Striving for Science C96 pt1

Elder Peacock, who had cultivated for a thousand years, felt a suspicion he shouldn't have at his age. He couldn't understand why Shen Chang'an was suddenly interested in his age.

"Your cultivation must be very high."

"Mr. Shen, just call me Old Kong. I've been living a carefree life, cultivating for over a thousand years."

Dao Nian is a panda spirit who has been cultivating for a thousand years, and Elder Kong has also been cultivating for a thousand years...

Shen Chang'an smiled politely: "Very impressive."

Elder Peacock: "..."

"No, no, no, Mr. Shen, your expression doesn't seem to mean that."

The yaos from the aquatic, beast, and demon tribes think more simply. The green peacock is on the verge of extinction, and as a human, Mr. Shen asking a few more questions, being a little curious is normal.

They waited for a while, seeing that Shen Chang'an seemed to have lost interest in continuing the conversation, they all said their goodbyes. It wasn't that they didn't want to curry favor with the Heavenly Dao, but they were afraid of accidentally revealing the truth and exposing his insincere lies.

"Mr. Shen, the bird you're keeping…"

"Our Dao Nian hired professional bird caretakers, you don't have to worry." Shen Chang'an smiled, "We'll take good care of him."

Elder Peacock: "Good, good."

It's almost certain that Mr. Shen doesn't really like him.

Is it because his tail feathers aren't beautiful enough, or is it because Mr. Shen still holds a grudge against their bird clan's younger generation for provoking him?

Thinking about this, Elder Peacock went back and called his siblings over to scold them severely. After scolding them both, Elder Peacock still felt unhappy and scolded Kong Ying, who had gone to the Heavenly Dao to make a fuss.

Kong Yue, Kong Yang, and Kong Ying were confused but dared not retort.

Peacocks, after all, can have inexplicable bad moods.

All the guests in the flower room had left. Shen Chang'an sat opposite Dao Nian, separated by a carved tea table. The hot mist from the tea rose, filling the room with the aroma of tea.

"Someone told me today that the world is about to end."

Dao Nian paused in his action of pouring tea. He looked at Shen Chang'an and remained silent for a while: "What about you?"

"What?"

"What do you think about the end of the world?"

"Until that moment arrives, I won't believe that the end of the world is coming."

The tea in the cup gently swayed, creating shallow ripples.

"If... if there really is a day when the world ends, what would you do?" Shen Chang'an's hand unconsciously scratched the table, "Have you ever thought about it?"

The end of the world is the day when the Heavenly Dao perishes.

Dao Nian had never thought about that day, nor did he fear its arrival. Life and death were simply that, but as he looked at Chang'an, whose face was filled with earnest concern, he put down his teacup and said seriously, "Perhaps it will be like today, sitting with you, drinking tea, watching you smile, and waiting for the final moment to arrive."

Shen Chang'an's heart stirred: "I think so too. If that day really comes, I want to stay with you, go nowhere, until this world is reduced to dust."

Dao Nian looked at Shen Chang'an. Beneath his calm gaze, countless turbulent emotions were hidden, but he said nothing, asked nothing.

Some feelings, because they have never been experienced, become particularly timid.

"I think, if there really is a doomsday, I want to eat all the delicious food in the world with my lover, see all the mountains and rivers, and take countless photos of us showing off our love and post them on my Moments, feeding all my friends with enough single-dog food to make them burst."

Dao Nian slowly lowered his eyelids, gazing at the swirling steam, silent.

"I want to do all the things I didn't get to do as children, the things I once longed for, couldn't bear to let go of, wanted to do but didn't dare. I want to try them all with him." Shen Chang'an reached for his teacup, but his hand trembled with nervousness, spilling some of the tea.

"In the cold winter, I want to take him to play in the snow, then put his cold hands in my pocket. In the summer, we'll go swimming, and we can put sunscreen on each other." Shen Chang'an looked at Dao Nian expectantly, "Don't you think that would be great?"

Dao Nian stared stiffly at Shen Chang'an: "Maybe he doesn't like the things you wanted to do as a child, maybe he doesn't like building snowmen, maybe he doesn't like swimming."

He wanted to say, those things that others wouldn't do, he could do them all with Chang'an. But facing Chang'an's expectant eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

He couldn't even bear to see Chang'an suffer this slight grievance.

"No... not like them?" Shen Chang'an stammered, "Then what do you like to do?"

"What I like, what does it have to do with your lover?" Dao Nian turned his head, looking at the roses in the vase, "It doesn't matter."

"Whatever you like, I'll do it with you." Shen Chang'an got up and walked to the vase, looking intently at Dao Nian, "What's so good about roses, look at me, okay?"

Dao Nian withdrew his gaze: "Okay."

"So..." Shen Chang'an's heart pounded like thunder. He felt like Dao Nian could hear his heart's frantic beat, "So, will you consider being my lover?"

"Sir, Chang'an, it's very late. If you don't eat, Chang'an will be late for work."

Dao Nian: "Get out!"

Shen Chang'an: "Not eating."

Faced with two pairs of angry eyes, Liu Mao silently retracted his head.

What's going on? Why are they so angry?

Dao Nian regretted not setting up a barrier outside the flower room, to prevent people without any sense from barging in.

Seeing Dao Nian's expression turn a bit grim, Shen Chang'an's heart sank. Was this... the prelude to anger?

He thought dejectedly, his best friend was thinking about how to strip him naked, if he were Dao Nian, he would be angry too.

What if Dao Nian got angry because of this, even cut off their friendship? What would he do?

He couldn't possibly threaten Dao Nian like those men who jumped into rivers, could he? He couldn't bring himself to do it, and he wouldn't dare to push Dao Nian that far.

He should just apologize and beg for forgiveness. After all, what's the point of a man's pride when he's pursuing the person he loves? Even if he had to lay his face on the ground and let Dao Nian step on it, kicking him out, he wouldn't regret it.

Dao Nian stood up, walked in front of Shen Chang'an, and slightly lowered his head to meet Shen Chang'an's gaze. "The person you want to love, is it me?"

Shen Chang'an nervously nodded.

"Do you want to build a snowman with me?"

Shen Chang'an continued to nod.

Dao Nian glanced at the warm winter sun outside the flower room, but didn't say anything. He got up and walked to the door of the flower room, turning around to see Shen Chang'an standing there like a little wife. "Do you like building snowmen?"

Shen Chang'an stared at Dao Nian, his voice a little shaky. "I, I guess so?"

He wasn't really that interested in building snowmen, but he had seen a video online of a panda that was sent to a northern zoo, happily playing around in the snow after it snowed. So he thought that Dao Nian, being a panda too, would probably like the snow as well.

"I understand." Dao Nian gave Shen Chang'an a "I can't help you" expression and extended his hand towards him. "Come here."

Shen Chang'an looked at Dao Nian's outstretched hand, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "Dao Nian, are you going to hold my hand?"

Dao Nian pursed his lips. "You don't want to?"

Don't couples always hold hands when they walk?

He was about to retract his hand when Shen Chang'an shot forward like a cannonball, grabbing his hand and beaming. "After we hold hands, you'll be my panda."

The corners of Dao Nian's lips, which had just curled up, drooped again.

Does Chang'an like him more, or does he like pandas more?

Or is it because he's a panda that Chang'an wants him to build a snowman?

Dao Nian's hand was slightly cold. Shen Chang'an stuffed both their hands into his coat pocket. "So, from today on, we're lovers, right?"

"Hmm..." The Heavenly Dao Lord, who had been expressionless for millennia, silently blushed at the tips of his ears.

"Wait." Shen Chang'an stopped, turned his head, and looked around like a thief, quickly kissing Dao Nian on the lips.

Then his face turned even redder than Dao Nian's earlobes, his eyes darting around, avoiding Dao Nian's rosy lips, and pretending to be confident. "Do you know what this is called?"

Dao Nian's voice was a little hoarse. "What's it called?"

"This is called a lover's seal." Shen Chang'an took advantage of Dao Nian's aversion to socializing and his lack of understanding of romantic relationships, and blatantly lied. "It's a must-have ritual for lovers."

Dao Nian frowned. "Is that so?"

"Y-yes." Shen Chang'an inwardly berated himself. "Shen Chang'an, Shen Chang'an, all your life, you've only used your lying skills to take advantage of your lover?"

"I understand." Dao Nian nodded solemnly, withdrawing his hand from Shen Chang'an's palm. He then reached out and gently touched the back of Shen Chang'an's head, lowering his head.

The wind in the air was dancing.

The greenery in the garden swayed in a tender embrace with the wind.

Shen Chang'an smelled the scent of blooming roses, and his face was even redder than the roses themselves.

After a long moment, Dao Nian released Shen Chang'an, taking his hand and holding it in his own palm. "The seal wasn't properly applied just now, it was too light."

"Oh, oh." Shen Chang'an, dazed, let Dao Nian lead him, almost tripping as they climbed the steps. Seeing him so disoriented, Dao Nian sighed helplessly, then gave him a "What am I going to do with you" look, reached out to hold his waist, and half-hugged, half-carried him to the dining table and sat him down.

Everyone in the hall, busy with their tasks, froze for a brief two seconds upon seeing the two men's posture. But the moment Dao Nian's gaze swept over them, they all returned to their usual activities as if nothing had happened.

After dinner, Dao Nian stamped Shen Chang'an's "out" seal before letting him go to work.

All the gods and yaos in the entire villa witnessed this scene.

Dao Nian watched Shen Chang'an leave, then turned to see all the creatures looking at him. He suddenly spoke, "Has it snowed in Wuming City in the past twenty years?"

"There has been sleet and light snow."

Dao Nian looked up at the sky, his tone flat, "It's getting cold. Wuming City should have a heavy snowfall."

Everyone: "?"

Dao Nian didn't care what others thought. He opened his computer and found the online media account of a panda base.

This account only posted videos related to pandas. What he couldn't understand was that even panda poop could attract a chorus of cheers from humans, who were even willing to pay for panda poop-made tissues.

Many people in the comment section asked how to form a group to steal pandas, and some even said they were willing to sell everything they own to raise a panda, begging the government to assign one to them.

Dao Nian couldn't help but ask in the comment section below: Is a panda more important than a boyfriend?

User 1: Duh, with a panda, who needs a boyfriend?

User 2: Even under panda videos, people are urging marriage? All you talk about is boyfriends, boyfriends. Men are everywhere, but can you find pandas everywhere?

User 3: Do you even need to ask? Of course! My biggest dream in life is for a panda to suddenly transform into a handsome man, standing before me and saying he wants to be my boyfriend.

Many people were still replying to the question, and Dao Nian vaguely understood these humans' thoughts.

His lips gradually tightened. If he wasn't a panda, would Chang'an still like him?