LABMY CH91.2

Just now, this man simply walked in and made that monster flee in panic. At this moment, there was only one thought in everyone’s mind: cling to this man.

Aunt Liu pretended to cry, “Madam, Madam is your wife, Mr. Bai.”

“Have you forgotten? Forgetting is good too; otherwise, remembering Madam’s death…” Aunt Liu cried uncontrollably, “Madam was such a good person, how could she die so tragically?”

Shen Nian stood to the side, coldly watching her act.

Jian Yuanbai nodded thoughtfully. Although he found it strange why this person called him Mr. Bai instead of Mr. Jian, there must be a reason for it, right?

He digested his identity and looked at Shen Nian, hesitating as he asked, “So, are you my child?”

Shen Nian shifted his gaze indifferently, “You just married my mom. Now that my mom is gone, you and I have nothing to do with each other.”

Due to severe nearsightedness, he couldn’t see Jian Yuanbai’s face clearly. Aunt Liu kept calling him Mr. Bai, so Shen Nian didn’t doubt it. But he had no emotional connection with this so-called “Xiao Ba (little dad)” who was only five years older than him.

Feeling the pain on his back and thinking that he might soon mutate into a monster, Shen Nian had no interest in seeking protection from Bai Lingchen. However, he was curious about one thing: “How did you survive?”

Jian Yuanbai knew this was an apocalyptic world, but there were also people with special abilities here. He gave an answer that no one could doubt, “It seems I awakened an ability?”

“Sorry, I can’t quite remember.”

Whether out of relief or sorrow, Shen Nian looked away and stopped looking at him.

Wang Li scratched his head and called out honestly, “Mr. Bai, what is your awakened ability?”

“Can you show us?”

Jian Yuanbai: “And you are?”

Wang Li patted his chest and tried to build rapport, “I’m the security guard for the Shen family. Mr. Bai, I’ve even talked to you before.”

Aunt Liu eagerly chimed in, “Mr. Bai, I’m the Shen family’s cook. Do you remember? You used to love the food I cooked.”

She tried hard to sell her value, “In this chaotic world, if you take me with you, you’ll still be able to eat hot meals.”

However, Jian Yuanbai’s smile faded. He looked past them at Shen Nian, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, awkwardly trying to pull glass shards from his back.

“You’re injured?” Jian Yuanbai’s expression turned terrifyingly dark. Seeing that Shen Nian ignored him, he grabbed Shen Nian’s hand, “You can’t do this. Let me handle it.”

Shen Nian glared at him impatiently, “Get lost.”

Blood kept flowing from his back. The glass shards pierced through his clothes and deeply embedded into his flesh. Each time he pulled one out, his body trembled in pain, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

Jian Yuanbai ignored his refusal and firmly held his hand. He turned to Aunt Liu and the others, “Do you have alcohol and tweezers?”

Aunt Liu snapped out of it, “Oh, oh, I’ll go find them.”

“Here.” A short-haired girl who had been silent all along suddenly appeared with alcohol, packaged tweezers, and a clean towel.

She placed the bag in front of Jian Yuanbai and whispered to Shen Nian, “I’m sorry.”

She lacked the courage to speak up at the time. She was afraid that if she did, she would be the one sacrificed. When Shen Nian spoke to the monster, she had secretly hoped he would lure it away.

Shen Nian simply replied, “Thank you for finding the alcohol.”

The short-haired girl said nothing more and retreated to the back. Aunt Liu watched Jian Yuanbai treating Shen Nian’s wounds and cautiously said, “Mr. Bai, maybe you should let him handle it himself.”

“Shen Nian’s wound was crushed by that monster. It might be contaminated and turn him into a monster.”

Jian Yuanbai treated the wound gently, as if afraid of hurting Shen Nian. Hearing Aunt Liu’s words, he asked Shen Nian, “Your name is Nian Nian?”

“Sounds awful.”

He felt the name was unpleasant. It didn’t seem right, but he couldn’t recall what it should be.

Shen Nian closed his eyes and turned his face toward Jian Yuanbai with a scowl, only to see him seriously picking out the glass shards from his back. He snorted and didn’t say the harsh words he had intended.

Aunt Liu, seeing Jian Yuanbai ignoring her, was not embarrassed. Watching him carefully tend to Shen Nian, she smiled and said, “Nian Nian has always put on a sour face when he’s in pain. Don’t take it personally, Mr. Bai.”

Earlier, she subtly suggested leaving Shen Nian to die. Now that Jian Yuanbai was showing concern for him, she acted like a caring elder.

She wasn’t worried that Shen Nian would recognize Jian Yuanbai as an imposter. After working for the Shen family for over ten years, she knew Shen Nian was severely nearsighted.

Shen Nian, already full of anger, sneered, “Aunt Liu, don’t act so close. It was your son, Wu Tian, who pushed me toward the monster.”

“You’d better discipline him. If he dared to push me today, he’ll dare to kill someone tomorrow.”

In reality, pushing Shen Nian toward a raging monster was no different from murder.

Aunt Liu’s smile stiffened as she pulled her son behind her, awkwardly saying, “He’s just a kid. He panicked and accidentally bumped into you. It wasn’t intentional. Don’t hold it against him.”

“Please,” Shen Nian sneered, “I’m seventeen, and he’s fifteen. You talk like I’m thirty-five.”

Jian Yuanbai didn’t use the towel. Instead, he tore his jacket into strips and roughly bandaged Shen Nian’s bleeding back. Then he looked up and asked, “He pushed you?”

Shen Nian glanced at him, seeing only a blurry face. “None of your business.”

Jian Yuanbai coldly swept his gaze over Wu Tian, then smiled at Shen Nian, “How is it none of my business? I’m your Xiao Ba. Your mom left you behind, so I must take care of you.”

He squatted down in front of Shen Nian, “Get on. I’ll take you to the pharmacy for medicine.”

Shen Nian stared at his broad, sturdy back, internally struggling for three full minutes before silently climbing on. He mumbled, “If you’d been this considerate before, I wouldn’t have rejected you.”

Before losing his memory, Bai Lingchen’s personality was even worse than his. Yet, he always pretended to be a good person in front of his mom. Shen Nian despised him for that, knowing full well that Bai Lingchen loathed him as a future heir competing for the inheritance.

But perhaps, after losing so many loved ones and friends in this apocalyptic world, seeing the person he once hated the most didn’t spark much resentment anymore.

Seeing Jian Yuanbai carrying Shen Nian and preparing to leave, Aunt Liu and the others panicked. “Mr. Bai, are you heading to the pharmacy? Let’s go together. We can look out for each other.”

Jian Yuanbai, carrying Shen Nian, replied calmly, “Sorry, I can’t accept people who pushed my kid without apologizing.”

His pointed words made Aunt Liu’s face turn pale. She quickly shoved her son forward, “Apologize to your Brother Shen Nian!”

Wu Tian, at fifteen, had a strong sense of pride. Being forced to apologize in public made his face turn red with humiliation. But he had no choice. He gritted his teeth and said, “I’m sorry, Brother Shen Nian. I was too scared and accidentally bumped into you.”

Before Shen Nian could respond, Jian Yuanbai cut in, “What do you mean ‘accidentally’?”

“A fifteen-year-old accidentally pushed someone? That’s dangerous. What if you accidentally push me into a monster one day?” Jian Yuanbai smiled. “How can I trust you to come with us?”

Desperate, Wu Tian had to swallow his anger and say louder, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

Jian Yuanbai turned to Shen Nian, “What do you think?”

Shen Nian, a spoiled young master with no major flaws but plenty of minor ones, played along, “Huh? What did he say? I didn’t hear it.”

Wu Tian took a deep breath and shouted, “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have pushed you!”

Shen Nian frowned, “Why are you shouting? Trying to deafen me?”

Jian Yuanbai, amused, suggested, “How about he keeps apologizing while we walk? Your wound needs urgent treatment.”

Shen Nian finally relented, “Fine, let’s go.”

A group of people left the supermarket. Wang Li, who was smart enough to stay quiet earlier, followed along. The short-haired girl also silently trailed behind.

Jian Yuanbai didn’t know the area, so Wang Li led the way.

Nervously, Wang Li asked again, “Mr. Bai, what’s your ability? The fish monster fled the moment it saw you. You must be really powerful.”

Jian Yuanbai, unwilling to talk, replied, “Ever heard of the Fish Killer?”

Wang Li hesitated, “Yes.”

Jian Yuanbai said in a deep voice, “My ability is called ‘A Thousand Cuts.’ If you kill enough fish, you can awaken this ability too. You naturally carry an aura that intimidates fish. Any infected creatures with fish-like symptoms will run away when they see you.”

“Oh… oh, I see. Impressive, truly impressive.” Wang Li awkwardly praised him, feeling that Jian Yuanbai was making things up. However, Jian’s extremely serious expression made Wang Li start to doubt himself.

Fortunately, they arrived at the pharmacy without any incidents. Jian Yuanbai put Shen Nian down and found some medicine and gauze to bandage his wounds.

The pharmacy was next to a large shopping mall. Aunt Liu and the others looked at the mall with some temptation but obediently stayed inside the pharmacy, watching as Jian Yuanbai tended to Shen Nian’s wounds.

Jian Yuanbai held the medicine and said, “If it hurts, let me know.”

Shen Nian nodded and obediently lay on the chair, exposing his back, which was covered in wounds.

Jian Yuanbai tried to be as gentle as possible, but the pain from applying the medicine was more intense than pulling out the glass shards. By the time Jian finished bandaging him, Shen Nian’s eyes were filled with tears.

“Didn’t I tell you to speak up if it hurt?” Jian found it amusing and reached out to wipe away Shen Nian’s tears.

However, Shen Nian turned his head away and snorted, “I’m not afraid of pain.”

If you ignored the tears rolling in his eyes and the sobbing tone in his voice, it might have been convincing.

The others exchanged awkward glances. Knowing that Aunt Liu couldn’t approach due to the earlier incident with Wu Tian, Wang Li quickly spoke up, “There’s a shopping mall next to the pharmacy. It’s getting dark soon. Why don’t we sleep there for the night?”

Jian Yuanbai had no objections and nodded. Then, he squatted down in front of Shen Nian, signaling him to climb on.

Shen Nian climbed onto his back and suddenly said, “You seem like a completely different person after losing your memory.”

“Even your voice sounds a bit different.”

With just this one sentence, all three of them tensed up.

Jian Yuanbai wasn’t actually the so-called Mr. Bai, so he feared being exposed. Aunt Liu and Wang Li were afraid that if Shen Nian discovered the truth and recklessly exposed them, they would lose their chance to cling to a powerful ability user.

Luckily, Shen Nian continued, “But it’s been three years since I last saw you. It’s normal for your voice to change a bit.”

Shen Nian had a poor relationship with Bai Lingchen. He couldn’t accept someone who looked only a few years older than him becoming his stepfather. During his three years in high school, he lived in the dorms and rarely returned home. Even when he did, Bai Lingchen would avoid him.

They hadn’t seen each other for nearly three years.

Wang Li quickly chimed in, “Exactly! It’s been so long. It’s normal to feel like something’s changed.”

“That’s right, Nian—Young Master Shen,” Aunt Liu added. “I’ve been seeing Mr. Bai every day these past few years, and I don’t feel any difference.”

As they spoke, the group arrived at the mall. Jian Yuanbai put Shen Nian down and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“I’ll cook,” Aunt Liu eagerly volunteered. The short-haired girl also stepped in, “I’ll help.”

They didn’t dare wander far and instead found a small pot and an induction cooker used for product demonstrations. They brought them back. The pot hadn’t been washed for a long time, so Aunt Liu ordered the short-haired girl to clean it while she stood guard at the bathroom entrance to alert them in case of danger.

Meanwhile, Wang Li locked the doors to the small mall.

When they left the supermarket earlier, everyone had packed a bag full of food. Now that they had a pot, they could finally eat something hot.

Wang Li locked the door and fetched some bowls and chopsticks from a small shop, giving them a quick rinse.

The short-haired girl and Aunt Liu started cooking instant noodles. The pot was small, meant for one person, so cooking for six people took some time. After the first batch was ready, Aunt Liu handed it to Jian Yuanbai with a flattering smile, “Mr. Bai, dinner is ready.”

Jian Yuanbai scooped the noodles into a bowl and handed it to Shen Nian. “Eat.”

No one commented on his actions. When the second bowl was ready, Aunt Liu handed it to Jian Yuanbai.

Next, she cooked for her son and herself. Once she had her portion, she stopped cooking.

The short-haired girl quietly made a bowl for Wang Li and then prepared her own.

After eating, Jian Yuanbai took Shen Nian’s empty bowl and went to the sink outside the bathroom to wash the dishes. Aunt Liu quickly called out, “Oh, Mr. Bai, let me do that for you!”

“No need.” Jian Yuanbai had no habit of ordering others around, and he didn’t want to get too close to Aunt Liu, so he naturally refused.

The reason he didn’t help with cooking earlier was simply because he didn’t know how.

Wu Tian pulled back his anxious mother, who wanted to follow, and said, “Let me go, Mom.”

Aunt Liu also hoped that Jian Yuanbai would change his opinion of Wu Tian, so she immediately agreed and stopped Wang Li and the short-haired girl from going over to wash the dishes as well.

Through the mirror, Jian Yuanbai raised his eyes and looked at Wu Tian, who was following him. “Something wrong?”

Wu Tian clenched his fists and then loosened them, as if making a firm decision. “You’re not Bai Lingchen, nor are you Shen Nian’s stepfather.”

Jian Yuanbai’s heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to say something, Wu Tian continued, “My mom and Wang Li think you’re strong and want you to stay. When you said you lost your memory, they took the opportunity to claim you were Shen Nian’s stepfather.”

“Shen Nian is severely nearsighted. He lost his glasses and can’t see your face clearly. Hearing them say that, and since Mr. Bai’s physique does resemble yours a bit, he believed you were his stepfather.”

For the first time, Jian Yuanbai took Wu Tian seriously and asked, “Why are you telling me this?”

Wu Tian’s expression was pure, like an innocent 15-year-old. “I just don’t want you to be deceived.”

“You have one last chance to tell the truth.” Jian Yuanbai flicked his hand lightly, causing water droplets from his fingers to splash onto the mirror and sink. Wherever the droplets landed, cracks instantly appeared on the mirror and the sink’s surface.

Wu Tian’s pupils shrank in fear. He understood this was a silent threat.

No longer daring to pretend, Wu Tian spoke with resentment, “I just think it’s unfair. Why should Shen Nian, that high and mighty young master, live a life of luxury before the apocalypse, while I, the servant’s son, suffer?”

“The world has already ended, yet he can still rely on pure luck to have a man with amnesia mistake himself for his stepfather and protect him.”

After saying this, Wu Tian felt an unprecedented sense of relief. “I know that even in times of danger, you’ll prioritize protecting Shen Nian. My mom is stupid. No matter how much she tries to please you, at most, you’ll only help us when you have the spare energy.”

“I don’t want that little bit of help. I want Shen Nian to lose his protection.”

After venting, Wu Tian expected to see the man’s furious and shocked expression upon realizing he’d been deceived.

However, Jian Yuanbai simply brushed past him and said one chilling sentence that made Wu Tian feel as if he’d fallen into an ice cave.

“If you dare speak those words to anyone, that water will fall on you.”

The identity of “stepfather” gave Jian Yuanbai a legitimate reason to stay by Shen Nian’s side and help him grow step by step. How could he possibly allow Wu Tian to expose the truth?

When Jian Yuanbai returned, he heard Shen Nian say, “Can you take me to the optical store to see if I can find glasses with my prescription?”

At that moment, Jian Yuanbai strangely felt grateful to Wu Tian for three seconds.

Five minutes later, facing the completely empty optical store, Shen Nian was stunned. “Not a single pair of glasses?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, innocent and sincere, “That’s strange… not even one.”

“Don’t worry. After we leave here, Xiao Ba will find another optical store for you.”