Top edge chapter 14

Greenhouse flower

“Tell them they don’t need to look anymore.”

With those few words, Avis was sent away. Klet crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaning against the kitchen counter as he observed Shen Siwei from a distance.

The wine-red silk pajamas made his skin look even fairer, and his rarely exposed nose appeared round and smooth, while his plump lips had a hint of pale pink.

—Like a beautiful flower cultivated in a greenhouse.

So where did he get the confidence to stay in such a dangerous place?

“I’ve changed my mind.” His full lips moved, speaking words that irritated Klet. “I’ve decided to stay here.”

The beer bottle was placed on the counter with a crisp and piercing sound.

Klet finally left the kitchen and slowly approached Shen Siwei, dragging a chair. The manner in which he approached carried an inexplicable sense of interrogation.

The chair finally stopped next to the single bed, and Klet sat on it comfortably, crossing his arms and legs, facing Shen Siwei. “When my men came to pick you up, you were already gone.”

He stated a simple fact,.

“And then I came back.” Shen Siwei intentionally downplayed it.

“You don’t know the door code.” Klet pointed out the contradiction.

“I climbed out through the hallway window, then jumped in from the balcony.”

Shen Siwei knew that Klet would ask this question, so he had prepared in advance. He even assessed the possibilities, although it was a bit challenging, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

Klet was indeed skeptical, “Just you?”

Shen Siwei simply threw the question back at Klet, “Then how did I get in?”

There were no traces of the electronic door lock being tampered with, and one could only enter through the balcony. At least on this point, Shen Siwei was not lying.

Sure enough, Klet didn’t dwell on the question any longer. He remained silent for a moment before asking, “Weren’t you planning to leave? Why did you change your mind?”

“I can’t go back.” Having passed the most difficult first question, the following ones would be much easier. Shen Siwei lazily curled up one leg, rested his elbow on his knee, and propped up his chin. “I haven’t completed my mission, and they won’t let me go back.”

There was a tinge of helplessness in his tone. Shen Siwei had never played the role of vulnerability before and was uncertain about his acting skills. But judging from Klet’s reaction, it seemed like he believed his made up story.

“The negotiation mission?” Klet asked.

“Yes,” Shen Siwei replied, “Let’s continue our discussion.”

Klet neither confirmed nor denied, his gaze deep as he looked at Shen Siwei. “Did you know that the power station was attacked?”

“What?”When did that happen?”

Klet observed Shen Siwei, seemingly trying to find any flaws in his expression.

However, whether it was due to his harmless appearance or something else, he quickly withdrew his gaze and walked to the refrigerator. He asked, “Do you want a beer?”

Shen Siwei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that drinking would hinder his progress, and he initially planned to say, “No, thank you.” But suddenly, he had a thought and opened his mouth, “Yes, please.”

As the refrigerator door opened, Klet took out two cans of beer. At that moment, he paused and raised an eyebrow as he looked at Shen Siwei, asking, “Did you eat my beef?”

“That’s not called eating.” Shen Siwei slightly lifted his chin, appearing righteous and confident.

Klet didn’t bother to argue and returned to his seat on the chair, handing the open can to Shen Siwei. “So, what kind of negotiation result do you want?”

Shen Siwei took the beer but didn’t drink it. He stated his lofty negotiation conditions, “The refugees will leave the Tree of Life. We are willing to build a power station in the desert underground city to improve the living conditions there.”

“Heh.” Klet chuckled lightly, but he just looked at Shen Siwei without responding.

Shen Siwei squinted his eyes and said, “Don’t even think about knocking me out and dumping me in the outskirts.”

“You’ve seen through me.”klet admitted openly, “So, what’s there to negotiate about with these conditions?”

Shen Siwei said, “You can also state your conditions.”

klet turned his face away and took a sip of his beer.

At that moment, Shen Siwei quickly brought the beer can to his mouth, deliberately letting the liquid flow from the corner of his mouth to his collarbone. Then he lifted the blanket off the bed and said, “I’ll get some tissue.”

Accidentally, his toe tripped on a slipper, and Shen Siwei uncontrollably lunged forward, spilling the beer from the can onto klet’s chest.

klet had to pull his gaze back and instinctively supported Shen Siwei’s waist. Looking at his collarbone, he seemed a bit dazed.

But it was only for an instant.

He lowered his head and looked at his wet chest,  saying, “Why are you so clumsy?”

Shen Siwei straightened up, “Sorry, I’ll get you a towel.”

“What’s the use of a towel?” klet put the beer aside on the bedside table and took off his tight short-sleeved shirt.

During klet’s last shower, the tattoo on his chest was obscured by frosted glass, and Shen Siwei couldn’t see it clearly.

This time, being so close, his gaze fell directly on klet’s chest, but he noticed that the human face had no distinctive features.

— Two eyes, one nose, one mouth.

Whether it was due to the tattoo artist’s skill or klet’s unclear description, the facial features had no identifiable characteristics. If one had to describe it, it somewhat resembled a gorilla.

Before he could turn away, Shen Siwei’s wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Shen Siwei wasn’t wearing an oxygen mask, and he couldn’t expose his skills, so he could only let klet press him down on the bed, using his knee to restrain his lower back, making him unable to move.

“Tired of looking at my chest already?” klet twisted Shen Siwei’s wrist and squeezed the back of his neck.

“What are you doing?” Shen Siwei struggled a bit but  klet strength was too much for him. 

“Don’t you want to see my tattoo?” klet leaned in, his lips tracing the back of Shen Siwei’s neck and asked, “Do you think these little tricks can deceive me?”

Shen Siwei swore that his staring didn’t imply anything;

” let go of me first.” Shen Siwei had difficulty breathing and had to soften his tone.

“How much of my conversation with Avis did you overhear?” klet asked.

Shen Siwei was almost unable to breathe, so naturally, he didn’t answer. He only heard klet ask again, “Why did you suddenly come back? Do you have anything to do with what happened at the power station?”

Shen Siwei couldn’t help but sigh. Klet was really smart and quickly caught on to him.

“let go of me…” Shen Siwei couldn’t catch his breath and had to soften his tone, continuously gasping for air. “klet, I… I can’t breathe…”

His vision gradually blurred, and it became increasingly difficult to inhale. Just as Shen Siwei was about to pass out, klet suddenly loosened his grip on him and said, “Can you stop crying every time?”

“Cough… cough…” Shen Siwei was speechless. How could he be crying?

He was just about to suffocate, so his eye sockets turned red. 

Without time to explain, Shen Siwei stood up from the bed and put on the oxygen mask, finally recovering.

— It was indeed uncomfortable to sleep with the mask on, but judging from the situation, he couldn’t easily take it off.

“What are you inhaling?” klet asked one question after another, clearly harboring a lot of suspicion towards Shen Siwei.

“I have stress disorder,” Shen Siwei said, using the excuse he had prepared in advance. “I easily suffocate when stressed, and there’s a sedative inside the mask.”

The excuse sounded reasonable, and judging from klet’s reaction, it seemed that he wasn’t suspicious.

He no longer paid attention to Shen Siwei’s mask and returned to the previous topic, “So, about what you did? Do you also have an accomplice?”

” No I don’t have an accomplice,” Shen Siwei said, “and I spent the whole day at your house watching cartoons.”

Klet raised an eyebrow in surprise. He turned his head and looked at the CD shelf in the living room, then turned back to Shen Siwei and asked, “Did you watch SpongeBob?”

Shen Siwei was still adjusting his breathing. “Even at your age, you still watch cartoons. Isn’t that childish?”

The mention of the cartoon got rid of the tense atmosphere, and klet no longer had that strict appearance. He casually said, “I didn’t have a healthy childhood, why can’t I watch them now?”

Shen Siwei found it strange, “How old are you?”

This time, klet didn’t respond.

“I heard your conversation with Avis,” Shen Siwei continued, “I know you’re looking for someone, and I can help you.”

klet remained silent, seemingly pondering Shen Siwei’s proposal. But when he spoke again, he changed the topic, “Why was the negotiation task assigned to you?”

“I’m a negotiator,” Shen Siwei said.

“I mean,” klet said, “you have a weak body, easily falling ill. Why do they think you can complete the task?”

Well, the logic here was indeed a bit flawed.

“Because,” Shen Siwei paused, “the lower levels are too dangerous, and no one is willing to go.”

And indeed, that was the truth. If it weren’t for Shen Siwei’s body having undergone modifications, he would have died several times already.

“Others are afraid of danger, so they push you, this sick seedling, forward,” klet said, “which means you have a low status among the Marg people. Why should I believe that you can help me?”

“…,” Shen Siwei was momentarily speechless, unable to refute.

“Enough, you’re going to give me a headache,” a tinge of annoyance flashed in klet’s eyes.

He looked at the time and said, “I’ll personally escort you out tomorrow morning.”

Shen Siwei pursed his lips, seeing klet’s attitude, he guessed that he would be guarded that night.

Could it be that he really had to leave the next morning?

Klet looked at Shen Siwei, who was still on his bed, “Go sleep on the couch.”

Shen Siwei was already annoyed and naturally didn’t want to move. “I’m sleeping here “

“This is my bed,” klet said, directly grabbing Shen Siwei’s collar, as if to lift him up.

But then the white buttons on his shirt came off, revealing his skin hidden beneath the silk pajamas.

Klet paused for a moment, then met a pair of angry eyes.

Through gritted teeth, Shen Siwei said, “I just bought this pajama.”

For some reason, the flower in the greenhouse seemed to have grown thorns, even though it had no real harm, it pretended to be fierce.

Klet knew he was in the wrong, he rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing where to look, and finally left the room holding his dirty short-sleeved shirt.

“Go to sleep then, and don’t leave the room.”