Chapter 24
Meanwhile, Evan stood outside the arena, watching the small people he couldn’t take with him.
“Zoey, you won’t let him go hungry, will you?” Evan expressed some concern, but his worries were entirely different from those of Mina and the others. He just didn’t want his property to be damaged.
“Don’t worry. Although he doesn’t have a card, the punishment rules are different from those of my people. I will ensure he gets the basic food,” Zoey replied.
Evan nodded reluctantly and left with the remaining four small people.
Since the outcome was clear, it was time to reward the winners who had obtained the cards.
Zoey stood by the sandbox, overseeing the arena as if he were a god. He announced that Little Wolf and Blake would stay behind for a while and become part of their group. Then he continued, “Since the other advanced card ended up in Little Wolf’s hands, he can enjoy the privileges of the advanced card holder.”
There was a murmur of surprise among the crowd, and even Little Wolf looked bewildered.
Zoey did this to appease Steven, who was still angry before leaving, as the rules didn’t specify that the advanced card became invalid once it was torn. It was a loophole he could exploit.
He even advised Steven, “Look, even though Little Wolf tore the card, he still doesn’t want to go back with you. It means you were too indulgent with him. Let him stay here and experience some hardship; he’ll realize how good he had it before.”
However, Steven protested seriously that Zoey was taking advantage of the situation. In the end, Zoey had to compromise.
Ignoring the reactions of others, Zoey continued to look at another black-haired small person.
In fact, all the spectators saw that Shen Yuzhe had picked up three cards earlier, including Evan. However, it was Shen Yuzhe who remained in the end, which was quite unexpected.
Zoey didn’t care about the process; he only looked at the results. Obviously, this guy, like Little Wolf, had chosen to stay.
Zoey stroked his chin and said, “As for Blake, let’s see if anyone is willing to take you in.”
Since they had made their choice, they had to accept the consequences of their choices.
Jo, who was standing beside Shen Yuzhe, was about to raise her hand, but suddenly, Kai spoke up from the crowd, saying, “I’ll take this one.”
Upon hearing this, the crowd was more shocked than when they learned that Little Wolf would enjoy the privileges of the advanced card holder.
Kai said this into the microphone, and his voice was transmitted clearly to Zoey’s headset.
“According to the reward conditions, I have the right to choose a female companion,” Kai said.
That’s right, gold card winners could choose a female companion to live with them in the tower, and the chosen female companion would also have a ceasefire period, making it an attractive privilege for all females.
However, Zoey reminded him, “Blake is male.”
Kai glanced at Shen Yuzhe and said, “So what? Is it not allowed?”
He thought that if it wasn’t allowed, taking him in would also be an option. After all, the food allocation for gold card winners would definitely exceed a single person’s portion, and he could just share some with Blake.
But Zoey didn’t get angry or refuse. Instead, he seemed excited.
Regarding Kai’s decision to win the gold card, Zoey wasn’t surprised at all. This guy was the pillar of the club and had never disappointed him.
What surprised Zoey was that Kai, who had always refused to choose a female companion, made an exception this time.
Or rather, it wasn’t that surprising, as he and some other senior members had speculated about Kai’s “uniqueness” before.
Interesting, it was really interesting.
Zoey said meaningfully, “Of course, you can. The strong who win the gold card have the right to enjoy what they deserve.”
In fact, over the past year, due to Zoey’s restrictions on female activities, some had already begun to resort to desperate measures, and weaker male small people had been violated privately.
But for Kai, who possessed high privileges, making this choice was rather intriguing.
After announcing the results of the rewards and punishments, Kai was ready to return to the tower.
The other small people had seen enough excitement and scattered to their respective places.
Kai took a few steps, didn’t hear any movement behind him, turned back, and said coldly, “What are you standing there for? Do I have to knock you out and carry you?”
Shen Yuzhe: “…”
Shen Yuzhe temporarily bid farewell to Jo and followed Kai with a gloomy expression.
As they walked, Shen Yuzhe surveyed the surroundings. With the end of the game, the sandbox had descended again, the skylight above closed, and the environment had become darker.
Shen Yuzhe tried to strike up a conversation with Kai, asking him a few questions, such as whether they stayed underground when there were no activities, what time they received food, and so on.
Kai didn’t answer any of them and continued walking forward. However, whenever he didn’t hear Shen Yuzhe’s footsteps behind him, he would stop and look back at him with an arresting gaze.
The two walked a long way, almost crossing half of the base, before reaching the high tower in the corner of the sandbox.
Kai had been living here all along, and although the showdown competition held in the first two months couldn’t determine the strongest, this place seemed to have become recognized as Kai’s territory. After all, he was Zoey’s trump card.
About two feet away from the tower, there was a high iron railing encircling it, symbolizing the authority of the territory of the strong. After that, they ascended several steps to reach the formal entrance.
Kai opened the door and waited for Shen Yuzhe to enter before closing it.
Shen Yuzhe clenched his fists nervously and mustered the courage to say, “I want to make it clear first that I reject the kind of thing you want to do to me.”
Kai raised an eyebrow and asked, “What do I want to do?”
Shen Yuzhe’s face turned red — Kai was supposed to choose a female companion, but he had chosen him. What else could he have in mind?
Shen Yuzhe was frustrated. He couldn’t recall doing anything to offend Kai, so why would this guy do something so sinister?
However, Kai glanced at him for a moment and then turned and went upstairs, leaving Shen Yuzhe feeling like he was in a one-man show, unsure of what to do.
After a while, something was thrown down from above, and Shen Yuzhe clumsily caught it. He heard Kai standing at the staircase instruct him, “There’s a hot spring on the basement level. Go take a bath.”
Shen Yuzhe’s face turned as red as a tomato in an instant. Did Kai really want to do that kind of thing right away?
Shen Yuzhe, who had stayed behind with ambitious plans to find a way out, felt like the heavens were playing a huge joke on him. He was on the verge of going crazy.
“I won’t…” He struggled to protest verbally again. After all, he knew he couldn’t compete with Kai in terms of physical strength, and if Kai wanted to use force, he had no way to resist. This was a closed environment where the strong preyed on the weak, and no one could save him.
But before Shen Yuzhe could say two words, Kai interrupted him, saying coldly, “Don’t get carried away. I have no interest in you in that way.”
Shen Yuzhe was momentarily stunned, then embarrassed by his misunderstanding.
Since Kai knew he had misunderstood, why didn’t he clarify things earlier? Was he trying to see Shen Yuzhe on edge like this?
Kai spoke again, this time with a warning and laid down the rules Shen Yuzhe needed to follow in his territory. “I didn’t take you in out of the kindness of my heart. You better listen to my orders here and not play any tricks or schemes. Otherwise, I won’t make it easy for you.”
Shen Yuzhe: “…”
Kai: “Now go take a bath. I’ll have some questions for you later.”
Shen Yuzhe immediately realized that Kai might want to ask him about what he said in the afternoon regarding “knowing him.”
He gritted his teeth, took the cloth Kai had given him, and obediently went downstairs.
Regardless, knowing that Kai had no such intentions, Shen Yuzhe breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, if Kai, who was supposed to be like a brother to him, had such thoughts about him, it would be a mess. The mere thought of it made Shen Yuzhe’s scalp tingle.
In the basement, Shen Yuzhe lowered his head and saw that he did indeed need a bath. After an afternoon of roughing it, his whole body was covered in mud.
However, he didn’t have any spare clothes to change into, so he went back upstairs to ask Kai for some.
There was only one room on each floor of the tower, and there were no doors. Once you climbed the stairs, you could see the layout of that particular level clearly.
The second floor was the dining area, and the third floor was cluttered with various items. That was where Kai had stood earlier and thrown the cloth down to Shen Yuzhe.
Hearing Shen Yuzhe coming up, Kai went to the staircase and asked what he wanted.
Shen Yuzhe said, “Could you lend me some clothes…”
Impatiently, Kai rummaged through the pile of clothes on the third floor — well, Shen Yuzhe could now see that it was where Kai kept his clothes — and threw a gray sweatshirt and black pants at him without much enthusiasm.
Kai’s clothes weren’t as well-made as the ones Evan had tailored for them. They were all plain single-colored clothing, and they looked a bit rough.
But since Shen Yuzhe was here, he had no choice but to accept them. He thanked Kai and returned to the basement.
Since the entire base was artificial, the “hot spring” was naturally not a real hot spring but rather water heated artificially, with an automatic changeover every day.
Back at Evan’s house, they had to rely on the maids to bring in small bowls of warm water for them to bathe, so this “hot spring” looked much more convenient. However, Shen Yuzhe assumed that not every tower had this privilege; it was probably limited to the tower.
After soaking in the bath, Shen Yuzhe washed his dirty clothes in the process.
When he came out, Kai was already waiting for him at the staircase. Even though Kai had made it clear that he had “no interest” in him, Shen Yuzhe was still a bit nervous. He thought about avoiding Kai and walking past him, but as he approached Kai, the latter reached out and grabbed his collar.
“Hey!” Shen Yuzhe’s wet clothes scattered on the floor. “What are you doing? Didn’t you say…”
“Shut up,” Kai ordered impatiently, then grabbed his collar and pulled him closer, leaning in to sniff near Shen Yuzhe’s neck.
…Even after a bath, there was still that familiar fruity scent. It wasn’t too sweet but rather mild. Was it really his natural scent?
“You…” An uneasy feeling made Shen Yuzhe start to struggle.
Kai furrowed his brow and released his grip on Shen Yuzhe, then turned away irritably. “Come eat.”
Shen Yuzhe tensed up his body, and his heart raced. Although Kai had clearly said, “I have no interest in you in that way,” Shen Yuzhe couldn’t help but be a bit on edge. After all, Kai had already done this once during the food competition.
What does he mean? What is he trying to confirm?
Shen Yuzhe subconsciously grabbed his collar and smelled it. Kai’s clothes carried Kai’s scent, even though they were washed, it was still distinct. Shen Yuzhe hadn’t thought much about it when he put them on, but now, prompted by Kai’s actions, he felt uncomfortable all over.
He casually hung his wet clothes on the staircase railing and followed Kai upstairs, his mood fluctuating.
Dinner was very sumptuous, with meat, cheese, fruits, milk, and desserts. It seemed to have just been distributed, and everything looked fresh, piled onto a low round table.
Kai was already sitting cross-legged at the table, not waiting for Shen Yuzhe. He silently ate a piece of meat, and his slightly lowered eyes were filled with an inscrutable darkness.
Shen Yuzhe also sat down, feeling very uneasy and unsure of what to say.
When the two of them had finished eating, Kai finally spoke, asking the question Shen Yuzhe most wanted to discuss, “Tell me, why do you think you know me?”
Shen Yuzhe organized his thoughts and first asked Kai a question, “Do you know that our memories get wiped?”
Kai: “…I know.”
Shen Yuzhe nodded, and it made things much easier to explain. He recounted all the important dreams he had had from the first time he woke up until now, the questions he had reflected on, the events involving Lily and Jay, including the fragment that flashed in his mind when Marle had choked him and the last scene of the person he remembered, he told Kai everything.
He understood that Kai wasn’t someone easily fooled. To gain his trust, Shen Yuzhe had to be completely honest. Now that Kai was willing to listen, it was the best time to build their relationship.
After listening carefully, Kai fell into deep thought and asked, “You said I look a lot like someone you remembered?”
Shen Yuzhe: “Yes…”
Kai: “Who is it?”
Shen Yuzhe hesitated for a moment before saying, “My brother.”
When he pronounced those two words, Shen Yuzhe felt a strange surge of emotion in his heart, a mixture of bitterness and warmth.
Kai raised an eyebrow slightly, “Your real brother?”
Shen Yuzhe shook his head, “I don’t know, but he should be a close relative. I feel like this person is very important to me.”
Kai: “…”
“I guess you might be mistaken,” Kai said after a long contemplation. “I woke up for the first time six years ago, and you woke up just a year ago. In these six years, I don’t remember meeting anyone like you, and if your memories were wiped multiple times over the past year, it’s impossible for you to remember me.”
Just like him, who had almost stopped having dreams. The past was a complete blank, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall any clues.
It wasn’t until he met Shen Yuzhe that the other’s presence seemed to touch a nerve deep in his brain, making him feel inexplicably familiar.
So he wasn’t sure. He pondered for a long time before deciding to give Shen Yuzhe a rebuttal. He didn’t want to give the other person any unwarranted hope, especially in this place.
“Also, outside of this tower, don’t pretend to know me or be close to me,” Kai reminded him.
Although he was mentally prepared, hearing Kai say this still struck Shen Yuzhe hard. Yes, before he could recover all of his memories, he had no evidence to prove that Kai was the person he knew.
He blinked his tired eyes forcefully and tried to persuade himself that being able to communicate with Kai like this was already a significant progress.
He thought of what had happened before dinner and couldn’t help but ask, “By the way, can I ask why you always smell me?”
Kai hesitated but immediately furrowed his brows.
He was a person with almost no expressions, not like Jay who was face paralyzed, but rather someone who could control his emotions extremely well. However, from the moment he heard Shen Yuzhe’s words until now, he had already leaked too many microexpressions. Earlier, there were signs of contemplation and some melancholy and restlessness, and now, there was clear avoidance.
He stood up and said, “Sleep.” Without giving any explanation to Shen Yuzhe, he abruptly and domineeringly ended the conversation.
Shen Yuzhe felt frustrated, but he had no choice. In this place, he had to obey Kai’s orders. It had only been one night; he couldn’t expect to become familiar enough to persuade Kai to escape with him right away.
“You sleep on the third floor,” Kai instructed before heading up to the fourth floor.
Shen Yuzhe looked at the room filled with clothes in front of him… he could actually sleep in this mess?
He carefully stepped over a pile of clothes, searched around, and indeed, he found a buried bed.
But if he slept on it, what should he do with all these clothes?
Shen Yuzhe twitched his mouth, and when he tidied things up a bit, he realized Kai had issued another command from upstairs, “Don’t make any noise, it’s annoying.”
Shen Yuzhe: “… Forget it, I don’t care anymore,” and just threw them on the floor.
Downstairs, it was already silent, but Kai still couldn’t fall asleep.
He lay on the bed, repeatedly recalling what Shen Yuzhe had said earlier, the expressions on the other’s face, and the burst of affection when he said, “brother”…
Brother? It couldn’t be his brother.
The answer in his heart was so firm.
Even if it were true, they were not suitable for building any deep relationship in this place, especially not a sibling bond—it would become his weakness, something Zoe would keenly detect and use to destroy him.
Kai shook his head irritably, and his breath still carried the familiar scent from Shen Yuzhe’s body, which had permeated the entire tower even though they were separated by a floor, like silk, wrapping around him and invading his nerves.
Kai slowly relaxed.
