Chapter 11 — Being Honest With Each Other

But when Le An looked at Shao Leyan’s pure-yet-seductive face and that perfect hourglass figure, she suddenly felt that things going so smoothly was only natural.

A gentle, kind, lovable, goddess-level heroine like Shao Leyan was one of a kind. Only a blind scumbag like Xiao Yi would throw her away like trash.

Besides, she could even accept Fu Xingchen’s ability-overflow weakness—this was practically stomping on his “love” button with both feet.

If she couldn’t win him over, then who in this world possibly could?

City Lord’s Palace.

The palace was both Fu Xingchen’s residence and workplace.

Along the way, many people cast curious or probing looks at Shao Leyan. After all, walking beside Fu Xingchen meant anyone greeting him would also politely greet her.

Shao Leyan returned every greeting with a gentle smile, but her entire attention was fixated on Fu Xingchen’s hand holding hers.

Work, meetings, meals— the two of them never left each other’s side. They only separated briefly when one of them went to the restroom.

Yet even that short time made Shao Leyan’s heart itch restlessly, wishing she could go in with him, or have him follow her in.

But the thought alone was too embarrassing—she didn’t have the courage.

It wasn’t until night fell that Shao Leyan suddenly realized she absolutely couldn’t continue sticking to Fu Xingchen so recklessly.

Even if she was “dead” in this tragic-novel world, she was still a married woman. Spending the night in the room of a single man was far too outrageous.

If her parents or in-laws knew, they would beat her half to death, call her a shameless whore who disgraced the family, and throw her out on the streets.

Yet Shao Leyan was hopelessly addicted to the pain his ability brought her. She wasn’t satisfied with just holding hands anymore—she craved more lightning.

But Fu Xingchen’s control over his lightning was too precise; he kept the intensity just at the edge of comfort—pleasant, but not enough to satisfy her.

He said nothing. But if she asked directly… wouldn’t that make her seem shameless?

“What are you thinking about?”

Shao Leyan snapped back to reality. Fu Xingchen was looking at her curiously. She didn’t bother hiding anything.

“I’m thinking about… what to do tonight.”

Fu Xingchen froze. His always-calm, expressionless face actually flushed a faint red.

“I—I should take you back to your room. If we stay together, people will misunderstand and think we’re a couple. I can’t take advantage of you.”

Warmth surged in Shao Leyan’s heart.

Fu Xingchen was a true gentleman—never taking advantage, always considering others first.

Le An had such a good eye!

Shao Leyan curled her lips slightly, her gaze honest and gentle. In front of him, she felt she could try opening up—completely, without holding back.

“Actually… I used to be married.”

Under Fu Xingchen’s patient silence, she revealed her past. She only hid the part about being the tragic novel’s heroine and swapped her ending with Xiao Yi’s.

The one who died unwillingly… became Xiao Yi.

Fu Xingchen was horrified by the cruel experiences she recounted. His heart clenched again and again, his eyes reddening with distress and pity.

“This might sound harsh, but I still have to say it—your ex-husband getting the end he did was nothing more than what he deserved.

What he did to you wasn’t even human. Back then you hadn’t even awakened an ability—how did you survive all that?”

Shao Leyan let out a bitter smile. Tears slid down her cheek, leaving a faint trail on her delicate face.

Yes… how did she survive?

The pain of having her eyes gouged and heart dug out had blurred with time. After all, she had grown more and more addicted to pain—sometimes she wondered if she was sick.

But in the apocalypse, this kind of tendency was a known side effect of awakening abilities, something completely normal.

Still, the impact on her was unprecedented. It made her feel unfamiliar to herself and unable to handle it.

Her complicated feelings toward Xiao Yi gradually faded as her craving for pain grew.

Shao Leyan shook her head weakly.

“I don’t remember anymore. I just endured and endured… until it passed.”

Fu Xingchen’s heart twisted sharply. He gathered his courage and gently pulled her into his arms. Her faint sweet scent filled his senses, soft and warm like cotton soaked with water.

“Then forget the bad past. Let’s cherish the present.

I know you like the pain my lightning gives you. And… I like the feeling of touching you too. Since we feel the same… there’s no need to avoid it.”

At first, Shao Leyan didn’t fully understand what he meant—until his arm wrapped around her waist and beneath her knees. He lifted her steadily and placed her softly onto the large white bed in the center of the room.

Her first night in the underground city had been spent in his room, sleeping in his arms.

From that day onward, something between them had changed—quietly but unmistakably.

It was as if they had skipped the stage of becoming familiar and gone straight from acquaintances to almost-lovers at rocket speed.

Everyone in the City Lord’s Palace noticed the sudden progress and secretly felt relieved. The city lord had finally opened his heart and found someone willing to be close to him. They offered sincere blessings.

Except for Fu Xinyan.

He had begged his brother countless times to transfer Shao Leyan to the research institute so he could discuss experiments with her.

But every request was rejected without exception.

He didn’t understand why, until one day he accidentally saw the way his brother looked at Shao Leyan.

A gaze far sweeter and happier than the one he’d ever given Mu Jiaojiao.

It was so sweet and so full of happiness that Fu Xinyan felt… unfamiliar. As if the man who looked exactly like him wasn’t Fu Xingchen, but someone else entirely.

Why?

What kind of magic did Shao Leyan possess to make his calm, restrained, mature brother fall so completely in just a few days—even to the point of forgetting his old love?

Was it because she wasn’t afraid of lightning and could touch him freely?

That day, Fu Xinyan mustered his courage to go to the City Lord’s Palace again, wanting to discuss assigning Shao Leyan to research one more time.

Just as he was about to knock, his eyes drifted toward the office door—slightly ajar.

Through the one-finger-wide gap, he saw a scene he would never forget in his lifetime.

His always-calm, always-rational brother stood by the desk, his strong arms wrapped tightly around Shao Leyan’s slender waist as she sat on the table’s edge.

Their limbs intertwined, bodies pressed against each other with no space in between.

White lightning wrapped around them, crackling impatiently, loud enough to shake the air—yet not enough to distract either of them for even a second.