Chapter 17: Hmm, What is this??

Lu Fang giggled, the sound light and carefree as it filled the room. Her eyes caught the sight of Lucifer's luggage, a heap of battered suitcases and garments scattered messily around him. "Brother, are you leaving?" she asked, a hint of mischief glinting in her eyes.

Lucifer's expression remained impassive, the sharp edge of his jaw tightening as he glanced at her.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, his lips curved into a sly smile, and he met her gaze with an unyielding stare. "I'm going to make your father go bankrupt," he said, his voice dripping with a cold certainty. "What do you think?"

"Bankrupt?" Lu Fang's eyes widened in astonishment, the innocent sparkle shifting to a dark excitement.

Her mouth parted for a moment before a peal of laughter burst forth, loud and full of disbelief. "Hahahaha… wow! Just wow! You really are my brother!" She clutched her stomach as she continued to laugh, the sound sharp and reverberating around the room.

She straightened up, wiping a tear from her eye as her face lit with determination. "I've been wanting to see that old man crumble too! You know, I even have a stash of company secrets hidden on a USB drive."

She smirked, the corner of her mouth twitching up with a rebellious glint. "I thought about handing it over to his competitors, but if things got complicated, that old man and my wicked mother might have sold me off to some rich, decrepit geezer just to save themselves. So I held back."

With a fierce nod, she gave Lucifer a thumbs-up, her grin wide and reckless. "Brother, can I come with you?"

Lucifer's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. His expression softened for a moment, before trun back to calm and indifferent. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied, the smile fading as an angry shadow crossed her features. "I'd rather be with you than stay in a house where I'm nothing more than an asset to be sold at will."

Her voice trembled slightly, but she steadied it with a clenched jaw. "I was planning to run away after I finished my college entrance exams anyway."

Lucifer's smile returned, this time warmer and more genuine. "Oh?" His eyes glistened with a touch of fondness before he nodded. "I'll give you an hour to pack your things. After that, we'll run away together."

Lu Fang shot up from her seat, her energy infectious. "I don't need that much time! I'll be quick," she said, dashing out of the room with a determined stride.

As the sound of her footsteps faded down the hallway, Lucifer glanced at the door, then back at the system hovering nearby. 

Lucifer looked at the door and looked back at the stunned system "Hey,"

Lucifer called, breaking the silence.

"Yes, Lord Host?" System 4858's voice trembled, still processing the exchange between the siblings.

Lucifer resumed packing his belongings, a smirk curling his lips. "People in this world sure are nice. Don't you think?"

System 4858 forced out an obedient reply. "Yes! Yes, of course." Inside, it could only pray that this tyrannical host wouldn't take things too far, as he always did.

The house was cloaked in the deep silence of midnight, only broken by the soft rustle of the wind against the windows.

Soon, Lucifer and Lu Fang moved like shadows down the hallway and out into the night. The creak of the front door and the rhythmic padding of their footsteps were masked by the steady breathing of the household, everyone lulled into a false sense of peace.

Even the guard at his post was hunched over, asleep and oblivious to their surrounding.

Lucifer's eyes glimmered with a predatory light as he spotted a lone figure standing beyond the gate. The figure's stance was casual, yet the sharp line of his silhouette hinted at a barely contained readiness.

Lu Fang, following close behind, frowned in confusion as she noticed the stranger.

"I didn't expect you to call me at this hour," Choa said, his voice smooth and rich, tinged with curiosity.

The moonlight glinted off his dark eyes as he cast a cool gaze at Lu Fang.

Lu Fang flinched at the coldness in his eyes, a shiver running down her spine. Her brows knitted in confusion as she met his piercing stare. 'Who is this guy?' she wondered.

The corners of Lucifer's lips twitched as if suppressing a laugh. He exhaled a sigh laced with amusement. "Sigh ~ she's my sister."

"Oh?" Choa's expression softened instantly, a smile spreading across his face. He stepped forward, taking the luggage from Lu Fang's hands with a fluid, practiced motion. "Hello, I'm Choa. Nice to meet you."

Lu Fang blinked, glancing down at her now-empty hands before casting an incredulous look at her brother, who was already settled in the back seat of the car. 'What in the world?' she thought, bemused by how smoothly everything was unfolding.

With a reluctant smile, she shook Choa's hand and climbed into the car, slipping into the seat beside Lucifer. The car's leather interior was cool, and the scent of night jasmine wafted in from the open window, adding a surreal touch to the moment.

Choa slid into the driver's seat and turned back to face them, his eyes softening as they met Lucifer's. "Where are we going?" he asked, a note of genuine curiosity in his voice.

He still wondered what had prompted this sudden midnight call but was content simply to be part of it.

Lucifer and Lu Fang exchanged a glance, a moment of silent communication that passed between them like a secret pact.

Then, Lu Fang's lips curled into a mischievous grin. "This is our first time running away from home, so we don't know."

Choa chuckled softly, the sound filling the car as he started the engine. The night swallowed them up as they drove off into the unknown, the headlights slicing through the dark like blades.

The car glided to a halt in front of the grand facade of the Raven Hotel, its towering silhouette cast long shadows under the pale glow of streetlights. 

Choa led Lucifer and Lu Fang through the lobby, where chandeliers glittered like constellations and the quiet hum of ambient music added a touch of sophistication to the midnight air.

The marble floor beneath their feet gleamed, reflecting their hurried steps as they moved toward the elevator.

Choa's eyes flickered to Lucifer, a silent longing within them, but he kept his expression neutral. The tension in his jaw relaxed as he gave a slight nod. "I'll leave you to settle in," he said, the unspoken words weighing heavily between them.

He wanted to stay, to spend time with Lucifer, but he knew this wasn't the moment.

His gaze lingered on Lucifer for just a second longer before he turned and left, the echo of his footsteps fading down the hallway.

The room itself was vast and elegantly designed, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a sweeping view of the city skyline.

Moonlight pooled into the space, casting silver patterns across the plush carpet and the minimalist furniture.

Lucifer strode in, his presence commanding, and without hesitation, he shrugged off his coat, letting it slip to the floor. The cool air from the room's ventilation touched his skin as he moved into the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the suite as he took a long, hot shower, letting the warmth seep into his muscles. Steam curled around him, misting the mirror and veiling the room in a soft haze.

 When he emerged, droplets glistened on his pale skin, his damp hair clinging to his neck.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked over to the bed, sinking into the plush mattress. His eyes, dark and unreadable, stared up at the ceiling as a wave of thoughts washed over him—mysterious, elusive.

Suddenly, a soft glow interrupted the darkness. The blue bracelet on his wrist pulsed with an ethereal light, and within moments, a small, serpentine form emerged.

The creature materialised into a tiny, pale blue snake, its scales shimmering like liquid sapphire.

!!?

System 4858's panda-like body jolted in shock, its round eyes widening in horror. It shivered, its fur standing on end as it rolled off the bed in a panic. 'Why is it awake now!?' it thought, its circuits buzzing with a mixture of dread and awe.

Lucifer chuckled, the sound low and rich, as he reached out with a delicate touch to stroke the snake's smooth, cool skin. "Ori, you are awake," he said, his voice softer than usual, an uncharacteristic fondness in his eyes. 

The snake's tiny, jewel-like eyes met his for a moment before it coiled itself around his waist in a graceful loop, resting its small head against his side.

Its body settled, and within seconds, it drifted back to sleep, its rhythmic breathing barely perceptible.

The room fell silent again, a deep, velvety stillness that wrapped around them like a shroud. Lucifer let out a soft sigh, the brief warmth he felt vanishing as quickly as it came. 

His gaze returned to the ceiling, unfocused. Since the moment he arrived in this world, there was an unsettling awareness gnawing at the edges of his mind, whispering that something was amiss with the very fabric of its reality. 

Since he came to this world he can feel something wrong with the world's rule but he wasn't interested in knowing it. 'Its none of his business. Well, as long as it doesn't bother me.

The system, now sprawled on the carpet, peered at Lucifer through narrowed eyes, its tiny, fuzzy form tense with residual anxiety. 

It watched as Lucifer's breathing deepened, signaling he was drifting off. A wave of unease rippled through the system's core.

It cast one last glance at the sleeping snake and murmured within the depths of its programming, 'If only the tyrant host stay calm all the time, sigh ~ miserable, too miserable'