“What’s your relationship with them?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked warily.
“Good friends,” Lin Cheng replied confidently, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Oh? Which one have you slept with?” Lu Xiaoxiao pressed coolly.
Lin Cheng’s expression froze for an instant. He reached out and pinched her cheek. “What kind of question is that?”
“I just have a feeling it’s not as simple as you’re making it sound.” Lu Xiaoxiao slowly sat up from the floor. Lin Cheng had finished applying the healing potion—one personally developed by Lemon. A few bruises and sprains like these would fully heal in just one or two minutes.
By the time Lu Xiaoxiao and Lin Cheng stepped out of the arena, the gale from the storm felt refreshingly cool. Lin Cheng’s head cleared up quite a bit.
He finally stopped thinking about Xu Wanyue.
She’d gone too far—how could she wear white silk stockings at home like that!
It was already afternoon by then. Lu Xiaoxiao clearly wasn’t going to cook lunch; there was a housekeeper who handled meals instead. So Lin Cheng flopped onto the sofa and waited to eat. He never expected that when mealtime came, the woman in the white uniform would walk right through the door.
“Mom…” Lu Xiaoxiao’s back straightened instinctively.
“I wrapped things up and came back early,” Lu Lingling replied flatly. But for some reason, Lin Cheng felt her words rang a little hollow. Lu Lingling soon headed to her room to grab some clothes and take a shower. When she emerged, she’d changed into a pink silk nightgown.
Clothes shaped first impressions like nothing else. Once she’d swapped her white uniform for the pink nightgown, her aura inexplicably turned sweet and languid—like a ripe, juicy peach, ready to burst with nectar at the slightest touch.
Wait, what a weird metaphor.
Lin Cheng swore he harbored no strange thoughts toward Lu Lingling. Their connection was nothing but a twist of fate. Even as Si Ming, he still felt a bone-deep wariness around this woman. Her gentleness or coldness were just masks; deep down, she hid a madwoman.
A madwoman sworn to utterly eradicate every last Catastrophe. That obsession had become her entire reason for living.
Once Lu Lingling returned, Lu Xiaoxiao lost all her earlier ease. She fidgeted self-consciously, her eating manners suddenly far more refined. The moment Lin Cheng sensed that pale, tender little foot inching toward him under the table, alarm bells rang in his head. He clamped down on it hard, refusing to give her even an inch.
After lunch, Lu Xiaoxiao brought up the alchemy contact lenses and the energy circulation method with Lu Lingling. They chatted about their business while Lin Cheng, with nothing better to do, lounged on the sofa watching TV—as if this weren’t someone else’s home at all. At some point, Lu Lingling came over and sat primly beside him. Her slender waist arched gracefully, the nightgown outlining the full, rounded curve of her rear beneath the hem.
Lu Xiaoxiao was no longer in the living room—Lu Lingling must have sent her off on some errand.
This left Lin Cheng on the sofa with a sudden, inexplicable sense of foreboding. He practically leaped to the far corner, muttering under his breath, “Stay away from me.”
“Are you that afraid of me?” Lu Lingling said coolly, her voice carrying a hint of chill.
“A little,” Lin Cheng admitted bluntly.
“Afraid of what?”
“Shouldn’t I be?” The corner of Lin Cheng’s mouth twitched.
He’d once been the world’s top Adjudicator, SSS-Rank No.1, master of [Fate]. Yet in front of this woman, he had zero deterrence. After his severe injuries, she’d drugged him when needed, bound him when needed, done whatever when needed. By the time his strength recovered, it was far too late.
“Then I suppose I should feel proud.” Lu Lingling turned to look at him, her eyes surprisingly gentle.
“…”
“You taught Xiaoxiao that energy circulation method for the Alliance’s sake?”
“A small part of it, yeah,” Lin Cheng drawled lazily. Lu Lingling asked softly, “Even after he’s tested you repeatedly? Whether it was Shadow Sting or that Catastrophe summoning—you knew it deep down, didn’t you?”
“Nothing actually hurt me.”
He wasn’t really angry about it. It was like getting nipped by an ant—mildly annoying, but no big deal. If the 【New Lord】 could actually kill him, Lin Cheng would sincerely give him a thumbs-up.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t.
Lin Cheng and Lu Xiaoxiao had discussed the deal casually, and she didn’t seem to grasp its full implications. But a method that could boost every Alliance Ability User’s combat power by thirty to seventy percent? That was a game-changer for the entire Ability User landscape.
“Thank you,” Lu Lingling said softly.
“No big deal. Where’s Xiaoxiao?”
“I sent her to organize some files. She’ll be back in half an hour.”
“What’s with emphasizing the half hour?”
“Is half an hour enough?” Lu Lingling’s lips curved up as her fingertip toyed with the strap of her nightgown.
“I’m over what happened before. Do you really want to piss me off again?” Lin Cheng looked at her with a mix of exasperation and gloom. Lu Lingling’s eyes brimmed with innocence. “I don’t understand why you’re mad. If there’s something uncomfortable for you, just tell me. I can learn.”
“…That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?” Her gaze deepened. “This was my first time too. Xiaoxiao was made via gene tech—an embryo that never even stayed in my body. It was only you in there…”
“Stop!” Lin Cheng cut in, urgency rising.
“So why are you mad?” Lu Lingling’s expression was utterly innocent.
“These things need love… Love. You get it? Love.”
“Do you remember why Xiaoxiao was born in the first place?” Lu Lingling suddenly asked something seemingly unrelated.
“Yeah.”
“Then have you ever really understood me? Lin Cheng.”
“A little.”
Everything about her had been destroyed by a Catastrophe at age eighteen. That endless hatred for Catastrophes was all that kept her going.
Lu Lingling leaned in closer. Before Lin Cheng could react, her hand pressed his shoulder down. In the next instant, she had him pinned beneath her.
Lu Lingling’s figure was tall—taller than most—but her frame was slender. In his line of sight, her neckline barely contained the soft, pale swell of her breasts. He hurriedly shifted his gaze to her face. Her eyes were unexpectedly clear, devoid of any lust.
“Eradicating Catastrophes was my reason to live. But you killed that hope with your own hands. It was my lifelong vow, and you fulfilled it—ending the purpose that kept me alive. So why do you think… I don’t love you? My dear Si Ming.”
Her elbows propped on the leather sofa, she lay atop him, chin resting on his chest, gazing tenderly. “I hated the Abyss that much once. That’s how much I love you now. You’re the only deity in my world. If you wish it, I’d give you everything—bring you everything.”
“Ha, yeah right.” Lin Cheng tried to push her off, but she caught his hands. “So, why are you mad?”
“Because I don’t like you.”
A flicker of genuine hurt passed through Lu Lingling’s eyes, though it vanished in an instant. “Then do you like Jiang Lingxue, the one you lived with for over a year? From what I know, you two didn’t hold back… Compared to her, where do I fall short?”
“…”
Lin Cheng was restrained; right now, his strength couldn’t match hers. But he wasn’t as scared as before. He pursed his lips. “Cut it out.”
Lu Lingling suddenly laughed. “Don’t you think it’s fun?”
She swung her leg lightly, her pale little foot adorable in his view. Her collarbone gleamed, her skin faintly pink as if radiating warmth. Her lips looked plump and moist, and she carried the scent of body wash. The soft, jiggly pressure on his chest was like jelly—he suddenly wanted to take a bite.
“What’s fun about it…”
Lu Lingling finally released his hands. Lin Cheng’s soon settled on her shoulders, his fingers slyly nudging her strap downward. But his eyes stayed locked on hers, searching for any trace of contempt or disgust.
It was too strange. And she really did look just like Lu Xiaoxiao.
The strap had nearly slipped to her arm. A little more force, and the nightgown would slide down to her waist. Yet Lu Lingling’s gaze remained overly gentle—even shy, as far as he could tell.
But that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to see disdain or scorn from this scheming woman—just a hint that she’d do anything for her goals. Love? It was all a hypocritical excuse!
In the end, Lin Cheng pulled his hands back. Her nightgown hadn’t even fallen, held up by her ample chest. He met her eyes. “Get up already. Stop messing around.”
“What do you hope to see in my eyes?” Lu Lingling asked softly.
…Lin Cheng suddenly thought talking to simpletons like Xu Wanyue or Lu Xiaoxiao was way more fun.
“Nothing. Get up…”
“No.”
Lin Cheng pushed at her shoulders to shove her off. Lu Lingling toppled easily—this drama queen! He caught her hand just before her head hit the sofa arm, pulling her back up. This time, her nightgown nearly slid off for real. Luckily, his reflexes were sharp; he fixed it for her, like dressing a doll.
Lu Lingling sat cross-legged on the sofa, her skirt hem a bit disheveled. Lin Cheng felt something was off. Then he remembered—she’d come out of the shower last time without… His gaze drifted instinctively, and Lu Lingling’s fingers lightly tugged her hem, tilting her head. “Hm? I’m wearing them today.”
“…” Lin Cheng yanked his eyes away, hugging a pillow for some sense of security. After a pause, he blurted, “Got a question for you.”
“Go ahead.”
“That day, when Xu Wanyue and I went to Peach Blossom Cove to take photos—did the Alliance know the Shaman would summon a Catastrophe with demon beasts? Was Xu Wanyue in on it?”
The moment he’d seen that Plunderer, he knew it was summoned by an Alliance Ability User. It was one of [Fate]’s powers.
“Do you want her to have known, or not?” Lu Lingling asked with a smile.
“I want a straight answer—no games. Tell me now.”
“Why so urgent?” Lu Lingling turned to him, her tone a touch sour. “Have you fallen for her?”
