Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 16
Ling Xiao swiftly stood up, his body gradually disappearing in front of Zhen He. When he had completely disconnected, only then did Zhen He snorted dismissively.
“He sure ran fast.”
“Don’t you think you were a bit too blunt? What if you frightened the kid?” A figure emerged from the shadows. Zhen He didn’t seem to mind this kind of unannounced visit, nor did he care about his conversation being overheard.
“Compared to you, I’m also just a kid,” Zhen He replied, still lying down without any intention to get up and greet the newcomer.
“How can you say that in front of one who has just awakened in a fledgling state? Aren’t you embarrassed?” Xing Lou said with a laugh.
“You said I was too direct, so which word I spoke was untrue?” Zhen He retorted.
Xing Lou pondered. “One sentence wasn’t true.”
“Which one?”
Xing Lou mimicked his tone. “You’ll never know the real reason for this fight because it’s been completely erased by our ancestors.”
“Oh?” Zhen He grew curious. “You know the truth?”
Xing Lou smiled slightly. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to know.”
“You’re belittling an intelligence officer’s curiosity.”
“When Yue Ying awakens one day, perhaps he might be interested in telling you himself.”
The waveform of Yue Ying flickered twice on the wall, seemingly in agreement.
“Alright.” Zhen He shrugged. “So, what’s the purpose of your visit this early? Don’t tell me, you came to collect rent.”
“You’re probably the richest fledgling in Tianxiu now. Why would you worry about a little rent?” Xing Lou teased. “Don’t forget, I have surveillance rights over the entire network. I saw a certain friend from your contact list appear at your location, so I got curious.”
“You’re talking about Ling Xiao? You know him?”
“On my first day at school, he took me to the dormitory.”
“It seems you two are quite fated…” Zhen He’s voice suddenly deepened. “Someone’s coming.”
Xing Lou quickly faded back into the shadows, and the walls reverted to their original appearance. Zhen He stood up from his recliner, put on a mask, and courteously greeted the new guest.
“Good morning. How can I assist you?”
Zhu Yue glanced around the empty shop, asking the question everyone would ask first.
“What do you sell here?”
“As you see, I sell everything.”
“Is there something that can make someone who doesn’t like you like you?”
“Hahahaha,” Zhen He laughed so hard he nearly cried.
Zhu Yue frowned. “Is it that funny?”
“I apologize.” Zhen He struggled to contain his laughter. “That’s the second funniest thing I’ve heard this early in the morning.”
“I don’t find it amusing at all. If you can’t produce it, it means your shop’s name is deceptive.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Zhen He graciously pointed to the sign outside. “Since you’ve stumped me, you can take down that sign.”
“Why would I want your sign? Especially when it’s virtual,” Zhu Yue said, clearly unimpressed.
“Well,” Zhen He considered, “Do you have a second wish? I can give you a 50% discount.”
“And if you still can’t deliver?”
“Why not say it and see?”
The second wish… What Zhu Yue wanted first was Ying Feng, second was Ying Feng, and third was Ying Feng. If he had to choose something else…
“I want to know something: why does blood flow on its own?”
“Oh?”
“Although it sounds unbelievable, I witnessed it. Blood that had clearly spilled on the ground, with no gravity or wind acting on it, still flowed. Why is that?”
“Only one person’s blood?”
“No,” Zhu Yue hesitated. “Others too.”
Zhen He paused briefly. “Your question is very timely. Had you asked earlier, I wouldn’t have an answer. But as it stands, you’re quite lucky.”
Zhu Yue took a step forward, anxiety evident. “You know the answer?”
“I just found out recently.”
“What is it?”
“This information is costly, even at half price. Are you sure you want to buy it?”
Without hesitation, Zhu Yue handed over his card. “Charge whatever you want. If it’s not enough, I can give you an IOU and pay in installments.”
Zhen He accepted it without ceremony. “You seem quite desperate for this answer. Alright, I’ll tell you. The blood of the Tianxiu contains a type of magnetism. The blood of the Qizhu attracts that of their Qizi.”
“Is that the case for everyone?” Zhu Yue urgently inquired.
“No, there are two prerequisites: First, at least one party must be in their immature form; second, it only happens under the sunlight.”
“In other words, if you observe this phenomenon, it signifies that in a previous life, one was the other’s Qizi. It could be from a previous life or this current one. This is the only explanation.”
Zhu Yue’s eyes widened in shock. “How is that possible?”
“As a businessman, I have professional ethics. After accepting your money, I wouldn’t deceive you.”
Zhen He looked at the visibly shocked youngster in front of him with interest, murmuring to himself, “How can this be; it’s impossible. They must not find out. Absolutely not.”
Zhu Yue gradually vanished, seemingly having logged out, and Xing Lou replaced him in the original spot.
“Who was that person just now?” Yue Ying asked.
“He’s a junior from our academy,” Zhen He, being an ordinary person with an astonishing amount of information, replied. “Zhu Yue, currently in the 10th grade and a classmate of Ling Xiao. Are you interested in him?”
“There are many suspicious things about him.” Yue Ying’s voice wavered slightly with excitement. “How have I never noticed him before?”
“What do you mean by ‘suspicious’?” Xing Lou asked.
“I suspect he is… No, I need more evidence first!”
……
After logging off the network, Ling Xiao hurried straight to the medical building. The two classmates he met the previous day were already there, and they seemed quite flustered when they saw Ling Xiao arrive.
“Did you inform Ling Xiao?”
“How could I dare?” The two whispered amongst themselves, then simultaneously went silent as Ling Xiao approached.
Seeing their evasive eyes, Ling Xiao’s last hope vanished, a gloom spreading across his face.
“Where are they?” His voice was chilling.
The two classmates hesitated, finally pointing nervously at the emergency room.
Ling Xiao’s steps grew heavier as he approached the emergency room. But he had underestimated his emotional tolerance. When he saw Lan Sheng covered in blood and barely alive, the rage that erupted nearly shattered the glass of the emergency room.
The two classmates followed closely, afraid of his impulsive actions. However, the still and pale-faced Ling Xiao frightened them even more.
“We don’t know what happened…” One said, nudging the other.
“Oh,” the other replied nervously, “When we arrived, we saw them like this, being wheeled out from the room… from yesterday…”
Ling Xiao just stared at the person behind the glass, saying nothing.
“How is your classmate…?” A gentle voice inquired.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the two classmates were stunned. “Doctor, why are you here?”
The single word “Doctor” snapped Ling Xiao out of his trance. Before anyone could react, Zhi Shang was punched squarely in the face. The unexpected blow knocked his glasses askew.
“Ling Xiao, have you gone mad?” The two classmates immediately intervened. “He’s Dr. Zhi Shang! Dr. Yao’s Qizi!”
Ling Xiao glared at the man in front of him, his eyes filled with unabashed hatred.
“Why did you lie?”
“Ling Xiao, what are you talking about?”
“Yes, Ling Xiao, are you overwrought?” Another classmate chimed in.
Zhi Shang looked first shocked, then bewildered, and finally hung his head in remorse.
“I’m sorry.”
The two classmates were dumbfounded by his apology, speechless.
“Tell me the truth. During the coming-of-age ceremony, did you harm Dr. Yao?”
After a long pause, Zhi Shang admitted, “Yes.”
“What?” The two classmates were shocked, “What’s going on? Doctor, didn’t you say you willingly offered your Heart’s Blood for Dr. Yao?”
“You’re right, wanting to willingly become A’Yao’s Qizi was my initial thought, and this thought has not changed.” Ling Xiao’s interrogation brought Zhi Shang back to painful memories. “But on the day of the coming-of-age ceremony, the moment A’Yao wanted to take my heart’s blood, I suddenly felt fear, dread, and unease. The feeling was so intense that it was uncontrollable. I regretted it. I didn’t want to just become someone else’s Qizi, so I fought back.”
The students were shocked. They could hardly imagine that behind the gentle words of Dr. Zhi Shang, who spoke of his love affair with Dr. Yao, hid such a brutal truth.
“Our fight was fierce at the time. We were like sworn enemies, neither willing to give in. In the end, I didn’t win, and it wasn’t because I held back due to love; I was simply no match for her.”
“I lost, and A’Yao was severely injured because of me. Thinking back on that day, neither of us showed any mercy. Although I later calmly accepted my role as her Qizi and still love A’Yao, it cannot erase the fact that on that day, we were like two lunatics trying to kill each other.”
Zhi Shang took off his glasses, looking up with sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I spoke that way before, hoping you could face the coming-of-age ceremony with ease, but I didn’t think…”
“It’s not his fault,” a cold female voice interjected. “I commanded him to say that. He had no right to refuse.”
“A’Yao…” Zhi Shang called out in a tone of reproach.
All eyes turned to Yao Tai, who had just emerged from the emergency room. She took off her lab coat and threw it aside. A nurse quickly caught it, and the two walked briskly in the opposite direction of the hallway.
“Is the other one awake?”
“He just woke up,” the nurse immediately reported.
“How is he?”
“He’s fine now. His physical condition is excellent, and he’s recovering quickly.”
“Transfer the one inside to the ICU.”
The nurse hesitated. “You mean…”
Yao Tai’s hand paused on the door handle. “Handcuff him.”
The door to Ping Zong’s room was pushed open, and a group of people rushed in. The man on the bed, hearing the commotion, struggled to open his eyes slightly. Leading the group was Yao Tai, followed by uniformed nurses. Ling Xiao, with a worried look, was close behind, followed by two students with odd expressions.
Ping Zong’s gaze scanned the crowd repeatedly, even spotting Dr. Zhi Shang, who shouldn’t be there. Yet, he couldn’t find his beloved.
“Ling Xiao, where is Lan Sheng?” he asked anxiously.
“He’s resting in another room,” Ling Xiao lied. “Are you okay?”
Ping Zong nodded, then shook his head. “I’m just worried about Lan Sheng. I don’t know what happened. Everything was fine, then suddenly something felt wrong. I can’t remember much after that, just fragments of us fighting… Is Lan Sheng really okay?”
“He’s fine. Don’t worry,” Ling Xiao’s gaze focused on Ping Zong’s face.
Ping Zong sighed in relief. “That’s good. I must’ve been mad to attack him. If something had happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.”
Knowing Lan Sheng was safe, Ping Zong relaxed and became talkative. “With his proud personality, if I hurt him, he must be really angry. Maybe he’s mad and doesn’t want to see me now?”
Ping Zong chuckled, thinking of his beloved, and his eyes softened. “But now that the coming-of-age ceremony is over, we can be together…”
“Ping Zong,” Ling Xiao interrupted him impatiently.
“What’s wrong?” Ping Zong looked at Ling Xiao, surprised.
“Ping Zong,” Ling Xiao struggled to find the right words, each one painful to say. “You won.”
Ping Zong’s smile froze. “What did you say?”
“You won,” Ling Xiao said with a mix of emotions, looking into Ping Zong’s deep black eyes. “You are now Lan Sheng’s Qizhu.”
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