In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

Although the success rate is almost 100% with a professional team's solution, the white-haired loli still seems unable to shake her habit of looking at problems from a pessimistic perspective.

"You don't have to wait until after the surgery to say something like that. I'll give you a good spanking right now."

Xu Shi flicked her on the forehead, but then suddenly realized that she must have been genuinely worried before. If she really didn't come back, at least she would spend the last moments of her life with her closest loved ones.

"I don't believe you'd be willing to do that."

Xia Ke'an smiled and lowered her voice, "But I have indeed dampened your spirits these past few days, Mr. Xu. After the surgery is successful, I'll let you hit me a couple of times... that's fine too."

"That's what you said."

Xu Shi responded with a smile.

"hold head high."

The white-haired loli nodded, then called over Xia Wuyou and whispered a few words in a low voice.

I didn't hear what was said for a while, but I saw Xia Wuyou's face gradually turn red...

"Alright, alright, why are you making this sound like a life-or-death drama?"

Xie Qingyan interrupted impatiently, "Can't you trust our 'Prism' technology?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Wuyou pulled away from her aunt and watched as Xia Ke'an was wheeled into the operating room.

When the red light came on, she unconsciously took Xu Shi's hand.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 149 Let her hear it, and make her furious!

I've slightly revised chapter 147, moving a small portion to this chapter. It feels smoother this way and more in line with the style of a true "White Album" enthusiast...

-

The walls of the hospital have heard more devout prayers than those of a church.

Xu Shi now deeply understands this statement, after all, Xia Wuyou, nestled in his arms, is exactly like that at this moment.

During the hours she waited for the surgery, she was a far cry from her previous confident self. Her body trembled involuntarily, and she kept muttering prayers for a safe outcome. She would also look at Xu Shi every now and then and ask, "Will the surgery be successful? Will Auntie be alright?"

"...Nothing will happen, don't worry."

What else could Xu Shi say? He could only keep comforting her with such responses.

But he was actually a little nervous—which seemed like a normal reaction. Even if Xie Qingyan gave a 95% success rate, or even if she patted her chest and guaranteed absolute success, anyone would feel uneasy in this situation. Is there really anything in the world that is foolproof? Right?

What if we really are separated by death...?

He couldn't help but let his mind wander for a while, then suddenly realized that the older woman seemed to be quite important to him too...

Or perhaps these close friends and family members held no less weight in his heart—even though he was the villain, good and evil depend on the person, right? Ruthlessness and unscrupulousness are for enemies, not for one's own people.

Coming to his senses, he gave a self-deprecating laugh.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

The operating room light finally turned from red to green.

"Thank you, Chairman!"

Seeing Xie Qingyan emerge from inside, Xia Wuyou immediately rushed forward and anxiously inquired, "Auntie, she..."

"terribly sorry……"

Xie Qingyan took off her mask, her tired face showing a hint of disappointment.

!

Xia Wuyou was struck as if by lightning, as if her soul had been ripped out, and she fell backward uncontrollably.

Xu Shi reacted quickly and caught her, then looked at Xie Qingyan with annoyance, waiting for her to finish speaking.

"I'm sorry, you can't visit her right now."

The woman then slowly uttered the second half of her sentence, "The patient is still in the sterile treatment ward and needs to be observed in the recovery room first."

"?"

Xia Wuyou was still in a daze when she heard this and asked blankly, "Then the surgery..."

"Of course it was successful, otherwise why would we send her to the recovery room?"

Xie Qingyan's disappointment vanished instantly, replaced by her usual confident, enigmatic smile. "I told you all before, you have to trust in 'Prism's' capabilities."

"..."

Xia Wuyou was somewhat bewildered by this dramatic turn of events. When she came to her senses, she was already covering her face and crying—tears of joy, of course.

It worked!

So, Auntie has... made a full recovery?

In an instant, she felt as if a mountain in her heart had suddenly disappeared—the biggest knot in her heart for more than ten years had been completely untied. This sense of unreality even made her feel a little short of breath, and she felt dizzy.

As for crying... she had no intention of stopping at all; it was a way for her to vent.

"Don't talk so loudly, it'll kill someone, you know?"

Xu Shi patted her back and helped her sit back down, then glared at Xie Qingyan with annoyance.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but he wasn't scared at all by the woman's suspense... He knew his fiancée very well. If the surgery really failed, she would probably be too ashamed to face anyone. Would she even dare to talk to him? That's how proud and arrogant people are.

"I just said I was sorry. If you didn't understand, how can you blame me?"

Xie Qingyan retorted defiantly, but it was clear that she was saying it on purpose.

Who told that scoundrel to keep circling around this aunt and niece these past few days? Although she didn't want to admit it, she was indeed extremely jealous. But then again, the group had spent quite a bit of time together these past few days, and seeing Xu Shi's slightly aggrieved expression, she knew that he wasn't necessarily having a carefree time, which inexplicably made her feel much better.

But I'm still indignant. What's wrong with scaring you a little?

"Alright alright."

Xu Shi didn't mind and nodded solemnly to her, "Thank you for your hard work."

Now you know how to care about me? Surgery must be tiring too... Xie Qingyan snorted inwardly, but it was also quite comforting to hear the scoundrel say that.

But the words that came out of his mouth were a different story: "This is a deal between us, and I still have basic business integrity... What about yours? Where are the benefits you promised?"

"...I'll tell you in detail later?"

Xu Shi blinked, not that he was trying to renege on his promise, but this wasn't the place to discuss serious matters... It couldn't be explained in a few words. "You should rest first, and I'll go to 'Prism' to talk to you personally later."

"Row."

Xie Qingyan stretched his limbs. "By the way, isn't Xia Ke'an also an 'Ascended One'? Such severe complications... to be honest, this can't be considered a complete cure, only a suppression as much as possible. She still needs to be careful when using her powers again, otherwise it will relapse, you should know that, right?"

Her hesitant expression suggested she had guessed something, but after thinking it over, she changed her words and gave instructions in a doctor's tone.

"Okay, I will follow the doctor's orders."

Xu Shishen agreed. Even without Xie Qingyan saying it, he understood—"Upgraded users" always experience complications when using their abilities, and Xia Ke'an was no exception. These complications were difficult to eradicate completely, and any further use would inevitably trigger the symptoms, especially for someone of her SS rank.

It's like a high-performance race car that's been in an accident. Even if it's patched up and refurbished, you can't just drive it recklessly; it'll still fall apart eventually...

As for Xie Qingyan not noticing what was going on behind Xia Ke'an, he didn't care. The doctor would definitely find out sooner or later during the physical examination. It couldn't be hidden. In the City of Night Sin, there were only a handful of SS "Upgraded Ones". It would be a problem if she didn't realize it.

However, this is not enough for her to use against me. What can she use this to blackmail me for? On the contrary, we are currently in the honeymoon period of our cooperation. If she is really smart, the right thing to do is to help me keep it a secret... It's not a bad thing that my partner has a powerful weapon.

She probably realized that Xia Ke'an was no ordinary person, which is why she personally stepped in to help with the surgery—this was not only to repay a favor from the Tenth District, but also something she had to do to ensure that everything went perfectly, otherwise, if anything went wrong, the future cooperation would inevitably be greatly compromised.

Xu Shi didn't intend to make it clear, nor did he need to take the initiative to break the ice.

So he simply smiled and said, "Would you like me to see Chairman Xie off?"

"Never mind, it's just a short walk to the office."

Xie Qingyan twitched the corner of his mouth and said in a feigned magnanimity, "Why don't you go and keep your lovely subordinate company first? It's not good to leave her there crying."

"Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh and blood."

Xu Shi shrugged shamelessly.

"Go to hell."

Xie Qingyan glared at him, but as she turned to leave, she remembered something and turned back to tease him, "Chairman Xu, you'd better watch your hands."

Ok?

Xu looked down and noticed that his right hand was a little bruised.

This is what Xia Wuyou held just now. You can tell she was really nervous. Her grip was really strong. After a few hours, this is how it looks... An A-level upgrader is no joke.

He hadn't reacted much at first, but after hearing that, he suddenly felt a little numb, hiss...

"This is no small matter; it's best to get it treated."

Xie Qingyan said earnestly, "Here's a folk remedy for you: find chili oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves, boil them in water, and then steep them."

"Oh...huh?"

Xu Shi was stunned for a moment before he realized, "What kind of folk remedy is this?"

"A folk remedy for braised pig's trotters."

Xie Qingyan laughed so hard she was shaking.

"Don't think that just because the surgery was successful I won't spank you."

"Come on if you dare."

Xie Qingyan was not afraid of his threats and left in a good mood.

You bitch, you've gone too far!

Xu Shi made a face at her back and then pouted as he asked someone for the medical spray himself.

The bruises on her hands faded quickly, and when she looked back, Xia Wuyou was still crying.

Seeing this, Xu Shi suddenly found it a bit funny. Just looking at this scene, Group Leader Xia's image was completely ruined... But it was understandable. Xu Shi felt that even if he were in her shoes, he wouldn't be much stronger than her at this moment.

"Alright, your aunt is fine now."

All he could do now was offer comfort. To be honest, her tearful appearance was still quite endearing, something he rarely saw, and he might never see again. Xia Wuyou wasn't a crybaby.