Chapter 2443

At night, only a

Lai Chi curled up on the narrow bed, her back against the piled-up pillows, holding a newly bought laptop in her arms.

On the screen played a slow-paced movie, light and shadow flickering across his focused face.

Jin Chen's consciousness relaxed and floated within his mind, sharing Lai Chi's audiovisual, feeling this rare tranquility.

Ling Gun Gun lay on Lai Chi's shoulder; she would roll off at the slightest movement, then eagerly climb back up to continue lying there.

There's nothing else; it's just being greedy toward the Host.

It can touch the Main God!

In the lower-left corner of the computer screen, a small mail icon flashed and jumped, indicating a new email.

Jin Chen's voice sounded lazy, 'Xiao Chi, check the mailbox; it might be…… Mother's reply.'

Lai Chi stared at the flashing icon, hesitated a moment, her fingertip moved, she opened the email; after Lin Wan received the email and video, the reply came two days later.

The reply read: 'Are you Lai Chi? Sorry, no matter who you are, I don't believe this video; please provide more evidence.'

Even though she had said many times before that she didn't care, Lai Chi's eyes now welled up with an uncontrollable sense of desolation.

He spoke softly, 'Brother, she doesn't believe me.'

Jin Chen clicked his tongue silently in his sea of consciousness, a chill passing through his heart.

He suppressed that hint of hostility, his voice soft and gentle, like coaxing a frightened little animal: 'Be good, don't be upset. Brother, my time out has come; let me teach you how to reply to her, okay?'

Lai Chi nodded silently, pulling the covers over herself, revealing only half her face and the eyes fixed on the screen.

'Okay.'

Jin Chen taught her word by word, and Lai Chi's fingertips lightly tapped the keyboard:

To doubt the video's authenticity, one could hire a private detective domestically to investigate.

I am the one protecting Lai Chi.

As she typed the last sentence, Lai Chi's finger paused slightly, as if that sentence carried warmth, lightly tapping his heart.

After sending it, he switched back to the movie playback page, but had no mood to continue watching.

Lai Chi raised her hand, lightly pressing her cool fingertips to her lips, leaving a silent kiss.

——

Three days later.

A thunderous door-slam echoed from the entryway.

Lai Fendou stormed into the Living Room, his face flushed pig-liver red, reeking of alcohol, he shouted at the air: 'A bunch of useless bastards! All of you are damn useless! Damn it!!'

He grabbed the vase from the entryway cabinet and smashed it hard onto the floor, shards flying everywhere.

Seeing the mess on the floor, Qiu Juan, like a lit firecracker, shrieked and lunged at Lai Fendou, tearing at him.

'Lai Fendou! You still have the nerve to come back! You worthless wretch! Three hundred thousand, exactly three hundred thousand, just swindled away by that little bitch! Are you crazy?!'

Lai Fendou staggered from being pulled, alcohol and rage surging to his head, he shoved Qiu Juan away.

'Blame me? It's all because you, you stupid woman, who let you go cause a scene at my workplace!'

'If you didn't cause a scene, would the leadership know? Would I be caught by that bitch? It's all your fault! Jinx!'

He pointed at Qiu Juan's nose, saliva flying.

'Not causing a scene, are you waiting for me to bear that bastard? Lai Fendou! You heartless wretch! I'll fight you to the end!'

Qiu Juan wailed and lunged again; the two instantly grappled, the coffee table knocked askew, cups and remote control clattering to the floor.

The Living Room was in utter chaos, like a battlefield.

Lai Qiang, frightened, curled up in the sofa corner, headphones on, game volume turned to max, pretending he didn't exist.

Lai Donglai's face was ashen, he forcibly suppressed his irritation and stepped forward to try to pull his parents apart:

'Stop fighting; what's the point of arguing now? First think of a solution, see if this quarter's living expenses have arrived—maybe we can tide ourselves over.'

He knew well that even if there was still inheritance left unspent, Lai Chi's father had made many preparations before his death; spending a large sum at once would easily arouse suspicion from the trust side.

Lai Fendou shoved Qiu Juan away violently, panting, fumbling to pull out his phone to check.

A few seconds later, the color drained from his face; he almost slammed his phone hard onto the ground.

'Where's the money? Why hasn't Lin Wan's money come through yet?!'

'Lai Chi!' Lai Fendou's voice hoarse, already a little unsteady on his feet, 'What's going on with your mother's side?! Where's the money?!'

Lai Chi appeared at some point in the hallway, standing at the edge of light and shadow, she slightly shook her head, her face showing her usual innocence and bewilderment.

The more harmless he appeared, the more chilling he seemed to certain people.

Lai Qiang in the sofa corner, seeing Lai Fendou point his anger at Lai Chi, shuddered all over, practically crawling deeper into the sofa, wishing he could burrow beneath it, fearing to be swept up in this storm.

But Lai Donglai's face changed completely.

He stared fixedly at Lai Chi in the shadows, and everything became clear to him.

'Lai Chi!' Lai Donglai demanded, 'You dare say it has nothing to do with you?! Don't you remember what you said that day?!'

Lai Chi stood silently in the shadows, facing Lai Donglai's accusation, she merely tilted her head slightly.

Lai Donglai, provoked by that gaze, rushed to the decorative picture frame, pulled off the cleverly disguised micro camera, then hurried back to his room to fetch his laptop, his fingers trembling as he connected the data cable and operated it swiftly.

'Mom! Dad! Look, I have evidence! That day he said it himself! He threatened me! He…'

However, the crucial footage of that day on the computer screen was now completely blank.

Lai Donglai, disbelieving, repeatedly refreshed and searched.

He suddenly lifted his head, terrified, looking toward the hallway.

Lai Chi stood in the unlit shadow, the faint hint of color returning to her lips as they curled slightly, her dark pupils fixed on Lai Donglai.

Lai Donglai only felt a chill rise from his heart.

In the Living Room, Lai Fendou and Qiu Juan's mutual accusations and curses continued, especially the insults directed at Lai Chi, which were utterly unrestrained.

「...... And that little mute! Jinx! He killed Dad and now he's bringing misfortune to our family again! Not a single good thing! 」

Li Chi returned to the room.

The door panel blocked most of the noise, but Qiu Juan's insults still seeped in faintly.

Li Chi stood leaning against the door panel for a while.

As soon as he thought that in a short while he could completely drive this family away, an unprecedented sense of relief overwhelmed all his grievances and sorrow.

He walked to the bedside, lifted the blanket, and slipped inside.

"Little Chi." Jin Chen's voice sounded, full of heartache.

Li Chi buried his face in the blanket, "Brother, it's okay, I'm already used to it」.

"No need to get used to this." Jin Chen said resolutely yet gently: "Cover your ears, good."

Li Chi obediently raised both hands and covered his ears.

In this quiet, Li Chi heard a melody resonating in his mind.

Jin Chen was humming a song, the tone calm and steady.

"...... Let light and shadow shuttle through our misaligned spacetime, our ten fingers intertwined."

"Love is meeting each other."

Such a familiar melody, Li Chi thought inexplicably.

His eye sockets reddened, the tip of his nose sore, he shut his eyes tightly, and even his long lashes were moistened by tears.

No longer thinking about the vulgarities outside the door, no longer thinking about those aggravating people and matters.

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -10, cumulative 66!】