Lu Xiaoxiao had her back turned to Lin Cheng, and he also tilted his head to gaze out the window.
The sky outside remained overcast, the sort of weather perfect for sleeping. He knew his earlier words had likely upset her, but if he stayed silent, he might not resist the temptation to coax her into something more.
Perhaps it was because of how she had nestled in his arms moments ago, gently nipping at his shoulder with those soft, seductive gasps. It had been intensely erotic.
The room was dimly lit, the patter of rain fading. Lin Cheng closed his eyes for a long while but couldn’t drift off. When he shifted unconsciously, he suddenly noticed that Lu Xiaoxiao—who had been facing away from him—had turned around. Her eyes were quietly fixed on him.
The instant their gazes met, her eyes darted away.
“That technique you just grasped…”
“Sorry, I can’t turn this one over to the Alliance.” Lin Cheng gave her a helpless smile.
This technique required his energy as the core to unlock the 50th Energy Node. No one else could replicate it. The gap between forty-nine and fifty was more than numerical; Lu Xiaoxiao would now be roughly 0.3 times stronger than before.
“It’s fine.” Lu Xiaoxiao shook her head. She stared intently at Lin Cheng’s face, trying to decipher something from it, but a veil seemed to shroud his features. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t see clearly.
“Were you deliberately trying to rile me up earlier?” Lu Xiaoxiao asked abruptly.
Lin Cheng froze.
“I thought about it for three minutes. You don’t strike me as someone who would misspeak like that.”
“How so?”
“You seem so delicate and perceptive. Saying something like that had to be on purpose. But you… you’re a bit too arrogant. I won’t throw myself at you.”
Lin Cheng gave a wry laugh. “No, I was afraid of myself.”
“Afraid of yourself?”
“Yeah.” His eyes grew even more helpless. “Afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold back from doing something to you…”
“You think I’d go along with it just because you want to?” Lu Xiaoxiao snorted.
“…”
Lin Cheng fell silent, saying nothing more. After a moment, Lu Xiaoxiao muttered softly, “You’re so strange.”
“Sigh, no helping it. There’s a reason behind it.”
“Oh?”
Lin Cheng hesitated for a few seconds before replying, “Xu Wanyue is my girlfriend right now.”
In that instant, Lu Xiaoxiao’s expression turned profoundly complex.
Shock, bitterness, anger, embarrassment—emotions churned and shifted in her eyes before settling into a cold, defensive chill. “So when you said you hadn’t hooked up with her, that was a lie?”
“Not… exactly.” Lin Cheng scratched his head. “The Fruit Shop has some Evolution Blood left over from the deal with Si Ming back then. It can wake Xu Wanyue’s sister from her coma, so I traded it for her to be my girlfriend for seven days.”
“Another one of your lame jokes?”
“No. When I say it’s true, it usually is.” Lin Cheng winked at her. “Only two days left now. Our Romance Contract ends after that.”
“Why?” Lu Xiaoxiao didn’t understand.
“A bit of loneliness, wanting company. Maybe because I’ve never dated, I wanted to see what it’s like. Xu Wanyue fit perfectly—she’s cute, great figure, gentle personality… ideal girlfriend material.”
“Hey, hey, don’t give me that disgusted look. Our contract doesn’t include anything erotic—just normal stuff, holding hands, strolling around. Don’t misunderstand.”
Lin Cheng eyed the disgust in Lu Xiaoxiao’s gaze helplessly. “Don’t believe me? Ask her yourself. The lingerie on the balcony and everything I said earlier—it’s all true. I swear, if I’m lying… may I get hit by a car on the way out.”
“I don’t get it.”
“So you don’t understand the heartbroken little dog at midnight—tossing and turning alone in bed, suddenly feeling that ache of loneliness.”
“So?”
“I was supposed to meet her again soon, but I worried I’d lose control if we spent more time together. So I came here to kill some time with you.”
Lu Xiaoxiao sat up in bed, gazing at Lin Cheng, who remained lying there. “You’re a thoroughly boring person.”
“If you say so.”
“What’s the point, then?”
“I’ve always felt a hug means more than sex. Just wanted someone to hold. That Evolution Blood was useless to anyone else in the Fruit Shop anyway. She joined, so it was hers by right. I just took a tiny advantage on the side.”
Lu Xiaoxiao fell silent. She rolled over, clutched the blanket, and went to sleep.
When Lu Xiaoxiao woke, Lin Cheng was gone from the bed. She rose and headed to the living room, drawn by the savory aroma of cooking from the kitchen. There, Lin Cheng stood staring blankly into a pot of pig’s trotter soup.
He had cooked for her once before at her place, and she still remembered it—his skills surpassed even the high-paid family cook. Seeing her awake, he snapped to. “Wash up. Dinner in twenty minutes. If you’re bored tonight, I’ll take you out for some fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yeah. The Fruit Shop assigned me a task. You can tag along and join the excitement.”
Lu Xiaoxiao nodded dazedly. Twenty minutes later, Lin Cheng brought out steaming pig’s trotter soup with dipping sauce, a plate of green pepper stir-fried pork, and taro-steamed ribs. They sat at the table for dinner as the gloomy sky darkened further, wind howling outside.
Together, they headed downstairs. Lin Cheng reached his parked motorcycle, donned his helmet, and Lu Xiaoxiao climbed on behind, her arms loosely around his waist. He rode toward South City.
South City was the city’s most bustling district, stronghold of the folk organization 【Tian Yuan】, which dominated the entire area. Lin Cheng led Lu Xiaoxiao to a towering building, followed his phone’s directions into the elevator, and punched in a code. The elevator ascended to its designated floor in fifteen seconds. An attendant guided them through a door, and Lu Xiaoxiao froze at the sight.
It was a fight arena.
At the center stood an Octagon Cage, ringed by seats. Overhead screens displayed the combatants’ profiles and stats, flanked by betting odds.
Blood already slicked the canvas. Both fighters in the Octagon Cage bore wounds. Lin Cheng touched his Ear Clip, pulled out the Alchemy Contact Lenses, and handed them to her. The moment she slipped them on, energy motes nearly blinded her.
Nearly everyone here was an Ability User—several rated over 200, some even 300, 400, or 500. Lin Cheng spoke softly beside her. “Anything over 500 qualifies as S-Rank. Ever heard of this place?”
Lu Xiaoxiao shook her head.
“It’s where Physical-System Ability Users hone their combat skills—an underground fight club. Matches every day. Most in the Octagon Cage are Physical-System types. No holds barred, just two rules: if your opponent can’t rise in ten seconds, you win. And no intentional kills.”
“Intentional?”
“Accidental deaths are excused.” Lin Cheng replied quietly. Lu Xiaoxiao turned to him. “So… why bring me here?”
“Recently, the Fruit Shop and East City absorbed West City’s Black Beast turf. But 【Tian Yuan】 in South City wants a cut and has been stirring trouble. Litchi sent me to rattle them.”
“Wait—you…”
“Sigh, can’t freeload forever… gotta work sometimes. Grab a seat and behave. Once my odds post after a few bouts, bet on me. Use the winnings to buy drinks tonight.”
Lin Cheng patted her shoulder and walked off toward the Octagon Cage manager. He stated his name and Fruit Shop codename bluntly, challenging South City’s Physical-System Ability Users.
Out-of-towners often entered these fights for prizes. South City had its code. Cash-strapped independents came to earn, and some got scouted into 【Tian Yuan】.
【Tian Yuan】 brimmed with Physical-System Ability Users, led by an SS-rank powerhouse.
Approval came swiftly; his bout was slotted after the next. His foe: an A-Rank Ability User. They graded fighters on-site with alchemy machines scanning energy reserves. Lin Cheng was A-Rank, so matched accordingly.
Tian Yuan was massive—over a dozen A-Rank Physical-System users by Lin Cheng’s count. He returned to Lu Xiaoxiao’s side to wait. Worry flickered in her eyes.
She knew even she couldn’t beat him, but fights meant injuries. She’d assumed his Fruit Shop role was cushy, like a kept man. This mission felt perilously real.
Their prior bout was sparring, both restrained. Real bloodbaths amplified her dread.
In the ring now, one fighter’s gut gaped bloody; the other’s Physical System hardened his palms. One lay motionless, fate uncertain, as the crowd roared with cheers and jeers.
Lin Cheng took the empty seat beside Lu Xiaoxiao, waiting calmly. She gripped his arm lightly, hesitating before asking, “This mission… can’t you turn it down?”
“Could, but no point. No real risk—just stretching my limbs.”
He watched the ring placidly from the seats. His calm eased her tension somewhat. Soon, it was his turn. Lin Cheng rose and approached the Octagon Cage.
Moments after he left, someone slipped unnoticed into his vacated seat. Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart raced. His opponent was an A-Rank Physical-System specialist—physique and palm reinforcement. The prior loser had been stretchered out, status unknown.
A cool voice cut into her ear.
“Even an S-Rank wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Nothing to worry about.”
The voice felt eerily familiar. Lu Xiaoxiao turned. Beside her sat a woman in a sleek black strapless gown, features sharp and exquisite, eyes icy. A black choker encircled her pale neck; fiery red hair gleamed in the dimness. Silver stilettos adorned her feet, delicate ankles chained with a tinkling bell anklet.
…Jiang Lingxue.
