According to Lao Lü, he teamed up with Yun Yao today to tackle a human-level game.
While passing by the “Human Rabbit’s” game area, Yun Yao froze.
She clearly remembered this spot—it was said someone had gambled their life and killed the rabbit here yesterday.
Yet, the “Zodiac” stood plainly at the entrance of the building as if nothing had happened.
“What’s going on?” Yun Yao was baffled. “How could a ‘Zodiac’ that died in a gamble come back to life?”
Lao Lü and she approached to inquire about the Human Rabbit’s game. The rabbit’s voice was gratingly unpleasant.
From the Human Rabbit’s description, Yun Yao realized the game rules hadn’t changed—everything matched what she’d heard—except the “Zodiac” had revived.
Lao Lü said he didn’t understand why Yun Yao was so shocked. Those were just murderous lunatics, and whether they lived or died, it was best to avoid them. But Yun Yao seemed bewitched, refusing to leave.
“And then?” Chu Tianqiu asked.
“Then she insisted on participating in that game…” Lao Lü said nervously. “But from what I saw, there was no way out of it!”
“What?” Qi Xia frowned. “You mean she stayed behind?”
“Yeah…” Lao Lü nodded. “I was tied up in a fish tank, but I escaped… She couldn’t, though!”
Qi Xia pondered for a moment and asked, “Was she handcuffed to the side?”
“Exactly!”
“Where was the handcuff key?” Qi Xia pressed.
“That’s the problem!” Lao Lü was nearly in tears. “There was no key in the room! Yun Yao’s luck was incredible—she kept throwing sticks to smash the tank, and each time, the stick bounced back to her. She shattered the tank through sheer persistence… I could escape, but she couldn’t!”
“Huh?” Qi Xia’s brows knitted tightly. The whole thing sounded bizarre no matter how he looked at it. “And the ‘Zodiac’ just let you go?”
“Yeah!” Lao Lü nodded. “The ‘Zodiac’ said since I escaped, I could leave… But what about Yun Yao?!”
Before Qi Xia could ask more, Chu Tianqiu spoke calmly, “I understand. Go rest for now.”
“R… rest?” Lao Lü was stunned. “What do you mean? You’re not saving her?”
“I’ll handle it.” Chu Tianqiu patted Lao Lü’s shoulder. “Go back; leave the rest to me.”
Lao Lü eyed Chu Tianqiu suspiciously, then glanced at Qi Xia. “Don’t think you can just abandon her because you’re smart.”
“Don’t worry,” Chu Tianqiu smiled gracefully. “Yun Yao is one of us. We’ll do our best.”
Still doubtful, Lao Lü nodded hesitantly, scrutinized Chu Tianqiu one last time, and left the classroom.
“Qi Xia…” Chu Tianqiu said, “There’s something I’ve kept from you.”
“What?”
“Yesterday morning, the ‘Human Rabbit’ mask your teammate brought back was stolen,” Chu Tianqiu admitted.
Qi Xia instantly felt a surge of anger.
“Xu Liunian, you’re really not cut out to be a leader,” Qi Xia said bluntly. “You withhold what needs to be said and blabber the rest.”
Why was Yun Yao so determined to investigate the Human Rabbit’s game?
Why was she acting like she was possessed?
It was all because she had inherited the false ideals of “Paradise Gate.”
She truly wanted to gamble and kill all the “Zodiacs.” But now, seeing one resurrect before her, her entire belief system was on the verge of collapse unless she figured it out.
Qi Xia turned to leave.
“Where are you going?!” Chu Tianqiu demanded.
“To save her.”
“Unnecessary!” Chu Tianqiu snapped. “You should know—that Human Rabbit is an imposter from our ranks. Someone likely did this out of spite for Yun Yao. How do you plan to resolve personal grudges? Even if you bring both back, the issue won’t be solved.”
Qi Xia paused slightly and glanced back. “Xu Liunian, if you don’t want Yun Yao, I do. Even if lives are just ‘pieces’ in this game, you can’t move them recklessly.”
He pushed the door open and left, leaving Chu Tianqiu standing alone.
“Saying I’m unfit to lead…?” Chu Tianqiu’s eyes darkened. “These orders came from Chu Tianqiu himself…”
A thought swirled in Xu Liunian’s mind.
Had Chu Tianqiu made a mistake?
If they disregarded their teammates’ lives like this… could they really escape?
In the hallway, Qi Xia ran into Lao Lü pacing anxiously.
“Lao Lü, come with me,” Qi Xia called.
“Huh?” Lao Lü jogged over. “Kid Qi, you’ve got a plan?”
“Yeah. We’re going to save her.”
As they spoke, Qi Xia led them to the infirmary classroom. He pushed the door open and scanned the room. “Dr. Zhao, are they stable?”
“Mostly,” Dr. Zhao wiped sweat from his brow. “Why?”
“Come with me.” Qi Xia then looked at Zhang Shan. “Zhang Shan, you too.”
Jia Jin, lying nearby, sensed trouble and sat up. “What’s up, trickster? Something wrong?”
“Rest up,” Qi Xia said. “It’s nothing major. I’ll handle it.”
He knew better than to bring Jia Jin—he might interfere.
Dr. Zhao and Zhang Shan exchanged glances but followed Qi Xia out.
The group hurried off campus.
“What’s going on?” Dr. Zhao asked, confused. “Are we playing a game?”
“No…” Qi Xia shook his head. “Dr. Zhao, I have a question.”
“What?”
“What does Xiao Ran mean to you?”
The question stunned Dr. Zhao.
“What… what do you mean?”
“This cycle, you’ve been protective of Xiao Ran from the start. Why?” Qi Xia pressed. “Do you like her?”
“I…” Dr. Zhao lowered his head guiltily. “Qi Xia, I feel like I owe her.”
“Owe her?”
“Yeah…” Dr. Zhao nodded. “Last time, even though you stopped me, in the following days, Xiao Ran and I… well, we did it…”
“I figured.”
Dr. Zhao looked pained. “That feeling… it’s indescribable. I treated Xiao Ran like a tool, a stepping stone, using her to gain strength… You get it, right?”
Qi Xia stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But Xiao Ran consented, didn’t she?”
“Huh?” Dr. Zhao blinked.
“From how you two acted, she didn’t seem forced. If anything, she wanted something too.”
“Right…” Dr. Zhao admitted. “Xiao Ran once said, ‘Dr. Zhao, I’ve always liked neurologists. If we get out, keep in touch.’ She had her own motives, but for me…”
“I see.” Qi Xia sighed. “I just needed to know where you stand.”
“But why ask this now?”
Qi Xia stopped walking and locked eyes with Dr. Zhao. “Xiao Ran can’t stay. I’m going to eliminate her.”
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