Chapter 2285: Three Months of Dark Memories
Asteroid Vault Hall, Bully Gang, Haitang, and all members of Jiangnan Said Team had moved in!
Yakeli's Stardust Gravity Field was constantly deployed, preventing any possibility of Two-Dimensional Fragments drifting over!
Otherwise, if they touched the asteroid, they'd be instantly flattened into a plane!
It also served as a precaution against that Two-Dimensional monster getting too close.
In the hall, Boss Pang's face was flushed with excitement!
He lunged into a pile of rare metals:
($✪﹃✪) "Holy shit, holy shit? Eternal Mother Copper! Sun Gold Crystal? There's tons of top-tier rare metals here! Even the Starry Sky Mines don't produce these anymore!"
"Little Boss, where did you get all this?"
He just casually pulled out a small vault to live in? Was Little Boss now operating on this grand a scale?
Chong Feiyu crossed her arms, looking proud:
(◕ˇ～ˇ◕) "Well, take a look? Naturally, this Empress wouldn't collect junk in her little vault—my standards are sky-high, after all!"
Jiangnan's face was beaming with smiles. He plopped down on a stool and patted the bulging sack:
(◦⁼̴ꇴ⁼̴◦) "Ah~ it wasn't a wasted fight. This is some real treasure!"
"When we get back, if it pops out a nest of little Creation Beasts for us, we'll be rich! Ehe~ Ehehe~"
As he spoke, he fantasized about the bright future, even laughing foolishly along with it.
Everyone watched him, speechless. Stealing someone else's Creation Beast and making it give birth to babies? That was just too much!
But at that moment, the Jiangnan Said Team exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
Zhong Yingxue stood up first, walked over to Jiangnan, put on a cool little face, raised her small hand, and cleared her throat twice!
Wu Liang, Xiong Er, Mila, Lan, Xia Yao, and the others all got up, gathered in front of Jiangnan, forming a small circle.
Everyone had serious expressions, their faces stern.
(͡°～͡°)(∗❛ั～❛ั)(◦`~´◦)(｡ᵒ̌～ᵒ̌)…
Jiangnan: (｡･ˇ～ˇ･｡:)???
What's going on? Ah~ I get it! They must be about to give me the welcome gifts they mentioned, right?
He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
(ʃƪ˘̫˘)
Then Zhong Yingxue spoke first:
(*⁰̷̴ก⁰̷̴) "Now that the fight's over and there's nothing urgent, we didn't have time to bring this up earlier. There's something we want to ask you~"
Jiangnan grinned: (︶ꇴ︶〃)ﾉ "Hai~ just ask, why be so polite with me?"
Wang Youzhi perked up immediately. He did a carp leap off the ground, landed beside Chong Feiyu, and nudged her with his elbow.
He kept winking.
(๑◔⥎◔ิ)✧(❛ั～❛ั∗)?
Here it comes! I've been waiting to see this~ Ahahaha!
Zhong Yingxue pouted, a little annoyed:
(｡ᵒ̌～ᵒ̌) "Xiao Nan, you've been out of Minghe Death Prison for a while now, haven't you? Why didn't you tell us?"
"If it weren't for the news and the wanted list, we'd still be in the dark!"
Xia Yao ground her teeth and nodded repeatedly:
(งᵒ̌～ᵒ̌)ง "Exactly, exactly! We've been so worried about you these days—can't eat, can't sleep, every night..."
"Every night, I think of you, wondering if you're okay in Minghe Death Prison, if you've been wronged, if you're still alive..."
As she said this, tears welled up in Xia Yao's eyes.
(｡ᵒ̴̶̷̥﹏ก̀｡) "Do you know how long I haven't slept? Look at these dark circles under my eyes—they've spread all over my body!"
Jiangnan: (•́ω•̀٥)
What the hell, dark circles spreading all over your body? Are dark circles really that big?
So you turned into a dark-skinned hot lady because of dark circles?
Looking at everyone's stern faces, Jiangnan's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
Wu Liang said with a hint of grievance:
(。•ˇ～ˇ•。) "Brother Jian didn't take action because Brother Nan told him after you got out, right?"
"You told Brother Jian but not us. We were still planning to rescue you!"
Mila's tears kept falling:
(งᵒ̴̶̷̥́﹏ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀)ง "D-Does... does Mila not matter to Brother Jiangnan anymore?"
"Am I not Brother Jiangnan's little sweetie anymore?"
Lan puffed her face up like a little steamed bun, glaring at Chong Feiyu:
(◦`~´◦) "Brother Jiangnan has a new white-haired loli now; he doesn't like us two anymore~"
Chong Feiyu: (｡･ˇ口ˇ･)ᕤ???
Seeing everyone's scrutinizing gazes, Jiangnan clutched his chest dramatically!
(づ꒪ͦO꒪ͦど) Wow!
My conscience! My conscience just took tons of critical damage!
Qian Benying crossed her arms smugly:
(*乛◡乛*) "Exactly! Boss Jiang? Aren't you going to give everyone an explanation?"
"You made everyone so worried. You escaped from prison but didn't even send a word—are you afraid we'd slow you down?"
Jiangnan glared at her with a tiny side-eye. Ladou Ying, why are you fanning the flames? You're just enjoying the drama!
Qian Benying was instantly intimidated by Jiangnan's glare. She shrank her neck and teleported behind Zhong Yingxue.
(´◔₃◔(∗❛ั～❛ั)
Xing Cheng even more boldly straightened her back:
(｡･ˇ〰ˇ･) "No food! Then cause trouble!"
Olivia blinked frantically. Hey, hey, hey, that's the wrong line! The line we gave you wasn't this!
Obviously, they had all discussed this beforehand—a strict interrogation for Jiangnan!
He had to give an explanation!
Wang Youzhi cackled loudly as he stood to the side, stuffing potato chips into his mouth. What a divine harem scene!
So even you, Jiangnan, have your day!
Jiangnan wiped the cold sweat off his forehead:
=͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇) "Um... do you want to hear the truth, or a sweet lie?"
Zhong Yingxue tilted her head and didn't respond, struggling to keep a straight face, not letting herself laugh.
Xia Yao thrust out her chest: (◕ˇ◠ˇ◕) "Hmph~ You decide~"
Jiangnan's eyes darted away. He said weakly:
(´◔‸◔`) "Actually... after I got out, I originally wanted to hide my identity and snatch the Celestial Chrysalis for Feiyu."
"I wanted to see you too, but if I told you all this, you'd definitely come looking for me, and it'd be easy to expose my identity."
"And then... I messed up. I didn't get the chrysalis, and my identity was exposed, so..."
As he said this, Jiangnan couldn't help scratching his head:
(•́﹏•̀٥)୨ "But that's just the surface reason. The real reason is that when I first came out, I was bald..."
"If you guys saw that, you'd definitely laugh at me. I thought I'd wait until my hair grew a little longer before telling you. And it's only just started to grow."
"As the tall, mighty, handsome, face-value ceiling, the God Nan, how could I be bald? I have to keep up my handsome image in front of you!"
Qian Benying: (´థжథ) "Pfft~"
Jiangnan: (≖_≖) Laughing at your sister!
Although it sounded ridiculous, this was indeed the fundamental reason Jiangnan decided to hide the news.
Zhong Yingxue's face was red from holding in laughter, but she still said sternly:
(⑉ớ⥎ờ) "But you still could have told us the news! If you'd explained, we wouldn't have come looking for you in the meantime!"
Xia Yao nodded repeatedly:
(︶～︶〃) "Exactly, exactly! Today you have to write at least thirty to fifty thousand words of self-criticism, deeply recognizing your mistakes!"
Jiangnan's jaw dropped. What the hell? I have to write a self-criticism?
I'm the Lord of the Era, you know! Don't I have any dignity?
Mila was confused:
(๑•̌～•̑)ˀ̣ˀ̣ "But how did Brother Jiangnan end up bald? This..."
Given Mila's understanding of Jiangnan, he'd sooner break his head and bleed than lose his hairstyle!
As soon as he heard this, Jiangnan perked up. He let out a long sigh:
(◞‸◟) "I didn't want it either! In Minghe Death Prison, I lived a life worse than a dog's!"
"Every day, I was beaten by the guards, beaten by the inmates, beaten by everyone. I was locked in solitary confinement and suffered the torture of the Styx's erosion!"
"I was forced to drink Dali to improve my physical condition just to barely survive. Otherwise, I might have been beaten to death! And those inmates were all freaks!"
(ﾉ)꒦ິ﹏꒦ີ(ヾ) "N-Not only did they beat me, they wanted to do unspeakable things to me! Wuwu~ If it weren't for the care of my brothers, I might not have made it through those three months, and you would never have seen me again!"
As he spoke, tears welled up in Jiangnan's eyes, and he couldn't help sobbing.
Zhong Yingxue couldn't help recalling the miserable state of Jiangnan in the photos. Her nose tingled.
Everyone's eyes reddened.
But at that moment, all the Bully Gang underlings:
(￢_￢)≖_≖)≖_≖)≖_≖)…
We don't believe a word you say! Beaten?
It was you who beat the guards every day, beat the inmates, beat everyone else!
You stayed in a luxurious five-star cell, and solitary confinement was something you asked to install in your room for daily showers!
That life was indeed not a human life—it was a freakin' immortal's life!
You even opened a little shop in the death prison and became the prison bully with a bunch of underlings! Who dared hit you?
Both deputy wardens were completely submissive to you! And unspeakable things? We were almost unspeakable to death by your soap!
You're spouting nonsense with wide eyes!
Jiangnan wiped his tears and continued sobbing:
(｡ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀﹏ก̀｡) "After I went in, I thought of you every day, every moment, waking or sleeping!"
"I thought of home every day. You were the only reason I kept going. Do you know how I survived those three months? Wuwu~"
Zhong Yingxue couldn't hold it in anymore. She stepped forward and pulled Jiangnan into a hug, a face-wash milk embrace, holding him tightly.
She patted his back comfortingly:
(∗ᵒ̴̶̷̥́◠ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀) "I know! We all know~ Don't cry, Xiao Nan. It's over, it's over now. Be good~ We know you've suffered."
Xia Yao also hugged Jiangnan from behind, sobbing uncontrollably:
(*꒦ິ口꒦ີ) "Wuwu~ You were beaten so badly. When have you ever been beaten like that? Damn Minghe Death Prison!"
"Forget the self-criticism—that was just a joke to tease you. We'll live well and make up for all the good days you missed in those three months, okay?"
Thinking of Jiangnan's miserable photos, no one could hold back. Mila and Lan both came over and hugged Jiangnan's arms, softly comforting him.
Qian Benying even reached out and rubbed Jiangnan's head, looking distressed:
(๑ớ～ờ)ھ "Ai~ For humanity, you've really suffered. No matter how hard we have it, it's nothing compared to your suffering!"
Wu Liang hugged Xiong Er, macho men shedding tears. Brother Nan had gone through hell!
Jiangnan was enveloped in warmth from all sides; he felt like he was melting, a face of utter bliss:
(*꒦ິ◠꒦ີ(꒪ͦ〰꒪ͦ⑉)ᵒ̴̶̷̥́◠ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀∗)
Coming home... feels so good~
The Bully Gang underlings were grinding their teeth so hard they might break. Boss Nan Shen was truly shameless!
Were they going to let us die of happiness? Damn it!
Chong Feiyu was gritting her teeth so hard it was audible, and the smell of jealousy wafted through:
(งᵒ̌皿ᵒ̌)ง⁼³₌₃
Stinking Nan, pretending to be pitiful just to get hugs!
Pfft! Shameless!
The actual situation was completely different from his description! They just didn't know what it was like in the death prison!
Wang Youzhi was furious. He slammed the bag of chips on the ground!
How could he still operate like this? He didn't get to see what he wanted at all!
And Jiangnan's smug little expression—how could Wang Youzhi tolerate that?
Brothers are meant to be thrown under the bus!
(ꐦ▼皿▼)☛ "Pfft! Dare you drink a Large Green Stick and say what you just said again? Mmph mmmph—"
Before he could finish, Jiangnan teleported out of the arms of comfort, rushed over, and covered Wang Youzhi's mouth!
(｡･ˇ～ˇ･) "Nonsense! How could I bear to relive such miserable memories?"
Qian Benying rubbed her red eyes:
(˚˃̣̣̥᷄～˂̣̣̥᷅) "Yeah? How can we make Boss Jiang relive such a dark experience? That would be too cruel!"
Wang Youzhi: !!!
Just then, Lan suddenly remembered something:
(#ớ～ờ) "Brother Jiangnan, don't need to be angry. We already avenged you once!"
"If you still feel unsatisfied, you can take it out on them again!"
Mila nodded repeatedly:
(｡･ˇ◠ˇ･) "Mm hmm, we haven't given you the welcome gift we carefully prepared yet, right?"
Zhong Yingxue and Xia Yao exchanged a knowing smile: "I think you'll love it!"
Wu Liang waved his fist and laughed lowly:
(。•ˇꇴˇ•) "Brother Nan! I put a lot of effort into that gift too. Lan, hurry up and show Brother Nan!"
Jiangnan's eyes sparkled. Could it be some kind of transcendent technique suited for me?
(ʃƪº﹃º) "Ehe~ Let me see?"
Wang Youzhi suddenly stopped struggling.
(⑉ԾกԾ⑉) "Ahem~"