Lu Xiaoxiao propped her cheek on her hand as she watched Lin Cheng bite open bottle caps with his teeth. He tilted his head back, and in less than ten seconds, he had downed a bottle of beer. When he reached the third bottle, Lu Xiaoxiao lightly tapped her fingertips on the table. Her earlier smile faded, replaced by a touch of reproach. “Alright, alright. The Roosevelt has a pretty high alcohol content.”
Lin Cheng glanced down at her from the corner of his eye. “Back in the day, I was the champion of the Roosevelt Challenge at the West City bar. Drinking twelve bottles got you a free tab. Go ask around about the West City Little Wine God’s reputation. When a man makes a promise, he has to keep it.”
Lu Xiaoxiao couldn’t shake the feeling that if Lin Cheng’s eyes hadn’t seemed so bright before, they were shining even brighter now after those six bottles of beer.
Only then did she suddenly recall just how impressive his tolerance was. That day, she had been tipsy and muddled, but his voice hadn’t trembled in the slightest.
Lin Cheng sat back down across from her and let out a loud, ungraceful burp.
“Your tolerance is pretty good,” Lu Xiaoxiao said mildly.
“I used to have a real drinking habit,” Lin Cheng said with a smile. “I’ve been off it for the last couple of years. Just the occasional sip now.”
“Got a story behind it?”
“Nah. Guess what I was doing the past couple of years?” Lin Cheng winked at her.
Lu Xiaoxiao thought seriously for a few seconds while Lin Cheng prompted her from the side, “Hint: I was forced to drink every night.”
“…You weren’t some escort for rich ladies at a bar, were you?”
Lin Cheng gave a helpless laugh but didn’t deny it. Lu Xiaoxiao’s gaze turned peculiar. “Why aren’t you studying properly at your age?”
“Studying wasn’t for me. Might as well put my talents to use in some other line of work.”
“So now you’ve made your money and gotten out?”
“Sigh. Got caught keeping a few rich ladies on the side at the same time. One of their husbands beat me black and blue. Lost my nerve after that, so I stuck to just one. The job’s discreet, and the safety’s top-notch.”
“Beat black and blue?”
Lin Cheng stood up and lifted his T-shirt to show her. In the dim lighting, it wasn’t entirely clear, but the knife wounds, burns, and various scars on his body looked downright creepy.
Lu Xiaoxiao was at a loss for words for a moment. It was quite the eye-opener.
She scanned the QR code again and ordered another half-dozen beers, along with two sets of dice. Drinking alone got lonely, after all. Once the drinks arrived, Lin Cheng played a few rounds with her before heading back up to the stage to sing. He performed “Little Town Matters,” the song Lu Xiaoxiao had requested, and his voice turned out surprisingly gentle.
Lu Xiaoxiao felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. Her old social circle had never included anyone like him. Vulgar? Sure, but he was honest about it. He hadn’t broken any laws—immoral at worst.
She watched the stage quietly, taking a small sip of the beer in her glass. But when her gaze wandered through the crowd again, she suddenly froze. Her eyes locked onto a woman in the corner.
That face felt incredibly familiar in an instant.
Lu Xiaoxiao immediately looked away, pulled out her phone, and searched the Alliance Website for recent records of bloodsucking bug hosts. Sure enough… there was that face.
Bloodsucking bug: An alien insect species that entered the world through catastrophe space rifts. It seeks out a host to coexist with, granting the host power while instilling a craving for human blood. Each feeding intensifies the host’s thirst, and the bloodsucking bug gradually evolves. Once fully evolved, it detaches from the host to find a new one, leaving the original host to die.
The woman in the corner had a bloodsucking bug on the verge of full evolution. It had already drained two people dry. One more kill, and it would complete its evolution, detach, and seek a new target.
Lu Xiaoxiao subtly raised her fingertip, sensing the woman’s body temperature. Sure enough… it was abnormally low, and her blood flow was sluggish. Lu Xiaoxiao’s ability controlled cold, making her especially sensitive to temperature, but the Thirteenth Floor bar was packed with at least a hundred or two people right now. It wasn’t a good time to make a move. The bloodsucking bug could forcibly detach and switch hosts amid the chaos.
Lu Xiaoxiao immediately requested reinforcements from her squad while quietly observing the woman in the corner. She seemed to be scouting her next prey. Her makeup was exquisite, and she looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. She wore a backless dress, but her icy expression had kept anyone from approaching her table so far.
And right now, she seemed to be staring at… Lin Cheng on stage, a glint of greed flickering in her eyes.
Lu Xiaoxiao keenly caught that trace of greed.
Lin Cheng finished his song and said he was heading to the restroom. Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes stayed glued to the woman. She hesitated, as if debating whether to follow him to the restroom, but Lin Cheng returned quickly.
He sat back down across from Lu Xiaoxiao and gave her an odd look.
“Why so serious?”
He was always good at reading people.
“Come sit over here…” Lu Xiaoxiao lowered her voice. Lin Cheng blinked in surprise, then came to sit beside her. Lu Xiaoxiao sensed the woman’s gaze still fixed on Lin Cheng, so she leaned in close to his ear. “There’s a woman who’s got her eye on you.”
“What? Where? And this is a good thing?”
“Lin Cheng… Be serious. From now on, what I say is important. Listen carefully…”
“Got it. Go ahead.”
“The woman in the right corner—she’s a major wanted criminal with the Alliance. She’s hosting a bloodsucking bug from a catastrophe, and she’s locked onto you as her target. There are too many people here. If we try to capture her now, it could cause chaos… and she might escape in the panic. I need you to help me out… Lure her to a secluded spot.”
“What? This is intense!” Lin Cheng’s eyebrow arched, but his voice held no fear—only excitement. “I get a chance to help you guys out?”
“It’ll be dangerous… You can say no.”
“No big deal. A man can’t say he’s scared. What do I do?”
“I need you to lure her downstairs to somewhere with fewer people—the emptier, the better. My ability controls temperature. I’ll stay right behind you, keeping about fifteen meters back. As long as you’re within fifteen meters of me, you should be safe. The bloodsucking bug senses people through temperature. I can mask my own so she won’t notice… But there’s still a risk. I’ve called for squad reinforcements. Even if you get hurt, as long as you’re alive, we can heal you right away. Hosts with bloodsucking bugs have at least three times an adult’s strength. Be extremely careful.”
“Understood.”
Because Lu Xiaoxiao was leaning in so close, Lin Cheng only had to tilt his head slightly to glimpse her slender collarbone through the neckline of her top. He looked into her eyes and whispered, “One more question.”
“Go ahead.”
“What perfume do you use? Smells amazing.”
“If you help out, I’ll give you a bottle.”
“OK.”
Lin Cheng stood from his seat, then returned to the spot across from Lu Xiaoxiao. They resumed drinking and chatting. When the drinks on the table were gone, Lu Xiaoxiao stood and left the bar. Lin Cheng then got up and approached the twenty-seven- or twenty-eight-year-old woman in the corner.
Her expression carried a chill, her skin pale, though her makeup hid it well. Lin Cheng smiled at her eyes. “Sis, all alone?”
A flicker of greed passed through her eyes. She quickly responded with a light laugh, her voice carrying a faint stiffness—perhaps the slur of drunkenness. “Yeah… Where’s your date?”
“Her mom called her home. Sigh, I noticed you sneaking peeks at me earlier, Sis.”
“Did I?”
“How about I show you a magic trick?” Lin Cheng grinned at her.
Twenty minutes later, Lin Cheng supported the thoroughly drunk woman into the elevator.
“Come to my place?” The woman had her arms around his neck, trying to kiss it, but Lin Cheng casually pushed her back a bit. Blushing slightly, he replied, “Elevator’s got cameras. Wouldn’t look good.”
He leaned down to her ear. “Nearby… there’s a park. This time of night, it’s empty. How about… somewhere exciting?”
“You’re naughty. All prim and proper earlier.”
Lin Cheng gave her butt a playful smack. She pulled him tighter. They rode the elevator down, and once out, he kept supporting her toward the adjacent park.
The park was right next to the commercial district and deserted now. Early spring nights still carried a chill, with peach blossoms scattered on the ground. Lin Cheng had led her inside. He released his arm from around her shoulders. “Gotta take a leak.”
Under the streetlamp, he saw the shadow behind him lunge. He sidestepped, and she pounced again. Her eyes were now blood-red, her pale skin sprouting dense fuzz, her mouth gaping wide with drool pouring out.
“So fragrant, so fragrant, so fragrant…”
Lin Cheng heard her nonstop mutterings. As she lunged once more, a gunshot rang out.
The shot hit her squarely in the back. Lin Cheng watched a massive hole explode through her chest, blood spraying across his face. Her ferocious expression froze in place. She slowly turned to see Lu Xiaoxiao, who had appeared behind her. Lu Xiaoxiao raised her hand, and countless ice lances materialized before her, shooting toward the woman like a rain of arrows. In an instant, she was turned into a pincushion.
“Freeze,” Lu Xiaoxiao murmured. The woman’s body locked in place, like a sculpture forged from flesh and blood.
Lu Xiaoxiao looked up at Lin Cheng and gave him a light smile. “Thanks for your help. You did great.”
But Lin Cheng still seemed dazed. He slowly reached up and touched his cheek. The blood was still warm.
