Rong Ci, I Can Go Home Now
When Su Jingyang thought back afterward, he felt like it had been the moment that young master reported his name that he had suddenly been possessed, as if some enormous pulling force had appeared out of nowhere. It didn’t allow him time to think or guard himself. He simply brought that man along with him to the restaurant where he had arranged to meet Rong Hua.
Only then did Su Jingyang learn that this young master was the man who had made a three-year pact with Rong Hua. With only a few days left in those three years, he had found Rong Hua.
Rong Hua had been drinking tea as he waited. When he turned around and saw the man who had come with them, he reacted as if he had seen a ghost. The tea in his mouth sprayed out in one burst.
Su Jingyang snapped back to his senses immediately. Hard slapping his forehead, feeling uneasy and afraid he’d done a good deed that turned into a bad one. Yet when that man rushed over with joy filling his eyes and wrapped Rong Hua in a tight embrace, Rong Hua didn’t shove him away. After his gaze stilled somewhat helplessly for a moment, Rong Hua even lifted a hand and patted his head.
Only then did Su Jingyang finally let out the breath he’d been holding. It seemed his instincts hadn’t led him wrong.
After that… Rong Hua truly honored the wager and left with that young master. Still, Su Jingyang knew that if Rong Hua didn’t want to go, then any wager was bullsh*t.
The wedding invitation arrived in Rongcheng more than half a year later. At the time, Rong Ci was in the courtyard, supervising the three children as they practiced holding a horse stance A basic martial arts stance used for building leg strength and stability. It’s physically brutal to hold for long. . Su Jingyang sat off to the side holding the youngest, Rong Chu, who was only nine months old, watching them. At first, Su Jingyang had wanted to join in and make a show of it. Later he tried for a bit, and the inside of his thighs cramped up. He was completely no match for his sons, who were only four or five. Rong Ci, for once, didn’t mock him, but Su Jingyang still felt profoundly embarrassed and ran to sit off to the side on his own.
With one arm holding Rong Chu, Su Jingyang took the wedding invitation Yun Qi handed in. His heart wasn’t too surprised, because Rong Hua had kept in contact with them these days, and there had already been faint signs. Su Jingyang was truly happy for him, and he also admired how Rong Hua could be brave and decisive enough to throw the past away.
Staring at the two names on the invitation, Su Jingyang couldn’t help curling his lips.
This… was probably Heaven’s will.
In his arms, Rong Chu blinked those clear, bright eyes. His gaze followed the red invitation in Su Jingyang’s hand. He puckered his pink little mouth, suddenly reached out to snatch the invitation, and stuffed it straight into his mouth. Su Jingyang hurriedly stopped him. “You little dummy! You can’t eat this.”
When the thing in Rong Chu’s hands was snatched away, bright drool dripped down and hung at the corner of his mouth. He leaned his chubby, milk-scented face toward Su Jingyang and called baba, and Su Jingyang kissed him.
Judging by the time, he was probably hungry. Su Jingyang handed the child, who had started chewing his own fingers, to the wet nurse to be fed, then stood and walked into the room.
The three children were holding their horse stances as if they were drowning in fire and water. Their heads were drenched in sweat, their bodies trembling, yet they kept holding on because Rong Ci hadn’t spoken. Seeing how obedient they were, Rong Ci turned back to look at Su Jingyang, but only caught his retreating back. Rong Ci raised his voice slightly and called his name. “Where are you going?”
Su Jingyang replied without turning his head. “Packing up to set out in a couple days. We’re going to the Bank of Yishui to pick up gold!”
With the whole family in tow, they traveled unhurriedly, stopping as they went. They also met up with Xu Mei and Mu Jin. It was just a pity that Ling Li’s mobility was inconvenient, so he couldn’t attend the wedding this time.
After traveling for more than a month, Su Jingyang also took the opportunity to harvest a wave of energy. The progress bar that had been at 46% climbed on its own to 49%.
The progress bar was getting higher, but Su Jingyang didn’t look especially excited. Instead, there was a faint, tangled melancholy between his brows.
Even the children ran over to ask whether he was unhappy about something. Rong Ci naturally sensed his oddness. After they lay down that night, Rong Ci opened his arms and held him, kissing his forehead. “Today there was someone who needed help. It even sounded simple. Why didn’t you help?”
Su Jingyang said, “Nothing. I just feel tired and want to rest.”
“Is there a problem?”
“There’s no problem.” Su Jingyang thought of something and didn’t continue. He propped himself up slightly and kissed Rong Ci on the lips. “I’m sleeping.”
After Su Jingyang closed his eyes, Rong Ci held him, lowering his gaze to watch him for a while. Thought churned darkly in his eyes.
The Ning family’s eldest young master getting married was a major, attention-grabbing event in Bank of Yishui. The moment Su Jingyang and the others entered the city, they heard people everywhere in the streets talking about it. They even saw Ning family servants handing out wedding pastries Traditional celebratory pastries distributed to announce and share the joy of a wedding or other auspicious event. In ancient China, giving out xǐbǐng (means joy pastries) symbolized abundance, good fortune, and communal blessing, serving as both a wedding announcement and an invitation to share in the couple’s happiness. in various places.
Su Jingyang’s eyes were sharp. In the packed crowd, he spotted Ming Jiasheng. Still, there were too many people. In a blink, Ming Jiasheng disappeared from his sight. Su Jingyang couldn’t help feeling worried, afraid that this guy had come to cause trouble.
He kept it on his mind that even before the auspicious hour for the wedding, Su Jingyang was still tensely telling Rong Ci to keep an eye out for anything abnormal. Rong Ci lifted his gaze and swept the hall. The guests were noisy and lively, and he didn’t see Ming Jiasheng. Only then did Su Jingyang feel a little more at ease.
The custom here in Yishui Cheng was that the ceremony happened at night. They sat around the table for a while. The sky gradually darkened, and the spacious courtyard was hung with red lanterns. The red firelight mixed with the bright moonlight, illuminating every face with a jubilant radiance.
Rong Fei was probably bored from waiting. He clung to Su Jingyang, acting spoiled. One moment he wanted a story, the next he wanted to be tickled, then he wanted Su Jingyang to kiss his cheeks, then he wanted snacks, and he insisted Su Jingyang feed him.
Meanwhile, Rong Xi and Rong Yun, along with Mu Yun, sat properly with their butts glued to the benches, and even Rong Chu, who was in Xu Mei’s arms, was obedient as could be. Only Rong Fei was restless, like he had fleas all over him.
Su Jingyang stuffed another bite of pastry into his little mouth, utterly baffled. Rong Fei was usually clingy too, but he had never been like this, acting as if he had been wronged all day.
Rong Fei swallowed the pastry, then wrapped both arms around Su Jingyang’s neck and pressed his face into Su Jingyang’s chest. In a soft, childish voice, he said, “Diedie, when I napped, I dreamed you suddenly left. No matter how I shouted or cried, you wouldn’t come back. Ah Fei felt so hurt inside. I don’t want Diedie to leave.” Rong Fei lifted his little face again, those clear, bright eyes staring at Su Jingyang. “You definitely won’t leave, right?”
Su Jingyang froze. He also felt the weight of Rong Ci’s gaze on his face. Only after a moment did he lift a finger and wipe the pastry crumbs from Rong Fei’s mouth. “You know it was a dream and you’re still asking?”
Rong Fei said, “But the Dream Master said dreams can come true too. I’m afraid… Diedie, you…”
Rong Fei didn’t finish, because the auspicious hour arrived. The newlyweds were about to perform the ceremony.
Rong Fei slid down from Su Jingyang’s lap and returned to his own seat. Only then did Su Jingyang’s gaze tighten slightly as he slowly turned to look at Rong Ci. Yet he found that Rong Ci had already moved his eyes away and was looking toward the ceremonial hall.
Su Jingyang temporarily pulled his mind back as well and looked over. In the resounding wedding music, Rong Hua and Ning Que came out in matching red wedding robes. One was dazzlingly bright, the other outstandingly handsome. The warmth in their eyes whenever they glanced at each other made them look like a pair forged by Heaven itself.
When the newlyweds bowed to Heaven and Earth, Su Jingyang was so excited he couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot. When they bowed to the elders, Su Jingyang’s peripheral vision flicked, and his smile froze. He jerked his head to the side, not believing his eyes.
Ming Jiasheng was actually at the table right next to theirs. Damn it. When did he get here?!
Among all the guests, Ming Jiasheng was the only one who stood up. His fists were clenched tight, and his eyes were locked on Rong Hua’s direction. The grief on his face looked like he was about to cry.
Su Jingyang couldn’t sympathize with him anymore. He was terrified Ming Jiasheng would pull something at the last moment and ruin Rong Hua’s happiness. When he saw Ming Jiasheng’s body shift forward ever so slightly, Su Jingyang was about to explode into action, but Rong Ci pressed down on his hand. Rong Ci lowered his voice. “Don’t get worked up. He’s been here for a while. He won’t do anything.”
“Husband and wife, bow to each other!”
“Ceremony complete!”
“Send them into the bridal chamber!”
Cheers and applause erupted among the guests. Ming Jiasheng’s body, which had been leaning forward a touch, visibly stiffened there. He stared at the dazzling, moving smile on Rong Hua’s face as he looked at Ning Que. His face went deathly pale, and his body swayed as if he might collapse in the next second.
Once the banquet began, Ming Jiasheng suddenly turned and left. It was as if staying even a moment longer was torture. His steps seemed unsteady, yet he still hurried away. His back looked frantic and desolate. In no time, he vanished through the doorway.
Only after Su Jingyang saw him leave did he finally relax and turn back. The table was soon piled with delicacies, their fragrance spilling into the air. Su Jingyang lifted his chopsticks, ready to eat.
However, the instant the chopsticks settled in his hand, something in his mind exploded without warning, surging like a hurricane and a seaquake all at once. The impact caught him completely off guard, and every nerve in his body throbbed with pain.
Su Jingyang let out a muffled groan. His trembling hand jerked, and the chopsticks fell back onto the table with a clatter. His face turned frighteningly pale in an instant.
Rong Ci’s expression changed. He laid a hand on Su Jingyang’s shoulder and asked urgently, “What’s wrong? Where do you feel unwell?”
All three children hurriedly crowded in, calling diedie, diedie, while Xu Mei and Mu Jin looked over with concern. “Jingyang, what’s wrong?”
Su Jingyang lifted his eyes to look at them. His throat, tight with pain, finally managed to squeeze out sound. He shook his head. “I’m fine…” Then he told the three children, “You all go sit back down.”
Rong Xi touched his cheek, his little brows furrowing. “Diedie, your complexion doesn’t look good.”
Su Jingyang’s lips moved, but he realized a lump of air was stuck in his throat, blocking him so he couldn’t speak. Rong Ci signaled with his eyes. Though still worried, the three children slowly shuffled back to their seats.
Su Jingyang braced his head with his hand and closed his eyes. The shock inside him still hadn’t lessened in the slightest, because at this very moment, his progress bar was skyrocketing.
It wasn’t rising by fractions like before. It was surging upward by whole percentage points, one after another, and crazily climbing. It had already soared to 80%, and the speed was so fierce his body could barely endure it.
Su Jingyang waited silently for the surge to pass. He watched the progress bar climb from 80 to 100, to 110, to 120… until it finally stopped at 139.
It had increased by a full 90%.
Fine sweat beaded on Su Jingyang’s forehead. Breathing unevenly, his eyes unfocused, he looked toward Rong Hua and Ning Que as they came over to offer a toast.
So that was it… So that was it. These two people were the protagonists he had been desperately seeking all along.
He searched and searched for so long, yet the true protagonists had been right beside him the whole time.
Ning Que and Rong Hua specifically came to toast Su Jingyang alone. Su Jingyang forced himself upright and stood with his cup raised. His head was still spinning. Rong Ci’s arm wrapped around his waist, putting a little strength into supporting him.
Su Jingyang managed to pull up the corners of his lips and smiled at them. “Congratulations to you both.”
Ning Que smiled. “Koi Hero, thanks to your great help back then, I’ll never forget your kindness for the rest of my life! Come, a toast for you.”
Yes. It had to be that helping hand from back then. It was the push that moved the protagonists’ plot forward. They reached fulfillment, and his energy collection reached completion.
Su Jingyang glanced at Rong Hua as well, whose brows and eyes held a faint smile. He tipped his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one go.
During the banquet, that was the only cup Su Jingyang drank, but once he returned to the room, he was like someone too drunk to even get up. He lay on the bed without moving, while Rong Ci sat beside him, watching him in silence.
Only when fireworks sounded outside did Su Jingyang struggle up and drag Rong Ci to the window to watch.
They had returned early, but outside was still in full swing. The children were still running wild, and even Rong Chu was so excited he refused to come back. He loved crowded places.
Compared with the noise outside, the room where the two of them stayed was like a boundary line, so quiet it felt cut off from the world. Su Jingyang tilted his head and leaned against Rong Ci’s shoulder, his dark, pretty eyes staring blankly at the brilliant fireworks filling the sky.
Back then, #1 had said that if he really couldn’t find the protagonists, then quickly doing tasks to collect 50% energy was also fine. All the people scattered into other worlds were uniting together. As long as they could rapidly consume #2’s negative energy and suppress it even a little, then even if it was only for an instant, #1 could seize that chance to self-destruct. At that point, they could all go back.
Everyone else was working hard, so Su Jingyang naturally couldn’t drag his feet.
When he had decided to start doing good deeds everywhere to collect energy, he had confessed to Rong Ci. He said that only by doing good deeds could he drive away the “evil spirit” that kept clinging to him. Rong Ci had answered without hesitation that he would help. Su Jingyang also said that once the “evil spirit” was driven away, he would go home. Rong Ci had paused briefly but still answered with firm certainty that he would do everything he could to help Su Jingyang get rid of that thing as soon as possible.
Later, he really did it. Of that 49% energy Su Jingyang had collected earlier, nearly half had come from Rong Ci’s efforts.
Now, not only had Su Jingyang found the protagonists, but he had even exceeded the requirement. He could absolutely go home.
Su Jingyang turned his head and realized Rong Ci had been watching him the whole time. Their eyes met. Su Jingyang’s lips moved, his voice rough with difficulty. “Rong Ci… before long, I can go home.”
Rong Ci’s breathing sank slightly. He stared at Su Jingyang without blinking. After a long time, he finally spoke. “Oh. I understand.”
It was a very calm, very indifferent tone.
Su Jingyang’s heart clenched. Then an overwhelming wave of hurt crashed over him. He gritted his teeth in secret. Just “oh, I know”… He was really that carefree, not even trying to keep him, bastard!
Rong Ci suddenly moved his gaze away, looking out the window. “About how long?”
Su Jingyang’s eyes turned red with misery. In truth, he still needed to ask #1. Since it planned to gather everyone’s energy to fight #2 and then self-destruct, it probably wouldn’t send him away first. They also had to see how the other worlds were doing. It would take at least one or two years. Still, Su Jingyang deliberately said a shorter time. “One or two months.”
After a long moment, Rong Ci didn’t look at him. He only hummed and nodded. “That’s good. It will give the children a process to accept it.”
Su Jingyang pressed his lips tightly together, heart too stuffed to speak.
Rong Ci seemed to misunderstand what he meant and continued in a steady voice. “Don’t worry. I said that if you wanted to leave, I wouldn’t force you or cling to you, and I definitely wouldn’t pressure you. I’ll do what I said. As long as you’re willing to accompany us back to Rongcheng and stay for a while, don’t leave too suddenly. Afterward… when you’re gone, I’ll take good care of our children.”
That breezy, gentle, peaceful attitude finally snapped Su Jingyang’s control. He straightened his body, turned away without looking at him, walked back to the bed, and lay down. He yanked the quilt over himself and shut his eyes. The corners of his eyes were damp, and his breathing was heavy.
All these years of staying with Rong Ci, Su Jingyang had constantly thought about whether insisting on going home, single-mindedly, even meant anything. His answer was yes. Of course it meant something, because that was the world where he belonged.
However… that world didn’t have Rong Ci. It didn’t have his children. If he went back, could he really be happy?
When their existence had become so familiar and habitual it had sunk into his bones, Su Jingyang truly couldn’t imagine days without them anymore. About this choice that would affect his entire life, he had fought with himself almost every night in those earlier years. He couldn’t even remember when the belief that he had to go home, no matter what, began to waver.
Maybe it had wavered for a long time already. It was just that at some point, he finally realized it in shock… He had even started planning to stay behind, with no worries, after he took care of that damn system.
Some time ago, when the progress bar reached 49%, Su Jingyang stopped fulfilling wishes for people. He knew that even if he completed more, he still wouldn’t leave so quickly. Yet he was afraid of an accident. After all, he hadn’t told #1 about what he wanted. The him who used to want to go home so badly he was practically possessed had, at that point, become afraid of suddenly going back.
In truth, Su Jingyang had made his decision early. Now it was just this final step at the threshold. He needed someone to pull him once. Even if Rong Ci had once sworn a vicious oath about not forcing him or else the whole city would be destroyed, as long as he simply said one sentence, “Stay for us,” Su Jingyang would definitely grit his teeth, stomp his foot, and completely abandon the idea of going home, following the current and staying. That would be his own choice, without coercion or pressure, so that oath wouldn’t be triggered. How could this man be so incapable of flexibility?
And he was reacting so coldly, so indifferent, so effortlessly free, leaving the formerly stubborn, self-assured Su Jingyang with not even a step down.
Damn it, damn it, damn it. Su Jingyang was so angry he felt like he might combust. After a while, he sensed Rong Ci come closer. A hand touched the quilt. Su Jingyang instantly exploded. “What?!”
Outside the quilt, Rong Ci asked softly, “Jingyang, do you… not want to leave anymore?”
Su Jingyang was still furious. “I do. I can’t wait to leave right now! I’m going home!”
Rong Ci fell silent after that and didn’t speak again.
After they returned to Rongcheng, more than a month passed, and Su Jingyang still felt unsettled in his heart. Rong Ci continued going out every day. Other than occasionally staring at Su Jingyang absentmindedly, he had no particular reaction. Su Jingyang spent his days at home taking care of the children, and he didn’t talk to Rong Ci much either.
Until one night, when Su Jingyang suddenly woke up and realized Rong Ci wasn’t asleep. Rong Ci sat there cross-legged, propping his cheek up, staring into space. He didn’t have much expression, yet his eyes were red, and there seemed to be tear tracks on his cheeks…
Su Jingyang was shocked. His heart hurt, and he instinctively started to sit up. Rong Ci noticed he was awake and glanced at him, as if nothing was wrong. He lay back down and pulled Su Jingyang into his arms.
Su Jingyang blamed himself in secret. Rong Ci had always been someone whose mouth never matched his heart, and Su Jingyang had always known it. His words were breezy, but in his heart, he definitely couldn’t bear it. So why had Su Jingyang still thrown a tantrum with him? Why was he afraid of losing face and couldn’t just say it directly?
If Su Jingyang could stay, how could Rong Ci not be happy?
“Rong Ci, I…”
“Sleep.” Su Jingyang had barely started when Rong Ci cut him off. Rong Ci kissed his lips, then lifted a hand and patted his head. Those eyes, damp with moisture, quietly watched him. With a sigh so faint it was almost impossible to catch, Rong Ci said, “If there’s something, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Su Jingyang wanted to speak, but his mouth suddenly felt too tired to move. His mind buzzed. Vaguely, he seemed to hear #1 speaking too, but he couldn’t catch the words. He blinked twice, then soon closed his eyes and fell asleep in Rong Ci’s arms.
This sleep was extremely restless. It felt like a hand was dragging him down hard, about to drop him into an endless abyss. It made his heart pound with panic and fear.
After that long, long sleep, Su Jingyang was finally woken by a chorus of overlapping voices in his ears. “Could it be low blood sugar,” “call,” “call an ambulance,” “sick”… The moment Su Jingyang heard those words, his heart clenched with a heavy thud, like a foot stepping into empty air. His eyelids hadn’t even fully opened when he jolted upright, panting, looking around in panic.
What was going on?!
“Hey, Xiao Su woke up!”
“You’re awake. Are you okay, Little Su?”
“How did you pass out in the break room?”
“Did you skip breakfast and get low blood sugar? I’ve got chocolate here, want some?”
“You look so pale. You should really go to the hospital and get checked.”
Su Jingyang stared at the ring of people around him. His breath caught. He slowly, disbelievingly widened his eyes.
These familiar yet unfamiliar faces… they were all his coworkers from the company.
Right now, he was lying on the break room sofa at his workplace.
Su Jingyang felt a chill slice through him. His whole body plunged into icy dread.
He had… come back like this?!
Author’s Note:
I’m going to write the final chapter now. I’ll finish updating today, wait for me! * Erkang hand A meme gesture from the classic drama My Fair Princess, where the character Erkang dramatically reaches out as if pleading, often used online as “wait for me / don’t go.” …*
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