Chapter 4, Strange Events

When Xu Yongmin said this, he felt a deep bitterness inside, for there was another sentence he had not expressed. For someone who has lost their future, what the future holds has become utterly unimportant.

Thus, Xiao Dong also became serious, patting Xu Yongmin on the shoulder, and said: "There are as many men who like Lan Xue'er as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, my brother, this is not your fault. But I still advise you to abandon this thought as soon as possible; you and she are from two different worlds and cannot come together."

Thank you. Xu Yongmin nodded seriously and then said, "Can you lend me one thousand yuan?"

Usually, you look quite disheveled, but when you actually dress up, you do have a certain charm about you.

Xu Yongmin felt a chill run down his spine, as the originally steaming hot water instantly turned icy cold, almost freezing him to the bone

The living room door suddenly opened, and my colleague Xiao Dong unexpectedly returned to the dormitory before 8 PM.

Xu Yongmin ignored Xiao Dong

If it is merely an illusion, then it wouldn't be so coincidental to have three consecutive illusions, would it? Could it be that these occurrences are related to that strange creature?

Well then, I wish you success

Xiao Dong truly laughed, and he laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face

Upon seeing Xu Yongmin in his impeccably tailored suit, Xiao Dong first let out a soft exclamation, then fell into a daze

Since there is not much time left in this world, there are fewer concerns in carrying out tasks

He carelessly removed his winter clothes, then took off the sweat-soaked undershirt, revealing Xu Yongmin's strong muscles in the cold air of mid-winter, with wisps of steam rising from them, resembling freshly steamed dumplings. Xiaodong once looked at his muscular physique with envy, remarking that such a body was absolutely misplaced; according to any theory, these muscles should not be found on him.

Shaking his head frantically, Xu Yongmin forced himself not to think about these things, but other thoughts crept in. It is truly said that strange occurrences happen every year, but none as frequent as this year. In the past two days, the unusual events Xu Yongmin encountered almost exceeded the total of all he had experienced before! For instance, at the hospital entrance, he inexplicably blurted out a doctor's tone; in the hospital observation room, there was Xiao Dong's bizarre nudity; and at noon, he saw Morphy's nudity in the break room

Indeed, it must be this way

Thinking of this, Xu Yongmin almost cried out

What do these three strange occurrences, happening so frequently and bizarrely, truly signify

Xu Yongmin silently took out his own brother, who was lifeless and devoid of vitality. Suddenly, he recalled a poignant quote from the renowned statesman Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms: "Before the campaign is successful, one may die first, often causing heroes to weep." Could it be that his brilliant, valiant, and handsome brother would also perish before achieving success in battle

Xiao Dong suddenly felt a bit curious. In his impression, Xu Yongmin had always been carefree and never paid attention to his attire. It was said that when he came for the job interview, he was even wearing a sports outfit. This was truly the first time he had seen him dressed so formally

What are you planning to do? This is quite a grand occasion

For the first time, Xiao Dong looked at Xu Yongmin with a positive perspective. He suddenly felt a hint of threat for no reason, but he quickly dismissed this feeling; it was too absurd. How could someone like Xu Yongmin pose any threat to him? With Lan Xue'er’s beauty and aloofness, how could she possibly be interested in someone like Xu Yongmin, who was neither handsome nor wealthy?

When people are distant from death, everyone experiences an inexplicable fear of death

I have made up my mind; I will confess my feelings to Lan Xue'er

Xu Yongmin ignored Xiaodong's words for the first time. In the past, he had always regarded Xiaodong's words as gospel. In Xu Yongmin's eyes, Xiaodong, who possessed rich "combat" experience, was undoubtedly a master in the realm of romance, and every word he spoke should be considered as insights tested by practice

What... what did you say? Xiao Dong suspected that there was something wrong with his ears and incoherently asked again, "What did you say?"

Xu Yongmin's mood was clearly somewhat low, or one might say fearful

It doesn't matter; whether we can be together is a matter for the future. I just want to tell her that I like her, it's that simple

A tremendous sense of grief and anger surged from Xu Yongmin's heart. He clenched his fist tightly and struck the smooth tiles of the bathroom with a powerful punch. Then, he stood up straight, shook off the droplets of water from his head, and strode out of the bathroom.

Xu Yongmin cast a disdainful glance at Xiaodong for the first time, and said very seriously: "Don't laugh, I am serious"

Xu Yongmin earnestly repeated, "I have decided to confess my love to Lan Xue'er"

After a busy afternoon, Xu Yongmin returned to the dormitory, feeling exhausted

However, our leading man remains completely oblivious to this, hurriedly putting on his clothes. His time left in this world is limited, and he does not wish to waste his finite life any longer. He has many things to accomplish, including passionately falling in love...

When people truly face death, they can generally be divided into two categories: one collapses entirely, with their spirit having already perished long before their physical death; the other rises to resist, fighting for every moment from the hands of death, striving to make the remaining time as splendid and regret-free as possible. Xu Yongmin undoubtedly belongs to the latter category, as this is determined by his character

Although two days have passed and the doctor has repeatedly assured him that there is nothing to worry about, he still feels unable to let go... The scene from the morning two days ago remains vividly etched in his mind; the impression was truly profound. When he discovered that strange creature devouring his brother, his fear was beyond description.

If this matter were to reach my father, the old Xu family would be in grave danger of extinction, wouldn't he just chase him around the entire village?

A profound sorrow completely enveloped Xu Yongmin. He had never considered himself a person who feared death, but when he truly faced it, Xu Yongmin realized how deeply he was infatuated with the mortal world. He did not want to die; he was still young, and he had not yet had the chance to experience the flavors of love and sexuality.

Wearing his cherished shirt, tying his tie, and finally donning the designer suit that he had never worn since purchasing it, Xu Yongmin stood for the first time in front of the enormous floor-to-ceiling mirror, staring blankly at the "self" reflected in it! Is the person in the mirror really him? With his sleek, dark hair, a tall and robust physique, and a resolute, bright gaze, is this unfamiliar figure truly himself?

While laughing, Xiao Dong took out five red bills and proposed a bet to Xu Yongmin: "I bet you that if you have the courage to say the word 'love' in front of Lan Xue'er, these five red bills will be yours! But if you lose, you will have to wash my clothes for half a year, including my underwear"

Walking into the bathroom bare-bottomed, Xu Yongmin turned on the faucet, and the hot water, heated by solar energy, gushed over him, gradually washing away his fatigue. This was almost the only lifestyle habit Xu Yongmin had developed that did not conform to rural customs. After a tiring day of work or feeling exhausted from playing basketball, he always enjoyed taking a hot shower to relieve the tension in his muscles

Ah ... ...

Perhaps the creature is gradually consuming its own internal organs, or it is writhing within him; these strange hallucinations are merely the aftereffects left by the destruction it has wrought within. As the creature intensifies its destruction of his body, his life is slowly fading away; perhaps he will soon depart from this world.

Approximately five seconds later, the tile struck by Xu Yongmin from hetushu.com suddenly and silently "floated" down from the side wall. No one misjudged it; it truly "floated" down, as that hard tile had astonishingly turned into a flurry of porcelain powder! The punch, infused with all of Xu Yongmin's grief and anger, had actually shattered a solid tile into dust!

This time, Xiao Dong was certain he had heard clearly, but the clearer he heard, the more he doubted! Is that possible? Xu Yongmin, that fellow, would blush even when speaking to a girl; how could he dare to confess to Lan Xue'er? At this moment, Xiao Dong felt no sense of threat whatsoever; instead, he found it amusing or interesting. In his view, the beautiful and refined Lan Xue'er and the rustic Xu Yongmin were completely unrelated, and just thinking about it made him unable to suppress a laugh. At this moment, Xiao Dong felt no sense of threat whatsoever; instead, he found it amusing or interesting. In his view, the beautiful and refined Lan Xue'er and the rustic Xu Yongmin were completely unrelated, and just thinking about it made him unable to suppress a laugh.

Xu Yongmin turned around and seriously said a sentence to Xiaodong, a sentence that shocked Xiaodong for a lifetime

The dormitory was, as usual, shrouded in darkness. Young Master Xiao Dong would never return before the dead of night. According to his own boast, he once dated six girls simultaneously, and it is likely that he has gone off to pursue new romantic conquests again

Xiao Dong took out his wallet and pulled out a stack of red bills, his movements smooth and fluid without any hesitation: "Here are two thousand yuan, take it."

Many things that he once found difficult to imagine or accomplish now seem effortless to Xu Yongmin, which he finds somewhat amusing. Why did he waste the good times in the past? Why did he have to wait until today to have the courage to do these things