The World of Bengtieli: They All Have designs on me

He pointed to a simple hot water bottle in the corner that used geothermal energy and waste heat from equipment. Ling Ke turned her head and glanced at him.

That gaze, calm and undisturbed, sent a chill down Luo Ning's spine.

“No need.” She refused decisively, then added, “Just mind your own business.”

Luo Ning was rebuffed and retreated into the mountains. [Luo Ning: It seems that taking the initiative to make amends isn't very effective.]

[System: It is recommended that the host demonstrate "practicality" inconsistent with their age, in order to align with the target's "efficiency-first" behavioral logic.] Practicality?

Luo Ning thought for a moment. The space inside the tent wasn't large, and many tools and miscellaneous items were piled together. He noticed that Ling Ke seemed to have been looking for some small tool, rummaging around for a while.

So he quietly began to tidy up a small area around him, silently arranging the scattered toolboxes and spare parts neatly according to size and type.

He moved very quietly, trying not to make a sound and disturb Ling Ke.

Although Lingke was looking at the data, she heard every little sound coming from inside the tent. She glanced at it out of the corner of her eye.

That brat is actually helping her organize her things?

Moreover, the logic behind his categorization and arrangement... was actually quite clear. A child with this kind of organizational skills?

Ling Ke remained outwardly calm, but a strange feeling crept into her heart.

She continued to attend to her own affairs, but her observation of Luo Ning inadvertently deepened.

She noticed that although the child looked terribly cold and seemed ready to cry at any moment, he was mostly quiet and unusually calm.

Faced with such severe weather and being trapped, it's already remarkable that an ordinary seven or eight-year-old child wouldn't cry or make a fuss; he could even take the initiative.

Actively seek out things to do.

Once, the telescopic latch on one of Lingke's frequently used multi-functional geological picks became a little loose. She casually put it aside, intending to tighten it later.

As it turned out, not long after, she discovered that the buckle had been readjusted and was now just the right tightness.

She looked at Luo Ning, who was looking down, pretending to study the pattern on the thermal blanket. Her face was still a little red from the cold, but the tips of her ears had turned red.

Ling didn't say anything.

She picked up the pickaxe, tested the clips, and it was indeed fixed. This child's hands-on skills far surpassed those of her peers.

She recalled that the internal structure of those buckles was somewhat complex, and without certain experience, it was difficult to adjust them correctly on the first try.

Could it be that old man Buck usually makes this kid do odd jobs in the workshop? Or perhaps...

The strange, blurry image flashed through Lingke's mind again.

This time, the multi-functional geological pick appears in the footage, along with a pair of small hands deftly manipulating something on it. It feels like that again!

Ling put down her geological pickaxe, closed her eyes, and tried to capture that fleeting sensation.

[Luoning: System, what's wrong with Sister Lingke? Her energy fluctuations seem a bit... strange?]

[System: Target Lingke Landau detected. A weak but abnormal synchronization fluctuation has been observed in her mental field. Cause unknown. Host is advised to observe and avoid direct stimulation.]

Luo Ning's heart skipped a beat.

Synchronous fluctuations? Could it be that his system has had some effect on Sister Lingke? Or is Sister Lingke herself special? The "water" of this world seems to be deeper than he imagined.

Ling slowly opened her eyes, a barely perceptible hint of confusion and...inquiry flashing in them.

She looked at Luo Ning, who still looked innocent and harmless, staring back at her. "You... used to often help Chief Engineer Buck fix things?" Ling Ke asked abruptly.

Luo Ning paused for a moment, then gave a slightly smug smile: "Yes! Grandpa Buck said I'm good with my hands! I helped organize and assemble many of the small parts in his workshop!"

He tried to make his expression look more "innocent." Ling Ke stared at him for a few seconds, then didn't continue the conversation.

She refocused her attention on her device, but her mind was wandering.

This child named Luo Ning exuded an inexplicable sense of incongruity. He was like a sophisticated instrument encased in a rough, immature shell.

What exactly was that strange "premonition" or "retrospection" she had just experienced?

Could it be that this child, or the energy module he brought, triggered something hidden within her body?

Ling Ke recalled some hidden legends in her family, about certain members of the Langdao family possessing "special talents".

She had always thought it was just nonsense. But now...

She glanced at Luo Ning, who was quietly organizing her research notes (actually, she was just folding up the scattered papers).

This "small trouble" might actually lead to big trouble. It could also... be an unexpected "opportunity."

[Luoning: Phew... I finally passed. Sister Lingke's eyes are getting sharper and sharper. If I had stayed any longer, my little disguise might have been exposed.]

He yawned slightly, trying to look more tired. Sister… I, I’m so sleepy.

Lingke hummed in agreement without turning around: "Go to sleep. There are clean clothes in the corner, use them as a mat." "Thank you, sister."

Luo Ning obediently crawled to the corner, wrapped herself up evenly, and soon began to breathe evenly, as if she had really fallen asleep.

Inside the tent, only the faint noise of the equipment running and Ling Ke's occasional tapping on the keyboard remained. The wind and snow continued to howl outside the tent, concealing all the secrets.

Chapter 178 OI, kid, what are you hiding in your pants?

After a night of howling, the wind and snow finally stopped, exhausted.

Outside the tent, the world was covered by a new, thick layer of white snow, and all was silent. Ling Ke opened her eyes almost the instant the wind stopped.

Without the slightest hesitation, she stood up briskly and began to put on her outdoor gear.

Luo Ning, who had been pretending to be asleep in the corner, quickly sat up, rubbed her eyes, and yawned. "Sister, are you going out?"

"Okay. Check the vehicle and survey the surrounding terrain." Ling Ke's voice was cold, but her movements were swift and efficient.

"I...I'll go with you." Luo Ning quickly climbed out of the thermal blanket. "Outside...it seems very dangerous outside. I...I'm afraid you'll be alone."

Ling paused in her action of fastening her boots. She turned around, her icy blue eyes sweeping over Luo Ning. Her small face was filled with worry and "sincerity."

[System: Target Ling Ke, alertness level 45%, trouble index (to the host) increased to 70%.]

“Your presence here is the biggest problem,” Ling Ke said coldly. “Stay put. Don’t move.”

After saying that, she unzipped the tent flap and prepared to go out.

Luo Ning panicked and ran up behind her, grabbing the hem of her adventure suit with her small hand.

"Sister, I promise I won't cause you any trouble! I'll help you get the tools! Grandpa Buck said that in the snow, the more people there are, the more help you have!"

Ling Ke looked down at the small hand clutching her clothes, and at the teary eyes that seemed on the verge of tears. She hated these sticky, sentimental scenes.

The words of refusal were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back. Explaining herself was troublesome enough.

"Stay close." She squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth, which was tantamount to acquiescence. "Okay!" Luo Ning nodded vigorously, a smile immediately blooming on her face.

[Luoning: System, find an ideal, unexpected location where we can have "intimate contact".]

[System route planning in progress... 400 meters ahead, there is an ice ridge slope covered with fresh snow, with a slope of about 30 degrees. There is soft snow accumulation below, and the danger level is low, making it suitable for creating an "accident".]

The world after the snow is pure white, but danger lurks everywhere.

Ling Ke walked ahead, her geological pickaxe tapping the ground intermittently to assess the thickness of the snow layer and the condition of the ice. Her steps were steady and rhythmic, each step landing firmly on the most solid ground.

Luo Ning followed behind, stumbling and almost falling several times, letting out soft gasps of surprise.

Although Ling Ke didn't turn around, her brows were already furrowed. What a pain!

Soon, they arrived at the ice ridge indicated by the system.

It was a small slope, covered with a layer of soft, fresh snow, and looked perfectly normal.

But when Lingke gently probed with her geological pick, it produced a crisp "knock-knock" sound. Below was a smooth ice surface.

"Let's go this way." She pointed to a relatively gentle detour route beside her and gave a reminder. "Oh, okay." Luo Ning obediently replied.

Just as he caught up with Ling Ke and was about to take a detour, his foot "accidentally" slipped. "Ah—!"

He screamed, lost his balance, and tumbled down the smooth ice slope.

The scream was urgent and loud, filled with genuine panic. Ling Ke turned around almost reflexively.

She saw the small figure tumbling uncontrollably on the snow slope, about to slide into the deeper snowdrift. "Trouble!"

She cursed under her breath, but her body had already moved.

She was incredibly fast, taking only a few big steps to reach the edge of the slope. She lowered her body, accurately predicted Luo Ning's trajectory, and then suddenly reached out and grabbed Luo Ning's lower back.

Her powerful arms allowed her to firmly stop Luo Ning's downward momentum.

But the feeling of holding it gave her a jolt. Something was wrong.

She had expected to grasp the thin, bony body of a seven or eight-year-old child. But through the thick coat, the sensation under her hand was unusually...steady. It wasn't the fragility of a child, but a firmness with a strange resilience.

It was as if she had grasped not a light, frail child, but an energy core compressed to its extreme with extremely high density.

"Sister! Sister, I'm so scared!" Luo Ning cried out, still shaken, his little hands and feet flailing wildly in the air. Ling ignored his cries.

She lifted Luo Ning up forcefully, intending to throw him to safety behind her. But during this lifting motion, an accident occurred.

The already ill-fitting trousers on Luo Ning were stretched taut by the upward pull, the loose fabric clinging tightly to his crotch and thighs.

Lingke's gaze inadvertently swept over it. Then, her movements froze.

Beneath the taut fabric, an exaggerated silhouette, completely out of place for a child, was revealed. The shape. The size.

Her mind went blank for a moment. What was that?

Weapons? Tools?

Or was it some strange device that Bucks gave him?

The thought only existed for a fraction of a second before she forcibly suppressed it.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible. She must have seen wrong.

It's an illusion caused by the wrinkles in the clothes. Yes, it must be an illusion.

She suddenly let go, and Luo Ning fell to the ground at her feet with a thud.

"Ouch...it hurts so much..." Luo Ning rubbed her bottom, looking at her with teary eyes, "Sister Ling didn't look at him."

An unusual, suspicious flush appeared on her cheek. She didn't even notice it herself.

[System: Warning. Target Lingke's suspicion of the host has shifted from "unknown origin" to "physiological abnormality." Affection -15. Current state: Extremely confused, slightly disoriented. Host, please handle this with caution.]

Luo Ning chuckled inwardly. It was a success.

The seed of this "trouble" has been planted.

"Stand up." Ling Ke's voice was colder than before, even carrying a hint of...panic?

She turned away from Luo Ning, no longer looking at him, and strode towards the snowmobile, her pace much faster than when she arrived. Luo Ning got up from the snow, brushed the snow off himself, and jogged to catch up.

He could feel the cold gaze behind him now carrying a new, probing meaning, like two invisible scalpels repeatedly scraping across him, especially between his abdomen and knees.

Now, she probably won't have the mind to think about his background anymore.

Because an even more outrageous and incomprehensible "trouble" had occupied her entire mind. Lingke walked to the snowmobile and began to inspect the damaged tracks.

Her movements remained professional and efficient, but only she knew that her mind was a complete mess.

The image and the outline she had just seen lingered in her mind.

She forced herself not to think about it, but the more she suppressed it, the clearer the image became.

She even started recalling the way the little brat slept in the tent last night...did he... "spit it out!"

Frustrated, Ling Ke tapped the metal plate of the track with her tool, producing a loud, piercing sound.

Luo Ning, standing nearby, shuddered in fright. "Sister, are you...are you alright?"

Ling Ke took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Who is she?

She is Lindsay Landau.

Bellenberg is one of the top polar explorers.

Avalanches, ice fissures, and geomagnetic storms could not move her.

Now, she's actually getting flustered over a... brat's... pants? Ridiculous.

"Shut up," she commanded without turning her head. "Go over there and get my toolbox. The red one." "Okay..." Luo Ning obediently ran to get the toolbox.

Ling Ke watched his jogging figure, his short legs, and his loose-fitting pants.