TECSBRO | 70 | Hard Mode | 03
The strange images in Rong Que's mind felt incredibly real, as if he had truly experienced them himself.
But why was Lu Xu already an adult in that fragment? Could it be that he could foresee the future?
Rong Que knew very well that such fantastical things shouldn’t be believed, nor should they affect his relationship with Lu Xu, whom he had grown up with.
However, when Lu Xu touched him earlier, the unease that came from deep within his soul was impossible to ignore.
Rong Que splashed cold water on his face, trying to clear his mind.
"Rong Que?"
A voice that he had never heard before but somehow felt strangely familiar rang out from the doorway. "Do you remember me?"
Rong Que looked up, and for some reason, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see the young man from the stage standing there.
Perhaps the strange images in his mind were because of this young man. "No, I don’t. Who are you?"
The young man’s expression was odd, but he still asked the question that puzzled him the most. "Why are you with... it?"
He actually wanted to say "that monster."
But the intimacy between Rong Que and that creature made him hesitate.
He had thought that Rong Que had regained his memories and was deliberately getting close to the monster.
But from the looks of it, that wasn’t the case.
He knew Rong Que’s protective nature well, so he didn’t directly call the creature a monster.
Rong Que immediately realized who the young man was referring to. Was there supposed to be some connection between the three of them? "Do you know us?"
Seeing that Rong Que truly didn’t remember him at all, the young man seemed troubled. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, "This time, were you adopted by foster parents?"
Rong Que caught the strange wording.
"This time."
What did that mean?
Rong Que could tell that the other person meant no harm, so he answered directly, "I wasn’t adopted."
Hearing this, the young man’s eyes lit up instantly. "Then I can adopt you."
Rong Que knew the other person was wealthy, but he could also sense that the young man seemed to have some other feelings toward Lu Xu.
But he couldn’t abandon Lu Xu, the Lu Xu he had grown up with, just because of some strange and nonsensical images.
Rong Que shook his head. "Thank you, but no."
After saying this, Rong Que stepped past him and walked out, not wanting to stay in the same room any longer.
That strange feeling had grown even stronger after the young man arrived.
As Rong Que walked out of the bathroom, he saw Lu Xu hiding by the door.
Lu Xu’s face was full of dejection.
He was clutching the hem of his shirt, his head slightly lowered. "Brother Rong Que, am I holding you back again?"
Lu Xu wanted Rong Que to have a better life.
But he also selfishly didn’t want to be apart from Rong Que.
If Rong Que were adopted, he would truly be alone.
Rong Que had already composed himself. He took Lu Xu’s hand and walked out. "No, Xiao Lu , we won’t be separated."
The young man by the sink could naturally hear their conversation.
He stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Rong Que clearly hadn’t regained his memories from his past life, yet the course of events had changed from what they were before.
He could tell that both Rong Que and Lu Xu’s school uniforms were worn and faded, clearly indicating they weren’t living well.
In his past life, Rong Que had been adopted by foster parents and, though he didn’t live well either, how could a child from an orphanage without memories of his past life refuse to be adopted?
Could it really be because of that monster?
In this life, they seemed to share a deep bond.
The young man hadn't given up on adopting Rong Que; he planned to take it slow.
After the graduation ceremony, it was time for the cafeteria buffet.
Today, the cafeteria had specially prepared a table full of snacks, various foods, and drinks for the graduates.
Lu Xu and Rong Que, who had rarely eaten their fill, naturally enjoyed a delicious meal.
After eating, they sold their old books and separately sold the notes of the top ten students in their grade to the lowerclassmen.
They earned a few hundred yuan in pocket money.
After the holiday, they had no choice but to return to the orphanage together.
While other children had parents to help them move their belongings, Lu Xu and Rong Que had to carry a large bag themselves.
Fortunately, they didn't have much, so it wasn't too difficult.
However, taking these things on the bus was a bit troublesome.
At that moment, a luxury car neither of them had seen before stopped in front of them.
The window rolled down, and it was the same young man.
Rong Que frowned; it seemed this person hadn't given up on adopting him.
"Let me take you back," the young man greeted them kindly.
Lu Xu hid behind Rong Que because, in his eyes, this young man was here to take Rong Que away.
Seeing this, Rong Que shook his head.
The young man looked at Lu Xu, seemingly trying to observe if he was also reborn.
But Rong Que subtly moved to block the young man's less-than-friendly gaze.
Seeing this, the young man suddenly smiled, "You two are exceptional. I'd like to adopt you both. Would that be okay?"
Rong Que frowned; the man was willing to take Lu Xu too.
But he wasn't sure if the man had any ill intentions toward Lu Xu.
Hearing this, Lu Xu finally peeked out. He had always wanted to be adopted with Rong Que.
But no one had ever wanted him.
Seeing Lu Xu's interest, the young man continued, "How about we talk in the car? I won't pressure you; you can take your time to consider."
At the same time, the driver got out, took their luggage, and placed it in the trunk, then opened the car door for them.
The car was spacious, and Rong Que found it hard to refuse the condition that Lu Xu could also be adopted.
He decided to talk and learn more about the situation.
After they got in the car, the young man introduced himself, "My name is Qi Sui. You're Rong Que and Lu Xu, right?"
Lu Xu nodded cautiously, while Rong Que remained silent, waiting for Qi Sui to provide more information.
Qi Sui didn't mind and continued, "I visited your classroom and spoke with your homeroom teacher. Lu Xu loves painting and has talent. I can provide him with a studio, a teacher, all the materials, and cover all his tuition. That's why I want to adopt him. You don't need to suspect I have any ulterior motives."
"As for Rong Que, you resemble an old friend of mine. It's fate, and you two get along well, so you won't have to be separated."
The conditions Qi Sui offered were almost impossible to refuse, and his reasons were sound.
Plus, everyone knew Qi Sui was the son of the wealthiest man, so there was nothing he could possibly want from them.
Rong Que didn't believe in free lunches.
But he also felt the sense of familiarity Qi Sui mentioned.
Moreover, Lu Xu truly had talent, and Rong Que didn't want to waste it, so he couldn't find a reason to refuse.
Rong Que finally agreed and looked at Lu Xu, "Xiao Lu, are you okay with this?"
Being adopted with Rong Que and being able to learn painting was Lu Xu's greatest wish.
The person stepped forward and claimed he could fulfill all his wishes. Lu Xu almost immediately nodded without hesitation.
Over the next two days, Qi Sui completed the necessary procedures and brought the children over.
Their belongings were pitifully few, but Qi Sui had already prepared a room for them within those two days.
True to his word, Qi Sui quickly set aside a studio for Lu Xu and even hired a tutor for one-on-one guidance.
Then, taking advantage of their time apart, Qi Sui sought out Rong Que for a conversation.
Rong Que was called into Qi Sui's study. As he looked at the young man seated at the desk, their eyes met, and for a moment, his temple throbbed with pain again.
The image in Rong Que's mind became even clearer.
It was still a ruined world, filled with severely damaged buildings and corpses scattered everywhere.
But this time, in his vision, there was a severed arm, and standing opposite was a person with a blurred face.
Blood dripped from the arm, and the pair of crimson pupils on the indistinct face were impossible for Rong Que to ignore.
Lu Xu's arm had been chopped off.
Yet, strangely, he felt no sadness in his heart.
"May I ask how you and Lu Xu met?" Qi Sui got straight to the point, knowing Rong Que disliked unnecessary chatter.
Hearing this, Rong Que snapped out of his thoughts.
"We met at the orphanage," he replied, then asked, "Why is it that every time I see you, some strange images appear in my mind?"
Qi Sui's eyes widened, a hint of excitement in his voice. "What kind of images? Can you describe them?"
Rong Que gave a rough description but omitted Lu Xu's presence, only mentioning that he saw a young man who resembled Qi Sui lying in a pool of blood.
Most people would be upset hearing such a thing, but Qi Sui stood up excitedly, gripping Rong Que's shoulders. "You'll definitely remember everything gradually."
"Remember what?" Rong Que's expression turned odd. He found the whole thing rather mystical.
"What I'm about to say might be beyond your understanding, but it's all true," Qi Sui's expression turned serious. "I've been reborn. In my previous life, the apocalypse arrived when you were twenty, and Lu Xu was the most terrifying monster at that time."
"But in that life, you didn't know Lu Xu. I suspect it's because you were adopted by foster parents early on."
"Seeing you with Lu Xu, I thought you might have also been reborn, but you haven't. However, the images that just appeared in your mind are real scenes from that past life."
Anyone hearing this would think Qi Sui was out of his mind, but considering the strange images in Rong Que's head and that inexplicable sense of familiarity, including the fact that he had gone in to save Lu Xu because he felt something drawing him there, Qi Sui's explanation seemed to make sense.
"Then why did I see you die?" Rong Que asked.
Qi Sui hesitated, then lowered his voice. "We were teammates. Our other teammate was a famous celebrity. He’ll come by when he has time... I believe we were all killed by Lu Xu. I know it's hard to believe, but when he arrives, he can confirm it."
Rong Que showed no emotion. He lowered his eyelids, and though he was barely over ten years old, his feelings were hard to discern. "If that's the case, why would you adopt your enemy?"
Qi Sui paused, then asked, "After spending so much time with Lu Xu, how do you feel about him?"
"He's timid, but also kind-hearted. Even when he was bullied in the past, he never harmed anyone..." Rong Que didn't believe that Lu Xu would turn into a monster.
Qi Sui's words would have normally made him very angry, but in the visions that had flashed through his mind earlier, Rong Que had indeed seen that version of Lu Xu.
Drenched in blood, his eyes empty and desolate.
Even so, Rong Que would still choose to stand up for Lu Xu.
At least the Lu Xu of now would never do such a thing.
Qi Sui pondered Rong Que's words, then asked sincerely, "Do you think he might be pretending?"
Perhaps fearing Rong Que's anger, Qi Sui quickly added cautiously, "I'm not saying he is pretending. I'm genuinely asking for your opinion."
Rong Que recalled the bits and pieces of the past.
If it were an act, Lu Xu wouldn't have lived such a miserable life.
"Impossible. When I met him, he was being beaten badly and had no special abilities," Rong Que stated firmly.
He wasn't angry either. Qi Sui treated him with too much respect. After all, he was just a child Qi Sui had adopted, someone who could be abandoned at any time.
This actually made Rong Que less skeptical of Qi Sui's claim that they had been teammates in a past life.
Moreover, in those two visions, Rong Que himself had clearly severed Lu Xu's arm.
Rong Que looked up and declared with certainty, "I believe what you're saying, but this time, I'll be by his side all along. Perhaps the outcome will be different."
Qi Sui was taken aback, then turned his head slightly, saying with a hint of grievance, "In our past life, you were the one who wanted to kill him the most. I hope he doesn't turn evil this time."
Rong Que fell silent. Even if Qi Sui had been his teammate, seeing his friend killed by Lu Xu right before his eyes, the Rong Que of that past life must have hated Lu Xu deeply.
But in this life, Lu Xu was as close to him as family, while Qi Sui was merely a kind stranger.
Rong Que couldn't empathize with his past self, and the memories he had recovered were too fragmented.
However, judging from the current situation... he might recall more and more scenes.
He thought uncertainly, wondering if one day he might truly come to hate Lu Xu.
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