Qiao Jiajin noticed a colorful Earth Rooster and a female Earth Pig sitting inside the room.
The two were gathered around a small round table, sipping coffee and seemingly discussing some love-hate drama among the “Zodiacs.”
The five of them stared at each other in awkward silence for a moment.
“Uh…” Qiao Jiajin chuckled sheepishly, breaking the tension first. “Are we interrupting something?”
The two didn’t respond, just staring blankly at them.
“Ah, sorry…” Qiao Jiajin scratched his head. “We’ll just find another room—”
“Hold it.” The Earth Rooster gave Chu Tianqiu and Qiao Jiajin a meaningful glance. “Since you’re already here, why not come in and chat?”
Chu Tianqiu frowned at that, exchanging uneasy looks with Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan—none of the three seemed particularly adept at handling this situation.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” the Earth Rooster asked. “You dare to rebel, but you won’t step into an ‘Earth-level’s’ room?”
“How’d you know we’re rebelling?” Qiao Jiajin blurted.
“Damn it! Stop confessing!” Zhang Shan quickly interjected.
“You barged into my sisters’ rooms on the ‘train,’ and you’re asking how I know?” The Earth Rooster sighed. “Just come in.”
Chu Tianqiu knew these two weren’t anything to fear—not just because Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan were with him, but also because he carried “Tian Xing Jian” on him. Since they seemed so tolerant of “rebels,” it saved them the trouble of finding another empty room.
The three exchanged glances before stepping inside. Just to be safe, Chu Tianqiu signaled Zhang Shan not to close the door.
The female Earth Pig glanced at the three, then smirked at the Earth Rooster. “You know them?”
“Know them?” The Earth Rooster raised an eyebrow. “Oh, right, I do. Let me introduce them.”
Under the trio’s bewildered gazes, the Earth Rooster pointed a feathered hand at Chu Tianqiu:
“This one’s called ‘The Sophisticated Hunk.'”
Then she gestured at Qiao Jiajin:
“This one’s ‘The Double-Door Hunk.'”
Finally, she pointed at Zhang Shan, pausing for a few seconds before declaring:
“And this one’s just ‘The Double-Door.'”
“Hey! Wait—” Zhang Shan scowled. “You got a problem with my face? Damn it, I thought you actually knew us!”
“Doesn’t matter whether I do or not,” the Earth Rooster laughed. “Even if we’ve met before, I’m a ‘Zodiac’ now. ‘Zodiacs’ can’t reveal their names, right… *Chu Tianqiu*?”
Chu Tianqiu smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Interesting. You’re a rebel too.”
The Earth Rooster remained expressionless, but the Earth Pig beside her jumped in surprise.
“Wait—Earth Rooster, you—”
“Keep it a secret.” The Earth Rooster winked. “Good sisters don’t cause trouble for each other.”
The Earth Pig reluctantly nodded, lifting her coffee to mask her unease.
Chu Tianqiu took a step forward. “Your people are busy hunting down ‘Celestials’ for ‘counter kills,’ yet here you are, leisurely gossiping?”
“‘Counter kills’…? Oh, right, I almost forgot.” The Earth Rooster nodded. “First, I don’t really feel like it. Second, I’m waiting for someone.”
From her tone, Chu Tianqiu sensed she also knew the “counter kill” narrative was false.
“Who are you waiting for?” he asked.
“The Great Sage Equal to Heaven.” The Earth Rooster grinned. “My destined one will come riding on a rainbow cloud to take me to slay the Celestial Monkey and Celestial Rooster.”
*Cough!* The Earth Pig choked on her coffee, droplets splashing onto her nose.
But the group had seen far too much to be fazed by a mere Earth Pig’s reaction.
“Let me try to translate that,” Chu Tianqiu said, amused. “You’re waiting for an Earth Monkey?”
“Exactly.” The Earth Rooster nodded. “Logically, there should be one in this rebel group, but I haven’t seen him yet. Feels like opening a mystery box—or blind dating without a photo.”
“Oh…” Qiao Jiajin scratched his head. “A rebel Earth Monkey… Could it be Fat Monkey…?”
“What?” The Earth Rooster perked up.
“Nothing…” Qiao Jiajin blinked. “Hey, pretty lady, I know the Earth Monkey you’re talking about. We’ve met—I even played his game.”
“Wait, what?!” The Earth Rooster’s eyes lit up. “What’s he like? Handsome?”
“Well…” Qiao Jiajin rubbed his chin. “Looks like a real boss—super manly.”
“Wow!”
The Earth Rooster gasped, imagining someone so rugged even Qiao Jiajin approved. Wasn’t the ultimate “Monkey” boss the Great Sage himself?
Just then, a shout came from outside:
“Hey! What the hell?!”
Qiao Jiajin turned—speak of the devil—and there stood the Earth Monkey, panting as he leaned against the doorframe.
“…I was just thinking the arm tattoos looked familiar from behind, but the build’s different. Didn’t expect it to actually be you…”
“Fat Monkey!” Qiao Jiajin grabbed him. “Perfect timing—we were just talking about you!”
“Hold—wait—” The Earth Monkey waved weakly, still catching his breath. “No time to chat, I gotta find something… But seeing familiar faces helps, so I’ll just—”
“Stop searching! Someone’s looking for you!” Qiao Jiajin yanked him inside, grinning at the Earth Rooster. “See? Pretty lady, your man’s here!”
The Earth Rooster’s elegant smile froze as she took in the overweight, scruffy, middle-aged Earth Monkey.
A vein pulsed on her forehead as she suppressed her rage, forcing a sweet voice. “You said… he looks like a *boss*?”
“Yeah.” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Ever seen a triad boss? I’ve met two—both like this. Super authoritative, super tough.”
“Right… right…” She kept smiling. “And ‘manly’…?”
Qiao Jiajin gestured. “Beer belly, stubble, messy hair, wrinkled clothes—my buddy Nine said that’s peak masculinity.”
*Pfft—* The Earth Pig couldn’t hold back anymore, shaking with silent laughter.
The rollercoaster of gossip in just a few minutes had made her spray coffee everywhere. She wouldn’t run out of tea to spill with her sisters for a month.
“AAAAAH!” The Earth Rooster screamed. “WHY?! WHY?!”
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