Lu Pei raced back to his room, slid across the floor and straight into his bed, pulled the covers over himself, adjusted his pillow and closed his eyes.
He had completed the entire sequence in one smooth motion.
Recalling the violent scene he had just witnessed, Lu Pei remembered how fast Yuan Que’s movements had been. He simply hadn’t been able to follow them and all he could do was stare in a daze as one person after another fell to the ground.
In a situation like this, it was probably best not to gamble on the enhancement serum turning him into One Punch Man. He was genuinely afraid that Yuan Que would send him straight to the afterlife with a single punch.
He should consider Plan B instead: run away for the second time and escape from the mine. If the danger caught up with him again, he could figure something else out then.
With his mind entirely occupied by thoughts of escape, Lu Pei naturally couldn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy.
About ten minutes later, he heard the creaking sound of the dormitory’s aging door hinges.
Yuan Que was back.
Lu Pei closed his eyes and his ears immediately perked up as he paid attention to every little sound around him.
Yuan Que walked without making a sound. It was as though there were no friction between the soles of his shoes and the floor, making his movements impossible to predict and filling Lu Pei with an inexplicable sense of fear.
Before long, however, Lu Pei heard the sound of a mattress scraping against the floor on his right.
When they had been arranging the mattresses earlier, Yuan Que hadn’t been back yet. Now, he was probably rolling up his sleeping mat and examining the extra cushion to figure out what it was and whether it posed any danger.
After his inspection was complete, the rustling sounds gradually stopped.
I was worrying for nothing about whether Yuan Que would refuse to accept the mattress, Lu Pei thought.
If he gave Yuan Que something harmless and beneficial, such as the food he had shared at noon, the other man wouldn’t go out of his way to refuse it. However, he wouldn’t develop any unnecessary feelings of gratitude toward him, either.
Yuan Que had a very cold personality, somewhat similar to Lu Xun.
With that in mind, he probably wouldn’t hold a grudge over Lu Pei accidentally watching their fight earlier. It had been an unintentional glimpse, after all. There was nothing worth making a fuss over.
Lu Pei went a full three minutes without hearing another sound and his body and mind gradually relaxed.
Let’s leave it at that for tonight. I’ll think of something else tomorrow.
It felt as though a mosquito had landed on his neck, tickling his skin. In weather this cold, there were still mosquitoes around?
He raised a hand to rub the spot, only to feel something… several fine strands of threadlike material.
Hair.
Lu Pei abruptly opened his eyes.
A pair of deep, dark eyes looked down at him, meeting his gaze.
Yuan Que had been standing at the head of his bed, staring at him. Lu Pei had no idea how long he had been there.
The two of them were incredibly close. A few loose strands of Yuan Que’s hair had happened to brush against the side of Lu Pei’s neck, which was what had awakened him.
“I…” Lu Pei was so startled that his scalp went numb and he almost screamed.
A thought exploded in his mind.
Is he trying to kill me to silence me?! Was I not supposed to see what happened earlier?!
All Lu Pei could think about was escaping. He hadn’t even managed to sit up when Yuan Que slowly lowered his neck, drawing even closer to him.
One lay on the bed while the other bent down over him. Their noses faced each other and their eyes met.
Yuan Que’s long black hair fell farther forward, so dark and thick that it resembled black tar. Almost no light could penetrate the curtain of hair hanging in Lu Pei’s field of vision.
Only a few inches separated them now. The distance was so intimate that it seemed as though they might kiss in the very next second.
Yet beneath that suggestive appearance, there was nothing but fear.
Lu Pei felt a chill creep up the back of his neck. His fingers tightened around the bedsheet.
“You saw it,” Yuan Que said.
Lu Pei: “…”
This is a life or death question, isn’t it? How am I supposed to answer?
His heart pounded violently. Starting from his fingertips, every part of his body gradually tensed.
However, Yuan Que didn’t need him to answer. This wasn’t a question that required a response. He was merely stating a fact.
“If you don’t want to get yourself into trouble,” Yuan Que continued, “keep your mouth shut, surface dweller.”
Lu Pei slowly blinked.
This guy just gave me a midnight horror movie experience and all he wanted… was to make sure I kept my mouth shut?
He could even detect a faint trace of goodwill in that purely indifferent tone. Yuan Que was warning him not to get involved in anything related to this matter again.
The way he spoke was practically identical to Lu Xun’s.
Lu Pei pulled the blanket up to his chin, tucked it securely beneath himself and obediently nodded.
He had a few thoughts about this now.
Having achieved his objective, Yuan Que indifferently shifted his gaze away.
The conversation was over. The surface dweller had been frightened into silence and would keep his mouth shut.
If the other man hadn’t appeared in the corridor and witnessed something he shouldn’t have seen, they wouldn’t have had any unnecessary interaction in the first place.
Yuan Que took off his jacket. The bloodstains belonging to other people had gotten onto his clothes and a subtle look of distaste appeared on his face.
In the one sided beating that had just taken place, he had barely suffered even a superficial injury. All the blood had come from the other men.
Lu Pei suddenly asked in a quiet voice, “Does your forehead still hurt?”
A faint ripple appeared on Yuan Que’s otherwise expressionless face. He turned to look at Lu Pei again.
The surface dweller was looking at him with soft, peaceful eyes and Yuan Que suddenly felt a mixture of confusion and apprehension.
It was as though someone had asked him this question for the very first time, leaving him completely at a loss for how to respond.
He was even somewhat bewildered.
“Just now, they…” Lu Pei continued softly. “Did it hurt?”
Lu Pei heard the other man’s breathing grow heavier.
However, he received no answer. Yuan Que immediately turned his back to him and lay down beneath his own blanket.
Neither of them said another word for the rest of the night.
……
“Actually, his personality isn’t that difficult to deal with.”
Before falling asleep, Lu Pei considered the matter calmly.
If he had been given enough time, he would have had a perfectly good chance of using the existing conflicts and a little concern to turn Yuan Que against his current associates and win him over.
Unfortunately, he probably didn’t have much time left. There was no room for mistakes.
Such a promising fighter and he just had to be my enemy. What a pity.
The following day was the labor reform center’s regularly scheduled day off, so there was no work to be done.
Lu Pei followed You Rulan from one dormitory to another, pretending to be obsessed with playing cards while secretly taking the opportunity to gather information about the tattooed man and Yuan Que.
The men’s injuries were rather serious. There were fractures, cracked bones, internal bleeding and even a ruptured spleen. News of their condition quickly spread throughout the facility.
Lu Pei had assumed that the tattooed man would report the incident to Brother Mammoth and ask him to deal with Yuan Que. If that happened, Yuan Que would probably be subjected to a severe beating himself, leaving him weakened and giving Lu Pei another chance of winning in a direct confrontation.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to his wishes.
From an underling who lived on the fourth floor, Lu Pei heard that the tattooed man and the others had claimed they were attacked by a rival gang while out patrolling the streets that night.
“…?”
Lu Pei was confused for half a second before quickly understanding the situation.
Seven or eight men had ganged up on one person, using weapons and relying on their numerical advantage, only to get beaten to a pulp instead.
If they were to admit that to anyone, wouldn’t they become a laughingstock?
As gangsters, they would be utterly humiliating themselves by admitting such a thing. If the other underlings found out what had really happened, those men would lose all face and might never be able to hold their heads up in the underworld again.
It was no wonder Yuan Que had specifically warned him to keep quiet. He didn’t want Lu Pei to disrupt the unspoken understanding between the two sides.
During the day, he silently endured being beaten. At night, he turned around and beat the others into the ground.
The man looked like a pushover but in reality, he was vicious beyond measure.
Lu Pei began thinking seriously about escaping.
There were security guards stationed at the main entrance. The rear entrance, on the other hand, allowed people to come and go relatively freely. However, that privilege was limited to Brother Mammoth’s underlings. Ordinary laborers weren’t entitled to the same treatment.
He went to the reading room, borrowed a book and wandered around with it in his arms, trying to find a convenient place to climb over the wall.
Fortunately, the labor reform center was located in a mining area that operated several mines. The surrounding landscape was full of loose soil and rocks, creating naturally elevated terrain in many places. As a result, the perimeter wall didn’t appear quite as tall as it otherwise would have.
Lu Pei eventually found a suitable spot to climb over the wall. With a short running start, he could jump up and grab the edge.
Once I get over, should I just jump straight down? No, there’s still a bit of a drop on the other side… Should I bring a cushion and lay it down first?
He studied the wall, lost in thought.
“Hey, you over there.”
A voice called out from not far away.
Lu Pei looked around and spotted Brother Mammoth smoking a cigarette.
Brother Mammoth looked him up and down, his gaze making Lu Pei feel somewhat uncomfortable.
The other man asked, “Were you the one who came to see me that day at noon?”
Lu Pei: “…Haha, good afternoon, Brother Mammoth.”
Lu Pei lowered his head shyly. He could feel that the other man was still scrutinizing him.
Artificial sunlight panels had been installed throughout the underground district, with the lighting carefully controlled to imitate the natural sun. However, the artificial illumination was never quite convincing. At this moment, the simulated sunset cast a hazy, grayish gold glow over everything.
Yet even under such crude lighting, the light that fell upon the white haired young man still made him look astonishingly radiant.
Brother Mammoth hadn’t paid much attention to the person who had suddenly interrupted him at noon that day. He only vaguely remembered that the newcomer had been a pretty young man.
Now that he had taken a closer look, he finally recognized him. His eyebrows lifted.
“Oh… so it really was you.”
He took two steps forward.
“What are you doing here?”
The things Lu Pei had prepared for this situation finally came in handy. He raised the book in his hand and replied, “I was looking for a place with good lighting so I could read.”
Brother Mammoth asked, “Do you like reading?”
Lu Pei replied, “Just trying to pass the time.”
“I have plenty of books at my place. If you’re interested, you can come over and have a look.” Brother Mammoth’s eyes remained fixed on Lu Pei’s face as he spoke, his tone carrying an unmistakably lecherous and suggestive undertone. “You can pass as much time as you want… for as long as you like.”
Lu Pei: “…”
So this was what it felt like to be sexually harassed by an ugly man. The sensation was enough to make his scalp crawl and his expression immediately became impossible to maintain. He forced out an extremely reluctant smile. “There’s no need for that. Thank you, Brother Mammoth.”
With that, he practically flew away on his feet.
“Oh, look at him! He’s blushing!”
“Don’t forget to visit Brother Mammoth’s room tonight!”
The underlings nearby burst into a chorus of laughter behind him.
Clutching the book in his arms, Lu Pei hurried back to his dormitory to hide. He needed some peace and quiet.
Inside the dormitory, all his roommates had gathered together for once. Even Yuan Que was there. His hair was still wet, suggesting that he had just finished taking a shower and was preparing to head out.
Old Wu, one of his roommates, noticed the book in Lu Pei’s hands and asked, “You can actually read?”
Lu Pei: “Huh?”
Old Wu pointed at the book. “What’s this book about?”
“It’s a… well, an interesting encyclopedia?” Lu Pei had read this popular science book when he was a child. “Half of the chapters are about the North and South Poles.”
Anthony interrupted him. “What’s the North and South Poles?”
“They’re the northernmost and southernmost points on Earth. It’s extremely cold there.”
Old Wu looked puzzled. “Aren’t all cold places full of viruses? Wouldn’t the animals die?”
“The ancient viruses did destroy human civilization on the old Earth, that’s true but quite a lot of animals still survived. Mm, there were mutations, too…”
Neither of the two men had received much education. Alternatively, it was possible that the underground district simply paid little attention to general education. Whatever the reason, Lu Pei ended up explaining the entire subject to them from the beginning.
In the year 2000 of the Common Era, ancient viruses excavated from Antarctica spread across the old Earth, killing almost the entire human population.
The ancient viruses thrived in cold environments. The few humans who survived migrated toward the equator, establishing new settlements in warmer regions. From that point onward, the political and ethnic distinctions between different peoples gradually disappeared and everyone became citizens of the Noah Human Alliance.
“The day the Alliance was founded marked the turning of the first page of the Flame Era calendar.”
The soil dwelling animals that lived in underground environments had largely survived the catastrophe. As a result, humans began excavating underground cities, dividing their living areas according to altitude into the surface district and the underground district.
“Initially, the underground district was considered the safer place, a region less vulnerable to viral attacks. Most production activities were carried out underground,” Lu Pei explained. “In Flame Era Year 736, scientists discovered a method of combating the ancient viruses among the technological relics left behind by the old civilization. That discovery ushered in nearly two hundred years of development. People began longing for sunlight again and gradually migrated back to the surface. As a result, the political and economic centers of power shifted along with them…”
His roommates listened attentively to his explanation. Even Yuan Que had stopped on his way out and remained where he was, listening.
Lu Pei was a good storyteller. His voice flowed naturally as he narrated the history, making the information easy to follow.
Yuan Que stood still and listened for a while. When Lu Pei raised his hand to brush his hair aside, Yuan Que’s gaze fell upon his long, slender, fair fingers.
Without a doubt, they were a beautiful pair of hands. Even the shape and gentle curves of his knuckles suggested that their owner had been pampered and lived a life of privilege.
And then, quite suddenly, Yuan Que came to his senses, his vigilance returning.
Anyone capable of telling a compelling story could persuade more people to believe in it and participate in the shared imaginary world built upon that story. In doing so, they could win over people’s hearts, gather their strength and ultimately make them serve their purposes.
That was precisely why smooth talking surface dwellers were hypocritical and dangerous.
He must not allow himself to be deceived by one.
Yuan Que picked up his shoulder bag and was just about to leave when an outsider suddenly blocked his way, behaving in an exceptionally arrogant manner.
Ren Yao snapped, “Get the fuck out of my way.”
Yuan Que moved aside.
“Ruby Francis!” Ren Yao strode through the dormitory doorway and pointed directly at Lu Pei’s nose as he cursed, “You little slut!”
“I’ve heard everything about how you’ve been seducing Brother Mammoth! Are you looking to die?!”
Lu Pei: “…”
Lu Pei was utterly despairing.
Why was this man so determined to believe that shit was his staple food? What on earth was wrong with him?
“I didn’t do anything,” Lu Pei replied helplessly. “Brother Shemale, I already told you last time that I like women. Don’t believe the rumors.”
Ren Yao snapped, “Why the hell should I believe you?!”
“Because I’m straight!”
Lu Pei looked around the room. As luck would have it, the cabinet in the dormitory was plastered with pictures of sexy female celebrities. He casually pointed at one of them and said, “I like women like her. My ex girlfriend was that type, too.”
Yuan Que glanced at the female celebrity in question. She had a pointed face and wore a black strapless dress with a plunging V shaped neckline.
He didn’t think she was particularly beautiful.
“Straight, huh?” Ren Yao continued to sneer at him. “Isn’t that just another one of your tricks to seduce Brother Mammoth?”
“I can swear an oath.”
Lu Pei raised two fingers toward the sky, his gaze resolute and his words firm and emphatic.
“I swear on the honor of the Lu family…” He paused.
No, wait.
“I, Ruby Francis, swear on my family’s honor that I have no interest in men and have never tried to seduce Brother Mammoth.”
“If I ever break this oath, you can kill me right away. I won’t resist.”
Those words finally carried some weight. Ren Yao’s attitude softened slightly.
“…Hmph.”
His expression remained unpleasant as he issued a stern warning. “If your words don’t match your intentions, I’ll break every bone in your body and throw you off the mountain. I mean every word of it.”
“I support you,” Lu Pei replied.
The moment he finished speaking, someone knocked on the dormitory door.
Knock, knock.
Everyone inside turned to look at the security guard standing outside.
“Ruby Francis, you have a visitor,” the guard announced. “Your man is here to see you. Go to the reception room.”
Lu Pei: “…”
Lu Pei was completely bewildered. His scalp began to tingle.
“W Wait a minute. What man?”
Could it be his older brother?
The guard checked the family information form before answering, “Your husband, of course. It says ‘spouse’ right here.”
Ah…
Ruby Francis herself did, in fact, have a husband.
In an instant, Ren Yao’s expression turned so murderous that he looked ready to kill someone.
“I’m. Going. To. Kill. You.”
He gritted out every word through clenched teeth.
“……………………”
Lu Pei’s heart sank into utter despair.
It’s over.
The plot driven death scene… has finally arrived.
Author’s Note:
Ruby: Love you, past me. See you in heaven! [Showering himself with exaggerated praise]