They had souls, and they had lives.
Perhaps the soap bubble Wen Xiang Yuan originally belonged to had vanished, causing her to fall into the real world. However, because her identity was different, there was no way for her to become a true scavenger.
But she was alive, wasn't she?
Since that was the case, Nan Yue naturally hoped to save more people.
Those soap bubbles... they were already part of the sea, weren't they?
The three of them were chattering away, not noticing that Jiang Siyan’s bracelet vibrated once.
He was somewhat surprised; no more than ten people had his contact information. Three were right in front of him, and one’s whereabouts were unknown.
He opened his Neural Interface, and his eyes flickered.
"What are your plans for tomorrow?"
Nan Yue tilted her head. "No plans. I want to visit the haunted house at the amusement park."
Hearing Nan Yue say this, both Zhu Xi Ning and Gu Xiang Kai wore complicated expressions.
The Red City State had the largest amusement park among the color city states. Nan Yue had taken them there once after seeing an advertisement.
But Nan Yue didn't care for the other attractions; she only liked going to the haunted house to scare the NPCs for fun.
Scavengers were brave, and the intensity in the haunted house was much higher, making it feel more like a series of mission worlds than a simple attraction.
But Nan Yue had a wonderful time.
It was just that everyone except her was quite unhappy.
Jiang Siyan nodded. "Then I won't be having dinner with you all."
"Old Jiang, are you going out?"
Jiang Siyan gave Zhu Xi Ning a smile. "I have some matters to attend to."
No one asked him what it was. Everyone knew his identity was different after all, and he had experienced more than they had.
Now that his identity was public, he likely had some trouble of his own to resolve.
"Just say the word if you need anything."
Gu Xiang Kai tossed those words to Jiang Siyan before returning to his attempt to persuade Nan Yue to spare the haunted house NPCs.
Jiang Siyan sat nearby with his arms crossed, watching the three of them from a bystander's perspective.
He had never felt the sense of belonging this team gave him before, but he liked it very much.
He was liking it more and more.
Therefore, he did not want this atmosphere to be ruined, and he certainly did not want this team to be harmed.
Jiang Siyan went out that evening. Nan Yue ordered takeout; they had been eating hot pot and barbecue every day recently, so today she ordered porridge to soothe their stomachs.
Jiang Siyan left the suite where they lived, but he did not leave the hotel. Instead, he went to the top floor.
This was the presidential suite, the most luxurious room in the Green City State.
It came fully equipped with a bar and a swimming pool.
Nan Yue had considered staying here before, but there were many things to prepare for this trip, and since they would likely head to the next city state for their next mission, they hadn't bothered to change rooms.
Jiang Siyan walked to the door, which opened after a facial scan.
This entire floor consisted of only this one room. No waiter or unauthorized guest would come here without the occupant's request.
Jiang Siyan stepped into the suite. The room was filled with the sound of a cello playing light music—a melodious, calm bass—under dim lighting, and...
Jiang Siyan’s nostrils flared. The scent of high-quality vodka was mixed with a faint smell of blood.
Jiang Siyan looked calmly toward the swimming pool. The clean water of the rooftop infinity pool was now stained a light red, and a person was slumped over the edge.
They hadn't been dead for long.
The crisp sound of glass clinking rang out. Jiang Siyan turned his head to see a high-quality crystal glass placed on the table.
"This whisky is from my private collection. How long has it been since we last met, Yao?"
Jiang Siyan’s expression was unreadable behind the reflection of his glasses, but the corners of his lips curled up.
"It’s been eight years."
"Long time no see, Jiu Chen."
Sitting on a massive leather sofa, the dim desk lamp only illuminated half of the man's face.
His expression was even friendlier than Jiang Siyan’s.
"Long time no see."
Jiang Siyan walked over and sat opposite He Jiu Chen. He took the wine glass and had a shallow sip, remarking, "Truly a fine wine."
"I’m just afraid I won't be able to afford the price."
Jiang Siyan made a small joke, and He Jiu Chen laughed obligingly.
"How could that be? We are best friends, aren't we?"
"It is precisely because we are best friends that I cannot understand it, Yao. Why would you want to see the world outside the city states?"
"Have you forgotten how Zhou Yang died?"
Jiang Siyan’s gaze darkened slightly as he looked at this old friend he hadn't seen in years.
He Jiu Chen had always possessed a very handsome appearance. His mixed-race features once made him extremely popular with the ladies.
Unlike Jiang Siyan, who was like a refined scion of a wealthy family—gentlemanly and polite, yet with depths that couldn't be fathomed—He Jiu Chen was like a blank sheet of paper. You thought you understood him and knew his clean surface, but you didn't realize it had been painted over.
No one wanted to investigate what lay beneath that white paint.
Because no one knew that He Jiu Chen was not a blank sheet of paper to begin with.
Jiang Siyan thought absentmindedly that even when He Jiu Chen was stabbing someone in the heart with his words, he still looked utterly harmless.
"Jiu Chen, everyone makes different choices. I told you that when I left."
"When seeing a predecessor drown, some will never cross the river again, while others will become even more stubborn in their desire to see the other side."
"You cannot deprive someone of the right to see the scenery on the other side."
He Jiu Chen smiled. His lips were a vivid red, contrasting with his pale complexion.
"But how can I allow the one I love to lose their life for such a nebulous hope?"
Jiang Siyan remained silent. He had known He Jiu Chen for a long time and understood his distorted obsession all too well.
Persuasion was useless; that was their business.
"If you’ve come here to make me do something, you might be disappointed."
Jiang Siyan shrugged. "I don't have the final say."
For the first time, He Jiu Chen showed a genuine emotion, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"You..."
He didn't know what he was thinking, but he suddenly burst into loud laughter.
Jiang Siyan swirled the wine in his glass. Honestly, Sharp Blade labeled him a madman, yet they didn't realize the craziest one was right inside their own ranks.
"You’ve fallen for that scavenger named Nan Yue?"
Jiang Siyan’s movement of swirling the glass paused. He Jiu Chen was still laughing.
"Even you can like someone? Even you can love?"
He Jiu Chen laughed until he was nearly out of breath. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and instantly stopped laughing, his narrow eyes staring at Jiang Siyan.
"You don't even love yourself, so what do you know about liking someone?!"
"You don't even love the feeling of being alive, so what capacity do you have to love someone else?"
He was like a colorful venomous snake, suddenly revealing fangs dripping with poison.
"Yao, don't be swayed by momentary emotions. We both know that staying here is for the best."
Jiang Siyan had no reaction to He Jiu Chen’s wild emotional swings, as if he were used to it.
In fact, he was somewhat annoyed.
He Jiu Chen was the only living person he had once considered a friend.
This man had always been unstable. He had gone even crazier after Shen Nian died, and now he was completely insane for the sake of Fu Xi Ming.
Rate on N.U.
