Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin walked along the road, both unusually silent, a stark contrast to their usual playful banter.
It wasn’t because they were in danger—it was because someone else was following them.
A woman.
“Where exactly are you two going?” Qin Dingdong asked from behind them. “Ah Jin, you’re the honest one. Tell your sister where we’re headed.”
“Uh… we’re looking for someone,” Qiao Jiajin replied with a dry laugh.
“Who?”
“The Mole,” Qiao Jiajin answered.
“A Zodiac?” Qin Dingdong chuckled. “Human Rat or Earth Rat?”
“Earth Rat, pretty lady,” Qiao Jiajin replied while subtly pulling at Chen Junnan’s sleeve, clearly seeking help.
But Chen Junnan pretended not to notice, sidestepping as if dodging something.
“Dang it…” Qiao Jiajin couldn’t hold back anymore. He turned and whispered, “Junnan, you’re really too much. We’ve been through hell together, and now you’re leaving me alone to deal with this lady? Isn’t she your acquaintance?”
“Old Qiao… today’s different,” Chen Junnan said with a bitter smile. “I can take knives and bullets for you, but I can’t handle Sister Dong. Cover for me, will you?”
Seeing Chen Junnan so reluctant, Qiao Jiajin had no choice but to keep talking to Qin Dingdong.
But to him, this woman didn’t seem all that terrifying. She spoke politely and had a gentle tone. He couldn’t figure out why Chen Junnan was so afraid of her.
The three of them continued their awkward conversation until they finally arrived at the Earth Rat’s game site.
The Earth Rat was standing by the door, staring off into the distance, completely oblivious to their approach.
“Yo! What a coincidence!” Chen Junnan suddenly perked up, shouting, “If it isn’t the most introverted big rat in the entire Zodiac?!”
The Earth Rat snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Chen Junnan before replying, “If it isn’t Chen Junnan, ‘Beijing’s Number One Socially Awkward’?”
Hearing this title, Qin Dingdong rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into her skull.
Qiao Jiajin let out a dry laugh and stepped forward toward the Earth Rat.
Chen Junnan stood in front of the Earth Rat and glanced in the direction he had been staring. “What were you looking at just now? Some pretty girl passing by?”
The Earth Rat turned back to where he had been gazing, his expression slightly odd. “You flatter me, boss. I’m just a rat—admiring beauties is a bit too unrealistic for me. I think a lost soul just passed by.”
“A lost soul…?” Chen Junnan paused. “A female rat’s ghost? One that stole your gaze?”
The Earth Rat shook his head. “Not sure if it was a rat, but I got the feeling a colleague died.”
Chen Junnan finally noticed the seriousness in the Earth Rat’s tone and frowned. “Huh…? Seriously? You have ‘colleagues’?”
“Barely, boss,” the Earth Rat replied. “We share the same superior, so I suppose you could call us colleagues.”
Chen Junnan scratched his head. “So, another Zodiac? Got gambled to death?”
“I don’t know, boss,” the Earth Rat murmured. “I’m not even sure if he’s really dead. I hope it’s just my imagination. After all, in broad daylight… how could someone just… die?”
His voice trailed off, as if he had lost confidence in his own words.
“Ah…” Chen Junnan hesitated, unsure whether to feel relieved or troubled.
Though the deceased was a Zodiac—technically an enemy—seeing the Earth Rat’s expression made it impossible for him to feel any joy.
After all, every Zodiac here was once a living, breathing person. They had simply… changed.
There was no such thing as “growth.” People just died in the past, and from their corpses, a new shell emerged, declaring to the world that they had “grown up.”
We died in our youth, and we continue dying in adulthood.
Every “participant” and “Zodiac” here was the same.
“Hey… uh…” Chen Junnan patted the Earth Rat’s shoulder, trying to console him. “Don’t lose heart, big guy. At least you’re still alive, right?”
“Huh?” The Earth Rat raised an eyebrow.
“I mean—maybe that guy isn’t really dead?”
The Earth Rat nodded slowly. “Boss… I’ll take your word for it. I’ve lived with my colleagues for years—there’s always been this strange connection. I hope he wasn’t gambled to death… but if he wasn’t… then…”
“Look on the bright side,” Chen Junnan said. “Even if he did die… maybe he was freed. Isn’t that what you Zodiacs always say?”
The Earth Rat sighed deeply. “Boss, you don’t understand. I wish he had been freed sooner—or much later. Not after struggling for so many years, clinging to life like a dog, only to suddenly be ‘liberated.’ He suffered unnecessarily, and his freedom came at the wrong time. That’s what saddens me.”
Chen Junnan scratched his head and glanced at Qiao Jiajin, who also seemed affected by the Earth Rat’s sorrow.
This usually carefree Earth Rat now wore an expression of profound grief, leaving both of them at a loss.
“What’s with the melodrama?”
A woman’s voice suddenly cut in, startling them.
The Earth Rat slowly furrowed his brow. “And who might you be, boss?”
“I’m your sister,” Qin Dingdong replied. “Watching you three grown men mope around is beyond me.”
“I don’t need your understanding,” the Earth Rat said. “Just like if you dropped dead on the street one day, I wouldn’t bother wondering why you died so miserably.”
“Oh, it’d definitely be because this sister was too beautiful for this world. Your dull little rat brain wouldn’t get it.”
“You flatter yourself. Rats don’t admire corpses for their beauty—we eat them regardless.”
“Well, if you ever get to feast on a beauty like me, make sure not to brush your teeth for a week. Savor the charm stuck between them.”
The Earth Rat stared at Qin Dingdong for a long moment before finally cracking a faint smile.
“Thanks to you, I’m not sad anymore.” He straightened up and scanned the three of them. “So, what brings you esteemed guests here today? Is my humble abode worthy of your collective presence? Picking out graves for yourselves?”
“Now that’s the spirit!” Chen Junnan laughed. “That’s the Earth Rat we know. Only Sister Dong could pull that off.”
The Earth Rat shot Qin Dingdong an annoyed look before reverting to his usual cold expression. “If you have business, speak. If not, kindly drop dead.”
“Of course we have business,” Chen Junnan said. “Earth Rat, treat us to some fruit.”
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