vncnus Chapter 6 Twins
Chapter 6 Twins
"Now that the 'Audience' potion has been fully digested, it's time to find an opportunity to advance to Sequence Eight: 'Mind Reader'."
Lu Xingchen murmured to himself, and the indescribable chaotic aura lingering around his fingertips quietly dissipated.
It may seem "lacking" to outsiders that it took five years to digest a Sequence Nine potion, but only Lu Xingchen himself knows how much helplessness and consideration were hidden behind those five years of waiting and honing.
First of all, he was a child, and in the early days at the orphanage, Cocolia and some of the caregivers took extra care of these young orphans.
Young children are physically weak, and crying is almost the only way for them to express their needs and prove that they are healthy.
An infant who is silent all day and has a calm look in his eyes would seem abnormal to anyone.
More importantly, the core of the "audience" potion's role is "absolutely neutral observation." That indifferent expression, stripped of emotion and purely viewing the world from an observer's perspective, would be enough to send chills down the spine of any adult if it appeared on the face of an infant.
To avoid revealing his abnormality, he almost completely gave up on actively playing a role until he learned to walk and communicate simply. Like a real baby, he cried when he was hungry, slept when he was tired, and tried his best to integrate into this "normal" world.
It wasn't until he was over two years old, when he was able to walk unsteadily and respond to others with simple words, that he began to carefully play the role of "audience".
Five years is enough time for an infant to grow into a lively and active child, and it is also enough time for Lu Xingchen to completely digest the "audience" potion through repeated observation and restraint.
Today, Lu Xingchen's mental strength is several times stronger than that of children his age, and his perception of others' emotions has reached an almost instinctive level.
He could easily discern the weariness behind the caregiver's smile and sense the pure smiles of the other orphans as they played.
"Brother Xingchen! Brother Xingchen!"
A clear, somewhat urgent call interrupted Lu Xingchen's thoughts.
He turned around and looked at the door of the washroom, where two small heads peeked in—one with soft pink short hair on the left and one with bright blue short hair on the right.
"It's time to go eat. Cocolia's mom is taking attendance."
The two little girls spoke in unison, their delicate, pretty faces full of seriousness, as if they were conveying some important instruction.
"Okay, Rosalia, Lilia, I'm coming right now." Lu Xingchen pushed open the door, reached out, and gently patted the two little girls' heads.
Rosalia Arlene and Lilisa Arlene are five years old. Although they have different hair colors, they are real twin sisters.
According to Cocolia's mother, the Arlene sisters were abandoned by their parents because of their unusual hair color.
Their parents are both ordinary black-haired and black-eyed, yet they have a pink-haired daughter and a blue-haired daughter. In the eyes of ordinary people with conservative ideas, this is undoubtedly an "ominous" sign.
Fortunately, the two sisters' parents were the kind of people with a conscience. Although they couldn't accept their two special daughters, the sisters' parents ultimately didn't abandon them on the roadside.
Instead, he took them to the entrance of the "Tianhai Orphanage" and then left in a hurry, never to be heard from again.
However, even after arriving at the orphanage, the Arlene sisters were often ostracized by the other orphans because of their hair color.
Children are always curious about "different" things, but they also have a natural hostility towards them. Some ignorant children may even laugh at them as "monsters".
Lu Xingchen, having seen so much in his past life, was completely unconcerned about the two women's hair color. In addition, since he was playing the role of an "audience member" and needed a few actors, he took the initiative to approach the Arlene sisters.
Over time, their relationship naturally became closer.
"Hehe, Xingchen-ge is the best!"
As Lu Xingchen patted her head, Rosalia, looking a little clumsy, squinted her eyes, revealing two sweet dimples; Lilia lowered her head shyly, her ear tips turning slightly red.
For these two sisters who were abandoned and ostracized from childhood, Lu Xingchen's acceptance and gentleness were like a ray of sunshine in the darkness, warm and reliable.
"Let's hurry up and go, or Cocolia's mom will get angry."
Lu Xingchen took Rosalia and Lilia's little hands, and the three of them walked towards the cafeteria. Their soft little hands, warmed by the unique warmth of children, were in his palms.
Lu Xingchen felt this warmth, but in his heart he was planning his promotion.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die. There are quite a few evil soul masters on Douluo Continent, plus the resurrected Silver Dragon King, plus Tang Buddha's ten-thousand-year plan. These are all definitely uncertain factors."
"Although the problems were all resolved in the original work, it seems that quite a few ordinary people sacrificed themselves in the process."
Putting everything else aside, the Blood River God-Slaying Array that opens the abyss passage seems to require the sacrifice of millions of souls and blood. He doesn't want to become one of those resources.
In addition, there are conflicts between the three continents, which are also very troublesome.
"The Mind Reader..." Lu Xingchen murmured the name to himself, his eyes hardening again. "I must advance as soon as possible."
From the direction of the cafeteria came Dean Cocolia's gentle call, mixed with the noise of the other children. Lu Xingchen took a deep breath, suppressed his thoughts, and, holding Rosalia and Lilia's hands, quickly walked over.
Breakfast at the orphanage isn't fixed. Today's breakfast is a cup of soy milk, a loaf of bread, and an egg. It's enough to fill up a child with a small appetite.
If you're really not full, you can tell Cocolia's mom.
……
The noise in the cafeteria gradually subsided as breakfast ended. Cocolia and the caregivers around her collected the last set of cutlery into a tray, and when they turned around, their faces were adorned with gentle yet dignified smiles.
"Slap! Slap!"
She clapped her hands, and the crisp sound instantly attracted all the children's attention.
"Alright, now it's free time."
Her gaze swept over the young faces, her voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable seriousness, "You can play in the open space, but remember, you can't leave the orphanage grounds, and you absolutely cannot go into the woods in the backyard, understand?"
"I heard you!"
The children responded in unison, their clear voices almost lifting the roof off the cafeteria.
As soon as the words were spoken, the little figures who had been sitting upright scattered like wild horses. Some ran towards the swings by the door, while others gathered in groups of three or five, chattering about the games they wanted to play.
As soon as Lu Xingchen put down the porcelain bowl in her hand, her wrist was grabbed by two warm little hands at the same time.
He looked down and saw Rosalia and Lilia standing on either side of him, their pink and blue hair gleaming softly in the morning light, their bright eyes filled with anticipation.
(Image of the Arlene sisters.)