Chapter 253: In your mind, am I a brainless person?

Xue Can’s gaze sharpened. "You’re still going out?"

After what happened today, Shen Lu was still planning to go out tomorrow, and to the research institute in the Upper City District, no less.

Wasn’t she afraid?

Shen Lu nodded. "I have some business at the research institute that I can’t put off. Mr. Xue, you can name your price."

Xue Can took a breath, staring at Shen Lu for a moment. Seeing she had no intention of backing down, he quoted a number.

Shen Lu had a basic understanding of mercenary rates. Xue Can’s asking price wasn’t high; in fact, it was far below the market average.

Shen Lu accepted without a second thought.

Xue Can wanted something from her, so it was normal for him to make a show of goodwill.

She promptly transferred the payment, and the two of them set a time.

"I’ll come by motorcycle," Xue Can said. "It’s more convenient and faster."

"Alright," Shen Lu agreed.

After seeing Xue Can off, Shen Lu rolled her stiff neck and slowly headed upstairs.

The moment she opened the door, Shen Lu remembered that the tight-lipped Song Zhigao was still on the third floor.

’Whatever,’ she thought. ’I’m exhausted today. I’ll deal with it later.’

Pushing the door open, she saw Fu Cheng emerging from the secondary bedroom in his wheelchair. He stopped in front of Shen Lu, his jet-black eyes watching her quietly.

"If you have something to say, wait until I’ve had a shower."

Fu Cheng silently moved aside to let her pass.

Shen Lu grabbed her clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. Fu Cheng waited for her in the living room.

Half an hour later, Shen Lu walked out of the steamy bathroom. Her semi-dry hair was fanned out messily over her shoulders, her cheeks were flushed red from the heat, and her moist lips looked like dew-kissed flower petals, delicate and tempting.

Fu Cheng was momentarily stunned. He had always known Shen Lu was a pretty girl, but lately, he felt she was becoming more and more beautiful.

’Could this be what adults call ’blossoming’?’

"Little Deer." Fu Cheng’s voice was a little tight.

"Hm? Go on, what did you want to tell me?" Shen Lu didn’t notice anything unusual about Fu Cheng. She sat down on the sofa and casually tucked her hair back. "Make it quick, I’m really tired."

Suddenly, Fu Cheng grabbed her by the wrist.

"What are you doing?" Shen Lu asked, tilting her head.

Fu Cheng’s icy gaze fell on her fair wrist, which was exposed as her sleeve slid down when she raised her arm. "What exactly happened to you this afternoon?"

Shen Lu followed his line of sight and saw several ligature marks on her arm that she hadn’t noticed before.

’They must have been from those kidnappers this afternoon.’ Since the skin wasn’t broken, it didn’t hurt in the shower. The marks were very faint now; you wouldn’t notice them if you didn’t look closely.

Shen Lu calmly pulled her hand back. "Nothing happened. I just bumped it accidentally."

"Shen Lu, don’t lie to me."

"If this is what you wanted to talk about, then I’m going to bed." Shen Lu didn’t like being spoken to in that tone.

She was the type to yield to a soft approach, not a hard one.

Fu Cheng’s lips tightened into a thin line. He didn’t understand why Shen Lu was hiding things from him.

"Tomorrow... what are you going to the research institute for?"

Shen Lu’s eyes turned sharp. "How did you know that?"

No one at the shop knew about it. She had only just mentioned it to Xue Can.

Fu Cheng pursed his lips, debating whether to tell Shen Lu that his consciousness had overheard it.

He was afraid Shen Lu was going to investigate the anomaly with the expired nutrient liquid.

That was a domain Shen Lu absolutely could not touch. The slightest misstep would bring about a fatal disaster.

"Fu Cheng, I think it would be better if we maintained a little distance," Shen Lu said, not bothering to wait for an explanation. "I have my own life and goals, and so do you. I won’t get in your way, so please don’t interfere too much in mine."

Her words were hurtful, and Fu Cheng’s heart sank. Still, he spoke to her gently. "The person in charge of security at the research institute has a very high Superpower Level. Xue Can is only at Level 4 Peak; he can’t protect you."

"When did I say I was going to the research institute to cause trouble?" Shen Lu gave him a strange look. "Fu Cheng, do you think I’m an idiot?"

She hired Xue Can to ensure her safety on the way to the research institute.

She wasn’t reckless enough to storm the research institute. The mission had to be completed, but only on the condition that her own safety was guaranteed.

"So, you really are going to the research institute tomorrow," Fu Cheng stated firmly.

Shen Lu: ...

’You’ve got some nerve. A feint to trick the truth out of me, huh?’

"Yes, I’m going."

Things had already gotten to this point; there was no use denying it. She might as well just admit it.

Fu Cheng fell silent. Thinking he had nothing more to say, Shen Lu got up to go back to her room.

Suddenly, Fu Cheng’s voice came from behind her.

"I’ll go with you."

Shen Lu frowned. "No."

"I have a relative at the research institute. I can introduce you."

Shen Lu: "No need."

"He’s a Level 4 Researcher."

"Alright, then let’s go together tomorrow afternoon."

Shen Lu’s change in attitude was seamless.

A Level 4 Researcher was quite a high rank. Shen Lu figured that even if she couldn’t find out about the expired nutrient liquid, it would still be great to ask about other things.

Only then did Fu Cheng breathe a sigh of relief.

Shen Lu returned to the master bedroom, slipped into the soft, big bed, and turned on her Light Brain’s projection. She started tallying her accounts and doing the lottery draw while watching the mother-in-law drama she hadn’t finished last time.

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn Blind Box Prize #17: one Possession Card.]

[Possession Card: After use, you can possess a designated target through a medium, sharing their five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—for 5 hours. You cannot interfere with the target’s thoughts or actions.]

[Note: This is a single-use item. Please use with caution.]

Shen Lu: !

’The things in this lottery pool are getting more and more bizarre.’

’Isn’t this just ghost possession?’

’Who would ever use something like this?’

Shen Lu tossed the Possession Card into her system inventory. ’Who knows,’ she thought, ’maybe it’ll come in handy someday.’

...

In the early morning, Shen Lu could hear the wind howling outside while she was still tucked in bed.

The temperature indoors was perfect, so Shen Lu got out of bed without any trouble.

Ever since the weather turned cold, the air conditioner had barely been turned off. ’I have the privilege of free utilities, so why not use as much free electricity as I can?’

Walking to the window, she saw nothing but sand and gravel being whipped up by the gale. The already-murky sky had become even more turbid, tinged with a desolate yellow.

Shen Lu checked the weather forecast, but surprisingly, there was no sandstorm warning.

’Good grief. In my past life, this would have been at least an orange alert, but here, it’s just described as ’strong winds and sand.’’

Shen Lu didn’t dare to imagine how terrifying a real sandstorm would be here.

After washing up, she went downstairs. Little Mantis had already made breakfast.

This morning, they were having shaobing.

There were beef shaobing, pork shaobing, pickled cabbage shaobing, and brown sugar shaobing, along with a large plate of thousand-layer pancakes, all served with a pot of black rice porridge—a veritable carb bomb.

After the meal, Shen Lu felt completely energized.

When the vegetable delivery truck arrived, she opened the shop door and was immediately hit with a face full of sand.

Shen Lu: PTHOO, PTHOO, PTHOO! ’Why does this sand have such a foul, acrid smell?!’

Shen Lu held her breath, squinting as she signed for the vegetables. She gestured for Wang Daguo and the others to quickly move the produce inside.

In just that short time, everyone who went out to move the vegetables was covered in a layer of dust, and so were the vegetables in the crates.