The night market buzzed with throngs of people.
Lu Xiaoxiao crossed her arms, eyeing Lin Cheng with suspicion. Her woman’s intuition told her he was lying—this guy never seemed to say a single truthful word.
Yes, a woman’s intuition. And at twenty-one, she could still call herself a girl.
“Does this count as fate?” Lin Cheng suddenly grinned.
Lu Xiaoxiao turned and walked to the edge of the street. Lin Cheng fell into step beside her, hearing her drawling reply. “Barely.”
It really was just barely. This street was only a short distance from the bar where he’d worked last night, and they’d grabbed late-night snacks nearby too. Her voice stayed casual. “Who knows if someone didn’t come here on purpose, hoping for a ‘chance encounter’?”
She was staying at the nearby Esports Hotel. After a full day of gaming, she’d come down for some fresh air—and run into him.
“You guessed it? I’ve been wandering around here naked for a whole hour, just waiting for you to notice me.” Lin Cheng kept pace with her. “I’ve got a question.”
“Hm?”
“Black stockings yesterday, white ones today—what’s up with that?”
“Grabbed them on impulse.” Lu Xiaoxiao looked up. “Got a problem?”
Lin Cheng glanced down, his gaze lingering on the white silk thigh-high socks peeking from under her skirt hem. The lace garters hugged her thighs snugly. He let out a low whistle.
“I have to say, white silk thigh-highs aren’t your everyday girl’s go-to. They demand flawless skin and killer legs—super hard to pull off. But on you… damn, they’re cute.”
After all, she had long, straight, beautiful legs. Her thighs weren’t the skinny stick-figure type either; they had that soft, athletic plumpness, tender enough to squeeze water from.
Lu Xiaoxiao let out a cold laugh. “That’s what you’re focused on?”
“What else should I focus on? The fact you skipped lipstick today?” Lin Cheng shot back.
“My natural lip color looks just fine.” Lu Xiaoxiao tilted her chin up with a soft hum.
“True enough.” Lin Cheng nodded. “Hold up—let me grab a T-shirt.”
He stopped at a roadside stall selling factory-direct clothes, all dirt cheap. A T-shirt went for thirty or forty bucks. Lu Xiaoxiao shot him a sideways glance. “These are such low quality. Won’t they feel awful to wear?”
“You think everyone’s a princess and the pea?” Lin Cheng replied helplessly. Lu Xiaoxiao gave him another look. “You did good yesterday. Stick with big sis, and I’ll get you something better.”
“Wait, how’d you suddenly jump a generation ahead of me?”
“You’re half a month younger than me.” Lu Xiaoxiao huffed lightly. Lin Cheng’s expression turned a bit odd. “You didn’t go digging through my files again last night, did you?”
“Saw them last time. Can’t a girl have a good memory?” A hint of guilt crept into Lu Xiaoxiao’s voice.
“Oh, zero privacy left.” Lin Cheng muttered.
“Speaking of which, your high school grades were solid. Why’d you drop out?”
“It’s a long story. A real tragic tale of teenage heartbreak. Buy me a drink if you want to hear it.”
“I’ll treat you. I could go for a couple anyway.” Lu Xiaoxiao replied offhandedly, though she still suspected not a word from him was true. She led him through the streets until they ducked into a buyer boutique.
Lin Cheng lowered his voice and leaned toward her ear. “What’s a buyer store?”
“It’s a shop that curates fashion, accessories, jewelry, handbags, shoes, cosmetics, and more from different brands, tailored to customers with unique tastes.” Lu Xiaoxiao’s answer sounded straight out of a textbook.
“Sounds badass.”
“Vulgar.” Lu Xiaoxiao headed to the men’s rack, picking up several shirts and holding them against Lin Cheng’s build. With his shirt off, he felt oddly exposed, standing there like a good little boy. After eyeing a few, Lu Xiaoxiao settled on a plain button-down for him. Lin Cheng didn’t know much about cuts, fabrics, or styles anyway—it all felt about the same on. But when she paid, the receipt for six hundred forty-eight made his eyes widen for a split second.
Outside the boutique, Lin Cheng couldn’t help muttering, “That’s pricey.”
“Not your money.” Lu Xiaoxiao shrugged it off casually. The street ahead glowed with lights. Lin Cheng lagged a step behind her, and they wandered aimlessly until Lu Xiaoxiao glanced back. “You’re walking so slow.”
“Well, there’s an upside to going slow.”
“Like what?”
“You wouldn’t get it.” Lin Cheng shook his head, looking all mysterious.
Lu Xiaoxiao tilted her head, pondering for two or three seconds before realizing he was hanging back just to ogle her swaying skirt and slender legs. She was speechless for a moment.
“Why do you look so pale?” Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly noticed. Under the streetlights, Lin Cheng seemed drained.
“Still shaken up. Nearly got nabbed by the sugar mommy’s husband. A beating would’ve been the least of it—if he’d lit me up or slashed me a couple times, I wouldn’t have enough lives to spare.”
“You serious?” Lu Xiaoxiao frowned slightly.
“What else?” Lin Cheng’s expression was earnest and innocent, like it really happened that way. Lu Xiaoxiao snorted. “If you got caught, you deserved it. Should’ve been tied to a chair and zapped good.”
“Hey, it’s just earning a living.”
“With hands and feet like yours, what can’t you do for money? Why this line of work?”
“There’s a trade for everything, and every trade has its top dog.”
Lu Xiaoxiao grew even more exasperated. She stopped, arms crossed, staring him down unblinking for a good seven or eight seconds. Any normal person would’ve squirmed, but Lin Cheng just stood there like nothing was wrong, looking as innocent as ever.
“Thick-skinned as a dead pig.” Lu Xiaoxiao quickened her pace. Lin Cheng trailed along leisurely. As they walked, a light rain began to fall, the misty droplets turning golden in the lights. The streets emptied out, hurried pedestrians rushing past. Lin Cheng always kept a not-too-close, not-too-far distance from Lu Xiaoxiao.
Finally, she stopped at a narrow alley lit by a sign. Inside was a little garden—a craft beer bar tucked away in the city. Lin Cheng followed her in. They sat facing each other in the courtyard under a large umbrella.
Lu Xiaoxiao sat ramrod straight at first, gradually leaning back a bit in her chair. She ordered two beers, then finally turned her scrutinizing gaze on Lin Cheng. “Spill it. Your high school tragic romance.”
Lin Cheng cleared his throat. The server brought the beers right then, and he took a swig.
“This story’s a long one…”
“I grew up in North City. Back then, it was way rougher than now. My parents died in a Catastrophe when I was seven. I was still in elementary school. Because of the Catastrophe, me and my classmates holed up in the school while the Alliance handled the Catastrophe Creatures. When it ended, I stood by the school gates watching kids my age get picked up by their families. I waited until I fell asleep that day. My parents never came.”
“Later, I realized they never would.”
“I was a unlucky kid. Grandparents on both sides died young. With Mom and Dad gone, no one looked after me. I stayed in an orphanage for a bit. By thirteen or fourteen, I was too old, so I moved out. My parents left me a little inheritance—a small house in North City. I kept going to school, from junior high to high school. Grades were good. Had a few close friends, and this girl I had a crush on in high school… my white moonlight, you know? First time I liked a girl. Saw her in a white dress dancing at the school talent show. I swore in my heart I’d protect her smile forever.”
Lu Xiaoxiao’s expression turned weird.
What was with this sudden chuunibyou vibe?
“And then?”
“Then… a Catastrophe hit one day. School trip for spring outing. A Predator Catastrophe Creature attacked us. I watched… the girl I liked die right in front of me.”
“She kept begging me to save her, save her, but I couldn’t move. I saw its jaws crunch through her arm bit by bit, saw her pass out from the pain… The Alliance Adjudicators arrived and saved me. By then, my tears were all dried up… I had no idea what to do…”
Lu Xiaoxiao sipped her beer and fell silent for a moment. “So then… trauma hit, and you… dropped out and stayed home?”
“No.” Lin Cheng shook his head. “Then I awakened my SSS-Rank Potential ability [Fate]. At fifteen, I joined the Alliance, donned a mask as Si Ming, and vowed to end the Catastrophes. Over three years, I fought in countless battles big and small. The initial Squad kept changing members until I rose to Captain, leading my team into the biggest Catastrophe Rift. Humanity’s first proactive strike—we plunged into the Abyss and shut the Catastrophe Gate. Mission accomplished, I retired.”
Lu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. Lin Cheng hammed it up, gesturing wildly as he went on. “Too bad, post-retirement I got PTSD. Nightmares all the time. Blood or certain triggers set me off. So I’ve been drifting aimlessly ever since.”
Lu Xiaoxiao raised her glass and splashed the beer right in Lin Cheng’s face.
Up until now, it had all been banter—Lu Xiaoxiao hadn’t truly gotten mad. But this time, Lin Cheng saw real anger flickering in her brows.
“Si Ming’s a hero who saved the world. Do you have any idea what he went through in those three years?! How many deaths he faced up close, how many times he nearly died from grievous wounds? He never gave up his conviction until he ended the Catastrophes. When it was over, all his old teammates and seniors had died in the Abyss. He said himself his power was spent, his days numbered. He gave everything he had left to leave the Alliance and live out the normal life he should’ve had. A true hero like that isn’t some punchline for your jokes and made-up stories. Got it?!”
Lu Xiaoxiao’s chest heaved with her breaths, her shoulders even trembling faintly. Clearly, Lin Cheng had cracked a joke he really shouldn’t have.
“Wrong.” Lin Cheng pulled out a napkin, wiped his face, and hung his head in silent admission.
