Chapter 152
After a moment, Allen asked Su Bin again, “If no one comes and we can’t leave, and I end up spending my last moments with you here, would you be afraid?”
Su Bin froze. If that were really the case, it didn’t seem particularly scary.
Even though life would end here, at least Allen would be with him. If he were with Allen, his fear of “separation” wouldn’t exist.
But what he was truly afraid of was Allen dying even a day, half a day, or a few hours before him! That would mean spending his final moments with a corpse. Oh god… that was terrifying! QAQ
Allen seemed to guess what Su Bin was thinking. Looking at him, he said seriously, “I’ll hold you. I’ll watch you close your eyes and wait for your breathing to stop. Then, I’ll go.”
“…” Thinking about it like that, it almost seemed… romantic.
“Wouldn’t you be afraid?” Su Bin asked curiously. “When I’m dead, my body will grow cold, I won’t talk, and I won’t respond… wouldn’t you be scared?”
Allen smiled. “What’s there to be scared of? Afraid you’ll jump up and eat me?”
Su Bin: “…”
Allen continued, “Remember how close you were to your grandfather? Were you scared when he passed away?”
Su Bin’s heart skipped a beat, and he answered softly, “Yes.”
When his grandfather passed away, Su Bin didn’t even dare enter the mourning hall.
If this had happened to another child, they might have clung to the body, crying bitterly.
But young Su Bin, after just a glance at the coffin, was so frightened he lost his soul. For days he wandered like a zombie, plagued by nightmares where he saw his grandfather’s spirit following him around.
It was a neighbor who noticed something was wrong and took him to Lingyin Temple to listen to the monks chant scriptures. Su Bin cried silently at first and then broke into loud sobs, finally finding some release.
Later, a Taoist priest said he had a physique that attracted spirits and gave him a talisman in a yellow pouch, which he wore for years. The priest also claimed his grandfather was protecting him from the afterlife. Only after hearing these assurances did Su Bin feel at ease.
Whether the priest’s words were true or not couldn’t be scientifically verified, but these experiences affected Su Bin’s mind, leaving him subconsciously fearful of all things supernatural. This fear was also why, when he first went abroad, he suspected Allen might be a vampire.
After hearing Su Bin’s story, Allen was both amused and exasperated. “I wouldn’t be afraid of you. Even if you died, rotted, or turned to ashes, you’d still be a part of me.”
Su Bin’s imagination ran wild, conjuring an image of his body decomposing. He shuddered violently.
But barring natural disasters, who could ensure they’d go together?
Although Allen seemed healthy now, statistically speaking, he probably wouldn’t live very long.
Su Bin could already foresee himself hugging Allen’s urn years later, crying like a fool…
Allen would remain in this world as his most handsome self, while Su Bin would age into a decrepit old man. When fellow old man Sun Yujie visited, they’d drink English tea together and reminisce about their strange youth…
“Ah…” Su Bin yelped when Allen flicked his forehead, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glared at Allen in frustration. “What was that for?”
Allen fixed him with a stare. “What were you thinking about?”
Su Bin stammered out his fanciful thoughts, knowing Allen would be angry but unable to help it. Hiding it would only make things worse—Allen would probably be pleased only if Su Bin swore to remain single forever.
So Su Bin added weakly, “I’d hang your most handsome photo at home and pay my respects every day.”
Allen’s expression grew strange. After a long pause, he said in an ominous tone, “Don’t ever think about such things again.”
Su Bin was speechless… Damn it! Not only was his behavior being controlled, but now even his thoughts?! QAQ
Allen said, “I won’t die before you.”
Su Bin grimaced. Big brother, I know surviving as long as you have is impressive, but hemophilia will inevitably shorten your life. If sheer willpower worked every time, Emperor Kangxi would probably still be alive and kicking today!
Allen fell silent after those words, brooding on the couch. Su Bin had to coax him for a long time, repeatedly expressing his belief in Allen’s ability to find a cure, before Allen finally huffed and let it go.
… Ah, dealing with this big feline personality required some finesse!
The next afternoon, just after lunch, they heard a “putt-putt” sound outside, like a bulldozer.
Su Bin perked up—was Robert here to pick them up?
Excited, he urged Allen to open the door. Sure enough, he saw a familiar black Bentley following a snowplow, which had been making the noise.
A few people got off the plow and began manually shoveling snow in the yard. Taking the opportunity, Su Bin and Allen packed their luggage.
As Su Bin glanced at the house they’d lived in for half a month, he asked Allen, “Will we come back here in the future?”
Allen: “Why? Reluctant to leave?”
“Kind of…” Su Bin scratched his head. Though it had been boring at first, and a bit scary being snowed in, he’d grown to like the carefree days there. The stone house seemed to have a magical way of calming and purifying his soul, leaving him serene and peaceful.
Allen teased, “How about I leave you here alone?”
Su Bin was so startled he grabbed Allen’s hand. “No way…!”
Allen chuckled, “What if we stayed together?”
Su Bin hesitated briefly, then nodded, figuring Allen wanted to hear something sweet. “As long as I’m with you, anywhere is fine.”
Allen smirked, clearly pleased, and led Su Bin outside, teasing him as they walked. “But only if you behave. If not, I’ll leave you here alone for ten days or so.”
Su Bin: “…” QAQ
At the entrance, a path had already been cleared. Robert stood there, bowing respectfully. “Duke, my apologies for the delay. The snowstorm set us back by a day.”
Allen waved it off and pulled Su Bin into the car.
The half-month “wilderness survival” game had ended successfully. Returning to M City, Su Bin felt a bit disoriented.
As soon as he charged his phone, he called Qin Chao to ask about the restaurant. Qin Chao was frantic on the other end.
“Why couldn’t I reach you this whole time?!”
“Uh, did something happen?” Su Bin asked nervously.
“Chef Wang quit right before Christmas and took two staff members from the experimental restaurant! It was insane during Christmas! He’s opened a similar restaurant now, copying Boss Su’s Experimental Store’s dishes and concept. What a bastard!” Qin Chao ranted.
Su Bin paused. “Oh, that’s all?”
Qin Chao: “What do you mean, that’s all? Why are you so calm?!”
“Don’t worry, we anticipated this and took precautions,” Su Bin said reassuringly.
“What? What precautions?”
“Are you at the restaurant? I’ll come over and explain everything, and check on things while I’m there,” Su Bin replied calmly.
Qin Chao, pacified by Su Bin’s tone, said, “Fine, I’ll wait for you,” and hung up.
In the past, Su Bin would have panicked and fretted like Qin Chao.
But after spending half a month in that stone house, he’d changed.
Allen had said that Boss Su’s Experimental Store’s was a game world he’d created for Su Bin. At first, Su Bin felt indignant, but now he realized that his ambitions and career meant little to himself or Allen.
When Allen forced him to detach from his obsessive focus on Boss Su’s Experimental Store’s, Su Bin became startlingly aware of how dreams and responsibilities could push someone to the brink, trapping them under endless pressure. He’d forgotten the original purpose of life.
What was the point of great achievements or wealth? To be with loved ones and enjoy a peaceful life—that was what truly mattered.
No problem could ever be greater than death itself. If it was bound to happen, why not focus on what came next rather than fret?
Driving to meet Qin Chao, Su Bin, now calm and collected, even had the leisure to look up the strange “bayberries” he’d encountered.
It turned out they were truffles, hailed alongside caviar and foie gras as one of the world’s three great delicacies. Their unique, aphrodisiac aroma had earned them a reputation as a culinary aphrodisiac, with additional kidney-boosting benefits.
Ah, no wonder those days were so… intense. -_-#
But truffles lose their flavor once dried. Su Bin, who had tried airing them out, couldn’t help but feel he’d wasted something precious…
