Chapter 1020: Eating

Eating

The dim setting sun passed through the hazy smog, casting a long shadow of Chen Ling in the Church...

The slender shadow of the cross was like a rotating hour hand, and the Great Crimson Theatrical Robe was like the tip of the hand. It remained motionless in the long passage of time, like a silent corpse.

A whole day had passed since he was nailed to the cross. At this moment, Ying Fu's words were still echoing in Chen Ling's mind.

"A vortex..."

Based on Chen Ling's understanding of Ying Fu, there was no need for him to deceive himself at this time. However, Chen Ling still couldn't imagine how the vortex stirred up by the Imperial Fate would kill the Silver King.

Could illusory "fate" really kill someone?

[Audience Expectation Value +5]

[Current Expectation Value: 65%]

He was clearly just nailed here, doing absolutely nothing. Logically speaking, it would be good enough if the Expectation Value didn't drop. Yet now, it actually increased by 5% in one breath?

Chen Ling had a premonition that in a place he couldn't see, something must have happened.

Creak——

While Chen Ling was deep in thought, the doors of the Confessional were slowly pushed open.

He raised his head slightly and saw a maid walking over with a food tray. He instantly lost interest. He lowered his head, completely ignoring the other party.

That maid seemed to be delivering food to Chen Ling for the first time. Upon entering the Confessional and seeing the figure nailed dead on the cross, her entire person froze slightly.

She pursed her lips slightly. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke softly:

"It's time to eat."

"Not hungry."

Chen Ling replied faintly.

"That person instructed that you must eat on time."

"In his eyes, I am already a dying man... Still eating?" Chen Ling sneered. "Look at how I am right now, what am I supposed to eat with?"

Chen Ling's four limbs were controlled and nailed to the cross. Aside from his head being able to move freely, the rest of his body was not under his control. Even if the food was placed right in front of him, he wouldn't be able to eat it.

Chen Ling's sharp voice echoed in the Confessional. The maid stood below the cross for a long time, then brought a ladder from the side and placed it directly next to Chen Ling.

Then, holding the food tray, she climbed step by step to the top of the massive cross...

She scooped up a large mouthful of vegetables and meat with a spoon and handed it to Chen Ling's mouth.

"Is this okay?"

The maid looked into Chen Ling's eyes and spoke seriously.

Chen Ling didn't expect that the other party would actually use this method to make him eat, and he failed to recover his senses for a moment... He looked at that spoonful of vegetables and meat, and a long-lost feeling of hunger surged into his heart!

Chen Ling couldn't care less about thinking too much. The Silver King wanted him dead, but not now, so there wouldn't be poison in the food either.

He subconsciously ate that spoonful of meat in one gulp, his eyes glowing green, like a starving ghost who hadn't eaten in days.

The maid fed the food into Chen Ling's mouth spoonful after spoonful. As long as she handed it over, the spoon would be eaten clean in the next moment... She was extremely patient, wrapping every single vegetable in the food tray with rice. Before long, the entire food tray was eaten clean.

The food was very delicious. Chen Ling hadn't eaten such delicious food in a very long time. Feeling the sense of fullness coming from his body, his constantly tense spirit finally relaxed slightly...

"... Thank you," Chen Ling said softly.

The maid smiled slightly. Holding the empty food tray, she walked down the ladder step by step, and then put it back in its original place.

After giving Chen Ling one last look, she walked out of the Confessional and gently closed the door.

Darkness enveloped the cross once again.

Chen Ling looked at the direction she left, and his eyes slowly closed...

...

In a dim corner of the Warehouse, Fang Liangye's eyes slowly opened.

"You're awake?" Wu Duo's voice came from the side, carrying a trace of worry in her tone. "How do you feel?"

"... I'm fine, just a bit tired."

Fang Liangye dragged his exhausted body, sat up from the corner, and looked around.

After separating from Chen Ling, Fang Liangye frantically traveled through the underground sewers. It wasn't until he crossed more than half of the Wuji Domain's underground and confirmed that the Silver King wasn't chasing him that he relaxed and approached this Warehouse.

"Where are those people from the Dusk Society?"

"You mean Jian Wubing and the other two?" Wu Duo shook her head. "When they heard that Chen Ling was in immediate danger, they were all incredibly anxious. They pondered over it for an entire afternoon and left the Wuji Domain together... saying they were going to get outside help?"

Hearing that Chen Ling was in danger, Fang Liangye's heart stirred slightly, but very quickly, he let out a long sigh and leaned powerlessly against the wall...

"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Wu Duo saw through his thoughts,

"Your memories have been swapped back. Now, you are Fang Liangye, an Ordinary Person... What you need to do is protect yourself."

"... En."

Fang Liangye nodded gently.

Under the hazy faint light, Wu Duo looked at Fang Liangye's eyes that revealed helplessness and loss, and she pursed her lips slightly... Sitting next to Fang Liangye, she gently turned sideways and rested her head on Fang Liangye's chest.

"Liangye, did you know... when you had Six of Hearts' memories before, I was really worried." Wu Duo's eyes were like black glazed glass in the faint light, looking deeply at Fang Liangye. "The you from back then exuded indifference and depth from the very marrow of your bones. I didn't dare to approach you, worried that you would forever become an emotionless executioner in the future..."

Fang Liangye smiled bitterly, "That's still better than being a coward."

Wu Duo frowned and said seriously, "Liangye, gentleness and cowardice are not the same... You are just too gentle, but you never lack bravery. Otherwise, you wouldn't have become a member of the Human Rights Union... right?"

"... Perhaps."

That stormy, lightning-filled rainy night, along with that young boy's corpse covered in scars, flashed through Fang Liangye's mind. A trace of self-blame and sorrow flashed through his eyes.

He knew very well in his heart that he had never been a brave person... Otherwise, perhaps Xiao Yu wouldn't have died.

Seeing this scene, Wu Duo pursed her lips slightly. Lying on Fang Liangye's chest, her arms gently wrapped around his neck... She leaned close to Fang Liangye's ear and spoke softly:

"You can't be trapped in the past forever. It wasn't your fault... I like the gentle Fang Liangye. You are now, and you will be in the future too."

Fang Liangye's body jolted slightly.

Feeling strands of hair slide across his cheek, he was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"Hold me tight," Wu Duo said.

Fang Liangye hesitantly raised his hands and gently hugged Wu Duo's body. The real touch and warmth from his fingertips were transmitted into his heart, making his painful and exhausted heart settle down little by little.

In the dim corner of the Warehouse, the two figures hugged each other just like that, quietly sinking into dreamland.

...

Until a commotion came from outside the Warehouse.

"Somebody... somebody come!! Old Li is dying!!"

Fang Liangye and Wu Duo were jolted awake simultaneously. At this time, the sky wasn't bright yet, and it was still dim and lightless amidst the smog... They looked at each other and immediately got up and ran toward the Warehouse windows.