Chapter Five: You’re Everywhere (Please Add to Your Favorites)

“Thanks, but I’m not ready to die just yet. Still, I wouldn’t mind making your death a little more comfortable,” Fang Yuan spat venomously. Just the thought of such a scene filled him with a wicked sense of satisfaction.

“If indulging your imagination is enough to make you feel better, then be my guest. But I warn you, I have my limits. If you have no bottom line, don’t blame me for not giving you fair warning,” Chonchon retorted, refusing to be outdone. Yet, for Fang Yuan at this moment, such words had no power to intimidate.

Some things must be experienced firsthand to leave a lasting impression—like… well.

There was no denying that this hotel was enormous. It took Fang Yuan quite some time to finally leave that place, which now made his liver ache just thinking about it. He hoped never to see that girl again; as for the clothes he wore, let’s just say he considered them borrowed, with no intention of returning them.

This was a coastal city, sparsely populated—a circumstance that, for Fang Yuan right now, was ideal. However, few people also meant that anyone who did see him would remember him vividly. After all, in such a deserted area, someone dressed as oddly as Fang Yuan was a rare sight indeed.

Fang Yuan hurried along, wishing he could sprout wings. If only he had Nezha’s Wind Fire Wheels under his feet! But alas, his father wasn’t the famous Li Jing.

Thinking of this, Fang Yuan couldn’t help but remember his parents. How were they now?

“Chonchon, is there really no way I’ll ever see my parents again?” Fang Yuan asked. This was a parallel world, but his family would never see him again. The thought of his mother made him want to weep.

“Your fate has run its course. There’s nothing to be done. My condolences… try to move on,” Chonchon replied, reciting words of comfort it must have learned somewhere.

“You make it sound so easy,” Fang Yuan grumbled. The phrases he hated most were: ‘My condolences,’ ‘Try to look on the bright side,’ ‘Sorry,’ and the like—words that sounded more like mockery than consolation.

“Are you really not going back? That girl looked rich, and what you need most right now is money,” Chonchon pressed, not giving Fang Yuan a chance to wallow in sadness, its tone annoyingly sly.

“Bah! I’d rather go anywhere than back to her. Forget it. Or do you think I haven’t embarrassed myself enough?” Fang Yuan was so angry he wanted to twist off his own head, just to pull the worm out of it.

“I was just saying. If you really don’t want to go back, then so be it. Just don’t waste the body I nearly died to recover for you. If you starve yourself, I won’t let you off so easily,” Chonchon threatened. Yes, it wouldn’t do to let such wastefulness go unpunished.

Hearing this, Fang Yuan realized he was indeed hungry. Another problem occurred to him.

“Chonchon…”

“Why do you talk so much? There’s plenty to eat in the sea. When I swim, I can just grab something for a snack. No need for you to worry,” Chonchon replied, seemingly resigned to the new name, though it wasn’t fond of it. Having expended most of its strength saving Fang Yuan, it now lacked the energy to think about retribution. This account would simply have to wait.

What did they call it? Something about autumn and settling old scores…

Well, ever since hearing the word ‘swimming,’ Fang Yuan felt uncomfortable all over, as if stripped naked and watched by a crowd. He silently vowed never to mention his time at sea again.

“Can you explain what’s different about my body now? In detail, please—I’m not in a hurry,” Fang Yuan said, finding a sheltered spot to rest, weary from walking. He knew his body had changed, but not the specifics.

“Your body, in terms of appearance and everything else, is unchanged,” Chonchon replied with a serious cough.

“Don’t be so vague. Be thorough. This is my future, my livelihood—I can’t afford to overlook anything,” Fang Yuan insisted, refusing to let any detail slide. Clearly, Chonchon was trying to gloss over something important, but Fang Yuan wasn’t one to be so easily fooled.

“Fine. Your gender and any… physiological flaws are just as they were before. The only change is at the genetic level. Thanks to my modifications, you’ve gone from a calf pulling a heavy cart to a bull pulling a light one. Does that make things clearer?” Chonchon’s tone was insufferably smug.

Now Fang Yuan’s heart ached, not just his liver. Physiological flaws? He’d never had any such thing!

“Are you sure?” Chonchon teased mercilessly.

Fang Yuan was fuming inside, and Chonchon’s words made his anger flare.

“You miserable creature, believe me, I could squash you with two fingers!” Fang Yuan threatened, feeling that living with no privacy was worse than death itself.

Especially since the other party had learned all his secrets under such circumstances—he could have died of shame.

Chonchon, for once, fell silent, content merely to watch Fang Yuan suffer.

“Keep talking. Don’t play dead,” Fang Yuan growled. As long as the worm could feel shame, there was hope. The worst was dealing with the shameless—the kind that always left you on the losing end.

“With your genes altered, things that were once impossible for you are now easy. Like swimming—backstroke, breaststroke, whatever you like.” Chonchon was clearly doing this on purpose, rubbing it in.

Fang Yuan could only grit his teeth and bear it, forced to listen carefully to every word. After all, everyone has their weak points—and someday, he’d find Chonchon’s and have his revenge.

But he couldn’t even think such things, since his thoughts were always being overheard.

“Not only that, but your body is still in its early stages. I also used up a lot of energy. What we need most now is a place to recuperate and adjust. If all goes well, in a year or two we’ll both be incredibly powerful. Then you’ll see what a badass you really are,” Chonchon mused, as if they were already halfway there.