Chapter 1: 1 The Blessing of 996
If someone had told Luo En a month ago that 996 was a blessing from the company,
as a hard-working bull and horse, he would have definitely responded with "Yes, yes, yes" while continuing to work overtime to meet deadlines. All the while, in his heart, he'd be engaging in some very "friendly" activities with the direct female relatives of his bald boss, wishing to add a few extra pages to their family registers.
However, at this moment, Luo En found that his "blessing" seemed to have truly arrived.
It's just that the process seemed a bit... sinister.
Inside the crib made of purplish-red wood, Luo En looked at his own plump little short hands, pressed his soft chest, and sighed helplessly.
Death from a sudden cardiac event due to arrhythmia was inevitable, a common killer of old corporate drones, and the nearby office buildings had not been spared its visitation either.
But Luo En had not expected this year's "performance" in the netherworld to land squarely on his head.
Damn it, couldn't you have held on for a few more days? My attendance-based year-end bonus!
Luo En, lying in the crib, clenched his fists full of resentment and felt incredibly bitter in his heart.
But then, as he looked around at the surroundings, the gloom that had plagued him for over a month was considerably lessened.
The grand and elegant white marble palace was surrounded by walls carved with exquisite patterns and dramatic bas-reliefs. The tables were adorned with crude pottery vases inlaid with large gems, while dishware was made of luxurious gold and silver, and even the crib was adorned with crystal wind chimes.
It seemed as a compensation for graduating early from his previous life, he had successfully transitioned from a laboring mule to a noble of Rome, born with a private seaside villa.
Luo En reached out his little short hand, grabbed the edge of the crib, stuck out his head, and looked out at the verdant lawn with his bright eyes.
A few maids in linen dresses were carefully surrounding a beautiful girl of the same age, treating her like the stars did the moon.
The girl's rosy complexion radiated the vitality of youth, her sparkling eyes brimmed with ingenuous zest, and her smooth neck and chest exuded allure. The white elegant bodice she wore could not hide her innate wildness.
Amid the anxious gazes of the maids, the striking girl ran barefoot over the grassy knoll. Sometimes, she sang folk songs in tune with the pleasing melody of an elderly shepherd's double-piped flute from the woods, other times, she danced by the perilous cliff, stretching her limbs out to the rolling waves crashing on the shore...
Nobody would guess that she was a young mother who had just given birth a month ago.
"Please slow down, Your Highness! Please, Your Highness..."
The maids' shouts, filled with trepidation, finally convinced the lovely princess to reluctantly partake in a safer post-natal recovery exercise, like walking leisurely in the garden.
For instance, they adorned each other's heads with crowns of ivy blossoms or, at the sound of the bellowing wide-horned bull from the pasture, they mimicked the sound back and forth with interest, bursting into giggles.
Looks like I've got a mother who knows how to make a fuss in this life.
Luo En, perched in his crib, muttered to himself and shifted his gaze around.
He was on a lush hillside near the sea to the west, where the blue waves undulated like large pieces of emerald. To the east was the city, where stone buildings of varying heights dotted the landscape, exuding a primitive charm. At the distant port, a few simple sailing boats were docked.
Clearly, the world Luo En found himself in was not the era he was familiar with.
Judging from the architectural style and environmental features, it seemed to be a society with ancient Greek influences.
Lucky to have been thrown into a good womb, he no longer had to labor like a beast. Otherwise, scraping by in a feudal era would have been a nightmare.
Whoosh—
The moist sea breeze blew open the refined curtains at the window, bringing with it the unique briny scent into the room.
"Hehe, my little lion has woken up."
A graceful figure approached with light steps, reached the crib, lifted the child gripping its edge, and held him gently in her arms. Pacing around the room, her face lost the girl's wildness and radiated the gentle warmth unique to a "mother."
The baby, fondled affectionately, struggled to poke its head out from the embrace of motherhood, his lively eyes revealing deep frustration.
Being born into good fortune was great, but what troubled him the most was the adult soul living inside his baby body.
Facing a "mother" who was younger than him in a previous life, Luo En couldn't help feeling a bit off.
Fortunately, the postpartum recovery just now consumed a lot of the mother's energy. The simple interaction between mother and child did not last long; Luo En was put back into the crib, and the beautiful princess sat by the window, lost in the sky as if expecting something.
Apparently, she was looking forward to something.
Boom!
Thunder crashed and gale-force winds swept across the sea, dense clouds gathered in the sky, and oppressive thunder rumbled from the low-hanging clouds; the entire hilltop darkened.
Is it going to rain?
Luo En in the crib yawned, feeling drowsy.
However, the princess by the window stood up excitedly, her amber eyes shining with joy. She quickly readjusted her makeup and hurriedly rushed toward the porch.
At the same time, a robust figure appeared at the door, smiling and opening his arms to embrace the girl running towards him.
The girl, with a blushed face, looked up and her beautiful eyes overflowed with adoration and delight.
"Kronides, sir, you've finally come!"
Oh, so that's what my cheapskate father's name is.
Luo En, eavesdropping from the edge of the cradle, looked towards the "father" he was seeing for the first time since his birth, furrowed his brows, and felt a strange inkling within.
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