Right on Target (TARGET)
After a brief silence on the other end, three "=w=" emoticons suddenly appeared in quick succession, followed by a message: "Lagging".
Su Heting found the cool guy quite amusing, so he mimicked the style and replied: "The internet at night really isn't great, huh? =w="
He even made sure to add a casual particle for effect.
Upon receiving the reply, the other side fell silent again, as if carefully scrutinizing the "huh."
Leaning back in his chair, Su Heting decided not to tease him further: "You want to swap eyes?"
Viper's eye was worth a fortune, and he couldn't think of any other reason Xie Zhenshu would want it.
Xie Zhenshu: "Not swapping."
Xie Zhenshu: "Keeping it as a memento."
Su Heting: "Here you go."
Su Heting: "But I'll have to give it to you in person. Wanna meet?"
The reply came instantly: "Yes."
The next moment, Xie Zhenshu sent: "I'll pick you up."
Su Heting replied with "No need."
As a tough guy who could twist off bottle caps bare-handed and brawl in the Colosseum, he didn’t need such considerate chauffeur service. Besides, the hallway was still swarming with patrolling officers keeping an eye on him. Just as he was thinking this, another message popped up.
Xie Zhenshu: "I'm passing by anyway."
Su Heting: "..."
Su Heting: "You know where I am?"
Xie Zhenshu: "."
Su Heting: "Wait for me at the bar."
He tossed his phone into his pocket, stood up, and stretched. Coincidentally, there was a knock at the door—the delivery of his bed had arrived. Su Heting beamed as he pulled the door open, warmly welcoming the bed inside.
The monk was jolted awake by his communicator while dozing in the duty room. As soon as he answered, the patrol team urgently reported: "The cat's gone!"
"What cat?" The monk, still groggy from sleep, paused for a moment before erupting in fury. "Who's gone?!" He scrambled to his feet, realizing they hadn’t had time to put a tracking lock on the cat this time. He immediately pulled out his backup old-school phone and called Su Heting, bellowing as soon as the line connected: "You brat, where are you going?!"
Su Heting held the phone away from his ear before deliberately riling up the old man: "You’re gonna meddle in my dates too? Go back to sleep, old man. Bye!"
Without waiting for the monk’s furious tirade, he decisively hung up and, just to be safe, blocked the monk’s number.
The monk was left fuming that smoke was practically coming out of his ears.
The bar Su Heting mentioned was the same one from last time. The Sichuan mahjong ad had left such an impression on him that he peeked inside before entering, wary of spotting the words "Fight to the Death" again.
The bar was sparsely populated tonight, with a few patrons huddled in corners smoking and playing cards. The bartender recognized Su Heting—after all, at this hour, he was probably the only spliced beast-human who could come and go freely. Wiping a glass, the bartender greeted him casually, as if they were old friends. Such composure was a bartender’s special skill.
"Yep," Su Heting closed the door behind him. "Meeting a friend."
"He’s over there," the bartender gestured toward the far end of the room. "Been waiting for a while."
Su Heting turned and saw Xie Zhenshu seated in the hazy, smoke-filled bar. This time, he was facing away from the entrance, still wearing an immaculate white shirt. His rolled-up sleeves revealed his wrist bones, but the watch from last time was missing. Beside him sat a glass of whiskey on the rocks, mostly finished.
"Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive after drinking. You’ve had alcohol—how are you getting home later?" Su Heting pulled out a chair and sat down.
Xie Zhenshu waited until Su Heting was seated before stubbing out the cigarette in his other hand. He wasn’t much of a smoker, but tonight his thoughts were too restless. At the question, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he replied in a low voice: "I’ll have to trouble you to drive me back then."
As if not wanting the cat to smell the smoke, he subtly pushed the ashtray aside without a word.
"My driving skills are terrible," Su Heting didn’t notice the ashtray. Instead, he leaned in slightly, studying Xie Zhenshu across the table. "You don’t take off your vaporizer even when you sleep?"
"Mm," Xie Zhenshu let him look, "It’s too ugly to sleep without it."
Su Heting hadn’t slept since logging off, and now, sitting in the warmth, he couldn’t help but yawn. His eyes were hazy, glistening slightly as he teased, "Let me see?"
The request was unreasonable, unlike the cat’s usual demeanor, but his lazy expression made it seem like an offhand remark.
Xie Zhenshu didn’t answer. His loosened collar still had the tie hanging beneath it. He lowered his gaze slightly, like a well-behaved young man being flirted with, silently conveying his refusal.
Su Heting’s conscience pricked him. He straightened up, pulling the modified eye from his pocket and placing it on the table. "Just kidding, don’t be upset. Coming out for a..." He almost slipped and said "date," but caught himself in time, correcting, "Coming out for drinks should be fun. Here’s the eye—take it."
Xie Zhenshu said, "I’ll transfer the money."
"No need," Su Heting propped his heavy head on his hand, occupying half the table as he gazed at Xie Zhenshu with a smile. "It’s a gift."
Xie Zhenshu’s curled knuckles accidentally knocked against the glass, producing a soft clink.
"You did great that night, remember? Viper called for backup," Su Heting mimicked the sound of descent with a "whoosh", tracing a line between them with his finger. "That steel-blade guy dropping from the sky—insanely fast. If you hadn’t shown up, who knows how it would’ve ended."
Xie Zhenshu picked up his glass. "You already thanked me."
"A bath is more of a personal hobby," Su Heting nudged the modified eye forward with his finger. "Take this, and we’re even—"
Xie Zhenshu suddenly said, "I don’t want it anymore."
"Huh?" Su Heting’s flood of words got stuck. He studied Xie Zhenshu’s expression, finding it serious and genuine, which only deepened his confusion. "Why? Didn’t you want it just now? We’re already here—free for the taking, and now you don’t want it?"
He hadn’t even cashed in on the favor yet—what a perfect opportunity.
Xie Zhenshu set the glass down, the ice clinking softly. The owner was greeting new customers, old-world tunes playing on the screen, and no one around paid them any attention. He stayed silent, as if throwing a tantrum over some word the cat had used.
Su Heting wasn’t angry. Tonight, his patience was endless. Still leaning on his hand, he glanced at Xie Zhenshu’s glass—empty except for ice. "Oh," he said, understanding dawning. "Drunk?"
Xie Zhenshu covered the rim of the glass, refusing to let Su Heting look. His eyes were perfectly clear, yet he didn’t deny it.
"This thing is to thank you," Su Heting picked up the modified eye, holding it between them. In a coaxing tone, he said, "Take it, buy me a drink, and we’ll be good friends—walking side by side forever."
The line was something he’d learned from the Hermit, who used it all the time. Even drunks loved hearing it.
Sure enough, though Xie Zhenshu didn’t smile, he seemed less displeased. His eyes followed Su Heting with emotions in them indecipherable—as if he’d believe anything Su Heting said, a stark contrast to his earlier aloofness.
Su Heting tapped the back of Xie Zhenshu’s hand with his fingertips, signaling him to take it.
Xie Zhenshu didn’t move.
Su Heting had no choice but to pry open his fingers and place the modified eye in his palm. Their contact was brief—Su Heting withdrew his hand as soon as the eye was delivered.
Xie Zhenshu’s handkerchief was right there in his pocket, but he didn’t want to use it. At this moment, Viper’s modified eye didn’t seem dirty at all. He looked at Su Heting, feeling as if his fingers had been scorched by the cat.
Su Heting wasn’t sure how much he had drunk. The bar reeked of smoke, making it impossible to tell. He waved a hand between them. “Xie Zhenshu?”
Xie Zhenshu replied, “Hm.”
Su Heting asked, “Where’d you park your car?”
“Don’t know.” Xie Zhenshu pocketed the modified eye, turned his head, and said to the bartender, “Another round.”
When the drink arrived, Xie Zhenshu handed it to Su Heting. “To eternity.”
Su Heting: “…”
He hadn’t touched alcohol since Doomsday, for a simple reason—liquor in the new world was expensive. With few resources left for brewing, the bottles displayed behind the bar were luxury items and priced exorbitantly. Ordinary survivors would rather drink plain water after work than splurge on alcohol. Nowadays, the only ones who still drank were the big shots, the Xingtian patrol squads, and the Hybrids. The former ran rampant, freeloading everywhere; the latter lived on borrowed time, drowning in intoxication.
Su Heting happened to fall into neither category. He took the glass, swirled the ice inside, then threw his head back and downed it in one go. After slamming the glass down, he met Xie Zhenshu’s challenge head-on. “To eternity!”
Back and forth they went, gradually losing themselves to the buzz. Xie Zhenshu remained unfazed, but Su Heting grew increasingly lightheaded.
After several rounds, his vision blurred, the world spun, and his consciousness felt like it had been tossed into a washing machine.
He said, “One more, just one more.”
Xie Zhenshu said, “No more.”
Su Heting pulled a handful of candies from his pocket and pushed them toward Xie Zhenshu, his tone brazen. “Go buy some. Don’t be shy.”
Xie Zhenshu picked one, unwrapped it, and held it out to Su Heting. Su Heting glanced at the candy, then at him, before leaning forward to take it with his mouth. Xie Zhenshu stayed perfectly still, only curling his fingers slightly and rubbing his knuckles after Su Heting slumped onto the table, refusing to move.
Su Heting pressed his cheek against the cool tabletop. “Let’s go home. It’s late. Time to go. Bye.”
Xie Zhenshu stood and grabbed Su Heting by the hood to keep the cat from wandering off. He turned to the bartender. “Check, please.”
Su Heting echoed, “Check, please.”
Xie Zhenshu glanced back at him. “Right away.”
Su Heting repeated, “Right away.”
The bartender came over to tally the bill, eyeing Su Heting’s furrowed brow as if he were gearing up for a fight. He whispered to Xie Zhenshu, “He’s really wasted.”
“Just a little,” Su Heting sighed. “Just a little… Is the food ready? I’m hungry.”
Xie Zhenshu reached out and lightly brushed Su Heting’s hair with two fingers, as if soothing him. Still settling the bill, he murmured, “It’s ready.”
The bartender asked, “Need a ride home?”
“No.” Xie Zhenshu looked at him, as if suddenly remembering something. “Tell Hermit I’ll be at the match on time.”
With that, he hauled Su Heting up, supporting him as they headed for the door. The bartender saw them out, holding it open for them.
The narrow alley was rough to walk through, full of potholes. After just two steps, Su Heting wanted to crouch down. His cat ears folded back, and one hand covering his mouth, his gaze icy as he muttered, "I feel like throwing up."
Xie Zhenshu waited for him to vomit.
After a long pause, Su Heting looked at Xie Zhenshu and said solemnly, "Can’t get it out. I’m floating."
It was just past midnight, and dawn was still two hours away. Everything was hazy. The alley was empty in both directions, while laughter spilled from the packed bar just beyond the wall—only their little corner was silent.
Their shadows pressed close together, faint and indistinct, like temporary partners who would only share intimacy in the dimness for a fleeting moment.
"You’re not floating," Xie Zhenshu tugged Su Heting back. "You’re standing steady."
Su Heting was bewildered, unable to make sense of it.
The sensation was unbearable—his consciousness felt like it was ascending to the heavens and everything was spinning around him, as if he’d plugged into a brain computer interface and was about to enter a match.
His brows furrowed tightly. "This is a big problem. Please contact…" He couldn’t remember who to contact at first, until his eyes landed on Xie Zhenshu’s tie, and it suddenly clicked. "Please contact my dad."
Xie Zhenshu froze. "Your dad?"
"Yeah," Su Heting grabbed Xie Zhenshu’s tie, his face lighting up. "Are you my dad?"
Xie Zhenshu: "..."
"I’m not. I’m your…" He trailed off, as if he couldn’t find the right word either.
"Then why do you always wear a tie?" Su Heting’s eyelids drooped as he looked from Xie Zhenshu’s chest to his face. "You working or something?"
Xie Zhenshu hesitated briefly. "...Yeah."
Su Heting’s gaze turned profound.
Xie Zhenshu thought he was about to vomit again and was ready to pat his back when Su Heting abruptly crouched down. The problem was, he was still gripping Xie Zhenshu’s tie. Luckily, Xie Zhenshu reacted quickly and crouched with him.
Su Heting squatted like a gangster, his mood souring again. He raised his hand, still covering his mouth. "Stand farther away."
Xie Zhenshu gave a light tug on the tie from his end, reminding him of his grip. "I’m right here."
The only thing connecting them was the tie, their distance never truly closing. Even though they had just been arm in arm moments ago, Xie Zhenshu remained ever the gentleman, always guarding a boundary, cautious and reserved. His aloof-yet-close demeanor was subtle, as if something would happen if they got any nearer.
Su Heting, lost in his daze, only tightened his grip on the tie. The face in front of him swayed dizzyingly, making his head spin even more. He wanted to vomit but couldn’t quite manage it, and was stuck in an excruciating limbo. Covering his mouth, he locked eyes with Xie Zhenshu.
"Let me take you home," Xie Zhenshu said while watching him. "Okay?"
Su Heting lowered his hand, pressing it against his knee. "Mmm—" His voice wavered, and suddenly he tilted sideways and threw up. Xie Zhenshu rubbed his back as he expelled the soybean rice he’d eaten earlier. When he was done, he screwed up his face in frustration. "So gross… my food. I’m so hungry. I… no, I wanna throw up."
His words were jumbled, devoid of any logic.
"Dad," Su Heting covered his eyes with one hand, his voice pitiful. "It’s so hard for me to get a decent meal."
Xie Zhenshu, who had absolutely no desire to be a dad, sighed and resignedly raised his hand, gently rubbing the back of the cat’s head.
His fingers were long and his touch was just right, easing some of Su Heting’s discomfort. Mimicking the way Su Heting had comforted him earlier in the bar, he coaxed in a tone meant for a child, "Come here…"
Su Heting was a stubborn cat, not easily swayed. Xie Zhenshu pulled him closer and said in a voice that was both low and soft, "Let's go home and get you fed."
Su Heting wiped his face and said sadly, "You're not my dad."
"Hmm..." Xie Zhenshu lowered his head, continuing to speak gently to him. "I'm not."
Su Heting crumpled the tie in his hand.
"I am..." Xie Zhenshu looked at the face so close to his, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, yet with a hint of helplessness. "I'm your bodyguard."
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