Little Schemes

"As teammates, you should control your emotions. If you want her to believe in you, you must first believe in yourselves."

Gu Xiang Kai was silent for a moment before he suddenly laughed.

"Old Jiang, why do I feel like you're actually kind of terrifying?"

Even though they hadn't known each other long, he could dissect someone's inner thoughts in just a few words.

And he wasn't even using an ability.

Jiang Siyan was slightly stunned, his smile freezing at the corners of his mouth.

He had always been careful, indirect, and at ease, but perhaps because the atmosphere had been too good these past two days, he had accidentally said too much.

Would it have the opposite effect?

As Jiang Siyan was considering whether to say something to make amends, he heard Gu Xiang Kai muttering to himself.

"Good thing such a dangerous person joined our team first. The boss really had foresight."

...

...It turned out he wasn't wary, but rather relieved.

Jiang Siyan didn't know whether to laugh at Gu Xiang Kai's naivety; after all, even after joining, one could still betray the team.

But he didn't.

Gu Xiang Kai wasn't a fool, nor was Zhu Xi Ning with her intuition-based awakened ability, let alone Nan Yue, who was shrouded in secrets.

Yet they all chose to believe in him.

Jiang Siyan knew himself well... no matter how they interacted, he didn't seem like someone who could be deeply trusted.

Jiang Siyan finished the beer in his glass and looked up at the pitch-black sky.

Tonight... he would have to take care of drunks again.

Wen Xiang Yuan only returned to the team on their tenth day back in the real world. She was in good spirits, and when she suddenly opened her bedroom door and appeared in the living room, she ran right into Jiang Siyan.

Wen Xiang Yuan froze for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Jiang Siyan looked up and nodded politely. "Morning."

Jiang Siyan's attitude was so natural, as if they had just seen each other last night, that Wen Xiang Yuan wasn't sure if Nan Yue and the others had told him about her situation.

She hesitated for a long time but ultimately said nothing, pursing her lips as she scurried into Nan Yue's room.

Jiang Siyan: ...?

As soon as Nan Yue woke up, she saw Wen Xiang Yuan lying on her bed. She patted her forehead. "You're back?"

"Yeah. Did you tell Brother Jiang about me?"

Nan Yue cleared her head slightly. "No."

Wen Xiang Yuan was silent for a while, then smiled with a sigh. "Brother Jiang really is an incredibly intelligent man."

Nan Yue's mind was a bit foggy at the time, so she even had an illusion.

She felt as if she had seen another side of Wen Xiang Yuan, a side she didn't recognize at all.

The Wen Xiang Yuan she knew was a rose—innocent, simple, and seemingly fragile, requiring protection, yet possessing her own thorns.

But in that moment, she felt Wen Xiang Yuan was... like a siren from the sea with a gorgeous exterior, hiding a bottomless ocean behind her beautiful face.

However, this sense of incongruity quickly vanished as Wen Xiang Yuan snuggled up to Nan Yue piteously.

"Then should I tell Brother Jiang?"

Nan Yue pinched her face. "That's up to you."

Wen Xiang Yuan finally decided to tell Jiang Siyan; she trusted the judgment of Nan Yue and Zhu Xi Ning.

Furthermore, since Jiang Siyan had joined, having such a glaring secret might instead affect the team's unity.

Wen Xiang Yuan found a time to explain her situation to Jiang Siyan while they were sitting face-to-face in the dining area.

Nan Yue was rummaging through the fridge for food, Gu Xiang Kai was washing the wine glasses from yesterday, and Zhu Xi Ning was playing with her ants.

Not a single person interrupted, but all three of them lingered nearby, refusing to leave.

Jiang Siyan was somewhat helpless. He didn't know what Wen Xiang Yuan wanted to tell him, and to be honest, he didn't care much.

But did these three have to stare at him like he was a thief? He wasn't going to eat anyone.

He, Jiang Siyan, had the best temper.

But once Wen Xiang Yuan finished speaking, Jiang Siyan understood why these people were acting as if they were facing a great enemy.

He frowned slightly; Wen Xiang Yuan's situation... was indeed unheard of.

He knew that in such a world, anything happening was normal, but Wen Xiang Yuan... wasn't she a bit too special?

Previously, he thought Nan Yue was mysterious and attractive, and this team was interesting. Now, it seemed it was a bit too interesting.

Jiang Siyan even wondered if he had been tricked into a thieves' den.

"No wonder you were in such a hurry."

Jiang Siyan gave Nan Yue a half-smile. Nan Yue scratched her head and closed the fridge door.

Although she wasn't good with alcohol, she wasn't prone to blacking out; she still remembered what she had said yesterday.

Yes, if Wen Xiang Yuan weren't so special, she wouldn't have been in such a rush.

The thing she carried inside her appeared much less frequently now; she felt that as she grew stronger, she was beginning to backlash against it.

The power she obtained could also be blended into a scavenger's awakened ability, making it difficult to detect.

Wen Xiang Yuan's eyes flickered as she looked at Nan Yue, seemingly understanding the riddles they were speaking in.

"What do you think caused this situation?"

Jiang Siyan was experienced and had seen many people; perhaps he would know.

But to Nan Yue's disappointment, Jiang Siyan shook his head decisively.

"Actually, your so-called bugs are many, because this world is subject to pollution at any time. But Wen Xiang Yuan's case doesn't seem like a bug..."

Jiang Siyan didn't continue. He felt that since Wen Xiang Yuan could only appear stably in the mission world, it gave off the absurd feeling that she belonged more to that world.

But could there really be a living person in a world of distorted pollution?

Or rather, could a living person come to their real world from there?

Everyone was a bit discouraged, but only Nan Yue noticed that Jiang Siyan seemed to have left something unsaid.

"In any case, she is indeed very special, but there's no need to worry for now."

Jiang Siyan's words soothed the group. Zhu Xi Ning clapped her hands. "That's right! Old Jiang's ability is healing-type, so Wenwen won't have to die!"

Wen Xiang Yuan smiled, her lips pursed. "Using an ability consumes a lot of mental energy. If it really comes to that point, I would still prefer that you don't save me."

"However, with Dr. Jiang here, many things can be explained."

Having a top-tier healer pull someone back from death's door seemed quite reasonable.

The weight on Nan Yue's heart lifted slightly. When she had considered recruiting Jiang Siyan, she hadn't taken Wen Xiang Yuan's situation into account, but by a stroke of luck, it had solved this predicament.

"So you don't need to be too anxious."

Jiang Siyan looked at Nan Yue. He hoped she wouldn't focus all her thoughts on protecting others. If Nan Yue died easily, his joining would have been for nothing.

He still hadn't found the point of attraction in Nan Yue, hadn't yet...

Obtained something from Nan Yue sufficient to support him in moving forward.

"You don't mind if I give you an examination, do you?"

Jiang Siyan's tone was gentle, but only he knew how much probing was hidden within it.

Wen Xiang Yuan seemed completely unguarded. "Of course not."

Gu Xiang Kai suddenly poked his fluffy, round head over. "How are you going to check?"

A strand of white mist curled from Jiang Siyan's fingertips and wrapped around Wen Xiang Yuan's hand.

"Like this, of course."