Chapter 28: 028

Chapter 28

Lan Xi was extremely excited, feeling that today was her lucky day. For the first time in her annoying cousin Dong Ying's life, she brought her good fortune - she actually gave Xie Cheng a subconscious suggestion to tell the truth.

After observing and analyzing this fact, Lan Xi quickly accepted the situation and felt even more delighted in her heart.

The effectiveness of Dong Ying's subconscious suggestion varied depending on the individual, so Lan Xi was uncertain when Xie Cheng would return to normal. But before that...

Of course, she had to make some money first!

She asked Xie Cheng for information like his bank card password, and unsurprisingly, despite his reluctant and almost desperate expression, as if he wanted to cover his mouth with his hands, the password kept flowing out of his mouth like an uncontrollable spring.

There were too many types of bank cards on Earth, and Lan Xi was afraid of making mistakes. So she took out a small notebook and carefully wrote them down one by one.

However, following the principle of kindness, Lan Xi reassured Xie Cheng, "Don't worry, I only have a second-class card with limited transfer limits. I won't use too much of your money..."

...

Xie Cheng looked at Lan Xi, who was diligently memorizing, and couldn't help but feel furious.

Who was this person?

He coldly sneered as he watched Lan Xi happily jotting down the password, and then took the opportunity to change the password on his phone when she wasn't paying attention.

What's the point of tricking himself with the password? Passwords can be changed.

Even those scammers who pull off pyramid schemes know to deceive people's hearts first before deceiving their money. Compared to that, Lan Xi's direct and shameless way of scamming money, what talk is there about sustainable development?

Short-sighted, why didn't she understand the potential long-term market?

Xie Cheng retched with anger, "Since you're so busy memorizing passwords, I won't disturb you. I'll go to the hospital myself."

This person, Lan Xi, was really crossing the river and demolishing the bridge. She didn't even lift her head and casually waved at Xie Cheng, "Sure, goodbye! Take care on your way! But actually, I don't think you need to go to the hospital!"

"..."

Xie Cheng felt ashamed that he would consider this kind of person trustworthy.

He turned around in anger and decided to go to the garage to get his car.

Fortunately, Lan Xi seemed to have a moment of conscience and called out to him before he left.

"Xie Cheng, wait!"

Huh, it seems she knows about "after-sales service."

She knew she should feel remorse, knew she should send him to the hospital, knew she should care about his well-being. Maybe she wasn't beyond redemption. If she showed good behavior afterward, Xie Cheng could consider forgiving her for her previous robbery. After all, losing oneself in the face of money is a normal thing. As long as Lan Xi still had humanity left in her, he would be willing to be magnanimous.

However, Lan Xi's voice quickly shattered Xie Cheng's illusion.

He could hear her confidently saying, "Can you give me a ride to a place on your way? Liang Di said she's attending a gathering nearby, and it hasn't ended yet. She invited me to join!"

"..."

Lan Xi's voice was filled with excitement. "I don't have to pay, Liang Di said she's treating! And we can eat to our heart's content!"

"..." Xie Cheng felt that there was no need to save Lan Xi anymore. Perhaps the brilliance of human nature simply didn't exist in her.

"No."

Xie Cheng coldly rejected Lan Xi's plea.

"..."

"..."

"...?!"

"Take a taxi yourself."

Lan Xi didn't insist and responded with an "Oh." She turned around and headed towards the taxi stand. Xie Cheng rubbed his temples and walked in the opposite direction towards the parking lot.

However, for some unknown reason, as he walked, his feet suddenly seemed to act independently, no longer obeying his brain's commands. It was as if they were drawn away from his body, turning around on their own and walking towards Lan Xi's direction.

Lan Xi turned back curiously and asked, "Is there something else?"

"No." Xie Cheng felt something was incredibly wrong. Besides being compelled to tell the truth, his feet seemed to have a problem.

With a stern face, he walked away from Lan Xi again, but within a short while, his feet forced him to turn around and return to her side.

He tried this back and forth several times, and the result was always the same.

He seemed to be under a spell, unable to leave Lan Xi. Wherever she went, he automatically followed, unable to stay more than a meter away from her.

The situation exceeded Xie Cheng's understanding of science, yet this inexplicable phenomenon was happening for real.

If he hadn't been drinking at all, Xie Cheng would have thought he was hallucinating.

Lan Xi, unaware of the situation, continued on her way to the taxi stand, while Xie Cheng had no choice but to follow closely behind her.

...

Lan Xi found Earth men to be really strange. She had just given the command to go to one end to get a taxi, yet he followed along as she walked.

"Go in that direction," Xie Cheng's voice still sounded calm, but for some reason, he kept trying to take deep breaths as if trying to calm his emotions. Then he looked at Lan Xi. "You go towards the parking lot."

"But I want to take a taxi!"

"Walk towards the parking lot with me," Xie Cheng rubbed his temples, showing a very frustrated expression. It seemed like he had to compromise, but his tone remained firm. "Give me the address, and I'll take you to Liang Di's place."

If there was a carpool, that would be great. Lan Xi didn't think much and immediately changed direction, going to the parking lot with Xie Cheng.

...

Xie Cheng's mood was in turmoil, and he didn't know what to do for a moment. He contacted his personal doctor, and after listening to his description, the doctor repeatedly confirmed if he had been drinking.

Feeling somewhat angry, Xie Cheng hung up the phone and calmed down a bit.

Indeed, even if he sought medical help, it seemed unlikely that any doctor could treat this condition. No one would even believe him. It was no longer a simple case of being drugged.

He needed a thorough and comprehensive examination.

But how could he escape now?

Perhaps if he waited a while, he would return to normal?

Or maybe he could find an opportunity, and suddenly this strange effect would be lifted?

In short, when faced with the inability to stay one meter away from Lan Xi's side, Xie Cheng decided to take her along and fulfill his daily act of kindness by sending her to Liang Di's place.

Unfortunately, Xie Cheng's hope was soon dashed. The situation of not being able to leave Lan Xi's side did not improve just because he happened to accompany her on a trip to Liang Di's for dinner.

However, this time, Lan Xi expressed her confusion, saying, "Didn't you want to go to the hospital because you were worried? Then go ahead. The dining place is on the second floor, and I can go up by myself. There's no need for you to escort me to the door."

He replied, "Do you think...?"

This time, Xie Cheng stated the truth, but little did he know that Lan Xi would interpret his words differently—Xie Cheng was being too clingy!

Lan Xi understood this well. As stated in the book "The Earthling's Guide to Conquest," once a man has been conquered, he can't help but stick to his partner's side for twenty-four hours. Naturally, during the honeymoon period, this constant togetherness is a pleasant experience. However, in the long run, some men haven't learned to be independent and find their own path, which can affect both individuals' careers.

Lan Xi's mission is to conquer Earth, and as a career-oriented woman, she needs some personal space. Therefore, Xie Cheng should have some independence.

So she patted Xie Cheng's shoulder with emphasis and said, "Xie Cheng, a man should learn to be independent and have his own career. Only when you live a fulfilling life and attract others can you gain their admiration. You can't accompany me in everything, right? You're not a primary school student who needs a buddy to go to the bathroom. If you want to go to the hospital, go by yourself! Why do you need me to accompany you?"

Upon reaching this point, he obviously didn't miss the chance to belittle Xie Cheng, glancing at him and saying in a condescending tone, "Sorry, I guess this isn't a topic you can discuss, considering there aren't many people with the experience of living in three countries like me. I was so engrossed in talking to Lan Xi that I didn't consider you."

Heh, Xie Cheng felt like he was giving this guy face. Lan Xi might be naive, but he wasn't.

"Well, I can't contribute to the conversation," Xie Cheng replied with a fake smile. "Living in three different countries during university, oh, so you were expelled from the first two schools and kept transferring, right? I don't have that kind of experience."

"..."

The man was hit where it hurt, grinding his teeth, but he had a thick skin and quickly changed the topic, turning to Lan Xi and redirecting the conversation towards his watch. "Let me tell you about watches. This one I have here is the classic Rolex Submariner, it's actually just over a hundred thousand, quite cheap. I could easily wear a million-dollar watch, but today I'm wearing this one mainly for a sense of nostalgia."

At this point, he provocatively looked at Xie Cheng again. "After all, this was the first watch I bought during my student days. I still want to maintain a sense of simplicity. You probably wouldn't understand, right? Not everyone has the financial means to buy a watch like mine."

Xie Cheng usually didn't get involved in these things unless he couldn't help it.

His voice was chilly, "Indeed, I don't understand. The genuine Rolex Submariner has platinum filling in the engravings on the ceramic bezel. Why doesn't your watch have it? Did your sense of nostalgia remove this craftsmanship?"

"..."

Not long after, the man who was previously strutting around arrogantly slinked away dejectedly.

...

**

Lan Xi was very angry. "Xie Cheng, all those people came to me and said they wanted to be friends, but you scared them away!"

Xie Cheng glanced coldly at Lan Xi and replied, "They didn't want to be friends with you."

"Then tell me, what did they want to do? They were being friendly."

Xie Cheng's anger flared up. "There's no such thing as unfounded friendliness. Sometimes friendliness is a fa?ade, and they want something from you based on what they see in you."

"You're so good-looking, can't you be a bit more cautious? Do you really think the world is only filled with goodness and beauty? You naively think of making friends with them, but all they have on their minds are carnal desires."

Xie Cheng's mood turned sour. "Be more aware, most men are like that."

Lan Xi looked astonished and then retorted, "But you're not like that, Xie Cheng. You can't just lump everyone together. Do you really think that way?"

Why did she have to ask such a question?

If there was a poison that could render him speechless before him, Xie Cheng felt he would unquestionably drink it without hesitation.

However, reality was cruel. Xie Cheng couldn't just walk away from Lan Xi to avoid this question, nor could he tell a lie.

His voice came out resolutely, "I'm also a normal man, so of course, I have those thoughts."

Lan Xi's eyes widened.

Sleeping? Didn't Xie Cheng dislike sleeping?!

"Sometimes I do think that way."

Xie Cheng despondently closed his eyes. His face seemed to emit a wave of heat in response to the uncontrollable truth, and he desperately tried to patch things up with a flurry of words.

"But it's not always like that. It only happens occasionally, and it's because you're always around me, doing things and saying things that can be misunderstood."

"But I can control myself as long as you don't do it frequently."

Lan Xi thought she understood, but then she felt confused. She was about to continue questioning when she heard a "meow" coming from a bag on the table behind her.

Could it be... a cat?

Lan Xi stiffly turned her head and, unsurprisingly, saw a cat poking its head out of a large bag left on the table by an unknown lady. The cat's round eyes were fixed on Lan Xi like it was targeting her.

How could a cat be brought to a social gathering?!

Lan Xi barely had time to think. Her instinctive fear of natural enemies made her plunge into Xie Cheng's embrace. In this life-or-death moment, she didn't care about anything else. She just desperately tried to bury herself in Xie Cheng's suit, attempting to cover her entire body with it.

To her surprise, Xie Cheng, for some reason, also froze.

And as Lan Xi leaned against his chest, she listened to his heartbeat, which went from steady to rapid and uncontrolled.

This is bad, this is bad.

If a human's heartbeat is too fast, they will die!

So why did Xie Cheng suddenly react this way?

Lan Xi pondered and could only come up with one possibility.

Lan Xi calculated and calculated, but she never expected that Xie Cheng was also afraid of cats!

Well, last time in the parking lot...

Xie Cheng didn't confront the cat head-on.

This time, the cat had already jumped out of the bag and was slowly approaching Lan Xi and the others.

"Oh dear, Xiao Yuan, how did you slip out of the bag?"

Fortunately, just as the situation was critical, the cat's owner came and took the cat away.

With the crisis averted, Lan Xi breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he turned to look at Xie Cheng, it was evident that he hadn't recovered from his fear of the cat. Xie Cheng looked at Lan Xi with a shocked expression.

Lan Xi leaned towards Xie Cheng's left chest and listened again.

Oh no!

Xie Cheng's heartbeat not only didn't return to normal, but it started racing again!

"Lan! Xi!"

He stared at Lan Xi, and his words came out slowly, one by one.

It's even difficult for him to speak now!

Lan Xi felt extremely nervous. "Xie Cheng, are you having trouble breathing?"

In response, Xie Cheng's voice came out in rough gasps. "What were you doing? Taking advantage of someone's vulnerability? I just told you something, didn't you hear me? Control your behavior! I'm a normal man too. What you just did to me was an ambush. If I didn't know you and know that you didn't have any ulterior motives, what you did earlier would be considered sexual harassment, do you know that? It's not just a matter of breathing difficulty anymore, it's suffocating me!"

Suffocating? That's not good!

I need to rescue him quickly!

Without thinking too much, Lan Xi immediately tried to push Xie Cheng down to the ground.

But even though Xie Cheng was on the verge of suffocation, he somehow mustered up a lot of strength and resisted. "What are you doing?!"

Lan Xi explained firmly, "Your current situation is very dangerous!"

"Being with you is dangerous for me, of course!"

Oh no, Xie Cheng is starting to talk nonsense! This doesn't make any sense!

There's no time to waste. It's a critical moment!

In the end, Lan Xi used all his strength to stop Xie Cheng's hand. He didn't care about lying on the ground; he adapted to the situation and seized every second to save precious rescue time. He started performing CPR on Xie Cheng.

But it's unclear if the method was wrong or not, because Xie Cheng's breathing sounded even more rapid. His heartbeat also became more irregular.

Alarm bells rang in Lan Xi's mind. With this heart rate, it seems like Xie Cheng is really in a critical condition!