Lin Cheng’s retirement from active duty had nothing to do with Lu Lingling. It was a decision he had made long ago.
But the prettier the woman, the better she was at deception. Lin Cheng had learned that lesson at eighteen, and by then it was too late.
From the time he was fifteen to eighteen, he had always treated Lu Lingling like an especially important family member. That should have been his rebellious teenage years, but his environment never gave him the chance. People around him were dying every day. At first, fear kept him awake all night. Back then, Lu Lingling didn’t care about him all that much either. Her concern felt more like an elder’s faint pity for a junior. But as he shone brighter in the Alliance, her attention grew quietly more frequent.
Lin Cheng never needed much care—just a little was enough. Maybe it was because he had been alone for so long, but he had even seriously considered her earlier suggestion: after retiring, he could live with her. He could eat the cakes she made by hand every day. Lu Lingling’s cakes were delicious.
Haha, who the hell knows when this woman’s thoughts turned rotten? Every time Lin Cheng recalled his perfect fantasies about Lu Lingling from ages fifteen to eighteen, he wanted to punch himself in the head. All that supposed care was just an illusion. She didn’t give a damn about the world’s rules or emotions. She only wanted power—for endless revenge against the Abyss.
Damn it, if he really ended up living with her, would Lu Xiaoxiao still be his cheap stepsister?
Lin Cheng let his mind wander for a long while. Then he watched as Lu Lingling pulled out a set of slightly translucent pale purple hanfu and a pair of glossy black silk pantyhose. Wait—damn it, he knew she had anticipated this.
She had played him again. She had deliberately pissed him off, but the woman didn’t care. No matter how roughly he handled her, she seemed to enjoy it. Her so-called anger was just fake—a ploy to give him a thrill of pleasure when he saw it.
No way. Tonight, he wouldn’t stop until she begged for mercy.
Even Big Succubus Jiang had begged him once. Little Lu Lingling? He’d make sure she came but never returned!
The next day, at noon.
Lin Cheng woke up before Lu Lingling.
He casually yanked the tail off her body first.
Lu Lingling was still groggy in her sleep. She cracked her eyes open to glance at him, then quickly hugged the blanket and closed them again. But Lin Cheng had to get up. He tidied the messy bed and picked up the scattered clothes, stockings, and even the toys he had once used to tease Jiang Lingxue from the floor… Better throw them out. He couldn’t keep indulging like this.
Lin Cheng dumped it all in the trash bin. Then he turned back and smacked Lu Lingling’s butt. “Get up and take a shower!”
Lu Lingling slowly opened her eyes. Her voice was lazy and soft, with a hint of coquettishness that even Lin Cheng picked up on. “No energy.”
He was helpless against her. He got up first and took a shower. When he returned to the room, Lu Lingling was still curled up sweetly in his blanket. Lin Cheng’s memories were fuzzy—he had no clear recollection of last night. All he remembered was one obsession: he had to make her beg and cry. Either he died first, or she did. Only when he saw her body convulsing and tears falling did he finally sleep, satisfied.
Lin Cheng sat on the edge of the bed, spacing out for a moment. He rubbed his face. No, this was too depraved. Being with this woman was pure corruption. He reached out and smacked her again, harder. “No sleeping! Get up!”
“Can’t… It hurts…”
“Where does it hurt?”
“Everywhere.” Lu Lingling’s tone carried a touch of grievance now.
“Don’t play coy. With your physique, you’re already healed.”
“I didn’t use energy to repair it…”
“Masochist?”
“It hurts nice.” Lu Lingling hugged the blanket, grinning foolishly now. Lin Cheng realized he truly was helpless against her. This woman was a lunatic. He could never guess what she was thinking. He was about to say something else when a knock sounded at the door.
Lin Cheng froze. He walked to the door and opened it. The moment he saw Lu Xiaoxiao standing there in her JK uniform again, he slammed the door shut. He rushed back to the room. “Get up! Go home! Lu Xiaoxiao’s here!”
“No energy…” Lu Lingling’s tone was as lazy as before.
“Lu Xiaoxiao’s here!!!”
“What’s the rush?” Lu Lingling finally sat up a little, stretching lazily. In the next instant, her figure vanished from the bed. But Lin Cheng knew she hadn’t left—she had just hidden in a space rift for now.
Another knock came from the door. Lin Cheng double-checked that nothing suspicious was left in the room. Then he threw on a T-shirt, walked back, and opened the door again. Lu Xiaoxiao stood there, arms crossed, staring into his eyes. “What was that about?”
“I wasn’t wearing clothes earlier. Had to go put some on.” Lin Cheng made up an excuse on the spot. Lu Xiaoxiao looked at him like he was an idiot. “You have a woman in your house?”
“Nope.”
“Heh.” Lu Xiaoxiao walked in and headed straight to Lin Cheng’s room. The bedsheets were a bit rumpled, but there was no sign of anyone else. His room didn’t have any spots to hide a person anyway, and he had no reason to hide one. So why the door slam?
“It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve seen me naked. Why bother dressing?”
“It’s respect for a guest.” Lin Cheng bullshitted another excuse. Lu Xiaoxiao sat on his bed. In that instant, Lin Cheng noticed a corner of purple fabric peeking out from under the blanket behind her. He strode over almost immediately, sat beside her, wrapped one arm lightly around her waist, and stealthily reached behind with his other hand. He grabbed the thin scrap of fabric and stuffed it into his pocket.
“You…”
“Why’d you come over so suddenly?” Lin Cheng leaned close, gazing into Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes.
“You just up and left last night. I had more questions, and you didn’t reply to my messages…”
“Phone died.”
“Why not charge it?”
…Last night, he had something way more fun than his phone.
Lin Cheng eyed Lu Xiaoxiao’s soft pink lips. “Forgot.”
He quietly pocketed the fabric fully and breathed a sigh of relief. His fingertips lightly tickled her waist. Lu Xiaoxiao gave him a brooding look. “What happened on the mountaintop last night?”
“Black Ze and I were fighting. To beat him, I burned a year’s lifespan in one go. But your mom was hiding in a space rift the whole time, only popping out when the odds were in her favor. I got pissed and came home first.”
Lu Xiaoxiao went silent for several seconds, then lowered her head. “Sorry.”
“Why apologize for your mom’s mistake?” Lin Cheng chuckled helplessly and pinched her cheek. “I’m not really mad at her anyway. Your mom wanted to lure out more Nether River members. Killing them saves more people. I don’t mind much—just felt annoyed at the time. Got over it.”
“It was her fault.” Lu Xiaoxiao insisted stubbornly.
“If I don’t care, then it doesn’t matter.” Lin Cheng shrugged.
“Sorry…”
“What for?” Lin Cheng didn’t get it.
“If I hadn’t told you, you wouldn’t have…”
“Ah, it’s fine. I can replenish the burned lifespan with abyss crystal cores.” Lin Cheng winked at Lu Xiaoxiao. She blinked, staring at him. “What exactly is your ability?”
“Well, think of it as consuming energy origin to transform into any abyss creature. I’m an incarnation of energy origin myself, so dying’s no big deal—as long as the energy origin remains. I can refill the spent energy origin with the energy cores that drop from dead abyss creatures. No major side effects, just can’t use it long-term. Most abyss creatures are berserk; stay transformed too long, and it warps your mind. You start doubting your own humanity.”
“Is that how it works?” A flicker of doubt lingered in Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes, but if he didn’t want to elaborate, she wouldn’t press. Lin Cheng’s other hand slipped under her skirt hem, lifting it slightly. His nail hooked the elastic band of her thigh-high white silk stockings, which clung tightly to the soft flesh of her pale thigh. He tugged the band playfully and leaned closer. “Wearing thigh-high white silks today, huh?”
“Wore them ’cause I felt like it.”
“No way. You knew I like them.”
“You’re getting shameless.” Lu Xiaoxiao’s gaze was resentful.
“Life’s no fun if you’re too proper!”
“…” Lu Xiaoxiao had no retort. She suddenly leaned in. “Be honest—have you done anything with Xu Wanyue?”
“Hugged her.”
“And?”
“Kissed her.”
“More than that, right?”
“That’s private. Can’t say.” Lin Cheng answered righteously. Lu Xiaoxiao had no ground to push further. She flopped back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Even lying down, her chest formed full curves.
“Lin Cheng, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“Yeah?”
“I… kinda don’t want to be an Adjudicator anymore.”
“Why?” Lin Cheng paused, curious.
“Because… I’m such a coward. I hate seeing suffering, but I’m powerless to stop it. I thought about it all last night—tossed and turned, couldn’t sleep. I don’t know what to do.” Lu Xiaoxiao’s voice was thick with confusion.
Lin Cheng smiled helplessly and pinched the soft flesh of her pale thigh. “Do it if you want, don’t if you don’t. The Alliance won’t miss one more or less.”
“But quitting just like that… I can’t accept it.”
“You’re so conflicted.”
“I’m… too weak…” Lu Xiaoxiao bit her lip lightly.
“It’s not that you’re too weak—you’re thinking too big. You worry about what you want to do, not what you can do. Responsibility grows with power. When power’s lacking, just hold onto hope and wait.”
“But that’s so far away…”
“Getting stronger isn’t impossible with a shortcut…” Lin Cheng muttered. The next second, he slapped himself.
“Why’d you hit yourself?”
“Nothing.” Lin Cheng shot a resentful glance at the space rift in the corner.
…Lu Lingling wasn’t this strong three years ago.
…If Lu Xiaoxiao learned that Si Ming’s ability had a doujinshi protagonist vibe, she’d probably break down completely, right?
