Canned Souls 9

The next time she visited Reincarnation, the owner Zhu En winked at her. "You two are pretty famous now, you know."

Yan Xianchuan didn't care much, just said, "Oh," and pointed at the Storm Rainbow on the menu. "Is this one any good?"

Zhu En hesitated. "I think it tastes fine."

"Then I'll have something else," Yan Xianchuan said. If the owner liked it, she suspected there wasn't a drink in the world that Zhu En wouldn't drink.

"You're the boss," Zhu En shrugged, mixing a drink. "Lately, a lot of people have been asking about you two, wanting to hire you. One job pays really well."

She leaned in and lowered her voice. "It's from that crazy cult."

"Honestly, you should come up with a fake name."

"No need. I'm not interested in that kind of thing," Yan Xianchuan said coolly.

She wasn't a professional bounty hunter, and many of those jobs were shady—usually one criminal screwing over another, which didn't sit right with her.

Yan Xianchuan: I'm a law-abiding good person; how could I do bad things?

Once Zhu En understood her stance, she turned down every inquiry one by one.

Yan Xianchuan left Reincarnation and, instead of going home, stopped by a dessert shop. She bought an eight-inch cake and knocked on Tan Yiyuan's door.

The last time she'd visited, the living room had been bare, furniture packed up like they were about to move. Now, the change was immediate.

The table was covered with a dark blue tablecloth, a pot of plastic flowers sat on the coffee table, and the sofa had cushions. A few simple touches, but the place suddenly felt lived-in.

Tan Yiyuan was cooking in the kitchen. When he heard Gu Shuang talking, he leaned out, spatula in hand, and greeted warmly, "Come in, have a seat! Dinner's almost ready!"

Yan Xianchuan set the cake on the table and glanced at Tan Xiaoxiao, who was eyeing it. "I brought this to celebrate. Now or after the meal?"

The box wasn't large, but printed on it was a crowned fork—the logo of Xuelisu Desserts.

It was pricey, not astronomically so by some standards, but the kind of thing you'd never normally buy.

A little eight-inch cake like that cost over three thousand credits.

Gu Shuang had eaten such things before. Born an omega into a middle-class family, she'd never found Xuelisu's desserts expensive. In the past, the concept of "expensive" simply didn't exist for her.

Whatever she needed, her family provided, and the man she was to marry—a professor at a military academy in his forties—was generous, often showering her with luxury goods.

It was only after Gu Shuang ran away from home that she gradually understood what credits were truly worth.

And after Tan Xiaoxiao was born, she'd never once bought anything from that brand again.

She didn't consider her life hard. Compared to the lack of freedom—both mental and physical—she cherished what she had now.

Gu Shuang was about to refuse politely, but then remembered that the person in front of her preferred directness, and that, in Yan Xianchuan's eyes, this cake was nothing special.

She'd noticed Yan Xianchuan had a sweet tooth; maybe she'd picked it up on a whim.

"This..." Gu Shuang swallowed her polite refusal and broke into a delighted smile. "Thank you so much, Miss Yan. Xiaoxiao will be over the moon."

"Give him a cherry," Yan Xianchuan said, pulling off the ribbon. "He looks like he's about to drool."

She was in a good mood, seeing everything through generous eyes—even the plastic flowers on the coffee table earned a compliment for their bright colors and realistic shape.

Besides, she didn't hate children, though she couldn't say she liked them either.

Anyway, she was happy today.

The dark red cherries looked like round, glossy gems, the syrup giving them a sheen, the soft white cream like a slice of cloud.

Tan Xiaoxiao carefully pinched a cherry stem, licked it, and beamed. He couldn't speak, but his joy was plain for anyone to see.

Tan Yiyuan came over with two plates and a wide smile, set them down, then went back for the rest. Gu Shuang helped with the utensils.

The small square table was soon laden with food. Tan Yiyuan, as if showing off a prize, produced a bottle of liquor. "I came across this lost package by chance. The addressee was some high-ranking corporate exec—those rich folks only buy the best."

"I looked it up: this bottle costs over ten thousand! I'd been saving it, but today's the day. Couldn't ask for a better reason to crack it open."

He twisted off the cap and poured the honey-gold liquid into plain transparent glasses. "I've said thank you more times than I can count, but I don't know how else to show my gratitude. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"If there's ever anything you need, I won't say no!"

Tan Yiyuan said it loudly and solemnly, like a joke fueled by drink, but he meant every word.

Without Yan Xianchuan, he could never have stood up to the Black Claw Gang alone. He could run, but for how long? One misstep and his whole family would fall apart.

He could also try to wait for Gasco to forget someone like him existed, but could he last that long?

If he were caught and killed, Gu Shuang would be left alone with their child, and she couldn't even lead a stable life for a week.

She'd have to work outside the home; if anyone discovered she was an omega, she'd be taken immediately. An unpaired O of suitable age, reported to the government, would fetch a tidy sum of credits.

And then what would happen to the child?

These problems, these images, weighed on Tan Yiyuan's back constantly, suffocating him.

To put it dramatically, Yan Xianchuan had given him a new life, a way forward for his entire family.

Yan Xianchuan herself didn't set much store by the promise. Not because she doubted his sincerity, but because she didn't anticipate ever needing his help.

In the past, she might have said bluntly, "I don't need your help," or given him the cold shoulder.

But she was in a good mood today, so she nodded and replied, "Alright."

Tan Yiyuan's cooking was surprisingly good, on par with the restaurants Yan Xianchuan had been frequenting lately.

After dinner, everyone shared the cake. Gu Shuang coaxed Tan Xiaoxiao to bed, and under the soft lamplight, Yan Xianchuan asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

Tan Yiyuan smiled, looking relaxed. "Same as always—pick up some jobs, save up some credits, move somewhere new. Then I'll rent a shop—I know someone who can get me a repair license."

"Once those are settled, I can apply to upgrade our citizen tier."

He muttered as if to himself, "This is the life I've imagined countless times."

"Good," Yan Xianchuan said. "It'll work out."

"Thanks," Tan Yiyuan said.

* * *

The next day, Yan Xianchuan slept in and only saw a message from Lu Mingqiu when she woke up.

【Sorry to bother you. Do you have time? I got asked to film a variety show, and I might need your help.】

Yan Xianchuan lounged lazily for a while before replying: 【What kind of show?】

The response came instantly: 【It's a dating variety show, wilderness survival theme, but the process is simple—not real wilderness survival.】

A file followed. Yan Xianchuan skimmed it: guest lineup, show format, location.

Six people: one married couple and four singles. The filming site was a small island near Nanjin City, reportedly privately owned by Director Berg's friend, who lent it to them for free.

Among the four singles, one was Dordona, a new-gen singer-songwriter with a pampered nature; one was A Qi, an actor marketed with a shy, first-love image; one was An Ning, a currently popular idol known for her energy and helpfulness; and one was Xie Chuxiao, an actor and Best Actor winner—the other alpha besides Yan Xianchuan.

He was also the only A to make it in the entertainment industry.

Though physical differences between genders had been nearly erased, some social norms persisted—like the idea that As should do practical, steady work, using brawn or brain for wealth and status, while film, music, and creative fields were mostly dominated by Os, who were thought to be more sensitive and empathetic.

Xie Chuxiao, despite being an alpha, was only rated B-grade. But he was articulate—in one interview, a reporter asked why he became an actor.

He answered, "In this society that champions freedom, everyone should embrace their true nature. I'm an alpha too, but I've been fascinated with acting since childhood."

"In different roles, I live different lives, tell different stories, and share those emotions with the audience—it's something I genuinely love and am good at."

"I still remember when my first film, Winter Crabapple, came out. I was just a supporting character who died to repay the heroine's kindness. No one knew, but I also went to the premiere. When I saw an audience member cry because of 'Chang Shi's' death, the gratitude and joy I felt were beyond words."

"I'll never forget that day—that's why I act. Because I love it, because I'm good at it, because the audience appreciates it."

"Hypocrite." Yan Xianchuan finished the video and scrolled down to see the relationships between the guests.

A Qi and Xie Chuxiao had been rumored to be involved, and it was true, though they had since broken up. Dordona's father was a vassal of the Bolov Family, and he was also An Ning's betrothed—she'd marry him next year as his third wife. A Qi grew up with Dordona and was her friend.

—This information was disturbingly detailed.

The shoot was to last a week, with two days of rest in between.

【Fine.】

Yan Xianchuan agreed without much thought—it was part of their arrangement, and she was a little curious about the whole thing.

She'd never been on a variety show, or more accurately, everything she'd done from birth to death and back again had nothing to do with the entertainment industry.

One of the deadliest dungeon types—cinemas—she'd never even stepped foot in one.

It was as if Yan Xianchuan were completely cut off from entertainment.

Lu Mingqiu: 【Do you have time today? I can send an assistant to pick you up, if that's okay?】