Huo Ling looked at Lin Shuangshuang again and deliberately said, “I think you actually want to go, don’t you?”
His tone was full of sarcasm.
Lin Shuangshuang shook her head. “I’m not going. Wherever you are, I am.”
Huo Ling froze for a moment. His ears quietly turned red, but he still insisted, “Sounds nice.”
Wasn’t she the one who left him before?
Lin Shuangshuang caught the implication, so she replied seriously, firmly expressing her stance. “It’s different. I’m not going anywhere now.”
Huo Ling tried to probe, “What’s the difference? How is it different?”
His tone was light, but the end of his words was slightly tight, betraying his nervousness.
Lin Shuangshuang wasn’t stupid. She had amnesia, not a drop in IQ, so she said confidently, “Don’t worry about it. It’s just different!”
Huo Ling nearly lost it. He snorted coldly and stopped looking at her. He was about to say more when he noticed the three giant lightbulbs sitting there.
So he shut up.
Luo Na giggled with a very suggestive laugh, screaming internally: I’m shipping it, I’m shipping it.
Wu Zhe and Gao Lei didn’t expect that their usually concise and decisive Captain Huo would act so childish in front of someone he liked.
It felt like a god had descended into the mortal world—but somehow, very grounded.
Not bad.
The three of them now had new gossip material. They secretly exchanged looks.
Just then, Zhao Pingsheng suddenly started a video call, scaring them all.
Lin Shuangshuang’s eyes went wide. She nearly instinctively reached for her phone—after all, video calls usually meant work trouble.
Luo Na patted her chest. “Oh my god, I almost had a heart attack!”
Wu Zhe rubbed his ear. “Same! I hate video call ringtones the most.”
Gao Lei also looked like he was in pain just hearing it. “It’s fine if you’re prepared, but getting it out of nowhere is terrifying.”
Huo Ling looked at them and scoffed. “Pathetic.”
Then he answered the call.
And immediately started insulting his friend.
“We’re literally two steps apart. If you’ve got something to say, why don’t you just come downstairs?”
Zhao Pingsheng rolled his eyes so hard it was obvious even on screen. “Get lost. I don’t want to see you. I’m having Xiao San and Xiao Si deliver medicine. Take it yourself or have them inject you. The weather’s off. Don’t go out for the next few days. Just focus on leveling up.”
Then he hung up.
Not a single extra word.
Clearly, he really didn’t want to deal with Huo Ling anymore.
Huo Ling didn’t care.
He just looked at the others. “What are you looking at? Go get your injections.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator chimed.
Xiao San and Xiao Si had already arrived.
Lin Shuangshuang couldn’t take the injection, so she just watched the others get theirs one by one.
“Will it feel bad?” she asked.
She remembered there were side effects.
Xiao San and Xiao Si replied, 【Yes, it might feel uncomfortable!】
【But don’t worry! It usually recovers within three days. Just drink more water!】
Their robotic arms were surprisingly dexterous, capable of delicate work like injections.
Normally they moved by sliding around, but if the elevator broke, they could even climb stairs. The AI was truly advanced.
Lin Shuangshuang remembered them saying they were discarded household robots thrown into a junkyard—rescued and rebuilt by Zhang Dapeng.
Originally cheap housekeeping units, but upgraded with expensive AI systems. That made them extremely intelligent and efficient.
The four of them each received an injection in their arms, like a vaccine shot.
Unexpectedly, Gao Lei—despite his large build—was afraid of needles. He stiffened in panic while Luo Na and Wu Zhe covered his eyes, laughing.
Lin Shuangshuang didn’t notice that her lips were slightly curving upward.
Compared to fragmented memories in her mind, her previous teammates seemed distant and cold. They rarely interacted like this—at most just nodding at each other.
She also couldn’t recall too deeply. If she tried, her head would hurt.
Huo Ling immediately noticed something was off after his injection. His body began to heat up—painful, but not unbearable.
“Can’t this be faster?” he said impatiently. “Three days to absorb—don’t you think that’s too long?”
He then added bluntly, “If anything happens during this time and everyone’s ability drops by half, that’s dangerous. Tell Zhao Pingsheng to adjust it.”
Xiao San and Xiao Si replied, 【Feedback received!】
【We will pass it on to Dr. Zhao!】
Huo Ling gave a low “hm.”
Soon, Luo Na, Wu Zhe, and Gao Lei’s reactions began too. Those with weaker abilities reacted more slowly—they all frowned almost at the same time.
“Fuck, it hurts… feels like someone’s hammering my bones.”
“Uh… it does hurt.”
“It’s not just a little—it really hurts. It feels like my worst menstrual cramps. I can’t take it, I need to go lie down.”
Luo Na’s face turned red, sweat pouring down as she headed upstairs.
Lin Shuangshuang looked at Huo Ling and saw he seemed okay, so she followed Luo Na first.
“I’ll help you,” she said, supporting her upstairs.
Luo Na looked at her gratefully. “Thanks, Shuangshuang…”
So considerate—sob!
After settling Luo Na into bed and covering her, Lin Shuangshuang went back downstairs. Only Wu Zhe and Gao Lei were left.
“Do you need help?” she asked.
They both shook their heads frantically.
“No, no, thank you!”
“No need, no need!”
There was no way they would let her carry them upstairs. That would be too embarrassing.
Lin Shuangshuang nodded. “Alright then. I’ll go check on Huo Ling. Take it slow.”
They nodded again.
Fourth Floor: Quiet
The fourth floor was completely silent.
Lin Shuangshuang walked lightly toward Huo Ling’s room. On the bed, the blanket was raised like some large animal was lying there.
But it wasn’t a beast—just a vulnerable Huo Ling.
His face was flushed.
She crouched by the bedside and touched his forehead. It was hot. “Huo Ling…”
She called softly.
He didn’t respond, his brows tightly furrowed, looking uncomfortable. Even when unwell, he was still extremely good-looking.
She poked the center of his brows. “Is it very uncomfortable? Where does it hurt?”
Her hair unconsciously curled around his wrist, sensing his pulse—fast, likely due to the injected energy serum.
Huo Ling got annoyed by her poking, turned his back to her, and said hoarsely, “Are you annoying? Go back to your room.”
He was chasing her away again.
Lin Shuangshuang pouted unhappily.
Outside, the sound of heavy rain suddenly roared, deafening. She instinctively looked toward the window.
His room had a large floor-to-ceiling window. Rain was violently crashing against the glass.
Huo Ling sensed her being startled. In a dazed voice, he muttered, almost like sleep talking:
“Pat-pat the fur… don’t be scared…”
His eyes were still closed.
His voice was very soft.