“I’ve officially resigned now. After this recording, I’m planning to move to the Magic City,” Xu Ming said. “But I’ll still need to record two observation room episodes, which will require me to come back here.”
“What about your house then?” Xu Jiayuan asked.
“You guys can handle it for me, right? It’s fine if it stays vacant, or it’d be good if you moved in,” Xu Ming said. “This old house doesn’t even have an elevator, and it feels a bit inconvenient to live in. A Li often comes to Mango TV to record shows, and I estimate I’ll also need to come back here frequently. You can’t make me stay in a hotel then, right?”
“Alright then.” Li Jing smiled and said, “The new house can’t stay empty, so let’s see about renting out this house later.”
Mu Li gestured again: “A Li said that if you’re moving, he can help with the move while he’s here.”
Li Jing was startled and quickly refused: “How could we impose? You’re a guest; how can we let you move things?”
“It’s fine, I move fast,” Gardevoir said.
Seeing Li Jing still wanting to refuse, Xu Ming also persuaded: “Mom, just let him help. I also thought it would be troublesome before, but after seeing his moving scene, I even wanted to open a moving company directly.”
“Ah?” Li Jing and Xu Jiayuan clearly didn’t understand what he meant.
“You just watch,” Xu Ming mysteriously winked, leaving them in suspense.
The next morning, with the help of Gardevoir’s Psychic abilities, the items in the house seemed like living things, leaping into packing boxes, being sealed, and then directly dragged into the shadows by Gengar.
In just half an hour, the entire house was cleared out and even cleaned.
Li Jing and Xu Jiayuan were both stunned: “No one told me that Psychic Pokémon were so useful!”
Roserade, standing nearby, looked on and began to doubt Pokémon life itself. Why were other people’s Pokémon so useful?
“His Pokémon are a bit special,” Xu Ming explained briefly. He had long noticed the special nature of Mu Li’s Pokémon but had always pretended not to know.
Gardevoir also complained with a hint of helplessness: “Our Pokémon are all trained in housekeeping. Not only do they have to take care of themselves, but they also have to take care of A Li.”
Apparently, Gardevoir was the main victim among them.
The four quickly arrived at Xu Ming’s new home, and it didn’t take long to arrange all the items.
“It feels like it changed all at once,” Xu Ming complained. “It doesn’t even feel like my home anymore.”
Li Jing retorted unhappily: “What are you talking about? If this isn’t your home, then whose is it?”
After a day of recovery, Mu Li’s throat could barely speak, and the two fat sausages hanging from his lips had turned into ham sausages.
“Why does it feel like the production team isn’t enthusiastic at all today?” Gardevoir conveyed Mu Li’s complaint. “You’re not secretly playing some emotional card on us, are you?”
Xu Ming’s expression stiffened for a moment, but Gardevoir accurately caught it.
Just kidding, in front of a master of the mind, lying is impossible.
“That’s not right, is it? This isn’t your persona today, is it?” Xu Ming asked, puzzled. “With your keen eye, can you see through the production team’s arrangements?”
Mu Li helplessly glanced at Xu Ming, raised the phone in his hand, and said: “I don’t have a keen eye, but Ming Yu does! He’s an old variety show rogue; he didn’t get that title for nothing.”
Xu Ming couldn’t help but retort: “What’s there to be proud of?”
“Never mind that, I found out anyway,” Mu Li showed a smug expression, as if entering a highlight moment.
“So what if you found out? What’s there to be proud of?” Xu Ming said unhappily. “It’s the production team’s fault anyway.”
However, even though Mu Li knew about the production team’s arrangements, he was still moved when he actually arrived at the scene in the afternoon.
The final recording was still in the studio, but by then, the studio had transformed into a different appearance.
As Mu Li walked along, he saw various photos on the walls—photos taken during each recording since the first episode.
His first live broadcast photo, Togekiss’s solo live broadcast photo, his group photo with Xu Yunyi, group photos with Chichi, Fan Yizhi, and Zheng Yun, group photos with Pei Pei and Mu Qingqing…
As he walked, memories flooded his mind, and it felt as if everything was happening again.
“Darn it! They’re actually this thoughtful!” Mu Li smiled, looking at the familiar staff around him, his emotions surging.
The production team didn’t prepare any deliberately emotional segments; instead, they only prepared a large cake. But the more subtle these details were, the more Mu Li couldn’t bear it.
Thus, the recording of the program “I Live Alone” was officially completed.
This ending might not have many spectacular parts, no thrilling moments at sea, no surprises when meeting celebrity friends, but with the company of family, this ending had a subtle warmth.
Perhaps this was the main theme of the show: life isn’t always full of passion; most of the time, it’s very ordinary.
Perhaps shopping, eating, playing chess, or having a Pokémon battle, and a day just passes by.
After finishing the “I Live Alone” schedule, Xu Ming also officially completed his work tasks in Star City and prepared to move.
With the help of Gengar and Gardevoir, Xu Ming quickly packed his luggage.
“No matter how many times I see it, I still think you should just quit being a celebrity and register a moving company. I feel like you’d earn more,” Xu Ming said with an envious look at Gardevoir and Gengar. “Even without Gengar, Gardevoir would be fine!”
Mu Li once again imagined Gardevoir becoming a moving company spokesperson—Gardevoir, the Moving Queen?
“What kind of nonsense is this? Get out of my head! Our Gardevoir is a Battle Queen!”
But thinking back carefully, when was the last time Gardevoir battled?
A year ago? Or two years ago?
“Gardevoir, do you want to battle?” Mu Li suddenly asked.
“Of course not! What good Pokémon wants to fight for no reason?” Gardevoir’s voice came. “The only reason we battled before was because you liked it, wasn’t it?”
“Then do you have anything you want to do?” Mu Li continued to ask.
“I want to Sing! Bo-li!” Jigglypuff suddenly said.
“I want to make delicious cream!” Alcremie also replied.
“I want to be a good drummer!” Sylveon’s reply.
“Eat delicious food!” Snorlax’s reply.
…
“I just want to stay by your side.” Ninetales’s voice also appeared, and to Mu Li’s surprise, with Ninetales’s personality, it seemed unlikely to say such a thing. Suddenly, Mu Li felt that he might have been neglecting them too much lately.
After returning to the Magic City with Xu Ming, Mu Li returned home, intending to spend quality time with his Pokémon, but suddenly received a message from Fu Peiyao.
“You’re home?” Fu Peiyao asked.
“Just arrived.” After Mu Li replied, he didn’t receive any more messages from Fu Peiyao.
Five minutes later, Mu Li’s doorbell rang.
Mu Li opened the door and looked at Fu Peiyao in surprise, a joyful smile on his lips: “Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were going to prepare for the “Idol Project” finals performance tonight?”
Fu Peiyao pointed inside the house and said: “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Mu Li smiled and gestured for her to enter.
After Fu Peiyao entered the room, she pointed at the three Rowlets sitting on the sofa and said: “How are their test results?”
“Not bad, they’ve pretty much recovered,” Mu Li said with a smile. “Now they’re just clinging here and refusing to leave.”
Fu Peiyao also smiled and said: “Sometimes I really envy you; you’re truly popular with Pokémon.”
“I’m actually getting a headache,” Mu Li sighed. “I feel like life has been changing a bit too fast recently, and I’m having trouble adapting. I feel like I haven’t spent time with them in a long time, and even you, we haven’t seen each other in a while, have we?”
Fu Peiyao’s lips curved into a smile, and she nodded: “Indeed, we’re neighbors, and it’s been almost a month since we last met, hasn’t it? We haven’t even played games.”
Before Mu Li could reply, Fu Peiyao suddenly asked: “Why didn’t you come to find me first?”
Mu Li was startled and thought for a long time before replying: “I’m a bit unsure how to face you. I want to see you, but after seeing you, I don’t know what to do.”
“I feel like the recent changes in life have made me lose my original rhythm,” Mu Li said with a bitter smile. “I even have very little time for music; most of my time is spent recording variety shows, thinking about how to be funny and how to achieve variety show effects, which has made me lose my original self.”
“Then why not return to your old life?” Fu Peiyao asked, puzzled.
“I’m actually very worried, worried that the real me won’t be liked by everyone,” Mu Li said. “Actually, I’m not as diligent as I appear; I’m even quite lazy, and I don’t do many things myself. I wait for my Pokémon to feed me every day, and I like to play games. Will anyone like me like this?”
“Of course!” Fu Peiyao said loudly. “At least I like you very much.”
With that, a blush appeared on Fu Peiyao’s cheeks.
“Actually, I think you don’t need to deliberately show your strengths. A person is truly liked because of their inherent charm,” Fu Peiyao said. “Just like how you’re very considerate, you prepare many surprises for me, and you play games and chat with me whenever you have time. These are all your strengths.”
“Really?” Mu Li looked into Fu Peiyao’s eyes, which seemed to sparkle with light, and within that light, his own reflection could be seen.
Fu Peiyao looked at Mu Li without shyness and said earnestly: “A Li, you should be more confident. You deserve that confidence.”
“Confident?” Mu Li murmured.
Although he had become the world’s top Pokémon trainer, in Mu Li’s view, apart from Pokémon battles, he seemed to be a complete mess in other aspects.
His seemingly thriving singing career was merely the wisdom of others and had little to do with him.
He also found it hard to attribute this honor to himself.
The reason he wanted to become a singer back then wasn’t to enjoy the honor of being a singer; he mostly wanted to find the feeling of being on stage, the feeling of being in the spotlight.
Because only then could he confirm his existence.
But now he understood that what he needed to do was not to become some kind of existence to please others, but to be himself. This was what those who liked him truly wanted to see.
“Thank you.” Mu Li suddenly embraced the beautiful woman in front of him.