This Is Strange Chapter 130

1. Zhao Shang’s Extra Chapter

Netizens noticed that their country’s technological advancements in recent years had skyrocketed at an almost unbelievable pace.

As the New Year arrived, Zhao Shang sat by the window, watching the snow outside while video-calling on his phone.

“Shang-ge!” On the screen, Zhang San, wearing a floral shirt, sipped coconut juice from a balcony overlooking the ocean at a seaside hotel. “You’re busy all year with no time to relax, so I’ll show you the view here.”

The camera flipped, revealing an endless expanse of stars and sea.

The ocean shimmered as if someone had crushed the stars and scattered them into the water.

Zhang San was a chatterbox, rambling on and on until the clock struck midnight. Then, he raised his coconut juice and cheered, “Shang-ge, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year.”

Looking at Zhang San’s sun-tanned, unkempt appearance on the screen, Zhao Shang suddenly said, “Zhang San, do you remember when we left the station, Chao-ge told us to message him once we got home?”

“I remember.” The carefree grin faded from Zhang San’s face as he leaned against the balcony railing with a sigh. “Shang-ge, it’s been seven years since we returned.”

If their experiences in the infinite world were a nightmare in their memories, then Chao Musheng was the arrow that shattered it. The more they reminisced, the brighter he shone.

The casually promised farewell had become an unshakable weight in their hearts, something they couldn’t let go of even after all these years.

After ending the call with Zhang San, Zhao Shang returned to his study and turned on the phone he had brought back from the copy seven years ago. There was still no trace of Chao Musheng in it.

The phone was outdated now, but even after being disassembled and studied by professionals at the research institute, Zhao Shang kept it meticulously clean.

Only the books Chao Musheng had given him before parting could prove that he had truly existed in his life.

He was like a flower born from a nightmare, offering hope—not just to Zhao Shang and Zhang San, but also to their homeland, fueling its rise to greatness.

Many years later, a national television reporter interviewed Zhao Shang.

“Academician Zhao, as we all know, you and the renowned philanthropist Mr. Zhang have been close friends for many years. Recently, Mr. Zhang mentioned that the two of you share another very important mutual friend. Could you tell us about this person?”

The reporter gazed at the elderly man before her with admiration. “You’ve dedicated your entire life to our country, and we all wish to know you better.”

“Him?” Zhao Shang looked at a painting of campus life on the wall, his voice distant. “He was an exceptional young man—brilliant, kind, upright, and the most handsome boy I’ve ever known.”

“He was not just a friend but also my greatest mentor.” Zhao Shang poured the reporter a cup of tea, the cup adorned with a fluffy orange kitten. “The brightest guiding light on my path in research.”

The reporter was surprised. “He was a young man?”

Zhao Shang smiled but didn’t answer.

In his memories, Chao Musheng would never change—forever vibrant, forever young.

“Is there anything you’d like to say to him?”

Zhao Shang fell silent for a few seconds. Just as the reporter thought he wouldn’t respond, he spoke slowly.

“Chao-ge, Zhang San and I have arrived home safely. Thank you.”

2. I Like You the Most

On a sunny afternoon, Chao Musheng lounged on the sofa, lazily watching a drama with a cat curled up in his arms.

Mo Tuan nestled obediently against him, much to the envy of the other staff in the villa. The usually aloof “His Majesty” only behaved this sweetly around Mr. Chao.

“Sir, the car is ready,” the butler announced. “Should we prepare dinner for you tonight?”

“No need. After the dance performance, Shen Zhu and I have other plans.” Chao Musheng gave the cat a few affectionate pats before setting it down.

“Meow.” Mo Tuan let out a few clingy sounds, earning another round of pets before Chao Musheng left.

The moment he was gone, the cat’s sweet voice vanished. With a dignified “meow,” it retreated into its bed.

The dance theater was dazzling—lights, stage, and performers blending into a breathtaking spectacle. The effects, powered by Kunlun’s technology, were so stunning the audience wished they could watch it again immediately.

As the performance ended, thunderous applause filled the venue. Shen Ran stood on stage with the dancers, bowing to the audience with tears in his eyes.

His gaze swept across the crowd, and when he spotted Chao Musheng, his smile brightened even more.

Thank you… for letting me stand under the lights to fulfill my dream, instead of drowning in the darkness.

“Shen-ge, congratulations.” Chao Musheng went backstage and handed Shen Ran a gift. “The performance was amazing. When’s the next show? I’ll bring my boyfriend along.”

“Thank you, Chao-ge.” Shen Ran accepted the gift gratefully, hugging it close. “I’ll reserve two tickets for you next time.”

A phone rang. Chao Musheng glanced at the caller ID before answering softly.

Shen Ran politely turned away but still caught words like “finished” and “pick me up.”

Backstage bustled with activity, but no one dared disturb Chao Musheng, knowing his status.

Before long, a man in a black overcoat walked in, a scarf draped over his arm. His noble aura kept others at a distance.

“Why did you come backstage?” Chao Musheng smiled apologetically at Shen Ran before walking over to Su Chenzhu.

“It’s cold outside. The butler said you forgot your scarf.” Su Chenzhu gave Shen Ran a slight nod.

“President Su, hello.” Shen Ran stood stiffly, both respectful and slightly intimidated. The entire backstage had gone quiet.

Noticing their discomfort, Chao Musheng said, “We’ll head out now. Congratulations again—today’s performance was stunning.”

“Thank you.” Shen Ran escorted them to the exit, watching as Su Chenzhu wrapped the scarf snugly around Chao Musheng, leaving only his eyes visible.

“Shen-ge, see you.” Chao Musheng waved from under the night sky.

“See you.” Shen Ran stood there, watching the two walk away hand in hand, before returning to his dressing room.

“Shen-ge,” his assistant gushed, “you actually know Mr. Chao and President Su? But why do you both call each other ‘ge’?”

“I call him ‘ge’ because of the respect I hold for him. He calls me ‘ge’ out of courtesy.” Shen Ran carefully placed the gift into his bag.

Under the bright moon, he marveled at his fortune—to have been illuminated by such brilliance.

“Your hands are so warm.” Chao Musheng intertwined his fingers with Su Chenzhu’s, tucking their joined hands into the latter’s coat pocket. “I remember when we first met, your fingers were freezing when I accidentally touched them.”

“Mm. My hands are warm in winter, cool in summer.” Su Chenzhu smiled like spring sunshine in the cold wind, his fingers enveloping Chao Musheng’s soft ones.

"Then I must be really lucky to have such a large human-shaped temperature regulator." Chao Musheng lowered his head with a laugh as the two walked out of the theater. At the corner, a dirty little dog came limping out, one leg injured, no collar around its neck—clearly a stray who had wandered for who knows how long. It was so thin its bones were visible, shivering in the cold wind.

A security guard came over to shoo it away, but the dog didn’t even dare bark. It just shrank its small, filthy body, backing away a few steps with tiny whimpers.

Seeing its pitiful state, the guard couldn’t bring himself to chase it off, but he also worried about complaints from the audience. His face twisted in conflict as he discreetly glanced at Chao Musheng and Su Chenzhu’s expressions.

"It’s fine, leave it to us," Chao Musheng said with a smile before turning to Su Chenzhu. "Go get a coat from the car."

Su Chenzhu glanced at the dog on the ground and silently returned to the car, fetching a black coat—his own—for Chao Musheng.

Chao Musheng wrapped the little dog in the coat and cradled it in his arms. "Let’s go."

Su Chenzhu remained quiet the whole way. Once in the car, he noticed Chao Musheng had placed the dog on the seat instead of holding it.

"Chao Chao, do you want to keep it?"

"Grandma mentioned recently that she wanted a dog. I’ll arrange for someone to take it to her place." Chao Musheng chuckled, lifting his gaze to Su Chenzhu. "Su Chenzhu, I won’t keep any other dog."

Su Chenzhu suddenly found the grimy little dog much more tolerable.

"Did you suffer after you left?" Long ago, when the virus sphere disguised itself as Chairman Chen, bringing along a dog identical to the one from back then and spinning some story, he had already guessed part of the truth.

Su Chenzhu stayed silent. Chao Chao hadn’t asked why he left—only whether he had been alright.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?" Chao Musheng poked him with a finger.

"I wasn’t really like that." Su Chenzhu still remembered Chao Chao calling him "ugly" back in Chen Manor. "I didn’t suffer. I had no choice but to leave."

Chao Chao was so good—he didn’t want the evil god to enter this world where Chao Chao existed.

And so, afterward, he never dared disturb Chao Chao’s life again.

"Then what did you originally look like?"

"I can take any form." Su Chenzhu asked seriously, "Chao Chao, what’s your favorite animal?"

Gods are formless. Humans project their reverence onto them, shaping their appearance accordingly.

But Chao Chao was different. He could become whatever Chao Chao loved most.

"There are many animals I like."

He could change his form every day.

"But—" Chao Musheng drew out the word, smiling at him.

The little dog bundled in the coat tilted its head up, watching as the two humans leaned closer and closer.

"Whatever you look like, that’s the one I’ll like."

"Woof~!"