Chapter 116: Modeling

He seemed to be treated as a child by Alfred.

Lin Han still felt that he was the Lin Han who understood himself very well, but when he lowered his head, he could see that he was sitting steadily on Alfred's arms, with two chubby legs exposed under the hem of his white nightgown.

He is really small now. In Alfred's arms, he is as big as Jiang Xuchen, whom he has seen many times.

Lin Han swallowed.

He didn't know why he said "hmm", but Alfred asked and he answered subconsciously.

He was indeed frightened.

Before he saw Alfred walk through the door, he imagined countless possible monsters and scenes that might happen in this room in his mind.

Any creature that can walk through that door, no matter if it is a monster or something else, even a bug, is of the same size. Lin Han is particularly small at the moment. Like other children of this age, he has no means of countermeasures in the face of danger and will easily be injured and killed in danger.

Just like not long ago, he fell from a high altitude and died in a real accident.

So, fear is the most normal thing.

It seemed normal for him to act a little vulnerable at this time.

The copy itself was the main reason for his fright, but it was Alfred who really scared him.

In response to Alfred's question, he was qualified to say "hmm".

Alfred placed his hand gently on Lin Han's head, stroking it lightly and applying a little pressure. The child in his arms obediently leaned on his shoulder in response to his force, his hands tightly grasping the fabric on his chest.

Compared to Jiang Xuchen who always leaned on him casually and lazily in the past, the young Lin Han seemed a bit bewildered and timid in both his movements and expression.

Compared to when he was an adult, you could get a glimpse of his true inner thoughts at this moment.

He pretended to be calm and peaceful, but deep down he was filled with anxiety about facing an unknown world.

"It's my fault." Alfred admitted softly.

Lin Han, who was leaning on his shoulder, was silent for a moment, then hummed softly.

Alfred's hands patted Lin Han's back gently and rhythmically, and the gentle force almost made Lin Han lean on his shoulder and fall asleep with her eyes closed.

But when Lin Han moved her body and tried to find a more suitable position on Alfred's shoulder to rest her cheek, she saw her face in the mirror not far away.

He really looked like he did as a child, with a large, lingering blush on his face. He looked like he had a fever, but his expression was remarkably peaceful.

He also saw the back of Alfred who was holding him.

This figure was exactly the same as the Alfred he remembered; even the hand patting his back was so gentle that it seemed like it belonged to Alfred.

Lin Han remembered that this was how he treated Jiang Xuchen.

He is very good at taking care of children.

So he can take care of him like this at this time.

But... when he really saw Alfred through the reflection of the mirror, Lin Han, who had been stuck in the repeating cycle of life and death for a long time, slowly felt his initial excitement of seeing an "old acquaintance" freeze into ice. His hands and feet were cold, and his fingertips trembled slightly uncontrollably.

The same question remains, why is Alfred here?

Lin Han had thought about this question as early as the first time he saw Alfred.

Perhaps it was because they had been together for a while that he subconsciously felt that Alfred was a very reliable person. When he confirmed that the person who walked in from outside the door had Alfred's face, he put aside his doubts and stepped forward. He was lifted up and held in his arms without any resistance.

Alfred is awesome and it’s safe to be around him.

So even though he had already come to this point with great difficulty, and he could have continued to move forward step by step, at that moment he didn't even think about it and leaned obediently in Alfred's arms.

Long ago, the four words "Alfred" became synonymous with "safety" in Lin Han's mind.

That's why we call him when we're in danger.

Could the Alfred who was holding him at this moment be the real Alfred?

This question kept churning in Lin Han's mind, making him nervous and uneasy, and he subconsciously tried to find an excuse for it.

Shen Qiuqiu said that they would enter the dungeon every now and then to play some roles.

Lin Han knew that there were so many teachers in the college, but he only knew and saw a few of them who were actually teaching in the college. Where did the rest go?

This is a reasonable guess.

Like Shen Qiuqiu and other unseen teachers in the academy, Alfred will play different roles in different copies.

Although Alfred seemed to be constantly busy.

He had to take care of Jiang Xuchen, teach the students at the academy, and keep an eye on Lin Han's dungeon progress. He also had a "side job" as a chef at the restaurant...

He is very busy, but it doesn't mean he can't take some time to play a role in different copies.

Lin Han leaned on Alfred's shoulder, staring straight at the mirror, and at himself and Alfred in the mirror who had not moved.

Lin Han, who cleared the [Behind] copy, did not get his reward.

Unlike Song Ziyi and the others who received rewards the moment they passed the level, Lin Han's rewards were often delayed.

Alfred told him that his reward was in his next dungeon, which was this one.

Lin Han had actually keenly sensed something was wrong a long time ago. They always seemed to be able to easily know his next choice, as if they knew that he would enter this A-level copy.

But he clearly drew this copy.

Before taking the note out of the lottery box, no one knew which one he would choose, nor did anyone know what the new copy he was about to face would be.

Maybe the boxes all contain the same pink pieces of paper, or maybe... no matter what he draws, he will definitely enter this copy in the end.

Maybe they didn't do anything behind the scenes, they just saw this future.

Lin Han didn't know what he was thinking. All his doubts, guesses, and uneasy emotions burst out at this moment, just because Alfred inexplicably appeared in this copy and appeared in front of him.

Seeing the future or something, what a ridiculous idea.

Lin Han would never have believed such a thing before, but he had gained power from the "new world" that ordinary people could not obtain, and he had long been convinced in his heart that such a thing existed.

So...so...will Alfred's appearance here be his reward?

Take care of him like you took care of Jiang Xuchen, and help him through the customs?

Layer upon layer of fantasies and speculations compressed together, Lin Han straightened up and looked at Alfred again.

The other person's body was hot, but Lin Han inexplicably imagined his cold body and the cold eyes that were quietly glancing at him from behind.

Just imagining it gave Lin Han goose bumps all over his body, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe. He felt as if he was in complete danger when he was easily embraced by someone else, and he might lose his life if he made the next move.

Fortunately, death is death.

In this copy, he can start over even if he dies.

Lin Han held such uneasy thoughts as she met Alfred's eyes filled with gentle smiles.

At that moment, all the fear and anxiety in my heart were gone with the wind.

The Alfred who appeared before him seemed to be the Alfred who could really bring him security.

After letting out a long breath, Lin Han turned her head and leaned on Alfred's shoulder again, almost presumptuously putting her arm around his shoulders.

He was too small, so when he said he was hugging her, he was actually just pulling her, but he didn't feel uncomfortable in this position at all.

Lin Han closed his eyes peacefully.

[One Day] Lin Han was the only player in the dungeon, and he couldn't communicate with anyone.

He doesn't need to know whether other players are good or bad, or whether they have bad intentions. The only one who can compete with him in wits and courage is himself, so he will be nervous and have wild thoughts.

But the live broadcast of the internal test was on, and he always worried about his image, wondering whether Song Ziyi and his family, who were watching his every move from the outside world, would worry about him, so he acted so indifferent.

He was actually afraid too.

When he closed his eyes, he was the only one in the room.

He was the only one in the entire copy.

This moment was the only time in this dungeon that he felt at ease.

But in the end, Lin Han didn't feel at ease for long.

He realized that something was really wrong besides Alfred - the speed at which he was growing up didn't match his previous experience.

According to Lin Han's own expectations, he would be a child when he woke up. After spending some time in the room, he would slowly shed his childish appearance, grow taller, and then open the door that he could not open when he was a child.

The appearance of Alfred prevented everything from developing as he expected, but his body would not stop changing because of Alfred's appearance.

But at this moment, Lin Han, who was lying on Alfred's shoulder, saw that she still looked like a child in the mirror.

He may have grown up a little, but that little is enough.

In the [One Day] copy, the flow of time that Lin Han had tried so many times but was always fixed and unaffected was paused here.

Either Alfred's arrival caused this consequence, or the change of "cage" brought about a completely different effect.

It’s a pity that he didn’t hold on for too long when he was carried out by the giant, otherwise he would have been able to confirm whether the flow rate of time and speed for him as a little man outside the cage was the same.

Although Lin Han wanted to rest on Alfred's shoulder for a while, he could not delay any longer because of the doubts in front of him.

Lin Han let go of Alfred's shoulder and stood up again. Although Alfred still had a smile on his face, he put Lin Han on the stool next to him first.

There was a blanket that Lin Han had laid out earlier. He sat on it as if he were sitting in the clouds, but he suddenly lost the force that was supporting him and felt a little lost.

The weakness just now was only temporary. Lin Han knew very well that he was not a real child. He was different from Jiang Xuchen.

The show of weakness just now was his way of releasing the pressure in his heart through his current appearance. Now that Alfred put him down, it meant that they would no longer be together in silence like before.

As an NPC in the copy that Lin Han imagined, Alfred should have his own things to do.

Lin Han sat on the stool and looked up at Alfred, who was much taller than him and standing next to him.

When Alfred turned the chair he was sitting on, his eyes were still following him closely. Even when he could no longer see him clearly just by looking up, Lin Han still wanted to get up and turn around to look at him.

This action was stopped by Alfred.

His hands pressed on Lin Han's shoulders, forcing him to sit on the stool facing the wall beside the door.

Lin Han was a little confused. This was the first time he looked at the wallpaper in front of him so closely and attentively.

Under the wallpaper were layers of cardboard. Not long ago, he had used a stool to smash a hole in it, and used a glass knife to continuously widen the hole.

Now he sat there, as if facing a wall to reflect on his mistakes.

Lin Han didn't understand what Alfred was going to do.

But before he could ask, Alfred spoke first: "When I'm here, time stands still in the room."

"I'm a stylist. I have only one mission here, which is to change your image."

Image?

Lin Han suddenly remembered the clearance requirements.

At this moment, he was picked out by the giant from a bunch of identical versions of himself simply because he was too lively, but this did not mean that he was on the final selection list.

The one being truly qualified to judge him has not yet made a choice, or perhaps has not even seen him.

So Alfred appears here as the stylist who helps him get through the next round of selection.

Stylist?

Getting dressed, doing your hair, or putting on makeup?

Lin Han still didn't understand how Alfred was going to be his stylist, especially now that he was sitting on a stool so close to the wall in front of him.

Facing the wall like this, it seems like a mirror should be placed in front of him.

But the mirror is not here, it is on the table not far away.

Lin Han subconsciously wanted to find the mirror, but was stopped by Alfred the moment she turned her head.

He was forced to continue looking at the wall.

I don't understand, I don't understand why this is happening.

Lin Han sat on the stool. He could no longer see Alfred, who made him feel at ease.

He began to get nervous again.

"Don't worry, don't be afraid, relax." Alfred's fingers brushed across the side of his face, caressed it, and tucked his hair behind his ear. He then soothed him in a voice familiar to Lin Han, "As a reward, you won't feel any pain when styling your hair."

Why is styling painful?

Lin Han didn't understand.

But when he lowered his head, he felt something sliding down his neck.

His hands were still placed obediently on his knees, but his eyes looked over honestly.

The bright red blood flowed to the collar of his pajamas, and the soft fabric was stained with red flowers.

Alfred lifted his chin and said, "Don't move, or you might get hurt."

But he...seems to be injured.