“She just pitied you, a useless junior, because she used to feel that way herself.” Lu Mingze scoffed. “She hated that feeling, and helping you doesn’t mean she likes you.”
“But I am what she pulled out—she put in all that effort, and I can’t just be a loser.” Lu Mingfei spat fiercely. “Damn it! I’ve been a loser for too long! Every mistake I make, it’s because I’m stupid. Every success I have, it’s just luck. Everyone I care about either ignores me or uses me. And the only person who really understands me is a silly kid with your name, telling me, ‘Twilight, you’re a good person!’ What kind of life is this?”
“What kind of life is this?” Lu Mingze echoed softly.
“I was brought out by Nono. I can’t be a loser!” Lu Mingfei said each word firmly.
“Alright, that’s my reason for existing. Lame, right? Go ahead, laugh at me, I don’t care. You’re right to laugh; I know I can’t compare to Caesar or Chu Zihang. I’m not someone who matters, I accept that! But once you’re done laughing, wake me up!” Lu Mingfei stood up, taking a deep breath. He gathered a huge roar in his throat and shouted, “I’m in a hurry!”
He didn’t know why he suddenly got so emotional—maybe it was because he’d been wanting to say all these things for a long time, but had never had anyone to say them to. But why was he telling Lu Mingze all of this? Letting him know that even he had moments of grievance.
“Your wish…” Lu Mingze said softly, “Isn’t it to take revenge on the entire world, Lu Mingfei?”
“Nonsense!” Lu Mingfei retorted. “Revenge for what?”
Lu Mingze silently looked at him, his expression complicated—part disdain, part pity.
“Alright, I understand. Actually, I can help you.” Lu Mingze nodded slowly. “But I have a condition.”
“What condition?”
“You’ve read Faust, right?”
“Yeah, Chen Wenwen recommended it to me. Oh, you don’t know Chen Wenwen. She’s my high school classmate.”
“No, I know her. I’m your brother, Lu Mingze. Of course I know that Chen Wenwen, the one you’ve mentioned thousands of times.” Lu Mingze said casually.
“No time for jokes! My cousin is 160 cm tall, and weighs about the same, nothing like you!”
“Mephistopheles made a bet with Faust, becoming his servant. If Mephistopheles could make Faust satisfied with worldly pleasures, their master-servant relationship would end, and Faust’s soul would belong to the devil. My condition is similar: I want to make a contract with you, to grant your wishes…”
“What the hell? What kind of devil are you? What would you do with my soul?” Lu Mingfei shivered and widened his eyes.
“Not your soul. What I want is your body…”
“Screw you!” Lu Mingfei instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, looking Lu Mingze up and down. He couldn’t understand why this well-dressed young man had such perverted thoughts hidden in his mind.
Lu Mingze sighed, shaking his head. “What kind of strange thoughts are in your mind? Fine, let me put it another way: I want your life—body and soul included. For someone who doesn’t mind exchanging their soul, what use is the body? Is it meaningful to be a soulless husk?”
“With such a high price, what can you do?” Lu Mingfei scrutinized this seemingly normal, yet completely crazy, kid.
“Anything… well, almost anything.” Lu Mingze raised his eyebrows.
“Can you take down that flaming Dragon King?”
“Not easily, but I can.”
Lu Mingfei took a deep breath. Looking at Lu Mingze’s expressionless face and hearing his calm tone, he couldn’t help but feel that this absurd thing might actually be possible.
“So if you succeed, I die immediately?”
“Listen carefully. The terms are like this: the enemies you’ll face are the ‘Four Sovereigns’ of the dragons—Bronze and Fire King, Sky and Wind King, Earth and Mountain King, Ocean and Water King. You can summon me four times. Now, I’m like your summoned beast, but each time you summon me, you’ll lose a quarter of your life…”
“That’s too harsh! Summoning you just to talk costs a quarter of my life? Do you think I’d want to listen to you that badly?” Lu Mingfei interrupted.
Lu Mingze sighed helplessly. “What I mean is, if I fulfill your request, I will take the price. If I don’t fulfill it, I take nothing.”
“Are you reliable?” Lu Mingfei eyed him skeptically.
“I’ve already helped you more than once. Show me the flower worked pretty well, didn’t it? Also, don’t think you can get lucky. When our contract ends, I naturally have a way to take your life.” Lu Mingze said casually. “Let me repeat: I give you four chances to summon me, and I’ll help you fulfill four wishes. Once all your wishes are fulfilled, or when you feel truly alone in this world, our contract ends, and your life belongs to me.”
“You mean… when I feel truly alone?” Lu Mingfei was stunned. “What kind of condition is that? Do you just decide that I’m alone?”
“No, I don’t decide—you do. This condition only takes effect when you admit it yourself, and it’s not just any loneliness; it has to be… despairing loneliness,” Lu Mingze explained. “Alright?”
“If I decide, then it doesn’t sound too bad.” Lu Mingfei grumbled. “You’re not much of a scam artist.”
“Ready to accept? Then give me your hand.” Lu Mingze smiled silently. “After all these years, you’ve been confused about other things, but you’ve never agreed to this. Has this girl named Nono changed you that much? Enough to make you willing to pay such a heavy price, to even abandon your bottom line.”
“Are you kidding? You think I’m stupid? I’ll use up three summoning rights and never use the fourth one. Actually, I only need one—to help me out of a jam. You think I want to see you? Call on you for nothing? Mr. Devil, deal or not, hurry up!”
Lu Mingfei extended his hand, gritting his teeth. He didn’t know why, but he felt afraid—so afraid he was about to tremble. It felt like he was truly about to lose something. But he also feared that he’d pull his hand back, and if he did, Nono would die. He wanted to get this deal over with quickly, to cut off any retreat. Without a way back, there was nothing left to fear. Someone once said that to climb over a tall wall, the best way is to throw your hat over first, so you naturally gain the resolve to climb over.