118 - Dungeon Growth Log

**Chapter 118** Under the brilliant noontime sun, Xia Ge found a convenient excuse, something along the lines of "I'm sorry for hurting your leg, so let me escort you back" or "brothers should care for each other," to assist Ye Ze to his temporary residence. On the way, she was lost in thought. About… the system, getting trapped in a novel, the real and unreal. When the system first appeared, she thought she was hallucinating. Later, she thought it was a cruel joke. Watching her genuine emotions over the years become laughable, she eventually found herself numb. The journey had been quite spectacular. Ah, can you imagine? Discovering that the world you've truly lived in for three years is actually just a book. Every injury, every pain, every torment, every hardship you endured— Originally, all of it, was—fake. Perhaps the person you care about is just a piece of paper. Oh, and maybe not even a piece of paper; upon closer inspection, it might just be a line of words. Everyone is just a word. All fake. And in this world, like a set piece, she had lived genuinely for three years. These years of wandering seemed both laughable and pitiful. And this destined child, the protagonist in front of her, does he really exist? Xia Ge pondered this question all the way back with Ye Ze. But eventually, she realized it was all meaningless. Because even knowing it's a book, She would still hurt when she's meant to, still starve when she's hungry, and still feel sad for that girl. Three years is neither too long nor too short. But it's long enough for her to turn a book into reality. Wherever you are, you're just living. Not being a philosopher, why bother with what's real or fake? Xia Ge steadied herself and thought of the system's task. She'd read "Boundless Romance," so she knew this chosen one in front of her… would become incredibly powerful. A tragic backstory, family seemingly wiped out? Ah, if that's the case, no wonder he seemed like a young master before. No wonder he looked so naive. He's going to be so impressive in the future. Shouldn't she be smart and latch onto this golden thigh? Xia Ge followed Ye Ze to a dilapidated temple outside the small town. It was a haven for the town’s beggars, like the headquarters of their guild. "This is where I live," Ye Ze’s voice was crisp, with a hint of youthful tone. Yet, he was tall, about 1.67 meters. It was because of his height that Xia Ge realized her mistake during the bun snatching incident. In broad daylight, the guild's children went out to beg. In the corner, an old beggar lay on a tattered mat, fanning himself with an old, moth-eaten fan. "…Can I stay here too?" Xia Ge asked him. Ye Ze rolled his eyes at her: "No." "Xiao Ze’er." The old beggar, who had been fanning himself with his eyes closed, opened one of his right eyes. "Who’s this?" Ye Ze replied, "A beggar." The old beggar let out a soft "oh." “Then let her stay. It’s not like we’re short on space.” Ye Ze: "…" Though the old beggar was aged, he seemed to hold significant authority. Ye Ze didn’t contradict him, even though he seemed reluctant, eventually agreeing. The old beggar gave Xia Ge a lazy glance while fanning himself. "We have no strict rules here: beg during the day, sleep at night, no fighting, share what you have." Xia Ge nodded, still lost in thought about how to cling to this golden thigh without looking too desperate… After saying his piece, the old beggar eyed Ye Ze: “Boy, why are you back in broad daylight? Didn’t you get anything?” Ye Ze didn’t reveal that his leg got kicked by Xia Ge. He turned around and left, his leg only slightly hurt, not really painful. It was simply that Xia Ge’s coaxing had inexplicably made him feel he should let her assist him. As Ye Ze departed, Xia Ge thought about her need to latch onto the protagonist's thigh and moved to follow him, only to be stopped by the old beggar. "Hey, wait a moment." Xia Ge halted and looked back at him in puzzlement. The old beggar gave a couple of fans, opened both eyes, and after looking at her for a bit, closed them lazily again. "You've got a familiar face, kid." After a pause, he added, "That brat A Long took your bun. Don't be upset; breaking the beggars' rules will get him taught a lesson." ...The old man found out so quickly? They say the beggars have eyes and ears everywhere, and it seems to be true. Xia Ge clicked her tongue. "I already disciplined him," Xia Ge said. "That's your business," the old beggar said, lifting an eyelid. "Go with Xiao Ze’er." Xiao Ze’er... eww, is that the protagonist's nickname? Gives me goosebumps. When Xia Ge left the temple, she saw Ye Ze waiting under a willow tree in the distance, fiddling with a willow branch. It seemed like he was waiting for her. Xia Ge trotted over. Ye Ze, seeing her from afar, tossed the branch and walked off. "Hey, wait for me!" Xia Ge caught up, grinning. "You waited for me; why not wait a bit more?" Ye Ze: "I don’t wait for short-legged people." Xia Ge: "..." Don’t take it personally with the golden thigh. Remembering the system’s task, she asked seriously, "Hey, do you think I count as your little buddy now?" Ye Ze cast her a glance: "What kind of nonsense is that?" Xia Ge: "..." Alright. Before, when Xia Ge begged for food, she noticed whether her little companions got any food. This was a novel feeling. It also made Xia Ge realize that when Ye Ze begged, he always wore a serious expression, saying— “Please…” People usually left before he could say the second word. As expected, a young master who finds it hard to smile obsequiously at people. Xia Ge mused, hoping life had been kinder to him, given how harsh it used to be. Evening came quickly. Unlike Ye Ze, as her endeavor ended, Xia Ge had collected lots of copper coins and buns, even getting a piece of osmanthus cake from a young lady impressed with her sweet smile and smooth talk. A bounty full for her. Ye Ze fared much worse, clutching two miserable buns to his chest, looking quite dejected. Ye Ze glared at her: "What are you looking at?" Xia Ge swiftly averted her gaze. "I wasn’t looking at you." Yikes, heaven's mandate, when angry, could be frightening. As the sun set and darkness fell, Ye Ze didn’t return home. Instead, he found a corner, carefully wiped his buns clean, and started eating them. Xia Ge asked, "Why aren’t you going back?" Ye Ze took small bites of his bun and, after a while, said curtly, "…Not your business." Xia Ge quickly understood the implication. As the old beggar said, the rule is to share what you have. With just two buns to share, it felt rather bleak. Xia Ge squatted down beside him, taking a bun from her own stash and began to eat. As night deepened, Ye Ze finished eating; Xia Ge only had a single bun. Ye Ze looked at Xia Ge’s pile of stuff and frowned, “You…” Then he reconsidered, thinking why should he care about this person, so he closed his mouth again. "Let's go, time to head back,” Xia Ge said. The two of them returned to the rundown temple. At night, the temple was full of beggars. Some, having eaten, slept, while others stayed awake, hungry. The old beggar squinted and nodded a greeting when Xia Ge and Ye Ze returned. One who hadn’t slept noticed Xia Ge’s newly acquired bounty and eyes lit up, shouting, “Share with us!!” The shout woke many others, yet their irritation was nowhere near the excitement brought on by “share with us” demand. Everything Xia Ge had begged for was gone in a moment, claimed by others around her. Ye Ze watched with a mocking expression, not bothering to claim his share, full of “see? Foolish.” The old beggar watched, fanning himself silently. At this point, someone noticed Xia Ge’s unfamiliarity, scanning her from head to toe, “New here?” Xia Ge nodded shyly, “Yeah.” Those who shared Xia Ge’s bounty silently assessed her. Someone sniffed, “The buns tasted bad.” Yet ate in silence. This commotion only lasted a short while. Once food was finished, everyone went back to their own, as if nothing happened. The old beggar continued fanning himself, eyes closed. Night deepened. Peace settled. Without bedding or blankets, and unwilling to sleep on the dirty temple floor, where the beggars' stench was unbearable, Xia Ge snuck outside, leaning against the wall to rest under the stars. Roughing it out, a skill essential for a beggar. After three years of wandering, she was used to it. After a while, someone settled beside her. Xia Ge kept her eyes closed, not opening them. "…Do you think acting like this makes them grateful?" Ye Ze quietly asked. “You’re too stupid!” A golden thigh managing only two buns said she was stupid, huh. Xia Ge nodded obediently, her agreement visible in her compliance. “Mm-hm, I’m very stupid.” Ye Ze: “…” Ye Ze sensed something off, but at barely nine years old, the young boy couldn’t pinpoint the oddity, left frustrated. Xia Ge chuckled inside. This golden thigh was indeed still just a kid. Under the gentle moonlight, it seemed the golden thigh was fast asleep. Xia Ge opened one eye. Jin Da Tui hugged his knees, his head nodding as if he was sleepy, trying hard to keep his eyes open, but they soon closed again. Xia Ge had only eaten one bun, and her stomach made a loud growling noise, waking up the almost sleeping Jin Da Tui. He glared at Xia Ge, puffing his cheeks, "You really are stupid." But before he could finish, his own stomach growled too. It was already late at night, and at his age, where he was still growing, a bun or two had long been digested. Ye Ze’s face turned visibly red. Slowly, Xia Ge pulled out the piece of osmanthus cake. The faint fragrance of osmanthus spread through the air. Ye Ze opened his eyes wide, "You..." Xia Ge broke the cake in half, handed it to him, and feeling a bit sleepy herself, didn’t bother explaining, lazily saying: “Share and share alike.” Ye Ze: "..." Xia Ge: "Do you want it?" Ye Ze wanted to be dignified and say "no," but his stomach growled again. He was so hungry. The osmanthus cake smelled so good. His father had always said that a real man must know when to yield and when to stand firm. Besides... this was the rule set by the old beggar… if others can share, then, so could he. Anyway, this person seemed so foolish. Xia Ge found it amusing to watch her golden thigh wrestling with his desperate dilemma. It’s just half a cake—why did it look so agonizing for him to decide? After a long internal struggle, Ye Ze shook his head, difficultly saying: "…No." His father had said you should stand firm, but he had also said… if you see someone doing something you think is wrong, make sure not to do the same. This girl looked younger than himself and thus perhaps a bit dumb. Inside, those people bullied her under the guise of sharing. It was too much. He was the sole son of the Ye family. He’d rather go hungry than become like them. Ye Ze refused. Xia Ge paused, then asked: "Does your leg still hurt?" Ye Ze: "It stopped hurting long ago. Who do you think I am?" Xia Ge yawned: "I hurt your leg, so by rights, I owe you half a bun." “This half osmanthus cake is my apology to you.” Xia Ge paused, using formal speech, her half-closed eyes widening slightly as the silvery moonlight curled, casting a gentle smile in her gaze. “Would you graciously forgive me?" Ye Ze puffed his cheeks, "I never blamed you. You really are dumb." Finally, he reached out, carefully taking the piece of cake from her. Xia Ge said nothing more, and the two huddled in the corner, like thieves, polishing off the osmanthus cake. The cake’s fragrance wafted into the temple. A few beggars opened their eyes, one starting to speak, but another's glare shut him up. That person scanned the room, and seeing no one else dared to talk, snorted and went back to sleep as if nothing had happened. If Xia Ge had seen, she would recognize the glaring beggar as the one who said the buns tasted bad earlier. The rule of "sharing equally" wasn’t without significance. The old beggar merely flipped over, fanning himself nonchalantly. What a familiar and clever child. **Author's Note:** I've read your comments... Goodness, so many little essays _(:3)∠)_ I don't know how to explain it. How to say it... There's a saying that in a thousand readers' hearts, there are a million Hamlets (not really). As a diligent wordsmith, all I can do is stay true to myself and try to faithfully recreate the story in my heart. Ye Ze's chapter follows the outline. I haven't changed it. I won’t cut anyone’s story. Each part is necessary because missing even one person, and the story crumbles. The story can't fall apart, so no one can be left out. I also very much agree with a reader's comment. Love cannot tolerate a third party. = = The recent plot is about tying up loose ends, wrapping up the foreshadowing of Ye Ze and Chu Yi from earlier chapters (looking skyward). I will diligently patch these up, trying to avoid dragging things out otz. In the coming days, I might update daily. Maybe, possibly, probably... Okay, I'd better not promise anything. = = Thank you, little angels, for the landmines! Love you all!