The Village Girl Who Jinxes Her Husband Is Filthy Rich Chapter 2 - Betrayal and Self-destruction

“Brother Yuan, Xinlan is groaning in agony. Do you think she will be alright?” a sugary, coquettish voice inquired. Deep down, however, she felt nothing but smug pride, thrill, and delight. She mused to herself, ‘Hmph, Lin Xinlan, finally, I no longer have to depend on your pity to survive. Now, I shall take your Brother Yuan away from you and leave you to endure the torment of being carved to shreds! This is the only repayment you get for looking after me for the past five years!’ The man addressed as Brother Yuan remarked with brutal indifference, “Had she simply relinquished her space, she would never have had to face this suffering. She brought this disaster upon herself by keeping it from us. To think she would deceive her own boyfriend and her best friend. She lied, claiming her food supplies were gathered from her missions, when in reality they came from her space. Does she take us for fools? If not to uncover the truth about her secret, do you truly believe I would have remained with her for five years?” The girl chimed in, “Brother Yuan, so that is why you asked me to wait. I have remained faithful to you for six years!” Wrapping his arms around the petite silhouette, Brother Yuan spoke with simulated remorse, “Ying ‘Er, forgive me. I intended to break things off with Lin Xinlan six years ago, but none of us could have foreseen the collapse of the world. Since neither of us had awakened our abilities, we desperately needed her protection.” “You know as well as I do that we would have long since starved if not for Lin Xinlan’s shielding. You simply must understand the position I was in.” The girl let out a soft sob, “Brother Yuan, I don’t begrudge you. In fact, I pity you for having to tolerate that woman for six long years. She was always suspicious of you. If she had only shared the space sooner, would we have been sneered at as parasites in this base? This is entirely her own doing.” Both of them cast all the blame onto Lin Xinlan. “Exactly, it is all her fault. If she had been straightforward with us, we wouldn’t be the subjects of such ridicule,” Brother Yuan agreed. His tone suddenly shifted to one of vengeful anticipation, “But at least it is finally over. I reached a pact with the research institute once they confirmed her capabilities. We needn't worry about basic needs once she is handed over to them. They have even promised to appoint me as a team leader.” Ying ‘Er was visibly ecstatic. “Brother Yuan, this is glorious! We will have access to all the food and supplies we need. And with you as a squad leader, no one in the base will ever dare to look down on us again!” The pair arrived at the research institute that day to gloat in front of Lin Xinlan, intentionally dropping those words to ensure she knew their lives would thrive long after she was gone. ‘Yuan Mingkai, Qu Ying, you heartless monsters! How could you be this depraved? You drugged me and bartered me off to the research institute just for a measly month of rations?!’ Lin Xinlan had pieced this truth together from the deranged doctor. Lin Xinlan possessed a nature-based power, which was not altogether uncommon. However, her true rarity lay in her dual-elemental nature: her second gift was a dimensional space, a storage realm capable of nurturing living things. What was the most precious commodity in the apocalypse? Food. People would gladly slaughter their own family for a single mouthful. Yet, she never imagined that the boyfriend and best friend she had risked everything to protect would eventually betray her. It all stemmed from their discovery of her power. They began harboring sinister greed, attempting to pry her secrets from her. She, aiming to protect them, had remained vague, knowing that the more they knew, the more peril they would face. Who would have guessed that Yuan Mingkai and Qu Ying were already betraying her behind her back long before the apocalypse? Because they hadn't awakened, they had clung to her for protection, putting on an act. Meanwhile, they had been secretly plotting to seize her power for themselves. Failing in that, they struck a deal with the institute. The researchers promised them a life of luxury in exchange for handing over Lin Xinlan, with the added incentive of a promotion for Yuan Mingkai. The two agreed without a second thought. Little did Yuan Mingkai and Qu Ying realize, the institute only intended to subsidize their comfort for a single month. Yuan’s promotion was merely a ruse to remove him from the picture. He was an ordinary person, and once he left the protective confines of the base… the outcome was all too predictable. “Haha. Yuan Mingkai, you pathetic wretches. Without my protection, the people in this base will crush you like bugs. Haha, I will be waiting for you in the depths of hell!” Tied to the operating table by silver chains, Lin Xinlan began to laugh with wild, unhinged joy. “Doctor, watch out! The subject is attempting to self-destruct!” the masked man shouted, suddenly sensing the violent distortion of air within the small chamber. “Impossible!” Dr. Lu scoffed. “Lin Xinlan’s spiritual power has been completely neutralized by the drugs. How could she possibly do this?” Lost in his own delusions of grandeur, Lu Lin failed to notice the danger. He continued to study a sample of Lin Xinlan’s blood, spotting a drop that shimmered with an unusual hue. He clutched it with both hands, cackling with glee. “Haha… I found it. Success! Once I inject this into my system, I will manifest the same power.” “With this gift, I shall reign over this post-apocalyptic wasteland! Haha…” The masked assistant watched the insane professor with mounting dread. The air in the room grew heavy and unstable. He tugged frantically at Professor Lu, trembling, “Professor, it seems the subject, Lin Xinlan, is genuinely triggering a self-destruct. We must flee at once!” But before he could haul him away, a piercing, hate-filled scream echoed through the lab. Bang! A devastating explosion erupted from the base's research chamber!