I am a Flower Vase in an Infinite World / I Am a Useless flower in an infinite

Chapter 101

Tang Ning stared blankly at the man who suddenly appeared before him, truly a peculiar individual. Despite his disheveled appearance and not even bothering to dry off, he exuded a calmness, as if he owned the streets, treating them like his own social bathhouse.

Tang Ning turned back to see the elderly woman lowering her head, moving towards the chopping board with a knife in hand. A drop of blood fell from the tip of the knife as she meticulously prepared something, then slowly walked back into the house.

Holding a bowl, the old boatman greeted Shao Mingyong, "Young Shao, what brings you to my place? Not getting used to living next door?"

Shao Mingyong politely replied, "Just out to make some new friends."

"Care for some porridge?" the boatman offered. "We've got plenty in the house."

"No," Shao Mingyong declined succinctly, after which the boatman didn't press further and walked back into the house with the elderly woman.

The scene before them was harmonious, as if the previous horrifying moments were just a product of Tang Ning's excessive nervousness. The elderly woman busily prepared fish while the old boatman warmly entertained guests, inviting them to enjoy porridge. Wasn't it all fitting?

Tang Ning took a deep breath and looked towards Lin Yun's house. There were no ghostly child figures; only Lin Yun lay straight on the bed, a long talisman pasted on his forehead.

The crises that almost overwhelmed Tang Ning vanished in an instant, clearly altered by this unfamiliar NPC.

Tang Ning looked back at Shao Mingyong. His deep eye sockets and the glasses seemed to grant his gaze an additional layer of strange, cold focus. This person, Tang Ning found intriguing.

[System, may I speak now?]

Tang Ning remembered the card game's rule: remain silent for a whole day to earn a chance to sing, but it didn't specify whether one could speak after singing for the day.

[You may,] the system paused. [But haven't you heard the saying, 'Don't talk to strangers'?]

Tang Ning: "?"

[This NPC doesn't seem like good news,] the system earnestly said.

Initially, Tang Ning was somewhat resistant towards Shao Mingyong. However, upon hearing the system's words, his rebellious spirit surged. After all, neither seemed particularly virtuous, and this Shao Mingyong had even saved him.

"Hello—" Tang Ning began, only to stun himself.

Because his voice sounded so pleasing that it felt alien to him.

Although he had been complimented on his voice before, Tang Ning considered it to be merely pleasant. But now, his tone was beyond what even the most skilled sound engineer could produce, a voice so captivating that it could ensnare someone in a second.

"My name is Tang Ning."

Behind his glasses, Shao Mingyong's dark pupils widened slightly, betraying the turmoil within. Pushing up his glasses, he covered much of his emotion, his usually calm and deep voice sounding somewhat jumbled: "Wonderful, your voice, just like you, is truly marvelous."

A faint blush colored his pale ears as water droplets fell from his hair, trickling down his face, which he struggled to keep composed.

Tang Ning's expression turned awkward.

"Sorry about that." Shao Mingyong, noticing the change in Tang Ning's eyes, took a deep breath and composed himself, shifting back to a refined demeanor as if he'd just thought of something deeply personal. "Hearing your voice just now, I suddenly thought of my cat."