Chapter 49#
The Innocent and Naive Fool#
Lu Xing understood Gu Xi.
He firmly believed that Gu Xi was essentially the same kind of person as himself.
Paranoid, selfish, and cold-blooded, but once someone was marked as their possession, they would never let go, not even in death.
He knew that if Gu Xi really chose to sacrifice himself to save Lin Xiaodong, the little mermaid would definitely be in great pain and blame himself.
But Lu Xing found that he had actually begun to look forward to the arrival of that day.
Perhaps it was because he also knew in his heart that as long as Gu Xi was still alive, Lin Xiaodong’s heart would never hold a second person.
“What did you say?”
Lin Xiaodong thought he had misheard, and couldn’t help but perk up his ears and ask again: “Gu Xi told me not to sing anymore?”
“Yeah, I don’t know what the Marshal is thinking either,” Xu Feng sat in front of him and sighed. “Lulu’s side is almost going crazy. After finally lowering the crime rate to below seven percent, it’s surged by several percentage points in the last two days. There are even many people on the Star Net saying that if the live broadcast isn’t started again, they’ll come to the Parliament Building to stage a sit-in petition. It’s only been stable for how long?”
He complained for a while, and suddenly noticed that in less than ten minutes, Lin Xiaodong had yawned four or five times in a row, and couldn’t help asking: “Are you very sleepy? Didn’t sleep well last night?”
“Well, I guess so.” Lin Xiaodong dealt with it vaguely.
But in fact, until twenty minutes before Xu Feng arrived at his home, he had been sleeping in bed, and had slept for over fifteen hours in total from last night to now.
Seeing his sleepy appearance, Xu Feng didn’t feel like complaining anymore. He scratched his head and said distressedly: “Anyway, Xiaodong, please help me check the Marshal’s tone, I really don’t know what he’s thinking anymore.”
Lin Xiaodong agreed. After seeing Xu Feng off, he swayed and wanted to go soak his tail, but after taking a few steps, he felt a surge of sleepiness. The large soft sofa in the living room seemed to radiate infinite charm… He couldn’t help but turn around, and just as he was about to plunge into the soft pillows and sleep for another eternity, there was movement at the door again.
“Again,” the little mermaid grumbled dissatisfiedly, “Xu Feng, did you forget something—”
The door opened.
His words stopped abruptly halfway.
Gu Xi looked down at the surprised Lin Xiaodong and asked calmly: “What, are you surprised to see me?”
“Not really,” the little mermaid obediently moved out of the way. “Why did you come back so early today?”
“Nothing to do at the department.”
Liar.
Lin Xiaodong thought that Xu Feng had just come over to complain, saying that the urgent documents received by the military were almost piled as high as a mountain, so how could he possibly get off work early.
But he didn’t expose him either, because he was really too sleepy. After saying “I’m going upstairs” to Gu Xi, he prepared to go sleep some more, but the man stepped forward and stopped him: “Wait a minute, eat this first.”
“Hmm?” Lin Xiaodong reluctantly lifted his eyelids and looked at the round thing. “What is this, candy?”
“…Something like that.” Gu Xi said.
He didn’t think too much about it and swallowed it in one gulp.
“Ugh, so bitter!” A wave of bitterness rushed straight to his head. Lin Xiaodong gagged, almost vomiting out the food he had eaten last night.
“Is that so? Then I might have made a mistake.” Gu Xi said lightly, very timely handing over a real lollipop. “Eat something sweet and it will be fine.”
Lin Xiaodong stared at him suspiciously and asked the system: “What exactly was that thing he gave me just now?”
System: “A sugar-coated pill containing a brain bug.”
Lin Xiaodong: !!!!
His scalp felt numb: “Why? Has Gu Xi gone crazy???”
But looking at the man’s expression, he didn’t seem to feel that he had done anything wrong at all. Seeing that Lin Xiaodong’s face was very bad, he even frowned and asked with concern: “Does your body feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Everywhere feels uncomfortable!
Lin Xiaodong felt nauseous just thinking about swallowing a bug. Although according to current technology, extracting a brain bug would cost millions at least, and that small pill was dozens or even hundreds of times more expensive than all the precious Chinese medicines he had seen before… but it was still very disgusting.
“Go take a nap,” Gu Xi stroked his hair. Because he had been sleeping for too long recently, for convenience, Lin Xiaodong had simply cut his hair short. “I suddenly remembered that there’s still a document at the military department that hasn’t been processed, so I’ll go back first.”
Watching Gu Xi’s back, the little mermaid suddenly spoke up behind him: “Wait a minute!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Your tie is crooked.” Lin Xiaodong pointed to his neck. The man looked down and didn’t take it to heart. Seeing this, the little mermaid simply walked to him and tidied it up himself.
“There.” He said.
But Gu Xi felt something was wrong. He frowned slightly and asked: “How are you so skilled?”
Lin Xiaodong froze for a few seconds, then realized it was because he had gotten used to helping Gu Xi with his tie before going out every day in the last world, and for a moment he forgot to pretend. But fortunately, Gu Xi didn’t delve too deeply, but gently brushed away the stray hair on his forehead and dropped a soft kiss on the little mermaid’s smooth and fair forehead.
“Take care of yourself,” he said, “I’m leaving.”
After the door was closed again, Lin Xiaodong found that he couldn’t sleep for some reason.
Not only was he full of energy, but if he were given two legs, he wouldn’t have any problem running a thousand meters downstairs.
After thinking about it, Lin Xiaodong dragged out the flyer Gu Xi had left in the garage, found a cloak from the house to put on, and let the optical computer control the flyer for him to go out alone.
This was the first time since he crossed into this world that he went out without any purpose.
The streets were desolate, many shops were closed, and many walls still had traces of graffiti and burning, looking very miserable. After only two streets, Lin Xiaodong saw no less than ten sentences of curses against Lu Xing and the royal nobles.
But on the other hand, more people were busy on both sides of the street, rebuilding damaged storefronts, repairing broken glass, and installing holographic projections above the streets… Although not as prosperous as before, the hope in people’s hearts had not been extinguished. Even if there were a few agitated people shouting, they would quickly be persuaded and comforted by the surrounding residents, or directly taken away by the correction team to prevent disturbing the peace.
Because the crisis of the brain bugs had not been resolved, the mermaid’s song was playing everywhere in the streets and alleys, and many people were even working while wearing headphones, and had to shout at the top of their lungs when talking to others, or people would think they were arguing.
Lin Xiaodong also saw several businesses directly hanging his photo at the door, as colorful as if they were welcoming the God of Wealth, which really made him a bit embarrassed.
“But from this perspective, I’m quite photogenic.” He said happily.
System: “A normal person’s first reaction shouldn’t be narcissism, right?”
Lin Xiaodong said naturally: “Then I’m not a normal person either.”
System: “……”
It didn’t know whether to praise Lin Xiaodong for being self-aware or to be shocked by the other party’s thick-skinned shamelessness.
Suddenly, Lin Xiaodong heard a shout in the distance, and let the optical computer turn in that direction to take a look.
Joining the fun is human nature, but when he saw with his own eyes that the mermaid stone statue over three meters high, based on himself, was erected in the middle of the square in Central Park, Lin Xiaodong sincerely experienced a feeling of social death—
Help!
The little mermaid shamefully curled up his tail, a faint blush uncontrollable on his cheeks, his eyes darting around, but he couldn’t help but peek at the statue’s pose. As soon as he saw it, he turned away as if electrocuted, and peeked again after a while…
System: “Enough already, look if you want to, nobody’s recognized you anyway.”
Lin Xiaodong, who was trying hard to lower his hood: “Are you sure?”
If he were recognized on the spot, it would be a complete social death!
But sometimes, the more you don’t want something, the more it comes. Just as he finished speaking, he heard a suspicious question from the left rear: “Are you… Lin Xiaodong?”
Lin Xiaodong’s breath caught.
His entire face flushed within a few seconds, and without looking back, he quickly said: “No, you’ve got the wrong person!” and drove the flyer away without stopping.
“Wait, don’t leave yet!”
The person pursued him relentlessly and grabbed the end of the flyer.
Lin Xiaodong had no choice but to pull the collar of his cloak up to hide most of his face, and turned his head back extremely reluctantly, saying with a fake smile: “Sir, you really have the wrong… oh, it’s you?”
The other party glanced at his face hidden under the cloak and said in a certain tone: “As I thought, it is you. Why did Gu Xi let you out on the street alone?”
Lin Xiaodong glared at the skinny man in frameless glasses in front of him. This guy was one of the researchers under Lu Xing. Although he didn’t know his name, he was probably quite high up in the research institute, because Lin Xiaodong had heard others call him “Doctor” very respectfully.
Usually, this person wore a white lab coat and had a wooden face that looked very insidious and cunning. Even toward Lu Xing, he would often be insubordinate and do small tricks behind his back. Every time he drew Lin Xiaodong’s blood, he would secretly draw an extra few dozen milliliters. If the system hadn’t reminded him, he wouldn’t have found out at all.
As if not noticing the little mermaid’s wary look, or not caring at all, the man’s gaze went past Lin Xiaodong and fell on the statue not far away.
As if finding it interesting, he curled his lips and said: “Did you know? Originally, the Marshal’s statue was to be built here, but Gu Xi directly rejected the proposal. In the end, the mermaid statue won by a landslide in the public vote, which led to today’s inauguration ceremony.”
Lin Xiaodong’s face was expressionless: Oh.
He wished he were in last place.
The doctor withdrew his gaze, stared at Lin Xiaodong for a long while, and suddenly asked: “Are the sugar pills tasty?”
Lin Xiaodong opened his mouth and subconsciously frowned: “That thing was from you…?”
“I researched it,” he smiled slightly. “After the royal family fell, the research institute was taken over by the military, and now I’m working for the Marshal. But I’m quite curious, you actually found something wrong?”
The little mermaid pursed his lips and didn’t answer.
The doctor said clearly: “As I thought, you’re not a fool at all. But did you ever suspect then that Gu Xi really wanted to kill you?”
Lin Xiaodong lowered his eyes and said: “I trust him.”
From the doctor’s perspective, he really couldn’t understand why Lin Xiaodong still trusted Gu Xi even knowing the truth. He shook his head incredibly and muttered to himself: “That’s why I say this is the defect of the mermaid genes, but he just wouldn’t believe it…”
Lin Xiaodong frowned hard: “What did you say?”
The doctor paused: “…Nothing.”
The little mermaid looked at him suspiciously. The way the man looked at him made him feel very uncomfortable, as if he weren’t looking at a living thing but at a research subject, a piece of meat on a cutting board.
“When Lu Xing took you away before, our experiment was only two-thirds of the way through,” he said with a face full of regret. “Now the stored blood has all been used up, and Gu Xi keeps a very close eye on you. I almost got fired just for submitting two application reports. To be honest, in terms of scientific spirit, he’s far inferior to Lu Xing.”
Lin Xiaodong hmphed.
You call this scientific spirit?
Don’t insult science, okay.
He didn’t want to argue with this person anymore and simply tapped the flyer to leave. But the doctor’s next sentence fixed him in place: “If I tell you Gu Xi’s next plan, can you give me another four hundred milliliters of mermaid blood?”
Lin Xiaodong slowly turned his head.
“If I want to know, couldn’t I just go ask him myself?” The little mermaid’s eyes curved, but his smile gave off a mocking sense of “you big idiot, shut up.”
The doctor choked, and said with some embarrassment: “Don’t disbelieve me. What Gu Xi is going to do is only known to a few of his close associates. Besides me, no one else will be willing to tell you. If you’re not willing, just wait for the day you receive the news of his death at home!”
Hearing the man’s threat, the little mermaid remained unmoved.
“If that day really comes,” he lowered his head, turning the ring made of their hair on his hand, and said seriously, “then I will die with him.”
The doctor stared incredibly at the back of the flyer as it went away, and his face twitched:
“Truly a fool through and through…”
But Lin Xiaodong wasn’t really a fool. He could see Gu Xi’s abnormality during this period of time with his own eyes. And why would Gu Xi go to such lengths to make the brain bug into a sugar pill and make him eat it?
“Most importantly,” he added, “system, I find that I’m not sleepy now.”
The system confirmed this: “There is an external mental power being continuously replenished into your body. It’s probably that sugar pill taking effect.”
However, both the person and the system knew clearly where this mental power came from and what kind of impact it would have on the provider’s body.
“It’s time to leave.” Lin Xiaodong made up his mind.
But he couldn’t help but ask one more question: “Since you can contact headquarters now, help me ask, in the next world, can I still meet Gu Xi?”
The system was silent for a moment.
As a system, it could clearly perceive the host’s inner thoughts, so even if Lin Xiaodong didn’t say it, it knew that there was a trace of expectation in the other’s heart.
“Probably not.” But in the end, it still told Lin Xiaodong the truth, “The fact that you met him in this world was most likely just because there was a problem with the headquarters’ program. Now that everything is back on track, such things won’t happen again.”
“…I see.”
Lin Xiaodong muttered with some disappointment.
Seeing the little mermaid’s dejected look, the system also felt a bit bad.
It quickly flipped through the database, and after reading two hundred and sixty-four emotional papers and chicken soup for the soul, it cleared its throat and spoke with emotion: “Don’t take it too heart. Spring comes and autumn goes, flowers bloom and fall. Some people are destined to be passers-by in your life. When the missions are all over in the future, you’ll definitely find a better one—”
But it didn’t seem to have any effect.
The little mermaid was still very gloomy. He sniffled with a cry, and his sobbing voice contained a hint of expectation: “But I’ve never seen a man with a hotter and manlier body than Gu Xi in real life. Or does your headquarters issue partners? Like the ones with eight-pack abs?”
System: “……”
Goodbye.