Chapter Sixty: I've Struck It Rich

Building Thirteen, Cell Zero, Death Row.

“Mmm…”

Mu You slowly opened his groggy eyes, feeling the first stirrings of sensation return to his body.

Gentle sunlight streamed into the infirmary, warming his skin, and even the bedding seemed infused with a hint of sunshine, inviting him to fully relax. Mu You inhaled deeply; the air held a faint fragrance of gardenias that sent a shiver through his senses.

“Boss, you’re awake!”

He Jing had thought Mu You was still mumbling in a dream—these past days, he’d been muttering about “Pupil” and “Original Sin,” among other things—but when he realized Mu You was truly awake, a joyful shout burst from his lips.

“What? Boss Mu is awake?”

There was a loud bang as the door was flung open and Xu Chen rushed in, his face lit with delight. In no time, the small room was packed with people, and many more crowded around the cell door, peering in with expressions of undisguised joy.

Mu You was a little overwhelmed by everyone’s enthusiasm. Only then did he notice the room was overflowing with gifts from visitors—at least a third of the space was piled high. He even spotted a two-inch-long wild ginseng root, worth nearly seven thousand points. Touched by everyone’s kindness, he coughed hard and, sniffling, asked, “How long was I out? Is everyone all right?”

Though most of the death row inmates were still wrapped in bandages, their radiant smiles left little doubt that they were on the mend.

“About a week. During that time, Miss Dongguan and Xuan Yao came to see you every day. Every time they left, their cheeks were flushed. Xuan Yao—the new boss on the sixth floor—was fairly composed, but Miss Dongguan would always come out with her clothes drenched. Heaven knows what those two did to you while you were out,” Xu Chen replied at once, grinning mischievously, which set off a round of knowing laughter from everyone present.

Mu You’s face turned crimson as he checked his own body. He could handle Xuan Yao, but he was all too familiar with Dongguan’s “skills”—if he wasn’t careful, she might have spirited away his innocence while he was unconscious, and to whom would he complain then?

Looking down, he realized his entire body was wrapped tight in bandages, every seam perfectly aligned. Here and there, Dongguan’s lip prints adorned the fabric, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness swept over him. The crowd’s increasingly inscrutable smiles made his heart pound like wild horses on the loose.

What on earth—what the hell kind of situation was this?

He wasn’t even of age yet! Was he doomed to sample all of life’s pleasures ahead of schedule? If it had to be, at least let him take the initiative! This was starting to feel dangerously close to being a tied-up, unconscious plaything, on track to become some kind of boy-toy.

No! He’d pay them back, with interest!

Having made his bold resolution, Mu You straightened and swept his gaze around. The others, sensing the fire in his eyes, stood in respectful silence, waiting for whatever pronouncement he would make. Finally, after a long moment, Mu You managed to squeeze out a single sentence:

“Um, could someone help me get these bandages off first? Wait, wait—hold on! I’m not wearing anything under these—okay, okay, I’ll handle the lower half myself…”

When Mu You finally stepped out of the infirmary, he let out a long breath. Accompanied by He Jing and the others, he made his way to the cafeteria. As they descended the stairs, they ran into Xuan Yao, who was coming up with a basket of apples in her arms.

She froze for a moment on seeing Mu You, then hurried forward with a bright smile. Mu You grinned back, and when she stopped in front of him, her cheeks flushed a deep red.

“For me?” Mu You asked, grabbing a large, shiny apple and taking a hearty bite. Sweet, cool juice flooded his mouth, and his stomach growled in response.

“What are you doing? Those aren’t for you!” Xuan Yao said anxiously.

Mu You froze, awkward and motionless, until Xuan Yao burst out laughing.

“If I’m not giving them to you, who else would I give them to, you big dummy?” Xuan Yao stuck out her tongue at him, her little nose scrunching up in a way that was utterly endearing.

Mu You chuckled sheepishly and took another bite. He had to admit, the apple tasted better with every mouthful.

“Sweet, isn’t it? They’re from Sky Island,” Xuan Yao said merrily, distributing apples to He Jing and the others as well.

“Thank you…”

Everyone felt warmed by Xuan Yao’s gentle kindness, and they couldn’t help but look enviously at Mu You—who, for his part, was still devouring his apple with single-minded hunger. After a week without food, he was nearly starving.

To be honest, Mu You was clueless when it came to winning a girl’s heart. No girl had ever paid him any attention before, and now he had no idea what to say, so he simply nodded and replied instinctively, “Mm, it’s sweet.”

At his words, Xuan Yao’s joyful blush deepened, the color spreading to the tips of her ears.

“But you don’t have to bring any next time.”

Xuan Yao frowned slightly in confusion, and everyone else gave Mu You a look that screamed, Are you an idiot? A girl as wonderful as this is throwing herself at you and you’re playing hard to get?

Xuan Yao’s body tensed, her smile faltering, but then Mu You’s earnest voice sounded again.

“They’re too expensive. You’d be better off spending the money on some cosmetics or something. I feel like girls must really like that sort of thing.”

Mu You had noticed her spirits dip a moment ago and, feeling concerned, turned the apple to an untouched side and held it out to her.

“Here, have a bite. It really is delicious.”

He Jing and the others looked like they might faint from exasperation—could Mu You be any more clueless about girls? Couldn’t he at least make an effort?

Xuan Yao was stunned for a moment, but when she saw Mu You’s sincere expression, she couldn’t help herself. She leaned forward, opened her cherry-pink lips, and took a small bite from the gleaming apple, before quickly retreating, chewing shyly, and whispering, “Mm, it’s really sweet.”

What?!

The girls in the group all smacked their foreheads. That was it—this girl was definitely falling for him, and Boss Mu had managed to do it with nothing but a clueless gesture.

Meanwhile, the boys could only wish they could trade places with the apple in Mu You’s hand, yearning to feel Xuan Yao’s lips upon them.

“Heh heh.”

Mu You grinned foolishly, unconcerned, and bit into the apple right where Xuan Yao’s delicate lip print remained.

Heavens!

The others nearly tumbled down the stairs. Clearly, when it came to matters of the heart, their boss was completely in the dark.

If these two oddballs ever did end up together, there would be no end of entertainment.

Xuan Yao, seeing Mu You completely unconcerned, felt her lips curl upward in delight, her face as rosy and pale as the apple itself—shyness radiating from her. She thrust the whole basket into Mu You’s arms and darted away, vanishing from sight.

Mu You wanted to call her back, to ask how she was feeling—after all, the punishment had been death, and the pain must have reached lethal levels. He wondered how much Xuan Yao and Hu Lei had benefited from their ordeal.

When Mu You and the others reached the cafeteria, he was stunned the moment he swiped his card. Unbridled joy struck him like a tidal wave.

100075.

One hundred thousand! At some point, his card balance had grown by a full hundred thousand points.

Damn! He was rich!