"Li Jiong, do you feel bad?" Meng Fei asked again, displaying a worried expression.

"Huh? Sorry, I was out of my mind… what is it?" The cultivator came to his senses, although he still looked cold and distant. At that moment, the waiter brought out the huo guo cauldron and Meng Fei had to put away the book he was reading. He lifted his chopsticks to eat.

"What's bothering you? You can say anything to me. Are you worried about the people you left in your world?"

"Hmm…yes." Li Jiong replied after a few seconds of thinking about what he should say. He stirred his portion of stew ruefully. "When I was sent here, we were fighting a war. I worry about the Sect members who were left alone there. I don't know if they managed to escape, if they are alive... meanwhile I'm here, in a peaceful and confortable world."

He let out a sigh and tasted the chili-filled broth, feeling even more sorry to be able to have such a nice hot meal.

"I hope I can come back and fight to make my world as good and peaceful as this one."

Meng Fei cracked a smile, taking a portion for himself as well. He understood well what the other was feeling. He lowered his head a little, tasting some of the unpeppered broth.

"This world wasn't always like this and there's no guarantee it will stay this way, you know?"

Li Jiong gazed at him, intrigued.

"In this world, we had two major wars, in addition to the conflicts that always arise between some countries." Meng Fei continued calmly. "If another big war broke out, with the firepower that some countries have, entire cities like Beijing would disappear from the map."

Li Jiong looked at him in shock, dropping a string bean onto his plate.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, this has already happened in some places. And that's not all. You've seen the population here. There are always epidemics and fatal diseases, crime, inequality in income distribution, hunger, misery, lack of opportunities for everyone..." He poked at a slice of meat to see if it was cooked. "I could crash my car, get shot, get incurable cancer, turn to dust if a terrorist bomb goes off here, or even have a nervous breakdown from overwork and/or throw myself out of my penthouse window..."

"You would not do that!" Li Jiong suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly, completely alarmed.

"I might not, but it happens every day. It's just that there are so many people now that it doesn't seem to matter to anyone anymore. The truth is, people in this world are numb, Li

Jiong. Every world must have its problems. Here is no safer for you than your previous world.” Meng Fei hoped this would be of some comfort to the other. He wasn't there with the intention of taking a vacation.

"If your world is as you say..." Li Jiong frowned slightly. "... It's much more dangerous than mine even in war!"

Meng Fei couldn't help but laugh at this realization, maybe this world was even more dangerous and in that instant Li Jiong's uneasiness dissipated. He had never seen such light, relaxed laughter. It seemed to light up the whole room. In place of that bad feeling, he felt his chest invaded by a comfortable feeling and felt the urge to protect again. That's what he wanted. Protect your world and see people laugh and smile like Meng Fei was doing right now.

But when he was gone, he would never see him again. He could no longer see this kind and compassionate Meng Fei. Li Jiong's throat tightened again. If he managed to get back, wouldn't this Meng Fei want to see his world too?

"Meng Fei, are you happy here?" He asked without thinking and then regretted it. With all the attractive things that existed there, how could he not be? He had a house, a job and could easily find another love. He didn't expect an answer other than yes as he stared into the gray eyes of the person in front of him.

But to his surprise, they were empty and dreary.

"Strange... no one has ever asked me something like this before... I guess I can't answer that right now. But I think I know something that will make you feel better!" He brightened up suddenly. Meng Fei's emotions fluctuated almost always. After lunch he got in the car and started driving in silence, an amused expression on his face.

"And now where are we going?

"You will see." He drove for a long time until he reached the secret destination. It was Ritan Park [1], a green region in the gray city of skyscrapers.

"I like to come here when I'm upset, Beijing has few wooded areas and sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed." Meng Fei explained as they walked between trees filled with white, pink and yellow blossoms.

"Since we are under a lot of pressure to unravel the matrix, it is good to give the mind time to relax will only wear us down."

"This is a good place. The qi is much more abundant here." Li Jiong surveyed the park.

"Uh... Meng Fei could I sit down to cultivate here? Since this world's qi is scarce, I couldn't recover all my spirit energy."

Meng Fei chuckled thoughtfully. Did you hit me that time without having recovered all your energy? I don't even want to see what would have happened to me if you used full force!

"Ah, of course. Many people come to meditate here, they won't be surprised."

Li Jiong became much more excited and Meng Fei saw that he had been very happy with his choice. He watched the cultivator sit by the lake in the lotus position and close his eyes.

I hope no magical light manifests while he's like this. Meng Fei reflected but at that time the park was relatively empty.

He sat under the shade of a pavilion and admired the view, letting his thoughts and ideas flow. He watched the pink plum blossoms. It was the flowers he liked best. He reached out to catch a flowering branch floating on the water. Meng Fei let his eyes wander over the landscape, hovering for a moment on the figure of Li Jiong sitting placidly. If he was wearing his traditional clothes, he would definitely look a lot like an ancient Chinese cultivator. His eyes formed crescents as he thought about it and his smile widened.

He looked at the carp swimming in circles in the dark water of the lake and the contrast the pink petals had against that background. He let out a light sigh, feeling completely relaxed. Perhaps that was a form of cultivation as well.

Li Jiong felt that he had managed to recover more than 90% of his spirit energy in that wooded place.

Normally he would be vulnerable in a situation like this but he trusted Meng Fei's presence and saw that he was never disturbed. He saw him a few steps away, sitting in the pavilion. He admired the man's slender figure, holding the flower branch. He used the end of the branch to make designs in the water. Li Jiong never thought that he could see such a serene face, let alone Meng Fei's. He watched it for a while longer in silence, afraid that if he moved that image would break. He drew circles, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. His face was lit by the afternoon sun. Then his eyes met.

Li Jiong then had an epiphany. Meng Fei couldn't answer you earlier if he was happy because he actually didn't have anyone in this world. He was completely alone.

Author's Note:

[1]Ritan Park: park located in the Financial Center of Beijing. Ritan Park, 日坛公园, means Altar of the Sun Park. Meng Fei was sitting in a pavilion like this one.

Look what a beautiful place, I wish I could visit sometime. Li Jiong was now helpless, really Meng Fei has no one in this world and is completely lonely. Who doesn't want to give affection to someone like that??? Go Li Jiong! Get this man for yourself!