GRMFBS CH304

Zhan Yan: ? What kind of reaction was this from Gu Jiancheng?

Gu Jiancheng had pretty much deduced what was going on. Now that his memories were restored, he recalled Wan Shitong’s skill. Once that spiritual replica was activated past eighty percent, the original body would share sensory perception with the replica. Currently, the skill seemed to have undergone a slight change inside the Dawn World; Gu Jiancheng couldn’t maintain continuous control over his duplicate.

Lying prone across the bed, Zhan Yan bumped Gu Jiancheng’s shoulder with his own, asking in dissatisfaction, “What are you looking so happy about?”

Gu Jiancheng felt a little embarrassed: “That NPC… might just be me.”

Zhan Yan: “Ah?”

Gu Jiancheng explained Wan Shitong’s skill to him.

Zhan Yan cross-referenced the dream details with him while flipping through the Gossip System melon logs. It really was…

Zhan Yan was stunned: “So the one who toured me around the Dawn World before was also you?”

Gu Jiancheng: Hm? When did I take Yan Yan around… That dragon-headed brawny guy?

He suddenly remembered having multiple consecutive dreams where a 2.3-meter-tall burly man with a dragon head turned out to be Yan Yan.

“Did you customize any other avatar models before?” Gu Jiancheng asked.

Zhan Yan: “Ah, the very first one I molded had a dragon head.”

Gu Jiancheng: Case closed. He had wondered why on earth he would dream of a 2.3-meter-tall dragon-headed hulk for no apparent reason, and even firmly believe that was Yan Yan!

Zhan Yan caught the subtle shift in his expression and verified it. Oh, so that really was Xiao Gu after all. Aiya, what a pity about that 2.3-meter-tall build he had molded earlier…

Gu Jiancheng: “Then are we still logging into the Dawn World tonight?”

Zhan Yan: “I can go in, but how will you get in?”

Gu Jiancheng’s previous entries into the Dawn World hadn’t followed any set pattern. He hadn’t been controlling it consciously; sometimes he entered while dreaming, and sometimes he just had normal sleep.

“There’s definitely a pattern.” Gu Jiancheng was already pulling up online videos about “Dawn Continent” to study them.

After analyzing the overall style of the Dawn World against his recent dreams, he deduced, “Every time I dreamed of the Dawn World, you were there, and I always found you every single time. That means I won’t enter the Dawn World alone without you being there.”

Zhan Yan: “I’ve gone in plenty of times, but you didn’t show up every single time.”

Gu Jiancheng: “Maybe because during those times, I wasn’t asleep.”

Zhan Yan pulled up the melon logs and combed through them. It really was true. As long as Xiao Gu was asleep when Zhan Yan entered the Dawn World, his consciousness would shift into the “Deep Shadow” NPC.

Gu Jiancheng leaned close to his ear, wheedling in a low whisper: “Can we go in tonight, pretty please?”

Zhan Yan: …Did you use such formidable deductive reasoning just for this?

“Pretty please? How about it?”

…

Meanwhile, at the main door, one, two, three, four people had successively arrived.

Previously, with too many tasks and chaotic affairs, they hadn’t gathered together so completely at home for a long time; even feeding Xingxing had been done in shifts.

The several people returning home at the exact same moment exchanged tacit glances. Understood: none of them felt at ease.

Maybe they should work out a shift schedule in the future for better efficiency.

“All the lights on the first floor are off,” Zhan Suiru murmured, looking up.

Only the solar-powered lawn lamps were lit in the yard, though on the second floor, a window was still shining bright. At this hour, it shouldn’t be Yan Yan’s usual bedtime yet.

Zhan Yunkai narrowed his eyes: “Is that the guest bedroom?”

Zhan Jinli shifted his gaze horizontally to the pitch-black window right next to it: “The light in younger brother’s room isn’t on.”

The expressions of Zhan Yunkai and Ji Yueming gradually darkened with menace.

Zhan Jinli unlocked the front door; on the first floor, there was only the already-asleep Xingxing, softly snoring away in the dark.

Once the parents and Zhan Jinli stepped inside, Zhan Suiru slowly followed behind.

Zhan Jinli looked back at her, his brow raised. —Aren’t you worried at all that Deep Shadow might coax younger brother into something?

Zhan Suiru sneered coldly in thought. —It’s hard to say which of the two is doing the coaxing.

Last time, her younger brother had brushed her off with “harboring ill intentions,” didn’t reply to her messages that night, and then thoroughly bamboozled her the next day. The two of them had even traveled alone together for so long; whatever they were worried about might have already happened long ago.

The entire family walked without making a single sound, reining in their aura to the absolute limit as they silently ascended to the second floor alongside Xingxing’s peaceful snores.

Gu Jiancheng was in the middle of clinging to Zhan Yan and acting cute when he suddenly sprang up from the bed.

Zhan Yan: “What’s wrong, what is it?”

Only then did he glance at his minimap to find a cluster of green dots, practically overlapping his own position.

Zhan Yan flipped over in shock. When did they come back? Ah, crap, he only intended to chat with Xiao Gu about the “Deep Shadow” NPC at first, so he hadn’t even closed the bedroom door…

Before he could crawl out of bed, the light in the second-floor corridor clicked on, illuminating the doorway: one, two, three, four… Why was every single person back tonight?

Zhan Yan sat bolt upright. Meow it all. They clearly hadn’t done anything, so why did he feel this guilty pang of being caught red-handed?

“Yan Yan, is this the room you picked out for him? Are all the necessities provided?”

From his father’s gentle and amiable tone, Zhan Yan caught the unmistakable subtext: Isn’t this the room you arranged for Deep Shadow? Why are you in here too?

“All provided, all provided. I was just discussing a few things with him.” In a few quick strides, Zhan Yan bolted out of the room, casually shutting the door behind him and steering his family members outward, cutting Gu Jiancheng off inside the guest room alone.

“It’s getting late now, and I’m pretty much ready to sleep. Goodnight.” Zhan Yan hastily slipped back into his own room.

The remaining four stared at Gu Jiancheng’s closed door, their gazes intense enough to bore a hole straight through the wood.

Gu Jiancheng behind the door: Ah… what terrifying killing intent outside.

A few seconds later, Ji Yueming said nonchalantly, “Let’s go, stop standing around.”

After walking away, the family promptly formed a private group chat without Zhan Yan—Yan Yan protected that fellow way too much, so he couldn’t be included!

Everyone set up a shift schedule deciding who would return home each day from now on. With the situation so tense, what nonsense was there to discuss about youthful romance?

After returning to his room, Zhan Yan pulled up everyone’s melon logs to spectate their conversation in the private group chat that excluded him. Tsk, tsk, tsk, underestimating his information gathering ability like that?

Checking the chat history, his parents and elder brother hadn’t completely accepted Xiao Gu yet. Or rather, it wasn’t that they rejected him entirely, but simply felt things were progressing too quickly. None of them were particularly familiar with Deep Shadow; they hadn’t spent much time together and only knew his temperament through rumors and scattered incidents, making them feel he wasn’t reliable enough.

His sister didn’t dare speak up on his behalf, otherwise she would get kicked out of the group chat too.

Zhan Yan felt a surge of petty rebellion. Hmph, keep guarding against me then!

After washing up, he lay back on his bed, closed his eyes, and entered the Dawn World. Who said he couldn’t play tricks behind their backs? It even felt a little thrilling.

The instant he logged into the Dawn World, the “Deep Shadow” NPC darted out.

“Xiao Gu?” Zhan Yan called out probing.

The “Deep Shadow” NPC split into a broad grin, flashing eight gleaming white teeth.

“Yan Yan, are you looking for something in the Dawn World?” Gu Jiancheng asked. Now that he had confirmed the past occurrences weren’t mere dreams, he had drawn several deductions from Zhan Yan’s patterns of behavior.

“Not searching for an item, but collecting information.” Zhan Yan briefly explained the necessity of leveling up his ability.

Gu Jiancheng came to an understanding: “I can provide plenty of EXP packs too.” He knew loads of confidential secrets!

Having offered a great deal of help, Xiao Gu demanded a reward, fixing his eyes on Zhan Yan’s swishing tail: “Can I touch it?”

Zhan Yan felt an odd prickle of embarrassment under his stare. After hesitating for a moment, he silently tucked the tail into Gu Jiancheng’s palm.

Gu Jiancheng didn’t keep Zhan Yan playing inside the Dawn World for long; after less than half an hour, he urged him to log off and rest.

Once they exchanged goodnights and he verified that Zhan Yan had logged out, Gu Jiancheng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and clear without a hint of drowsiness. He opened the bedroom door and stepped outside.

The moment Gu Jiancheng moved, the others moved in unison as well. In the end, all five of them stood in the living room.

Xingxing was still dead asleep on the cat tree, letting out sweet, rhythmic little snores. Gu Jiancheng stretched his shadow outward, soundlessly lifting Xingxing away and relocating him to his cat bed in another room.

After moving the family member who shouldn’t overhear the conversation, Gu Jiancheng faced their complicated stares, his expression growing solemn.

“Does Yan Yan’s identity hold a secret?”

The expressions of Zhan Yunkai, Ji Yueming, and Zhan Suiru shifted slightly.

Zhan Jinli’s gaze was at first slightly dazed, but upon noticing the reactions of the others, his expression changed too. Great, you all have secrets you’re keeping from me again!

“What made you think of that?” Ji Yueming asked.

Gu Jiancheng: “Deduction and conjecture. Given Yan Yan’s environment,” his gaze brushed over each person present one by one, “and the fact that he was targeted by Monster Doctor, it shouldn’t just be because he is Approaching Science.”

Ever since discovering that Monster Doctor had made a move against Zhan Yan, Gu Jiancheng had constantly been wondering why.

His first thought had been that he was the one who dragged Yan Yan into danger. Because Monster Doctor had always harbored a morbid obsession with him, and Zhan Yan appeared to be just an ordinary person, there was no reason for Monster Doctor to go through so much trouble just to capture Zhan Yan.

Later, upon learning about Zhan Yan’s household situation, Gu Jiancheng realized that Monster Doctor truly was coming specifically for Zhan Yan.

Yet it shouldn’t just be due to Zhan Yan’s connections with everyone else. Yan Yan harbored a secret.

The statistical probability of this family forming naturally was exceedingly minuscule. Gu Jiancheng leaned toward the belief that there was an unknown underlying cause behind it all.

Later, he learned that Zhan Yan was Approaching Science, which seemed to account for many things—such as why Yan Yan appeared in this extraordinary household, and why Monster Doctor targeted him.

Even so, Gu Jiancheng still felt something was off: Was it because Zhan Yan was Approaching Science that he became part of this family and caught Monster Doctor’s eye, or was it because Zhan Yan inherently carried a secret that allowed him to join this family and be targeted by Monster Doctor, which in turn gave him the capability to become Approaching Science?

Gu Jiancheng leaned toward the latter. The more formidable the ability, the more it required a soul capable of bearing its weight. Approaching Science’s information gathering ability was the most potent and comprehensive he had ever witnessed.

Gu Jiancheng looked intently at the three individuals before him, his gaze obstinate and serious. He needed to know the truth so he could properly protect the person he loved.

Listening to all this, Zhan Jinli’s gaze grew even more bewildered. While that makes a lot of sense, do all of your brains connect dots this intensely? He had felt puzzled before as well, but his line of thinking stopped right at the revelation that “younger brother is Approaching Science.”

Zhan Suiru quietly shot him a look. Brother, with your linear logic, don’t even bother trying to think through it. The living environment on Mount Chaofu was far too simple, conditioning her brother’s mind into linear patterns; once an explanation barely held up, he never bothered digging deeper.

Zhan Yunkai and Ji Yueming exchanged glances, both detecting mixed feelings in each other’s eyes. Deep Shadow possessed immense strength, a sharp intellect, and keen perception. Having someone like this dating their child brought both reassurance and wariness.

Ji Yueming: “There is one, but it cannot be spoken.”

Gu Jiancheng pondered for a moment, then nodded: “I understand.”

Zhan Yunkai: “Alright, everyone go back to your rooms.”

Zhan Jinli: …Wait a second, what on earth did you understand?

What kind of riddles are you all playing at?!

You all know, but I’m still completely in the dark!

__

For advanced chapters, visit our Patreon Page.