Chapter 528: Delusion

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin took turns carrying Qi Xia back to the prison, and it was almost completely dark by the time they reached the entrance.

Standing guard at the gate today were Zhou Liu and Luo Shiyi. The moment they saw Qi Xia’s condition, they panicked.

Zhou Liu was the first to rush forward, checking Qi Xia’s state. “Tsk, what happened to this guy?”

“I really don’t know…” Chen Junnan panted as he lowered Qi Xia from his shoulder. “Come help us out—we’ve been carrying him for over three hours… We’re exhausted.”

Luo Shiyi quickly took Qi Xia and hoisted him onto his back. “I’ll get him to bed first… You guys should come in too. Rest well today—damn it, tomorrow’s the 「Pegasus Moment」.”

The group passed through the prison’s yard and office area before finally entering the cell block.

Although Qian Wu had assigned everyone their own cells, Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin insisted on checking Qi Xia’s condition first, refusing to leave until they were sure he was alright.

The young boy Zheng Yingxiong, whom they had met earlier, had been waiting in Qi Xia’s room the whole time. It seemed he hadn’t gone anywhere, just resting there.

After Zhou Liu sent a mental message, Qian Wu also arrived at the cell. Only after confirming with Qi Xia that he wasn’t injured did he finally relax.

“Are we really not going to give him a new body?” Qian Wu asked. “How could a perfectly healthy person just pass out on the street?”

“Probably not necessary…” Chen Junnan said uncertainly. “His body definitely isn’t hurt—his brain probably just shut down.”

“Brain shut down?” Qian Wu frowned at the phrasing. “I’d believe it if it were someone else, but this is Qi Xia we’re talking about.”

“Exactly because it’s Qi Xia that his brain would shut down,” Chen Junnan waved a hand dismissively. “Alright, spectators, visiting hours are over. Get out of here—the patient can’t breathe with all of you crowding around.”

After shooing away all the 「Cat」 team members, he and Qiao Jiajin finally sat down in the cell.

It was a double cell—one side had Qi Xia’s bed, while Zheng Yingxiong sat on the other.

Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan took seats on chairs between them.

“Hey, Junnan… has Trickster ever passed out before?”

“Before?”

“I mean… did he have any health issues before coming here?” Qiao Jiajin still felt uneasy. He’d known Qi Xia for a while now but had never seen him collapse from pain.

“Probably not?” Chen Junnan scratched his head. “You’re asking the wrong guy—I’m just as confused. He never even had headaches before. How would I know what’s happening now?”

As the two were at an impasse, a faint voice spoke up beside them.

“His scent has changed…”

Chen Junnan turned to see Zheng Yingxiong staring intently at Qi Xia on the bed, muttering to himself.

“Changed scent?!” Chen Junnan paled and immediately checked Qi Xia’s pulse. “Kid, don’t spout nonsense! He’s not dead—how could he already be rotting?”

“No…” Zheng Yingxiong shook his head. “His 「Echo」… it’s giving off an overwhelming stench…”

As soon as he finished speaking, a trickle of bright red blood dripped from his nose. “Can you smell it? When fragrance reaches a certain intensity… it transforms into something foul.”

“So he really is rotting…?” Chen Junnan stepped forward to wipe the blood from Zheng Yingxiong’s nose. “Kid, do you not feel pain? Your nose is bleeding—don’t you notice?”

Zheng Yingxiong casually wiped his nose with his sleeve, his young yet profound eyes fixed unblinkingly on Qi Xia. “Guess… what kind of dream he’s having…?”

“What… dream…?”

……

*Thud… thud…*

*Thud… thud…*

Qi Xia kept hearing noises in his ears, but his eyelids were unbearably heavy—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open them.

He felt incredibly relaxed… every pore in his body seemed to breathe freely, as if he hadn’t experienced such peace in years.

Why was this happening?

Qi Xia twitched his fingers and toes slightly, realizing he was lying down.

“…Why am I lying down?”

A sense of unease washed over him. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open—only to see a sweetly smiling face beside him.

“An…?”

“So you were home after all, Qi Xia!” Yu Nian’an bit her lip, then burst into soft laughter, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You were sleeping so deeply—I called you so many times, but you didn’t answer. I thought you weren’t here.”

“I…” Qi Xia’s eyes flickered uncertainly. “I’m home?”

He glanced around. This really was his shabby, run-down little home.

Bare walls, hardly any furniture—just a table and chairs, while he lay on the floor.

“If you’re not home, where else would you be?” Yu Nian’an reached out and touched his forehead. “Do you have a fever?”

Qi Xia stared at her intently before slowly sitting up. This was indeed his home… but why was he here?

“What do you want to eat today?” Yu Nian’an asked.

“Want to eat…?” Qi Xia was still disoriented. His mind felt different from usual.

Normally, his thoughts were endlessly racing, calculating countless things at once. But now… his mind was blank.

Seeing his dazed expression, Yu Nian’an burst into laughter. “Oh my! Xia, did you sleep yourself silly?”

Qi Xia’s gaze darkened. He felt an inexplicable sadness—but had no idea where it came from.

“An… guess what I want to eat right now.”

“How would I know?” Yu Nian’an tilted her head. “Am I a mind reader?”

“You… don’t know?” Qi Xia froze. “The thoughts in my heart… you can’t hear them?”

“If you keep this up, I’m going to get mad,” she pouted, turning away. “Fine, I’ll just cook whatever I want. No input from you.”

With that, she strode into the kitchen and started bustling about.

Watching her, Qi Xia rubbed his temples, feeling strangely off—but he couldn’t pinpoint why.

He turned to look outside. The streets reeked of decay.

A few zombie-like figures shuffled aimlessly, the stench wafting in through the window.

The sky was a blood-stained crimson, devoid of even a single cloud.

A massive, dirt-yellow sun hung directly in the center, its edges frayed with encroaching black tendrils.