Chapter 3 The Apocalypse 2
Dongyao screamed in panic: "Baby, what are you doing? Waaaaah! Get away from the male lead! I'm so scared he'll hit you TT Don't be angry, attacking the male lead will deduct your dedication points. That's just how he is. We'll get our revenge later."
Lu Xuejin thought to herself, "Deep love leads to strict discipline. An elder brother is like a father, and a brother's character is strong. Since I am to play the role of a selfless brother who is devoted to him, how can I not feel disappointed and frustrated by his indifference?"
"It's only natural to make a mistake when you're angry."
Dong Yao seemed to understand but not quite: [That makes sense... but baby, if you do this, the male lead will resent you.]
Lu Xuejin smiled slightly: "Really?"
[Dedication Points +10]
【?】 Dong Yao was stunned. For the first time, she felt the dizziness of data overload. 【It didn't deduct anything, it actually increased... How strange. But baby is so smart! Kisses!】
“Look, he’s not angry at all,” Lu Xuejin said calmly.
Lu Xuejin looked frail, her figure so thin it seemed a gust of wind could carry her away, yet the strength in her hands was not to be underestimated. After a brief standoff, Luo Mingchuan's cheek turned bright red. He touched his slightly swollen cheek, feeling no pain, only a tingling, itchy sensation, like ants biting him, that traveled from his fingertips back to his heart.
When the slap landed, he tasted pain for the first time in a long time, and then felt a strange itch, just like the feeling when Lu Xuejin applied medicine to him.
Like a plump, juicy red apple, it exudes a rich, almost cloying fragrance.
The old chandelier in the living room flickered on and off, the corner near the bathroom being particularly dark. Half of Luo Mingchuan's face was shrouded in shadow, and he tasted a hint of rust on his tongue. A chilling glint appeared in his dark eyes as he abruptly turned and stared intently at Lu Xuejin.
The hand that had just slapped him was still hanging in mid-air, slowly withdrawing under his gaze, its taut fingers trembling slightly. Lu Xuejin's face was frosty, a stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor. Luo Mingchuan saw anger in her beautiful eyes.
This older brother, who seems like someone anyone can bully, actually showed such a tough side when facing him.
It's very novel.
Luo Mingchuan tilted his head and scrutinized Lu Xuejin, not missing a single subtle change, from his taut jawline to his bloodless lips and furrowed brows.
The corners of her eyes turned red.
Luo Mingchuan felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
“I’ve already said it—” Lu Xuejin said slowly and firmly, word by word, “I’m your brother, so it’s my duty to take care of you. Mingchuan, no matter what, you have to prepare well for the exam. I’ll find you a tutor… This is an announcement, not an inquiry.”
A rare display of strength in his tone.
This older brother, who wasn't related to him by blood and whom he'd only met a few times, really cared about him. Even though his grades were terrible, he didn't plan to give up on him. What incredible luck did the old man have to adopt such a person?
How annoying... Why not just dump him cleanly? Luo Mingchuan was well aware of how others saw him—a freak, a jinx, a burden.
He was used to being ignored and looked at with strange eyes, but he had never experienced such straightforward care.
A wave of discomfort washed over Luo Mingchuan. He knew he should apologize for his careless words. He tried to organize his thoughts several times, but his words came out stiff and lifeless. In the end, he could only change the subject.
The tall young man suppressed his gloom, obediently lowered his head, and said in a muffled voice, "I know, I'll go find the teacher. Don't worry about the money, the old man still has savings."
In fact, the savings had long been spent, but Luo Mingchuan didn't want Lu Xuejin to struggle for tutoring fees.
I haven't spoken as much in the past few days as I have in a whole month.
After speaking, Luo Mingchuan felt exhausted.
As the ice melted and the snow thawed, Lu Xuejin smiled and her tone immediately softened: "You should focus on your studies. You don't need to worry about these things. I'm your older brother."
Aside from being a few years older than him, in terms of physique, personality, life skills... in what way are you like the older brother? If you leave the neighborhood and go elsewhere, anyone would think that he is the older one of the two.
Luo Mingchuan held back, but ultimately did not expose the other party's clumsiness in housework and timidity in front of outsiders.
To make it easier to take care of Luo Mingchuan, Lu Xuejin started working at a nearby bar after returning home. After dinner, it was almost time for her to start work.
As Lu Xuejin carefully checked the keys and tissues, Luo Mingchuan stood behind her, looking at her thin and frail back. After hesitating for a moment, he whispered, "...Come back soon, and be careful."
Lu Xuejin immediately turned around, a delighted smile blooming on her face—a happy expression that showed her younger brother was finally showing concern. Luo Mingchuan, stung by this smile, awkwardly retreated into the bathroom.
[Contribution points +3]
【Baby, you're amazing! You're already 45, just a little more effort and you'll be at the maximum value!】 Dongyao excitedly tumbled and scattered flowers in mid-air.
From initial indifference to brief responses, and then to proactive concern, Luo Mingchuan's transformation in just a few days was dramatic. After all, she's his wife; even if she's lost her memory and trapped in her own little world, her body would instinctively love Lu Xuejin. Dong Yao was full of confidence for the upcoming mission.
Although it sometimes couldn't understand the host's intentions, Lu Xuejin seemed to understand Shen Mo very well, predicting his every reaction with perfect accuracy, so it didn't need to worry about him at all.
What a loving couple!
Dong Yao sighed from the bottom of his heart.
...
"Old Cheng, you should have come out and had some fun a long time ago. What's the point of staying cooped up in the office all day? You've made enough money, it's time to spend it! What's the point of keeping it if you don't spend it? You're not getting married anyway."
The young man with the broken eyebrow dragged his friend to a booth at the bar. Seeing that he was dressed in a suit and tie, he said irritably, "Take off your coat. Wearing a suit to a bar? How did you even come up with that idea?"
Cheng Ce did as instructed and draped his suit jacket over his seat. Even so, his shirt, buttoned up to his Adam's apple, his upright posture, and his unwavering gaze exuded a strong "class vibe" that clashed with the bar's lazy, carefree atmosphere.
The young man with the broken eyebrow sized him up a few times: "You have no humanity about you. If you keep working overtime, I'm afraid your only fate will be sudden death!"
His friend was a highly eligible bachelor, abstaining from smoking and drinking, with a clean and simple life, and substantial assets. Logically, he should have been in a relationship long ago. But Cheng Ce seemed to be born without romantic feelings. After graduation, he threw himself into his work and never got back to it. He didn't even have much leisure time, let alone romance.
He couldn't stand it any longer, so he dragged Cheng Ce out of the company today: "Just relax here tonight and don't think about work! No using your phone or computer for official business, or I'll confiscate it!"
Cheng Ce rubbed his temples, looked around, and simply couldn't muster any interest. His friend recommended drinks, but he had no appetite for them either, so he just sat there listening to background music to pass the time.
Suddenly, Cheng Ce caught a glimpse of a corner of the bar.
A strikingly handsome young man sat there, clearly attracting a lot of harassment. Cheng Ce noticed him slightly frowning and carefully pushed the card back to the customer.
The guest said a few words, then pursed his lips and accepted the gift.
She has a gentle personality, or to put it bluntly, she's weak. If someone grabs her wrist, she'll only weakly shake her head and struggle to deal with the harassment.
One, two... In just half an hour, no fewer than five people refused.
Even when there are no outsiders bothering him, he still looks worried. What is he worried about?
Having been immersed in his work for so long, Cheng Ce's heart had become cold and hardened, and he rarely felt moved by strangers anymore. But unexpectedly, as he gazed at the young man from afar, an impulse to help him was welling up within him.
【Don't worry, baby. I'll secretly cheat and transfer the money to you. Just say you earned it from working. That way you can earn contribution points without getting tired—a win-win situation, isn't it?】
[A little cheating shouldn't be too hard on the main system.]
Lu Xuejin shook her head, thinking to herself, "Money earned too easily won't be cherished. I don't want you to take any risks."
Dongyao TAT: [Does that mean baby has to take on an extra job? It looks so tiring. I wish I had a physical body to help you with the work.]
Her slender, pale fingers deftly swirled the cocktail shaker as Lu Xuejin casually glanced at the crowd, her gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar man who had been staring at her. Her movements were fluid and uninterrupted, as if she hadn't noticed anything amiss. He lowered his eyes and poured the drink.
As the workday was drawing to a close, Lu Xuejin approached her boss and requested an extension of her working hours.
"What's wrong, honey?" the boss asked with concern. "Do you need money urgently? I can lend you some. Honey, with such a pretty face, don't stay up all night."
Lu Xuejin said softly, "No rush. The child needs to go to school, so we need to save more money."
"What?" The boss was startled, looking Lu Xuejin up and down with her soft features. "You're still a baby, and you already have a child?"
Their conversation drifted into Cheng Ce's ears during a break in the music. He suddenly cracked his knuckles, and the muscles beneath his shirt tensed slightly with excitement.
The work hours lasted from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. After the shift ended, Lu Xuejin changed his clothes and walked to the door. A black sedan silently stopped in front of him.
The car window slowly rolled down, revealing the man's deep features under the light—the man who had been watching him all night from the booth.
"Hello. I heard you need a job to earn money. My name is Cheng Ce, and I might be able to help you."
...
The spacious car interior was free of any unpleasant odors; a faint, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air. The sedan drove smoothly, and the bustling night view outside the window rushed past.
Lu Xuejin was strapped into the passenger seat by the seatbelt, her hands unconsciously gripping the strap tightly, her eyes fixed on the scenery outside the window, looking somewhat uneasy.
In her mind, Dongyao was earnestly advising: "Baby, this man clearly has ill intentions. How can you go with him! And... and the job he mentioned... it's so strange. Baby, don't go astray TT"
When the conversation turned to work, the man named Cheng Ce offered an attractive deal: pay per task, 20,000 yuan per task, with the specific salary depending on the completion rate.
And then they brazenly stated their job responsibilities—
"I need you to whip me."
Right there on the bustling street, with pedestrians lingering not far away, the man remained calm and composed, yet he uttered such shocking words.
The alarm bells immediately went off, but Lu Xuejin had already gotten into the car anyway, and it was too late to run away.
All Dongyao could do was regretfully scroll through the crying emoticons.
Lu Xuejin felt a little wronged: "If we don't do this, where will we get the money to support my younger brother?"
He then gently reassured her, "This way you don't have to risk cheating, and I can earn more contribution points. It's a good thing, don't worry."
[More contribution points?] Dongyao doesn't understand the connection between the two.
The car drove into the upscale residential area. Cheng Ce's home was a large, single-level apartment. It was bright and spacious but very deserted. Apart from the essential furniture, there were no other signs of life, as if he had just moved in.
Cheng Ce poured Lu Xuejin a cup of hot water and asked with concern if she had eaten dinner before leading her to the second bedroom.
This area has been transformed into a storage and display area, where collars and whips gleam under the display lights.
Dong Yao tried to extend his mechanical arm to cover Lu Xuejin's eyes: "Good girl, don't look!"
"Don't worry, I'm not part of that circle, and I'm not interested in things that cross the line." Cheng Ce had his back to Lu Xuejin, but when he turned around, he had a delicate long whip in his hand. "I'm just not sensitive to pain, so I'm trying to stimulate my pain sense in this way to prevent my senses from becoming more and more dull and affecting my daily life."
He smiled with a troubled expression and said, "But perhaps it's my instinct for self-preservation, I can't bring myself to do it. I hope you can help me."
The fabricated excuse sounds plausible, but now that you've gotten on the bus and arrived here, can you really turn around and leave?
"Use this...?"
Looking at the young man who was suppressing his fear, Cheng Ce's cold face suddenly softened. He gently took Lu Xuejin's right hand and placed the long whip in his palm: "Let's start with... his back."
Lu Xuejin gripped the cold whip tightly.
After everything was over, Cheng Ce glanced at the time: "It's too late. You can stay here for the night, and I'll take you back tomorrow morning."
With a flushed face, he assured him, "Don't worry, that's all the work."
After Lu Xuejin nodded in agreement, he kindly asked, "You have a child, right? Is there someone at home to take care of him?"
He seemed to mistakenly believe that Luo Mingchuan was Lu Xuejin's biological child.
Lu Xuejin didn't explain, only saying softly, "Someone is taking care of me."
Cheng Ce went to the bathroom to wash up, while Lu Xuejin sat on the sofa and typed a text message.
...
The night was empty and the streets were becoming increasingly deserted.
Why aren't they back yet?
The person who tore through everything and barged into his world was already more than an hour late.
His fingers gripped the knife handle, the sharp blade hovering just above his wrist, poised to strike. A faint medicinal scent brought him back to his senses. Luo Mingchuan tossed aside the weapon and paced anxiously back and forth in the living room.
He was shirtless, his muscles twitching with each quick step, a dark and menacing aura swirling between his brows.
Luo Mingchuan wanted to smash things to vent his anger as usual, but when he thought of Lu Xuejin, his restless emotions were finally restrained in his chest.
"Why aren't you back yet?!" he demanded in a low voice, as if the weak young man were right in front of him.
The phone screen lights up.
Luo Mingchuan quickly picked it up and saw the short message Lu Xuejin had sent:
I won't be back tonight. Go to sleep early^^.
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