Qi Xia, Chen Junnan, and Qiao Jiajin once again set off toward the edge of the city under the afternoon sun.
Chen Junnan looked at the group in front of him and felt that this was probably the first time in Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin’s memories that the three of them had acted alone. But little did they know, in his own memory, the three of them had already walked down this street dozens of times.
The withered plants, cracked earth, dilapidated houses, creaking signs, and the faint scent of decay carried by the occasional breeze—none of it had ever felt so familiar to Chen Junnan before.
“Old Qi, Old Qiao,” Chen Junnan said with a grin, looking up at the sun in the sky, “You know what… I was downright heroic today.”
Qiao Jiajin immediately perked up with interest. “Oh? What did you do, handsome?”
“I totally outsmarted a rabbit today,” Chen Junnan continued, still grinning. “Even I thought I might die, but somehow, I’m still alive.”
Qi Xia frowned and muttered coldly, “Don’t say such ominous things.”
“Old Qi, you don’t get it…” Chen Junnan shook his head. “Every damn time, I want to tell you about all the heroic stuff I pull off in the games. But every time I actually see you, I remember that you’re way more badass than me.”
Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin walked to the center of the street, moving a rusted, fallen streetlamp blocking their way to the side before turning back to look at Chen Junnan.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Compared to you two freaks, I really have to give it my all just to barely keep up…” Chen Junnan’s hearty laughter carried a hint of melancholy. “You wouldn’t just ditch me one day, right? I mean, I don’t wanna leave, but I also don’t wanna get kicked out by you two. There’s a difference, you know?”
His words made Qi Xia feel a little uneasy.
“Chen Junnan…” Qi Xia frowned. “Do you keep throwing yourself headfirst against the ‘Zodiacs’ just to prove that you’re on the same level as us?”
“What else?” Chen Junnan’s gaze shifted from the sun overhead as he lowered his head to look at Qi Xia. His messy bangs slightly obscured his eyes, making his expression hard to read. “One of you solves everything with brains, the other smashes through everything with fists… Standing next to you two, you know what I feel like?”
Neither of them spoke, silently waiting for him to continue.
“I feel like a kid trying to get your attention,” Chen Junnan said with a wry grin. “I keep wanting to do something so impressive that you’d actually look at me—using my not-so-strong body, my not-so-clever mind, and my ‘Scapegoat’ ability… I keep risking my life against them just to prove that I can do it too…”
“Ah, handsome, come on…” Qiao Jiajin looked at Chen Junnan with concern. “You’re not exactly weak. If we’re talking about fighting…”
“Yeah, I know,” Chen Junnan nodded. “Probably takes seven or eight of me to take down one of you.”
“Don’t compare yourself to me…” Qiao Jiajin tried to comfort him but felt like he was fumbling for words. After a long pause, he managed, “M-maybe just five or six…”
Chen Junnan chuckled and sighed. “So… Old Qi, Old Qiao, if one day I can’t keep up with you guys anymore, you can just…”
Seeing Chen Junnan on the verge of making himself cry, Qi Xia could only frown and say, “Stop being so melodramatic.”
“Huh?” Chen Junnan was caught off guard, his next words stuck in his throat.
“What you’ve done before was anything but childish,” Qi Xia shook his head. “But what you’re saying now sounds exactly like a kid.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Old Qi?” Chen Junnan shoved Qi Xia impatiently. “This is the one time in my life I’m being sentimental, and you just ruin it?”
“There’s no need,” Qi Xia said. “If you really knew me, you’d know what kind of person I am. I don’t care if the people around me are ‘qualified to stand by my side.’ I only care if they’re sincere with me. I rarely rely on others to get things done.”
“You…”
“Even if the people beside me were old folks, kids, or even unlucky souls without any ‘Echoes,’ I wouldn’t be heartless enough to abandon them whenever,” Qi Xia turned away, his voice cold as he added, “And you’re none of those things.”
“Well, well!” Chen Junnan instantly brightened. “Since when did you get so smooth-talking, Old Qi? Picking up my bad habits?”
“Don’t flatter me,” Qi Xia continued walking, his tone indifferent. “A grown man standing in the middle of the road getting emotional—that’s not something I’d ever learn.”
“You bastard!” Chen Junnan wanted to curse at him but didn’t know where to start.
“Instead of wasting time on that,” Qi Xia changed the subject, “why don’t you tell me about this ‘Wei Yang’ you mentioned… What kind of person is he?”
“Old Wei…” Chen Junnan mused as he walked. “I’ve only interacted with him a few times. He’s a rough, unfriendly guy—hard to approach, and not worth the effort. He used to be one of your top fighters, but he wasn’t exactly trustworthy. You kicked him out of the team a long time ago.”
“I kicked him out?” Qi Xia confirmed.
“Yep,” Chen Junnan nodded. “Old Wei’s got a terrible temper and never tells the truth. Even before he came to ‘Terminal Land,’ he was a notorious con artist.”
“Wait a second…” Qi Xia paused. “Another con artist?”
“Yeah…” Chen Junnan was about to agree when he suddenly realized something odd about Qi Xia’s words. “Hold on—Old Qi, what do you mean ‘another con artist’? Are con artists that common around here?”
“Hm…?” Qi Xia also found Chen Junnan’s question strange.
“Con artist?” Qiao Jiajin chuckled. “No way, that’s wild. Wasn’t Cheater here a con artist before he came? What’s up with this place? Full of con artists.”
Though Qiao Jiajin was rambling to himself, Qi Xia’s gaze never left Chen Junnan. Seeing the conflicted look on Chen Junnan’s face, he seemed to realize something deeply unsettling.
Chen Junnan turned his head, staring at Qi Xia with utmost seriousness, as if trying to confirm whether this was really the person he knew. His eyes burned with barely suppressed confusion—as if even his own memories were being called into question.
After a long silence, he finally managed to utter a single sentence:
“Old Qi… Since when the hell were you a con artist?”
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