Chapter 2 The Apocalypse 1

[Baby, the first world is very simple. The male protagonist, Luo Mingchuan, has a gloomy and withdrawn personality, with manic tendencies, and is full of weariness towards the world.]

As the son of Luo's father's old friend, you were adopted by Luo after the death of both your parents. After starting university, you settled in another city and had little contact with the male protagonist. Soon after, Luo's father passed away, leaving behind only an old, dilapidated apartment and meager savings. To repay Luo's father, you supported the male protagonist until he was about to enter his crucial senior year of high school, at which point you quit your job and returned to his side.

You believe that as the eldest brother, you are like a father to your younger brother and cannot allow him to continue down this path of depravity. You are determined to help him get into a good university, find a good job, and live a happy and fulfilling life. However, the world is later infected by a virus, and survival will become the biggest problem.

[All you need to do is play the role of a selfless, devoted older brother, helping Luo Mingchuan overcome his suicidal tendencies, taking meticulous care of his life and studies, and escorting him safely to the base after the apocalypse. Then you can retire gracefully! The process is simple and completely straightforward!]

[Because the baby's husband's soul is scattered throughout the small world, and the male protagonist is the largest fragment that holds the soul, all you need to do is continuously dedicate yourself to him, create positive emotions, make him remember it deeply, and stimulate him to wake up.]

It's just being a nanny.

Lu Xuejin asked, "...What would happen if the protagonist had a mental breakdown by accident?"

Dong Yao's tone instantly turned serious: "Mental breakdown exacerbates the dispersion and chaos of the soul. If it occurs repeatedly, the soul will be unable to reassemble, meaning true and complete death."

Lu Xuejin nodded solemnly and said, "I understand. I will definitely cherish his soul."

He paused, then asked, "Are there any fixed lines or plot? Are there any specific personality requirements for the character I'm playing?"

Dongyao: [All the small worlds are generated based on the novel's text, but the system does not restrict the host's task method. While maintaining the general plot outline, the rest of the characters are free to improvise!]

"That's good." Lu Xuejin smiled.

That's really interesting.

"Then be a weak person. A weak Baozi brother who can be bullied by anyone, willing to endure everything for his younger brother... That way, you'll be more efficient at acquiring things."

...

The only advantage of this old, run-down two-bedroom apartment is its excellent natural light. Just after seven in the morning, the bright sunlight already filled the entire living room.

Lu Xuejin slowly finished the last mouthful of thin porridge with the pickled vegetables, then turned her gaze to the young man eating silently across from her.

The young man had neat short black hair, dark eyes, and a dark complexion, but when he changed into a clean school uniform and put on thin-rimmed glasses, he looked quite like a good student.

Luo Mingchuan remained silent, lowering his head to stuff a steamed bun into his mouth.

After hastily swallowing a few bites, Luo Mingchuan swept the bowls and chopsticks together after Lu Xuejin finished her breakfast. The kitchen was filled with the sound of running water. A few minutes later, he cleaned up the mess, shook off the water, picked up his schoolbag, and was about to leave.

"Mingchuan, wait a moment." Lu Xuejin called out to him, her voice filled with anxiety, "Let me see your hand."

After he finished speaking, the entrance hall fell silent, with only the noise of traffic outside.

Luo Mingchuan held his schoolbag with one hand, his expression indifferent, his dark eyes devoid of any light.

Lu Xuejin carefully walked over and lifted Luo Mingchuan's lowered left hand. As the sleeve was rolled up, a series of cuts, some deep and some shallow, some new and some old, were exposed to the air. The bottommost wound was particularly gruesome, with the flesh turned outward and blood seeping out, clearly a fresh wound.

Luo Mingchuan leaned against the door, staring blankly at Lu Xuejin. His older brother, despite his trembling hands and feet from fear, frantically searched for medical ointment and cotton swabs, carefully applying the medicine to Lu Xuejin's face.

He restrained his strength immensely, afraid of applying too much pressure. Luo Mingchuan's voice was hoarse and dry, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time, "I don't feel anything, just apply it casually."

He was born without the ability to feel pain, and even more so, without the ability to feel emotion. It was as if an invisible, thick wall separated him from the world, making him feel a lack of reality about his own existence.

He didn't care about his cold father from his memories, or his "brother" whom he had only met a few times and who had suddenly barged into his life. He had no expectations for the future, no hobbies, no desires, and no reason to live. For him, suicide was just an attempt to end this boring life.

But he's tough and hard-boiled, so it's hard for him to die, which is why he's still alive and well.

“…Don’t do that again next time.” Lu Xuejin’s voice was trembling. The twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old adult was a whole head shorter than a minor. From this angle, Luo Mingchuan could only see the small whorl of hair on the top of his head.

This cheap older brother.

Despite having no blood relation to him and receiving little care from his father, she stubbornly took on the responsibility of raising him, relentlessly transferring money to his account no matter how many times he refused. Now, she has directly barged into his life, forcefully shattering the familiar silence.

So annoying.

Despite his weak and timid nature, like a piece of dough that anyone could pinch and knead, he didn't run away when he saw the blood smeared on his arm. Instead, he suppressed his fear and rushed straight at him to snatch the knife from his hand.

"What are you doing!" A shrill voice cried out.

Luo Mingchuan attempted suicide again, but was stopped.

Luo Mingchuan refused to go to the hospital, so Lu Xuejin could only rush downstairs to buy ointment. It was the first time she had faced such a situation, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably while cleaning the wound.

Those eyes, always veiled in mist and appearing weak and easily bullied, stared at him, yet commanded in a firm tone: "Don't do that again!"

It's annoying. It's weird and cheesy.

They treated him like a fragile object, and even wanted to check his wounds the next day.

Before he left, Lu Xuejin carefully straightened his sleeves, brushed off the white fuzz from his trousers, and gently instructed him, "Take good care of yourself at school."

[Dedication Points +5]

"You're the one who should be taking care of yourself," Luo Mingchuan suddenly said.

Lu Xuejin's cheeks suddenly flushed red.

Luo Mingchuan really couldn't understand how this person had survived until now. He kept saying that he would take on the responsibility of taking care of him as an older brother, but he couldn't even chop vegetables properly, he was timid when starting a fire to cook, and he just stuffed everything into the washing machine when washing clothes. He couldn't even mop the floor properly... What was there to take care of? He looked like he had never lifted a finger. In fact, he had been cooking and washing dishes for Lu Xuejin these past few days.

He could manage on his own with just one meal a day, instant noodles being enough to fill his stomach. But then Lu Xuejin appeared, demanding that he eat three meals a day, with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, and that he, being unable to cook, end up leaving everything to Lu Xuejin.

He doesn't eat scallions, ginger, or garlic; he doesn't eat cilantro or pickled vegetables; he doesn't like spicy food; he doesn't like sweet food; he doesn't like offal... In just a few days, he knew Lu Xuejin's dietary restrictions by heart.

"...So the dedication value stayed at 27 and didn't move." Dongyao cried out in a sobbing voice, "Sorry baby, I'm inexperienced on my first job and forgot to do a background check on the host beforehand. But the small world has already been generated and can't be changed. I'll definitely be more careful in the next world, sob sob."

The plot of this world is indeed rushed. The host has no experience in living independently. Even cutting a potato is clumsy. He holds it down carefully and slowly, cutting it for ages. Not to mention taking care of the male lead. Right now, all the housework has been taken over by the male lead, so his contribution points are naturally very few.

When Silence was present, would it have taken care of the host in the same way?

Lu Xuejin comforted it, "It's not your fault, it's just that I'm too useless. I can't even do such a small thing."

[It's okay, baby! Life may be tough, but there's always studying. The male lead's final exam results just came out today, so let's check on his performance in each subject and help him catch up before the apocalypse.] Dongyao actively offered suggestions.

In the afternoon, my phone beeped with a message notification.

In the Grade 11 Class 6 parents' group, the homeroom teacher @all members: The final exam results and section analysis have been uploaded to the Miaosi platform. Please check them promptly. After summer vacation comes Grade 12, a crucial year in your entire high school career and even your life. Please pay close attention to your children's studies and encourage them to seize this final year to give it their all and get into their ideal universities!

Parents replied one after another, "Received, thank you for your concern, teacher."

Following the crowd, Lu Xuejin clicked "+1" on the screen and then opened the Miaosi platform, where Luo Mingchuan's final exam results were clearly displayed.

It's a score that's quite risky even for getting into a university.

Although Luo Mingchuan was gloomy and lacked energy, he looked intelligent when he put on his glasses. Lu Xuejin thought that even if his grades weren't outstanding, they should at least be in the middle. Who knew that appearances can be deceiving? The male lead, who looked like a good student, actually ranked second to last in the final exam.

The student who came in last place missed the exam midway through.

Lu Xuejin: "..."

Looking at the appalling score, he sighed softly, a hint of worry creeping into his eyes: "Such a terrible score."

He was somewhat puzzled: "Xiao Yao, Luo Mingchuan and my husband look very similar in appearance and build. I thought they would be similar in other aspects as well. But they are not the same. In reality, Mo Chen graduated from a prestigious imperial university and is very knowledgeable. He often discusses philosophy and literature with me. Luo Mingchuan is so different from him."

It turns out that husbands can be different too.

【Uh…】Dong Yao hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

Dong Yao said, "But baby, there's absolutely no record of schooling in the silent reality archives—no university, high school, middle school, elementary school… not even kindergarten."

The curtains completely blocked out the glaring sunlight. Lu Xuejin sank into the sofa, bathed in the dim light. Upon hearing the truth revealed by the system, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Never went to school? But before he fell silent, he told me that he graduated from the renowned Dongshan University in the empire, majoring in military command and operations coordination, and was an outstanding graduate of that year."

Dongyao quickly searched the database and found the answer: "Baby, there are no silent files at Dongshan University. He's lying to you."

If someone has never attended school, isn't that illiterate?

Lu Xuejin fell silent. The rescue mission had only just begun when she discovered her beloved husband's major lie. She knew she must be devastated.

The husband, who is supposed to be brilliant and a graduate of a prestigious university, turns out to be an illiterate man with no formal education. Such a huge discrepancy is hard for anyone to accept. Seriously speaking, his silence is enough to constitute marriage fraud!

Dongyao felt a surge of tenderness and quickly comforted him, saying, "Honey, your husband is probably feeling inferior and doesn't want you to know he never went to school. But look, even without a degree, he's trying to improve himself. When he talks to you about advanced topics, isn't that proof that you're studying hard?"

Education level doesn't represent everything.

“I don’t care about these things.” Lu Xuejin shook her head, looking somewhat disappointed. “...But he has no reason to lie to me.”

【Baby, look on the bright side. Now is the perfect time to help Luo Mingchuan with his studies! His grades are so bad, there's huge room for improvement, and his contribution points will definitely increase rapidly!】 Dong Yao quickly changed the subject.

Lu Xuejin opened the analysis section on Miaosi, which contained test questions. He randomly clicked on a fill-in-the-blank question and stared at it intently for a long time.

Dong Yao: [Let's prepare lessons now, so we can start tutoring when Luo Mingchuan comes back!]

"..." Lu Xuejin turned off her phone, leaned back on the sofa armrest, and smiled. "I should find him a professional tutor. Although I can do the problems, I'm not good at explaining them, so I won't hold him back."

Dong Yao was deeply moved: [Baby, you're so considerate of him. You're practically an angel!]

It really loves this host. Not only is she very pleasing to the eye, but she's also so kind and gentle, always thinking of others. Silence is incredibly lucky to have married such a perfect wife.

At this time of year, all the good tutors on the market are already booked. Lu Xuejin searched for a long time on various platforms and only found one or two tutoring slots available. The prices were not cheap, and he couldn't afford them with his current savings. He had to find a way to earn more money.

Perfect timing! Working hard to support my younger brother's studies is a great opportunity to earn contribution points.

...

On the last day of his junior year, all he did was review the test papers and hand out new ones in round after round. His summer homework filled his backpack. Under the scorching sun, even with his jacket off and only wearing a short-sleeved shirt, he was still sweating profusely. Frustrated, Luo Mingchuan took off his glasses and suddenly caught sight of Lu Xuejin at the stairwell.

His older brother was being cornered by thugs from next door, who were harassing him with lewd and vulgar language.

"You've only been here a few days, right? I've been keeping an eye on you. You have a younger brother, right? He's quite different from you. You're really beautiful..."

Lu Xuejin clutched the plastic bag tightly, simply lowering his head and trying to walk around it without saying a word, but was blocked by the thugs who were laughing and joking. He had no choice but to look up and plead in a low voice, "...Excuse me, could you please move aside?"

"Your voice is so lovely, but it's too soft, I couldn't hear you clearly. Beautiful lady, could you speak louder?"

"I……"

"Tsk."

Luo Mingchuan frowned, strode over, and unceremoniously stepped between the two, his broad shoulders blocking the lingering gaze directed at Lu Xuejin. He pushed Lu Xuejin, saying, "Let's go."

"Hey—you brat, I'm talking to your brother!"

The thugs, still cursing, wanted to follow, but then they saw Luo Mingchuan suddenly turn around. The young man, having removed his glasses and taken off his neat school uniform jacket, revealed a muscular physique that bordered on savagery. His arms had clearly defined muscles, making him look menacing. His dark eyes were devoid of any light, his gaze cold and piercing. A glimpse of the rough, uneven scars on the young man's left arm sent a chill down the spine, even in the sweltering heat. The thugs shivered and dared not follow any further.

Back in the sweltering old house, the first thing Luo Mingchuan did was turn on the fan. His schoolbag landed with a thud. He instinctively tried to take off his sweat-soaked shirt, but his movements suddenly stopped. Realizing there was another person in the house, he forced himself to endure the sticky sweat on his back, went to the kitchen, gulped down a lot of cold water, and then began preparing dinner.

Lu Xuejin's weak voice followed behind: "You can't drink water that's too cold, Mingchuan, there's something wrong with your hand..."

Luo Mingchuan ignored him. He had no desire to speak.

When Lu Xuejin applied the ointment slowly, she didn't refuse.

After dinner, Luo Mingchuan, covered in sweat, wanted to take a shower, but Lu Xuejin stopped him.

"Mingchuan, the results came out today, and I looked at them... they're not very good. Since summer vacation is long, how about we find a tutor to give us some targeted extra help before senior year? What do you think?"

The hot sweat scrapes against the skin, causing an itchy sensation.

"No need," Luo Mingchuan refused outright.

He didn't care about his grades, but being directly pointed out by Lu Xuejin made him feel a vague sense of irritation and a kind of indescribable shame. Perhaps it was the hot and humid weather, or perhaps it was because he saw Lu Xuejin's weak and easily bullied appearance when he returned, which made him particularly impatient at this moment.

Lu Xuejin, oblivious to everything, patiently inquired, "Do you already have a plan? Or have you already found a tutor? Has the school mentioned tutoring?"

It seemed he wouldn't listen until Luo Mingchuan clearly stated that he would study hard during the summer vacation. Hot and irritable, Luo Mingchuan's gloomy face grew even colder, and his tone became sharp: "What's it to you?"

Lu Xuejin's expression remained unchanged: "I'm your brother. Before Dad passed away, I promised him I would take good care of you. The college entrance exam is a major event in your life. You may not care now, but if you don't take it seriously, you will definitely regret it in the future. So—"

"What kind of brother are you?" Luo Mingchuan smirked, his fingers tracing the still-healing wound on his arm, savoring a hint of pleasure from the dull pain. If it weren't for Lu Xuejin's appearance, he could have ended his life this summer, ending all this boredom. "Lu Xuejin, I've only met you a few times, and we have absolutely no connection. If you miss that dead man, go sweep his grave. Don't worry about whether I'm alive or dead."

Snap!

A crisp, resonant sound suddenly rang out.

Luo Mingchuan abruptly turned his face to the side, feeling an intense, burning pain. This was a sensation he had never experienced before.

He raised his hand and touched the clear palm print.