GRMFBS CH285

At the same time, Wan Yan arrived in Beiling City via the Yin Path with rather unpracticed movements.

Wan Yan the cat hadn’t been fond of taking the Yin Path in the past. He preferred disguising himself as a stray cat, scurrying bustlingly through the mortal world—frequently staging accidents to scam treats, tasting all sorts of delicious food, and sometimes mingling within stray cat clowders to wander everywhere alongside them. He genuinely believed himself to be a cat.

Because he was unfamiliar with the Yin Paths in this area, Wan Yan Ghost King failed to emerge directly at Beiling Agricultural University.

Popping out of the shadows, Wan Yan Ghost King turned his little head from left to right.

Ah, went off track. No matter; he recognized this area and knew the way.

The slightly enlarged little white cat bounded lithely through the streets and alleys as the heart-voices of all living beings brushed past his ears.

With a specific goal in mind, the chaotic inner voices faded into the background like heavy rain.

The rushing waters were noisy and clamorous, yet left his mind undisturbed.

“…Yan Yan…”

A faintly familiar heart-voice suddenly rippled out from the murmurs.

Wan Yan halted his steps.

Yan Yan? Calling Zhan Yan? That inner voice sounds familiar…

Driven by curiosity, Wan Yan chased after that specific heart-voice to listen.

[What will Yan Yan’s parents think of him? How long were they watching? Did they see him drinking milk tea for the lottery? Why on earth did he drink those six cups of milk tea?]

Huh? Isn’t this Zhan Yan’s boyfriend? He remembered his name was Gu Jiancheng.

Back when his own head hadn’t worked very well, Wan Yan couldn’t tell the difference between a classmate and a boyfriend, even finding it utterly annoying how Gu Jiancheng constantly clung to his cook. But now, recalling their various interactions within the Underworld’s Eighteen Scenic Views, what was there left not to understand?

They were a young couple, and he had barged right in while they were dating and being affectionate… Aaargh, what kind of terrible blunders did he commit!

Wan Yan crept closer toward the direction of the heart-voice, piecing together what had transpired from the fragmented, cluttered inner thoughts of the passersby.

Aiya, he accidentally ended up meeting the parents!

Peering through a gap in the crowd, Gu Jiancheng had handsome features and a steady expression. His well-built physique and posture gave his sportswear a sharp, striking silhouette, making him look exceptionally presentable.

[What should I do? None of the scenarios Yan Yan and I rehearsed covered this!]

[Aaaaargh, none of the previous practice sessions are useful now! How should he introduce himself? Start by saying he’s Yan Yan’s classmate? Or introduce himself directly as Yan Yan’s boyfriend?]

[How on earth is he going to explain drinking six cups of milk tea?]

With a straight spine and a composed demeanor, Gu Jiancheng instinctively displayed the smile he had practiced during emergency crash training with Yan Yan—bright, cheerful, and friendly without being overly eager. His bright black eyes sparkled, concealing the fathomless depths beneath.

Xingxing clung to his shoulder, turning its head and searching everywhere for Zhan Yan’s whereabouts. Gu Jiancheng shifted his arm, supporting Xingxing steadily. The defined musculature of his arm shifted in response, clearly belonging to someone who exercised regularly rather than a college student who lazed around in the dorm all day. Well, at the very least, he checked the box for being active and motivated.

“Hello, Uncle, Auntie. My name is Gu Jiancheng.”

Just look at that straight back and calm tone—not a shred of his internal panic showed on the outside.

Wan Yan crept even closer.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, what an actor. Maybe he should go over and lend a hand to help Gu Jiancheng pass this trial, treating it as compensation for before…

Two other heart-voices suddenly drifted over:

Ji Yueming: [The young man is tall enough and quite good-looking. Judging by Xingxing’s behavior, he’s good with cats too. He even chugged six cups of milk tea in a row just to pull Yan Yan’s merch… a bit on the goofy side. He’s a man… So, did Yan Yan hide his relationship from us because his partner is a guy? Is he truly Yan Yan’s boyfriend, or did we misunderstand? Could he just be a regular roommate?]

Zhan Yunkai: [Absolutely impossible! With my pair of double pupils, judging by the kid’s expression the moment he saw us and his performance right now, he is definitely no ordinary roommate! What ordinary roommate chugs down six cups of milk tea in one breath just to draw merchandise?]

With a single shared glance, the husband and wife reached a mutual understanding. When their eyes settled back on Gu Jiancheng, their gazes carried a well-hidden layer of appraisal and scrutiny.

[Yan Yan likes him so much; we can’t be too harsh on him.]

[He looks decent enough on the surface, but who knows what he’s actually like. I’ll have the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau run a background check on him later.]

[This appearance… tsk, naturally leagues behind myself, but it passes. He seems quite steady. Did Yan Yan want to hoard an extra Lightning Talisman for him?]

Wan Yan instantly froze on the spot.

What Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau? What Lightning Talisman?

And isn’t that second heart-voice the Chongming Demon King?!

After listening for a few more minutes, Wan Yan’s eyes went completely blank.

SHOCKING! MASSIVE! GOSSIP!

The Wan Yao Alliance’s Chongming Demon King and the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau’s Tianshi were in love and married! And they just happened to be the parents of his personal royal cook!

And Zhan Yan’s romantic partner was Deep Shadow—that terrifyingly, brutally vicious Infinite player!

The Chongming Demon King’s gaze was currently resting on the large parcel in Deep Shadow’s hand, probing tactfully: “So many items—are these all to take back to school?”

“Yes. Yan… Zhan Yan prepared a list of things he needed, so I came out to buy them.” Deep Shadow offered a bashful smile, looking just like a bright, cheerful, yet naive and worldly-innocent college student with remarkably pure feelings.

[This brat almost called him ‘Yan Yan’ just now, didn’t he? Tsk…]

“Where is Yan Yan? Isn’t he with you?” The powerhouse Tianshi smiled gently, her gaze already sweeping over Gu Jiancheng from head to toe.

“A teacher called him over for an urgent matter, so I came out first to buy the supplies.” Deep Shadow continued acting obedient.

“We’re heading to the school as well. Let’s give you a ride back in the car.” The Chongming Demon King suggested shifting the battleground.

They didn’t want to continue being gawked at in the milk tea shop. Once they were in the car, they could observe this brat even more closely!

“Such heavy luggage, yet you carry it so effortlessly. Youth really does come with great stamina,” the Tianshi remarked in an easygoing tone, sounding just like an amiable, warm elder from next door.

“Zhan Yan often takes me along to work out.” Deep Shadow lowered his head bashfully, showing a mix of delight and modest embarrassment.

Wan Yan stealthily, quietly backed away. The moment he was far enough from the milk tea shop, he took off running.

A! PACK! OF! OSCAR-WINNING! ACTORS!

This is deadly! Back when his brain hadn’t been working properly, he had offended both of those powerhouses. If he wasn’t careful, he could easily end up on the receiving end of a tag-team beating from the married couple!

Deep Shadow… Deep Shadow had also looked like he wanted to pummel him all along.

Escape first. But… WHAT A JUICY PIECE OF GOSSIP!

The Chongming Demon King and the Tianshi didn’t know that their youngest son’s boyfriend was Deep Shadow. Deep Shadow didn’t know that his boyfriend’s parents were the Chongming Demon King and the Tianshi. And right now was their very first time meeting the parents.

Ugh… if he wasn’t terrified of getting beaten up, he would definitely be munching on this gossip from the front row!

Such a monumental scoop, yet he couldn’t tell a single soul… It was suffocating.

He so desperately wanted to find Bai Ze to share this gossip with. In the past, all the secrets he couldn’t blab to the outside world could always be shared with Bai Ze.

With his head completely consumed by this massive scoop, Wan Yan unconsciously ran all the way to the place he knew best:

Beiling Agricultural University.

Aiya, thankfully the Chongming Demon King and the Tianshi are driving an ordinary car; my speed is faster than theirs!

Since he was already here, why not check on the cook first and slip away before Chongming and the others arrived?

Wan Yan wandered around the campus searching everywhere for Zhan Yan. Along the way, he garnered several surprised or curious exclamations: “The Wishing Cat!” “Is that the Wishing Cat?” “Feels like I haven’t seen the Wishing Cat in ages…” “At the end of last semester, I wanted to find the Wishing Cat to make an offering so I wouldn’t fail, but I searched the whole campus and couldn’t find it…”

Ah… this inescapable dark history!

After circling around, Wan Yan finally found Zhan Yan sitting under the shade of a secluded tree.

The cook had his head lowered. His curly hair was a messy nest with several feathers caught in it. His eyes stared wide into midair, brows faintly furrowed, lips unconsciously pursed—looking thoroughly troubled.

What was the cook worrying about? Did he already know that his boyfriend had accidentally run into his parents?

That couldn’t be right; he had watched the scene in real time, and neither Chongming, the Tianshi, nor Deep Shadow had any time to message him.

[Aaaaargh… Heavens bless me, please let Xiao Gu not lose his cover!]

[Thank goodness, information concealment really works; Dad didn’t realize Xiao Gu is Deep Shadow.]

[Why on earth did Mom and Dad suddenly come early?]

[Aaaah… so it was Elder Sister’s doing! How did she hoard so many things during her time as Artisan?]

[Sister even wants to tag along to watch the drama… Hmph!]

…

Wan Yan froze once more.

What on earth did he just hear?!

Zhan Yan’s internal thoughts while browsing his gossip strips kept bubbling up, drilling relentlessly into his ears.

Ah… this familiar feeling of being force-fed gossip!

It’s Bai Ze!

Wan Yan’s eyes lit up, and he instinctively wanted to pounce over.

The gossip strips in Zhan Yan’s heart-voice continued popping up:

The Black Wolf of the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau has one white ear.

The Nine-Headed Demon King Xiangliu of the Wan Yao Alliance sings out of tune and yet insists on performing nine-part choruses.

Seventy percent of the legends and fanfiction about Deep Shadow on the chaofan forum were contributed by the Retirees’ Alliance.

The chicken wing that Wan Yan the cat once scammed out of Zhan Yan was handmade by the Chongming Demon King, Zhan Yunkai…

Wait, wait, what?!

Wan Yan was jolted wide awake by the scoop about him tricking Chongming’s chicken wing into his mouth.

Ah… he remembered now! That was not long after he first met Zhan Yan. He had blocked Zhan Yan’s path, wheedling a supremely delicious chicken wing out of him… that was made by the Chongming Demon King?

No, no, no! That’s not the main point! What kind of family dynamic is this?!

Wan Yan spent ages untangling the jumbled mess of gossip strips.

The Chongming Demon King… the Tianshi… “Artisan” Rong Sui… and even Ghost King Lin Yuan?!

[Ah, Mom and Dad are almost here by car.]

Wan Yan’s cat eyes went as round as saucers, his whiskers trembling and his ears twitching back and forth.

Just like in the past whenever Di Ting ate up a massive piece of gossip from Bai Ze that terrified him out of his wits, Wan Yan zipped straight into the Yin Path with a whoosh, running all the way back to Mount Chaofu in a single breath.

…

Zhan Yan received a phone call. His mother’s voice on the line was extraordinarily gentle: “Yan Yan, your dad and I are about to arrive at the school.”

Zhan Yan took a deep breath: “Alright, I’ll head over to the East Gate to meet you.”

Here it comes, here comes the trial.

Wasn’t it just secretly dating without telling the family? Wasn’t it just that his boyfriend had a powerhouse identity that absolutely could not be exposed for now? Wasn’t it just his boyfriend unexpectedly running into his parents without any preparation?

He! Can! Handle! This!