Unlucky Unlucky Unlucky

Dengfeng Internet Cafe.

For just nineteen yuan, you could directly book a solid six-hour block.

Normally, even the most basic computers cost three yuan an hour.

But by booking a block, you could directly use the premium five-yuan-an-hour machines.

That was the perk of booking a block.

However, block bookings couldn't be paused or refunded. If you logged off early, you wouldn't get a prorated refund for your remaining time.

Zhao Dezhu and his three friends started their sessions and found a row of four adjacent seats.

League of Heroes had been incredibly popular over the past two years. At least ninety percent of the people in the entire internet cafe were playing League, while the remaining ten percent played whatever they pleased.

It wasn't that there were no players of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, JX3, or Dungeon and Fighter; there just weren't nearly as many as those playing League of Heroes.

The buzzing of computer cooling fans mixed with the clatter of mechanical keyboards, punctuated by a roar from some unknown corner: "Jungler! Do you live in the jungle? Do you even know how to gank?!"

The air was filled with a complex odor, a concoction of cheap cigarettes, braised beef instant noodles, and sweat, which made people's heads throb.

Zhao Dezhu plopped his butt heavily onto the faux-leather sofa, ready to show off his skills.

Beside him, Hippo was just about to sit down when his movements suddenly froze. He instinctively covered his nose, his brows furrowing into a tight knot.

"Why does it smell like piss?"

Only then did Zhao Dezhu belatedly realize it. A pungent stench of urine instantly rushed into his nasal cavity, so thick it wouldn't dissipate. Looking down, he realized the stench was coming from right beneath his pants.

Worse yet, a cold dampness from his pants was relentlessly seeping into his skin.

"Holy shit! Which fucking animal pissed here!"

Zhao Dezhu let out a weird shriek and sprang up from the seat like a coiled spring.

His sudden movement was so violent that the puddle of yellow liquid pooled in the sofa's depression was flung upward, splashing all over his pant legs and shoes.

The sticky and slightly warm sensation running down his trouser legs disgusted Zhao Dezhu so much that his scalp tingled and his stomach churned violently.

His three friends scattered instantly like they were avoiding a plague, clearing a large empty space around him.

"Zhuzi, hurry up and go home to shower and change clothes. You're... carrying a biological weapon now."

Hippo suggested, though the corners of his mouth were already harder to suppress than the recoil of an AK-47.

The other two were even worse; one squatted down clutching his stomach, while the other pounded the desk, laughing so hard tears were about to come out.

They would be talking about this incident for at least five years.

Zhao Dezhu's face was so dark it could drip ink.

However, Zhao Dezhu wasn't the type to suffer a loss and walk away in silence.

Forcing down his disgust and bearing his soaking wet pants, he turned and marched straight toward the front desk.

He was going to ask the staff how the hell they managed their hygiene!

Just as he furiously turned the corner of an aisle, a figure holding a steaming bowl of instant noodles hurried over with their head down.

Neither of them was watching where they were going.

Bam!

They crashed into each other solidly.

Zhao Dezhu only felt a burst of heat on his chest. In the next second, a large bowl of freshly brewed braised beef noodles, broth and all, poured down from his neck to his crotch without spilling a single drop anywhere else.

The scalding broth instantly soaked through his T-shirt, burning his skin until it stung with fiery pain. A few strands of noodles stubbornly hung from his chin, emitting a strong artificial flavoring scent.

Hot oil mixed with the stench of urine, two extreme smells completed an epic convergence upon his body.

Zhao Dezhu froze completely.

He looked down at the noodles and greasy broth hanging off him, then sniffed that indescribable, complex odor.

Holy shit, why am I so unlucky?

However, he had no idea that this kind of bad luck would accompany him for the next three days.

--System: Screw your mother, I am drawing circles to curse you!--

The Xie family ancestral hall was buzzing with voices and deafening noise.

Dozens of large round tables were set up inside. The men of the Xie family were drinking and bragging, while the women gathered together to chat about family matters. The air was filled with the rich aroma of food and the scent of alcohol.

The three girls, having gotten away from Zhao Dezhu, arrived at the Xie family ancestral hall.

Beautiful women attracted attention no matter where they went.

As Jiang Yunlu and Chu Miaomiao followed Xie Yuling into the hall, many eyes turned their way.

Everyone was familiar with Xie Yuling, as they were all her cousins and uncles.

But the two girls behind her, one with long legs and the other well-endowed, each had their own unique charms, yet both were so beautiful that people couldn't tear their eyes away.

Some young men stared so hard their eyes nearly popped out. Only when nudged by the elbows of the elders beside them did they hurriedly lower their heads, though they still couldn't resist stealing glances from the corners of their eyes.

"Whose family are those two girls from? They're really gorgeous."

"I don't know, but it looks like they're close to Yuling."

The whispers were soon drowned out by the noise again, but the gazes directed their way didn't diminish in the slightest.

Xie Yuling acted as if she didn't notice the stares, leading the two straight to the table in the corner where she usually sat.

Xie Yufei was buried in reading a novel. As soon as he looked up, he saw his cousin sitting down with two beauties.

"Holy shit! What's going on? Where's Brother Mo?"

Xie Yufei looked left and right but didn't see Lin Mo's figure.

He had thought Xie Yuling would bring Lin Mo along.

Xie Yuling glanced at Xie Yufei. "He went to eat at the Fang family's ancestral hall. He'll probably come here to eat tonight. Are you guys close?"

Chu Miaomiao and Jiang Yunlu also looked at Xie Yufei with a hint of curiosity.

"Of course!" The moment Lin Mo was mentioned, Xie Yufei immediately perked up, his eyes shining. "We play games together. You guys have no idea, Brother Mo's Blind Monk is absolutely god-tier! Last time he carried me in a three-versus-five, and the enemy team literally typed in the all-chat asking if he was a pro player descending to the mortal realm!"

He bragged with great animation, spit flying everywhere, but he also knew his limits, secretly peeking at Jiang Yunlu and Chu Miaomiao, who were sitting quietly.

For some reason, he felt that his cousin and these two shared a dynamic that was both intimate and distant.

They had clearly walked in together, yet they hadn't said a word since sitting down. The atmosphere was a bit... subtle.

One was zoning out, while the other had her head down, poking her fingers together. They looked like two strangers who had just been seated at the same table.

It was simply baffling.

Jiang Yunlu was indeed zoning out.

She was recalling the feeling of Xie Yuling grabbing her wrist and pulling her through the crowd just moments ago.

That hand had been warm and firm, carrying an unquestionable dominance as it protected her from behind.

In that moment, she suddenly felt as though she had an older sister.

Even though she had always been an only child.

This feeling was very novel. From childhood until now, other than Lin Mo, no peer had ever protected her like that.

Just then, Chu Miaomiao leaned over carefully and asked in a low voice, "Should we tell Lin Mo about what happened with Zhao Dezhu earlier?"

Honestly, it didn't really matter whether they told him or not, but Xie Yuling felt that given Lin Mo's personality, he might just take revenge on those guys.

"Let's talk about it when we meet up. After all, he's eating over at the Fang family's side right now."

Xie Yuling knew that if Lin Mo found out about this, he might just skip his meal entirely and rush right over.