Chapter 172: Lives Like Ants, People Like Weeds
Fu Cheng knew he shouldn’t be sulking at Shen Lu.
But the thought of her staring at Xue Can’s bare torso just moments ago ignited an inexplicable anger within him.
’My physique isn’t bad either. Granted, I haven’t worked out in so long that my muscles aren’t as defined, but...’
Fu Cheng suddenly realized that, at the end of the day, he was a disabled man with incomplete limbs. Xue Can might be inferior to him in other areas, but he could run and jump. He was a whole person. That fact alone was enough to completely eclipse him.
The man grew even more despondent.
Shen Lu misinterpreted Fu Cheng’s silence, assuming he was in too much pain to type. She immediately put down her spoon and went to unwrap his bandages.
"Wounds get infected easily in this damp weather. Is yours inflamed? That shouldn’t be possible. I’ve been changing your dressings on schedule."
Shen Lu muttered to herself, running through all the possible reasons for his discomfort.
The man suddenly grabbed her hand, and a few indistinct syllables escaped his throat.
"Shen... Lu..."
Shen Lu’s eyes widened. She looked up in astonishment. "You can talk?"
Calling out Shen Lu’s name had taken all of Fu Cheng’s strength. His chest heaved, and he seemed to want to say more, but his vocal cords failed him, refusing to vibrate again.
Fu Cheng had no choice but to send a message: I’m not in pain. I’m just in a bad mood.
Fu Cheng didn’t like to over-explain things to people; he was a man of few words.
But when it came to Shen Lu, he couldn’t stand the thought of her misunderstanding him.
"Why are you in a bad mood?" Shen Lu began to answer her own question. "Is it because you’re recovering too slowly? But didn’t we get you checked out at the hospital? Considering the extent of your injuries, your current condition is already a miracle."
The hospital had sent the last check-up report to Shen Lu, and of course, many of his levels weren’t normal.
But Fu Cheng was a trauma patient, so having abnormal readings was, paradoxically, normal.
The doctor also said that Fu Cheng had an excellent constitution and strong regenerative abilities. With careful nursing and proper nutrition, he would be able to stand again.
The doctor even recommended she have Fu Cheng treated at the hospital with a "strengthening nutrient shot" that cost 100,000 a pop. One a day for half a year, and he’d be guaranteed to recover at the fastest possible rate.
Shen Lu was speechless. ’Do I look like I’m made of money?’
Still, she discussed it with Fu Cheng. He didn’t want to go to the hospital, so Shen Lu respected his wishes and continued to let him recuperate at home.
Fu Cheng was miserable.
He wasn’t in a bad mood because of his physical condition, but how was he supposed to explain the real reason to Shen Lu?
Was he supposed to tell her he saw her sneak several peeks at the shirtless Xue Can?
After running through various excuses in his head, a dejected Fu Cheng typed out a few words.
Fu Cheng: Xue Can is not a good person.
It dawned on Shen Lu. "You don’t like Xue Can?"
Fu Cheng: Yeah.
"But it’s not like you two have to deal with each other," Shen Lu said, confused. "You don’t have to like him, but it shouldn’t be so bad that you can’t even eat, right?"
Fu Cheng: I’m worried he’ll do something to hurt you. He’s tried to harm you more than once before.
"That’s true. But we’re partners now. As long as he has any sense of professional integrity, he won’t make a move on his own boss."
’Besides, he wouldn’t get far even if he did try anything. I have a one-hundred-percent damage reflection ability protecting me.’
"Don’t worry, don’t worry. You can rest assured I’ll watch out for myself." Shen Lu patted the back of his hand. "So, are you going to eat or not?"
He hated it when she used that tone, as if she were placating a child.
But at this point, pressing the issue would just make him seem petty and unreasonable.
Fu Cheng felt like he was wasting his breath.
He heaved a deep sigh and shook his head, indicating that he wasn’t going to eat.
So, Shen Lu cleared away the bowl and chopsticks and went downstairs.
The heavy rain showed no signs of letting up by ten o’clock that night, so Shen Lu offered to let Xue Can stay over. After all, there was a spare room in the employee dorms, with a bed and blankets all ready to go.
Before Xue Can could answer, Xiao Lang hugged his leg in delight. "Uncle, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Xue Can began to regret giving the little guy pointers about his superpower. Before, Xiao Lang had clearly been a bit in awe of him. Now, he wouldn’t stop with the "uncle this" and "uncle that." It was giving him a headache.
’And another thing, why does he call me ’Uncle’ but call Shen Lu ’Big Sis’? Do we really look that far apart in age?’
"Stop calling me Uncle," Xue Can said, his patience spent. "And no, I’m not sleeping with you."
Xiao Lang’s face fell, and he let out a disappointed "Oh."
Shen Lu brought Xue Can some toiletries and showed him to employee room number three.
"Boss Shen," Xue Can called out as Shen Lu was turning to leave.
"Yes?" Shen Lu looked up. "Is there something else?"
"Xiao Lang is about to have his second awakening. You should have his mother keep an eye on him."
"Second awakening?" That was a new one on her; Shen Lu had never heard the term before. "And how do you know Xiao Lang awakened once before?"
"If you were a Superpower User, you’d be able to tell."
’There’s also the fact that your Superpower Level needs to be high enough. But I won’t be telling Shen Lu that.’
"Alright. So, what should we be on the lookout for? He failed his last awakening because he didn’t have enough energy. Will he need to go to the hospital for one of those strengthening nutrient shots this time?"
"No, he’ll be fine right here in the shop."
’Why would he need a hospital? Shen Lu’s food is packed with nutrients and has a miraculous effect on the Spiritual Sea. Staying here is better than any hospital. I guarantee the little guy will awaken smoothly without any trouble.’
"Okay. Thanks for the heads-up."
...
Before heading to bed, Shen Lu went up to the third floor.
Ye Fan had already taken care of Fang Peng’s corpse, placing it in a black body bag.
She wasn’t sure if the Fang family and Wang Daguo had been held up, but they hadn’t come by in the afternoon when the rain let up, so Ye Fan had no choice but to leave the body to the side.
"Boss Shen, what are you doing up here in the middle of the night?"
He’d killed eighty people, if not a hundred; being around a corpse was nothing to him. But Shen Lu was a delicate young woman. Wasn’t she afraid, coming up here in the dead of night?
"I came to pay my respects."
The System Mall didn’t sell things like joss paper or incense, and with the rain, it was inconvenient for Shen Lu to go out and buy them. So she had to keep it simple, arranging a small plate of fruit and another of pastries in front of Fang Peng’s body.
Although Fang Peng’s death had absolutely nothing to do with her, he had ultimately died on her territory. With his body still lying on the third floor, it only felt right and proper for her to pay her respects.
Ye Fan found the scene novel; he hadn’t witnessed anything like it in a long time.
In the Lower City District, the dead were carted away by corpse collectors almost immediately. And when he was on a mission, fallen comrades were buried where they fell. There was never an opportunity, or time, for memorials.
He asked curiously, "Did you know him when he was alive, Boss Shen?"
"No."
"You didn’t know him, but you’re still making offerings?"
"I feel sorry for him."
Shen Lu sighed. It wasn’t just Fang Peng; she felt that many people here were pitiable.
Lives were as fragile as ants, people as worthless as weeds.
Here, most lives were simply insignificant.