As he poured two glasses of water, he heard the doorbell ring, the sound startling in the silence of the flat. Si Qin jumped up from the couch. "I'll get it."
"Wait—" Lu Ningfei started, but before he could finish, Si Qin had already made his way to the door.
He sighed, Let the child work.
Lu Ningfei quickly finished pouring the water and followed after him.
But when he reached the door, he found Si Qin standing in the entrance, his face flushed and his body trembling—not with fear.
Standing in the doorway, holding Si Qin in his arms, was none other than Shen Zhiwei, the usually carefree younger brother of Shen Zhiling.
"Si Qin?!" Shen Zhiwei exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise and concern. He looked down at the younger man in his arms, he seemed confused.
"What happened? Are you all right?"
Si Qin nodded weakly, though his flushed cheeks and trembling hands told a different story.
"I… I'm fine… just a little tired…"
Lu Ningfei watched the exchange with a frown, his gaze flickering between Si Qin and Shen Zhiwei.
"Bring him inside," Lu Ningfei said, his tone brisk as he stepped aside to let Shen Zhiwei in. "He might be coming down with fever."
Shen Zhiwei nodded and carried Si Qin to the couch, gently laying him down. Lu Ningfei followed, setting the glasses of water on the coffee table before crouching beside Si Qin to check his temperature.
"He's warm," Lu Ningfei muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. "Could be a fever from the shock."
Shen Zhiwei frowned, clearly troubled by Si Qin's condition.
"I'll go to Lin Yuxi's flat and get some medicine. She should have something that will help."
Lu Ningfei considered the offer for a moment before nodding. He had plenty of medicine in his space, but there was no harm in letting Shen Zhiwei help.
"All right. But be quick."
And that space...He will check what was going on with that thing later.
Shen Zhiwei nodded and hurried out of the flat, leaving Lu Ningfei alone with Si Qin. The younger man had calmed down somewhat, though his eyes were still wide with lingering fear.
Lu Ningfei handed him a glass of water, his expression softening as he watched him drink.
Si Qin took a sip before looking at Lu Ningfei.
"Brother...Is the world ending? Are we safe?"
"You're safe now," Lu Ningfei said quietly, his voice gentle. "Nothing's going to hurt you even if the world ends."
Si Qin nodded with his eyes lowered, His brother didn't answer about the ending of the world.
Shen Zhiwei returned to Lu Ningfei's flat with Lin Yuxi in tow, carrying a small box of medicine in one hand. He pushed the door open and walked in.
Lin Yuxi followed him, her expression calm but focused as she glanced at Si Qin, who was lying on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him.
"Here we go," Shen Zhiwei said, holding up the box as he walked over to Si Qin. "Got some medicine for you, courtesy of our lovely neighbor Lin Yuxi. You're not going to die on us, don't worry."
Si Qin, still a little pale and shaken, managed a glare as he struggled to sit up. "I wasn't worried about dying, idiot," he snapped, his voice carrying that familiar haughty tone. "I'm not that weak."
"Let me take a look," Lin Yuxi said, her tone gentle as she examined the cut. "It's not too deep, just a small bump. You're going to be fine, Si Qin. But you need to rest."
Si Qin nodded.
"You're fine now," Lin Yuxi reassured him, patting his shoulder gently. "Just rest for a bit. The adrenaline's wearing off, and that's why you're feeling shaky. But you're going to be okay."
Shen Zhiwei who was crouching beside him teased him.
"Wow, you really are a weakling, aren't you? Scared of a little bump on the head?"
Si Qin shot him a glare, his natural arrogance kicking in.
"Weakling? Who are you calling weak? I was just… caught off guard, that's all!"
Shen Zhiwei chuckled, clearly enjoying the exchange.
"Sure, sure. Next time a ghost attacks, just let me know. I'll protect you, Little Princess."
"Princess?!" Si Qin sputtered, his face flushing with indignation. "You're the one who looks like a princess, not me! I don't need your protection!"
Shen Zhiwei's grin widened. "Oh, so you think I'm pretty, do you? I always knew you had lusty feelings for me."
Si Qin groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I can't believe I'm stuck here with you…"
Lin Yuxi chuckled softly, standing up and giving Si Qin a reassuring smile. "You two sound like an old married couple."
Si Qin peeked out from behind his hands, still pouting. "I'm just annoyed because this guy won't stop talking nonsense."
Shen Zhiwei pretended to be hurt, clutching his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Si Qin. I thought we were bonding."
"I'd rather bond with a cactus," Si Qin muttered, though there was a hint of a smile on his lips.
Lin Yuxi shook her head in amusement. "All right, all right. Zhiwei, let him rest."
Shen Zhiwei gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am. But I'll be back."
Si Qin rolled his eyes but didn't respond, clearly too tired to continue the banter. Lin Yuxi gently patted his shoulder one more time before she and Shen Zhiwei stepped back, leaving him to rest.
In the living room, Lin Yuxi and Lu Ningfei settled onto the couch, their expressions turning more serious as the gravity of the situation set in. Lin Yuxi glanced over at Ningfei, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and determination.
"So, Ningfei," she began, her tone thoughtful, "I've been getting some disturbing news from my colleagues overseas. It seems like these… supernatural events aren't just happening here. Ghost sightings, strange occurrences—people are reporting them all over the world. America, India, Japan, Korea… it's like the whole world's falling apart."
Lu Ningfei sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "It's not surprising, given the state of things. The acid rain, the red clouds… It's like the world is done with humans."
Lin Yuxi nodded, her expression troubled. "I've been thinking the same thing. My colleagues in those countries have been trying to figure out what's going on, but no one has any answers. It's all happening too fast."
Lu Ningfei leaned back, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.
"If these events are happening worldwide, then it's not just random occurrences. There has to be a source—a catalyst for all of this. We need to find it, and either destroy it or control it before things get even worse."
Lin Yuxi pursed her lips, nodding slowly. "I agree. But how do we even begin to find something like that? It's not like we can just go out and search the whole world."
"We start small," Lu Ningfei replied, his voice calm but firm. "We gather information, look for patterns. If we can identify where these events are most concentrated, we might be able to pinpoint the source. But we'll need help—resources, people who can access places we can't."
Lin Yuxi thought for a moment before nodding again. "I'll talk to my father-in-law. He's the Marshal, and he has connections all over the world. If anyone can help us track this down, it's him."
Lu Ningfei gave a small smile, though there was a trace of weariness in his eyes. "Good. The sooner we can get a handle on this, the better. We can't afford to wait until it's too late."
In his own flat, Shen Zhiling sat by the window, a steaming cup of coffee in hand as he stared out at the night sky. The red clouds had deepened in color, casting an eerie glow over the city. It was a sight he had seen before, in his previous life, but this time it was different—darker, more ominous.
The sound of his phone ringing broke the silence, and Shen Zhiling set his coffee down before picking up the device. He didn't need to look at the caller ID to know who it was—there were only a few people who would call him at this hour.
"Shen Zhiling," he answered, his voice calm and composed.
The voice on the other end was urgent, tinged with a mix of fear and disbelief. "Sir, I have news. The President… he's dead. The upper echelon is in chaos, and no one is ready to take charge in the current situation. We're on the brink of collapse."