Infinite Game Ch.53.2

Chapter 53.2 – It’s a Lotus, Not a Water Lily! (1)

Zhang Xin sipped the soup and said, “I’ve had time these past two days.”

Earlier, she had accidentally injured her hand. Her parents thought she encountered a strange species, causing them great distress. They picked her up from school every day, and she couldn’t refuse. So, for quite some time, she couldn’t find anything substantial. Most of the work was done by Xiao Pang. Now, her parents were finally a bit more at ease, giving her the chance to continue.

“I’m available these two days too,” Xiao Pang munched on fruit, looking at Chen Jing, “You probably can’t go these few days, right?”

After all, he was hospitalized. An adult would probably check in from time to time. If he escaped the hospital, he wouldn’t stay hidden for long.

With chicken soup and fruit in hand, a brief discussion felt like a casual chat.

Chen Jing said, “I have time, as long as I return before the doctor’s rounds.”

Just before the arrival of the two people in front of them, the adult man received a phone call. The caller claimed to be from the community committee, inviting him to the neighboring city to see the lotus flowers. They used the gossip from his absence as bait.

Citizen Jiang immediately took the bait without hesitation, readily agreeing and completely forgetting the words he once said on his way back from the Kala Snow Mountain that he didn’t want to go out to the city for another six months.

Some people are easily deceived.

“Oh, by the way,” Xiao Pang said, “During this hospital stay, did Uncle notice anything unusual?”

Although he already knew the other person wasn’t of an age suitable for being called “Uncle,” especially after seeing the photos on the wall of No.6 Middle School, he couldn’t shake off the habit after saying it out loud.

Chen Jing shook his head. When the doctor mentioned the numerous old and new injuries on him, he nodded continuously, slowly responding, “It’s normal for kids to get injured from time to time.” Seeing he was too exhausted to speak further, the doctor didn’t press on, letting the matter pass.

The easygoing person remained stable in the hospital.

After a brief sigh, Zhang Xin and the two others arranged the time for their next meeting.

*

Jiang Yujin stopped halfway through his walk. His Xiaoxiaole friend, Xu Tonggui, had generously sent him some precious energy, sparing him from wandering around to kill time.

His Xiaoxiaole friend was still working hard today, too busy to message, and only managing to spare some time to give him Xiaoxiaole energy. Even amidst the busyness, their spirit was admirable.

Compared to the busy Xu, the slacker in the team appeared much more relaxed, occasionally sharing gossip, easily recognized as the expert slacker.

Playing Xiaoxiaole while replying to messages, until his energy ran out, Jiang Yujin chose to head home between the hospital and returning home to take a shower, preparing for the gossip fest tomorrow.

At home, it was just him and the goose. He left the TV on for the goose and went to his room to gather things needed for viewing the lotus flowers.

Firstly, a fully charged phone, and secondly, another fully charged phone.

Realizing there was nothing much to prepare, Jiang Yujin laid on the sofa, watching TV with the goose.

The next morning, he was awakened by a cheerful uncle’s phone call.

His eyes were open, yet his soul hadn’t fully awakened. Hearing the deep voice across from him, he wasn’t even sure what he replied. When he regained clarity, the phone call had ended. His friend’s neighbor had sent a location, mentioning it as the meeting point, and thoughtfully noted the departure time.

The departure time was less than ten minutes away from now.

Jiang Yujin hurriedly left his house at the fastest pace in his life.

There were quite a few seniors from the community going to see the lotus flowers. They had rented a large bus, which quickly transported everyone.

By the time he arrived, it was too late; there was already a crowd around the expert gossiper, forming a center of gossip. He had arrived late and could only sit on the outskirts of the gossip circle. Considering it was an activity for self-cultivation like viewing lotus flowers, glancing around the bus, Jiang Yujin felt he might be the youngest one on board.

—There was an unexpected encounter. In a corner of the bus, Citizen Jiang, spotted the barbershop owner from downstairs. Unable to smoke inside the vehicle, the barbershop owner was restlessly gazing out the window.

The sadness of not finding a spot in the central gossip circle was instantly diluted. Jiang Yujin stepped forward, casually took a seat beside the barbershop owner, and greeted him with a smile, “A morning without smoking is quite wonderful, isn’t it?”

The barbershop owner glanced at him.

Before the barbershop owner could respond, Jiang Yujin preemptively reminded him, “Open flames are prohibited inside the bus.”

The barbershop owner remained silent. Jiang Yujin continued, “How come you’re here?”

It was evident the barbershop owner had been pulled along by a regular client who frequented the shop. The bus was already rented, and if there were empty seats, it felt like a disadvantage.

The journey to the neighboring city turned out to be the golden age of gossip. Although he was a bit distant from the central gossip circle, Citizen Jiang was fully absorbed in listening.

The barbershop owner looked at him with a familiar disdain that wasn’t masked in the slightest.

The neighboring city boasted the largest lotus pond in the entire area. Even though the local community members who came to see the lotus flowers were mostly middle-aged and elderly, in reality, the lotus pond attracted visitors of all ages. There were quite a few young people and even children who had come to witness the beauty of the lotus pond.

For their side, the real peak blooming season for the lotus flowers hadn’t arrived yet. However, after a recent rain, the lotus flowers in this pond had begun to bloom sporadically since one early morning. It had become the only place in the entire nearby area where one could currently appreciate the lotus flowers.

The moment Jiang Yujin stepped off the bus, he noticed the barbershop owner had disappeared for a while, then returned. Judging by the expression on the barbershop owner’s face, he guessed the barbershop owner probably hadn’t found a designated smoking area.

The lotus flowers in the pond were far more beautiful than the emotionless face of the barbershop owner. Jiang Yujin chose to capture images of the pond, meticulously selected the best ones, and sent them to his big son who was in the hospital, adding a note: “[Wishing you] Good luck and happiness always, like the lotus.”

Putting away his phone, Jiang Yujin remarked, “Young people should appreciate these sights. Pretty, isn’t it?”

The barbershop owner chose to remain silent.

Without the barbershop owner’s support, Jiang Yujin redirected the images to his gossip buddy and Xiaoxiaole friend, who was presumably still working.

The gossip buddy replied with a confused emoji, while the Xiaoxiaole friend was indeed busy at work and hadn’t responded.

With no one appreciating the beauty of the lotus flowers, Jiang Yujin regretfully set his phone aside.

Although named a pond, the lotus area was vast and expansive. Even after walking a long way, there seemed to be no end in sight.

As he proceeded further, the number of people increased. Individuals by the roadside were straining to see something. As he neared the end, the lotus leaves and flowers, taller than human heads, appeared.

Truly towering. Jiang Yujin stood and gestured, realizing the leaves were taller than himself. With a gust of wind, the leaves and flowers swayed, and a lotus flower bent down, landing perfectly on his head.

The barbershop owner’s mood improved, but Jiang Yujin was adamant about not getting closer to the lotus flowers.

Trying to ignore the visibly improved mood of the barbershop owner, Jiang Yujin leaned in and said, “Old Yuan, why don’t we just roast these lotus flowers?”

It was a suggestion driven by a heavily revengeful mindset.

Old Yuan had no intentions of helping him roast lotus flowers, especially since these were lotus, not water lilies.

While attempting to persuade the barbershop owner to roast lotus flowers, Jiang Yujin’s phone in his pocket rang.

During the break, he took out his phone to check. It was a message from his Xiaoxiaole friend, responding that the flowers looked beautiful.

As he read the message, the barbershop owner glanced toward a nearby spot.

Standing there was a group of people, dressed uniformly in black. Among them was someone tall with long legs, eyes fixed on their phone.

The barbershop owner raised an eyebrow slightly, turned to the person beside him, and asked, “Is your Xiaoxiaole friend Xu Tonggui?”

Jiang Yujin nodded and saw a notification on his phone, prompting him to “Look up.” He raised his eyes.

The person in the crowd looked back at him, their sharp gaze softening slightly.

A group of uniformed men stayed briefly and then quickly left.

Putting away his phone, Jiang Yujin turned to the person beside him and said, “What’s up? Do you have something to say?”

The barbershop owner didn’t have anything to say; he simply had a toothache.

This person beside him had developed this foul mood and the habit of not cooking, largely due to the indulgence of the other party. His days of being scolded and occasionally getting beaten up every now and then were mostly thanks to him.

No wonder this person’s temper had recently worsened.

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