Lin Cheng spent several more hours playing two-player games with Lemon in her lab before heading to Litchi’s office. Litchi had changed back into her white blouse and black hip-hugging skirt, her stilettos clicking on the floor as she wore gold-rimmed glasses and pored seriously over the report in front of her.
The Fruit Shop held shares in many of North City’s entertainment venues, but they didn’t own them outright. They had wiped out the original gray-area organizations in North City, claiming their slice of the pie while also taking responsibility for the area’s security.
Lin Cheng walked behind Litchi and began gently massaging her shoulders. This trick clearly worked wonders on her.
Heh, he was a pro at massages.
“Massage my feet.”
Litchi scooted her chair back, lifted her slender leg, and rested her stiletto-clad foot on the desk.
Lin Cheng figured he must have a natural talent for playing the loyal henchman. He pulled up a chair to the side and carefully slipped off her shoe. She wore 30-denier black stockings, and her pale, delicate foot gleamed warmly like jade beneath them. Litchi’s feet were so white and fragrant, heh heh heh.
Litchi glanced down at him imperiously before returning to her report with focus. Then, as if struck by a thought, she said, “Jiang Lingxue’s movie just hit theaters.”
“How’s the box office?” Lin Cheng asked curiously.
“Even with an official Alliance Adjudicator as the lead idol, it’s a shame—the director went too artsy with it, and it’s yuri-themed to boot. There are some positive vibes on the forums, but all our investments went down the drain. Rough estimate: we’re out ten million.”
“Fair enough.”
Litchi didn’t seem fazed at all. She wasn’t hurting over the money. Truth be told, she got along well with Jiang Lingxue—and with everyone at the Fruit Shop, for that matter. After all, she was like the group’s mom, looking after them all with steady care.
“It’s only got a few days left in theaters. You going?”
“Me, watching Jiang Lingxue smooch someone else?”
“It’s all body doubles and stand-ins. You know that.”
“Still feels off. I’m a pure-love warrior!” Lin Cheng declared righteously. Litchi shot him a sidelong glance. “You’d better not let me catch you sneaking a ticket purchase in your shopping history.”
Lin Cheng’s mouth twitched slightly.
“So, you two still fighting?” Litchi set down her report.
“Sort of, but not really. It’s complicated.” Lin Cheng scratched his head. “Hard to explain. Just let it ride.”
Litchi gave a casual “oh.” Her black-stockinged foot slipped from his hands, the tip lightly tapping his chest before sliding slowly upward to his neck. Finally, the top of her foot pressed against his chin, tilting his head up a bit.
Lin Cheng couldn’t shake the feeling that Litchi had been getting more dominant lately.
…She used to be the one he teased.
“You’ve got to handle a naughty pup with the right methods.”
“Give me back the Litchi who used to blush when I stroked her leg!”
Litchi lifted her leg higher, drawing Lin Cheng’s gaze instinctively to her thighs under the hip-hugging skirt. But her legs were pressed tightly together—no risk of a peek.
“I want to do a photoshoot sometime soon.”
“Sure, pick a time. I’ll shoot it for you.”
Litchi nodded lightly. Her pale foot shifted from his chin, nearly brushing his face this time, the tip tapping his forehead. “Good boy.”
“Any rewards if I do a good job?”
“Would a chance to worship my feet count?”
“I’m not a perv!”
“Oh, then no.” Litchi shrugged. “I was thinking of doing a besties shoot with Grape Sis. You can get your reward from her.”
“…Pass.”
Lin Cheng shrank back sheepishly. That’s when he realized he hadn’t seen Grape yet. “Where’s Grape?”
“She’s at the Comic Expo.”
“She? At a con?”
“Yeah. She’s always wanted to know what you like, so she went alone. Don’t worry—Grape Sis’s temper’s improved a lot. She can handle crowds on her own now.”
Lin Cheng breathed a little easier.
“Oh, right.” Litchi remembered something else. “Your little partner-in-crime’s laid up in the hospital. You know that?”
Lin Cheng froze. “What?”
“Lu Xiaoxiao got hurt on a mission last night. Nothing too serious, apparently. She didn’t tell you?”
Lin Cheng checked his phone—no messages from Lu Xiaoxiao. Of course not; that was just her style.
“How’d she get hurt?”
“Some capture op, I think. Nabbing an S-Rank Ability User from Nether River. They got him, but she got poisoned. Alliance Healing System users are on it—no big worry.”
“I’ll swing by later.”
Litchi nodded lightly, as if she’d known he would. She lowered her black-stockinged leg from the desk, crossing it over the other under her skirt, and tapped the table with her fingertip. “Speaking of which, this Nether River group… they’re kinda interesting.”
“Hm?”
“I skimmed some intel on them. That Mingxiu you ran into the other day? Just one of their four chairs. Three SS-Grades left, all with powers tied to the Abyss somehow. They’ve got tendrils everywhere across the country. Looks like they’re scheming some kind of link with the Abyss.”
A bad feeling stirred in Lin Cheng’s gut. A moment later, Litchi looked up at him. “Let the Alliance sweat it. Not our problem.”
“Yeah.”
“Focus on enjoying retirement, okay? Try playing hero again, and I’ll train you proper.”
“Training sounds so weird coming from you.”
“Jiang Lingxue’s told me all sorts of fun stuff.”
“…Don’t let her corrupt you.”
Litchi stood, stretched lazily, and headed to the partitioned room behind her office. She opened the door to her nap nook. Lin Cheng followed her in, and they both climbed onto the big bed. Litchi hugged his arm as they watched an idol drama on the TV in front of them.
Evening.
Litchi woke, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. She stretched lazily and patted his head. “Alright, playtime’s over. You’re free to go.”
Lin Cheng got up too. He’d already messaged Lu Xiaoxiao and knew where she was. He took a cab to the hospital, found her private room, and stepped inside. Lu Xiaoxiao was still in her patient gown, her face faintly pale.
She was alone in the room.
Lin Cheng set the bouquet he was holding aside. Lu Xiaoxiao eyed him wistfully. “I’m checking out right away.”
“Too late—I already bought ’em.”
He took her hand gently and probed her body with energy. “Purple Cascade Beast poison, huh? Even with healing, it’ll be cold these next couple nights. Rest up proper.”
“It’s no big deal.”
Her hand felt especially icy right now.
It was a beautiful hand—slender fingers, soft palm. Lin Cheng toyed with it for a good while. “Fine. Special training starts tomorrow.”
“So, what’s the training?”
“You’ll see tomorrow.”
Lin Cheng had actually put together a real plan for her. Bumping Lu Xiaoxiao to S-Rank in a month wasn’t a tall order. She sat up in bed. “Out—I need to change. I was just about to discharge when you showed.”
Lin Cheng stepped out obediently. A few minutes later, Lu Xiaoxiao emerged in a T-shirt and denim hot pants, her black hair tied in a ponytail. They handled the discharge paperwork together. Lin Cheng glanced at her profile. “Where to?”
“Dinner. Starving.”
They grabbed a casual spot near the hospital. After eating, Lu Xiaoxiao clutched the flowers he’d brought as she stood at the roadside hailing a cab. “See you tomorrow?”
“I’ll crash at yours.” Lin Cheng winked.
“Why?”
“Purple Cascade Beast poison flares up at night. Ninety-five percent’s cleared, but the rest’ll leave you freezing. On a lonely, icy midnight, you’ll want a warm hug.”
Lu Xiaoxiao let out an “oh” and flagged down a taxi. She slid into the back seat, and Lin Cheng followed. The cab took them to her place.
A light drizzle was falling. Lu Xiaoxiao glanced at him. “Swim with me?”
“Sure.”
Her little villa had an indoor pool. Lu Xiaoxiao quickly changed into a white tie-side swimsuit. Her figure was already stunning.
Lin Cheng’s verdict: “That’s one steamy swimsuit.”
“I don’t usually swim in it,” Lu Xiaoxiao said flatly.
“Huh. Why not?”
“No other guys around the house.”
“You could pretend I’m not here.”
“Drop dead.” Lu Xiaoxiao dove in. Lin Cheng followed right after. Her strokes were elegantly graceful, like a mermaid. He floated in the water, quietly watching her legs kick through the pool. That’s when it hit him. “Where’s your mom?”
“Handling Nether River stuff. Their number two, Ming Yue, showed up in K City.”
“Oh, cool, cool.”
Lin Cheng caught up to her soon enough, swimming laps by her side. The exercise seemed to ease the chill in her body a bit. She showered in the bathroom, emerging in a pale purple silk nightgown, black hair loose. From the curve at her chest—yep, no bra. Lin Cheng came up behind her to blow-dry her hair. Once done, he showered too, then entered her room. Lu Xiaoxiao was gaming.
He’d almost forgotten she was a total gaming addict.
He sat quietly watching her play a couple rounds. She shut down the computer after that and climbed into bed. Lin Cheng slipped under the covers uninvited. Lu Xiaoxiao turned on the TV, killed the room lights and curtains, and they started a horror flick.
Inevitably, her body shifted a little toward him. Lin Cheng naturally pulled her into his arms. Right now, the Lu Xiaoxiao in his embrace felt like an ice cube.
The Purple Cascade Beast from the Abyss wielded cold poison. Many Ability Users’ powers linked to the Abyss somehow, but humanity still hadn’t pinned down the real reason.
Lu Xiaoxiao’s body began to tremble faintly. But in an instant, Lin Cheng’s hand rested on her leg. His fingertips tapped lightly, sending faint energy into her Energy Acupoints bit by bit, dispelling the chill. Her body gradually warmed.
Sleepiness crept over her. She shifted slightly and closed her eyes in his arms.
