Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

Life is like water soaked in honey.

When it flows through your fingers, it feels warm and sticky.

Looking back, I realize that much has already disappeared.

The third weekend since returning.

It rained lightly this morning.

The weather cleared up in the afternoon.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of freshly washed grass and trees.

Sunlight streamed through the damp windowpane.

It cast shimmering, watery spots of light on the living room floor.

Zhang Qiling sat on the sofa by the window.

He was holding a thick, hardcover, gold-embossed book.

Huo Xiuxiu brought it back from the bookstore yesterday.

One of a series of books on the study of patterns on ancient jade artifacts.

The pages are very new.

It has the distinctive smell of ink and paper.

He translated very slowly.

My gaze lingered on the rubbings and intricate line drawings.

Occasionally, he would raise his eyes.

I looked out the window at the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, which was glistening from the rain.

Or other people in the living room.

Fatty Wang sat cross-legged on the carpet.

A pile of colorful flyers was spread out in front of me.

He was frowning.

Write or draw on it with a pencil.

Muttering to himself:

"Old Li's pork belly on East Street is good, but you have to pre-order..."

"Aunt Liu's free-range eggs in Xishi have a fresh batch this afternoon..."

"Captain Chen needs to help reserve the freshest batch of seafood..."

Wu Xie leaned back in another single sofa next to him.

A laptop was propped up on his lap.

Fingers slide across the touchpad.

The screen displays an online catalog from an auction house.

He would occasionally mutter to himself:

"It's a fake, the workmanship is too new."

or:

"This is interesting, but it's damaged."

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu were in the study.

The door was ajar.

Faint whispers could be heard about discrepancies in local gazetteer records from a certain period of Ming-Qing transition.

Aning is inspecting a newly installed rainwater harvesting and filtration system in the backyard.

He was holding a tablet computer and recording data.

Jiang Xun Gu was wiping his military dagger, which he never parted with, at the door.

His movements were meticulous.

The bear has vanished without a trace.

But two cans of beer were missing from the kitchen refrigerator.

Several oranges were also stolen from the fruit bowl on the coffee table.

The levitating live-streaming ball hovered quietly beside the crystal chandelier in the center of the living room.

The camera slowly rotates.

This captures a scene of a peaceful afternoon, where everyone is busy with their own things, yet strangely harmonious.

The atmosphere in the live stream room was also relaxed.

"After the rain, the sky clears, and life is peaceful."

"Is Fatty studying a recipe? It's rare to see him so focused."

"Wu Xie is looking at antiques again, it's an occupational hazard."

"Two bigwigs are doing academic work in the study."

"Sister Ning is always busy with important matters."

"Jiang Ge looks so handsome wiping his knife."

"Blackie must have gone off somewhere to slack off again."

"Two young men reading together, the scene is so beautiful."

Zhang Qiling lifted his gaze from the pages of the book.

I scanned the living room again.

The fat man's round face was shiny with oil in the sunlight.

His brows were furrowed as he pondered.

Wu Xie pushed up his glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of his nose.

Staring at the screen.

His profile is more defined than it was ten years ago.

But his focused expression remained unchanged.

The whispers coming from the study were calm and gentle.

In the backyard, there could be faint sounds of Ah Ning walking around and the pen clicking on the screen.

Jiang Xun Gu's knife-wiping movements at the door were steady and rhythmic.

These sounds.

These images.

These scents.

They are woven into a fine and stable net.

He was in the center of the net.

It can clearly perceive the existence and status of each node.

It is safe.

It is warm.

It is... "alive".

He lowered his eyes again.

I looked at a rubbing of a dragon-shaped jade ring from the Shang and Zhou dynasties on the page.

The lines are archaic and fierce.

Yet it possesses a vitality that transcends time.

His fingertips moved unconsciously.

He ran his fingers very lightly along the edge of the page.

then.

In his heart, he calmly called out:

【system.】

There was almost no delay.

That familiar voice, with a touch of afternoon languor, echoed deep within my mind:

[Yes, yes, host.]

What are your orders?

Feeling bored with reading and looking for a casual chat with this system?

"no."

"Zhang Qiling" responded in his consciousness.

His gaze remained fixed on the pages of the book.

"Just to confirm you're here."

The system seemed to choke for a moment.

Then it emitted a soft, amused sound:

【Oh, host, you...missed me?】

Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll just stay here.

Are you enjoying your leisurely life?

[The fat guy is planning a barbecue party next weekend; he's even spent three days researching brands of grill and charcoal.]

Zhang Qiling didn't respond to the topic of barbecue.

He remained silent for a few seconds.

As you turn a page of the book.

He asked himself:

How long can we endure this?

This time, the system paused for a little longer.

When he spoke again.

In that usual teasing tone.

A barely perceptible, almost sigh-like seriousness was mixed in:

[Host, are you... already starting the countdown?]

Zhang Qiling did not deny it.

He looked at a newly appeared rubbing of a Han Dynasty jade dancer on the page.

Her dance moves were graceful and elegant.

Sleeves fluttering.

It freezes a moment of joy from a thousand years ago.

He "listened" to the fat man muttering in the living room as he crossed out one option and added another.

Listen to the sound of Wu Xie gently tapping on the keyboard.

I could faintly hear the sound of pages turning in the study.

The gentle tinkling of the water flowing in the backyard.

The regular, soft sound of a cotton cloth being wiped against metal at the doorway.

These sounds are so specific.

So vibrant.

But it also made him realize with absolute clarity.

All of this is "temporary".

It was a luxurious break earned through ten years of solitude.

I can't say for sure how long it will take.

The system's voice became cheerful again.

But that seriousness did not completely disappear.

It depends on many things.

For example, the sturdiness of the 'door' outside.

For example, the degree to which this world corrects for "anomalies."

For example... how much "free time" can the people around you really give you?

Zhang Qiling's fingertip paused briefly on the page.

He knew what the system referred to.

Changbai Mountain.

Bronze door.

That was the destined trajectory of "Zhang Qiling" in this world.

It is the ending that is written in the story.

He replaced the original Wu Xie.

He accepted that ten-year agreement.

But some deeper, more fundamental "agreements" still exist.

And the people around me.

Wu Xie, Fatty, Xie Yuchen...

They have spent the last ten years researching, preparing, and clearing obstacles.

It wasn't just about the door that led him out of Eye Island.

Perhaps it was also subconsciously, with all their might.

I wanted to push open that heavier, more destined door for him.

Or at least.

Let that door open a little later.

Close it later.

As for your brother...

The system abruptly changed its tone.

His "countdown" might be a little different from yours.

His "home" is on the other side of the door.

No matter how beautiful the scenery is here, it's still just a hotel.

Zhang Qiling turned his head slightly to the side.

His gaze shifted to the opposite side.

Zhang Qiling sat in a high-backed armchair near the study door.

He was also holding a book in his hand.

It is another volume in that series of books on jade artifacts.

He read with a more upright posture.

His profile was illuminated by the light filtering through the crack in the study door.

It appears exceptionally clear and cold.

It resembles a silent jade sculpture.

But Zhang Qiling could sense it.

The other person's mind was not entirely on the pages of the book.

Beneath that calm exterior...

There is also a profound, detached thought flowing within it, one that seems out of place in this world.

They shared similar life trajectories.

But they point to different destinies.

One is the unfulfilled destiny of this place.

One is the distant journey home to the other shore.

However,

The system reverted to its carefree attitude.

[Countdown is one thing, but life goes on, doesn't it?]

[The fat guy's grilled lamb kidneys.]

[The aged tea that Wu Xie acquired through trading.]

[The heavy, rare books in Xie Yuchen's study.]

[The ice-cold beer that Hei Xiazi smuggled...]

These things can't wait.

[Host, I suggest you eat well, drink well, and sunbathe when you want.]

Treat every day as if it were your last...

Uh, that doesn't sound very auspicious.

Treat this as the most luxurious day ever.

Zhang Qiling turned his gaze back to the pages of the book.

The flowing lines of the robes of the jade dancer from the Han Dynasty.

It slowly came to a stop before my eyes.

"Um."

He silently responded in his heart.

understood.

Therefore, we should cherish it even more.

At this moment, Fatty Wang suddenly slapped his thigh.

The loud sound shattered the tranquility of the living room:

"It's decided!"

"This is the set meal!"

"Old Zhang's fruitwood charcoal, paired with my secret sauce!"

"Let's go to Old Liu's farm in the eastern suburbs this weekend, pick our own vegetables, and grill them ourselves!"

"I've even prepared the menu!"

Wu Xie looked up from the computer screen.

He pushed up his glasses and smiled:

"Fatty, this is more grand than when you went tomb raiding back in the day."

"How can that be the same?"

Fatty Wang's eyes widened.

"Going tomb raiding is risking your life, this is about making a living!"

"Life needs a sense of ritual!"

"Don't you guys agree?"

He turned his head to look at "Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling".

Her eyes were bright and full of anticipation.

Zhang Qiling closed the book.

He looked at the fat man's face, which was flushed with excitement.

He nodded:

"it is good."

Zhang Qiling also looked up from the pages of the book.

Concise and to the point:

"OK."

"Alright!"

Fatty Wang was so happy he couldn't see his eyes.

Immediately pick up your phone and start making calls to reserve.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu came out of the study.

I heard about the weekend plans.

He also smiled and said he would join.

Aning returned after checking the system.

They said they could be responsible for the safety inspection of vehicles and venues.

Jiang Xun Gu carefully put away the polished military dagger.

He nodded.

Black bear appeared out of nowhere.

Sure enough, he was holding a half-empty can of beer.

Leaning against the kitchen door frame.

He said lazily:

"A farm, as long as there's wine, that's fine."

The weekend plans were set.

The atmosphere in the living room became even more lively because of this anticipation.

Wu Xie began searching for information about the area surrounding the farm.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu discussed whether they should take some ancient books to the suburbs to air them out and prevent them from getting damp.

Ah Ning and Jiang Xun Gu discussed their driving route and backup plans in hushed tones.

The floating live-streaming sphere captured this suddenly rising sense of joy.

The chat room comments also became lively.

"This fat guy has amazing initiative!"

"Team building this weekend! Looking forward to it!"

"Picking and grilling the vegetables myself is so much fun!"

"Everyone seems so happy."

"The two guys actually agreed!"

"This kind of everyday life is so beautiful, I wish there were more of it."

Zhang Qiling gently placed the book in his hand on the sofa beside him.

Stand up.

I walked to the window.

The sun, shining brightly after the rain, shone down without any obstruction.

The plants in the yard are lush and green.

It was covered with undried water droplets, sparkling brightly.

The distant horizon.

There was a very faint rainbow.

Appearing and disappearing intermittently.

He watched quietly for a while.

Then turn around.

Heading towards the kitchen.

There's still some orange juice that Fatty squeezed this morning in the refrigerator.

He took out the glass jar.

I poured myself a glass.

The cool, sweet and sour liquid slid down my throat.

It has a fresh, fruity aroma.

Zhang Qiling also came over at some point.

Stand beside him.

I also poured a glass of orange juice.

The two stood side by side in front of the kitchen counter.

Looking out the window at the bright courtyard.

Silently drinking her juice.

The sunlight cast their shadows onto the smooth floor tiles.

They were very close.

A weekend trip to a farm.

Next month's seasonal family dinner.

The fat man had been talking about fishing by the river for a long time.

The preview of the private collection for the autumn auction mentioned by Xie Yuchen.

Hei Xiazi said a nice new bar has opened in the west of the city...

There's still a long way to go.

There are still many unfinished items on the list.

The prelude to parting may have already begun in silence.

But at the moment.

The sun is shining brightly.

The juice is sweet and refreshing.

All around me is the vibrant and warm hustle and bustle of human life.

Zhang Qiling put the empty glass into the sink.

The water flows over the cup wall.

It makes a crisp sound.

He looked up.

He looked at "Zhang Qiling" beside him.

Zhang Qiling was also looking at him.

There was still half a glass of orange juice left in my hand.

It reflects an amber-like luster in the sunlight.

Their eyes met.

Still no words were spoken.

But it was a silent agreement.

It was as if in the quiet afternoon sunlight.

It was achieved quietly.

Cherish the present.

Make the most of every day in these "leisurely days".