frightfiction Chapter 2 Tomato and Egg Noodles
Chapter 2 Tomato and Egg Noodles
They said they were taking him there, but actually they were just calling Li Hetai over.
The child's eyes remained calm as he quietly gazed at the large wedding bed, which was laden with roses, and where his father sat.
Meanwhile, the father was holding his newlywed "stepmother" in his arms.
"Call me Mom." The man showed no regard for the child's presence, continuing to hold the woman and smoke.
Gu Xinglan couldn't stand the smell of smoke; as soon as her nose touched the tobacco, she started coughing.
The sound of coughing echoed in the room.
The man stopped exhaling smoke and flicked a relatively intact gold cigarette at Li Hetai's feet: "Step on it."
The child lifted the black leather shoe and stubbed out the burning cigarette under it.
He won't call you "Mom," but he'll step on the cigarette without hesitation.
"After tonight, you will be my rightful wife, Li Taihe, and he will be my... son. I hope you two can get along well."
Li Taihe gave the child a look.
Issued an order to expel them.
Li Hetai stared intently at his father, then turned to the photograph on the wall.
His biological mother should have been the one hanging there, but now another "woman" has been replaced.
His biological mother had longed for a photo with him for half her life, and now this "stepmother" had easily obtained it.
The wedding photo on the wall no longer shows a woman forcing a smile while hugging a flower basket, but rather a picture of his father and another "woman" embracing and laughing.
Li Hetai picked up the extinguished cigarette, lowered his eyes, and left the room.
After the room returned to quiet.
The man squinted and lit another cigarette. His expression was no longer one of tolerance and affection. He mumbled indistinctly as he chewed on the cigarette, "Go down and wash yourself clean."
Gu Xinglan got off the man's lap and hurried towards the bathroom, holding her breath.
The sound of water soon came from the bathroom.
System: [Do you know what he meant by "washed clean"?]
"know."
System: [We do not force participants to complete these tasks. If a participant is killed or mentally oppressed due to unforeseen circumstances, this system will not be held responsible.]
With a series of disclaimers, Gu Xinglan smiled helplessly: "I know, he won't do anything to me, he knows I'm a man..."
Gu Xinglan suddenly stopped talking.
Can't men be raped? The deep uncertainty in his heart made him unable to make up his mind.
He deduced that the person outside was female based solely on the room's layout, clothing, and demeanor.
As for why he had to wear women's clothing for his wedding...
If it wasn't a marriage of love, nor a business arrangement, then it must be for some other reason.
When Gu Xinglan came out after washing up, there was no one outside.
He was still wrapped in a bath towel.
Gu Xinglan swept away the roses on the bed, sat steadily on the bed, and looked around the room.
There are also traces of another person's life here, and that person was a woman, but it has been disposed of.
System: [Mission officially issued. You are the "wicked stepmother." Your main task can be summed up in two words: "abuse." For example, deprive him of food, feed him rotten fruit, and tell him every day that he is an unwanted child, etc.]
Gu Xinglan had a serious expression on her face, but when she heard the system's muttering behind her, her expression faltered for a moment.
Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Although he lost his memory, the most basic professional ethics were still deeply imprinted in his heart.
"I understand, thank you."
Upon hearing this, the system abruptly stopped its endless stream of examples: [Alright, good luck. If you fail… I'll have to erase you from this world. You only have one chance.]
The word "erasure" was uttered lightly, and Gu Xinglan replied indifferently, "Fine."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent, so quiet that you could hear your own heartbeat.
The door to the room was ajar, as if the man hadn't closed it properly when he left.
There was a child standing there at that moment, and his heart rate rose rapidly.
The child's expression was no longer lifeless, but rather a mixture of shock, astonishment, and finally disgust.
Gu Xinglan pulled her bathrobe tighter around herself.
The wig on his head was still in the bathroom, and now he appeared completely as a man: short hair, Adam's apple, and a flat chest.
System: [Major error detected. 5-minute countdown to elimination. Begin.]
A cold, electronic voice exploded in my head.
System: [Oh no, the voice that just reported it was the Supreme God.]
Gu Xinglan subconsciously shifted her gaze, watching helplessly as the child outside slammed the door shut.
Because of my profession, when I heard about being wiped out, I didn't panic. Instead, I felt a sense of relief because of some things on my mind.
Gu Xinglan shook her head: "Isn't there one chance?"
The system paused for a moment: [I received a remedial notification from the administrator. If you complete the "torture" task within five minutes, successful completion will extend the elimination time.]
It was as if they were dancing on the tip of a red-hot knife.
Gu Xinglan went to the bathroom to get a wig and put it on. When she passed by the mirror, she didn't have time to see what she looked like.
He chased after him outside, the ticking of the five-minute countdown making him overly focused.
I ran to the area near the kitchen and finally saw that familiar figure.
Looking at it from a distance.
The child was being held by a burly old woman, her shirt and brown vest being wrung out like a rag.
Gu Xinglan paused at the corner.
System: [You can join this old woman now. Two minutes left on the countdown.]
Not far away, a snow-white ceramic bowl was shattered on the ground.
The old woman's face darkened, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Young Master Li, why are you in such a hurry? Are you ignoring the Master's teachings?"
Li Hetai let the hand on his collar rub against his neck, gradually leaving marks.
"This soup is for the new lady. Come with me and explain it to her."
The old woman, dressed in the same beige maid uniform, silently cursed, "You lowly slut."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a person with long hair appear around the corner.
Wearing a loose men's bathrobe, with fair and delicate skin like solidified cream, she became clearer the closer one got, like a splash of bright red on a cliff, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Greetings, Madam!" The old woman quickly released her grip on Li Hetai's hand upon seeing Gu Xinglan.
She grinned obsequiously, "You've come at the perfect time. I was just about to bring you some calming soup; the master specifically instructed me to do so."
A ceramic bowl was broken into several pieces on the floor, and soup had spilled all over the place, some of which was even sticky on the child's brown trousers.
The child stood there awkwardly, head bowed low, his expression unreadable.
"What's going on?" Gu Xinglan made no attempt to hide his clear, masculine voice, startling the old woman for a moment.
Why does this new lady's voice sound like a man's?
The old woman stared at it intently for a while.
How could that be? This person has red lips and white teeth, long flowing hair, a supple figure, and a hint of heroic spirit between his brows. He has a dignified and imposing appearance.
"Madam, Young Master Li knocked over the soup. I apologize to you on his behalf." After saying this, the old woman secretly pinched Li Hetai's arm, pressing him down, and the two of them bowed to Gu Xinglan together.
There's one minute left in the countdown.
Gu Xinglan parted her lips slightly: "In that case, have Young Master Li make me another one. I'm hungry, so... tomato and egg noodles."
He unconsciously uttered the name of the dish. In his memory, it seemed that the adult Li Hetai could cook, and his specialty was tomato and egg noodles.
"This……"
The old woman's eyes darted around.
The new lady seems to have investigated the former lady.
This tomato and egg noodle soup is Madam Yuan's specialty; she did this intentionally to spite the young master of the Li family.
She glanced at the young master of the Li family beside her.
Sure enough, Li Hetai's lifeless eyes suddenly sharpened, even carrying a hint of ruthlessness.
Children can't hide their feelings.
The old woman couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Since the new lady also disliked this burden, what else did she have to hold back? "I'll take the young master to the kitchen right away."
While calling him "Young Master," the old woman's actions showed no respect whatsoever. She grabbed Li Hetai by the back of his collar and pulled him deep into the passage like a chicken.
System: [Elimination time successfully extended. As you are a newcomer, you are granted 24 hours of survival time.]
Gu Xinglan was still pondering the child's cold gaze when the system's notification instantly dispelled her worries.
Does making a child cook fit the image of a wicked stepmother?
Watching the old woman drag Li Hetai away without any mercy, Gu Xinglan held back for a few seconds, resisting the urge to step forward and stop her, and finally stood still and watched.
Without these experiences, would Li Hetai have become the powerful and influential business tycoon he became twenty years later?
Although he is a psychologist, he is only doing things for money, and he also has a selfish side.
As for redemption literature, it simply doesn't exist, and even if it did, it shouldn't be him redeeming Li Hetai.
Fragments of memories flooded his mind: in a dimly lit room, Li Hetai, with a mature face, was tearing at him like a madman, biting him from head to toe.
He may have longed for someone to save him then, but no one did. Even when he was influenced by Li Hetai, fell ill, lost his memory, and became numb to Li Hetai's actions, no one came to save him.
Even now, with his amnesia, he still suffers from aftereffects. The memories in his mind are not mostly his own, but rather those of him and Li Hetai.
It was as if a second personality had emerged, coldly and detachedly recalling how she had been treated by Li Hetai.
It's clear that he lived a life of extreme misery in his previous life.