Chapter 51
The next morning, Lin Ran woke up with something round and smooth nestled against him. He blinked, then realized it was the egg.
“An egg?” He sleepily touched the smooth, white shell, remembering the new cub. It hadn’t even hatched yet.
“Do eggs move in their sleep?” he wondered, having placed it in its own bed.
[Incubation: 20%. The egg trusts you and likes being close to you~] A notification appeared, making him smile. This new cub seemed easygoing.
“Maybe it’ll be a sweet little angel?”
[…] The egg, however, remained silent.
“Where are Sootball and Snowball?” he asked, having shared his bed with them. He found them pushed to the edge, Sootball even on the floor.
“Did you catch a cold?” He picked up Sootball.
“Ch…Cheep?” Sootball, waking up, instinctively nuzzled against him.
“You’re dirty, Sootball,” Lin Ran said, holding it at arm’s length, and Sootball, seeing the dust on its fur, panicked. A-Ran didn’t like dirty cubs! It immediately went to wash itself. Its hygiene habits were surprisingly good.
“Mew…?” Snowball, woken by the commotion, also woke up and rubbed against Lin Ran, who carried both of them to the bathroom, the egg tucked under his arm.
“We have to log out early today. I have to go to the film set,” he reminded Snowball.
“Mew—” Snowball whined, clinging to him. With A-Ran around, logging into “Demon World” was easier, and it didn’t want to leave. It wished A-Ran could stay with him forever…
“Sad? I’ll visit you on set often, okay?” Lin Ran said, also reluctant to leave Snowball.
“Mew…” Snowball looked at him, as if accusing him of lying.
Lin Ran chuckled and petted its head. The egg, watching from the towel, felt a pang of jealousy, but before it could react, Lin Ran started wiping its shell with a warm, wet towel.
“Even eggs need to be clean,” he said.
[Wee…] The egg wobbled slightly, enjoying the warm towel and the fragrant baby lotion.
After cleaning all three, it was time to say goodbye.
“Can eggs hatch on their own?” he wondered.
[The hatching quest can be synced offline. This may have the following effects…][Yes][No] “Demon World” was offering offline syncing? The listed “effects” seemed ominous, but it was just an egg; how could it cause harm?
He clicked “Yes,” and after logging out, he found a black earring on his ear.
“An earring?” He had never had his ears pierced. He examined it in the mirror; it was a clip-on, not a piercing.
[This is its avatar. A blessing, or perhaps a curse.]
A curse? The egg was white, but the earring was black. He felt slightly self-conscious about wearing it, but it was small and easily hidden by his hair. It only caught the light at certain angles.
And today, at the film set, everyone seemed momentarily captivated by him, their gazes lingering. It was his last day of filming. He had been worried about the earring, but when he tried to remove it, it became invisible, though he could still feel it. Like magic. But “Demon World” was full of magic, so he quickly accepted it.
And since Snowball’s affection had reached 99, he could now activate the “Snow Mountain Mask” buff whenever needed. He also activated Sootball’s “Moon Goddess Halo” for extra protection. With these buffs, his performance was so captivating that even Director Ma Sai was impressed. He couldn’t believe he couldn’t sign this talented young man.
The scene of Lin Ran, as the young teacher, dying in the landslide, clutching his books, his face streaked with blood, moved everyone to tears. For a few seconds after the scene, no one spoke.
“But… I’m going back to school. It was just a summer job,” Lin Ran said, still covered in fake blood, rejecting the director’s offer, his words snapping everyone back to reality. Just a summer job?!
Director Ma Sai almost cursed Lin Ran’s excellent academic record. He wanted to keep him.
Lin Ran, amused, let An Xun lead him to the makeup room, still attracting attention. Even with the fake blood, he looked good. The makeup artist called it a “battle-damaged” aesthetic. If A-Ran was ever truly injured like this, the demons in “Demon World” would riot. An Xun thought that perhaps, when the movie was released internationally, many demons around the world would see A-Ran.
“What are you thinking about?” Lin Ran asked, seeing him lost in thought.
“Thinking about A-Ran,” An Xun replied, looking up at him, making Lin Ran blush, aware of the makeup artist’s curious gaze. An Xun was becoming increasingly clingy. He covered An Xun’s mouth, stopping him from saying anything else embarrassing. An Xun just blinked at him, thinking he looked even more handsome today.
“I’m going back to school soon. Be good, don’t neglect your studies, and I’ll check your homework,” Lin Ran said, crouching down.
“Okay,” An Xun said, his mood dropping, and Lin Ran hugged him, kissing his cheek.
Lu Ya, who had been constantly hovering over them, had changed recently, often absent from the set, and her gaze, when she did appear, was no longer as intense.
“Call me if anything happens,” Lin Ran said, still worried about An Xun’s safety, in case he accidentally revealed his ears or tail.
“She won’t care anymore… She has a new baby brother,” An Xun confessed. Lu Ya had told him, asking him to be nice to his brother.
Lin Ran was stunned, then realized it made sense. He hugged An Xun tightly.
“It’s okay, you have A-Ran.”
“Yes!” An Xun wasn’t as bothered as Lin Ran thought. Perhaps this new brother was a good thing. Fewer arguments. He no longer expected anything from his parents, so he couldn’t be disappointed. He just wanted to grow up quickly and be with A-Ran.
Lin Ran, hugged tightly by An Xun, felt grateful for “Demon World” allowing him to bring the little guy home. He couldn’t imagine how An Xun, with his hearing impairment and demanding work schedule, would cope with being sidelined by his parents. He had to get the second Time Mirror prerequisite and see what was happening in Snowball’s future.
Back home, Jiang Jie was wailing dramatically about him leaving for school, and Grandma was fussing over his luggage.
“I’m just going back to school, not leaving the planet,” he chuckled.
“But I’ll visit you on weekends, Lin-zai!” Jiang Jie said.
“Sure, I’ll show you around S University,” Lin Ran said.
Grandma, however, gave him a snow leopard plushie.
“I saw you looking at this on your phone, so I asked A-Jie to print a picture and I made one for you,” she said, slightly embarrassed.
Lin Ran, holding the plushie, was surprised by her intuition.
“Grandma, do you know how old I am?” he asked, amused.
“You’ll always be my little boy. Right, A-Jie?”
“Of course!” Jiang Jie agreed, and Lin Ran accepted the plushie, an idea forming in his mind.
“Grandma, you shouldn’t be taking on extra work. How about making plushies and selling them on our livestream?”
“But these little dolls aren’t worth anything. No one would buy them,” she said, thinking he was just trying to make her feel useful.
“No, Grandma, young people love these things. And you can do it at home. It’ll keep you busy,” he said, and she seemed intrigued.
“You could even add a name tag, like those fancy foreign brands! ‘Grandma’s Custom Plushies!'” Jiang Jie suggested.
“Or fruit plushies! As gifts with our orders!” Lin Ran added, his mind buzzing with ideas.
“Slow down, you two,” Grandma chuckled, her sadness replaced by amusement. Even if they were just trying to make her happy, she appreciated it.
Lin Ran, holding the plushie, set off for S City.
“Lin-zai—!”
“Missed you so much!” His roommates greeted him enthusiastically, their chorus of “Lin-zai” making him blush.
“Stop calling me that…” he said, handing out their gifts, then being engulfed in their boisterous welcome.
“Dinner’s on me tonight!” Luo Xiao, the wealthiest of the group, whose father owned a large company, offered. He had gotten into S University through a special talent program and often struggled with the coursework, relying on Lin Ran’s notes. He had often wanted to help Lin Ran but had sensed his reluctance. They hadn’t been particularly close before the summer livestream.
“Lin-zai, Xiao bought so much fruit from you, his housekeeper couldn’t even carry it all!”
“He was lucky! It sold out so fast! I missed out on the juice!”
“We’re all your fans now!”
“I can get my family to send you some,” Lin Ran offered.
They noticed a change in him, a newfound openness. Lin Ran also felt more relaxed around them. He had wondered if the change was due to Sootball’s “blessing,” but he now realized he had been the one pushing people away before.
“Lin-zai, found an internship yet? Come work for my dad’s company! Great benefits!” Luo Xiao offered.
“Hey, what about us? Favoritism!” the others protested.
“Look at his grades! My dad wants the best!” Luo Xiao said, blushing.
“I have an interview lined up,” Lin Ran said.
“Already?! So fast!”
“Go for a big company, even if the pay is lower,” Luo Xiao advised.
“It’s Morson Group,” Lin Ran said, and the room fell silent.
“Morson Group?! The Morson Group?!”
“But they don’t hire interns! Is it overseas?” they exclaimed.
“No, it’s in S City. But it’s just an interview. Professor Ding recommended me,” Lin Ran explained, and they turned serious.
“You have to prepare! No gaming in the dorm until then!”
“Morson Group pays a fortune!”
“Relax, it’s just an interview. They’ve never hired interns before,” Lin Ran said, touched by their concern.
“I’ll ask my dad about it,” Luo Xiao offered.
They were impressed. “You’re well-connected!”
“Lin-zai is the one who’s well-connected! I couldn’t get an internship at Morson Group,” Luo Xiao said, feeling slightly embarrassed for his earlier offer.
They looked at Lin Ran, the pride of their dorm.
“Lin-zai, you look even better… and an earring?”
“Is it… weird?” Lin Ran touched his ear, self-conscious.
“Not weird, just… captivating…”
Captivating? They dismissed it as nonsense.
But Lin Ran understood. Was it the egg’s effect? He touched the earring, feeling a warmth.
[The egg has met your friends and wants to protect them. Incubation: +10%.]
This little guy was interesting, already acting like a protective older brother. He chuckled, amused by its personality.
His smile captivated his roommates again, the earring glinting.
He prepared diligently for the Morson Group interview.
Meanwhile, the “Demon World” team was eagerly awaiting the day.
“Will he really come?”
“Offer him more money! Humans love money!”
“Will it be the real A-Ran? But he’s an NPC…”
They all peeked out the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Even Shao Mian, in his office, was fidgeting with the lion plushie, his swishing tail betraying his excitement.
“So, what are you going to ask him?” Abyss asked, worried he would mess things up. A-Ran was perceptive.
“It’s just a few questions…” Shao Mian paced, then stopped by the window, his large figure casting a shadow.
He looked down at the subway exit.
[Destination reached.] Lin Ran exited the subway, shielded his eyes from the glass facade of the Morson Group building, and took a deep breath. This massive building, occupying an entire block, was a testament to Morson Group’s wealth. There must be many applicants. It didn’t matter if he failed. But if he succeeded, he might learn more about “Demon World’s” secrets.
He entered the building, surprised to find no other applicants.
“Are you Mr. Jiang Lin Ran, here for the interview?” a beautiful receptionist with fox-like features asked, making him even more nervous. She was stunning, more suited for a celebrity career.
“Yes, the notification said 9 am. Is the interview on the 43rd floor?” he asked, showing her the notification.
“Let me see!” she said, taking it, then… touching his finger?!
Lin Ran looked at his hand, then at her, thinking he had imagined it. Why would she touch his hand?
But in the demon channel, a chorus of screams erupted:
[She touched him! Liliya touched his finger!][Manager! She violated the rules! No touching A-Ran!][She got a perfect score on the test and still broke the rules! Tests are useless!]
[So what if I did—?!] Liliya’s voice boomed through the channel. [He’s so cute! He looked so surprised, thinking it was an accident. Hee hee. I did it on purpose!] She almost wagged her nonexistent tail.
Tao Shu, watching this, covered his face, dreading Shao Mian’s reaction.
