Chapter 9: Ability Leak
Shi Huai let out a light laugh, looking at Fu Xingchen as if he were a fool.
“Her ability will keep her from dying. We can wait for her to wake up together.”
Fu Xingchen froze, his fury burning even hotter.
“How do you know that?”
Shi Huai asked boldly, without a hint of shame: “Why shouldn’t I know? After all, I’ve kissed her before.”
Fu Xingchen shook his head with a bitter smile. “Not long ago, you said Jiao Jiao was your favorite woman. Have you changed your heart?”
Mentioning Mu Jiao Jiao brought an even warmer smile to Shi Huai’s face, a trace of tenderness lighting his eyes.
“She was just pursuing me one-sidedly. I never agreed to her. My heart belongs to Jiao Jiao alone.”
Fu Xingchen felt frustrated but powerless.
Even a zombie could openly show his affection for Jiao Jiao, but Fu Xingchen could only protect her as a brother, never even daring to touch her.
Noticing Fu Xingchen’s distraction, Shi Huai’s gaze shifted to his right hand.
The hand, bare without the anti-electric gloves, was elegantly shaped, yet the white sparks of electricity flickering over it were terrifying.
“To be honest, I pity you. You were the first to enter Jiao Jiao’s heart, but because of your ability leak, you can only suppress your feelings and protect her under the guise of a brother. Sounds like a sad yet beautiful story, doesn’t it?”
Fu Xingchen smiled helplessly. “This is between her and me. It has nothing to do with you.”
Shi Huai shrugged. “I’m just commenting. If you don’t like what I said, just pretend I didn’t.”
He then turned his gaze to Shao Leyan’s unresponsive body. A strong sense of loss shattered his good mood completely.
“She’s dead. How boring.”
Fu Xingchen, hurt by Shi Huai’s careless tone, spoke up for Shao Leyan.
“She just awakened her ability and hasn’t mastered it yet. How could she survive a fall from a height combined with a lightning attack?”
Shi Huai shrugged with a sigh. “Another source of fun gone from my life.”
Seeing that Shi Huai hadn’t taken his words seriously, Fu Xingchen clenched his jaw and issued a final warning.
“If something like today happens again, I will really kill you.”
Shi Huai, unbothered, turned and walked away, not forgetting to wave at Fu Xingchen.
“Maybe by the time we meet again, I’ll have already taken over the dungeon.”
Fu Xingchen roared angrily, “In your dreams!”
Lying on the ground, Shao Leyan had heard every word of their conversation.
She wasn’t interested in the tangled emotions of these male protagonists, but as Fu Xingchen was her target, every piece of information about him was crucial.
Shi Huai’s mention of “ability leakage” likely explained why Fu Xingchen never removed his gloves and kept himself fully covered.
A powerful male protagonist with electricity-based abilities and a normal sweet female protagonist perfectly fit the classic unrequited love, bittersweet BE aesthetic.
Mu Jiao Jiao couldn’t withstand a lightning attack—but she could.
When a bolt of lightning, strong enough to split mountains and seas, struck her, she shivered with pleasure, her limbs weakening, a persistent warmth flooding her lower abdomen.
When she first arrived in this world, being bitten by zombies had left her writhing in pain.
But this lightning ability? It felt like a luxurious spa, every pore opening in delight, craving more.
This wasn’t pain—it was intoxicating, blissful sweetness.
Once Shi Huai had walked far enough, Shao Leyan dared to activate her ability to repair her broken body.
Fu Xingchen crouched, intending to arrange Shao Leyan’s battered body properly, giving her a dignified burial.
Before he could touch her, her large, glassy eyes rolled and finally fixed on him.
Fu Xingchen felt a chill down his spine.
Then, like a flood, relief and gratitude washed over him.
He felt unexpectedly moved.
“It’s good… you’re still alive.”
Shao Leyan’s dirty little face wore a proud smile.
“Just don’t let Shi Huai know, or he won’t let me off.”
Fu Xingchen nodded gravely.
“Even if you can come back to life, you’re an ability user with normal pain sensations. He enjoys tormenting people. You must avoid him. But since you’ve joined the dungeon, I will protect you.”
Shao Leyan’s heart felt as if it were soaked in warm water, and her gaze toward Fu Xingchen softened and deepened.
Her eyes lingered on his smooth, long hands crackling with electricity, darkening in intensity.
Following her gaze, Fu Xingchen looked at his bare hands, instinctively hiding them behind his back, and explained openly:
“This is the flaw of my ability. While its attack power is immense, it covers my whole body. I cannot physically touch others without wearing my anti-electric suit.”
As he spoke, he reached into his pocket for the gloves. Just as he was about to put them on, Shao Leyan grabbed his left hand.
White lightning ran along Fu Xingchen’s skin into her body, sending tingles across her scalp. She let out a small, involuntary moan.
“Ah!”
Hearing her breathy sound, Fu Xingchen’s face turned crimson from head to neck, even his ear tips reddening.
His mind went blank, his usual calm and rationality shattered the instant he touched Shao Leyan’s soft, delicate skin.
Her palm was so warm and tender, the heat seeping straight into his heart.
The sensation of holding hands was so strange, yet wonderful.
But it wasn’t too late to feel it.
Fu Xingchen’s voice was low and hoarse, tinged with concern and reluctance.
“Why do this? Doesn’t it hurt?”
He didn’t want to let go, but he could feel her delicate hand going numb from the electricity and didn’t want to hurt her.
Shao Leyan looked at him, taking in his restrained and conflicted expression, her eyes growing dreamy, her soft voice exuding sweetness.
“Sorry… I only did this because I like your ability. I’m not perverted—I just enjoy this sensation.”
Fu Xingchen’s deep, dark eyes met hers, filled with confusion but also joy at her words.
“You… like pain?”
“Yes.”
Shao Leyan confirmed, her injuries mostly healed, sitting up. To prove her sincerity, she held both his hands.
“I like your ability. It’s powerful and makes me feel good.”
Fu Xingchen raised an eyebrow, a strange, indescribable feeling rising in him.
Because of his electricity ability, everyone feared him and avoided closeness.
He had given up love, friendship, even family ties because of it.
He had thought his ability was both a blessing and a curse—but this woman, whom he had known for less than a day, told him she liked it.
It was unprecedented.
Shao Leyan noticed all of Fu Xingchen’s hesitation and carefully probed:
“You didn’t reject me, so that means you accept my closeness. That means you like my touching you too, right? Can I understand it that way?”