Chapter 233: Anonymous Gift

Ever since Ling Wu jumped into the sea, the 001 System had vanished, and those bullet comments had disappeared along with it; his life had been forcibly pulled back from the brink of death by 001.

Sometimes he would wonder, if the world he lived in really was a manga world, then what role would the 001 System, which claimed to be omnipotent, play here?

Ling Wu had an answer in his heart.

Under Ling Wu's constant pestering, Qin Zhonglian finally agreed to his request to move out, though he still couldn't set his mind at ease, telling him to come back every few days or find someone to settle down with.

Ling Wu brushed these words off casually.

Ling Wu was packing his things in his room, preparing to move to an apartment in the north of the city; he laid his suitcase flat, folded his clothes and put them inside, then pulled open a drawer and found his parasol.

The handle of the umbrella brought out a hand-carved crystal ornament of an ocean scene, which then rolled onto the floor; the surging waves of the sea were captured within the crystal, full of the aura of freedom.

Ling Wu picked up the ornament, remembering that it was a gift he had received before; they were all sent by an anonymous person who would leave as soon as the gift was delivered, and he didn't know who it was.

He also didn't know if this mysterious person would still be able to persist in sending him gifts in the sixth year.

It was as if he could hear the sound of the sea breeze in his ears, and he thought, perhaps they would...

"Knock!"

"Knock!"

Ling Wu was squatting on the floor, and upon hearing the knocking, he said without looking up, "Come in."

Pei Ziying turned the doorknob and stood in the doorway, tall and long-legged; the peach-wood doorframe cut his silhouette into a shadow, and the metal cufflink on his wrist accidentally brushed against the door, making a faint, steady sound.

"Leaving?" Pei Ziying asked. "In such a hurry?"

He packed the things Ling Wu had placed on the bed into the suitcase.

Ling Wu didn't intend to trouble him: "Senior Brother, I can do it myself."

The warm light from the hallway spilled over the corners of Pei Ziying's eyes; those eyes were steady and experienced, and he said unhurriedly, "I'll drive you."

Ling Wu met Pei Ziying's gaze and knew that at a time like this, he couldn't refuse: "Alright."

"I'm going to the north of the city."

Pei Ziying deftly zipped up his suitcase, then stood up, his expression unreadable: "The north of the city is a bit far."

Ling Wu knew what he meant; it had been like that since he was a child. Pei Ziying kept him under control and looked after him, and from the bottom of his heart, he respected and loved this senior brother who was like an older brother to him, though he was also intimidated by him at times.

As the Chairman of the Federation, Pei Ziying was exceptionally capable, but his desire for control was also high; this desire for control was unprecedentedly high when facing Ling Wu, yet he never crossed the line.

The two of them maintained a good balance in this relationship.

"Let's go, I'll take you down."

Pei Ziying took his suitcase, pushing one in each hand, and walked toward the villa's elevator; Ling Wu picked up his parasol and followed.

Pei Ziying instructed: "I'll go get the car, you stand under the eaves and wait for me; the sun is strong outside."

Ling Wu had long been able to stand on his own two feet, but to Pei Ziying, he was still treated like a child to be cherished; he smiled: "Alright, I know."

The luggage was placed into the trunk.

Ling Wu sat in the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and turned his head to see Pei Ziying staring at him with eyes like torches; his eyes were very deep, possessing a magic that made people sink in when he looked at them.

"What is it?"

Pei Ziying rested his hands on the steering wheel: "Junior Brother, give me a copy of your villa's spare key."

Ling Wu leaned back against the seat and looked at him: "... Want to do a surprise inspection?"

Pei Ziying raised an eyebrow, noncommittal; his expression made it impossible to tell if that was what he meant, or if he had only had this intention after Ling Wu brought it up.

"Senior Brother." Ling Wu sat up straight, his tone steady: "You all know my situation; it's not that serious, and there's no need to watch me like a prisoner. I know you and the teacher are doing this for my own good, but I don't want to add a burden to anyone."

He didn't want others to treat him like a patient, accommodating him at every turn.

Ling Wu didn't need it.

Pei Ziying reached out a hand: "The key or the code."

Ling Wu had never been able to win against him, otherwise he wouldn't have abandoned everything back then and secretly run back to the Empire; he took the key out of his pocket and placed it in Pei Ziying's palm.

Because of the heat, his fingertips touched his senior brother's palm, feeling a bit damp.

Of course, Ling Wu himself was no better, but the car's air conditioning was turned on, and it soon drove away that sweltering heat.

Pei Ziying's body tensed slightly; he put the key away and stopped looking at him: "I know what you're thinking, but you also have to be considerate of me and the teacher."

"Ling Wu, your heart is too wild to be leashed. If I don't keep a close eye on you, you could poke a hole in the sky. I can't imagine the scene of opening your front door one day to find you lying in a pool of blood, or having vanished into thin air."

"Do you understand?"

Ling Wu nodded.

When he was in the Empire, he had sworn to Pei Ziying that he had a sense of proportion and could retreat unscathed, yet in the end, news of him jumping into the sea was sent back to the Federation.

Pei Ziying had mobilized his intelligence network in the Empire, acting like a madman, nearly turning the entire sea area upside down to find him.

Ling Wu felt helpless inside, but was curious on the surface: "Senior Brother, is my credibility rating with you... reset to zero?"

Pei Ziying pressed his lips together and said, "Negative."

That low?

"Do you provide a service to boost my credibility rating?" Ling Wu asked.

Pei Ziying couldn't help but smile, a faint amusement in his eyes as he stepped on the gas: "Depends on your performance."

"By the way, I heard from Xi Huaizhi that you don't want to stay at S University anymore; what are your plans?"

"Want to return to the Research Institute?"

Ling Wu felt he needed to find his life's value and contribute to humanity: "I'll go back; the research has to be carried on."

"Fine, I'll arrange it." Pei Ziying said meaningfully: "Those council members are nagging about you all day long."

Ling Wu was puzzled, as his relationship with those people was very shallow: "What are they nagging about me for?"

Pei Ziying recalled past events and gave an analogy: "A child can't leave its 'mother,' clamoring and making a fuss because they want you to go back and feed them."

Ling Wu: "........"

"Alright, I think I understand."