Chapter 148
The actor’s face, already grim, darkened further at the sight of Shen Wen.
He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with envy as he looked at Shen Wen’s smooth, golden hair.
Shen Wen, sensing his animosity, glanced at him coldly.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
The assistant director, seeing Shen Wen’s wariness, quickly handed him his business card.
“You must have heard, we’re filming a family-friendly reality show in your complex. Would you and your son be interested in making a guest appearance? We’re flexible with the compensation.”
Shen Wen didn’t take the card. He looked the plump assistant director up and down, his voice still cold.
“Not interested. Leave.”
The assistant director quickly blocked the closing door.
“Please reconsider! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! With your family’s looks, you’ll be incredibly popular!”
Shen Wen’s patience was wearing thin, his light-colored eyes turning icy.
“No. Leave.”
Not everyone wanted to be in the spotlight. Shen Wen wasn’t interested in fame, only in raising Xing Nuo well.
The assistant director, the door slamming in his face, sighed, then frowned.
“What an idiot! Such a good opportunity, and he doesn’t even want it. Serves him right for being a nobody.”
The actor, however, was relieved.
He couldn’t imagine being on the same show as Shen Wen, the inevitable comparison too horrifying to contemplate.
Fortunately, that idiot had refused.
Shen Wen, closing the door, chuckled coldly.
What strange people.
He turned and saw Xing Nuo still crouching by the box.
“Xing Nuo, stop playing with that. Time for your bath.”
Xing Nuo, his face smudged with dirt, his little topknot bobbing, looked up and replied obediently:
“Okay.”
He gave up on examining the strange little shovel and let his dad take him to the bathroom.
After his bath, smelling of soap, his eyelashes damp, he wandered around the living room in his pajamas, making sure the little shovel, locked safely in the box, hadn’t escaped, then, feeling reassured,
yawned and, without waiting for his dad to tuck him in, went to bed.
Shen Wen, emerging from the bathroom, his arms crossed, his face cold, looked at Wen Xingxue.
“Wen Xingxue, is this how you parent?”
He sat down on the sofa, his anger simmering.
“Xing Nuo almost got his leg injured, and you just let that person go?”
Wen Xingxue, having come to visit Xing Nuo, had sensed a familiar player energy fluctuation the moment he arrived.
Someone was controlling the little shovel, trying to attack Xing Nuo!
He had quickly intercepted the shovel and, sensing the player’s presence, had given chase.
He had pursued the player to a high-level dungeon and, after a brief but brutal fight, had left him badly injured.
The player, his arm broken, had looked at Wen Xingxue, his eyes wide with surprise.
“That child…is he yours?”
Wen Xingxue hadn’t answered, his face grim, his knife raised.
“Why did you hurt him?”
The player, sensing his murderous intent, had used a high-level escape prop.
He had returned to Central City, where fighting was forbidden, punishable by permanent banishment.
Central City was the only safe haven for players, and even with their grudges and rivalries, they didn’t dare fight there.
Unable to kill the player, Wen Xingxue had used another prop to return to the real world and told Shen Wen what had happened.
Shen Wen’s face was icy, his eyes filled with rage.
Wen Xingxue, his head down, not daring to meet his gaze, his voice low and apologetic, said:
“There are too many restrictions on players. I’m sorry.”
His dejected demeanor reminded Shen Wen of the spineless husband downstairs, always cowering in front of his wife.
Shen Wen’s face darkened further, and he waved Wen Xingxue away.
“Get out. I don’t want to see you right now. I’ll deal with this player myself.”
Wen Xingxue’s hoarse voice whispered:
“Shen Wen, it was my fault. But that player is easy to deal with. What about the actor?”
If the player dared to enter a dungeon again, either he or Shen Wen could easily kill him.
But what about the actor in the real world?
Shen Wen paused, seeing the gentleness in Wen Xingxue’s eyes, and quickly looked away.
“What do you mean? Do you have a plan?”
The real world had stricter rules and order, and the actor, a public figure, couldn’t be dealt with using their usual methods.
Wen Xingxue didn’t answer, but that night, he appeared in Qi Yao’s apartment.
Qi Yao, a night owl, had just woken up, his hair a mess, when he sensed an intruder.
He couldn’t see Wen Xingxue, but he could sense his presence.
“What are you doing here? Any news from the player world?”
He ran a hand through his hair, trying to look more presentable.
Wen Xingxue’s hoarse voice rasped:
“That actor filming in your complex…his brother is a player. Investigate him. This player…has harmed many people in the real world.”
Qi Yao’s worst fears had been realized.
So, players are already contacting people in the real world!
He had been afraid of this, of players using their abilities and props to harm ordinary people, disrupting the world’s order.
But he had thought it would take a few more years. After all, Wen Xingxue had said that the props required to appear in the real world were incredibly expensive.
Even Lin Yan, his contact, couldn’t afford them.
Points were a player’s lifeline!
Qi Yao’s face darkened.
“How did you find out?”
Wen Xingxue snorted, his eyes filled with a cold rage.
“The actor thinks Xing Nuo is a threat to his son’s career. He contacted his player brother and ordered him to harm Xing Nuo.”
Qi Yao hissed, cursing under his breath, his brow furrowed.
“I understand. Leave this to me.”
Having harmed others, regardless of the method, they would pay the price!
Under the scorching summer sun,
Xing Nuo, avoiding the film crew and the actor, who always looked down on him, had been staying home for the past few days.
He stood in the living room, dressed in his little white martial arts uniform, practicing his moves, following a video tutorial on the TV.
It was his homework from his martial arts teacher.
He practiced diligently every day, his little fists punching the air, yelling “Hiya!”
Shen Baizhou, sprawled on the sofa, no longer needing to study, seemed to have lost all his energy, either lying down or sitting, his usual laziness amplified.
Watching his little brother’s serious expression, he peeled a banana and offered it to Xing Nuo.
Xing Nuo, his forehead covered in sweat, panting slightly, shook his head, refusing the snack.
“I finish pwactice first. Teacher said…no stop once stawted.”
He then turned and kicked his little leg in the air.
Shen Baizhou, looking at the little one, his leg barely reaching his knee, hopping and kicking, chuckled, amused.
He continued to watch, recording Xing Nuo’s practice on his phone.
Xing Nuo, having finished his practice, huffed at his brother and flexed his arm.
“Teacher said…I stwong now. See? Muscles!”
Shen Baizhou leaned closer, poked his soft, chubby arm, and clicked his tongue.
“Not very noticeable.”
Xing Nuo, ignoring his brother’s clumsy attempt at a compliment, went to get some water, drinking two large glasses, then turned to his brother.
“We go buy ice cweam? Big Brother pwomised.”
Shen Baizhou pinched Xing Nuo’s cheek and said, gritting his teeth:
“You told on me! Shen Yan fwoze my account! No money for ice cweam! We’ll have to leave you at the shop as collateral!”
Xing Nuo giggled, his eyes crinkling into a smile, and took out two crumpled bills from his pocket.
“Big Brother, look! I have two yuans!”
He wasn’t sure when he had put them there, but he was delighted to find them.
The brothers exchanged glances, seeing that the security cameras weren’t on, and grinned.
“Let’s go!”
Shen Baizhou, grabbing Xing Nuo’s hand, led him downstairs to buy ice cream.
Xing Nuo, still in his martial arts uniform, his cheeks flushed from the heat, no longer looked as frail and sickly as before.
Shen Baizhou, looking at his little brother’s small frame, remembering how often he used to get sick, felt a surge of warmth and pride.
Father’s decision was right. Living in the human world is good for Xing Nuo.
Xing Nuo hadn’t used the blood pool in almost two years and hadn’t had a fever in a long time.
He had probably forgotten that he had spent most of his early childhood soaking in the blood pool.
Xing Nuo, oblivious to his brother’s thoughts, his hand clutching the money, said excitedly:
“I want the pointy one!”
Two yuans could buy the cheapest ice cream cone, and he loved the pointy tip the most!
Shen Baizhou didn’t argue. He would get the rest anyway.
He enjoyed sharing food with his little brother, especially when Xing Nuo would look at him with pleading eyes and say:
“Big Brother, save some for me!”
He found his little brother’s antics both amusing and endearing.
Xing Nuo, humming a tune, walking with his brother, passed the small garden and saw the actor carrying a bag of groceries, walking towards them.
The actor was followed by a camera crew and other staff members, their equipment ready.
Seeing the brothers, his face flickered with a mix of emotions, then he smiled and greeted them casually:
“Our neighbors! Going shopping too?”
