Striving for Science C101

"Are you upset?" Shen Chang'an saw Dao Nian hanging his head, not speaking, looking utterly wronged. His heart softened instantly. He couldn't help it; Dao Nian looked so adorable as a panda that he couldn't even bring himself to be serious.

"Alright, alright." Shen Chang'an hugged Dao Nian and soothed him, "I didn't mean to say you're old, you haven't said I'm young, right?"

Dao Nian: "It's not the same."

Shen Chang'an: "It's the same, it's the same."

"So, do you like me more, or do you like pandas?" Dao Nian insisted on this question.

"I like you, I like you, I like you the most." Shen Chang'an pinched Dao Nian's chubby cheeks, "Sigh, you're such a big guy, and you still need to act cute and get me to coax you when you make a mistake."

"So you still care about my age?!"

Shen Chang'an: "..."

How did the topic go back to that?

"Be serious, it's not about age now, it's about your identity." Shen Chang'an felt he couldn't let Dao Nian lead him astray, "Come clean about your problem first."

"Since I was born, people have been constantly scolding me, some call me a thief, some call me heartless, some call me unfair." Dao Nian lay on Shen Chang'an's chest, his voice very low, "Many times I'm confused, if everything in the world could go smoothly, what would the world be like?"

"When people encounter injustice, they only blame me, but their fate is ultimately created by themselves." Dao Nian's voice became increasingly sad, "But I have no choice but to silently accept their unreasonable accusations."

"Dao Nian..." Shen Chang'an plucked at the fur on Dao Nian's body, "We humans have a behavior called 'playing the victim'. When someone does something wrong or gets blamed, they make themselves look extremely pitiful, so that others will feel sympathy and won't blame them."

Dao Nian: "..."

"Humans use this tactic all the time, and they've mastered it. Do you want to watch a compilation of 'playing the victim' videos and learn from their advanced experience?"

Dao Nian: "..."

He can't play the victim, and Chang'an has seen through his attempt to act cute. What can he do to make Chang'an not angry?

"Tell me." Chang'an poked him, "Have you thought about how to say it?"

"I... didn't mean to hide it from you." Giving up on trying to get away with it, Dao Nian had to confess honestly, "At first, your appearance was just an accident. I thought we were just passing by, and there would be no chance to see each other again."

When he first saw Shen Chang'an, he was just sitting at the entrance of the supermarket, lost in thought. He saw a young man, sweating profusely and with a flushed face, running over to help. He was too lazy to argue, so he let him do his thing.

Most importantly, he hadn't seen a human with such deep merit radiance in a long time. Moreover, he had set up a small boundary around himself, and no one passing by could see him, except for that young man, who had stumbled into his world, looking at him with concern and worry.

Perhaps it was because his eyes were so pure, or perhaps the merit radiance was too dazzling, that he didn't erase the memory of the young man from his mind until the enthusiastic boy left.

If he hadn't hesitated back then, perhaps he and Chang'an would still be strangers to each other.

"Later, you suddenly appeared by my side again. After we got to know each other, I never showed you my other side in order to support your work of promoting science."

"Hmm?" Shen Chang'an raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, I also hope that humans will believe more in science and not rely on gods and Buddhas for everything, or cry out to heaven and earth."

"Hmm." Shen Chang'an nodded, "Continue."

"Chang'an, meeting you is the only miracle in my long life." Dao Nian transformed into human form and embraced Chang'an, "I crave the joy and warmth brought by this miracle, so I dare not let you know the truth."

"Afraid of what?"

"I'm afraid you'll leave," Dao Nian said calmly, "A long, endless life is so cold and lonely. I'm afraid that in your eyes, I've become an immortal monster, and you'll choose to distance yourself from me in the end."

"But have you ever thought that the truth will always be exposed one day?"

"I have," Dao Nian said with a self-deprecating smile, "Maybe some people are right to call me a thief. I carefully steal a piece of sincerity, and I'm always on edge. But this sincerity is so beautiful, so beautiful that I can't bear to let it take any risk. Every moment I have it, I'm happy."

"Maybe when the truth comes, I'll forgive you, and then we can be together without any worries, happily and happily."

"Chang'an, I can't gamble, I dare not gamble."

"Be more domineering!" Shen Chang'an patted Dao Nian's back, "You're so powerful, haven't you ever thought that if I dare to leave you, you'll lock me in a dark room and then have some forced love?"

"Can it be done like that?" Dao Nian released Shen Chang'an from his arms, his expression filled with worry, "Chang'an, you actually have such thoughts?"

How could you bear to let someone you love lose their freedom and suffer?

"Chang'an, you're still young, you can't have such dangerous thoughts." Dao Nian thought that Chang'an was probably still young and didn't know how to love someone properly, "Love is mutual, your thoughts are too dangerous."

Dao Nian's serious attitude stunned Shen Chang'an. He paused for a moment, then realized what was going on and laughed, burying his face in Dao Nian's shoulder, "Oh my god, Dao Nian, how can you be so cute?"

Dao Nian: "Hmm?"

"Okay, okay, I don't blame you anymore. You've lived for so many years, how can you still be so silly?" Shen Chang'an lifted his head from Dao Nian's shoulder, cupped his face, and kissed him on the corner of his mouth, "Speaking of which, I'm also a man who's seen the world. I wonder if I can go to the police station and change my name to Shen Hao. Will they let me change it?"

Dao Nian frowned: "Why Hao?"

"Because..." Shen Chang'an looked at Dao Nian with a mischievous smile, "Because I'll '日天' (rule the heavens)*."

TN: 日天 combine make 昊 Hao, also just slang for f***ing the heaven etc…

Dao Nian frowned: "I think if you want to change your name, you can call yourself Shen Q..."

"What do you mean? You think I should always be under your control?!"

Dao Nian: "..."

"I think Hao is a good character too." Dao Nian, who had been in love, had learned to be flexible, "Hao is good too, as long as you like it, you can call yourself that for eternity."

"That's right." Shen Chang'an was satisfied. He lay down on the bed, "Come on, the man lying under me, give me a back rub."

Dao Nian: "..."

Dao Nian silently used his spiritual energy to massage Shen Chang'an's meridians. Seeing that Shen Chang'an looked drowsy, he asked, "Are we still going to your friend's house for dinner?"

Shen Chang'an picked up his phone and saw that Zhang Gu had sent him several messages. He had been so focused on petting Dao Nian, who had transformed into a panda, that he hadn't even glanced at his phone.

"Yes," Shen Chang'an quickly got out of bed, "I'll go change clothes."

While Shen Chang'an was changing clothes, Dao Nian asked, "Chang'an, are you angry with me?"

"What do you think?" Shen Chang'an lowered his head to straighten his sweater.

Dao Nian: "..."

***

On Uncle Zhang's side, several master chefs were arguing about how to make the dishes even more delicious. Uncle Zhang was so annoyed by them that he closed the kitchen door and asked Zhang Gu, who was sitting on the sofa peeling garlic, "Did Chang'an say when he's coming?"

"Master, Chang'an hasn't replied to my message." Zhang Gu said, "Do you think he won't come?"

"That shouldn't be the case. Chang'an is a good kid, he always keeps his word." Uncle Zhang had a lot of faith in Shen Chang'an.

"Men are all pigs with hooves. Before they have a lover, they're still people who keep their word. After they have a lover, they become liars who can't be trusted. You can't have too high expectations of them." Zhang Gu looked at his naive senior with sympathy. "Should I give him a call and ask?"

"Why don't you go ask?" Uncle Zhang asked back.

"What if he's doing something interesting with his girlfriend? If I call him, wouldn't he scold me to death?" Zhang Gu's survival instinct was strong. "But you're different. You're his elder, he wouldn't dare scold you."

"Interfering with someone's love life will bring down thunder and lightning." Sharing the same sect, Uncle Zhang's will to survive was equally strong. "I don't want to."

After saying that, they both turned to look at the otaku ghost who was huddled in the corner playing mobile games: "You want to do it?"

The otaku ghost quickly shook his head: "Two masters, I'd rather be a ghost for a while longer and play games."

The two of them and the ghost blamed each other. Just as Uncle Zhang was about to ask Yan Yin to be the bad guy, Zhang Gu's phone rang.

"Chang'an?"

"In an hour?"

"Okay, okay." Zhang Gu carefully covered the phone with his hand, not wanting Shen Chang'an to hear the commotion coming from the kitchen. "Don't worry, with Chen Yuan there, the food will definitely be delicious."

Otaku ghost: ??

"Alright, alright." Zhang Gu hung up the phone and turned to Uncle Zhang, "Master, Chang'an will be here in an hour."

Uncle Zhang immediately kicked all the masters who were making a racket in the kitchen out the door: "If you have anything to say, talk about it tomorrow. I need to prepare to entertain Shen Chang'an and his girlfriend."

The masters who were kicked out of the house: "..."

Uncle Zhang and Zhang Gu's cooking skills were both mediocre, so the otaku ghost ended up doing the cooking while the two of them assisted.

"Boss Chang'an's girlfriend must be beautiful," the otaku ghost skillfully stir-fried the vegetables in the pan, "I heard from other ghosts that many girls liked Boss Chang'an, but he didn't seem to react to them in any special way. Now that he finally has someone he likes, how could this person be ordinary?"

"You guys are pretty gossipy as ghosts, aren't you?"

"Ghosts were people in their previous lives, and they were gossipy when they were alive, so they don't change their nature after becoming ghosts," the otaku ghost said, "But based on the Boss's character, his girlfriend must be very happy."

"That's true," Zhang Gu handed the washed cilantro to the otaku ghost, "Men who don't easily fall in love, once they do, they become incredibly serious about their feelings."

"You're talking as if you two have been in love before," Uncle Zhang grumbled, "Enough with the chatter, get back to your cooking."

Zhang Gu silently turned his head to look at Elder Zhang: "Master, you're so sarcastic, weren't you beaten up when you were young?"

"If you had the same strength as I did when I was young, you could also be sarcastic," Elder Zhang glanced at Zhang Gu, "If not, you can only endure others being sarcastic to you."

Zhang Gu: "..."

***

Although the sun was shining outside, the weather was still very cold. Shen Chang'an deliberately wore the same style of scarf as Dao Nian and drove back to his own community.

"Mr. Shen?" The community security guard almost didn't recognize Shen Chang'an. He stared for almost half a minute before confirming that he was a resident of the community. "You haven't lived here for a long time."

"Well, I've been living with my loved one recently," Shen Chang'an turned his head and glanced at Dao Nian in the passenger seat, "He's a good person, but he's a bit clingy. If I don't keep him company, he'll be unhappy."

"So Mr. Shen has a girlfriend, congratulations!" The security guard in the guardhouse couldn't see who was in the passenger seat, so he closed his eyes and praised, "You and your girlfriend are a perfect match, when are you going to have a wedding banquet?"

"That depends on her," Shen Chang'an chuckled, thanked the security guard, and drove into the community.

"I have no objections," Dao Nian said suddenly. "If you want, we can hold the wedding banquet tomorrow."

Shen Chang'an parked the car in the basement and said to Dao Nian, "Thank you, I don't want to."

Dao Nian thought, it seems he still wasn't working hard enough, so Chang'an wasn't willing to marry him.

"Mr. Shen." A couple got out of the car, followed by a child carrying a backpack.

This wasn't the family of that kid who claimed his house was haunted and stole his own homework. Back then, the husband was threatening to jump off the building, and it was him who dragged the man back up with a few police officers.

"Hello, are you here to pick up your child from school?"

"I just picked him up from his tutoring class." The man smiled at Shen Chang'an. "It's been a while since I last saw you."

"Yeah, I've been living with my partner recently." Shen Chang'an didn't live in the same building as them. After exchanging greetings, he went to his own building.

"That's not right," the male lead stopped and looked at his wife, confused. "Mr. Shen said he lives with his lover, but wasn't the person he was with just now a man?"

"People say they live with their loved ones, not that they live with their men." The hostess said with a touch of annoyance. "Besides, even if his loved one is a man, so what? He's still your savior. Don't talk about his private affairs."

The hostess thought to herself, the atmosphere between Shen Chang'an and his friend, although they didn't hold hands or say anything intimate, she could tell at a glance that there was an atmosphere between them that no one else could penetrate.

Uncle Zhang heard the knock on the door and quickly got up to open it.

But when he opened the door, he was stunned.

"Chang'an, where's your girlfriend?"