Scummy Alpha CEO Keeps Courting Death [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 26

“What’s so great about picking up fallen leaves? How about a dried bean curd snack instead?” Zhu Xiaotao pulled out a spicy dried bean curd snack from her pocket and slipped it into Lu Xibie’s hand.

The surrounding classmates who had been eagerly watching let out sounds of surprise and disappointment.

“What is Zhu Xiaotao doing?”

“Lu Xibie asked Chu Liruo to pick up fallen leaves, how romantic… she’s just thinking about food!”

Lu Xibie clutched the bean curd snack and looked at Zhu Xiaotao hesitantly, “Thank you.”

Zhu Xiaotao: “It’s delicious! It’s the last one! If you hadn’t lost the match, I wouldn’t have one to comfort you!”

Lu Xibie looked down at the snack in her hand, reached out to hand it back, “Why don’t you eat it?”

Zhu Xiaotao: “What’s wrong? No appetite…”

Ji Ningyu snatched the bean curd snack from Lu Xibie’s hand, deftly tore open the wrapper, and shoved it into Zhu Xiaotao’s mouth: “Eat, eat, eat, eat! It won’t kill you!”

Ji Ningyu’s gaze swept over Chu Liruo and Lu Xibie: “You two carry on.”

After the interruption, Lu Xibie turned to look at Chu Liruo again: “Shall we go?”

Chu Liruo glanced at the arena: “Are you okay?”

She remembered what Lu Xibie and Dan Ruijing had said about her energy being depleted right after the match, and her eyes showed a hint of concern.

Lu Xibie spread her arms and turned a full circle in front of Chu Liruo, then stood still facing her: “From the look of it, there’s nothing wrong.”

The “Lu Xibie” who had been abnormally restless in her mind had returned to normal, and the mental exhaustion was temporarily relieved. The physical fitness of a talent skill user was inherently good, and the “punching and kicking” inside the protective barrier was just a warm-up exercise.

Lu Xibie sniffed the faint scent of honeysuckle and balloon flower on her nose and watched Chu Liruo, waiting for her answer.

Chu Liruo opened her mouth to reply, then looked down and tapped a few times on the interface of her optical computer: “We can go pick up fallen leaves, but—afterward, you have to accompany me to the holographic practice room. I haven’t fully memorized the mutated organisms covered in today’s ‘Mutated Organism Identification Class’.”

“I haven’t memorized them all either.”

“But is now the time to worry about that?!”

“Watching a date turn into a study session… it’s hard to say…”

Lu Xibie: “Then we’ll go to the holographic practice room.”

Due to her healing talent skill, Chu Liruo had not signed up for the arena competition, but Lu Xibie had seen her efforts during this time: her daily, unfailing trips to the holographic practice room, and her constant presence as a “shadow” behind various course instructors.

Lu Xibie happily changed their destination.

Strictly speaking, she didn’t desperately want to pick up fallen leaves; it was just that on the way to the arena, the rustling fallen leaves under the morning sun looked like dancing butterflies, and at that moment, she really wanted Chu Liruo to be there.

“Ah? We’re not going to pick up fallen leaves anymore—”

One of the surrounding students said with a hint of regret.

“We’ll pick up the fallen leaves first.” Chu Liruo replied, holding Lu Xibie’s arm.

The cool touch on her radius bone made Lu Xibie look down, and she instinctively placed her warm palm over the back of Chu Liruo’s pale hand: “Okay.”

“Wow!”

“They’re holding hands!”

“Don’t make a fuss. How is a married couple holding hands a big deal? Besides, it’s still far from an interlaced-finger grip.”

…

The warmth made Chu Liruo look up. She gazed at Lu Xibie’s eyes, recalling the words Lu Xibie had spoken not long ago.

“…stay by her side… keep her company…”

If she hadn’t been reborn, she would have almost believed, like the currently smiling, joyful, or excited students, that she and Lu Xibie were deeply in love.

Picking Fallen Leaves

The thick trees stood neatly like loyal guards, and layer upon layer of fallen leaves covered the tree-lined avenue, obscuring the original pattern of the bricks.

Ji Ningyu dragged Zhu Xiaotao away somewhere; all that was remembered was Zhu Xiaotao’s reluctance as she left: ‘I haven’t let them try the watermelon jelly you took me to buy last time. What’s so great about fallen leaves? They’re here every day, you can pick them up every year…’

Footsteps on the thick layer of fallen leaves made a continuous “crackle, crackle” sound along the path.

Lu Xibie searched as she walked, her eyes slightly bright. She picked up a leaf from the ground and turned to show it to Chu Liruo as if presenting a treasure: “Look at this one.”

The wine-red leaf had a few scattered black dots on its surface, but they didn’t detract from the leaf’s beauty; instead, they looked like a few black stars dotted upon it.

Chu Liruo held the leaf up to the sun, then moved the leaf away, her eyes directly meeting Lu Xibie’s expectant gaze.

“Is it pretty?” Lu Xibie asked.

Chu Liruo used the leaf to cover her eyes, her lips curved slightly, and a smile rippled outward: “It’s pretty.”

In a moment, she moved the leaf away and peeked at Lu Xibie, who was still searching for other leaves: “This one is mine.”

Lu Xibie didn’t hesitate: “Good.”

Hearing Lu Xibie answer so readily, Chu Liruo gently shook the leaf in her hand, her smile deepening.

The Holographic Practice Room

“Mutated Red Spider.”

“Mutated Yellow Scorpion.”

“Mutated Yellow-edged Emperor Butterfly.”

…

Lu Xibie lightly moved the pointer across the holographic screen. Various simulated mutated organisms flashed by one by one, and Chu Liruo answered from her seat below.

“This is…”

Chu Liruo hesitated, looking at the mutated organism with a giant claw growing on its forehead.

Lu Xibie: “3-2-1, I’m going to say the answer now?”

Chu Liruo: “Go ahead.”

Lu Xibie: “Mutated Anteater. This mutated organism is at least Grade B, and its claw is its powerful weapon.”

Chu Liruo: “Right, right! Teacher Lu said to be especially careful of its claw. Once caught, even if the anteater is killed, its claw won’t open again.”

“Correct.”

…

“Mutated Lightbulb Sea Squirt.”

“Mutated Poison Dart Frog.”

“Mutated Golden Cobra.”

The last simulated mutated organism flashed across the holographic screen, leaving it blank. Lu Xibie was about to put the pointer back on the console.

“Mutated Lu Xibie.” Chu Liruo looked at Lu Xibie, who had accidentally pointed the pointer at herself.

“Huh?” Lu Xibie looked at the pointer pointing at her, shook her head, and put the pointer back on the console: “There is no Mutated Lu Xibie here.”

“Mutated Lu Xibie.” Chu Liruo said again, smiling.

Lu Xibie looked up at Chu Liruo, recalling the “Lu Xibie” in the novel—that Lu Xibie was hardly any different from a mutated organism.

“Okay, Mutated Lu Xibie.”

“Lu Xibie.” Chu Liruo patted the seat next to her, and once Lu Xibie was seated, she said: “The teacher said that originally there were no mutated organisms in this world. It was the illegal biological experiments of the Ye Jian family a few years ago that turned the world into this state.”

Lu Xibie nodded: “Yes, the teacher said so.”

“Can it be restored to the way it was?” Chu Liruo asked.

Lu Xibie: “The way it was?”

Chu Liruo: “No mutated organisms, humans don’t need to protect their homes, and all types of creatures coexist in harmony.”

Lu Xibie: “No.”

Chu Liruo was dissatisfied with Lu Xibie’s definitive answer: “Why not? Your talent skill is Absolute Defense, and mine is Healing. I think someone’s talent skill must be able to restore the mutated organisms to their original state. If that happens, it can be achieved.”

Lu Xibie thought back to the half of The Omega’s Evolution Path she had read and shook her head: “If that were true, the world wouldn’t be this way.”

“I think there is!” Chu Liruo’s eyes showed an unusual innocence.

The phrase “Don’t be too optimistic” was ultimately left unspoken under Chu Liruo’s hopeful gaze.

“Perhaps,” Lu Xibie said.

This world would become even worse. By then, even the Federal Protection Zone would no longer be safe.

Next year, Zigu Military Academy, the federation’s number one military school, would have a series of student disappearances. Zhu Xiaotao would be the first body discovered.

“How can it be ‘perhaps’?” Chu Liruo pouted: “You have to be a little more hopeful about the future.”

Lu Xibie leaned her head to look at the vibrant Chu Liruo. She had almost watched the drooping sapling absorb water and enjoy the sunlight at Zigu Military Academy, little by little sprouting tender shoots, unfolding green leaves, and straightening its waist.

“…She is one of Dan Ruijing’s sources of power.” The mechanical voice of the Golden House seemed to sound in her ear again.

A Clean-Up

Separation was the first thing Lu Xibie learned in life.

She began her first separation in the rainy night, followed by the second, the third, and finally, she was almost numb, no longer attaching emotion to goodbyes.

But looking at Chu Liruo’s clear and bright eyes at this moment, she felt as if she had returned to the first separation of her life.

Before she realized what was happening, her heart throbbed with a faint, sinking pain. Worry and fear seeped into her collar along the raindrops, dampening her dry skin inch by inch.

She stood foolishly in place, unsure where to find shelter.

“You…” Chu Liruo reached out and waved a hand lightly in front of Lu Xibie’s eyes.

A gray, hazy fog enveloped Lu Xibie’s eyes. She was expressionless and looked very calm.

“Golden House,” Lu Xibie softly called.

Chu Liruo, seated opposite her, froze. Her clear, bright eyes looked like two glass balls.

“Host, I’m here,” the mechanical voice of the Golden House responded.

“What is the ending of The Omega’s Evolution Path?” Lu Xibie asked. She suddenly regretted not checking the ending before tearing up the book. If she had, she wouldn’t have to see Chu Liruo in this state again.

Golden House: “Dan Ruijing becomes the strongest Omega…”

Lu Xibie interrupted: “Not that. I want to know if this world will be restored to its original state.”

Golden House: “Original state? Does the Host mean?”

“No mutated organisms, humans don’t need to protect their homes, and all types of creatures coexist in harmony,” Lu Xibie spoke, her voice overlapping with Chu Liruo’s in her mind.

Golden House: “No.”

Lu Xibie asked again: “What will it be like then?”

Golden House carefully phrased its answer: “Dan Ruijing is the guardian of the human settlements.”

Lu Xibie pursed her lips, as expected: “Help me redeem.”

A pale blue light frame expanded before Lu Xibie’s eyes.

[DO YOU WANT TO REDEEM A CLEAN-UP POTION?]

[YES]

[QUANTITY]

[1]

[CONFIRM REDEMPTION]

Golden House: “Does the Host have any other requests?”

Lu Xibie shook her head, opened the potion, and drank it all in one go. Just as the last drop of liquid was consumed, Chu Liruo’s long eyelashes fluttered open, her gaze resting on the empty potion bottle in Lu Xibie’s hand: “When did you take that out? You have good stuff and you didn’t give me any.”

Lu Xibie looked at the now vibrant Chu Liruo, tossed the bottle into the nearby automated recycling bin, and sighed: “Why wouldn’t I give you the good stuff?”

Chu Liruo: “You didn’t give it to me just now.”

Lu Xibie: “That wasn’t good stuff.”

Chu Liruo: “You’re lying.”

Lu Xibie said earnestly: “I’m not. I’ll give you anything you want.”

Chu Liruo: “Give me your…”

Chu Liruo looked at the automated recycling bin, give me that thing you just drank.

“I’ll give you all of me,” Lu Xibie said.

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