Chapter 436: A Deal with the Devil, an Angel's Gratitude
Lu Ran felt as if his worldview, built over twenty years, had been completely overturned; he couldn't believe such a supernatural event was happening right before his eyes.
Was the impossibly handsome man before him a god? Or was he a devil, a demon cloaked in human skin?
The crimson characters suspended in the air before him were not mere ink; they writhed like blood-fed leeches, each one a complex, arcane symbol that seemed to squirm with a life of its own. They pulsed with a malevolent, crimson light, casting dancing shadows on Lu Ran's pale, sweat-slicked face. The characters converged, weaving themselves into a spectral contract that materialized from nothing, humming with an ancient, binding power that made the very air in the sterile hospital corridor feel heavy and cold.
Though Lu Ran had never seen such a script, its meaning flooded his mind with terrifying clarity, bypassing language and etching itself directly onto his soul.
This was a Blood Curse Contract.
It was an infernal pact, stark and absolute. The terms were brutally simple. Party A would provide the means to cure Lu Ran's grandfather of his terminal illness. In return, Party B, Lu Ran, would pledge his absolute, unwavering loyalty to Party A for the rest of his existence. To violate this oath meant a fate worse than simple death. His soul would be extinguished, and the curse would travel through his bloodline, extinguishing the lives of every relative within five generations in the most agonizing ways imaginable. His sister, his grandfather… all would perish.
Yet, a glaring omission screamed from the spectral page: there were no penalty clauses for Party A. It was a contract of absolute servitude, a shackle forged in blood and sorcery.
At the very bottom, a name was already signed in characters that burned with the same hellish light.
Shen Anyu.
Lu Ran's eyes traced the name over and over, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. This was madness. This was a fairytale, a nightmare. But the quiet confidence in Shen Anyu's gaze and the cold, oppressive reality of the floating contract told him this was all too real. His grandfather was dying. His sister was wasting away from grief and overwork. He was out of options, cornered by fate.
Taking a shuddering breath that felt like inhaling shards of glass, Lu Ran made his choice. He gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw aching, and bit down hard on the tip of his thumb. A sharp, coppery tang filled his mouth as blood welled up, a single, perfect crimson droplet. His hand trembled, not from fear of the consequences to himself, but from the horrifying weight of what he was doing. With that shaking finger, he smeared his own blood onto the designated space below Party B's signature.
Lu Ran.
The moment his blood touched the contract, it hissed like water on a hot skillet. The crimson characters flared violently, absorbing his life essence before his very eyes. A cold dread, absolute and profound, washed over him. He had no intention of ever betraying Shen Anyu—his pride and his love for his family wouldn't allow it. So, the curse on his bloodline was a moot point. At worst, he would be the only one to pay the price. He would bear this burden alone.
A flicker of genuine appreciation surfaced in Shen Anyu's dark, fathomless eyes. Lu Ran's character was precisely what he valued: resolute, loyal, and willing to sacrifice everything for those he cared about. Such a man was a perfect tool, a flawless blade to be wielded.
This was no simple charm; it was the apex of the God-level Blood Curse Technique—the Blood Curse Contract. It was an unbreakable chain. Should Lu Ran even think of betrayal, the curse would activate. Unless he could somehow ascend to a world of power several tiers above Shen Anyu's, a virtual impossibility, he would die instantly. And the curse, a silent, invisible plague, would find his grandfather, his sister, and every other relative, and drag them into oblivion.
Even if Lu Ran were to awaken as a Child of Destiny in the future, this contract would act as a divine leash, ensuring Shen Anyu could control him with a mere thought.
And if he wasn't? It hardly mattered. The raw, untamed luck swirling around Lu Ran was a evident force, a vibrant, verdant aura visible only to Shen Anyu's discerning senses. It was like a magnificent canopy, a storm of fortune gathering around a single point. Such a man was destined for greatness. A coiling dragon might be temporarily trapped in a shallow pond, but it was still a dragon. Soon, his fortunes would turn, and he would soar into the heavens.
Both Shen Anyu and that fool Long Hao had seen this potential. Both wanted to intercept his destiny and invest early. But Long Hao's methods were crude and transactional. Shen Anyu's were absolute.
This small gesture—saving an old man—was a trivial expense for him, yet the potential return was immeasurable.
With both signatures sealed in blood, the contract folded in on itself and shot forward, dissolving into a stream of crimson light that vanished between Lu Ran's eyebrows. Swoosh!
Lu Ran gasped, his whole body sinking as if suddenly shackled by a thousand pounds of invisible chains. A profound connection had been forged, a terrifying awareness that his life, his very soul, was now tied to the will of the man standing before him. The slightest thought of defiance sent a phantom chill through his veins, a premonition of unimaginable agony.
His heart was a leaden weight in his chest. Was this salvation, or damnation? He no longer had a choice. He lifted his gaze, his expression a mixture of awe, fear, and uncertainty, unsure of how to even address his new master.
Shen Anyu's lips curved into a disarmingly gentle smile, instantly dispelling the demonic aura. "Just call me Brother Shen," he said, his voice warm and reassuring. "Come, take me to see your grandfather."
"Okay, Brother Shen."
The two simple words broke the tension. The crushing weight on Lu Ran's shoulders seemed to lift, replaced by a wave of desperate, overwhelming relief. A genuine smile, the first in weeks, broke across his weary face. Whatever the future held, whatever price he had to pay, his grandfather was saved. This man, Shen Anyu, whether a god or a devil, had the power to make miracles happen. The two million yuan for the surgery was nothing to him.
…
Stepping into the sterile-white ward, the sharp scent of antiseptic stung their nostrils. A young woman, sitting by the bedside, looked up as they entered.
"Brother, you're back," she said, her voice soft but clear. Her eyes, large and curious, shifted to the breathtakingly handsome man accompanying him. "And who is this?"
Shen Anyu's gaze fell upon the girl, his analysis swift and precise. She was painfully thin, her complexion as pale as fine porcelain, suggesting chronic malnourishment. The simple act of rising from her chair caused her breathing to become slightly ragged, a clear sign of a weak constitution. Yet, this frailty didn't diminish her beauty; it amplified it, creating an ethereal, heart-wrenching allure. She was like Xi Shi clutching her heart, a modern-day Lin Daiyu descended to the mortal world, invoking an instinctual, overwhelming urge to protect her.
Her most captivating features were her eyes. They were huge, a startlingly clear black and white, and within their depths burned a resilience and hope that defied her fragile condition. Even with Shen Anyu's impossibly high standards, honed by a harem of otherworldly beauties, he had to admit this girl was top-tier. Her facial structure was exquisite, and she possessed a rare, scholarly aura that set her apart.
He knew instantly. This was no ordinary girl. She was a destined heroine, a Daughter of Destiny.
Lu Ran opened his mouth to make an introduction, but Shen Anyu spoke first, his voice a perfect blend of warmth and sincerity.
"You must be Lu Ran's sister, Lu Qiong, right? I'm Lu Ran's friend, Shen Anyu. I heard about your family's situation and came to help." He offered her a smile that could melt glaciers. "I've already had someone take care of the surgical fees. Your grandfather will be fine. The best colorectal cancer specialist in the country will be here to personally oversee his treatment."
For the Lu siblings, their grandfather's illness was an insurmountable mountain, a catastrophe that threatened to crush their entire world. For Shen Anyu, it was a triviality, a problem solved with a single phone call. He didn't need to lift a finger personally. And by being so open and direct with his generosity, he maximized its impact. There was no nobility in anonymous good deeds; that was the domain of naive fools. Every action he took was a calculated investment, and he always made sure the recipient knew exactly who to thank.
[Ding! Detected destined heroine Lu Qiong's favorability +60! Plunder +180,000 Destiny Points!]
…
The system's notification was music to his ears. As the words registered, Lu Qiong's composure shattered. An expression of pure, unadulterated joy washed over her pale face. Her beautiful, expressive eyes locked onto Shen Anyu, instantly filling with tears of profound gratitude.
"Thank you… thank you, Brother Shen," she stammered, her voice thick with emotion as she bowed repeatedly. "Thank you so much for saving my grandfather."
Lu Qiong was sharp and perceptive. She knew better than anyone the crushing pressure her brother was under. She had felt so helpless, able only to stay up through the sleepless nights, her fingers growing raw as she made more handicrafts for him to sell. She couldn't count the number of times she'd pricked her fingers with a needle, the sharp pain a distant echo of the ache in her heart.
And now, this man, Shen Anyu, had appeared like a sunbeam piercing through the darkest storm clouds, bringing hope to their desperate family. How could she not be eternally grateful? In that single moment, her favorability towards him skyrocketed into the world of worship.
"Don't cry," Shen Anyu said softly, his voice a gentle caress. "It's not good for a beautiful girl like you to cry and ruin your face."
He moved closer, the subtle, expensive scent of his cologne eclipsing the sterile smell of the hospital. He pulled a few pristine tissues from his pocket and, with a touch as light as a feather, began to personally and gently wipe the tears from her porcelain cheeks.
Lu Qiong froze, her entire body going rigid. Her heart felt like it had stopped, only to restart at a frantic, hammering pace. The warmth of his fingers, brushing against her skin through the thin tissue, sent a jolt of electricity through her. A deep crimson blush bloomed across her cheeks, a stark contrast to her usual pallor.
Lu Ran stood frozen by the door, a storm of conflicting emotions warring within him. He wanted to speak, to intervene, but the Blood Curse Contract was already signed. His soul was already sold. What right did he have to say anything? A strange, inexplicable sense of worry coiled in his gut, a gut-wrenching feeling that he had just lost something precious and irreplaceable.
Shen Anyu, a master of his craft, didn't linger. After dabbing away the last tear, he handed the tissues to her and withdrew his hand, his movements fluid and graceful, never once crossing the line into impropriety. His gentlemanly conduct made both siblings exhale a quiet sigh of relief they didn't realize they'd been holding.
After a few more minutes of pleasant conversation, Shen Anyu smiled and waved goodbye, departing amidst the siblings' profuse and heartfelt thanks.
As he settled into the plush leather of the Rolls-Royce's back seat, the gentle smile vanished from his face, replaced by a look of deep, calculating contemplation. The city lights blurred past the tinted window as he mused inwardly.
'Interesting. Lu Qiong is the destined heroine, but Lu Ran isn't the Child of Destiny? What's going on?'
His initial assumption was that Lu Ran was simply an unawakened protagonist. Perhaps his system hadn't finished loading, or he hadn't stumbled upon his fateful encounter with an old master in a ring yet. In short, his golden finger hadn't arrived. If that were the case, Lu Qiong shouldn't register as a heroine until after his awakening. But the system was never wrong. She was one now, and he was not.
"I'll observe them slowly," Shen Anyu murmured to himself, a predator's glint in his eyes. "In any case, neither of them will escape my grasp."
He was no saint. Every investment demanded a return. And he intended to collect, with interest. He gave the driver a simple command: "Return to Jiangjing Manor."
…
Not long after Shen Anyu's silent, luxurious departure, Long Hao came barreling into the hospital, panting and gasping for air. His face was flushed and beaded with sweat, but his eyes shone with a manic, wild joy and greedy anticipation.
"Heh heh, good thing I have a good dad. It doesn't matter if my card is declined; I'll just have Dad send money!" he wheezed, clutching a stitch in his side. "Immortal Doctor Lu Ran, your angel investor, Grandfather Long Hao, has arrived!"
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