Faeus was breathing rapidly, as if trapped in some terrifying nightmare he couldn’t escape. The once assertive and domineering bug was now, for the first time, showing a trace of vulnerability. His lips were pale and cracked, and he muttered incoherently in a low voice:
“Cold… so cold…”
He felt like a corpse buried deep in the earth—unable to breathe, unable to draw even the slightest warmth. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, one after another, settling on his body in a thickening layer—deeper and deeper, heavier and heavier.
That familiar voice rang out again:
“Leader, erase the mark left by that male… Otherwise, the pain from your psychic energy will tear you apart…”
Pain? Why?
Male? Who?
Faeus felt like a wandering soul, drifting aimlessly through the snow. Towering trees loomed around him, their withered branches gnarled and bare, making the blood-red moon in the sky seem all the more cold and uncanny.
He saw fragments of broken images—himself and Xu Cenfeng, yet not quite.
The female zerg in the black military uniform was radiating hostility. Standing before Xu Cenfeng, he seemed to be holding back a surge of anger, forcing himself to soften his tone as he said, “Didn’t you always want to clear your head? I’ll take you for a walk through the Solitiam forest.”
Faeus looked at that female zerg who was practically “humbling himself” and wondered—had he ever worn that kind of expression in front of Xu Cenfeng? Probably not.
Xu Cenfeng had always been thoughtful and sensitive. Faeus could never truly get angry at him. The moment Xu Cenfeng kissed or hugged him, he’d deflate like a pricked balloon—utterly stripped of any authority or intimidation.
The “Xu Cenfeng” sitting on the sofa wore a calm expression. His features were refined and gentle, not at all like someone who would lose their temper. After a long, drawn-out silence, he finally uttered a word, quietly: “…Whatever.”
Those two words were like plain water—completely devoid of emotion. Even when wind brushes over the surface, water will ripple. But here, there wasn’t even a ripple.
Yet even such a simple, indifferent reply made “Faeus” relax visibly, as if it were some great relief. His tone softened, and he started asking a barrage of questions: “Is there anything you want to bring? I’ll have them prepare it.”
“No.”
“Any sights you want to see?”
“No.”
“You…”
Faeus watched the scene, his brow unconsciously furrowing. His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought—Xu Cenfeng wouldn’t dare speak to him like that, even if he had twice the courage. This had to be a dream.
But since the dream hadn’t ended, he could only keep watching.
He saw the version of “himself” in the dream bustling about, busy with preparations for the trip. Beneath that cold exterior, it wasn’t hard to detect a trace of anticipation. Especially since “Xu Cenfeng” seemed to have softened a little in attitude because of the upcoming journey—like the icy façade was beginning to thaw.
When they arrived at the forest that night, Faeus saw with his own eyes—the “himself” in the dream and “Xu Cenfeng” shared a marking inside the tent.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but tonight’s “Xu Cenfeng” seemed more proactive than before—unusually gentle. This left the “Faeus” in the dream somewhat caught off guard, as if flattered by unexpected tenderness. Gradually, he became dazed by the scent of the male’s pheromones, his sense of reality unraveling. The world in his mind turned over, leaving only Xu Cenfeng’s face growing clearer and clearer.
Watching from the side, Faeus initially just felt a vague unease—but the longer he watched, the heavier it became, an unspeakable weight settling in his chest.
Because he saw “Xu Cenfeng,” once “he” had fallen asleep, quietly dress and slip out of the tent without a sound, disappearing into the vast darkness of the forest, walking deeper and deeper into the heart of the woods…
“Xu Cenfeng” walked slowly, almost aimlessly. Though he had clearly trained in martial arts, he still staggered now and then when stepping on loose stones, as if there were invisible, heavy shackles around his ankles. Every step seemed like a sin; every step drained a bit more of his life.
He didn’t look back—not even once. He just kept whispering softly to himself, as if his soul had already left him:
“Go home…”
“I want to go home…”
It was as if “Xu Cenfeng” was afraid he would regret it, and in the end, he even started running desperately. The wind howled past his ears, the edges of his clothes fluttering. He was like a bird escaping from its cage, not knowing where to fly.
The long night blurred Xu Cenfeng’s path ahead, and it also obscured the dark figure quietly standing beside the tent in the distance.
“Faeus” woke up.
For some reason, he didn’t chase after him. Instead, he just draped a thin coat over his shoulders and stared silently at Xu Cenfeng’s retreating back for a long time. His body was turned slightly, but his fist was clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, tearing it open.
The night watch officer emerged from the nearby bushes, his expression filled with concern. “Leader, should we go after him?”
“No…”
The word, almost silent, carried a biting hatred.
“Faeus” struggled to lift his head, trying to appear less disheveled. Yet, his throat betrayed him, unable to stop the harsh breaths, and a sharp ache spread across his eyes. His fiery red hair, usually so bold and defiant, slowly fell across his face. He repeated, voice hoarse: “No!”
“A mere male…” he spat, “Not worth it!”
He was the leader of the North, the land covered in ice and snow was all his territory. Why should he be so consumed by a mere male?
Faeus had been watching coldly all this time, but when he heard those words, he couldn’t hold back any longer and cursed aloud, “Idiot!”
“Get him back here, now!”
Faeus no longer cared that this was just a dream. The moment he saw Xu Cenfeng running away, his anger flared up. His face darkened as he spat, “You’ll never know if it’s worth it unless you take him back! Who told you to act so pathetic?!”
His eerie green eyes were filled with rage, and his heart throbbed painfully, as though Xu Cenfeng had truly left him. No matter how much he yelled or how violently he moved, the scene in front of him felt like nothing but air—he couldn’t touch it, couldn’t reach it.
“Damn it! What kind of chaotic dream is this?!”
Faeus felt a wave of unease and anxiety. He walked swiftly through the forest, desperate to catch up with the Xu Cenfeng from before. But the path seemed to stretch on forever, growing longer and longer, as if it had no end. Finally, the sharp sound of a gunshot suddenly pierced the silence of the long night—
“Bang!”
The air stilled for a second.
A gust of wind swept through, and suddenly, the sky was filled with heavy snow, as if someone had hastened time, pulling all the seasons toward their end.
Faeus stopped in his tracks, startled. He looked up and saw countless strange beasts suddenly leaping out from the forest, charging toward him. Outside, his subordinates were frantically shooting, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t break through the beasts’ encircling grip.
When the creatures lunged at him, their throats carried the stench of blood, their hunger driving them into a frenzy, tearing into anything that could be called flesh and blood.
Faeus instinctively tried to resist, but for some reason, he felt drained of all strength. He only felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, so intense that he could no longer summon the strength to stand. In the end, he collapsed heavily into the snow.
That familiar voice rang out again, barely concealing the panic:
“Supreme Leader!”
“Supreme Leader!!”
Supreme Leader…
Inside the tent, Xu Cenfeng felt Faeus in his arms suddenly convulse violently, a pained whimper escaping his throat. He hurriedly looked down to check on him: “Faeus? Faeus?”
Perhaps it was Xu Cenfeng’s call that triggered something, but Faeus shuddered and finally woke up. He gasped for air, as if he had been suffocating for a long time and had finally found a breath of life. His eyes widened as he struggled to breathe in the fresh air, instinctively searching for Xu Cenfeng’s figure. His voice was filled with panic: “Xu Cenfeng?! Xu Cenfeng?! Where are you?!”
Xu Cenfeng pressed down on Faeus’ hands, which were wildly groping in the darkness, pulling him closer and holding him tightly. In a low, concerned voice, he asked, “I’m here. What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”
Hearing Xu Cenfeng’s familiar voice, Faeus gripped his wrist tightly, his palm slick with clammy sweat. “Xu Cenfeng… I… I had a dream…”
Faeus widened his eyes, straining to see Xu Cenfeng’s face in the darkness. “I dreamt that you left… I also dreamt that…”
What did he dream about?
Faeus’ palm slid uncontrollably down, pressing against his abdomen. His face looked pale, as though he wanted to say something, but his lips trembled for a long moment before he could get a word out.
If the lamp were on now, Faeus would certainly notice that Xu Cenfeng’s face was even paler than his.
Xu Cenfeng didn’t know what Faeus had dreamed, but those few fragmented words were enough to pierce him, leaving him with a thousand wounds. Even his breath came with a sharp pain.
“…It was all just a dream.”
Xu Cenfeng tightened his grip on Faeus’ cold hand, his lips gently pressing against Faeus’ cheek. A series of soft, numbing kisses fell, their mouths sealing together, their words swallowed in the embrace: “How could I ever leave you?”
Faeus desperately needed the reassurance of a kiss to calm the unease in his heart. He gripped Xu Cenfeng’s head tightly, pulling him into a forceful kiss, even tinged with a bit of fierceness.
Xu Cenfeng covered Faeus’ lips, blocking the broken sounds between them. “Shh, be careful they don’t hear…”
The tents were neither far nor close, and if they were overheard, it would be an embarrassing situation.
Faeus let out a muffled groan, thinking to himself, What’s so embarrassing about this? As if those females don’t sleep with their male lords. But still, he bit down on Xu Cenfeng’s smooth palm, using it to silence himself, his eyes burning with intensity as they tangled together, locked in the tent.
“Xu Cenfeng… mmm…”
Faeus wrapped his arms around Xu Cenfeng’s waist, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the tent’s ceiling, suddenly murmuring in a hoarse voice, as though he’d lost his mind: “How about we have a zerg cub?”
Xu Cenfeng paused, surprised, and looked down at him. Faeus, however, repeated himself: “Let’s have a zerg cub…”
He had always thought a zerg cub would be a troublesome thing, but for some reason, that thought was unusually strong at this moment, nearly overwhelming his sense of reason.
Faeus gasped, waiting for Xu Cenfeng’s response. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Xu Cenfeng snapped back to reality, smiling as he shook his head. He reached up to gently brush away the stray hair clinging to Faeus’ cheek, his voice firm yet reverent. “Faeus, it will happen.”
“We will have our own bloodline one day.”
Hearing this, Faeus finally felt satisfied. He buried his face in Xu Cenfeng’s neck, holding him tightly, and even in his exhaustion, he mumbled in his sleep, warning Xu Cenfeng: “Don’t leave.”
Xu Cenfeng patiently replied, “Alright, I won’t leave. I’m not going anywhere.”
He held Faeus tightly, waiting until he fell asleep, before quietly slipping out of the tent. He went to the nearby water barrel, fetching some hot water to clean Faeus’ body.
By dawn, the others had eaten and drunk their fill and returned to their tents to rest, long having forgotten the moon viewing. Only a blood-red moon hung at the treetops, standing out starkly against the pitch-black night.
Xu Cenfeng stood at the entrance of the tent, looking up for a moment. Then, as if recalling something, he silently left the camp and walked toward the nearby temple ruins.
The excavation team had already returned to the outpost to rest, leaving behind a giant pit, the size of a palace. It was dark and bottomless, and the wind seemed to carry eerie echoes, making it sound strangely ominous.
Xu Cenfeng knelt beside the pit, recalling the time he had fallen into it while trying to escape in his past life. He gauged its depth and realized even climbing ropes wouldn’t help. With a push of his hands, he effortlessly jumped into the pit.
“Swish—!”
The pit was deep, filled with countless architectural ruins, haphazardly forming a natural “staircase.” Xu Cenfeng landed on a broken stone, then activated the terminal on his wrist, using it to light the way as he stumbled downward, as if searching for something.
The materials used to build this temple were unique. Several large beams of wood had been dug out and piled to the side, still intact without signs of decay. Only the ancient, heavy gears silently spoke of the passage of time.
Xu Cenfeng searched for about half an hour before finally uncovering an old wooden box beneath a pile of broken bricks. He sat cross-legged on the ground, gently brushing away the dirt and filth on top, and the surrounding air seemed to quiet down.
He stared at the wooden box for a few seconds, as if mentally preparing himself. After a moment, he carefully traced his fingers along the side to find the hidden latch. With a slight push, he opened the lid—
“Click!”
The sound of the lid snapping open resonated sharply in the quiet night, its echo not only stirring up dust but seemingly pulling the weight of time from thousands of years ago.
A blood moon hung in the sky, casting a soft, warm glow that illuminated the objects inside the box, revealing a faint outline. Inside, a black, old mobile phone lay quietly, accompanied by a fragrant red rose. The petals were soft and fresh, as if the wooden box had frozen time itself, pausing it the moment the rose was picked.
Xu Cenfeng picked up the phone, wiping away the dust with his sleeve. He gently pressed the power button, and after a few seconds, the screen suddenly lit up, revealing a familiar interface.
This phone, which would be considered the latest model in modern times, had already become an outdated relic in the technologically advanced Zerg Race.
The phone’s screen emitted a faint glow, and the wallpaper displayed a handsome celebrity’s photo. His smile was gentle, with eyes curved into crescent shapes, instantly creating a sense of warmth and likability.
Since the phone’s passcode had been removed by its owner, Xu Cenfeng easily accessed the interface. On the homescreen, there were only a few neatly organized folders, devoid of any unnecessary apps. These folders contained several voice recordings, neatly arranged by time and date.
Xu Cenfeng casually tapped on one of the recordings, closed his eyes, and listened. A burst of background noise filled his ears before a young male voice began speaking, chattering away like a talkative person:
[I never thought this phone would still be found. It’s surprisingly sturdy; even when the temple collapsed, it wasn’t damaged…]
This was probably an accidental recording made while the man was fiddling with the device, as the message was abruptly cut off. The following recordings were much more formal, with some even including self-introductions.
[Cough, I know it’s weird to talk to a phone, but who knows, maybe one day future generations will find this phone. How cool would that be? Let me tell you all a bit of history.]
The man cleared his throat, and there was a hint of formality in his voice: [I’m Lin Kong, male, once worked in the entertainment industry in the modern world, and I was somewhat well-known within the field.]
He didn’t mention that he’d once scored 14 points on a math exam, which had led to the collapse of his “academic genius” persona.
[I’m quite handsome, the screensaver is my photo. If the technology allows, you should be able to restore it and see it. And by the way, if they write about me in textbooks in the future, make sure to make me look extra good.]
[So, that day, I went on a mountain trip, joined a pretty random tour group, and somehow ended up time traveling to a primeval forest. What was the name of that tour group again… Little Yellow Chicken, I think?]
Support me on ko-fi~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
Little yellow chicken hahahhahahaha