Chapter 156
Chapter 156
There was a terminal illness in this world called poverty.
The children at the orphanage understood their circumstances from an early age. Their only cure was to be adopted and taken away by “wealthy parents.”
Their profiles were laid out on tables for people to browse like goods at a street market.
The child with the best chance of being “saved” was undoubtedly the prettiest and cleverest among them.
Qiao Xiaowen’s looks had always stood out. But after Qiao Yu appeared, she was no longer the only choice.
That was where her malice came from.
Early that morning, Qiao Yu went to wash his hands at the sink. A split second before a pair of hands shoved hard at his back, he nimbly dodged aside.
Qiao Xiaowen stumbled and almost fell. Her eyes held a viciousness no child should have possessed.
It was as though a savage beast hid beneath her childish appearance.
The children of the orphanage approached in groups of two and three and grabbed Qiao Yu’s arms. Qiao Xiaowen smiled, then kicked his malnourished body to the ground.
Everyone surrounded him and roared with laughter.
Qiao Yu sat on the ground and laughed too. Rising, he kicked Qiao Xiaowen down in exactly the same way. This time, however, he did not shove her head into the water tank and hold it under as he had in his memories.
The moment Qiao Xiaowen hit the ground, the laughter gradually died.
He said, “Qiao Yu, you’ve changed.”
They said, “Qiao Yu, you’ve changed.”
Qiao Xiaowen said, “Qiao Yu, you’ve changed. Do you remember? Last time, right here… you almost drowned me.”
Qiao Yu lowered his lashes. His clear eyes gradually clouded. “I don’t remember.”
“No, you do!” Sitting on the ground, Qiao Xiaowen burst into wild laughter. “Coward! You’re a coward who abandoned us and escaped alone. You’re a selfish, heartless monster!”
“A selfish, heartless monster!”
“Monster!”
Qiao Yu barely managed to remain upright beneath their barrage of accusations. His trembling pupils could not focus. The scene around him began to split apart rapidly, dissolving into countless drifting fragments.
Each of their faces was reflected with perfect clarity in the depths of his eyes as they howled in anguish, “What changed you?”
When Qiao Yu opened his eyes again, night had already fallen. Shang Yan sat beside him, fanning him steadily.
Qiao Yu narrowed his eyes at the object in Shang Yan’s hand.
Good grief. The man was actually using the Soul-Departing Fan to cool him down. That was truly something else.
He had never realized how cold the thing could be. Its chill was even sharper than an air conditioner’s.
“Awake?” Shang Yan put away the Soul-Departing Fan, leaned closer, and asked softly, “What did you dream about this time?”
Qiao Yu regarded him through narrowed eyes. After a long silence, he answered, “You.”
That single word was enough to make anyone’s heart race, but Shang Yan was no fool. “Liar.”
*You were the one who changed me…*
Qiao Yu silently completed the thought in his heart, but deliberately said aloud, “If that’s what you want to think, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
There it was again-another classic scumbag line.
Shang Yan was helpless. He stopped pressing for an answer.
That night, Qiao Yu did something unprecedented. He carried Shang Yan’s laptop into the bedroom and locked its owner out in the living room.
He typed *Jingyang County earthquake* into the search bar.
(*The earthquake occurred at 11:16:34 p.m. Yanjing Time on Saturday, July 14, 2008. According to data from the Huaxia Earthquake Administration, it reached a surface-wave magnitude of 8.0 Ms on the Richter scale. Tremors were felt across Huaxia, numerous other countries and regions, and throughout Asia.*)
He remained silent for a long time, then entered *Jingyang County Loving Home Orphanage* into the search bar.
Among the overwhelming flood of scandals, he found four words-*No Survivors Found*.
The moon gradually rose. Nighttime chill permeated the air, staining the white frost on the grass a grayish brown. Only one enormous star hung in the distant sky, like a lonely eye spying on everything in the world.
[Beep, beep, beep-the Live Stream Room is loading…]
[Loading complete!]
-Huh? The stream has started? Why is the streamer the only person in this Instance?
-No idea… The other streamers are all still counting down.
-Honestly, I don’t really like this streamer. His mouth is too obnoxious. He’s not my type.
-As if he needs you to like him.
-Sadako: Aw, now that my poor gege knows you don’t like him, he’s sobbing his heart out under the covers.
-Hahaha! The fans really do take after their idol. What a comeback.
-Painted Skin: Boohoo, what an adorable little dumpling! Baby QY was super cute when he was little, and I will accept no arguments!
[System Message: Fan Painted Skin tipped streamer I’m Your Dad 10 gold coins.]
[System Message: Fan Sadako tipped streamer I’m Your Dad 10 gold coins.]
-Li Xiaoqin: You two upstairs need to calm down. Be careful he doesn’t use that face to scam you out of every last coin.
[System Message: Fan Li Xiaoqin tipped streamer I’m Your Dad 1 gold coin.]
-Painted Skin, Sadako: You’re not embarrassed to show off a single gold coin?
-Li Xiaoqin: Thanks, but I have two children to support.
-Pen Spirit: Actually, I could use a mother too.
-Li Xiaoqin: …?
-Aaaaaah! It’s the Pen Spirit! The Pen Spirit!!! @Hanged Ghost, @Naughty Ghost, @Drunk Ghost, @Smoking Ghost, @Seductive Ghost, @Lewd Ghost, @Stingy Ghost…
-Gambling Ghost: Why didn’t the person upstairs tag me? Just because we don’t know each other?
-Hahahaha! Gambling Ghost has been led astray by Sister Sadako.
[The Red Name Mall is now open.]
Medicine: Muscle Regeneration Pill (1,000 gold coins)
[Can regenerate flesh and bone. The user must retain at least half of their vital signs for it to work.]
Item: Title Upgrade Card (800 gold coins/card)
[Use a Title Upgrade Card to upgrade one of your current titles. Success rate: 30%.]
Item: Damage-Reduction Shield (500 gold coins)
[Blocks one fatal attack from a Ghost. This is a single-use item and can only be purchased once per Instance.]
Material: Wushan Stone (300 gold coins/piece)
[Upgrade material for Soul Artifacts below S rank. Note: Artifacts at or above S rank are classified as Ghost Artifacts. Wushan Stones have no effect on them, and further advancement depends entirely on opportunity.]
[System Message: The world channel is now open. A Language Comprehension Pill has been issued. Please tap to claim it. (Note: Effective only within the Instance.)]
Qiao Yu tapped the glowing screen, and a white pill the size of a chocolate malt ball instantly appeared in his palm.
A free pill was a free pill. Why not take it?
He popped the Language Comprehension Pill into his mouth and chewed. It tasted like flavorless tissue paper.
Sure enough… cheap goods were never good.
[S-rank Soul Artifact. Dormancy countdown: 144 hours.
Title: Sharp-Tongued Old Six. Ready to equip.
Title: Jade-faced Rakshasa. Ready to equip.]
Could those two titles please stop getting ready…?
[Live Assistant 9999999: Oh my God! Buy it, buy it, buy it!]
Qiao Yu swept his gaze over the list, then tapped to recycle the Review Card left over from the previous Instance and exchanged it for a little spending money.
[Live Assistant 9999999: Why aren’t you buying anything?!]
Qiao Yu said, “Why should I? Do I look rich to you?”
[Live Assistant 9999999: The Muscle Regeneration Pill can regrow flesh and bone!]
“I don’t have enough points.”
[Live Assistant 9999999: What about the Title Upgrade Card? Doesn’t that sound tempting?]
“I’m never using those two sucker titles again! Why would I waste resources upgrading them?”
[Live Assistant 9999999: The Damage-Reduction Shield! Damage-Reduction Shields are the GOAT!]
“Am I supposed to buy one for the Ghosts?”
[Live Assistant 9999999: Wushan Stone… Fine. Your Soul Artifact is already an S-rank Ghost Artifact. Sorry for bothering you.]
“You’ve even learned to answer your own questions. Not bad.”
-Hahahaha! Just as expected, the streamer didn’t buy anything this time either.
-Besties, this streamer is toxic. I went deaf after watching him once. My husband won’t let me watch him, but I can’t hear a word he says.
-The person upstairs actually has a husband…
-Work hard and earn money. Once our big spender is rich enough, she can bury the streamer in cash until he comes over.
-Better not. Careful he doesn’t slit your throat!
-Then when I’m rich, I’ll just keep someone who looks like him.
-How touching. Even after getting rich, you’ll only keep one.
-Hahahaha! Keep a hundred of them!