Chapter 74 Battle Between Gods and Demons

Chapter 74: Gods and Demons Clash

Is it okay to deceive someone just because you like them?

Shen Qingci thought about this the whole way home, yet still couldn’t figure it out.

He didn’t understand love, nor had he ever deeply explored its boundaries and rules.

To him, emotions were vague, chaotic, and irrational—far less clear and controllable than interests and data.

But one thing was undeniable.

Lu Lin had deceived him.

No matter the intention, deception was deception.

This crossed a line for him.

The car pulled up to the villa’s entrance. Shen Qingci got out, using his cane.

Uncle Fu walked up to greet him, about to ask about dinner arrangements, but the heavy vibe shut him up.

Shen Qingci still had that cold, distant look, his face blank, his eyes calm.

But Uncle Fu had raised Shen Qingci since he was a kid, and he could tell Shen Qingci was upset—really upset.

Shen Qingci walked into the hall, straight-backed and steady, leaning on his cane.

He sat down on the sofa, resting the cane by his side. His strikingly handsome face was now cold and indifferent, like it was covered in a thin sheet of ice.

“Sir,” Uncle Fu said carefully, “Mr. Lu called and said he’d be a bit late. Should we wait for him for dinner?”

“No need.”

Shen Qingci’s voice was calm, giving nothing away, but those two words were icy cold.

Uncle Fu opened his mouth, then swallowed his question, and just said quietly, “Yes, sir.”

He knew only Lu Lin could make the master this way.

He didn’t know the details, but since Mr. Lu caused it, let Mr. Lu fix it.

This was between them; no one else should get involved.

Dinner was served quickly, with fancy dishes steaming hot.

Shen Qingci sat down, picked up his fork, took a few bites, and put it down.

He ate even less than usual, his movements graceful but distracted.

He stood up, grabbed his cane, and said flatly, “Take it away.”

Uncle Fu stepped forward, but saw Shen Qingci pause, pick up a brown paper file from the side table, and hand it to him.

“Give this to Lu Lin when he comes back.”

Uncle Fu took it with both hands and said respectfully, “Yes, sir.”

Shen Qingci didn’t say anything else. He went upstairs with his cane.

His back was still straight, but it felt lonely and cold.

Uncle Fu looked at the file in his hands and sighed quietly.

---

By the time Lu Lin got back, it was completely dark.

He walked into the hall with light steps, a hopeful smile on his face, ready to go to the kitchen and make dinner for Shen Qingci.

Uncle Fu stepped out from the side and blocked his way.

“Mr. Lu.”

Lu Lin stopped, his smile fading a bit, replaced by his usual cold, calm look: “What’s up, Uncle Fu?”

“Sir already ate. You don’t need to make anything.”

Uncle Fu’s words made Lu Lin freeze for a second, a hint of worry rising in his heart.

He frowned and asked, “Is brother… mad at me?”

Otherwise, why wouldn’t he wait for him to eat?

Uncle Fu didn’t answer directly. Instead, he handed the file to Lu Lin with both hands: “Sir told me to give this to you before he went upstairs. Maybe… this is why he’s mad.”

Lu Lin took the file, his eyes on the plain brown paper bag. His heart skipped a beat.

He tore it open as he walked toward the stairs.

The moment his foot hit the first step, he already had the papers out.

A test report. Familiar ingredients. Familiar drug names.

Lu Lin completely froze.

He stared at the paper in disbelief, eyes wide, pupils shrinking.

All those chemical terms and data swirled in front of him, finally coming together into one cold conclusion.

Brother knew. He knew something was in that glass of milk. He knew every time he fell asleep wasn’t an accident. He knew… he’d been tricked.

How could this be? He had clearly…

No, brother was suspicious from the very first time. He should’ve known. It was brother’s leniency that made him careless, making this stupid mistake over and over…

He remembered Shen Qingci asking him that morning.

Lu Lin was shaking all over, his fingers gripping the paper so hard his knuckles went white.

Brother had warned him, asked him—but how did he answer?

Lu Lin’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. Endless panic surged like black waves, drowning him completely, turning into a dark, suffocating shadow around him.

He should’ve stopped the first time…

Brother is mad… What should he do… What should he do…

He felt like all the blood in his body had run cold, leaving him frozen. Soon, he started comforting himself: his brother would definitely forgive him, yeah... definitely...

His hands shaking, he shoved the papers back into the bag all messy, then stumbled upstairs, looking a mess.

He got to Shen Qingci's bedroom door, his hand shaking as he touched the doorframe. What if his brother wouldn't forgive him?

Tie him up, lock him up, make it so he can never leave...

No... no, can't do that...

His brother would hate him for it. Those eyes wouldn't look at him anymore, those hands wouldn't ruffle his hair.

He didn't want that...

He wanted his brother, all to himself, completely. He wanted all of him, every single part...

Lu Lin pushed down the crazy obsession in his eyes, his eyes red as he banged on the door.

"Brother? Brother, you in there?"

No answer.

He ran to the study, knocked again, still nothing.

He tried the handle; the door opened, but the study was empty.

Lu Lin's heart sank.

He stumbled back to Shen Qingci's bedroom door, his hand shaking as he pushed down on the handle.

The door didn't move.

It was locked.

How could his brother... lock the door? His brother had never shut him out.

He stared at the locked door, his urge to destroy things hitting its peak. A voice in his head said: the person he loved most was in there; just go in, and he'd get what he wanted...

At the same time, another voice in his head said: No... he messed up first, so his brother was shutting him out. His brother was punishing him.

Yeah... punishment... his brother's punishment... this was his brother's way of loving him.

His brother hardly ever got mad. Only he could make him mad.

Why did his brother only get mad at him and not anyone else? Because his brother cared, because his brother loved him...

Yeah, that's it. His brother loved him...

So, once his brother wasn't mad anymore, everything would be fine... He had to sweet-talk his brother, make him forgive him...

Lu Lin snapped back to his senses. He knocked, holding back, his voice hoarse and shaky: "Brother, please open the door, okay? I can explain, brother."

Silence from inside. Nothing.

Lu Lin's tears streamed down his face, he couldn't stop them.

He looked at the file bag in his hand, like it burned him, and threw it to the ground hard, then kept knocking.

"Brother, I'm sorry... I'm really sorry. I was scared you wouldn't sleep well... No, that's not it... I'm sorry... I won't lie to you anymore... Brother! Brother!"

He shouted, not making sense, his fingers gripping the handle tight, twisting hard, but the lock didn't give.

The fear of being shut out, like the worst nightmare, squeezed his heart.

He remembered. When he was little, there was a stormy night, thunder and lightning.

He was so scared he curled up under his blanket, and finally, out of fear, he grabbed his pillow and ran to find Shen Qingci.

But Shen Qingci's room was locked.

He didn't dare knock, scared of waking his brother, so he sat by the door all night.

The next day, when he was found, he had a high fever and nearly became brain-damaged.

From then on, Shen Qingci's door was never locked again.

No matter how late it was, no matter when he came, the door was always open.

But now...

The door was locked.

Would his brother, because of this, abandon him...

This realization pierced Lu Lin's heart like a sharp knife.

No, that wouldn't happen, Lu Lin tried to comfort himself: his brother wouldn't abandon him; he was his brother's most beloved Lu Lin... his brother loved him...

But the panic inside him was unbearable.

His body slowly slid down, until he knelt before the tightly shut door.

"Brother... I'm sorry..." His voice was hoarse and broken, tears blurring his vision again, dripping onto the floor as they fell down his cheeks. "I was wrong, please forgive me... brother..."

"Brother... I was wrong... I'll never dare again... please open the door and look at me, brother..."

He knelt there, his forehead pressed against the cold door panel, tears silently streaming, endlessly apologizing, endlessly begging for forgiveness.

But the door before him remained tightly shut.

No response, no sound, not even a sliver of light seeping through the crack.

The entire second floor was dead silent.

Only Lu Lin's suppressed, intermittent sobs echoed softly in the empty hallway.