AERHABDAW 23

Chapter 23: Brotherly Conflict

At this moment, inside the laboratory.

Fu Xingyan’s psychic abilities covered the entire research institute. From the moment Fu Xingchen hurriedly ran through the institute’s main doors, he had already been exposed to Fu Xingyan’s domain.

Retracting his hand from Shao Leyan’s chest, Fu Xingyan recorded her heartbeat in his notebook and spoke naturally.

“Brother’s here. I’ll go open the door for him.”

Shao Leyan froze, her blood seeming to rush backward instantly, her entire body trembling with nervousness.

“First… give me your clothes.”

Fu Xingyan pressed down on her legs as she tried to get out of bed, soothing her gently, “It’s fine. It’s just an experiment. Brother isn’t petty.”

Shao Leyan looked at Fu Xingyan, noticing a faint smugness hidden beneath his calm expression, feeling that something was off.

But he was her biological brother, after all—he would understand each other better than an outsider ever could.

“Fine, go ahead.”

Fu Xingyan smiled lightly and patted her head. Outside, the knocking on the door grew louder and more urgent, as if the door itself would be smashed to pieces if he didn’t open it, yet he walked over calmly to answer.

Seeing Fu Xingyan neatly dressed, Fu Xingchen finally relaxed, the tension in his furrowed brow easing.

“Xingchen, it’s almost been an hour. The experiment should be over by now, right?”

Fu Xingyan shook his head with mock regret. “Brother, this is my first time systematically conducting experiments on an Esper. Once I start working, I go for fourteen to fifteen hours straight. If you want to take Leyan back, come again tonight.”

Fu Xingchen’s face darkened immediately.

Fourteen to fifteen hours?

That meant Leyan would have to work that long every day!

His eyes reddened, fists clenching at his sides so tightly that the knuckles whitened.

“Do you treat Leyan like a machine? Fourteen to fifteen hours? No wonder she’s been in poor condition and physically weak—it’s because you’ve been mercilessly overworking her!”

Fu Xingyan had never seen his brother this angry.

Fu Xingchen was a man whose emotions rarely showed. Calm, mature, and rational, his personality had become even more extreme after awakening his lightning abilities.

No one dared approach him, and he avoided unnecessary contact, like a cold machine tirelessly managing the operations of the dungeon day after day, year after year.

Until that day, when he and Shao Leyan walked back to the city hand in hand, Fu Xingyan saw the sparkle in his brother’s eyes—something he had never witnessed before.

From that day onward, Fu Xingchen’s deep, calm eyes only revealed genuine joy and affection when looking at Shao Leyan, brimming with love and indulgence.

Though they had the same face, his brother’s eyes were warm and tender, while he himself seemed trapped in a filthy swamp. Even when he tried to secretly admire Mu Jiao, the bright, sunny girl, she had always only looked at his brother, never giving him even a sliver of warmth or light.

He had never seen true light or hope—until Shao Leyan.

Her personality was rare in this post-apocalyptic world, soft yet resilient like reed stalks.

Though she had faced life-and-death situations, she carried no harsh or bloody aura. Her innocence was intertwined with an inexplicable sense of compassion and sorrow, evoking both affection and heartache.

Every time he touched her warm, soft body, the intoxicating fragrance around her would test Fu Xingyan’s rationality.

Even as the strongest psychic, seeing his brother and Shao Leyan entwined together would nearly overwhelm him with jealousy and despair.

He had met her first!

Dark clouds filled Fu Xingyan’s heart as he boldly met Fu Xingchen’s gaze, lifting his chin with a victorious, prideful smile.

“But Leyan agreed.”

It was a blatant provocation.

Fu Xingchen’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Fu Xingyan’s face—the spitting image of his own—feeling a surge of desolation in his heart.

“I can only allow one hour. If you don’t agree, Leyan will no longer participate in your experiments.”

“Brother,” Fu Xingyan sneered, “aren’t you busy?”

Fu Xingchen’s cold expression did not waver. “That doesn’t conflict with taking care of Leyan.”

Fu Xingyan grinned even more smugly.

“You have many things to do, and taking care of Leyan is just one of them. But I’m different—she is my entire focus. I can spend twenty-four hours a day revolving around her. Can you do the same?”

The tension between them was palpable, a knife-edge standoff. If not for being brothers who grew up together, they might have come to blows right then and there.

Shao Leyan had been secretly listening from the control room, growing increasingly uneasy. The conversation seemed to be heading in an absurd, dangerous direction.

She couldn’t bear to see Fu Xingchen interfere with her decisions, nor could she watch Fu Xingyan provoke him.

She had seen firsthand how busy Fu Xingchen was as the city lord—his schedule was planned down to the second from the moment he woke. He alone bore the lives of thousands of Espers and tens of thousands of ordinary people. How could Fu Xingyan deliberately irritate him?

But as the director of the research institute, Fu Xingyan also worked tirelessly—not only dedicating most of his time and energy to her Esper research but also overseeing other experiments.

She wanted to scream: Stop arguing already!

Just as Fu Xingchen’s anger flared and he was about to push Fu Xingyan away, Shao Leyan seized the moment. She ran out of the control room, burying her head in the commotion.

She pushed between the two men, separating them while wearing a calming smile.

“Don’t fight. Let’s talk it out.”

At the sight of Shao Leyan, Fu Xingchen’s stern expression softened. He naturally took her hand, intending to lead her away.

Fu Xingyan refused to yield, grabbing her other hand as she was pulled.

Both men exerted force, and Shao Leyan could not break free from either side.

Seeing he couldn’t pull her away, Fu Xingchen noticed the intimate gesture of Fu Xingyan holding her hand. Even he, who had long maintained the composure of an elder brother, had reached his limit.

An invisible current sparked between the two men as they locked eyes.

Fu Xingchen’s face tightened, a burning flame lighting his deep eyes as he shoved Fu Xingyan forcefully.

Fu Xingyan staggered slightly but, using Shao Leyan’s pull, quickly regained his balance.

Seeing Fu Xingchen’s angry face, Shao Leyan steadied Fu Xingyan, then, frightened, threw herself into Fu Xingchen’s arms, acting submissive.

“Alright, Xingchen, I’ll go back with you.”

Fu Xingchen’s expression softened as he embraced her tightly, but his hawk-like eyes shot warnings at Fu Xingyan, full of vigilance.

“Let’s go.”