Qi Xia used scrap wooden planks to make a simple tombstone for Sweetie, carving the name “Zhang Lijuan” into it.
If she had a choice, she probably wouldn’t have wanted to be “Sweetie.”
“Let’s go back.”
The three of them returned to the campus with complicated expressions, only to find Zhang Shan looking around.
“Done?” Zhang Shan walked toward Qi Xia. “Another teammate of yours has come back, though they look like they’ve been through hell. Go comfort them.”
“Alright.” Qi Xia nodded, but as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was off.
Someone else came back?
Who else was left?
Sweetie, Qiao Jiajin, and himself were already together. Lin Qin and Han Yimo had returned earlier.
Officer Li and Lawyer Zhang stayed behind at the human-dragon’s venue.
So who else?
“No way…” Qi Xia frowned slightly. “Both of them came back?”
“Yeah, seems like they suffered quite a bit, but they got the human-rabbit’s mask back,” Zhang Shan nodded. “At least it wasn’t all for nothing.”
“What the hell kind of joke is this…”
Qi Xia pushed past Zhang Shan and strode into the school building, with Qiao Jiajin and Yun Yao close behind.
The three of them arrived at the classroom where their team had been staying.
Inside, Dr. Zhao was trying to persuade Xiao Ran to take off her soaking wet clothes.
“Qi… Qi-ge?” Xiao Ran spotted Qi Xia immediately and hurriedly stripped down to her undergarments. “I’m changing—why’d you barge in?”
Qiao Jiajin turned his head away in exasperation.
Qi Xia stared coldly at Xiao Ran and Dr. Zhao, his mind racing with suspicion.
Wasn’t this just too strange?
Xiao Ran had clearly been tied up in a fish tank—her clothes were drenched—so why was she completely unharmed?
These two actually managed to solve the human-rabbit’s game and outwit her…?
Was someone lying?
“You… you’re fine?” Qi Xia asked.
“Qi-ge, were you worried about me?” Xiao Ran sauntered over in her undergarments, wrapping her arms around Qi Xia and rubbing her body against his arm. “How could I be fine? I was scared to death earlier.”
“Then why aren’t you dead?” Qi Xia asked coldly.
“Ugh, don’t even mention it…” Xiao Ran pouted. “Dr. Zhao refused to save me…”
“I really had no choice…” Dr. Zhao forced a dry laugh. “I was handcuffed—couldn’t move at all.”
“Qi-ge, that human-rabbit’s game was so weak,” Xiao Ran said, playing with her wet hair. “She trapped me in a huge fish tank, but the seal wasn’t strong enough. When the water was about to overflow, one side of the tank collapsed under the pressure, and I was saved.”
“Yeah…” Dr. Zhao nodded. “Once the side gave way, Xiao Ran could kick the key out with her foot. I unlocked the handcuffs and then helped her out.”
“Wha—” Qi Xia’s eyes widened slowly, a storm of curses swirling unspoken in his mind.
So the key to solving the human-rabbit’s game… was to *not* save someone?
“Dammit…” Qi Xia gritted his teeth.
How was that fair?!
What the hell kind of logic was that?!
This game *specifically killed good people*!
Officer Li died precisely because he was desperate to save Zhang Chenze.
If he had been even slightly more ruthless and waited until the water completely filled the tank, both of them would have survived.
But who would dare take that gamble?
Even if *he* would, Officer Li never would.
Based on what Qi Xia knew of him, if someone was in danger in front of him, he’d charge into hell itself to save them.
The human-rabbit was, after all, still *human*—her game should have been simple.
Just as she said, it was a straightforward escape game—so straightforward that there was no need to escape at all.
“Good people die young, while bastards live a thousand years,” Qi Xia muttered under his breath.
“What?” Xiao Ran blinked, as if she hadn’t heard correctly. “Qi-ge, what did you say?”
“Get lost.”
Qi Xia walked over and sat down, his expression dark with frustration.
Yeah, if Officer Li and Sweetie hadn’t been so eager to save others, they wouldn’t have ended up like this.
But was that really the right way to see things?
By the final days… what kind of monsters would be left standing here?
Were good people just supposed to be eliminated early, leaving behind nothing but scum to witness the end?
Xiao Ran, clearly offended, stormed up to Qi Xia. “Qi-ge, that’s crossing a line. Who are you calling a ‘bastard’?”
Qi Xia narrowed his eyes, his patience gone. Was this woman really picking a fight with him now?
“You didn’t hear me?” Qi Xia said icily. “Let me spell it out for you—I said *you’re* the bastard who lives a thousand years.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Xiao Ran sneered, crossing her arms. “I’ve been nice to you this whole time, and you actually think you’re something special?”
Qi Xia slowly rose from his chair, his expression murderous.
“Hey… Liar…” Qiao Jiajin stepped forward, whispering in his ear, “I know she’s awful, but hitting a woman…”
“And you!” Xiao Ran jabbed a finger at Qiao Jiajin. “Walking around with those tacky sleeve tattoos and that disgusting word on your back—who the hell do you think you are?”
Qiao Jiajin froze, then turned to face her fully.
Suddenly, he couldn’t remember who had ever said *not* to hit women.
Xiao Ran smirked. “Oh, and I heard—that whore is dead.”
“That… *whore*?”
Both Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin clenched their fists.
Xiao Ran laughed coldly. “Calling you ‘Qi-ge’ was me being *polite*. You led all these people out, not only failed to kill a Zodiac, but got that slut killed. So what exactly are you so proud of?”
Dr. Zhao hurriedly intervened. “Hey, Xiao Ran, enough. Everyone’s been through a lot.”
“Bullshit! What happened to all that bravado earlier?” Xiao Ran took another step forward, sneering. “Too scared to face the real challenges, so you two pushed that bitch forward to take the hit, didn’t you?”
“Xiao Ran, shut up!” Dr. Zhao’s voice sharpened.
“What?” Xiao Ran tilted her head defiantly. “Big tough men gonna hit a woman? Go ahead! Let everyone see Qi Xia beating up a woman! Come on, look at this!”
Qi Xia was trembling with rage.
Unlike Qiao Jiajin, he had no qualms about hitting a woman—right now, he just wanted to shut her up for good.
How dare this useless freeloader talk about Sweetie like that?
Seeing Qi Xia hesitate, Xiao Ran grew even bolder. “No backbone, so you take it out on women?”
“You’re *dead*!”
Just as Qi Xia was about to lunge at her, a tall figure darted past him.
She grabbed Xiao Ran by the hair and slammed her to the ground.
In one swift motion, she straddled Xiao Ran and delivered a vicious slap—
Then another.
And another.
Xiao Ran barely had time to react before the woman’s furious blows rained down on her.
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