“Huh? Playing the hero?” Qiao Jiajin looked at Chen Junnan in confusion.
“Don’t your hometown movies always pull this crap?” Chen Junnan wiped his nose with a smirk. “Girl finds out she’s terminally ill, breaks up with the guy. Guy knows danger’s coming, so he picks fights with his buddies on purpose.”
“Yeah, I know that one,” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Super cliché. Prime-time dramas milk it dry.”
“Right? So damn tacky,” Chen Junnan chimed in.
“Stop twisting things,” Qi Xia cut in sharply. “You know I’m not that kind of person. When I say something, it’s backed by clear logic and precise judgment.”
Chen Junnan nodded. “Well, this young master here relies on sharp intuition and zero judgment.”
Qiao Jiajin chuckled. “And I just use my fists and don’t think at all.”
Qi Xia gave them both a resigned look. “I’m being serious here.”
“Who says I’m not?”
Qi Xia could only shake his head, at a loss for words.
“Old Qi, me and Old Qiao have traits you lack,” Chen Junnan said. “That’s why I think you still need us. You rely on cold logic for everything, but I go by gut feeling.”
“‘Gut feeling’ sounds like a reliable method to you?” Qi Xia frowned.
“Yep, unreliable,” Chen Junnan admitted. “But it’s still a method. I don’t care about odds—just my instincts. Same goes for judging people.”
“How so?”
“Inside or outside this place, I pick friends by ‘gut feeling,’” Chen Junnan explained. “Ninety-nine percent of people? I don’t even need to talk to them. One look, and I know if we’re on the same wavelength. Crude? Maybe. But it works like a charm for me.”
Qi Xia sighed. “That’s the most absurd logic I’ve ever heard.”
“And Old Qiao doesn’t even need intuition,” Chen Junnan added. “He’s like a machete—once he picks someone, he’ll back them to the end, even if they’re scum. You really think reasoning with him will work?”
Qiao Jiajin patted Chen Junnan’s shoulder. “Hey, handsome, you’re making me sound like an idiot.”
“Ah, Old Qiao, don’t overthink it!” Chen Junnan slung an arm around him. “What do you mean ‘sound like’?”
“Oh, got it.” Qiao Jiajin nodded repeatedly.
Qi Xia glanced at them again, feeling another wave of helplessness.
Maybe Chen Junnan was right. Not everyone in this world operated on “logic.” Some relied on “instinct” and “conviction” instead.
Chen Junnan tossed a piece of scrap wood into the fire, sending sparks flying and briefly illuminating the flickering room.
“At this point,” Chen Junnan said, his tone turning serious as he met Qi Xia’s gaze, “even if we split ways here, where else could we go? If either you or Chu Tianqiu plans to fight ‘Tianlong,’ it’ll mean a total reshuffle. There’s no safe place for us.”
“That’s a narrow view,” Qi Xia countered. “If you’re just ‘accomplices,’ you might survive the reshuffle—lose your memories again. But if you stand by me as allies, we could all be wiped out. Then there’d be no hope left.”
Chen Junnan swallowed hard. “Just how pissed are you planning to make ‘Tianlong’?”
“Not just ‘Tianlong,’” Qi Xia said, then hesitated, rubbing his chin.
He bit back the other name.
After all, “Qinglong” was the ears of this entire “Land of the End.” His name wasn’t safe to mention here.
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin seemed to catch on, nodding silently.
“Something felt off earlier,” Chen Junnan muttered with a grin. “You should rephrase it—it’s not that we’re useless, but our ‘Echoes’ are, right?”
Qi Xia’s brow furrowed. “Exactly.”
“So as long as we don’t take bullets for you,” Chen Junnan smirked, “you’re on your own, huh? Tough luck, buddy.”
Realizing he couldn’t persuade them, Qi Xia shook his head and fell silent. He dragged a chair to the window, watching the darkening sky outside.
After exchanging glances, Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin got up and pushed a few tables together, forming a makeshift bed.
“Old Qi, still sleeping sitting up?”
The question made Qi Xia stroke his chin thoughtfully.
Sitting up?
If “Qinglong” was telling the truth—that “Tianlong” had fallen into his trap, expending immense “conviction” and needing extra time to recover—then tonight should be safe.
On paper, this might be the only night in years where they could truly rest easy.
If anyone else had delivered that news, Qi Xia might’ve believed it.
But coming from “Qinglong”? He didn’t trust a single word.
“Yeah, I’ll sit. You two get some rest.”
They nodded and didn’t press further.
The night grew still. The three of them lingered in their respective corners, lost in thought, with only the occasional crackle of the fire breaking the silence.
—
Zheng Yingxiong knocked on the classroom door. The girls inside looked up.
“Little Hero,” Tian Tian walked over with a smile. “What’s up?”
“Big sis, are you all going out to search for people tomorrow?” Zheng Yingxiong asked.
Tian Tian glanced back at Yun Yao, then nodded. “Yeah, this place is huge. More people means better chances. We’re teaming up.”
“Can I come?”
“You want to join us?” Yun Yao and Lawyer Zhang exchanged looks. They didn’t know much about this kid or his motives.
“Yeah, I wanna look around,” Zheng Yingxiong said, lips pressed tight as if holding something back.
Tian Tian ruffled his hair. “I thought you’d stick with Qi Xia.”
“He’s just one of my targets,” Zheng Yingxiong replied. “There’s someone else I need to find… but with the city this big, I don’t know where to start. Just gotta try my luck.”
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