coobybook Chapter 490 "Infecting the World" - Male Mother (101)
Chapter 490 "Infecting the World" - Male Mother (101)
“Yes, it’s a villa area,” Liao Tingyuan said naturally, as if it were a perfectly normal thing.
“No…” Lu Liruan frowned: “What exactly is your organizational structure? Why is your workplace located in a villa area? Is it a legitimate job?”
Lu Liruan thought to herself: Working in the occult, trying to understand the supernatural, and there are people above me...
If she hadn't personally verified that it was indeed true, Lu Liruan would have wondered if this was some kind of abnormal organization that needed to be investigated by the police.
But what I feel is not that I've been brainwashed, is it?
Lu Liruan turned her head and looked at Liao Tingyuan with a suspicious gaze: "You didn't secretly brainwash and hypnotize me at some point, did you?"
Lu Liruan hesitated for a moment, but still asked in a low voice.
Liao Tingyuan was looking at his phone, and for a moment he couldn't believe his ears: "What?"
“I said…you didn’t hypnotize me, did you?” Lu Liruan repeated.
"Why would I hypnotize you?" Liao Tingyuan couldn't help but laugh.
"..." Lu Liruan also realized that she was really too nervous and talking nonsense.
"I don't have that ability." Liao Tingyuan put down his phone, walked over, bent down in front of Lu Liruan, and patted her head: "If I had that ability, I wouldn't use it here."
"Where do you intend to use it?" Lu Liruan sensed a hidden meaning in his words.
Liao Tingyuan hesitated for a moment, then put a finger to his lips: "Um... it's a secret for now."
"Huh? Why?" Lu Liruan vaguely felt that the secret Liao Tingyuan mentioned was related to her, so she asked curiously.
"I'll tell you later." Liao Tingyuan walked away, leaving behind a casual remark.
"Don't do this! Tell me, tell me, tell me~" Lu Liruan couldn't stand being kept in suspense like this.
Usually, if she pesters him a little, Liao Tingyuan will usually give in.
This time, even after Lu Liruan chased him to the kitchen, Liao Tingyuan still refused to budge, repeatedly saying, "You'll find out later."
"Why can't you tell me now, but only later?" Lu Liruan pouted.
"Of course there's a reason," Liao Tingyuan replied casually, smiling as he held down Lu Liruan's hand that was tugging at his clothes. "The current Ruanruan can't listen to this; the future Ruanruan can."
Lu Liruan was completely baffled by him, feeling that Liao Tingyuan was acting strangely today: "Teacher Liao... are you using the same tricks you use on children on me? Like saying, 'Teacher will only share secrets with you if you behave well, this is a little secret between teacher and you~' right!"
"You're going to tell me to work hard... only after you've solved a few problems in the space?" Lu Liruan realized she understood Liao Tingyuan's tactics.
"Ruan Ruan is so smart." Liao Tingyuan tapped the back of her hand: "Loosen up a bit, the collar is about to come undone."
Lu Liruan then realized that she had almost suffered a repeat of the tragedy from last time, so she quickly let go of his hand and jumped to the side.
"Then, if I solve another space next time, you'll have to answer a few questions for me!" Lu Liruan said, seizing the opportunity. Not only what Liao Tingyuan had just said, but she also had too many questions about Liao Tingyuan himself, so she had to create opportunities for herself.
"Okay, I promise you." Liao Tingyuan agreed readily.
“It’s a deal! You have to answer whatever I ask, okay?” Lu Liruan confirmed.
"Yes, anything is fine," Liao Tingyuan assured him.
Lu Liruan was easily satisfied, and upon hearing Liao Tingyuan's assurance, she stopped asking further questions.
She didn't notice the subtle emotions in Liao Tingyuan's expression as he watched her back.
The next morning, Lu Liruan was woken up by Liao Tingyuan knocking on her door at around 7 a.m.
When Lu Liruan opened her eyes, she was still dazed and didn't know what she was doing.
She hadn't been woken up from her sleep in a long time; she always woke up naturally, and Liao Tingyuan never deliberately disturbed her.
"Ruan Ruan, get up, you have to go to work today!" Liao Tingyuan probably knew that Lu Liruan wouldn't get up easily, so he called out from the doorway again.
"Oh! Get up!" Lu Liruan forcibly suppressed her urge to fall back onto the bed and pulled herself up like a spring.
Yes... that familiar feeling.
The familiar feeling of being treated like a beast of burden is back!
Lu Liruan opened the door in a daze and saw that Liao Tingyuan had already prepared breakfast. Today's breakfast was obviously not as lavish as usual. He simply toasted some bread, fried some eggs, and served two cups of coffee.
Compared to Lu Liruan's dazed state, Liao Tingyuan had already changed into a shirt and trousers, looking very sharp and professional.
"Good morning, Teacher Liao." Lu Liruan raised her hand and went to the bathroom to wash up.
While washing her face, she heard Liao Tingyuan ask from outside, "Were you playing on your phone in bed last night?"
"..." Lu Liruan wiped the foam off her face, wondering how Liao Tingyuan knew about her actions.
Liao Tingyuan not only knew what she had done last night, but also what she was thinking now.
"If you had gone to sleep properly last night, you would have gotten eight hours of sleep and wouldn't be so tired this morning," Liao Tingyuan's calm and even voice drifted through the door and reached Lu Liruan's ears.
Teacher Liao, who works as a corporate slave... doesn't sound like she's in a good mood either.
Although Liao Tingyuan's voice was the same as always, Lu Liruan could still sense it.
“Sigh…” Lu Liruan quickened her pace. She had indeed finished reading the novel she hadn’t finished in bed last night.
"Okay, Teacher Liao, don't scold me anymore." Lu Liruan slunk over to the table.
Ok.
Teacher Liao's culinary skills did not deteriorate with his mood.
After finishing her meal, Lu Liruan was completely invigorated by the bitter taste of the black coffee.
Lu Liruan changed into the clothes she had prepared yesterday. Unlike Liao Tingyuan, who had a closet full of similar office worker outfits, Lu Liruan was not like him.
Liao Tingyuan was initially nervous about whether to buy a new outfit, but he shook his head and said it wasn't necessary, as there were no dress requirements where they lived.
"Just don't wear anything outlandish," Liao Tingyuan added.
"Huh?" Lu Liruan reacted after a moment.
"Are there people among you dressed in strange clothes?"
Behind every rule lies the logic behind its formulation and the events that preceded its formulation.
Lu Liruan sized up Liao Tingyuan, thinking that while their workplace might not be considered top-tier talent, the nature of their work was certainly unique. Lu Liruan figured most people were probably similar to Liao Tingyuan; would anyone really dress strangely?
Liao Tingyuan noticed her confusion.
“I used to have a colleague who really liked bright colors and some avant-garde subcultures,” Liao Tingyuan said carefully, using very formal language.
"Specifically..." Lu Liruan didn't know what it was like.
"..."
Liao Tingyuan recalled: "On his first day at work, the boss asked the others privately, 'Have you counted how many nails he has on his face?'"
"Huh?" Lu Liruan thought to herself, she couldn't even count them at a glance, how many must there be?
"Later, the boss couldn't stand it anymore, so he issued this notice, saying he didn't want to see rainbows in the workplace," Liao Tingyuan continued.
"What rainbow?" Lu Liruan didn't understand.
“That colleague dyed his hair rainbow colors. Hmm… the boss is probably too old to stand it anymore.” Liao Tingyuan shrugged.
"Pfft—" Lu Liruan found it hard to imagine what it would be like for a person's hair to turn rainbow-colored, and for this rainbow to linger in the workplace all day long.
This is indeed worthwhile; outlandish clothing should be banned.
Lu Liruan relaxed a little. If the boss could tolerate a rainbow hanging around the office for a while, he probably wasn't a too demanding person.
Lu Liruan looked down and examined her outfit for the day.
She tucked the hem of her white T-shirt into a black midi skirt, wore white lace stockings, and paired it with canvas shoes.
She looked neat and tidy, with her hair styled in a bun.
Lu Liruan and Liao Tingyuan were both dressed in white tops and black bottoms, and the combination made them look exceptionally refreshing and attractive when they stood together.
As they passed by the entrance on their way downstairs, some people glanced at the couple and remarked, "Wow, what a pretty young couple!"
"Absolutely! She's both beautiful and energetic."
Lu Liruan walked past her grandparents with her head down and noticed that Liao Tingyuan greeted them without changing his expression.
She tried to appear calm, but when the back of her hand accidentally touched Liao Tingyuan's clothes, she would nervously pull it back.
Liao Tingyuan usually gets to work by subway.
Lu Liruan asked him why he didn't buy a car and drive there, but Liao Tingyuan had a driver's license.
“There’s no need. There’s a stretch of road to work that gets very congested during rush hour. It takes an hour by road, but only half an hour by subway.” Liao Tingyuan glanced at his watch.
“If I drive, I’ll sleep half an hour less every day. And the expenses will also increase, so it’s not worth it and it’s unnecessary,” Liao Tingyuan explained earnestly.
Lu Liruan gave him a thumbs up: "You're really good at managing a household."
"Yes. Ruan Ruan can live quite well with me," Liao Tingyuan replied casually.
Lu Liruan knew that he meant that if they went to work together now, he could pass on his experience to her, but for some reason, Lu Liruan felt that Liao Tingyuan's words today were strange.
Or maybe it's just my imagination?
Lu Liruan later realized that she should have trusted her intuition back then.
The subway during the morning rush hour isn't so easy either.
After entering the subway, Liao Tingyuan quickly pulled Lu Liruan to a corner next to the door, put her inside, and then stood outside holding onto the handrail.
This forms a very stable triangular region.
That way, no matter how much the people behind her squeeze, Lu Liruan won't feel uncomfortable.
Lu Liruan leaned close to Liao Tingyuan's ear and whispered, "Teacher Liao, I never expected that you could use physics knowledge while squeezing onto the subway. There's knowledge everywhere in life!"
Liao Tingyuan leaned close to her ear and said, "This is common sense..."
After taking the subway for twelve stops, the two of them got off and headed towards the exit.
Lu Liruan looked at the station; the subway station was called Qingshan Park Station.
Qingshan Park is a relatively famous scenic spot in this city.
The environment is excellent, and there are many recreational activities available. There are farmhouses on the mountainside and at the top of the mountain where you can enjoy activities such as horseback riding, fishing, and picking vegetables.
Many villa communities have also been built here.
However, because it is not very close to the city center, many of the villas are only bought by wealthy people for their usual vacations.
Lu Liruan had hardly ever been here before. As soon as she came out of the subway station, she could feel that the air here seemed a bit fresher than in the city, and the greenery on both sides was very well done.
"Hoo—" Lu Liruan straightened her back.
"The environment here is so nice!" Lu Liruan looked at the lush greenery and the small hills in the distance.
"Yes, the environment here is quite nice. Come this way." Liao Tingyuan gestured for her to follow him.
"Huh? We don't need to back up anymore?"
Lu Liruan thought she would have to continue reversing because this was the center of the tourist attraction.
"That's the villa area over there." Liao Tingyuan pointed to a place that was very close to the scenic spot... It was very beautifully built, with each house being a private villa. From a distance, it looked like a boutique villa area built up a slope, with only a few houses.
"Wow..." Lu Liruan thought to herself, this is truly a wonderful place nestled between mountains and water.
I also felt that the phrase "nestled by mountains and water" seemed rather unlucky.
"If you see the boss, don't tell him that this is a beautiful place nestled by mountains and water," Liao Tingyuan suddenly reminded him.
Lu Liruan paused for a moment, then adopted a defensive posture, turning her body sideways and looking at Liao Tingyuan warily.
"Teacher Liao... are you actually hiding your ability to read people's minds? It's okay, if you have this superpower, I won't discriminate against you."
"How am I supposed to block out this ability of yours? You're not reading my mind right now, are you?" Lu Liruan patted her head, trying to clear her mind instantly.
"I can't see what you're thinking..." Liao Tingyuan sighed.
"Several colleagues said this to the boss when they first came here. The boss thought it was unlucky, so he forbade everyone from saying the phrase 'beside the mountains and water' in the office."
Lu Liruan: ...
"Your boss is quite particular."
“Not all of your colleagues seem to be very educated,” Lu Liruan muttered softly.
As he said this, Liao Tingyuan swiped his card and led her through the gate of the villa area.
The environment inside is even better; you can tell everywhere that it's carefully managed by dedicated staff.
Every house I passed had different plants inside and outside its walls.
It should be customized according to the different needs of each household.
The styles of the gates, the materials used in the decorations, and the appearance of the courtyards are all different, each with its own unique charm.
Lu Liruan sighed, "This is truly a place for the wealthy."
Just as Lu Liruan was wondering what the place they were going to would be like.
Liao Tingyuan led Lu Liruan around a corner, and Lu Liruan saw a wall covered with very wild graffiti.