Don’t Be a Kept Man

blowing along a faint fragrance of the flowers in the courtyard.

His eyes were lightly closed, and his facial features were clear and bright, still not losing half of his handsome appearance as he aged.
Since he had achieved the rank of Flower Seeker, he had always been in the dreams of many women in the capital city.

Xie Yu Zhi was sitting cross legged on the window sill, and his hands were holding a branch with flowers, occasionally stroking and poking it at Chen Miao Ping’s head which made him try and swat it away from annoyance.

The two of them seemed to have switched personalities as they aged, as Chen Miao Ping became more and more mature and steady while Xie Yu Zhi became more youthful and playful.

[ Ding! ]

The one almost deep asleep suddenly woke up.
When that very familiar yet unfamiliar sound rang in Chen Miao Ping’s head, it made him jerk up.
Before he even processed what was going on, he heard the other say,

[ This service is about to conclude.
After nine years, my dear host, you have successfully relied on your own hard efforts to carve out your own path in this strange territory and time period.
You have received the level of passable according to the galactic judges and we ask that you continue your success and hard work.
May you continue your path in the future ~ ]

Chen Miao Ping was at first stunned, 

“You’re finally leaving?” 

And then he smiled, 

“And I was feeling a bit sad.
Aren’t you afraid that once you leave, I will be reliant on my lover again?”

[ Ding! The criteria of the galactic judges is not based on the materialistic needs of self-reliance and self-sufficiency ~]

If it was said to become self reliant and self sufficient, the first day Chen Miao Ping had become city warden inspector, he had already done it.
But obviously, the system’s judgment was not based only on that criteria, but more based on the human heart.

When you really, truly like someone, you will be willing to give up everything you have for them, not just to take for yourself.

Since Chen Miao Ping had arrived here, except for that one dream many years ago, the memories of his previous life never came up.
He would never think of it on his own regard either, just like how he would never think about that year Li Qin Wang tried to revolt.
If he did not have the system’s assistance and the grenades, what would have happened to Xie Yu Zhi, he never tried to contemplate about.

After these years of creating a school, building the school, it was not only because Chen Miao Ping wanted to do it.
It was much more based on those three merit points.
He had always wanted to do something generous, to collect more merit points and then exchange them for something that could save their lives from the system’s shop, even if the system had stated that it was not possible very early on.

[ This world exists because you both do.
My dear host, if you die, this world would be corrupted.
The system has a mission to protect and keep this world running as it should, and will accordingly switch its functions based on the host’s conditions.
If it is not a sudden moment of danger, the system’s shop will always remain forever closed.
]

So to be said plainly, the reason why it had opened was because the host of the system needed it in that exact moment, not that it had always existed.

Chen Miao Ping stared at that branch above him and the person holding that branch.
He smiled very meaningfully and lightly said to the system, 

“Well, I must thank you as I had never thought that my life could be this good in all my plans for the future.”

[ Ding! No need for thanks~ The system can only function by its rules.
Your life, your stories, only you are the main characters of your life.
Life is short, as like mayflies.
A second chance at life is hard to come by, so please take care and treasure it ~ ]

A coldblooded heart was not scary.
Their hearts after all were not rotten to the core, and they can sense when other people are being good to them from the bottom of their hearts.
This was enough, as otherwise having ten more systems would be useless.
Chen Miao Ping was not bad, only having been born and grown up in the wrong environment.

The system rang out one last time.

[ Ding! Process for withdrawal has activated.
My dear host, please prepare yourself.

Starting System Self-Check,

Self-Check Complete.

Initiating Withdrawal,

20%

50%

100%

Withdrawal Complete.
This service has been completed to its ending.
We have enjoyed our time with you, and see you never again ~ ]

“……See you never again.”

Chen Miao Ping gave a toast and then lifted his hand to wave goodbye.
Xie Yu Zhi followed his eyesight looking faraway and asked, 

“Who are you toasting?”

 

Chen Miao Ping knocked his head back to take a swig of his wine, 

“An old friend, but he has already left.1“

He suddenly stood up as Xie Yu Zhi was still reeling from what he said, and he picked Xie Yu Zhi up from the window, hugging him in a weird embrace. 

“Who was the one that was annoying me with the tree branch earlier, hmm? Now I will throw you into the river!”

Xie Yu Zhi laughed, his voice muffled, 

“The lake is still pretty far away from here.
Do you even have enough power to walk over there while carrying me?”

Chen Miao Ping said, 

“Didn’t you know? A few days ago, Father-in-law dug a new pit for a new lake, just about a couple steps away from here.”

Xie Yu Zhi: “……”

The sun was shining brightly on them, as if a peaceful moment descended and would never leave them again.

And after that, time flew by as the sun and moon exchanged hands in the sky many times.
The students in the school had all grown up and there were even quite a few that achieved the rank of Primus that came about from that.
When they returned with achievements under their belt, they would always donate money or materials to the school.
Only then would they learn that this school had been built by the city warden inspector, Chen Da-Ren.

To speak of Chen Da-Ren, he was a strange and curious man for sure.
General Xie was the Emperor’s uncle, and his authority reached far and wide.
His husband naturally should be encompassing the same level, but instead he was willing to be a tiny, tiny city warden inspector.

And this one position he took, he took for a lifetime……

 

Notes:

*1 Here Chen Miao Ping says the word for “to leave” but it, like many other words in the Chinese language, has other possible meanings and connotations, one of which is to have “passed away”/died.
Chen Miao Ping says his old friend left (the system going away) but Xie Yu Zhi hears that word as his old friend has passed away (especially paired with Chen Miao Ping toasting away, as like a nod of respect and acknowledgement, hence why he’s shocked). 

TL Tidbits:

And we are officially done with volume 2, ending the story of Chen Miao Ping and Xie Yu Zhi (´ ▽｀).。ｏ♡ It is a bit sad to bid them farewell, just like Lu Qi and Huo Ming Chen, but more are on their way! Have you enjoyed Volume 2 as you have with Volume 1? (I can tell you Plum likes Volume 2 more than 1, although that might be their bias against Lu Qi… :p I didn’t say anything!)

And as stated in the notes of Chapter 57, Plum and I will be taking a break for the holidays (and for this behemoth of a volume, in terms of literally us diving in the deep end when we were just starting to swim (;*´Д`)ﾉ But in any case, it was a great learning experience for the both of us, and we will be back January 4th of the new year!!

Hope to see you rejoin us back on this journey to finish this novel  Next volume will be a fairly light hearted one! Here’s a small teaser: Did the system mess up this time?? Uh oh….
the story of a transmigrated Chen Yi and Fu Xiu Nian begins as a fated meeting in a tv program, trending for Chen Yi’s infamous personality and non-stop hate comments…

Haha not much to be spoiled further, but it will be a fun volume again, set in the modern era, about 2 celebrities as our main couple! (so hopefully it will a lot less difficult, and which as the volume before volume 4, it will drop us onto the opposite spectrum in emotions…)

In any case, I (and Plum) thank you all very much for going along this wild ride of Chen Miao Ping and his + our foray(s) into the historical genre! Thank you to all those who have read, liked, followed and commented! You were all a very big motivator in what we are doing, to keep us going (。’▽’。)♡ Acting as fuel for us to chug on forward haha  I really appreciate all the comments, likes and follows, and of everyone who’s coming along on this ride with us! 

Have a fantastic and warm holiday, a great end of the year to what seemed like a crazy year, and we hope you have a great new year!!! See you all Galactic Judges on Jan 4th! 

EDIT: In case you haven’t noticed, there was a double chapter release today! So don’t forget to read the chapter before if you missed it 

And also a bonus question for those who might be interested in some not very exciting trivia: Does the name of the first child who went to the school ring any bells? : )