[Lotus: No. That was her giving you instructions like a mother scolding a child. Try again.]
Tang Haoyu sighed, dragging a hand down his face. Why did his system have to be like this?
He finished his shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel to dry off. His gym clothes were still in the corner, and Qingran’s too-small pajamas were folded neatly on the counter. Neither option appealed to him.
[Lotus: Should’ve ordered express shipping.]
"Shut up," he muttered, wrapping the towel around his waist and stepping out into the room. His phone buzzed—a notification from the shopping app.
[Order confird. Estimated delivery: Tomorrow.]
Great. So he was still stuck in this ss until then.
[Lotus: You know... I could provide you with so clothes.]
Tang Haoyu paused, his grip tightening on the towel around his waist. He didn’t trust Lotus—not when his system sounded way too smug.
"At what cost?" he asked warily.
[Lotus: Oh, nothing much. Just double the paynt in survival points during tomorrow’s tasks.]
Haoyu scowled. "You want to pay you back twice for sothing I need now?"
[Lotus: Supply and demand.]
"That’s called extortion," he grumbled.
[Lotus: Welco to the apocalypse.]
Tang Haoyu rubbed his face. He had no choice. He wasn’t about to walk around wrapped in a towel all day, and there was no way he was squeezing back into Qingran’s pajamas. Damn system.
"Fine," he muttered. "But give sothing baggy."
[Lotus: Sigh. So tasteless.]
A second later, a loose hoodie and a pair of baggy sweatpants materialized on the bed. The fabric was soft and comfortable, probably better quality than anything he could afford on his own.
Haoyu wasted no ti pulling them on. Finally, sothing that didn’t make him feel ridiculous.
He glanced at the mirror, adjusting the hoodie. "Not bad."
[Lotus: Of course not. I have standards.]
"Yeah, yeah. Just add it to my tab."
[Lotus: Oh, don’t worry. I already did.]
Tang Haoyu sighed, finally able to relax now that he was in proper clothes. He climbed onto the bed, letting his body sink into the mattress.
His muscles still ached from training, and all he wanted was a short nap before figuring out what to do for dinner.
But, of course, Lotus had other plans.
[Lotus: Before you sleep, one more thing.]
Haoyu groaned, turning onto his side. "What now?"
[Lotus: Pick a form for .]
He frowned. "A form?"
[Lotus: Yes. I don’t feel like being a floating screen anymore. You get to decide what I look like.]
Haoyu blinked at the new selection interface that popped up in front of him. There were multiple options—birds, dogs, even a damn snake.
His eyes narrowed. "What’s the reward?"
[Lotus: No reward.]
Haoyu scowled. "Then why the hell am I doing this?"
[Lotus: Because I said so.]
He clicked his tongue in annoyance but scrolled through the options. If he was stuck with Lotus, at least he could pick sothing that wouldn’t piss him off to look at every day.
A cat option caught his eye. Yeah, that fit. Lotus was annoying, smug, and thought he was better than everyone—just like a damn cat.
He clicked on it.
[Lotus: ...A cat?]
"Yeah," Haoyu muttered, feeling satisfied. "Fits your personality."
A loading screen appeared before the system prompted him to choose a breed. He scrolled through, eyes catching on a Maine Coon. Big, elegant, and unnecessarily dramatic. Yeah, that was Lotus to a T.
He selected it.
[Lotus: ...You did that on purpose.]
"You get what you get." Haoyu smirked. "I think it suits you."
The final option was color selection. He wasn’t about to pick sothing ridiculous, so he settled on a greyish-white coat. Simple but refined.
A second later, the air shimred beside him, and a large, fluffy Maine Coon appeared, sitting primly at the edge of the bed. The cat flicked its tail, eyes sharp and unamused.
[Lotus: Congratulations. You now have a very expensive pet.]
Haoyu huffed out a laugh, already feeling sleepier. "At least now I can kick you off the bed if you get annoying."
The Maine Coon gave him a flat look before curling up beside him.
[Lotus: Just wait until tomorrow. I’m going to make you cry.]
Qingran stepped into the research facility, slipping her ID badge through the scanner as the glass doors slid open. The air inside was cool and sterile, the faint scent of antiseptic lingering in the halls.
She had barely taken a few steps when she noticed sothing was off. Usually, mornings were filled with quiet chatter—researchers discussing ongoing projects, lab assistants double-checking data—but today, the entire atmosphere felt subdued.
People were whispering in small groups, their expressions grim. So glanced at her as she walked past, then quickly looked away.
Qingran’s steps slowed.
Sothing had happened.
She wasn’t left wondering for long.
"Qingran." A familiar voice called her na. She turned to see Wei Ming, one of her colleagues, approaching with an unusually serious expression. "Boss wants to see you. Urgent."
Her brows furrowed. "What’s going on?"
Wei Ming hesitated. "Just... go to the conference room. You’ll understand."
That only made her more suspicious. Without another word, she headed straight there.
When she entered, several senior researchers were already inside, along with the facility’s director. The air was tense, the kind of tension that ca with bad news.
"You’re here," the director said, his face grave. "Sit down."
Qingran remained standing. "What’s going on?"
The director exchanged glances with the others before sighing. "It’s about Lu Zhou."
Qingran blinked.
Lu Zhou?
"What about him?"
A heavy silence followed before the director finally spoke.
"He passed away last night."
The words hit her like a sudden drop in temperature.
She stared at him, waiting for so kind of clarification, but none ca.
"...What?"
"He was found in his apartnt this morning." The director’s voice was asured, careful. "The police are investigating."
Qingran’s fingers curled slightly at her sides. "How did he die?"
"They haven’t released an official cause yet," one of the senior researchers said, his voice lower than usual. "But from what little we’ve heard, it doesn’t look... natural."
Not natural.
Qingran’s expression remained unreadable, but her mind was already racing.
She and Lu Zhou weren’t close, but they had worked together long enough for her to know one thing—he was careful. He wouldn’t just drop dead overnight unless soone made it happen.
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