latelenovela Chapter 401 "Infecting the World" - Male Mother (12)
Chapter 401 "Infecting the World" - Male Mother (12)
"but?"
Lu Liruan is now used to him saying one thing and then hiding another.
It always seemed like he couldn't finish his sentence at once; saying even half a sentence more would exhaust him.
Lu Liruan felt that whenever it came to anything related to his work, he would look gloomy, sigh constantly, and seem lifeless...
It's obvious that she really dislikes going to work.
I hate going to work even more because it happens right here at home.
"However, we need to deal with the situation outside the door before it can truly be over."
"The kind of handling you're talking about... is like what you did a couple of days ago?"
Liao Tingyuan nodded.
What will happen if we don't address this?
"I don't know, but when I went out the next day, I could smell a very strong stench. I think only I could smell it."
As Liao Tingyuan said this, his nose wrinkled slightly, revealing a rare expression of disgust.
Lu Liruan rarely saw him, and she rarely showed any significant change in expression. From this, it can be deduced that the smell must have been extremely unpleasant...
Lu Liruan guessed that it was when she hadn't felt anything, or when she hadn't yet entered the mission world.
Liao Tingyuan made some attempts.
"A bit like……"
Liao Tingyuan regained his original expression.
"Like what?" Lu Liruan gestured for him not to leave things unfinished.
“It’s like something that people have to notice, have to feel… have to face,” Liao Tingyuan said softly.
Lu Liruan was taken aback.
He then understood what Liao Tingyuan meant.
According to him, these things are currently in a specific time of night.
Even if someone went through the trash the next day, they wouldn't find that terrifying package.
In other words, the remains of what one sees at night may disappear the next day, or they may never be seen at all.
What Liao Tingyuan just said confirms this.
He could smell the stench, but others couldn't.
But this smell seemed to be a punishment for his neglect and inaction.
This led to the discipline and requirement that they must do something... which, in Lu Luli Ruan's understanding, was unnecessary.
Even if these products are left at the door, no one will see them the next day; they can simply be left there.
But they still have to do some processing, just as Liao Tingyuan said: it's like forcing them, demanding that they pay attention and feel.
"You have a point."
Lu Liruan watched as he took a new pair of rubber gloves out of the kitchen drawer. A quick glance revealed that there was probably another stack of new, unopened rubber gloves in the drawer.
Noticing Lu Liruan's gaze, Liao Tingyuan casually explained, "I bought it a few days ago."
"Oh."
Lu Liruan thought to herself: I didn't actually suspect that you were preparing these things at home, ready to do something shady at any time.
Liao Tingyuan remembered the expression on Lu Liruan's face after she knocked her briefcase to the ground on the stairs that day.
Extremely shocked, but trying hard to hide it.
Its eyes darted around in their sockets, making it seem like it could transform into a giant rabbit on all fours and dart away from the scene at any moment.
Liao Tingyuan: ...
Such a vivid expression! Don't feel guilty just by looking at it.
At the time, Liao Tingyuan actually wanted to explain.
He had noticed Lu Liruan. That day at the supermarket, when he helped her take instant noodles from the shelf, Liao Tingyuan sensed something unusual about her the moment their fingers touched.
Even if it were just an ordinary neighbor, Liao Tingyuan didn't really want to leave the other person with the worry and fear that a suspicious person was living in the building.
But the incident happened so suddenly that Liao Tingyuan didn't even know how he came up with such an absurd and nonsensical reason...
The other person gave him a forced smile, and Liao Tingyuan even felt that he saw the corners of her mouth twitch twice.
The little girl then put on an expression of sudden realization, understanding, and an exaggeratedly profound comprehending look.
Oh no, the more I try to explain, the worse it gets...
After Lu Liruan fled as if running away, Liao Tingyuan stood alone on the stairs.
Thinking of the neighbors downstairs who were terrified by me, who have to stay up all night cleaning and go out during the day to search for their missing colleagues who are still missing.
A faint, weary sense of death welled up in Liao Tingyuan's heart.
Lu Liruan didn't know what had happened, but she saw Liao Tingyuan standing there motionless, his body slightly leaning forward, his arms resting on the kitchen counter, looking very tired.
"Hey? What's wrong with you?"
Lu Liruan was startled, hoping that something might happen to Liao Tingyuan at this time.
I can't handle this by myself!
No matter what happens, I can't handle it myself!
Before Lu Liruan arrived, she still harbored the ambition to protect Liao Tingyuan.
But somehow, it completely vanished without a trace...
Well, let's just let things take their course and see how things go.
Lu Liruan comforted herself, thinking that perhaps Liao Qingyuan was so calm and collected that all she needed to do was remind him to be careful!
As Lu Liruan thought this, she also felt that her idea was pure nonsense.
If it were that simple, the system wouldn't have thrown itself here.
However, psychological fears are not so easy to overcome.
Just like everyone knows ghosts are fake. But after watching a horror movie, there are still countless people who are afraid to walk alone at night or sleep alone...
Lu Liruan comforted herself again: Never mind, it's not shameful.
Liao Tingyuan was awakened from his tired and worried state by Lu Liruan's voice, and slowly straightened up: "It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of some unhappy things."
Lu Liruan: ...
Why are you thinking about unhappy things at this time?
Isn't what's happening now enough to make you unhappy?
At Lu Liruan's suggestion, Liao Tingyuan brought her a pair of gloves as well.
As he handed it to Lu Liruan, he said with some concern, "You stay inside, I can go by myself."
“I’ll go with you.” Lu Liruan took a deep breath.
Although she was scared, Lu Liruan's curiosity was also piqued.
Especially... Lu Liruan thought of the kittens jumping around and rubbing against her trouser legs.
Lu Liruan wanted to figure out what exactly was going on.
What exactly is this infected space and the source of infection? How could it have such a terrifying effect on a kitten!
Liao Tingyuan didn't stop him anymore. His protection of Lu Liruan wasn't reflected in her standing behind him or preventing her from facing what was happening.
He only protected Lu Liruan from danger, and he was happy for Lu Liruan to explore, experience, and learn.
Lu Liruan doesn't have time to think about these things right now.
After putting on the gloves, she took two deep breaths to calm herself down.
When the door was opened, the horrific scene outside was exactly as she had seen in her last moments…
But at this moment, whether he was already mentally prepared or whether Liao Tingyuan's reassurance had worked, he didn't know.
Lu Liruan did not appear, despite the urgent and uncontrollable situation just now.
She still feels sadness and grief, but at this moment, her emotions seem to originate more from Lu Liruan herself.
She was concerned about the kittens that had perished in this space...
Some feelings are sad and heartbreaking.
Lu Liruan herself was able to sense and distinguish it.
Although Liao Tingyuan didn't say anything, Lu Liruan watched him walk to the stairs, pick up the most terrifying kitten with both hands, its stiff body, and gently place it in the bag that Lu Liruan had opened.
Lu Liruan heard him sigh very softly. Looking down from Lu Liruan's angle, his eyelashes were lowered, and there was an indescribable tenderness and pity in him, which was gentle and touching.
Lu Liruan's nose stung again, and she coughed twice to suppress the tears welling up in her eyes.
Lu Liruan was behind and Liao Tingyuan was in front. The two worked together seamlessly to collect the bodies of the kittens.
Lu Liruan held it in her hand.
It's not heavy at all.
Those kittens were all very thin; the three of them together weighed so little, it made my heart ache...
Lu Liruan actually wanted to say: Why don't we find a place to bury the kittens?
But then I thought again, it's almost 2 a.m., even if they bury the kitten today, it will still disappear when it gets light.
This also unnecessarily increases Liao Tingyuan's workload, since digging a hole where he can sell things is not something he can do alone.
Lu Liruan swallowed her words.
"what happened?"
As Liao Tingyuan took off his gloves, he watched in the dim light as the girl beside him opened her mouth and then closed it again.
"It's nothing, I just feel sorry for her," Lu Liruan said dismissively.
"Hmm." Liao Tingyuan didn't say anything more.
The two walked downstairs quietly.
Two nights ago, Lu Liruan was so focused on the person she was following that she almost completely ignored everything around her.
When Lu Liruan went out of the building again today, she felt as if the entire night had been frozen in time.
On ordinary nights, there's often not a breath of wind. Everything is still, but the feeling is different from now.
I feel like I've stepped into a photograph...
Only he and Liao Tingyuan were moving; everything around them was different.
Liao Tingyuan walked in front, and she followed closely behind.
The moment the black garbage bag in Liao Tingyuan's hand fell into the garbage can, the solidified feeling seemed to vanish and dissolve instantly.
Everything started flowing again: the air moved, time and space moved, and the whole world moved!
"Now...it's recovered, right?" Lu Liruan took a deep breath. In the summer night, the scent of plants breathing at night was fresh and cool.
"Mm." Liao Tingyuan nodded. Following Lu Liruan's example, he stood still, tilted his head back slightly, and took two deep breaths.
Then, he raised his hand and rubbed his eyes.
"Are you sleepy?" Lu Liruan noticed his movement.
"It's alright." Liao Tingyuan wasn't particularly sleepy; he just felt mentally exhausted.
But when facing Lu Liruan, he felt that as someone who was... somewhat of a senior, he couldn't say it outright.
This is the sense of responsibility of a corporate slave.
Lu Liruan followed the path and looked outside the side gate of the residential area.
"I'm going to buy an ice cream, do you want some?"
Although she felt that everything around her had returned to normal, the pain and torment that Lu Liruan had just experienced were real.
It did not disappear as the surroundings recovered.
Lu Liruan felt her stomach refluxing upwards, and now she felt a burning sensation from her throat to her stomach, which was extremely uncomfortable. She wanted to eat some popsicles to cool down.
Five minutes later, the two sat on the exercise equipment for the elderly in the courtyard, each holding a plain shaved ice cream without cream, eating it in silence.
Lu Liruan wanted orange flavor, while Liao Tingyuan wanted lemon flavor.
After finishing her meal, Lu Liruan swayed absentmindedly on the treadmill.
Liao Tingyuan, who was standing to the side, was afraid of being kicked by the kicker that was being swung higher and higher. So he sat on the other side of the seesaw that was for children to play on, his long legs on the ground, and he swayed back and forth.
Neither of them spoke, as if they were both silently processing something, and they just stayed there in silence.
After an unknown amount of time, a man's off-key humming came from the road outside the courtyard.
The footsteps drew closer, and before Lu Liruan could even see clearly what the person who turned in looked like.
Then a terrified voice rang out: "Damn it!"
"Are you crazy? Playing on the exercise equipment in the middle of the night without making a sound, you're insane! Don't you know you can scare people to death?!"
A man's drunken cursing reached their ears.
Oh, right, now there aren't just the two of them here anymore...
After the drunken older brother, shirtless and swinging his shirt, walked into the building, the two of them sheepishly headed towards Unit 5.
When Lu Liruan got to the fifth floor, she wanted to go home, but found that her belongings and keys were still at Liao Tingyuan's house.
"You wait here, I'll go up and get it for you." Liao Tingyuan raised his hand and rubbed his temples.
"I'll go get it myself." Lu Liruan thought to herself: I don't know if it's just my imagination, but Liao Tingyuan's dark circles seem to have gotten even darker...
Liao Tingyuan didn't argue with her. When the two of them entered Liao Tingyuan's room, Lu Liruan opened her arms, and the cold air from the air conditioner quickly embraced her.
As things return to normal, the heat of summer arrives.
She was fine when the wind was blowing downstairs, but once she entered the building and went up a few floors, fine beads of sweat appeared on Lu Liruan's temples again.
Liao Tingyuan glanced at it as he closed the door and changed his shoes.
He hesitated for a moment: "You can stay here with me."
"Huh?" Lu Liruan turned around subconsciously.
Liao Tingyuan pointed to the air conditioner that was working: "You can sleep more comfortably then."
Lu Liruan was a little touched: "When I get too hot, I'll come to your house and use your sofa."
She was very familiar with Liao Tingyuan, without even realizing it herself.
She started working at a very young age. Because of her young age and low education level, some people around her were kind to her, but there were also quite a few who wanted to take advantage of her or deceive her.
Lu Liruan was always very vigilant; she would smile at people but remain wary in her heart.
Looking at the naive and innocent young girl, I knew perfectly well what was going on.
This has become part of her personality.
But she was quite relaxed when she was with Liao Tingyuan.
Perhaps it's because Liao Tingyuan's temperament is so non-aggressive, so gentle and peaceful, and so meticulous and thoughtful.
Also, the fact that they went through such a tense and exciting environment together could be considered a kind of suspension bridge effect... which quickly brought them closer together.
"You can sleep in my room. My sofa can be converted into a folding bed. The living room is too small, and the air conditioner is too close to the sofa. You'll easily catch a cold if it blows directly on you."
Lu Liruan made a casual remark, but Liao Tingyuan answered very seriously.