Chapter 67: The Rabbit

After turning a corner, the three arrived at a rundown police station.

A rabbit-headed figure stood at the entrance.

“Here we are!” Old Lü said. “Looks like it’s already over…”

Qi Xia glanced at the rabbit-headed person—another woman, it seemed.

Her mask was tattered, and her suit was covered in dust. Clearly, she was a “Human Rabbit,” which meant Officer Li would have been in no real danger if he had participated in her game.

“Want to play my game?” the Human Rabbit asked with a smile.

“No…” Qi Xia shook his head. “I wanted to ask if the man and woman who came here earlier are still around.”

“A man and woman?” The Human Rabbit crossed her arms, resting a hand on her chin in a coquettish manner. “Oh… You mean that sturdy young man, right?”

“Right.”

“What a man with no sense of romance,” the Human Rabbit said with a playful wave of her hand. “I even told him he didn’t need to bet a ‘Dao’—just spend a day with me, but he was as stiff as a block of wood…”

Qi Xia sighed impatiently. “Where is he?”

“Young man, you’re quite handsome yourself…” The Human Rabbit suddenly reached out and touched Qi Xia’s face, startling him.

“You might not be as muscular, but if you spend a day with me, I’ll give you a ‘Dao’ *and* tell you where that man went. How about it?”

Qi Xia pushed her hand away and turned to the other two. “Forget it. Let’s just search the area.”

Old Lü and Lin Qin knew better than to get tangled up with a “Zodiac,” so they followed Qi Xia as he turned to leave.

“If you’re searching on your own… better hurry,” the Human Rabbit said with a charming smile. “That young man was badly injured. If you’re too late, it might be all over.”

“What?” Qi Xia froze mid-step.

“Why was he injured?” He turned back, confused. “Is your game that dangerous?”

“Not really.” The Human Rabbit swayed her hips and took a step forward. “My games are all ‘escape’ types. I designed some very intricate mechanisms, but that young man relied on brute force to break through. What could I do?”

Qi Xia fell silent. Then, spotting fresh bloodstains on the ground, his expression darkened.

“Let’s go.”

They followed the trail of blood.

Given the amount of blood, Officer Li’s injury likely wasn’t severe. The Human Rabbit was probably exaggerating.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance of a pharmacy. The sound of movement came from inside—someone was definitely there.

“Officer Li?” Qi Xia called out.

The noise inside paused, and Lawyer Zhang stepped out first.

“Qi Xia?!” She looked different—her usually neat appearance was disheveled.

She was completely drenched, as if she had just been submerged in water.

“What happened?” Qi Xia asked. “Where’s Officer Li?”

Lawyer Zhang’s eyes widened, and she grabbed Qi Xia’s arm. “You have to help me! Officer Li—he’s not going to make it!”

“What?!”

Qi Xia was confused. The blood trail they had followed suggested nothing worse than a cut on the arm—how could he be dying?

The three followed Lawyer Zhang inside, where the heavy scent of rust hung in the air.

After a few steps, they saw Officer Li—his entire body was drenched in blood, making it impossible to tell where he was injured.

His lips were pale, his face ashen, and he sat slumped on the ground, utterly drained.

“W-what happened…?” Lin Qin trembled as she rushed forward. “Officer Li… where are you hurt?”

Officer Li turned his head toward Qi Xia and Lin Qin, forcing a weak smile. Slowly, he raised a hand, as if trying to say something.

Qi Xia looked down—and his heart skipped a beat.

This wasn’t a matter of *where* he was injured.

Officer Li’s entire right hand was *gone*.

His wrist bore a jagged, torn wound—not cleanly severed, but *ripped* off.

In an attempt to stop the bleeding, he had wrapped a wire tightly around his arm, digging deep into his flesh, turning the surrounding skin purple.

Because of this, only a small amount of blood seeped from the wound.

“My God…” Lin Qin wanted to help but had no idea what to do. “Lawyer Zhang, what happened?!”

“That rabbit’s game…” Zhang Chenze bit her lip hard. “That woman… she’s a complete monster…”

Qi Xia’s gaze darkened. He stepped closer to Officer Li, wanting to speak, but words lodged in his throat.

He had imagined many possible reunions—but never *this*.

“Lawyer Zhang, take them outside,” Officer Li suddenly said. “I need to talk to Qi Xia alone.”

“Alone?” The others exchanged puzzled glances.

Zhang Chenze thought for a moment, then nodded, leading Lin Qin and Old Lü out of the room.

Once they were gone, Officer Li smiled weakly. “Why the long face? You look like *you’re* the one who got hurt.”

“I…” Qi Xia sighed. “I’ll avenge you. That rabbit—”

“No,” Officer Li interrupted. “That woman is insane. Don’t play her game.”

Qi Xia swallowed his words, unsure what to say.

Officer Li chuckled weakly. “Did you find a way out of here?”

“No…” Qi Xia admitted dejectedly. “I think I was wrong. Not only did I fail to find an exit, but I got Qiao Jiajin and Sweetie killed.”

Now that they were alone, Qi Xia finally voiced his hidden grief: “I underestimated everything…”

Officer Li’s pale lips twitched as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Something even *you* can’t solve?”

Qi Xia didn’t know how to explain the situation with “Xiaoxiao,” so he just shook his head.

Now, even the man he trusted—Officer Li—was dying. Qi Xia felt another headache coming on.

He shook it off and forced a calm tone. “Why keep me here alone?”

“There are things I want to say before I die.”

Officer Li reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled cigarette case containing two moldy cigarettes—probably scavenged from some abandoned building.

He placed one between his lips, then patted his other pockets before cursing under his breath.

“Forgot I never found a lighter. Can’t even have one last smoke before I go…”