Striving for Science C25 pt1

Noticing that Liu Mao's expression was off, Shen Chang'an looked back and saw Dao Nian at the end of the corridor. He was startled. "Dao Nian, what are you doing here?"

How... did he get up here?

"Elevator."

Dao Nian's words made Shen Chang'an realize that there was an indoor elevator behind him, hidden by potted plants, making it hard to spot.

He walked behind Dao Nian, pushing his wheelchair: "You live upstairs too?"

"Mhm." Dao Nian turned his gaze away from Liu Mao. "Beef for lunch tomorrow."

"Okay, braised or stewed?"

"Half braised, half stewed." Dao Nian pointed to a door. "This is it."

"So I'm right next to you." Shen Chang'an helped Dao Nian open the door, revealing a room that, besides the essential furniture, was empty, a desolate expanse.

Some say that the arrangement and style of a room can reveal a person's character and attitude towards life. Dao Nian's... does it mean he has no hope for the future, no interest in the present?

Sensing the change in Shen Chang'an's pace, Dao Nian looked up at him.

"Your room is so big." Shen Chang'an pushed Dao Nian into the room nonchalantly, turning on all the lights. The room instantly became bright, lessening the feeling of emptiness and desolation.

"Do you want to take a shower now?" Shen Chang'an asked. "Do you need help?"

"No." Remembering Shen Chang'an's earlier question about using the toilet, Dao Nian tightened his lips. "You should go to rest early."

"Alright." Shen Chang'an didn't insist. Friends should maintain a certain distance, it's a sign of respect. He turned to look at Liu Mao, who was hunched over, what was wrong with him?

Seeing him come out, Liu Mao gave him a flattering smile, wanting to enter the room but hesitant. "Sir..."

"Go out."

"Yes, sir." Liu Mao didn't dare to say anything more, quickly closing the door for Dao Nian.

"Mr. Liu, Dao Nian said he wants beef for lunch tomorrow. Is there fresh meat in the kitchen?" Shen Chang'an asked.

"Beef... beef?" Liu Mao stammered.

"Yes." Dao Nian saw Liu Mao's hesitant expression. "Could it be that Mr. Liu follows Daoism and doesn't eat beef?"

"No, no." Liu Mao quickly shook his head. "I'll prepare it for you first thing tomorrow morning."

After discussing the necessary ingredients for tomorrow with Liu Mao, Shen Chang'an returned to the room and carefully observed the furnishings. Although Dao Nian's own room was very empty, the guest room he had prepared was cozy, making people unconsciously feel relaxed and at ease. It was clear that Dao Nian had put a lot of thought into preparing the room.

How warm is Dao Nian's heart?

After showering, Shen Chang'an lay down on the cloud-like bed and quickly fell asleep. He slept exceptionally soundly that night, and in his hazy dreams, he seemed to have the ability to fly, soaring freely through the heavens.

When he woke up, the sky was already bright, and he could hear the sound of rain pattering down.

Dao Nian had said last night that it would rain, and it really did rain?

He had just finished washing up when someone brought him a change of clothes, their attitude kind but not overly enthusiastic. Just staying here for one night, Shen Chang'an already liked it.

After going downstairs, he saw Dao Nian sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window admiring the scenery, so he walked up to him and greeted him: "Dao Nian, good morning."

Taking his gaze away from the window, Dao Nian looked at him and said: "Eat."

He didn't know what the breakfast was made with, but it tasted so good that Shen Chang'an ate twice as much as usual, leaving him so full that he couldn't move on the sofa.

Dao Nian stretched out his finger and poked his back, only to hear two hums.

He couldn't help but poke him twice more.

"Stop poking, if I were a balloon, I would have already burst." Shen Chang'an slowly got up from the sofa, "Dao Nian, does your family specialize in growing high-quality agricultural products? Otherwise, why are these things so delicious?"

"You can think of it that way." Dao Nian nodded.

When you're at work, you want to be on vacation, but when you're actually not at work, you don't know what to do. Shen Chang'an turned on the TV and flipped through all the channels, but couldn't find anything interesting.

Seeing his boredom, Dao Nian glanced at Liu Mao, then said: "There's a game room on the third floor, let Liu Mao take you to play."

"Ah?" Liu Mao was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, there is."

"I'm not a five or six-year-old kid, what kind of games do I play." Shen Chang'an was a little tempted, but for the sake of adult dignity, he still politely declined.

"Now game competitions are included in sports competitions, it's not a big deal for adults to play." Liu Mao chuckled, "Anyway, you're free, why not play some games to pass the time?"

"Alright then, Dao Nian, let's go together." Shen Chang'an stood up and said to Dao Nian, "It's so boring to play alone, you keep me company."

Dao Nian wasn't interested in life, so he could drag Dao Nian along to cultivate his interests.

Dao Nian was stunned: "I don't know how to play games."

"It's okay, I don't know much either." Shen Chang'an pushed Dao Nian towards the elevator, "But we must not fear difficulties and be brave to explore, maybe we'll learn after playing for a few days."

Just then, they suddenly heard a loud bang at the door, as if something was forcibly smashing it open.

"Private property, no trespassing!" Liu Mao looked towards the door, his smile gone, and stood up to block the person, "Please leave immediately."

"Four hooves on the ground, horns on the head, get out of my way." The person was bad-tempered, pushed Liu Mao aside, and glared angrily at Dao Nian, "What do you want to be satisfied?"

Four hooves on the ground, horns on the head?

Shen Chang'an frowned, this person was actually calling Liu Mao a beast? He stood in front of Dao Nian without a word, this kind of person dared to barge into someone else's house, maybe he would do anything.

"All these years, you..." The person saw Shen Chang'an, as if he saw some bizarre monster, his anger and astonishment twisted his face into a strange curve, looking very eerie.

"Human?" The person wanted to see Dao Nian's expression, but Dao Nian was blocked by Shen Chang'an, he couldn't see anything.

The room suddenly fell into an eerie silence. Shen Chang'an saw the other person staring at him intently, and couldn't help but touch his face. He was still handsome, and hadn't mutated. What did that look mean?

"Get out." Dao Nian pulled Shen Chang'an away from blocking him, and lightly spat out a single word.

He was still as concise as ever, expressionless, but his words were not polite.

The person saw Dao Nian's face and his legs trembled slightly, but he didn't back down. He looked at Dao Nian stubbornly: "For the past ten years, my clan has produced nothing. I don't know if this is a coincidence, or if it's your doing?"

Dao Nian ignored him: "Chang'an, go upstairs to rest."

Shen Chang'an carefully looked at the person a few times, bent down and whispered in Dao Nian's ear: "I'll be upstairs, call me if you need anything." He then casually placed a fruit plate in Dao Nian's hands, "If he dares to get close to you, use this plate to hit him. He's illegally trespassing, so you're acting in self-defense, it's not illegal."

Looking at the fruit plate in his hand, and at Shen Chang'an's expression that said "If you can talk it out, don't use force, but if you have to use force, don't hesitate," Dao Nian nodded solemnly.

Shen Chang'an then looked up and said to the person: "Sir, take your time, if you act aggressively, I'll have to call the police."

The person's expression was subtle, his already twisted face became even more distorted.

After Shen Chang'an went upstairs, Dao Nian didn't pay any attention to the person, lazily leaning back in his chair, holding the fruit plate and eating fruit, his face clearly displaying an impatient expression of "Don't bother me, just get out."

"My Lord." The person stared at Dao Nian for a while, then suddenly bent his knees and knelt before Dao Nian, his head and hands touching the ground, he said word by word: "Please, my Lord, be merciful."

Liu Mao, who had been pushed aside, rubbed his arm and sneered, "Even when you're hitting a cow, you have to look at the owner. Just now, when you barged in, you were so imposing, invincible, and now you're kneeling?"

"For the past twenty years, the younger generation of my bird clan has all failed to pass the transformation tribulation. I don't know what great sin my clan has committed to receive such punishment?" The person's eyes were filled with tears, he prostrated himself before Dao Nian, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

"You don't even know what you've done wrong, and you're asking me for mercy?" Dao Nian looked at him, his eyes seemed to see through everything in the world, devoid of any emotion.

"The Dao... The Dao is unjust!" The person's shoulders trembled even more violently, he was afraid, so he didn't dare to look at Dao Nian, he could only kneel on the ground and roar.

"Even if it's unjust, what then?" Dao Nian lowered his eyelids slightly, his gaze towards this person was no different from looking at a flower or a stone, "The rise and fall of all things, every sip and every bite is predetermined, there is no such thing as fairness in the world."

"You come to beg me, simply because you feel that the bird clan has been wronged. But when your bird clan was flourishing, did anyone from your clan come to me and say that this was unfair?" Dao Nian curled his lips, it was more of a sneer than a smile, "I'm in a good mood today, you can leave."

"You now favor the human race, naturally you wouldn't want to spare a glance at other races." This person seemed to be blinded by anger, speaking without any restraint. "It's a pity that humans live like mayflies, their minds are treacherous. If they knew what you are, and revealed their greed and desires, what would you do?"

"Favor humans?" Dao Nian's eyebrows twitched slightly. He never favored anyone. He simply watched as one race rose, only to see them destroy themselves.

In this world, nothing is fixed or unchanging.