Who says those who retire at the speed of light are not heroes?

Lu Xiaoxiao didn't know what to say for a moment. Just when she wanted to say something else, Lin Cheng came out with the dishes. Lu Xiaoxiao stared at Lin Cheng's eyes. If Lin Cheng dared to look at her, she would pounce on him and dig out his eyes. But surprisingly, Lin Cheng didn't even look at Lu Lingling. He just said to her softly, "Go wash your hands and eat."

The dining table in the living room was a round table with a revolving glass top. Lin Cheng cooked four dishes in total: braised pork elbow, black pepper beef cubes, corn and shrimp, and cabbage and tofu soup. Lin Cheng and Lu Lingling were seated face to face at the round table. Lu Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment and sat on the edge of the two of them, not too far from anyone.

The moment Lu Lingling picked up the chopsticks, the shoulder strap slipped down a little. Lu Xiaoxiao's heart almost tightened all of a sudden. Her cheeks were burning. She turned her head to look at Lin Cheng. She was about to cover his eyes, but found that Lin Cheng was not looking at her at all and was eating with big mouthfuls.

There is no image at all.

Lu Lingling suddenly put down her chopsticks, stood up and went out. When she came back, she was holding three wine glasses in her hands and a bottle of red wine was placed on the table. She lazily and calmly poured wine into the three glasses, and the look she gave Lin Cheng was so gentle that Lu Xiaoxiao wondered if she had seen it wrong.

"Eat slowly, it's better for your stomach. Drink a little?"

"Oh, okay, thank you Auntie, I'm so hungry... sorry."

"It's okay. Seeing Xiao Cheng eating makes me feel a lot better."

Lu Xiaoxiao even suspected that Lin Cheng had hypnotized her mother... She was taught since she was a child to chew her food slowly, and even if she sat a little lazily on weekdays, she would be corrected. But why could Lin Cheng, who looked like a starving ghost, be praised by her?

Lin Cheng picked up the red wine on the table and said, "I'll toast to Auntie."

"Do I look old?" Lu Lingling's lips curled up slightly, as if revealing a bit of anger.

"Ah...Auntie looks like her sister."

"Xiao Cheng is so sweet." Lu Lingling smiled, her chest trembling.

...Lu Xiaoxiao's worldview collapsed a little.

…What went wrong?

49 Addition and subtraction

Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't figure out what went wrong, so she picked up the wine glass, took a sip, then picked up the bowl and started eating.

The atmosphere at the dinner table became a little strange. Lin Cheng was no longer starving. Lu Lingling also picked up the bowl and chopsticks and started eating. Soon Lu Xiaoxiao was full and put down the bowl and chopsticks, while Lu Lingling picked up the wine bottle and refilled everyone's glass.

"What does Xiao Cheng do for a living?"

"I'm an unemployed vagrant who occasionally sings in a bar or sells flowers or something." Lin Cheng answered casually.

Lu Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief. That's right, the rhythm was right now. Her mother should be dissatisfied this time. When she looked at Lu Lingling, Lu Lingling rested one hand on the table, her white and tender palm supporting her cheek, and her eyes looked at Lin Cheng gently. "It sounds romantic. You young people are really interesting now."

"Ah, I can't make much money."

"How can making money be more important than being yourself? If you run out of money, just tell Xiaoxiao and I'll give it to her."

Lu Xiaoxiao widened her eyes.

No, why?!

....................................

Lin Cheng seemed to feel something rubbing against his calf under the table.

The person sitting next to him was Lu Xiaoxiao. The angle was definitely not enough for Lu Xiaoxiao, so it could only be one person. He looked at Lu Lingling opposite him, but Lu Lingling was still just supporting her cheek with a gentle look in her eyes. Perhaps because of drinking, her cheeks were a little flushed.

And the white and tender little feet that were rubbing against his trouser legs seemed to have the tendency to slowly climb up. This woman's legs were too long, and if he asked her to lift her legs up a little more, she would be stepped on in the vital parts in a while.

Lin Cheng clamped his legs together silently, tightly clamping the bad woman!

But Lu Lingling's expression remained unchanged. She just smiled gently and asked, "How long have you and Xiaoxiao known each other?"

"Less than a month."

"So...what stage have you reached?"

"Ask Xiaoxiao." Lin Cheng replied calmly. The ball was kicked to Lu Xiaoxiao, but Lu Xiaoxiao didn't know what to say at the moment. She hesitated for a long time and finally answered hesitantly, "I have done everything I should do."

This was one of her few courages. In front of Lu Lingling, she was usually forced to restrain her pride. It was a rare moment for her to be tough. Looking at Lu Lingling at this moment, her heart was beating very fast and she was trembling slightly with fear, but she was inexplicably looking forward to her anger.

"Xiaoxiao is indeed not young anymore. It seems like it would be a good idea to have a child now?" Lu Lingling said gently.

Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes widened, "Mom, what are you talking about?!"

"Hmm?" Lu Lingling turned to look at her. "Isn't it good to have a child? I can help you take care of the child while I'm still free."

Lu Xiaoxiao felt that something must be wrong, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Fortunately, Lin Cheng spoke up at this moment, "It's still early. I haven't even reached the legal age for marriage."

"This is easy to do. If you want, you can go get the marriage certificate tomorrow. How about getting married at the end of the month?"

"It's not yet time to get married. It's too early. Besides, Xiaoxiao may not agree to marry me by then."

Lin Cheng's hand quietly reached under the table, grabbed her white and tender feet and pinched them hard. Lu Lingling's expression remained unchanged, but she finally retracted her calf.

"I like Xiaocheng very much. How can Xiaoxiao not get married? If she doesn't want to get married, I will do some ideological work on her behalf."

"Who is your daughter after all?!" Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't help herself, she felt confused.

"Isn't this what you expected?" Lu Lingling looked at her gently. "You don't like the partner I arranged for you. This is the boyfriend you found yourself. I'm considering things for you. Isn't that a good thing? Besides... I think Xiao Cheng is pretty good and looks pretty. The baby you give birth to will definitely be very cute."

Lu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. She couldn't say a word at the moment. She picked up the wine glass on the table and drank all the wine in the glass. She started coughing because of choking. Lin Cheng hurriedly patted her on the back.

Lu Lingling calmly refilled her glass with wine and also filled Lin Cheng's glass. "Drink slowly, let's chat, there's no rush."

"You guys chat, I'm going to bed." Lu Xiaoxiao stood up, glanced at Lu Lingling coldly, and then walked back to her room.

....................................

on the wine table.

After Lu Xiaoxiao left, Lu Lingling's eyes seemed to reveal some helplessness. She looked at Lin Cheng in front of her and lifted her white and tender feet from the table again. This time, she placed them directly on his thighs. Lin Cheng looked at her shoulders. Her collarbone was delicate and slender. Lu Lingling shook the wine glass in her hand and lowered her voice a little, "She asked you to tease me, but she didn't know your true identity?"

"I told her but she didn't believe it." Lin Cheng answered helplessly.

"Pfft." Lu Lingling didn't know what to say for a moment, "She has always regarded you as her idol."

“…” Lin Cheng was speechless.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a little dry in the mouth, and his gaze unconsciously shifted to the area below Lu Lingling's collarbone. Lu Lingling did not hide it at all, and even deliberately hooked the collar of her dress with her fingertips because she was hot.

"Do you want to do something?" Lu Lingling asked softly.

"You are really sick! I told you! My ability makes it impossible for me to have children!"

"With a one in ten thousand chance, there's always a chance it could continue. Even if I can't inherit your fate, at least I can inherit a part of it. As long as I try enough times, there's always a chance to win." Lu Lingling looked at him lazily, her hand lightly brushing across her shoulder, and her shoulder strap slid down further.

"I really don't want to fall out with you, please don't force me."

Lu Lingling stood up from her seat, came to his side, and sat on his lap naturally. Lin Cheng's nose smelled like orchid, and her body was soft and warm.

"Get lost." Lin Cheng pushed her away. Lu Lingling fell to the ground. Her skirt was disheveled, revealing a lot of her skin. Lin Cheng even saw a patch of pink. Wait, she even...

"You haven't been as good as you were a few years ago." Lu Lingling didn't rush to get up, but looked at him lazily.

She fell down on purpose. As someone who had entered SS level twenty years ago, how could she be pushed away so easily by him?

"..."

Lin Cheng stood up and didn't look at her again. Instead, he walked towards Lu Xiaoxiao's room. Lu Xiaoxiao quickly opened the door. Lin Cheng walked in and closed the door. At this moment, Lu Xiaoxiao had changed into a white nightgown. She sat on the edge of the bed with anger on her face. "How did you let her do this to you?"

"I really don't know." Lin Cheng answered innocently, "Why don't you go ask her."

Lu Xiaoxiao sat on the bed, silent for a long time, finally stood up without saying a word and walked out of the room.

....................................

When Lu Xiaoxiao came to the living room, Lu Lingling had just tidied her dress and was sitting at the table, sipping red wine from a glass.

"You... are not right." Lu Xiaoxiao came behind Lu Lingling.

Lu Lingling turned her head slowly, her eyes unexpectedly gentle, "Isn't this what you expected?"

Lu Xiaoxiao was stunned.

Lu Lingling gradually restrained the tenderness in her eyes, and her expression finally became a little serious. "You deliberately found an ordinary person to fall in love with and deliberately indulged yourself. Aren't you just dissatisfied with the life I planned for you, so you want to rebel against me?"

This was of course Lu Xiaoxiao's idea, but she didn't expect Lu Lingling to say it so bluntly.

"I'll obey your wishes this time. I'll give you the right to date an ordinary person. If you want to withdraw from the alliance, I'll handle the formalities for you. I can give you more money than you can spend in your lifetime. You can live happily with him for the rest of your life, and live the life of an ordinary person. I'll give you the right to choose, as long as you nod now."

"It was you who told me that you wanted to become a judge, so I let you join the alliance and let you grow up step by step. I even gave you the blood of evolution that Siming left behind. In the life I planned for you, nothing was against you, because you are my biological daughter, another me in this world, so I treat you well, but you don't appreciate it."

"Then why did you suspend me?"

"So that you can reflect on yourself." Lu Lingling replied calmly.

"I did nothing wrong, no!" Lu Xiaoxiao repeated again and again.

"The [Priest] who was let go due to your negligence last time has fled to the next city and is now roaming around in remote mountain villages committing crimes. His abilities are based on human fear. Since the last failed attempt to capture him, he has killed 342 people. This number may still be increasing. He even sent the video of torturing the dead to the Alliance as a provocation. Do you want to see it?"

"Then send someone to capture him! Can't the SS-class of the alliance catch him?!"

"The SS-level members of the alliance all have their own missions, and the Priest's ability is particularly good at escaping. I have organized more than three capture operations for him, but he escaped every time. That was the best chance to capture him, but because of your choice, the capture failed."

"I have never told you these things because they are too cruel for you. If you had successfully captured him, nothing would have happened afterwards. You saved 118 people in the last fire. 342 minus 118 means 224 people died because of you."

Lu Lingling's expression was particularly calm, even to the point of being a little indifferent, but Lu Xiaoxiao's face turned particularly pale at this moment, and her lips trembled slightly, "No... It's not like this... It's not calculated like this..."

"There is no absolute justice in this world. The so-called correct justice is to safeguard the interests of the majority. As a judge, every choice you make is crucial. I have never said that I don't understand you. I know you want to save those people, and I know you care. I am proud of your choice, but you are not suitable to be a judge."

"That's why I suspended you. That's why I wasn't very angry when I saw Xiao Cheng. You told me in person that you wanted to be an adjudicator, so I arranged a life for you that belongs to an adjudicator. If you want to be an ordinary person in the future, then I will give you another chance to choose to be an ordinary person."

"Although you don't have a father, I am also your mother. We have the same blood flowing in our bodies. You are my only daughter. Why do you think... that I don't love you?"

50 I am afraid of thunder

Lu Xiaoxiao's body became a little weak. She tried to tighten her calves, stood still, looked at Lu Lingling in front of her, bit her lips tightly, and her eyes turned red.

"If it was Sima Ming, what would he do?" Lu Xiaoxiao asked tremblingly.

"Si Ming? He was able to save those one hundred people and kill the priest at the same time. Your question is meaningless because Sima Ming has already touched the realm of God. When his power reaches its peak, no matter what choice he makes, it represents absolute rightness and justice."

"It's meaningless to discuss justice and morality with him, but you are the judge, and all you need to do is to do your job well. I said that as my daughter, I think your choice is lovely. So I also applied for the Alliance's medal for you, and there is also a special commendation meeting, but you would rather run away from home and refuse to come back for several days."

"You are obviously..."

The so-called commendation meeting was nothing more than putting her on the spot. All her teammates had complaints about her choice that day, but she could do nothing about it. As for the so-called praise, it was more like a contemptuous ridicule.

"If you really don't care, you should have gone that day." Lu Lingling said softly.

"Why don't you want to accept the praise? Why don't you want to take the medal? Do you feel ashamed because I abused my privilege and gave you undeserved honor? No... it's because your self-esteem is playing tricks on you. You start to waver and doubt the correctness of your choice. This should be the reward you deserve, but you feel ashamed. You think they will definitely laugh at you with contempt when you get that medal."

"Everyone has their own sense of justice in their hearts, but they must also pay a corresponding price for it. Your choice did not actually bring you a bad result, because I paid the price of justice for you. You are my daughter, this is a privilege you deserve, and it is also the power I give you, but you do not understand my love for you."

Lu Lingling's eyes gradually softened. "But it doesn't matter. You are still young and you still have many opportunities to make mistakes. So, when you can stand in front of me one day and tell me seriously what justice is to you, and the answer does not confuse you, does not make you hesitate, and does not make you feel ashamed, then I will seriously consider letting you return to the alliance."

Lu Xiaoxiao stood in front of Lu Lingling, her proud head gradually drooping.

She bit her lips tightly, her eyes reddened. This kind of conversation was not the first time. It was always like this, always like this. She could not refute Lu Lingling from any angle. Lu Lingling's tone was by no means a condescending admonition, but such a gentle way of reasoning. She didn't know how to refute Lu Lingling's reasoning, but she didn't want to do this.

Lu Lingling sighed softly. Just as she was about to say something else, the door of the room opened quietly and Lin Cheng poked his head out.

"Are you debating? Can you take me with you?"

..........................................

Obviously Lin Cheng's appearance was very inappropriate.

Lu Lingling crossed her legs under her skirt, her white toes swayed slightly, she crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him a displeased look. Unfortunately, Lin Cheng was always thick-skinned. He came to the opposite side of Lu Lingling and sat on the chair very naturally, as if this was his own home and Lu Lingling was the guest.

"Did you hear what I said just now?" Lu Lingling said lightly.

"Yeah, I heard that."

"Does Xiao Cheng have any good ideas?" Lu Lingling tilted her head.

...Huh? Acting cute!

"I just think Xiaoxiao's choice is cool. What Aunt Lu said just now is actually very gentle. But there is one thing that is wrong. The value of life cannot be measured by numbers. You deliberately confused cause and effect."

A hint of helplessness emerged in Lu Lingling's eyes.

"It is meaningless to measure life with numbers. If 10,000 people beat up one person, and each of them punches the person with the intention of killing him, and the person dies after the beating, should all 10,000 people pay for their crimes?"

"It's meaningless to change the concept and sophistry."

"It's just to extend a concept. Justice is not to safeguard the interests of the majority. Justice should be judged by reason and conscience, not by quantity and strength. Justice should be fair and equal, and it will not change because of the number of people. The meaning of the alliance's existence should be to protect ordinary people like us, damn it! We pay taxes! It's your alliance's dereliction of duty not to save people in danger. It's also your alliance's dereliction of duty not to capture the priest. Xiaoxiao's rescue of those people was the best and only choice. What happened later was because the alliance failed to make a good plan to capture the priest, which led to casualties. No one wants to see such a thing... But it has nothing to do with her. This is the alliance's dereliction of duty. It's you people who are just sitting there doing nothing. A bunch of S-level and SS-level people can't catch an S-level person. You say high-sounding words and say that you are not capable enough. Don't put everything on my Xiaoxiao."

Lu Lingling took a deep breath and was about to say something, but a moment later, Lin Cheng said another word.

"If the justice that the Alliance believes in... is to sacrifice the happiness of the people who should be saved in the present in order to avoid worse events that may happen in the future, then what is the need for the Alliance to exist for ordinary people who are full of hope?"