Chapter 2: The Unbelievable Interview and the Mysterious Bracelet

“Ah! It hurts, it hurts so much, it’s absolutely killing me. What in the world is happening? If I’m meant to die, then let me die. Why prolong the agony… huh?”

The searing pain jolted Liu Xingluo from his unconsciousness, prompting a torrent of grumbles from him.

Only after he had thoroughly vented his frustrations did he realize he had returned to the familiar street he knew so well.

While a smooth return to his familiar surroundings was certainly a relief, it would have been infinitely better had he been afforded some time to prepare, for his current predicament was, to say the least, rather awkward.

He found himself slumped on the ground, and right beside him, a small boy, idly sucking on a lollipop, was regarding him with a gaze that could only be described as utterly bewildered, as if he were observing a complete fool.

The boy might not have intended it, but in Liu Xingluo’s current state, that look unequivocally screamed ‘idiot.’

“How did I end up here? Could everything that just transpired have been nothing more than a dream? Hiss…”

As the words escaped him, Liu Xingluo’s hand instinctively flew to his chest.

A sharp pang of pain immediately followed, compelling him to cast his gaze downwards to the very spot that ached.

Though his chest appeared completely healed, bearing not the slightest trace of a puncture, the tattered remnants of his suit served as a stark reminder that his recent harrowing ordeal had been terrifyingly real, not a mere figment of his imagination.

‘Not a dream? Then how in the world did I survive? Damn it, I can’t recall anything that happened after that moment.’

He desperately racked his brain, striving to recall precisely how he had managed to snatch himself back from the precipice of death and return to the vibrant realm of the living.

Yet, for all his strenuous efforts, Liu Xingluo found his mind a complete blank regarding the events that had transpired.

‘Never mind,’ he mused, ‘if the memories won’t surface, then so be it. I’m alive now, and dwelling on these things serves no purpose.’

He decided to head home and prepare for dinner.

After all, tomorrow marked his first day at work, and he absolutely had to make a good impression.

“Hmm? What’s this now?”

Just as Liu Xingluo pushed himself to his feet, preparing to make his way home, his attention was drawn to yet another anomaly on his person.

On his left wrist, a bracelet, adorned with a striking purple gem, had appeared at some indiscernible moment.

What was more, this bracelet clung to his wrist with an unnatural snugness, fitting so perfectly that not the slightest sliver of space remained between it and his skin.

Yet, despite its tight embrace, Liu Xingluo experienced absolutely no discomfort.

He had no idea when this peculiar object had found its way onto his wrist, but since it clearly wasn’t his, he resolved to remove it without delay.

Thus, Liu Xingluo embarked on a series of attempts to take off the bracelet.

However, despite his varied efforts, it remained stubbornly fused to his wrist, a seamless part of his skin, utterly impossible to dislodge.

Resigned, Liu Xingluo eventually abandoned his endeavors.

As long as it didn’t interfere with his daily life, he decided he would simply tolerate its presence.

For now, his priority was to return home, assure his sister of his safety, and perhaps, in passing, inquire if she might be able to assist him in removing the stubborn adornment.

“Mommy, that older brother over there is so strange. He’s doing something to his hand, but there’s nothing on it, I don’t know what he’s doing.”

“He’s probably a lunatic. Good children shouldn’t stare over there; you might just invite trouble.”

“You’re the lunatic, your entire family are lunatics! Is that how a parent educates their child? Hmph!”

To be inexplicably branded a lunatic once more left Liu Xingluo seething with irritation.

He muttered a quiet string of curses, a subtle retort aimed at the woman who had just insulted him.

Why not speak louder, one might ask? Simply put, he was currently averse to trouble.

What if the ‘old woman’ had overheard his comeback and chosen to engage in a shouting match? He doubted he could out-curse her.

Moreover, he had no time for public squabbles; he needed to get home immediately.

If he delayed any further, his sister would undoubtedly grow anxious.

Rising to his feet, he attempted to smooth out his tattered clothes.

Liu Xingluo then hastened his steps, heading towards the house he shared with his sister.

“I’m back, Sis! Oh, that smells absolutely delicious. Let me guess, is it beef stew with potatoes for dinner tonight?”

“Indeed, your nose remains as sharp as ever.

Speaking of which, how did your interview go today… Wait a minute, what in the world happened to you? Why is your suit so utterly tattered?”

Liu Ruyan had initially intended to inquire about the success of Liu Xingluo’s interview, but as she emerged from the kitchen and caught sight of her younger brother’s suit, her entire focus instantly shifted to its deplorable state.

“Well, that’s quite a long story, Sis.

In essence, I stumbled upon some truly outrageous events.

I even came perilously close to believing I was going to die there.”

“Almost died there? What kind of utterly preposterous things did you encounter? Oh, never mind, never mind.

Let’s not discuss it now.

Just take off that suit and go shower immediately.

Honestly, to face such dangers simply going for an interview, you truly are a constant source of worry, little brother.”

“No, you can’t possibly blame me for this, can you? It’s not as if I *wanted* to stumble into such unfortunate circumstances.

I’ll recount the full details once I’ve finished showering, Sis.”

Obediently, Liu Xingluo shed his tattered suit as instructed by Liu Ruyan, gathered a fresh set of clothes, and headed off to shower.

“Hmm… though it’s ripped in two places, I believe it can still be mended,” she mused.

“The question is whether I can get it done in time.

If not, he’ll simply have to wear Dad’s old suit to work tomorrow.”

Examining the discarded suit Liu Xingluo had left behind, Liu Ruyan carefully assessed the two damaged areas.

She concluded that, to some extent, it might still be salvageable.

Before long, Liu Xingluo emerged from his shower, just as Liu Ruyan finished preparing their evening meal, beckoning him to the table for dinner.

“Sis, I must tell you, I encountered something utterly unbelievable when I left work today.

You’re absolutely not going to believe it, and that’s also when my suit got ripped.”

Indeed, prior to his shower, Liu Xingluo had promised to recount the day’s events to Liu Ruyan once he was clean.

First, he found himself inexplicably transported to a peculiar 异空间 (TL Note: alternate dimension or parallel world).

There, he encountered a stunningly beautiful maiden whose allure far eclipsed even Liu Ruyan’s.

Then, he was impaled clean through by a sword, leaving him certain of his imminent demise.

Yet, somehow, he had inexplicably been resurrected, and now, a bracelet he had no recollection of ever owning adorned his wrist.

“Hmm… Xiaoluo, are you spinning a fantastical tale, or are you genuinely recounting the events of your day?”

Just as Liu Xingluo had anticipated, Liu Ruyan remained utterly unconvinced by his outlandish claims of the day’s events.

Indeed, it was an entirely rational response; anyone hearing such a string of preposterous events recounted in a single breath would naturally assume they were being told a fictional narrative.

Yet, for all their improbability, every single one of these outrageous incidents had indeed befallen Liu Xingluo today.

Moreover, he possessed irrefutable proof, a tangible piece of evidence that he believed would compel Liu Ruyan to accept his unbelievable tale: the bracelet currently adorning his left wrist.

“Don’t you dare disbelieve me, Sis.

Look, this is the very bracelet I told you about.

It’s so perfectly fused to my wrist that I simply cannot remove it.”

To underscore his point, Liu Xingluo deliberately extended his left hand directly before Liu Ruyan’s eyes, ensuring she could clearly see the bracelet he was so earnestly describing.

“Where on earth did you get a bracelet on your hand? Don’t tell me you ate some of those wild mushrooms from the south again today, did you?”