat embarrassedly.

Chu Muyun entered, witnessing this scene and smiled, "You two have a really good relationship."

"Of course," Chen Yan pouted.

"You even look quite alike."

"Really?" Chen Ling glanced at Chen Yan. "It's not too much, after all, we're not biological brothers... But living together for a long time, we do start to resemble each other."

"I think the two of you look quite alike," Chu Muyun replied seriously.

"By the way, that's your room over there. The conditions are a bit basic, but I hope you don't mind," Chen Ling said to Chu Muyun, gesturing towards the room that originally belonged to Chen Tan and his wife.

"No problem, I'm not picky."

Chen Yan watched the scene in the living room, his eyes revealing a hint of complexity.

Next, Chen Ling personally went to the kitchen and started preparing dinner for the three of them... After a day of laborious work, he was also famished. Fortunately, he had honed his cooking skills when he was a salaryman in his previous life, so he could still feed himself in this otherworldly realm.

Half an hour later, the hot dishes were ready, and the aroma made Chen Yan and Chu Muyun, who were sitting at the table, salivate.

"Mr. Chen's cooking skills are really impressive," Chu Muyun remarked after tasting a slice of potato. "Much better than most restaurants in Aurora City."

"Just call me Chen Ling."

Chen Ling assessed Chu Muyun while eating. From his attire and demeanor, Chu Muyun appeared to be a typical intellectual. Whether speaking or eating, he had an elegant and refined manner, giving off a comfortable feeling like a gentle breeze.

Chen Ling had never encountered people with such a temperament in the Third or Second Zone... Indeed, people from Aurora City were different.

Suddenly, Chen Ling remembered something.

"Dr. Chu."

"Yes?"

"How much do you know about the communication with the Divine Path?"

This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.

Notes

T/N Editor(Potaeto): this doctor chen muyun sounds hot >//<

Tl(Glorious): Wait what @o@

Vol. 1 - Ch. 22 - Chu Muyun

Comments

Comments