He woke up bound tightly once again.
Lin Cheng quietly slipped out of Xu Wanyue’s embrace. She soon rolled over and hugged the blanket instead. He got out of bed, opened the window, and glanced at the overcast sky. Outside, rain poured down in sheets.
Lin Cheng used to love rainy days.
He couldn’t quite explain why. Maybe it was because the world felt less rushed on rainy days. In his memories, he always watched the rain alone from the window. Later, after Jiang Lingxue moved in with him, she loved sleeping in even more on rainy days. Lin Cheng would join her, sleeping until they woke naturally, then get up to make something to eat. Back then, they both seemed to be drifting through life in a daze, staying up until the wee hours of the night.
Xu Wanyue woke up at some point without him noticing. She let out a soft murmur, sat up, and stretched lazily. The strap of her nightgown had slipped down her arm, and the silver fabric clung tightly to her skin, its silken material looking especially smooth.
She threw back the covers, revealing her snowy legs beneath the hem of her skirt. The sound of rain reached her ears, and she rubbed her eyes. “It’s raining, huh?”
“Yes.”
“I bought you a toothbrush and cup last time. They’re on the table in the living room.”
“Got it.”
Lin Cheng finished washing up and returned. Soon, Xu Wanyue went to do the same, but she didn’t change out of her nightgown. She sat on the bench with her legs crossed beneath the hem, the soft, pale flesh of her thighs distractingly eye-catching. Lin Cheng suddenly felt like he shouldn’t stay here much longer.
After all, he wasn’t some old monk who’d lost all worldly desires. He had a nagging suspicion that spending those two years with Jiang Lingxue had made him a bit more… frisky. Yeah, it was all her fault.
“I’ll go boil some dumplings.” Lin Cheng stood and headed to the kitchen. He rubbed his face silently, then splashed cold water on it again. After his shower, when he returned to the living room, Xu Wanyue had switched back to the slightly longer nightgown from before. The moment their eyes met, Lin Cheng smiled.
“Why’d you change back to this nightgown?”
“It’s a little chilly on a rainy day.” Xu Wanyue replied softly.
After they finished the dumplings, Lin Cheng dragged a chair out to the balcony and sat there quietly, watching the rain. Xu Wanyue came up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging gently.
The pressure was just right—surprisingly comfortable.
Before long, she stopped and pulled up a chair to sit beside him. She stayed quiet, obediently watching the rain with him. In a small voice, she muttered, “It’s coming down pretty hard.”
The weather forecast had predicted heavy downpours for the past few days.
When Lin Cheng casually turned his head a bit, he noticed Xu Wanyue had lifted her legs. Her pale limbs stretched straight in the dim light, their lines sleek and perfectly proportioned. He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch them. Xu Wanyue’s cheeks flushed faintly, but she obediently said nothing, merely narrowing her eyes a touch and leaning back in her chair like a lazy cat.
Her breathing gradually quickened. As Lin Cheng’s gaze shifted to her profile, his head felt hot again. Human desire really did build step by step—first a touch of the leg, then a kiss, and after that…
No!
Lin Cheng quietly withdrew his hand.
Xu Wanyue was just too much of a foul player. She had this aura that made it seem like taking liberties was fine, but actually getting frisky was off-limits. The more unattainable something was, the more it stirred him—a strange, seductive charm. Lin Cheng stood up. “I’ll head home then. I’ll call you for the Fruit Shop team building in a couple days. Same villa as last time.”
“Huh?”
“But it’s pouring outside.”
“No worries. It’s a quick trip back anyway.”
“Alright then…” Xu Wanyue nodded lightly and fetched an umbrella for him. Lin Cheng told her not to see him out and went downstairs alone. In the stairwell, he pulled out his phone and dialed Lu Xiaoxiao. “What are you up to?”
“Looking over some mission files. Got a bit of free time. What’s up?”
“Come take a beating.”
Lin Cheng figured he needed to find something to do, to distract himself.
Half an hour later, Lin Cheng met Lu Xiaoxiao at her house. After all, it was easier to cab from Xu Wanyue’s place to here. Lu Xiaoxiao even held an umbrella to meet him and led him to the villa’s gym. She changed into a white athletic tank top and black shorts. Her long, creamy thighs were just a touch shorter than Xu Wanyue’s but seemed a smidge fuller.
“Didn’t you say you had stuff going on these days?” Lu Xiaoxiao tilted her head.
“Feels like if I slow down even a little, those little temptresses will gobble me up.” Lin Cheng mumbled vaguely. Before Lu Xiaoxiao could ask for clarification, he swung a fist at her.
She was wearing the colored contacts Lin Cheng had given her—Alchemy Contact Lenses. Clearly, Lu Xiaoxiao’s power outstripped his by a full fifteen points, yet every time, she ended up pinned to the ground, unable to flip the tables.
Through these spars, though, she was gradually grasping the Energy Circulation Method he used. She had to admit that whoever invented it was a genius. It was on par with secret techniques from the Ancient Martial Families. If the Alliance learned of its existence…
Lu Xiaoxiao paused suddenly, struck by the thought. As they sat resting on the smooth floor, she looked at Lin Cheng. “This Energy Circulation Method… can I teach it to others?”
She had already mastered the basics. Teaching it didn’t require spars—just compiling her insights into text for them to study. The only real prerequisite was a pair of those lenses for perceiving energy clearly. Not everyone could sense energy intuitively, but with the Alchemy Contact Lenses, ninety percent of people could probably master it with effort. It was just a matter of time.
“You’d need these Alchemy Contact Lenses for that.”
“Can these contacts… be mass-produced?”
“Sure.” Lin Cheng shrugged nonchalantly. “For Lemon, whipping up a pair takes less than a minute.”
“Then…”
“Two hundred thousand a pair. The Alliance can buy from the Fruit Shop. As many as they want.”
Lu Xiaoxiao’s mind raced. She stared at Lin Cheng. “You’ve had this all figured out from the start?”
“Something like that. Litchi’s been griping lately about tight funds. Money’s meaningless to the Alliance anyway. Handle the negotiations with them and the Fruit Shop yourself. If it goes through, it’s a huge merit for you. I’ll put in a word with Litchi—they’ll only deal with you, no one else.”
Lu Xiaoxiao froze.
The instant Lin Cheng quoted two hundred thousand per pair, she felt like she’d been played—like he was just using her as a go-between for this Alliance deal. But then it hit her: money meant nothing to the Alliance or the Fruit Shop, but something that massively boosted combat power? That was what the Alliance dreamed of right now.
And as the sole middleman, she really would rack up… major credit.
If this deal landed, forget reinstatement—her contribution might even let her handpick a team for an A-Rank Squad. She suddenly remembered what Lin Cheng had said that day: he’d help her.
A strange sense of shame washed over Lu Xiaoxiao, making it hard to meet his eyes.
“Why are you… selling this to the Alliance?”
“Just felt like it. The Alliance seems to be in pretty rough shape these days—trouble inside and out. Call it doing a public service.” Lin Cheng shrugged innocently.
“Do you believe in the Alliance’s… justice?”
Lin Cheng looked at her with amusement. “That’s not really the point. At least right now, the Alliance is operating in humanity’s best interests, whatever methods they use. The results are what matter.”
“Like that discussion we had—save people or catch them? Without the Alliance, we wouldn’t even have the chance to debate it.” Lin Cheng grabbed a mineral water bottle from the table and took a big swig. He looked at Lu Xiaoxiao. “Rested up? Ready for another round?”
“Who’s scared of you?” Lu Xiaoxiao stood.
She’d never been one to back down. As a kid, Lu Lingling always teased her for being stubborn as an ox.
Half an hour later.
Lu Xiaoxiao lay on the floor while Lin Cheng applied the green potion to her injuries. Once Ability Users mastered energy manipulation, they could accelerate healing with it—but it still took time. His Healing Potion was perfectly timed.
The potion felt cool on her skin, though his fingertips seemed faintly warm. Lu Xiaoxiao pressed her lips together as she watched him carefully apply it to her knee. After a moment, he lifted her tank top, letting the cool liquid drip onto her abdomen and ribs. Having someone touch her stomach like that was embarrassing, but Lin Cheng looked so focused that she stayed quiet and obedient.
“Where’d you get this potion?”
“Lemon made it.”
“Who’s Lemon?”
“Uh, the Fruit Shop’s Alchemist. She handles potions and gadgets and stuff. You’ll probably meet her someday.”
“So what exactly does the Fruit Shop do?”
“We’re kinda like a group of Ability Users who couldn’t fit back into normal society, so we banded together. Litchi’s the mom figure, handling everyone’s daily needs. Lemon’s the Alchemist for potions and gear. Grape used to be the Silver Wing Leader, in charge of security. Oh, and we’ve got a mascot girl too.”
“Mascot girl?” Lu Xiaoxiao blinked.
“Yeah… you’ve actually met her already.” Lin Cheng winked.
Lu Xiaoxiao stared for a long moment before it clicked. “Jiang Lingxue?”
“Yep.” Lin Cheng nodded.
“So what do you do there?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled.
She even recalled the interrogation report on Lin Cheng—it hinted at some ambiguous ties with these women. That day, Grape had attacked Futian over a misunderstanding without a second thought.
“I handle odd jobs, do some light work to get by. Sigh, every good team needs a sweet-talking slacker.”
