From Apocalypse To Entertainment Circle (BL)-Chapter 73: Family, Love, and a Sinister Case

Lan Qisheng descended the stairs and gazed at his stern-looking grandfather, who sat rigidly on the sofa. He approached and sat in front of him.

Before he could say a word, his grandfather’s firm and authoritative voice filled the air.

"Are you certain about your choice?"

"Yes, Grandpa. I love him, and I have decided to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Tsk, that’s assuming he even accepts you first. A brat like you doesn’t have a single outstanding quality to entice a kid like him."

Lan Qisheng fell silent when he heard what his grandfather had said. He then stared at him patiently but sceptically.

"Grandpa, whose side are you on? Aren’t I your grandson? Wouldn’t you help me achieve my happiness?"

As Lan Qisheng said this, he caught a glimpse of ridicule flashing through those familiar eyes—eyes that mirrored his own. He knew that if he kept playing the grandson-grandfather card, his grandfather would shut him down mercilessly. So, he wisely changed the subject.

"Grandpa, why are you here? Why didn’t you call me?"

Grandfather Lan was a peaceful and elegant man. Once he made certain that his grandson had not forced the other party to do anything and that his feelings were sincere, he would no longer disturb the private affairs of the younger generation. After all, Lan Qisheng was not wrong—deep down in his heart, as a grandfather, all he wished was for his grandchildren to be happy. Thus, as long as their decisions made sense, he would never stand in their way.

But hearing his grandson’s query reignited his fury. His eyes flashed with frustration, his face as cold as steel—just like his grandson’s.

"You little brat! If you hadn’t cut me off, not returning my calls and messages, do you think I would have gone through the trouble of dragging my old bones all the way here just to catch a glimpse of you, you obnoxious fool?"

"Ah?" Recalling something, Lan Qisheng pulled out his phone and gazed at it for an instant. Then he looked at his grandfather guiltily and uncertainly before looking aside.

"I... blocked your number and forget to remove it from the blacklist." freёwebnoѵel.com

"You—!" Grandfather Lan was about to jump up and teach his naughty grandson a lesson with his cane when he spotted someone descending the stairs.

Sian wore a light blue shirt and dark blue trousers, his long hair tucked into a high ponytail that swayed gently with each step he took.

At the bottom of the stairs, he sauntered over and sat down next to Lan Qisheng. Well, at least when it came to thick skin, he and Lan Qisheng were as thick as two. He showed no embarrassment despite being caught in bed with the man’s grandson just earlier. Instead, he behaved as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Grandfather Lan ceased his movements and looked at Sian with exceptionally gentle eyes. For some reason, he liked this rough but well-mannered and polite young man.

Perhaps every member of the Lan family had some kind of magical filter which presented to them only the soft and pretty side of this teenager, without perceiving the threatening demonic aura that adhered to him.

"Sian, how’s it going? I heard you were involved in that hotel thing too. Hope you’re all right now." Grandfather Lan’s voice was warm and endearing.

Lan Qisheng pursed his lips, his eyes filled with disapproval.

"Grandpa, I’ve never seen you so concerned about me. Just to let you know, I was there too."

"Spare me your nonsense!" Grandfather Lan shot a disapproving glance at his grandson.

"Don’t pretend you don’t know what you did there. As a soldier—no, as a veteran colonel—how could you not notice anything strange about the banquet? Worse yet, you let Sian fight in your place, and he even got injured because of you! What sort of useless grandson are you? How did I end up with a disappointment like you?"

"Oh." Lan Qisheng replied emotionlessly. He was familiar with his grandfather’s hot temper and sharp tongue, and for real, nothing the old man said could hurt him.

But Lan Qisheng was not the type of person who would just keep quiet when he was in the wrong. He always replied back to his grandfather. His lips parted as he went on speaking.

"Okay then, let’s go get a DNA test done. Maybe I’m not your grandson, oh great head of the Lan family."

In all fairness, these two were cut from the same cloth. Lan Qisheng knew full well how tongue-lashing his grandfather could be, but he did not realize that he also inherited not only the man’s looks but the man’s volcanic temper—tough on the outside but a softie inside.

Sian observed the interactions between the grandson and grandfather with amusement. A smile lit up his eyes. He had always loved warm, spirited families like this one. Even with the insults flying back and forth, he could tell that their bond was stronger than anything else.

Once the quarrelling ceased, Lan Qisheng asked them to join him for a meal. Sian and he had not eaten yet, while Grandfather Lan just casually replied that taking another meal would not hurt since he was already hungry.

But once he discovered that his grandson had cooked the whole meal alone, Grandfather Lan went immediately into another round of censuring.

"You ungrateful brat! You’ve never even made me a cup of tea before, and now you’ve learned how to cook an entire feast to impress your lover?!"

***

After a pleasant meal, Sian headed upstairs to continue watching Inuyasha on Lan Qisheng’s computer. He figured the sharp-tongued duo had some business to discuss and didn’t want to disturb them.

As anticipated, the business of seriousness was later addressed by Grandfather Lan and Lan Qisheng, reviewing reports and cases there—a bulk of which were related to army operations and transactions.

People had a general idea that the army concerned border cities or counter-terrorism. But in reality, that was far from the truth. The military also handled criminal investigations, including serial killings and other major cases, often working alongside police stations and detectives.

For instance, the present case before Lan Qisheng was that of a brashly evasive murderer who preyed on the City B alleys at night and killed with merciless precision on the 14th day of each month.

Despite the investigators’ relentless efforts, the only tangible information that was discovered about this criminal element was that he was thin, almost specter-like. The victims, now all sadly deceased, were of a variety of backgrounds—a mosaic of varied ages, occupations, and lifestyles—and yet they shared a common, chilling characteristic. They all shared an uncommon and mesmerizing beauty.

"Is this psycho obsessed with beautiful faces or something?" Lan Qisheng muttered, glancing through the photographs of the victims and their ghastly fates.

The murderer had slowly skinned the faces of the victims alive, a ghastly act that rendered their suffering unfathomable. It was not a cruel murder; it was a tormenting nightmare.

Picture the horrible reality of being flayed alive while your skin is being ripped off, agonizingly exposing raw nerves and muscle beneath. Each second would crawl into an eternity, with your permanent pain of blood trickling from the open wounds, soaking the ground below. The torturous, lingering bleed

After a serious talk with his grandfather, Lan Qisheng felt suddenly compelled as he officially accepted the task of the investigation along with his loyal crew. With a sense of eagerness, he walked his grandfather to the door, his anticipation evident in his rapid pace and the glint in his eyes. The face of the old man beamed with pride as he knew that his grandson was ready to take on this important mission.

The moment the old man left, Lan Qisheng slammed the case file down on the table with a firm flick of his wrist, the papers fluttering slightly with urgency. He didn’t wait to take the stairs two at a time, his footsteps swift and silent, like a ninja gliding through the darkness.

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Erato-san has something to say:

Erato-san stared sternly at Lan Qisheng, her tone laced with frustration. "Lan Qisheng, what on earth is going on?! Where’s your sense of discipline and sense of responsibility as a soldier?! How could you just abandon your duties like this to dally with your sweetheart?!"

Lan Qisheng crossed his arms pugnaciously, a smile twitching on his lips. "Oh for goodness’ sake, you crass author. I can hardly wrap my brain around the idea that Sian actually did accept me, and now we have a relationship! Are you honestly suggesting that I should drop everything to tackle some case that has no bearing on my life, leaving my beloved Sian all alone in a cold, empty room? Not a chance! I refuse to work!"

Erato-san raised an eyebrow, a hint of scepticism in his voice. "Oh really? Nothing to do with you, is it? Well, let’s see how that plays out..."

[Fast forward several episodes...]

You will soon witness the so-called "unrelated" serial killer—whom Lan Qisheng insisted had nothing to do with him—setting his sights on Sian...

Stay tuned...

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