Chapter 95
The movie enthusiast group owner, Lin Chao, also lived in Luoxia City.
“His home address is very close to the East Ward.”
The areas surrounding the four wards in every city, which were specifically used to lure anomalies, typically didn’t have residential zones. Even if there originally were any, the government would have relocated them.
Lin Chao’s home was roughly an hour’s drive from the East Ward, making it the closest residential compound after the surrounding areas were cleared.
Luo Shizhen sat in the passenger seat, looking at the route map before turning back to look at his friends who had finally quieted down.
“We’ll arrive in another hour. Do you guys want to change clothes?”
Rong Nian and the others showed no visible wounds. This was normal; as long as it wasn’t a severe injury, an Awakener’s physique could basically fully heal within an hour.
But ordinary clothes didn’t have the capability to auto-repair. Looking over now, practically everyone’s clothes were somewhat torn.
Either a sleeve was missing, or the pants had a rip.
Wearing this to someone’s house to pay respects was definitely inappropriate.
Luo Shizhen looked down at his simple shirt. “To attend a funeral, do we have to wear black?”
His hometown didn’t have that many rules, but whenever he watched television, that’s how it was played out.
Cheng Yunshao, who hadn’t participated in the brawl and thus possessed fully intact clothing, looked back at the built-in wardrobe inside the vehicle.
Yes, this vehicle issued by Yongzhou came equipped with a walk-in wardrobe, and inside were custom-made clothes tailored to each Guardian’s specific dimensions and various official dress codes.
It could be described as incredibly thoughtful.
He stood up. “I don’t know if Yongzhou prepared black clothes for us. Let me check.”
A moment later, he slid open a cabinet, revealing a wardrobe full of black suits to his teammates.
“They actually prepared suits.”
Lu Qiujin stepped forward. As the biggest player with financial power on the scene, a single glance was enough for him to make a judgment.
“They’re custom-tailored by hand. No wonder Yongzhou used a robot to measure our dimensions before.”
Luo Shizhen had never worn a suit before and didn’t understand. “Is there a difference between hand-tailored suits and regular suits?”
“They fit better and the details are finer.” Lu Qiujin quickly located the suit belonging to Luo Shizhen, picking it up and handing it to him. “Shizhen, try it on.”
“Oh, okay.”
Luo Shizhen immediately began unbuttoning his shirt.
Lu Qiujin raised a hand to block the view, but he wasn’t fast enough.
A button on his chest was swiftly undone. Before the shirt could slide open without the connection of the button, a thread of spiritual power had already done it back up.
The rest of the people in the car seemed to let out a sigh of relief and a sharp intake of breath simultaneously.
Luo Shizhen looked down in confusion, then turned to look at Sui An.
Sui An: “Go to the changing room to swap clothes. Keep things where they belong.”
“Alright.”
Luo Shizhen actually felt changing clothes anywhere was about the same, since everyone was a man and seeing each other didn’t matter.
But since Sui-laoshi spoke, he obediently took the clothes and went into the changing room.
This was Luo Shizhen’s first time wearing a suit. During the process, he didn’t feel it was any different from ordinary clothes.
The fabric seemed a bit more comfortable, but beyond that, he couldn’t tell.
The moment he finished putting it on, Chu Xiao’s voice came from outside:
“Shizhen, the shoes are placed outside.”
“Oh, okay.”
Luo Shizhen lifted a corner of the curtain, took the shoes, and put them on, stamping his leather shoes with a sense of novelty.
He didn’t understand styles or fashion, but Luo Shizhen had only seen the principal and the dean of students wear leather shoes back at No. 3 High School, which left him with the sole impression of “this must be very expensive.”
He hadn’t expected that he would wear leather shoes, too.
The young man from the small town played with the novelty for dozens of seconds before drawing back the curtain and walking out happily.
“Chu Xiao, come check it out for me. Did I put anything on wrong?”
Chu Xiao sat in the seat opposite the changing room. Hearing his voice, he lifted his eyes, his gaze freezing instantly.
Not just him; even Cheng Yunshao, Lu Qiujin, and the others who were walking over were entirely stunned.
Luo Shizhen usually wore loose clothing. Even when wearing combat gear, the tight full-body coverage only revealed a portion of his excellent physique.
In the public eye, a suit was an attire worn only in business and formal settings.
This was completely different from the youthful student aura Luo Shizhen had displayed before.
The meticulous tailoring of the hand-made suit perfectly highlighted the gorgeous body proportions that had previously been hidden beneath loose clothes, the fabric hugging his upright and slender frame flawlessly.
The beautiful curve of his chest muscles, his narrow yet powerful waistline, and his long, well-toned legs were all showcased to perfection.
Luo Shizhen was still smiling, his eyes completely devoid of timidity, looking at his friends with bright intensity.
He appeared to have grown up in an instant.
Seeing no reaction from Chu Xiao, Luo Shizhen waved a hand before his face in confusion. “Chu Xiao?”
He looked down at himself. “Did I wear something wrong?”
“You look great.” Sui An paced over slowly, gazing at the youth whose childishness had been mostly shed by the formal suit. His eyes held undisguised admiration. “Suits suit you very well.”
He could almost see what Luo Shizhen would look like when he fully matured in a few years, with only those clear, dark, and bright eyes still indicating that this youth was a mere nineteen years old.
“Really?” Luo Shizhen believed him instantly, looking down at himself with novelty.
“A pity we can’t wear this normally. It gets too much in the way during combat.”
No matter how well-tailored a suit was, it could never allow the free movement of combat gear, so it could only be worn when they weren’t fighting anomalies.
He urged his friends, “You guys hurry up and change, too! I want to see what you look like in suits!”
Only when Chu Xiao and the others emerged in their suits did Luo Shizhen realize why everyone had looked at him with such amazement.
Suits were truly magical; they could instantly make a person look several years more mature.
Particularly since they were all incredibly good-looking with their own unique styles, wearing suits seemed to amplify their charm exponentially.
Luo Shizhen couldn’t think of many adjectives; he simply felt everyone looked handsomer and more dazzling.
Only Xiao Shan and Wen Hu looked unexplainably more menacing and imposing after putting on suits.
“Shizhen, this is for you.”
Lu Qiujin produced a wristwatch, gently fastening it onto Luo Shizhen’s wrist.
The watch featured intricate patterns inlaid with several beautiful gems, its body presenting a deep blue-black hue that looked like a dazzling yet low-profile starry night sky.
“I wanted to give this to you before but couldn’t find a proper opportunity. Now is perfect; it suits you well.”
Luo Shizhen didn’t understand watches, but he wasn’t blind to quality. One look at its appearance and he immediately refused firmly:
“No way, I can’t accept this. This looks way too expensive.”
Gazing at the young Purifier’s stubbornly resistant expression, Lu Qiujin felt a bit deflated.
He knew clearly by now that once Luo Shizhen set his mind on something, no one could persuade him otherwise.
If he claimed it was a thank-you gift for Luo Shizhen purifying him, Luo Shizhen would simply say that since he received a monthly salary from the school, purifying his classmates was his duty.
“Then treat it as a loan. A good suit naturally needs to be paired with a watch; that way, it looks seamless.”
Luo Shizhen indeed accepted this reasoning, turning to look at the others. “Then do Chu Xiao and the others need to wear watches, too?”
Xiao Shan rested an arm on Lu Qiujin’s shoulder, a mischievous smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth.
“Yeah, Lu Qiujin. Do you have any extra watches? Loan some to us, too.”
Lu Qiujin: “…”
His expression was speechless, but he didn’t dodge Xiao Shan’s arm. Instead, he tapped his phone, and a watch cabinet immediately slid out from the walk-in wardrobe, filled to the brim with luxury watches.
“Pick them yourselves.”
The others didn’t stand on ceremony with him. In the past, they might have politely said “I’ll beat up your younger brother to pay for this,” but now they directly picked out watches that suited them and fastened them on.
Luo Shizhen walked to Sui An’s side. “Teacher, aren’t you going to change into a suit?”
Sui An shook his head. “I’ll use my spiritual power to conceal myself; others won’t be able to see me.”
Right after he finished speaking, the young Purifier looked at him with sheer adoration.
Sui An couldn’t help but chuckle. At times like this, even while wearing a suit, the youth couldn’t hide that unique childishness.
“Teacher, when can I become as powerful as you?”
Luo Shizhen rarely considered such questions in the past; his daily routine was simply eating, studying, and sleeping.
But now, after spending months battling anomalies, absorbing pollution, and cultivating fruits, he also wanted to become stronger.
He knew clearly that the fruits he cultivated couldn’t solve the plight of all polluted people and could only help a portion of them. But if he advanced, he would surely be able to help even more.
“You’re still young.”
Sui An lowered his eyes with a smile, looking at the youth before him. “When you grow up, perhaps you’ll become even stronger than me.”
Luo Shizhen felt these words sounded familiar.
Teacher Chen had also said he hadn’t grown up yet, but he was already nineteen.
Back in his hometown, nineteen was an age where people could get married—even if they couldn’t get a marriage certificate, holding a wedding banquet was perfectly fine.
Luo Shizhen had actually seen an elementary school classmate get married at nineteen and received an invitation, though he hadn’t gone because it was out of town.
He thought about it and asked:
“Teacher, then how old do I have to be?”
Sui An smiled. Asking such a question only proved how innocent Luo Shizhen truly was.
He gently tapped the youth’s nose.
“A person’s growth isn’t judged by age. When you grow up, you’ll naturally know.”
Luo Shizhen nodded half-comprehendingly.
The car stopped.
The spiritual power threads that had been diligently driving returned to Sui An’s side, reaching out toward Luo Shizhen’s shoulder before being tolerantly caught by the youth.
“Shizhen, time to get off!”
Xiao Shan was the first to step out of the car, calling out to Luo Shizhen.
Luo Shizhen immediately stopped thinking about growing up, giving an acknowledgement. “Coming!”
Sui An stood inside the car, watching the youth run toward his companions. He slowly followed behind them, watching them banter.
Luo Shizhen was like the rising morning sun; even if he didn’t speak, just standing there radiated vitality and hope, drawing others closer instinctively.
And behind him, Sui An used his spiritual power to conceal his frame, strictly protecting this morning sun.
Lin Chao’s home was a hundred-and-twenty-square-meter apartment.
Because a funeral was being held, the front door was wide open, and a blanket of white could be seen the moment one stood at the entrance.
Rong Nian’s mood, which had barely recovering, sank once more.
Luo Shizhen patted his shoulder.
Rong Nian lowered his head. “Lin Chao said I was his best bud. Knowing I was also in Luoxia City, he always wanted to meet up, but I was too cowardly.”
He could spy on the dark sides of human nature, which was why he had rejected Lin Chao, terrified that once they met, this online friendship would come to an end.
“If I’d known, I should have agreed back then.”
Rong Nian stepped into the apartment. Someone came up to meet them. “Hello, you are?”
Rong Nian took a deep breath. “I’m Lin Chao’s best bud.”
“Thank you, thank you for coming to pay your respects. Please come this way.”
The relative responsible for receiving guests led them to one side, where a dozen people were already sitting cross-legged, making the tight space rather cramped.
Seeing a group of handsome men whose looks and stature could easily rival celebrities walk in, quite a few people paying respects looked over in surprise.
If it had been before, Rong Nian’s tail would have popped up from sensing their emotions, but right now, he was utterly downcast and in no mood for it.
Rong Nian sat down cross-legged like the others, and Luo Shizhen and the rest followed suit behind him.
After waiting for a while, a few young men sitting nearby couldn’t resist asking, “What’s your relationship with Lin Chao?”
Rong Nian said heavily, “I’m his best bud.”
The young men instantly grew friendly. “What a coincidence! I’m his best bud, too.”
“Me too!”
“Count me in!”
“Yeah, we’re all Lin Chao’s best buds, which is why we were arranged to sit over here.”
Looking at the at least twelve or thirteen “best buds” before him, Rong Nian: “…”
He took a deep breath.
Took another deep breath.
Took a third deep breath.
Rong Nian’s lips trembled slightly. He endured and endured, but finally couldn’t hold it back anymore, turning around and plunging directly into Luo Shizhen’s embrace.
Luo Shizhen didn’t understand why, but instinctively clapped a hand gently onto his back to pat him.
He heard Rong Nian muttering through gritted teeth:
“Humans! Humans!! HUMANS!!!”
Another “best bud” looked puzzled. “Is he saying something?”
Someone listened closely. “Sounds like he’s saying ‘hold back tears’? Hold back tears, holding back his tears?”
“Ah, one look and you can tell he had a great relationship with Lin Chao. Bud, don’t be sad. Chao-ge’s spirit in heaven definitely wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
Luo Shizhen felt Rong Nian didn’t mean it that way, but he couldn’t be sure, so he could only pat his back even more carefully.
A round little pearl rolled onto the ground. He quickly picked it up, whispering to Chu Xiao:
“Rong Nian is crying from sorrow again.”
Cheng Yunshao and the others, however, saw through it with a single glance, looking at Rong Nian and then at the dozen or so “best buds.”
Crying from sorrow?
Crying from absolute fury, more like.
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