Chapter 835: Unexpected Reunions and Dark Revelations

“Hmm?”

When that chubby figure popped out of the safe, Lu Xin shuddered, nearly overwhelmed by a Mental Impact. Fortunately, the eerie and intimidating fellow quickly shifted his demeanor and, calling him ‘Jiu Ge’ as soon as he emerged, made himself somewhat familiar. This allowed Lu Xin to crawl out of the safe unscathed and get a clear look at his current state.

He had a round, chubby face and a plump, bald head.

His features, surprisingly handsome, were accentuated by his full, fleshy cheeks.

Then, he suddenly tumbled to the ground, seemingly taking quite a fall as he struggled, his two hands laboriously pushing himself up.

Lu Xin frowned as he watched him, his expression gradually shifting to one of surprise.

That very call of “Jiu Ge” earlier made Lu Xin feel a sense of familiarity.

Now, seeing his face only heightened that feeling, yet he hesitated to fully recognize him…

Because compared to the memories, the differences were too vast…

……

……

“Hehehehe…”

Despite the effort, the fat man quickly turned around.

Grinning broadly at Lu Xin, he wiped his chubby face with a practiced hand and said in an affectionate tone:

“Jiu Ge? Remember me? You always say you’ve changed, but you just can’t resist a little joke.”

“I was just teasing you. For a moment, I felt like I was back at the orphanage…”

“…”

“You are…”

Listening to his words and smile, Lu Xin finally began to regain his composure.

His expression shifted to one of astonishment mixed with undeniable joy as he suddenly said, “You’re Fourteen?”

“Aren’t you the one who used to scare people by hanging yourself as a kid?”

“…”

“Uh, I am Fourteen. Can’t you tell?”

The fat man – or rather, Fourteen – replied with a hint of surprise and waved his hand, saying:

“Hanging myself to scare people was all in the past; nowadays, I just can’t even lift myself.”

“These days the ropes are so poor in quality they break before you even get up.”

“…”

“It really is you…”

A surge of joy welled up inside Lu Xin, his face lighting up with excitement.

He had never expected to see Fourteen again in this way and at this moment.

The changes in him were, quite literally, enormous.

At the same time, Lu Xin couldn’t help but defend the rope manufacturers, thinking maybe it wasn’t entirely their fault.

“Oh my, you still look great…”

As Lu Xin oscillated between surprise and delight, and wondered why Fourteen appeared with both his Sister and Little Nineteen, Fourteen suddenly somersaulted and, upon spotting the child with an umbrella standing nearby, lit up instantly.

Delighted, he asked Lu Xin, “Jiu Ge, is this your little wife?”

“This…”

Stunned by the unexpected question, Lu Xin found himself momentarily speechless.

The child’s gaze had already shifted over, silently and expectantly staring at him…

How should he answer that?

Fortunately, Fourteen didn’t dwell on it; he scanned the room briefly and then made a beeline for the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window. With a clatter, he sat down, let out a contented sigh, and said, “Jiu Ge, got any food?”

“Something tasty and fancy! Bring it on!”

“…”

“This…”

Lu Xin painedly glanced at the sofa.

It was a two-seater, and when he sat on it, there was plenty of room on either side.

But now, as he sat down, it was completely filled.

Besides, food wasn’t the issue, but wanting only the expensive, top-quality stuff was just…

“I do have some,”

Before he could answer, he suddenly heard the child speak.

Lu Xin froze for a moment and saw the child tuck the umbrella behind and nimbly walk out of the room.

Why did the child seem so cheerful?

Not only did the child reply, but also with a warm enthusiasm?

……

……

“Jiu Ge, I never thought your partner was so gorgeous.”

Hearing there was food, Fourteen beamed, shaking his head in exultation as he said, “Back at the orphanage, you complained about not being the tallest or strongest, yet who would have thought you’d snag such a beautiful wife?”

“Oh, and wasn’t there a speedy little girl from the orphanage who was close to you?”

“…”

Lu Xin suddenly fell silent, unsure of what to say.

Noticing the somber mood, Fourteen quickly switched topics: “Jiu Ge, your house looks nice.”

Lu Xin replied, “It’s Doll’s place; it’s the one we just left.”

Fourteen paused in astonishment and said, “You moved in with them?”

Lu Xin fell silent once again.

Quickly, Fourteen changed the subject: “Jiu Ge, you sure have a lot of charm…”

……

……

Lu Xin suddenly felt a slight headache – Fourteen’s talents were truly something else.

That initial thrill of seeing him had nearly vanished in less than a minute.

“How did you end up with them?”

Glancing at his Sister and Little Nineteen by his side, Lu Xin sighed, “You went with them too?”

“Speaking of that…”

Fourteen’s tone darkened as his chubby face took on a more sinister look: “That’s a terrifying story…”

“Hmm?”

Lu Xin raised an eyebrow.

Then Fourteen said, “I mean, you were living comfortably in Central City…”

“Not exactly rolling in wealth, but at least I had my own small place in the most expensive city, a quiet job doing crafts, and someone to serve me every meal… Then one day, people from the Moon Eclipse Research Institute suddenly found me and took me to meet a horrifying entity…”

His gaze turned icy as, through gritted teeth, he muttered, “The Ultimate!”

Just hearing him made Lu Xin’s hair stand on end.

Lowering his head, he noticed his Sister and Little Nineteen frowning at him. His Sister mouthed a single word.

“Mom…”

“…”

“Did Mom really find you?”

Confirming this, Lu Xin frowned and looked at Fourteen.

“Mom?”

Fourteen’s face showed a hint of shock before he said gravely, “Don’t mix up relatives – that’s the Ultimate!”

“One of the terrifying Thirteen Ultimate, a Keeper of Fate.”

“A woman wielding giant scissors who comes snapping at you if you misbehave…”

“…”

Instantly, Lu Xin’s expression soured as he narrowed his eyes at Fourteen.

Fourteen suddenly seemed to recall something; his chubby face hardened as he exclaimed, “That is… that is…”

Lu Xin slowly nodded.

“Oh, so it was the cleaning lady…”

Fourteen jumped in surprise, and the grim, ominous look on his face melted into a congenial smile.

His tone immediately lightened as he said cheerily, “I really never expected this – no one had even told me!”

“Anyway, here I am, locked up, and the cleaning lady managed to track me down…”

“…”

“Wait a minute…”

Lu Xin, feeling disoriented, quickly interrupted him: “You’re in prison?”

Fourteen nodded sincerely, “That’s right!”

Lu Xin pondered for a moment, his expression growing even more animated, “So this little place you called your own…”

Fourteen replied proudly, “Cell 4267.”

Lu Xin was astonished, “That can’t really be yours, can it?”

Straightening his chest, Fourteen declared, “I’ve got a life sentence!”

“…”

Lu Xin was at a loss for words.

He suddenly realized that everything Fourteen had said was actually true.

Indeed, in the pricey Central City, he had managed to scrape together a little place of his own.

And while doing a bit of crafts for a living, he still managed to get some labor time in at the prison.

There was even some time each day for a breather…

And yes, every meal was prepared by someone while he just stood in line to get it…

But still…

His head felt muddled.

Back at the orphanage, some classmates turned to become robbers in the wasteland, some wandered in Flame City, and others became assassins…

…And now another one ends up in jail.

Lu Xin shook his head helplessly and asked Fourteen, “How did you end up in prison?”

Fourteen replied candidly, “I scared an old man to death…”

He continued, “At the end of the day, it was all for survival. When I first came to Central City, things were great – Chen Da Assistant took care of meals and the folks at Black Table even paid me. But good times didn’t last…”

“Wait a minute…”

Lu Xin couldn’t help but interrupt, “You even worked with Black Table?”

“Yeah!”

Fourteen nodded and said in a strange tone, “Little Nineteen and I used to be colleagues, didn’t you know?”

“Little Nineteen?”

Lu Xin glanced at Little Nineteen, his face growing somber.

If he remembered correctly, before he found her, Little Nineteen was involved in the underworld…

His expression darkened as he asked Fourteen in a low voice, “Why didn’t I see you back then?”

“Me?”

Fourteen pointed to his nose and, after a pause, sheepishly replied, “By the time you got to Central City, I’d already been fired.”

“!”

At the mention of Black Table, Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel displeased.

Little Nineteen had been taken in by Black Table due to her youth and corrupted, but you’re an adult.

Hearing Fourteen’s reply, he was momentarily stunned.

The turn of events seemed just a bit off from what he had expected.

……

……

“That Chen Xun really holds no grudges…”

Fourteen lazily shook his head and said, “I just wasn’t dedicated enough at work – I even overclaimed expenses and ruined a few missions for him. He ended up showing no mercy despite the Orphanage Director’s plea, and kicked me out cold. Since then, I’ve been wandering Central City, surviving on scams…”

“Until one time, when I told a wealthy old man that there was a ghost in his villa – his deceased mistress wouldn’t leave his bedroom, and I was supposed to help him see the ghost, but the effect was too obvious. It scared the old man into a heart attack, and within half a month, he died. That’s when I got caught.”

“…”

Now it all made sense…

Lu Xin let out a long sigh, feeling utterly exhausted.

So Fourteen had been in High-wall City all along; when he went out, he was already serving time in prison?

It turns out Mom found him during that time and, with the help of the Moon Eclipse Research Institute, pulled him out of jail?

Recalling all this, Lu Xin’s body shuddered.

Indeed, the first time Mom was away from him for an extended period was during that very journey.

So many things had been set in motion back then?

……

……

It seemed that every chapter of his life was slowly coming into focus.

Even the odd, unreliable behavior Mom had in Lu Xin’s eyes was beginning to make sense.

Lu Xin, feeling a twinge of melancholy, steadied himself before easing back from the revelation.

Only then did he calm his thoughts a bit.

Mom had begun planning everything for him so early – even though back then he was on the verge of losing control, oblivious to the effort she had put in.

And now…

With a low sigh from deep within, he began to ask earnestly,

“Why did Mom find you back then?”