If fool Ling Xing’s understanding of Lu Yingzhu’s gaze was zero…
Then Ruan Tao, who knew her own Big Brother better than anyone, might have understood about eight or nine-tenths of it.
Ruan Tao exclaimed, “Brother! What are you thinking!”
“Now you realize you’ve been calling me ‘Brother’ over and over?” Lu Yingzhu snorted coldly. “Even if you call me a hundred times, it won’t help.”
Ruan Tao quickly changed the topic. “What are you doing here? Is Gao Yang with you?”
Lu Yingzhu remained expressionless. “I’m working here. He’s not with me. Why are you looking for him?”
“Nothing,” Ruan Tao said.
Ling Xing stood awkwardly beside them, almost at a loss, and asked, “Mr. Lu, how’s the situation? Is everything going smoothly?”
“Are you sick or something?” Lu Yingzhu glanced at Ling Xing while poking Ruan Tao’s head with his finger. “Asking me about work in front of this guy? What if she’s already defected to Fang Shanhui and came here to spy on me? Who would I cry to then?”
On the surface, this statement obviously reflected Lu Yingzhu’s trust in Ruan Tao while subtly signaling to Ling Xing not to bring up the matter in Ruan Tao’s presence.
Subtle hints like this, Ruan Tao might have picked up, but Ling Xing probably would not.
He rubbed the back of his head and was about to say something more when he suddenly felt Lu Yingzhu’s cold gaze fixed on him.
Ling Xing: “……”
He couldn’t understand other hints, but Mr. Lu’s warning was clear.
The look said plainly: say one more word, and I’ll make you regret it within three days.
Ruan Tao looked between her Big Brother and Ling Xing, puzzled. “Why are you two exchanging glances? Is there something you can let me, the little spy, hear?”
Lu Yingzhu casually rubbed Ruan Tao’s head. “Little spy, have you eaten?”
If he hadn’t asked, it would have been fine, but once he asked, Ruan Tao immediately felt hungry.
She didn’t know if it was her constitution changing after coming here or because, as a hamster, she could always get full with just one meal… Ruan Tao always felt her hunger was irregular, and her appetite fluctuated.
Looking at Ruan Tao’s expression, Lu Yingzhu immediately knew the answer.
“Let’s go.” He smiled lightly and waved his hand. “Little spy, come with Big Brother and have a meal.”
Ruan Tao: “……”
Her familiar Big Brother had returned.
The one who—startled easily and fierce in front of her, but in public, was always gentle, understanding, and effortlessly charming—the perfect kid everyone else had.
The little spy was already immune to Big Brother, yet his gentle tone still made her momentarily distracted.
Lu Yingzhu hated animals.
To be precise, he hated furry animals.
He disliked the fluff of a hamster or Chi Dan’s beautiful feathers.
So when he took out the beast stone, Ruan Tao was shocked for a moment, instinctively stepping back three times.
Lu Yingzhu glanced at her. “…Don’t even think about it. No giant ladybugs. No beetles either.”
Ruan Tao: “……”
Although Lu Yingzhu didn’t like furry animals, he didn’t dislike hairless insects. So Ruan Tao instinctively thought he would summon a beetle or a ladybug.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yingzhu touched the beast stone and summoned a fully black… leopard.
A black panther??
This black panther was clearly not an ordinary creature. Its body wasn’t covered in regular fur but resembled a layer of black metal.
Its size was far larger than a normal leopard; four or five people could sit on its back if squeezed together.
The black panther had golden vertical pupils, resembling Gao Yang’s eyes.
It obediently lowered its body.
Lu Yingzhu jumped on it, turned his head, and reached out to Ruan Tao. “Let’s go, little spy.”
Ruan Tao: “…Oh.”
Lu Yingzhu gently pulled her hand, letting her sit sideways behind him.
Once she was settled, he didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, he pressed it against his abdomen, making her wrap her arms around his waist.
Ruan Tao: “……”
Her Big Brother’s waist, which she had never had the chance to touch at home… was quite slender.
“Where’s Ling Xing? Is he coming with us?” Ruan Tao asked.
“You actually care about him,” Lu Yingzhu said.
Ruan Tao: “…Put away your bold thoughts.”
Lu Yingzhu snorted and turned to Ling Xing, quietly instructing, “There’s still some finishing up here. Go help District Gao Yang.”
Ling Xing, head of the District, said, “Yes.”
Ruan Tao watched Ling Xing’s retreating figure with suspicion, feeling that something about the situation wasn’t quite right.
Ling Xing could never act. Even though he was trying to keep a neutral expression, his thoughts were still visible at a glance.
He seemed deeply dejected.
From the moment they first met, his face had been anxious; later, when he saw Lu Yingzhu, he seemed relieved. Combined with his repeated moments of hesitation…
Ruan Tao quietly leaned forward, trying to get a look at her Big Brother’s profile.
Lu Yingzhu asked, “What are you looking at?”
Ruan Tao: “……”
There was nothing unusual about Lu Yingzhu’s expression, and Ruan Tao realized there was probably nothing she could figure out. She leaned back against his spine with a sense of ease.
“Brother,” Ruan Tao spoke softly. “The apocalypse… when did it come?”
Lu Yingzhu was silent for a moment before replying, “Why are you asking this?”
Ruan Tao said, “I suddenly… crossed over. So even now, I’m still a bit confused. I don’t understand why the world turned out like this…”
In truth, what she wanted to ask was whether the world had truly “become” like this. She still felt as if she had stepped into a book, since the events she had read were unfolding one by one.
Although some details were slightly different, those changes were caused by things she had done.
“Don’t you dare run around everywhere?” Lu Yingzhu replied with a question instead of answering hers.
Ruan Tao said, “I’m already here, so I might as well explore a bit.”
“Do you think this place is like a shopping mall near your home, where you can just wander around?” Lu Yingzhu sneered. “Don’t take your brother for a fool. In such a dangerous place, without any means to protect yourself, do you really think you could wander safely until now?”
Ruan Tao: “……”
“Forget it.” Lu Yingzhu sighed.
As he sighed, the black panther steadily landed at the entrance of A3 Administrative District.
Sitting on its back felt ordinary, but when it ran, it was even faster than Chi Dan flying.
Lu Yingzhu didn’t move at first, then after two or three seconds, he slowly said, “It probably happened during that car accident.”
Ruan Tao froze.
A car accident? How did Lu Yingzhu know she had crossed over because of a car accident?
“That was during the first major disaster,” Lu Yingzhu said. “At that time, the Earth’s magnetic field underwent a huge change, and everything went out of control.”
“Many human creations lost control, including traffic signals.”
As he spoke, he clenched his back teeth. “You crossed the street without looking, just staring at your phone. The traffic light changed four or five times right above your head, and you didn’t notice.”
Ruan Tao: “……”
So, the apocalypse had already arrived back then?
Lu Yingzhu paused, his voice a little dry as he asked, “You don’t remember? If you don’t, I won’t continue.”
He jumped down from the black panther, his casual tone very deliberate. “The scene was too bloody. Children shouldn’t hear it.”
“…I remember,” Ruan Tao whispered. “So you were there back then.”
So, he had watched her with his own eyes…
After the apocalypse arrived, the world changed drastically.
Human populations sharply decreased, and the living environment gradually transformed into its current state.
Over the years, he must have witnessed countless deaths.
Many shocking scenes that could only be seen in disaster films had actually played out in front of him.
Even now, when recalling the scene of her danger, he would still furrow his brows and try to calmly say, “Too bloody.”
Ruan Tao felt a pang of sympathy for her Big Brother.
She jumped down from the panther’s back and ran quickly to his side, throwing herself into his embrace.
Lu Yingzhu froze.
He extended a hand, hesitating whether to return the hug to this soft, silly little sister in his arms.
Such tear-jerking scenes were simply inappropriate for them.
They had been bickering for twenty years.
Although those twenty years were just a small fraction of Lu Yingzhu’s long life, he felt those were the only years he had truly lived.
Those twenty years remained vivid in his memory.
So he always thought that his relationship with Ruan Tao had never been about warm familial affection; their bond had been forged through playful fighting.
If they were to hug and say, “Big Brother, I love you; sister, I love you too…”
That would have been unbearably mushy.
Before Lu Yingzhu could feel awkward, Ruan Tao sniffled into his chest, her voice muffled, sounding slightly sulky: “Brother…”
Lu Yingzhu: “…I’m here.”
Alright.
She was rare enough to act spoiled once.
He endured it.
Lu Yingzhu raised his hand and patted Ruan Tao’s back.
“…Why did you change your name to this one?” Ruan Tao asked in a sulky voice, “Did you think Ruan Zhu was too soft, so you renamed yourself Ying Zhu, hoping to be tougher…”
Lu Yingzhu: “………………”
Only someone crazy would think Ruan Tao was acting spoiled.
He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her away from his embrace.
“Crying, huh? Looks awful.” Lu Yingzhu pulled out a pack of tissues from his space.
People nowadays didn’t really use tissues; tears and snot could be wiped off with the back of a hand. Only those who cared about cleanliness carried a cloth or handkerchief.
Tissue packs were luxury items; packs like this were practically antiques.
Even if Lu Yingzhu didn’t mind, Ruan Tao couldn’t bear to waste them. She took one sheet, wiped her nose while crying, laughing softly at the same time.
Lu Yingzhu: “……”
Ruan Tao, both feeling for him and unable to resist laughing, said, “What should I do? Should I change mine too, to Lu Cui Tao—”
Lu was still their mother’s surname.
Lu Yingzhu’s temples throbbed. “Shut up.”
What kind of sister was this, coming just to collect debts!
Lu Yingzhu stepped into the Administrative District, and Ruan Tao followed without lag, nudging him with her elbows in a brother-sister game: “Isn’t that right? I guessed it correctly, didn’t I?”
From afar, the guards saw their Regional Chief returning.
Behind him followed a fully black, seemingly lazy black panther. On the other side was a little girl in a black sailor suit, chattering nonstop beside the Regional Chief, her expression and movements entirely opposite to the panther he loved.
Guard: “……”
It seemed the Regional Chief’s taste in people and animals was at opposite extremes.
As they drew closer, the guards could hear the little girl’s voice—sweet, soft, and unusually charming in tone.
The little girl giggled: “Did you guess correctly? Did you?”
Anyone who heard it couldn’t help but feel curious.
Guess what?
…Had she guessed correctly or not?