“I only have Cheng’an as my younger brother. Everyone has seen how I have treated him from childhood to now. We are blood relatives; if one prospers, we all prosper, and if one suffers, we all suffer. Why would I frame him? Why would I do something that brings me nothing but harm?”
Luo Shujing’s heart hated this so much that it seemed to drip blood, yet his face remained filled with sorrow. He looked at Luo Chengan.
“Cheng’an, you said you wanted to appear on Wushuang Jingmi, and I was the one who begged the director to let you in. Uncle and Aunt misunderstand me, but don’t tell me you don’t believe me too?”
Xi Yu looked at Luo Shujing with fascination. He had never imagined there could be someone so shameless in this world.
Luo Shujing had made it sound so grand and righteous—“nothing but harm”?
The entire Luo family was wealthy and noble, and they were blessed with long lifespans, free of illness and pain throughout their lives.
Such a one-in-ten-thousand destiny was extremely auspicious.
As long as Luo Chengan was criticized and ridiculed by others and received negative influences, his fortune would become unstable, allowing Luo Shujing to steal his fortune even faster.
Clearly, he wanted nothing more than to cling to another person and drink their blood and eat their flesh, yet Luo Shujing could actually make himself sound so aggrieved.
This was even more entertaining than the storybooks.
No wonder Luo Shujing had become popular. With acting skills like this, Luo Chengan probably could not catch up even if he rode a horse.
Luo Chengan had been pretending to be a quail, but when the topic suddenly turned to him, he looked at Luo Shujing blankly.
“Huh? Wasn’t it because Dad invested thirty million into Wushuang Jingmi and I joined the cast as an investor?”
Xi Yu could not hold it in and burst out laughing.
Immediately, everyone’s eyes turned toward him.
“Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t help it.”
Xi Yu really could not help himself.
It was simply too funny.
He finally understood what it meant to be so stupid that one naturally became adorable.
Seeing Xi Yu’s half-smiling expression, Luo Shujing clenched his hands so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh.
Xi Yu again!
If it weren’t for Xi Yu, how could this idiot Luo Chengan have escaped unscathed today?
And he would not have ended up in such a humiliating state either!
Nemesis. Xi Yu was definitely his nemesis!
Xi Yu had only returned to the Luo family a few days ago, yet his Life-Exchange Lock had already broken!
And now he had suffered such tremendous humiliation!
Why did that damned old man respect Xi Yu so much?
Why was their entire family’s luck so good?
Once he completely seized Luo Chengan’s fortune, he would definitely repay today’s humiliation tenfold and a hundredfold!
After Xi Yu had caused this little scene, Luo Yuan finally spoke slowly.
“Since this was all a misunderstanding, let’s let the matter go.”
Luo Shujing had actually reminded him that Chengan still had a variety show to film.
Before they completely revealed their fox tails, it was still better to stop here.
Luo Yuan helped Luo Shujing to his feet.
Luo Shan and Zhang Yue’s faces brightened.
Luo Shan rubbed his hands together.
“Yes, yes, we’re all family. How can we listen to outsiders stirring up trouble? About my position…”
Before Luo Shan could finish, Luo Yuan interrupted him.
“Let’s put the matter of your position aside for now. Elder Jiang only spoke today.”
Luo Yuan put on a troubled expression.
“You know how esteemed Old Master Jiang’s status is. I can’t exactly go against him. After some time, I’ll visit him personally to apologize and then find a way to get you back in.”
Zhang Yue was extremely anxious.
Their entire family relied on the Luo family. If Luo Shan could not return to the company, she would be heartbroken over losing such a huge source of income.
But she could not find anything to refute him with, so Luo Shan lightly kicked her.
His older brother was softhearted. If he said he would bring him back, then he would.
Luo Yuan only had this one relative. Pressuring him too hard now would be counterproductive. It was better to retreat in order to advance.
Once this period passed, all he needed to do was show some weakness, and wouldn’t he be able to ask for whatever he wanted just as before?
Besides, Luo Yuan would not be able to remain proud for much longer.
Master Qingfeng had said that at most one year later, his good elder brother would die suddenly.
Fortune was always turning.
Luo Yuan had enjoyed so many years of blessings. It was time for him to have his turn.
After the show was over and Luo Yuan sent them away, Xi Yu stretched lazily and returned to his room.
Luo Yuan had originally wanted to ask him something, but Shen Qing stopped him.
“I know what you want to ask. But Xiaoyu didn’t grow up by our side, and we never raised him before. All we can do now is try our best to make up for it. As for certain things, if he wants to tell us, he’ll naturally tell us.”
Although she did not know how Xi Yu had met Old Master Jiang or why he respected him so much, Shen Qing could tell just from this one point that her child had lived well in the past.
That was enough.
Xi Yu knew nothing about all these twists and turns.
After taking a shower, he came out and saw a golden figure sitting beside the bed. The corner of his mouth twitched.
“Luckily, when I used to sleep under bridges, I developed the habit of putting my clothes on immediately after showering.”
………………………………………….
Luo Chengan hugged a pillow and lay across the edge of the bed, watching Xi Yu.
“We’re both men. Why are you so nervous?”
Xi Yu crawled into the blankets.
“There is nothing to say to a man like you, whose lust is written all over his face.”
Anyone who had never had a male ghost strip naked and volunteer himself as a pillow would not understand.
Xi Yu could not stand sleeping with other people, so Luo Chengan could only sleep on the floor.
Today, he had even upgraded himself with a small mattress.
Luo Chengan sighed.
“Bro, I’m about to go on a variety show. Do you have anything that can make someone fly three meters away the moment they touch me? I’m scared of being alone with Jing-ge.”
“No.”
Something like that consumed too much cultivation, and there was normally no use for it.
Xi Yu was extremely sleepy, but seeing Luo Chengan looking so dejected, he still comforted him.
“It’s only a variety show. If you’re really afraid, then don’t go.”
“No way. The show is about to start filming. If I breach the contract now, my reputation will stink, and my fans will be sad.”
Luo Chengan looked at Xi Yu.
Suddenly, inspiration struck him.
“Bro, why don’t you come with me?”
“Politely declining.”
Being monitored in real time, having to follow a script, and possibly being assigned some strange character persona—
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
But Luo Chengan became even more enthusiastic.
Why had he only thought of this now?
Xi Yu was so powerful. If he brought Xi Yu along, wouldn’t all his problems be solved?
Luo Chengan pulled out his phone and enthusiastically recommended it despite Xi Yu’s utterly unwilling expression.
“Wushuang Jingmi is different from ordinary variety shows. It’s an adventure variety show. The filming location is Qin Mountain. You should know about it, right? The Lost Forest there only opens for one month every three years, and there’s also a limit on the number of visitors. The production crew spent a huge amount of money to reserve it for a whole week. I’ve been looking forward to it.”
He had wanted to go play there for a long time.
Either he had no time when he managed to arrange a visit, or he could not get a reservation when he was free.
Most importantly, the Lost Forest was somewhat dangerous.
The reason for the visitor limit was that ninety percent of the people who entered had a hard time getting back out.
Before entering, they needed special personnel to lead the way.
This time, he was joining the cast as an investor, so all the safety measures were fully prepared.
Everything was ready.
They were only missing Xi Yu.
“I heard that all kinds of rare flowers and herbs inside bloom year-round and that it’s as beautiful as a fairyland.”
Luo Chengan shoved the show’s promotional material in front of Xi Yu.
“Bro, just come with me. Think of it as a vacation~”
Xi Yu kept his eyes closed, completely ignoring him.
Luo Chengan shook Xi Yu’s arm.
“Bro~ Come with me, please. Don’t you feel sorry for your cute and handsome little brother having to be alone with the poisonous snake Luo Shujing? Besides, Lu Zhixing is going too. Everyone knows each other, so it won’t be awkward.”
Xi Yu only opened his eyes when he heard the name Lu Zhixing.
He sneered.
“With him there, I’ll be even more—”
His words abruptly stopped.
His gaze landed on Luo Chengan’s phone screen, specifically the last picture in the nine-image grid.
The picture showed the light-gold bracelet being offered as the prize.
It was extraordinarily beautiful.
The bracelet’s shape was more like an armlet, with an irregular opening resembling overlapping phoenix feathers.
Seeing Xi Yu’s reaction, Luo Chengan felt that there was hope and continued enthusiastically.
“Doesn’t it look like fun? Bro, come with me, please~ I’m begging you~”
Xi Yu took the phone, enlarged the final picture, and studied it for several seconds.
Then he handed it back to Luo Chengan and patted him on the shoulder approvingly.
“I’m definitely going. You’re truly my best little bro!”
His artifact!
It really was a case of searching everywhere without finding anything, only to obtain it without any effort.
Xi Yu had been summoning his artifact from the very beginning, but his spiritual power was currently too weak to sense where the artifact was.
He could only vaguely sense that it was somewhere in A City.
That was also why he had come to A City.
He had never expected that his artifact would actually have been placed inside the Lost Forest as the final prize for clearing the course.
This was his artifact, and it contained an enormous amount of spiritual power.
As long as the artifact returned to him, at least half of his cultivation would be restored.
Xi Yu had never found Luo Chengan so pleasing to the eye.
Luo Chengan was happy too.
With Xi Yu around, what did he have to be afraid of?
“I’ll have Dad call the production crew right now and get you added!”
Luo Chengan ran out like a gust of wind.
The smile on Xi Yu’s face gradually faded after Luo Chengan left.
He slowly turned his head toward the window.
Outside was pitch-black.
A few strands of cool air slipped through the gap in the window, carrying a faint metallic smell.
It was the smell of blood.
“How much longer are you going to keep peeking, Mr. Lu?”
Lu Zhixing stepped through the incompletely closed window.
After swaggering in, he locked the door from the inside before looking at Xi Yu.
“I saw that you two were having such a pleasant conversation. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Xi Yu looked at him casually.
“What is there to feel sorry about? After all, you were shameless enough to climb through someone’s window in the middle of the night.”
Lu Zhixing was still wearing the clothes from the banquet.
The black suit accentuated his refined, aloof elegance.
If not for the fact that his lips were pale and blood was dripping from his fingertips, Xi Yu would have thought he could walk straight onto a runway.
Lu Zhixing used his uninjured hand to catch the falling drops of blood, apparently afraid of dirtying the floor.
He wore an apologetic expression.
“It happened suddenly. Something tried to kill me, and I couldn’t beat it.”
Lu Zhixing spoke neither hurriedly nor slowly.
His voice was clear and pure, like the sound of a jade zither.
His dark pupils stared at Xi Yu like a pool of water in a mountain ravine.
An indescribable sense of familiarity rushed over him.
Xi Yu could not figure out where this familiarity came from.
His brows drew together slightly.
“I know.”
“You really are up to something.”
Xi Yu had always been straightforward and could not be bothered to play riddles with Lu Zhixing, so he asked bluntly.