Chapter 20

He shoved the young man in front of him away with sudden force, nearly tumbling off the hospital bed. Quick as a flash, Andrei wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him.

Luo Li’s voice trembled. “You… how are you here?”

“That’s what I should be asking you, sweetheart.”

Andrei seemed utterly relaxed. He gently scraped a knuckle along Luo Li’s nose, a gesture to tell him to calm down. “This used to be my ward. I only came back to grab a few things. So what about you? How’d you slip out of the Little Black Room?”

“I… I…”

Luo Li’s tongue twisted in knots. He had no idea how to explain. “I was supposed to be working, right? They can’t just keep me locked up forever.”

“So it’s work.”

Andrei’s lips curved in sudden understanding.

He leaned down to sniff at Luo Li’s collar. Even after just a brief hug from the little nurse, it was already laced with a faint, sweet fragrance.

Escaping the Little Black Room, sneaking here in the dead of night, whispering those teasing words, even throwing himself into someone’s arms…

What sort of “work” was he really here for?

Kneeling on the bed, Luo Li trembled with fear, eyes fixed on the sheets to avoid looking up.

The young man’s torso was bare, his olive-toned muscles sharply defined. A blanket draped over his lower half.

“You… put some clothes on!”

Andrei gazed at him with wide-eyed innocence, pointing to the drenched T-shirt draped over a nearby chair.

“I got soaked in the rain on the way in. That’s why I took it off.”

Thunder boomed outside the window. A torrential downpour had started without warning. Given the hospital’s crumbling doors and windows that let wind whistle through everywhere, staying dry in this weather would have been the real surprise.

Luo Li silently scolded himself for jumping to conclusions. His expression eased as he lowered the hand that had been shielding his eyes.

He watched Andrei slide off the bed and yank back a curtain.

Behind it was Wado, wearing Meng Hu’s face. Whatever item had bound it left Wado strapped to another bed, utterly immobile.

“This guy burst in just now and gave me a scare. Sweetheart, did you come looking for him?”

Andrei had stayed in Ward 203 before—he’d never laid eyes on Meng Hu in person. He had no reason to suspect this was Wado yet.

Luo Li couldn’t let him figure out Wado’s true identity.

“No, it’s not that.”

Luo Li stammered through the lie. “Wrong room. I don’t know him.”

He kept his eyes averted from Wado’s. To Andrei, though, the hulking figure he’d tied up visibly shuddered at those words.

A reaction like that? No way they were strangers.

From Wado’s perspective, this was rotten luck. As the instance’s senior boss, even if some patient NPC had started out in this ward, crushing one would have been child’s play.

No one could have predicted a player lurking here, armed with high-grade gear.

Not that it mattered.

The real issue was that this bastard had the nerve to dart out his tongue and lick Lili’s soft lips!

Under the harsh lights, those damp, reddened lips gleamed with a sheen that drew the eye and held it.

Another minute longer, and who knew what else might have happened.

And now Luo Li had the gall to claim he didn’t know Wado.

Andrei’s eyes flicked over Wado. “I see. My mistake, then.”

He withdrew the binding item and turned toward the door, ready to leave. But Luo Li hadn’t budged. A closer look revealed the big man clutching the hem of his skirt.

Luo Li shot Wado frantic glances, willing it to catch on. The dumb monster didn’t get it—its fingertips stayed hooked in the fabric.

Luo Li bit his lower lip and feigned outrage. “I told you, I don’t know you. Let go already.”

Andrei murmured from a few paces away, tone thoughtful. “Speaking of which, have you spotted anything… unnatural around here, sweetheart? I tracked the signs right to this spot. It has to be close.”

A chill broke out along Luo Li’s spine, sweat beading under his clothes.

Right then, 007 whispered in his ear, “Throw some harsh words at it. Otherwise, Wado won’t back off.”

Harsh words…

Luo Li’s tongue felt numb. He clenched his fists tight.

Staring down at Wado, his voice shook. “Don’t touch me with your filthy hands. I told you I don’t know you—I wouldn’t fall for some broke construction grunt even in my next life. Get lost!”

Andrei listened from nearby, his blue eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly.

He stepped up beside Luo Li and slung an arm around his slim shoulders. “Sir, that’s hardly gentlemanly. Be a good sport and let go.”

Wado stared at him without blinking.

Desperate, Luo Li gave a sharp tug to free his skirt from Wado’s grasp.

The sudden yank made the waistband slip down an inch. The edge of his pure white panties flashed into plain view—right in front of Andrei.

Mortified beyond words, Luo Li yanked the skirt back into place. Hands clamped over his burning cheeks, he bolted from the room.

Andrei stayed behind, lost in thought.

…This little nurse doesn’t even wear safety shorts under his skirt.

…

Andrei walked side by side with Luo Li down the hospital corridor.

His gaze lingered on the little nurse, tracing the graceful curve of pale neck peeking from beneath those soft, flowing locks.

This Eastern boy hadn’t fully grown into his frame yet—everything about him screamed innocence. Strictly speaking, he had zero overlap with “sexy.” He wasn’t anything like the fiery white girls Andrei was used to.

By all rights, Luo Li shouldn’t hit any of Andrei’s sweet spots.

But…

【Ugh, who wants to watch some prissy, blushing Asian dude? Especially a guy.】

【What’s wrong with Asians? Skinny pale little babies are adorable.】

【Totally. These Asian cuties act all shy, but deep down they’re total sluts.】

【Don’t forget that photo with the Dean. Put some cash in front of him, and he spreads those legs himself.】

The barrage comments flew anonymously—no holds barred.

Andrei couldn’t be so reckless. Luo Li was definitely on guard against him right now.

Sure enough, the boy piped up softly. “Why’d you say stuff like that earlier?” He fidgeted with the ends of his hair, clearly conflicted. “Special treatment… things like that.”

He figured Andrei had no clue what it meant. The guy didn’t seem like the type to cross lines—he’d always been polite before. Must be some mix-up.

Maybe he had a nurse girlfriend and mistook Luo Li for her in the heat of the moment.

With his looks and money, he probably had plenty of girls chasing him. The playboy type.

So Luo Li, ever accommodating, said kindly, “Even if your girlfriend’s a nurse, you can’t just say that kind of thing to people. It’s disrespectful, you know?”

Andrei blinked. “Girlfriend?”

“Yeah. You must’ve thought I was her just now, right?”

The golden-haired young man flashed a brilliant grin, looking for all the world like a big golden retriever. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Are you misunderstanding something? I’ve been single my whole twenty-three years.”

He ruffled Luo Li’s hair. “I was just testing that guy for you. I got a bad vibe—like he had designs on you. Better to shake him off quick, right?”

He crouched down to meet Luo Li’s eyes at eye level, voice gentle. “Sorry for brushing your lips. Wasn’t on purpose. Just putting on a full show, you know? Symbolic.”

Symbolic…

True, it wasn’t a real kiss—just a quick lick.

Framed that way, it almost made sense.

Luo Li’s tension eased. “Well… okay, then.”

Andrei straightened, scratching his head. “Honestly, though, sweetheart—you’re way too pretty. Like a little lolita. If I didn’t know you were a boy, I might’ve actually gone for a kiss.”

The blunt American heir’s words were so direct they set Luo Li’s ears aflame. He couldn’t let it show, so he stiffly changed the subject. “What about you? What’s next? I can’t let Kang Xun and the others spot me. I should go.”

Truth was, he hadn’t forgotten about Wado. He couldn’t just abandon it—not really. He just wanted Andrei out of the way first.

“They’re busy taking down Wado right now. No time to hunt for you.” Andrei paused. “You know about Wado, don’t you? It’s the source of all the monsters in this hospital.”

He urged Luo Li to listen closely.

Muffled gunshots echoed in fits and starts from the direction of the main hall.

With Andrei gone, the other players would find Wado. They’d kill it.

“Sweetheart, why the long face? Wado’s a monster. Killing monsters is normal, right?” Andrei rubbed his cheek, puzzled. “Hey, don’t be scared. I’ll stick with you.”

Luo Li muttered, “No thanks…”

Andrei didn’t catch it. “What?”

“I said no thanks!”

The boy shoved him away and broke into a run, dashing headlong toward the main hall without a backward glance.

Every window lay shattered. Thunder crashed as sheets of rain poured through the gaps, swiftly soaking his long hair and clothes.

Luo Li hugged his arms tight against the chill. Rain blurred his vision until he lost his bearings entirely.

The vast, pitch-black lobby was littered with broken glass. He’d lost one of his little leather shoes somewhere along the way.

His stockings tore on the shards, blood welling from the sole and leaving spotted trails on the floor.

Luo Li wiped rain from his face and strained to hear the rising gunfire and footsteps. A wave of helplessness crashed over him.

How could he have left Wado behind? Doomed it to face all those terrifying players alone.

How could he be so useless…

Pain throbbed from his feet in waves, Luo Li’s nose tingled with emotion, and he began to sob softly.

He couldn’t run any longer.

He couldn’t even see where Wado was now.

If things kept going like this, the key he’d worked so hard to obtain would surely be snatched away by a Player too…

What on earth should he do…

Tears splattered onto the floor as Luo Li hung his head in defeat. But just then, he heard the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps.

A large hand clad in a black leather glove rose up and gently brushed across his tear-streaked cheek.

Luo Li looked up in a daze. In the instant lightning flashed, he made out the figure of the man standing before him.

The man was dressed in a crisp black military uniform, his frame exceptionally tall and burly—not the least bit inferior to a monster like Wado.

He blocked the rain pouring in from the window outside. Droplets slid down his sharply angular jaw before dripping onto the gleaming insignia on his chest.

With one arm, the man wrapped around Luo Li’s waist and scooped him up.

And in his other hand, astonishingly, he held the little leather shoe Luo Li had lost while running.

Perched in the man’s arm, Luo Li went rigid all over, unsure whether shock or fear weighed on him more in that moment.

Officer… Dean…

Foster Father.

Could it be…