How to Feed an Abyss!

Chapter 136 – Heroes and Flowers

“Long Tail Flower Shop” quietly opened for business.

People don’t always have bad luck, and the abyss doesn’t either. Last year, the flower shop experienced setbacks, but this year everything went unbelievably smoothly. From renovation, hiring staff, to purchasing flowers, there were no problems at all.

Lying in bed at night, Shi Yuan found it unbelievable: “Why is it so successful this time?”

Lu Tinghan turned a page in his book and replied, “You should think about why you failed so much last time.”

In any case, success is a good thing.

On the day of the grand opening, Shi Yuan personally pushed open the store door. The room was filled with flowers in various stages, some still in buds, others in full bloom, in red, yellow, pink, and white. The fragrance of flowers wafted out onto the street, attracting passersby to stop and gaze.

Business was booming that day, and Shi Yuan was busy until late at night, finally turning off the lights in the store. Lu Tinghan’s car was waiting outside, and as Shi Yuan prepared to lock the door, he suddenly turned back and grabbed a small bouquet of blooming roses.

The roses were deep red, adorned with glistening dewdrops. Shi Yuan held them tightly, opened the car door, and stuffed them into Lu Tinghan’s arms.

“This is for you!” he said.

Lu Tinghan was filled with blooming flowers, and the warmth in the car made him smile. He leaned over and kissed Shi Yuan.

After that, Shi Yuan started living a life shuttling between the theater and the flower shop.

When the stage play was busy, he entrusted the flower shop to other employees. When it wasn’t busy, he spent the whole day in the shop, slowly organizing and secretly picking a few of the most beautiful flowers to take home and give to Lu Tinghan.

Unfortunately, there was a batch of xuejian flowers that refused to bloom.

Looking at the shape and size of the flower buds, they were the most beautiful xuejian flowers Shi Yuan had ever seen. However, one by one, they were slow and reluctant to reveal themselves. Shi Yuan changed their water every day, eagerly anticipating their blooming, and selected a few of the most beautiful ones to place on the rooftop of his home.

Soon, it was the one-year anniversary of the stage play “Eternal Heroes.”

This stage play received high praise and was always popular, even among older audiences who were willing to watch it again. Cheng Yi made some revisions to the dialogues and plot, making this excellent work even more perfect.

Tickets for the one-year anniversary show sold quickly, and people crowded in front of the theater. It felt like stepping back into the Gleaning City of a hundred years ago, with well-dressed men and women at the theater entrance, dazzling lights, and a bright stage. All of this was described to Shi Yuan by the Wild Rose Troupe.

This performance attracted the attention and anticipation of everyone.

That day, Lu Tinghan also came to watch. He sat in the audience, looking at the actors appearing on stage one by one.

It was a story set in a different world continent. Shi Yuan played the role of a young boy from a different race who arrived in a village and met an arrogant and beautiful elf, a fierce yet loyal werewolf, and a young human warrior.

They left the village and embarked on a journey together.

The four individuals with contrasting personalities inevitably had friction and conflicts, but in the end, they understood each other and joined hands again, ready to save the world.

Shi Yuan, dressed in pristine white clothes, looked around at his companions on the stage and said, “…When I first came to the village, I knew nothing. I was terrified when I saw other races; it was a world I had never understood.

But I met many people, and even made friends. We had clashes and disputes. I saw your dreams and regrets, your courage and inevitable cowardice. I witnessed beginnings and endings, death and rebirth, love and hate. We are not perfect, and this story is not perfect, but at least we can all contribute to its conclusion.”

He looked at his companions once again.

Familiar faces and bright eyes met his gaze. In that moment, they were no longer themselves.

Through them, through the surging stage lights, Shi Yuan saw countless faces from the past and present.

He took a deep breath and continued, “Let’s go together. Even in defeat, even in death, someone will remember our legend.”

The young boy from a different race walked side by side with his companions.

They crossed mountains, traversed lakes, and passed through numerous towns and villages, finally encountering the enemy—an otherworldly demon king with crimson eyes, massive wings, and a twisted face, the embodiment of all distortion and evil in the world.

In the final battle, both the demon king and the challenger were barely standing.

Shi Yuan exerted his last bit of strength, propping himself up with his sword and looking up at the demon king. He said, “I know that we come from the same place.”

The demon king’s eyes remained crimson.

Shi Yuan continued, “We have been fighting for over a decade. I have found friends here; this is my home. Perhaps you can find yours too.” He added, “I hope you can.”

The demon king stared at him intently. Shi Yuan’s hand gradually weakened, the sword fell, and he collapsed into a pool of blood, closing his eyes just like his companions.

Blood flowed from the demon king. It could devour all these people and move on to the next city, destroying everything. It didn’t belong here; this was a different realm, and it shouldn’t feel the slightest remorse for these beings.

But it didn’t.

It looked deeply at Shi Yuan in the pool of blood, a fellow of its own kind who had chosen a different path. It knew he had many stories.

The black mist churned.

In the deep of night, the demon king silently departed, returning to its own world.

Perhaps it embarked on a brand-new journey.

The next day, the sun rose, casting a radiant golden light. Fearful people cautiously approached the battlefield, only to find the demon king gone.

The world returned to tranquility, while the brave warriors lay in sacrifice, resting in the dawn.

Grand funerals were held in their honor, and their names spread throughout the continent. As time passed, shadows and threats emerged once again, along with courageous individuals who fought against them. The pages of history turned, and the stories were passed down through generations, a ceaseless flow like a surging river.

Not a single name was forgotten.

They were forever heroes.

As the stage play concluded, the actors took their bows. All the spectators rose to their feet, applauding thunderously, the applause lasting for a long time.

People presented flowers to the actors. Shi Yuan carried a large bouquet of flowers and boarded Lu Tinghan’s car. His face was slightly flushed from the performance and excitement as he showed the flowers to Lu Tinghan.

“How do you think I did?” he asked Lu Tinghan.

“You did great,” Lu Tinghan smiled and said, “You’re the best actor I’ve ever seen.”

Shi Yuan became even happier and chattered away with Lu Tinghan throughout the journey.

He said, “It’s a pity that the most beautiful xuejian flowers on the rooftop haven’t bloomed yet. I originally wanted to bring them to the theater.”

Lu Tinghan said, “Maybe they’ll bloom tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Shi Yuan sighed in relief. “They will bloom eventually.” He pondered for a moment and added, “But I still hope they bloom tonight.”

The vehicle drove through the streets, passing by the Long Tail Flower Shop. They saw soldiers patrolling in the distance, an ever-vigilant watchtower standing tall, and a well-lit research center. On the other hand, in the residential area, the evening lights were soft, behind the curtains, lovers embraced, and children played cheerfully.

And beyond boundless lands and vast oceans, in another continent, there were cities of the Alliance. They were shattered and in ruins, but they still existed.

They still awaited the return of loved ones.

One day, the Gleaning City Theater reopened its doors, and the carousel in Fengyang City lit up with colorful lights. People gathered at the tall tower in Iron City to watch the sunset. In the main city’s streets, they waited for a splendid meteor shower.

Shi Yuan and Lu Tinghan went home.

The two walked side by side through the yard, and Shi Yuan suddenly said, “Before, I didn’t understand the concept of ‘time’.”

He possessed the ability to control time but didn’t comprehend its meaning. He had always been a little god of monsters, yet he didn’t know how to use this power.

Shi Yuan said, “I’ve told you before, but I want to say it again. I have so much time that a few hundred years can pass with just a nap, so… time is blank to me.” He paused for a moment and continued, “You came into my life, and since then, my time gained meaning.”

Lu Tinghan smiled and waited for him to continue.

Shi Yuan looked at Lu Tinghan, his eyes shining brightly. “Later, everything gained meaning,” he said. The tip of his tail wagged happily. “There are so many people, but only you can hear my voice.”

Only Lu Tinghan, stepping on the xuejian flowers, found a lonely abyss.

Only Lu Tinghan could hear Shi Yuan’s voice in the river of time, going against the current until he grasped that black crystal.

Lu Tinghan said, “I can always find you, too.”

He lowered his head and kissed Shi Yuan’s hair.

It was late, and the fish in the fish tank blew bubbles. Shi Yuan’s cat, dog, and bird were all asleep. The two of them took a pleasant hot bath and embraced each other in bed.

When Lu Tinghan woke up, Shi Yuan wasn’t by his side.

Outside the window, it was pitch black. In the middle of the night, Shi Yuan had gone somewhere unknown. Lu Tinghan got up and searched around the house but didn’t find a trace of him.

However, just as Lu Tinghan had said, he could always find Shi Yuan.

He opened the door and went out, climbing to the rooftop from the backyard. The rooftop was adorned with vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees. As expected, among the scattered flower pots and corner of the rooftop, there was the figure of a young man.

Lu Tinghan’s expression softened unconsciously, and he whispered, “Shi Yuan, why did you come here?”

Shi Yuan fixed his gaze ahead and beckoned to him, also speaking in a hushed voice, “Come here, quickly!”

Lu Tinghan walked over to him.

Shi Yuan took his hand, turned around, and a smile emerged from his dark eyes. The weather was cold, and when he opened his mouth, a gentle white mist appeared, quietly sharing a secret known only to the two of them.

“Look!” he said. “The flowers are blooming!”