Embers Ad Infinitum

On the 417th floor, Long Yuehong led Shang Jianyao to meet his grandmother, Zhong Zining, at the Rec Center.

At this moment, Zhong Zining was dancing and working out with a group of neighbors of varying ages.

Shang Jianyao’s eyes lit up when he saw this, eager to take off his coat and join in. To his frustration, the music stopped.

Zhong Zining wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel wrapped around her shoulders and heard her eldest grandson shout for her.

As he walked toward the old lady, Shang Jianyao sighed with regret and envy at Long Yuehong. “Your grandmother’s floor is good at organizing activities. The Rec Center’s PIC here is too serious and responsible!”

I don’t like such music and dancing… As Long Yuehong muttered inwardly, he casually replied to Shang Jianyao, “If you find it good, you can apply for a room on this floor after you get married. With your rank, the higher-ups will definitely take your preferences into consideration.”

He didn’t say that, compared to his rank, they cared more about Shang Jianyao’s level as an Awakened.

Just as he said that, Long Yuehong softly grunted. He realized that with Shang Jianyao’s serious mental illness, it wouldn’t be a joyous matter regardless of who his assigned lady was unless the two parties had feelings for each other, allowing them to tolerate and accept each other as they went through thick and thin.

Upon seeing the two of them come over, Zhong Zining glanced at Shang Jianyao and said to Long Yuehong, “Is this the colleague you mentioned?”

Without waiting for Long Yuehong’s response, Shang Jianyao nodded obediently. “Hello, Grandma!”

“That’s right,” Long Yuehong quickly added.

“Mmm.” Zhong Zining nodded slightly and sized up Shang Jianyao for a while. As she recalled, she asked Long Yuehong, “He’s your classmate, right? I remember meeting him at your house. He came to play with you many times.”

“Yes, yes, yes. We were assigned to the same place,” Long Yuehong explained simply.

Zhong Zining smiled and enthusiastically asked Shang Jianyao, “When did you get married?”

“I don’t have a partner yet,” Shang Jianyao replied truthfully.

Long Yuehong couldn’t stop him in time.

This didn’t match the plan!

Zhong Zining was stunned. “Why are you asking for a Babymaker talisman when you don’t have a partner?”

Shang Jianyao replied in all seriousness, “Normally, one should request for a marriage talisman.”

Upon seeing Zhong Zining nod in agreement, he continued, “But after getting a marriage talisman and having a partner, won’t I have to request for a Babymaker talisman after marriage? And if I were to request for a Babymaker talisman directly, it’s impossible for me to have a child on my own, right? It’ll definitely have to give me a partner. Therefore, requesting a Babymaker talisman kills two birds with one stone!”

Zhong Zining was confused, but she felt that the other party made sense.

“That’s true.” She pointed at the Rec Center. “I’ll go back and change first. Then, I’ll lead you to the Mu family to request for the talisman.”

Shang Jianyao sincerely asked, “Granny, can I wait for you here?”

Long Yuehong’s grandparents lived in Zone C, so they still had to pass by the Rec Center to go to Zone B.

“Kid, are you embarrassed? Let me tell you something: Such a personality doesn’t benefit you when finding a partner.” Zhong Zining smiled and said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Just wait here.”

She then said to Long Yuehong, “Entertain your friend well.”

After watching his grandmother leave the Rec Center, Long Yuehong frowned and suppressed his voice as he said to Shang Jianyao, “Did you use your abilities on my grandmother?”

Otherwise, how could she accept the idea of a single young man begging for a Babymaker talisman so easily?

“I didn’t?” Shang Jianyao had an innocent expression. “Your grandmother is very easy to talk to.”

Long Yuehong was just about to reply with ‘yes,’ when Shang Jianyao added, “Just like you.”

“…” Long Yuehong was immediately speechless.

After dozens of seconds, the music sounded again.

Shang Jianyao took off his coat, held it in his hand, and walked into the dancing crowd. For a moment, he felt like a fish in water as if he were back home.

So you didn’t go to my grandmother’s house because you wanted to take the opportunity to dance… Long Yuehong came to a realization.

After Zhong Zining returned after changing, Shang Jianyao walked out of the ‘dance floor’ reluctantly and put on his coat.

“You are quite rhythmic,” Zhong Zining praised. “Very few young people usually dance with us.”

“That’s because they have no taste and don’t know how to appreciate it.” Shang Jianyao spoke righteously.

This made Zhong Zining very happy, so much so that Long Yuehong felt a sense of danger that his status as eldest grandson was at risk. Therefore, he tried his best to change the topic.

As they chatted along the way, the three of them entered Zone B and arrived at Room 49.

Not only was the door tightly shut, but even the curtains were drawn.

At this moment, most of the doors to the surrounding rooms were open. People gathered on the streets to chat and kill time.

Knock! Knock! Knock! 

Zhong Zining knocked on Room 49’s door.

“Little Mu! Are you home?” she shouted as she knocked.

After about ten seconds, the door creaked open.

It was dim inside with only one lamp switched on. The space wasn’t considered spacious, only slightly larger than Shang Jianyao’s room. It could barely accommodate a family of three.

At this moment, there was only one person in the room—a woman in her thirties in old black clothes.

Her hair was messy, and her skin was slightly pale. The rest was fine; she was someone who had undergone genetic enhancement with above-average effects.

“You’re wasting energy! Why don’t you use the street lamps on the street?” Before Zhong Zining explained her intentions, Shang Jianyao advised her with a pained expression.

The woman was stunned. “Talismans have to be drawn in such an environment.”

“Oh, oh, oh.” Shang Jianyao immediately showed the respect afforded by a professional.

Zhong Zining glanced at him and smiled. “Little Mu, this is my eldest grandson’s colleague. He wants a Babymaker talisman. Ah… Where’s your husband and child?”

“He went to his father’s place. I have a few urgent talismans to make, so I didn’t go,” explained Mu casually. She then asked Shang Jianyao, “Is it urgent? If it’s urgent, it won’t fit into my timetable.”

We need to pay more… Long Yuehong—who was well-read in the Old World’s entertainment—added inwardly almost reflexively.

“No rush, no rush,” Shang Jianyao replied with a smile. “Auntie Mu, draw whenever you have the time.”

“Auntie…” Mu repeated the term with a nasty expression.

Hey, the one with high EQ should be out at a time like this! Long Yuehong resisted the urge to scratch his head. He had always felt that Shang Jianyao’s EQ was Schrodinger-like.

Zhong Zining laughed and helped introduce them. “This is Little Mu, Mu Qingqing. She’s only a few years older than you.”

Shang Jianyao oohed and aahed and smiled at Mu Qingqing. “Look, we were all born after the company’s genetic enhancement technology matured. You’re only a few years older than me. So…”

Mu Qingqing smiled and said, “Just call me Sister Mu. I’ve always been regretful that I don’t have a younger brother or sister.”

“…” Long Yuehong was dumbfounded. Only then did he realize that Shang Jianyao’s previous lack of EQ was to use Inference Clowning or Thought Guidance without anyone noticing.

How cunning! How cunning! Long Yuehong could only criticize inwardly.

After becoming Shang Jianyao’s sister, Mu Qingqing became much more enthusiastic. “Wait here then. I’ll draw it for you now.”

Zhong Zining—who was watching—explained, “See? Little Mu is a nice person.”

Long Yuehong took the opportunity to say to Zhong Zining, “Granny, now that it’s done, we won’t trouble you any more. We’ll wait. You can head back to the Rec Center to dance.”

He was afraid that the subsequent ‘conversation’ would be too terrifying and end up scaring his grandmother or that she would be embroiled in danger.

Zhong Zining was indeed concerned about her friends at the Rec Center. She didn’t stand on ceremony. After exhorting Long Yuehong, she turned around and walked out of the room.

Shang Jianyao smiled at Mu Qingqing. “Sister Mu, was your talisman drawing skills inherited from your ancestors?”

“Yes, my great-grandfather was a Daoist priest, and his lineage was passed down.” Mu Qingqing combed her messy hair.

Shang Jianyao asked with bright eyes, “Are these talismans really useful?”

Mu Qingqing hesitated and stammered, “It’s effective if you believe in it.”

“Really?” Shang Jianyao pressed.

Mu Qingqing felt that she shouldn’t lie to her brother. After hesitating for a moment, she said, “It might’ve been effective in the past, but it’s hard to say now.”

“Why?” Long Yuehong interrupted in surprise.

Mu Qingqing scratched her head and said in embarrassment, “I wasn’t too interested and didn’t learn it seriously when my father taught me how to draw the symbols. After I realized that I could earn a lot of additional contribution points with this, I realized that I couldn’t remember what the real patterns looked like. I could only redesign it according to my impression of it and try my best to make the process seem mysterious…”

Long Yuehong’s expression froze, and the corners of his mouth twitched. Your scrawls are not bad…

Shang Jianyao stroked his chin. “Sister Mu, why didn’t you learn from Uncle again? Why did you have to design it yourself?”

That’s right… Long Yuehong snapped to his senses.

Mu Qingqing let out a long sigh. “Your uncle passed away five years ago.”

“Sigh… My condolences.” Shang Jianyao was very sincere. He then casually asked, “Uncle shouldn’t be too old five years ago. How did he pass away?”

Based on Mu Qingqing’s age, her father was at most in his fifties five years ago. With Pangu Biology’s current conditions, it wasn’t unlikely for old employees to live to the age of 60 or 70, just like Long Yuehong’s grandparents.

Mu Qingqing revealed a mournful expression. “This might be fate. He suddenly had a myocardial infarction and couldn’t be resuscitated.”

Myocardial infarction… Long Yuehong’s pupils suddenly dilated.