Chapter 35: Constantine – Lies Will Be Exposed

Constantine had been to Hell many times.

Every visit had filled him with discomfort and despair at its cruel, desolate landscape.

But this time, for the first time in his life, he was stunned.

The sandstorms still raged, yet the wasteland that had once been littered with ruins and corpses had been replaced by rows of young saplings, each about waist-high. Every little tree had a name tag hanging from it.

He crouched to read them.

Many bore the names of demons he recognized, old acquaintances.

The saplings leaned against one another in the howling wind, clustered together as if they were close friends.

At the foot of a decaying dead tree, something that looked like flowers seemed to be blooming.

Curious, Constantine stepped closer.

It wasn’t a flower at all.

It was the severed head of a carrion demon, twisted into shape by someone, or more accurately, by some other demon.

Aside from the unfortunate creature currently serving as “garden decoration,” Constantine had yet to see a single demon.

What on earth was going on?

Wasn’t Hell usually crawling with demons?

It had only been a day. How could everything have changed so drastically?

He continued forward.

Not far away stood a small building with the words “Restroom” painted across the top.

In the lower corner was a cute cartoon figure with a fierce expression and a speech bubble:

“Anyone who destroys my little trees or little houses will become a flower decoration on the logs for one hundred years! No demon is allowed!”

Next to it was another speech bubble that had obviously been added later:

“NOT EVEN LUCIFER!!!”

The three oversized exclamation marks made it abundantly clear just how angry the artist had been at Lucifer.

On the far left wall was another doodle depicting a skinny child, also with a speech bubble that sounded almost pitiful:

“Please don’t make life difficult for yourselves. Don’t come crying to me for help. I can’t do anything about it either, because Father agreed to the rule too.”

Although time flowed differently in Hell than in the human world, Jiang Shulan had only been here for a short while.

How had the entire realm been turned upside down?

In that instant, Constantine stopped worrying about Jiang Shulan.

Instead, he began worrying about himself.

What if Jiang Shulan had been won over by Lucifer and decided not to return?

“Constantine!”

Someone rushed toward him without hesitation and threw himself into his arms.

“Take me home!”

Standing on tiptoe, the little priest kissed him, his bright eyes fixed intently on Constantine.

“Hurry.”

If they delayed any longer, Lucifer might change his mind.

****

Three years earlier, after learning about Constantine’s connection with Gabriel, Jiang Shulan had gone behind Constantine’s back and sought the angel out after much effort to ease the tension between them.

“Please,” he pleaded softly, tugging pitifully at Gabriel’s sleeve. “Can’t you help him?”

“He’s had such a miserable life. His mother died when he was young, his father sent him to a psychiatric institution where he suffered terribly, and even now, despite being gravely ill and coughing up blood every day, he still struggles to survive and does everything he can to help other people.”

Gabriel enjoyed the closeness of pure souls, but he could not lie with a straight face.

“You seem to have skipped over quite a few details.”

For example, Constantine helped others largely because he wanted to earn his way into Heaven.

And the reason he coughed blood every day was because he smoked fifteen cigarettes daily.

Jiang Shulan wrapped both arms around Gabriel’s arm, burying his head against it as he muttered in a muffled, gentle voice,

“But the results are what matter, right?”

Gabriel had been about to refuse when God’s command reached him.

“Really?”

Jiang Shulan’s eyes immediately sparkled with joy.

His blue irises shone brilliantly, the corners of his eyes curved downward, delicate fan-like lines gathered beneath his lashes, and his entire gaze seemed bathed in soft warmth.

“Thank you!” he said sweetly. “Gabriel, you’re the most beautiful and most powerful angel I’ve ever met!”

Feeling God’s suddenly displeased attention settle upon him, Gabriel lowered his head and placed a light kiss upon Jiang Shulan’s forehead.

“Thank you,” he replied quietly. “If you ever run into trouble, you may come to me.”

With Gabriel’s help, Constantine’s health gradually improved.

Unfortunately, so did his possessiveness and desire to control Jiang Shulan.

Every day he wanted a say in what Jiang Shulan wore, what he ate, even whether he walked down the left side of the street or the right.

If Jiang Shulan refused, Constantine would act like a madman, carrying him back home and doing absolutely nothing except silently crying while holding him.

How was Constantine even more prone to tears than he was?

Eventually, Jiang Shulan became too exhausted to argue and simply accepted it.

****

On Christmas Day, Constantine dressed him up as Santa Claus.

But before Jiang Shulan could even step outside, Constantine pulled him back into his embrace.

“Change into something else, baby.”

Holding Jiang Shulan’s cheeks between his fingers to keep him still, he kissed his face, then his eyes.

His voice carried unmistakable irritation and violence beneath its softness.

“I’m afraid someone will steal you away.”

Jiang Shulan tugged at his fake beard and pointed at the oversized red Santa hat that nearly covered his entire head.

Only his eyes were visible.

Who on earth was going to kidnap him looking like this?

If anything, people would suspect he was the one abducting children.

Seeing Constantine close his eyes in agitation, Jiang Shulan leaned close and whispered into his ear,

“Just let me go out and have some fun tonight. I’ll promise you one thing in return, okay?”

Constantine’s eyes snapped open instantly.

His pupils overflowed with obsession and undisguised adoration, tinged with an almost pathological redness.

“Whenever I’m home,” he said, “you’re not allowed to wear pants.”

‘No pants? Why on earth?’

Unable to figure it out but eager to enjoy the evening outside, Jiang Shulan thought about it for several seconds, without actually reaching any conclusion, and agreed anyway.

Only after they returned home the next day and Constantine reminded him of their agreement did Jiang Shulan suddenly realize just how shameless the condition truly was.

Didn’t that mean… things could happen at any time?

By then, regret was useless.

Jiang Shulan bit down on a sofa cushion while sweat and tears mingled together, dripping continuously onto the upholstery until a large patch was soaked through.

Constantine had undone only a zipper and left everything else seemingly untouched, making it look as though Jiang Shulan could walk out the door the next moment without issue, while the subtle yet unmistakably suggestive atmosphere around him would inevitably attract unwanted attention.

A black overcoat shielded him from the warm breeze of the air conditioner, but it didn’t help.

He still shivered from the cold and only wanted to crawl back beneath the blankets.

The living room felt far too exposed.

What if someone knocked and came in?

It wasn’t that he distrusted Constantine.

It was simply because Constantine really had done things like that before.

When everything was over, Constantine turned his face back toward himself, kissed him gently, brushed away his tears, and massaged his cramped legs with remarkable tenderness.

He looked every bit the perfect gentleman.

But if he truly were a gentleman…

He would stop tormenting Jiang Shulan quite so often.

Jiangjiang was genuinely exhausted.

****

Several years later, Constantine finally asked how Jiang Shulan had escaped from Lucifer’s grasp all those years ago, and, more importantly, why Lucifer had never bothered him again since.

Jiang Shulan refused to tell him, even if threatened with death.

After all, every lie he told Constantine would be exposed immediately.

Everyone understood why.

He certainly wasn’t going to reveal that he had once made a bargain with Lucifer.

The agreement had been simple:

Jiang Shulan would remain in the human world with Constantine for a few years, and after death, he would belong to Hell forever, staying with Lucifer for eternity.

Lucifer had even warned him sternly that if Jiang Shulan failed to come willingly, Lucifer would personally ascend to the human world to fetch him.

But by then, Jiang Shulan reasoned, he would already have left that world behind.

Even if Lucifer marched straight up to God Himself, it would no longer matter.

The thought made Jiang Shulan secretly smile.

The System couldn’t help laughing as well.

[You’re getting better and better at lying.]

[He isn’t human.]

[My mistake.]

📚 Also on NHV Novels

The Days That Are Gone

Gender BenderPsychologicalSlice of Life

Read Now →
Not interested