Chapter 1377: NO．281：Then, there is something below

NO．281：Then, there is something below

Although he still didn't understand many things, Aomo could still deeply investigate the gravity of that crisis.

Because he clearly realized that the banquet itself actually had a regrettable aspect: the people present were not really well acquainted.

Small cliques of three or five were everywhere; while there might be some camaraderie between cliques, expanding to all cliques resulted in only one unified connection—the battle from yesterday.

This doesn't even count today's some horse girls; although they are also the nominal protagonists of the banquet, it doesn't change the fact that most people here are strangers.

Only one person could serve as the connection point for everyone, and that is Aomo himself.

Admittedly, aside from Yisha Malala, everyone here is not completely introverted; they are somewhat willing to engage with others and willing to at least introduce themselves.

Moreover, the presence of social troublemakers like Shima, Gui She, Sai Luo, and Nian further enlivens the banquet's atmosphere, preventing it from becoming dull.

Besides these, there are also Qianming, Ludao Fu, Ling, and Huoer Haiya and the like; ideally many people don't know them, yet they can chat a few sentences with anyone they meet, or naturally respond when approached—hidden social powerhouses.

So Aomo need not worry about the banquet atmosphere, nor is it necessary for him to personally introduce everyone; he can simply glance at the courtyard from the kitchen window, then return reassured to work in the kitchen, and incidentally learn a few new dishes with Shu, then have her test a few dishes he previously learned.

At that time it was naturally harmonious, with no problems at all.

But when these people have malicious alcohol placed before them, each intending to abandon rationality and instead indulge in revealing their instincts, who will suffer?

First, it will be the people around them.

If those people are sober, they could indeed help, especially since sitting together itself means they know each other; but if they are all not sober, like those several women sitting in a row……

Mutual harm is a phenomenon, but when everyone appears to be strangers at a glance, people will subconsciously seek out those they know among them, who can give them a sense of security and allow them to relax.

And Aomo himself, not boasting, has always taken it upon himself to give those around him a sense of security; he believes only by doing so can a friendship be sufficiently stable and not deteriorate.

Although in his mind friends are usually a relationship requiring frequent interaction and maintenance, he likewise pursues friendships like those of the Xiangyu siblings and Yuta Neihai, which remain able to catch up as before even after long separations.

The friendship of gentlemen is as light as water; this is a proverb from Dongyan that Aomo likes.

He once hoped to have many such friends; such a group need not constantly be together or constantly in contact, can fully immerse in their own lives, then unintentionally think of each other, and when a suitable opportunity arises, come to reminisce, still able to reap some past emotion.

Aomo, who is still fundamentally a Bode person, can accept weighty friendship, but will not actively impose such weight on others.

This is part of his habit of being more accustomed to solitude than many others, his way of not relying on anyone, and also the self-knowledge he gained after self-examination.

Precisely because of this self-knowledge, he immediately realized!

——In the coming moments when someone will keep getting drunk, which name will be shouted the most?

【Aomo Lindun】

Or should I just advise them not to drink……

At least we should set some ground rules; even though the estate has many guest rooms, not everyone can stay overnight, so some people must go back, right?

School hasn't even let out yet!!

In the morning one could still see Miss Junchan preparing the school's anniversary festival, asking each trainee in the trainee group what performance they want, seeming to be about to conscript trainees to go on stage, drawing a chorus of complaints.

Why bother with a festival? Just honestly give winter break, wouldn't that be better? You Jidong people holding festivals can only bring classic stereotypes—yukata, dancing, all sorts of mess; otherwise, when you do some festival dance, I could drum in the back—I'm excellent at drum kit in high school, even beating a bass drum isn't out of the question.

Just thinking about having to work later, while ahead there could easily be a bunch of drunks, and possibly even being urged to drink in turns by the Sui family……

Aomo, from seeing the future where Zhong Yue lifted his wine cup, reached Shu's authority realm through simple information deduction—this is the ultimate potential unleashed by a frog sensing the water temperature is off!

Thus, an hour and a half later, he was pinching his nose and blowing air.

The autumn-winter breeze gradually cooled, yet it couldn't dispel even a hint of heat; Aomo stared expressionlessly at the courtyard lights that automatically turned on at nightfall, feeling no sentiment about this automatic source energy, instead only the unforgettable scenes from half an hour ago.

He appeared quite melancholic.

Some people say nothing after getting drunk; others spout meme‑style stage rants, from bragging to their disciples to checking DPS with teammates to missing human bodies all in one go, finally even nagging about wanting to see Pigu Meng.

Others go straight to the point, directly wanting to challenge the boss to lecture Aomo, displaying all kinds of dissent from past workplace pressure——all this came from one person's mouth, so don't escalate it to the group; Shijia and Chen Li immediately distanced themselves, and He not cutting ties isn't endorsement but because she too was drunk.

But compared to those secretly drinking there, after finishing they shout that they also want to become Gulite, that they want to team up with the embarrassing mecha‑volunteer Neihai Jiang and the two brothers Bi Ze who aspire to evolve with the Baer beast via the internet.

He's drunken symptoms are rather weird.

Specifically, how is it weird?

This weirdness lies in her and a group of women, as if they had pre‑agreed on a collective prank: they either call Aomo over, or run to his side, or, when he excuses himself to the restroom to catch his breath, come running to intercept.

Then, with a slurred tongue, they utter drunken nonsense that one wouldn't know whether to directly decide to contact after sobering up.

What thanks, what liking, even wanting to get handsy—feels like Yisha Malala is your behavioral guide, and you lot are the Faction sharing her brain?

This prank was initially quite shocking.

Watching He grin foolishly there, observing his own reaction, while his companions quietly slipped away or were pulled away, this solemn atmosphere made even Aomo unable to help but stare for a few seconds, looking afar at Qie Na saying something to Qian, then turning back to see the very person who had collapsed face‑first on the table, young and fine.

That complaint‑like confession was like a daydream, but the clear memory record was outright evidence; before Aomo could even organize his thoughts, Qian kicked his shin to make him move, saying she herself would take He to a room.

Did she hear that?

Not quite sure, but unable to suppress his doubts, Aomo hadn't figured it out yet when Ludao Fu invited him for a few more drinks, talking about the responsibilities of trainees and horse girls and such, also sharing updates on the Symbolic Family; talking around the point actually refocused Aomo's distracted gaze, and he heard her say that the Symbolic Family's trainees aren't always disposable consumables—the previous generation of trainees married horse girls.

Uh……

This time Aomo also froze for a few seconds, but without the previous complexity.

He felt it was very weird.

He had the feeling that he had unintentionally entered some kind of illusion.

The idol's hint came out of nowhere with no warning, far stranger than He, whom he sees daily and often goes out to eat with, leaving him completely clueless and unable to believe it at all.

Perhaps there is some misunderstanding in this, making him temporarily unable to speak up in Mongolian.

Fortunately Ludao Fu didn't completely put on a stern face to press for a more direct meaning, so after Aomo managed to extricate himself without too much difficulty, he made an excuse to go to the restroom, and then at the restroom door he met Qianming, who came to greet her.

It was a very suave greeting, a perfectly normal small talk, a strange inquiry about his current mood, which instead made Aomo alert.

Qianming was largely the only different one among them.

Although at the start of speaking, Aomo once thought the 'illusion was still continuing'—there was a vague, not‑quite‑illusion atmosphere quietly flowing, and moreover some similar topics about trainees marrying horse girls naturally unfolded via her parents' situation, but……

While chatting on one side and observing Aomo's reaction on the other, she eventually just gave a simple greeting to cut off the topic and let Aomo go to the restroom.

At that moment her expression was regretful, as if realizing the prank had been seen through, so she simply gave up being clever, leaving Aomo's heart feeling especially subtle afterward.

Upon exiting, he immediately encountered Chengtian Bairen.

No, you guys definitely teamed up, right!

At this point of repetition, even if Narita Bai Ren ultimately didn't say those words, merely chatting about recent circumstances, about development, about his own running and dreams— as if beating around the bush hinting at something— she just walked away.

At that time Aomo couldn't help but wrinkle his nose bridge, and later, when the astute one came over to chat about how everyone today was strange, especially those few seniors who might say something particularly special, Aomo, on the condition that the other party keep it secret, told a small part of the prank experiences he had undergone— and then again welcomed his sister's confession to her brother.

Liking older brother and such, okay okay okay, yes yes yes— although it was rather perfunctory in his heart, yet Aomo still sincerely expressed gratitude and return, and was met with the other's petty temper kick.

You guys really like kicking people's shins, huh? Why?

Not understanding, or rather, the already exhausted Aomo, even if he were to again face Aizhi and Bo Fang's evasive responses, as well as the sight of Chazuo standing in the corner watching, had already lost the enthusiasm to educate them not to do that.

These matters should still be left to tomorrow's self to handle; the main person this banquet ought to have faced should have been Ling— when he thought that, he instead discovered Ling already had an arm around his own girlfriend's neck, walking away in a posture between good buddies and a yellow-haired delinquent, evidently having no intention to chat with him.

?

Why did you take Qian and Qiena away? Brother, you're awesome!

During these nearly three hours filled with queer happenings, at the banquet's end when most of the people had already dispersed, each supporting each other or else craning their necks to wander about the courtyard and grove, watching those three depart, Aomo wondered whether he should obliviously chase after them to ask.

Again Shu patted his shoulder and pointed to the little tiger still lying prone at the table.

Being small means a height of around 1.6 meters.

In fact, the nearly thirty-year-old Shu Huaiya Juanzhang, whether in age or in the plump figure given by work life, cannot be considered small; compared to Miss Shu, who is similar in height but rather spindly, she is even more wealthy and generous.

"How do you feel like you're thinking of something rude?"

"I think that's an illusion," Aomo, who can lie without blushing or racing heart, said, "I'm the one who's been suffering all night from outrageous pranks."

"I think so too."

"Huh?"

"But you should still send her home first, ask her whether she intends to stay here tonight or go home."

"Why me? Um, I mean, if it were Miss Nian or Xi Lai coming to escort her, perhaps it would look better in terms of reputation," Aomo said.

"After all, she's a public figure, and so am I."

"But hasn't your reputation always been like that?" Shu gave a weird expression, "I can hear your gossip even at the Rhode Island greenhouse."

"... The Rhode Island greenhouse really is well-informed." Hearing that, Aomo somewhat couldn't help but.

"Don't talk about this, mainly she's calling you over."

"... Then I'll go over, leave a table for me to clean up." It was also hard to suspect Shu of lying, as he sighed in their innocent mutual gaze.

"Never mind, I can handle it myself, you have plenty to do tonight."

"So what exactly did you see, could you share it?"

"Cannot say, also not convenient to say; according to your terms here, this counts as harassment? Sexual harassment?"

"Today I really saw too many ghosts, I could even hear you say that word from your mouth."

"Really? Then why don't you turn around and look at the person behind you."

?

Aomo, upon hearing that, turned his head and saw the little tiger, clearly still bleary-eyed yet already staggering to his feet, right before his eyes, and in the next second directly hugged him.

"Aomo, I'm so tired..."

When these words came out, they were accompanied by a faint hissing sound; Aomo felt that if he hadn't misheard, she was breathing with considerable effort.

He just felt that some part of the Teqiju Juanzhang in his heart had collapsed.