Hero

When the question “Do you believe me now?” hit his ears, Liang Shen did not respond immediately.

Luo Yang’s tone remained leisurely, but even though it was a question, it sounded like a needle dipped in frost—sharp and cold.

“Young Master Luo...”

He finally spoke, his voice even softer than before.

“How do you intend to handle this?”

“It’s simple.”

Luo Yang paused for a beat.

“You don’t need to worry about her future affairs. I will be her guarantor.”

“If she makes any mistakes in the future, I will shoulder the consequences alone.”

“How about it?”

Liang Shen’s eyelids twitched. He understood the weight of such a guarantee better than anyone. Normally, if any random agent said they wanted to leave and this young master personally stepped in to back them up, the matter wouldn't even reach his desk.

His subordinates would have weighed the situation themselves. Those with any sense would let the person go, and those without sense would still have to let them go.

But this time, the order had come from the top. As the Chief of the Internal Affairs Department, Liang Shen could control those below him, but he couldn't control those above.

He weighed his words carefully, each syllable coming out slowly, as if he were afraid of shattering a fragile tooth he was carefully protecting.

“I cannot make this decision on my own. At the very least... I must consult the Section Chief.”

Luo Yang raised a hand, gesturing for him to proceed.

“Go ahead and do what you need to do. I’ll wait.”

Liang Shen didn't say another word. He turned around and pulled another phone from his inner pocket.

It wasn't the same one as before; the casing was older, and the matte finish had been worn shiny by the palm of his hand. He didn't scroll through his contacts, instead dialing a string of numbers directly before lifting it to his ear.

To save time, he even bypassed the dedicated work line.

The phone rang about three times before someone picked up on the other end.

Liang Shen didn't state his name or report his position. He simply said in a low voice, “There is someone from the Luo family...”

The underground space fell silent, save for Liang Shen’s low whispers that no one could quite catch.

Uncle Zhang leaned against the doorframe, his chest finally ceasing its heavy heaving. He shifted his gaze from Liang Shen to Luo Yang, then to Qiu Shubai, who remained motionless by the long table.

The two black-robed elders were still in their original positions—chins slightly tucked, shoulders angled. Their posture hadn't changed, but the oppressive aura they radiated had receded at some point.

Liang Shen grunted a few affirmations, and after a few seconds, he said, “Understood.”

He tucked the phone back into his inner pocket and turned around. The cold, hard mask on his face remained, but his gaze toward Luo Yang now held a hint of complex respect.

“The Section Chief has agreed to your request.”

He spoke clearly, his voice carrying so everyone in the room could hear.

“Furthermore, he said that when a suitable opportunity arises, he will pay you a visit in person.”

The moment those last words left his mouth, Uncle Zhang’s finger, which was resting on the doorframe, trembled.

The two black-robed elders also missed a beat in their breathing.

The Section Chief of the Special Division visiting in person—everyone understood the weight of that statement.

Luo Yang nodded. “That’s good then.”

“Since the matter has been resolved, we won’t trouble you further.”

With that, he reached out his left hand and directly grabbed Qiu Shubai’s wrist.

He did it naturally. Qiu Shubai’s hand stiffened in his palm for a moment, but she didn't struggle.

She was still standing where she had been, the lingering surprise in her eyes having just begun to settle before being pushed back up by the force on her wrist. The grip wasn't heavy, but she could feel the contour of his fingertips pressing against the small patch of skin over her outer wrist bone.

“Let’s go.”

Luo Yang turned around, pulling her toward the stairs without looking back at anyone.

Their footsteps made a continuous tapping sound against the metal steps, climbing up one by one until they were swallowed by the half-open small door.

Liang Shen stood where he was, watching the two figures climb the stairs and disappear through the small door. Only after it clicked shut did he let his shoulders slump.

He sat down in his chair, his posture half-collapsing.

Uncle Zhang walked over and crouched in front of the chair opposite him, waving a hand in front of his face.

“Old Liang?”

Liang Shen didn't look at him. He stared at the photo on the whiteboard—the one he had pinned on crookedly at some point—and let out a very soft chuckle from his throat.

“Old Zhang,” he said. “Let’s just act like today never happened.”

“Fine by me,” Uncle Zhang replied quickly.

...

Outside the alley, the night wind was significantly cooler than before.

It wasn't until they turned past the second intersection and Luo Yang slowed his pace that Qiu Shubai finally found the chance to speak.

“What did you... say to Liang Shen just now?”

Luo Yang turned his head to look at her. The streetlights illuminated half of his face, the plain glass spectacles reflecting an orange glow, while the other half remained submerged in shadow.

“Nothing much. I just used some connections.”

“Connections?” Qiu Shubai repeated the word. “Your connections reach all the way to the Section Chief of the Special Division?”

Luo Yang chuckled. The smile was light, like a ripple on water stirred by the night wind, vanishing into the darkness in an instant.

“Something like that.”

He didn't elaborate further, shifting his gaze from her face to the wider street ahead. The streetlights stretched out one after another, turning the asphalt into segments of warm yellow.

The follow-up questions she had been about to ask were already at the tip of her tongue, a long string of doubts piling up and making her jaw feel tight.

But she stole a glance at him and swallowed those words back down, one by one.

The light in his eyes was bright, but that brightness seemed to be weighed down by many things—not heavy, but very complex. She saw it, and she could tell it was something he didn't want anyone to touch.

In a way, they were the same kind of person.

She carried the burdens of the Qiu family, the weight of the Bloodfall incident, and the mystery of the black sword. Because of this, she knew better than anyone that everyone had a page in their life they didn't want turned over.

She wasn't the only one who didn't want others crossing that line.

Perhaps she was afraid of causing discomfort, or perhaps she was afraid of embarrassing him, or perhaps... she was afraid he would dislike her for it.

That last thought flashed through her mind so quickly she didn't even have time to catch it before the night wind swept it away. But it had passed so lightly that it left a faint trace behind.

The two of them walked in silence for a while.

Luo Yang was still holding her wrist. That bit of warmth climbed up through her skin, traveling all the way to her elbow and then toward her shoulder.

It wasn't until they passed a convenience store glowing with cold white light that he seemed to suddenly realize, letting go of her hand.

“Ah, sorry.”

Qiu Shubai shook her head, looking down at her wrist. A faint circle of warmth still lingered on that patch of skin.

“It’s fine,” she said softly, pausing for a beat before adding, “Thank you... for today.”

Luo Yang turned his head, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.

“How many times have you said thank you to me lately?”

Qiu Shubai was stunned.

She had indeed been saying “thank you” to this man quite often recently—so often that it didn't feel like her.

“I haven't counted.”

She turned her head away, hiding her slightly unnatural expression.

“So... why are you willing to do so much for me?”

Luo Yang’s pace slowed, his gaze drifting across the street for a moment.

“Because we’re friends.”

His tone was excessively casual, as if he were explaining why the sky turns dark or why water flows downward.

“I don't think I've ever seen you sacrifice this much for anyone else.”

“Others are different from you.”

Luo Yang spoke softly, his words tinged with a faint sigh.

“They don't have such a bitter past, nor do they have such a treacherous yet seemingly hopeful future.”

“I have very few friends, and I’ve had few since I was a child. It’s because I’m always thinking about doing something for them, but every time I get halfway through the thought, I start getting cold feet. I always wonder, is what I’m doing right? If I choose the wrong path, can they handle the consequences?”

“I think and think, and then I give up.”

“I’m afraid that the decisions I make for others will end up pushing them down instead.” Luo Yang paused, as if picking his words very slowly. “So I’m very cautious about making friends—so cautious that most of the time, I’d rather do nothing.”

“But the day we first joined forces, I had an intuition.”

He turned his head to look at her, the streetlights casting a warm orange arc across his lenses.

“I felt that you could do it.”

“Your talent is strong enough, your will is firm, and your family background is deep. On this path of a Punisher, you will surely go very far. If I were standing on the opposite side, I’d probably think of you as a great opponent. We might even have become nemeses, leaving behind some legends of our own in this world.”

Qiu Shubai looked at him. The usual coldness in her eyes had diminished, replaced by something nameless that rippled like water.

“Between friends,” she began, her voice very soft, “it shouldn't be a one-sided sacrifice.”

Luo Yang chuckled. “I know. But precisely because I know that so well, that’s why I do it.”

Qiu Shubai didn't understand the logic in those words.

Luo Yang’s pace slowed to a crawl. He looked up; the night sky was clear, with very few clouds. In a city like Yuanxing City where lights were rampant, there weren't many stars to be seen, but tonight, there happened to be a small patch of sky showing a few scattered glimmers.

Those glimmers were distant and cool, requiring one to squint to see them clearly. Once seen, it felt as though they were looking back at him.

“I want Yu Mingyang and Su Tian to successfully reach a happy ending. I want Lin Ze to grow stronger without being hindered by accidents. I want my friends to be able to step onto the future paths that belong to them. I know this idea of not wanting anything in return sounds a bit fake, even a bit hypocritical, but whether it was the old me or the current me, I’ve always wanted so much to...”

“Become... someone’s hero.”

Qiu Shubai’s thoughts seemed to freeze at that moment.

A thousand thoughts were swept away by the night wind, passing between the two of them. The wind blew that strand of hair on her forehead into a gentle sway before it fell back into place. She looked at those few twinkling stars and suddenly felt something catch slightly in her throat.

It was as if a string she hadn't noticed, one that had been pulled tight for many years, had been plucked very gently at this moment.

The two of them stood side by side, neither moving.

The wind blew from the end of the street, making the leaves rustle for a while before dying down. A yellow leaf the size of a palm spiraled down to her feet and stopped.

Luo Yang didn't add anything else. Qiu Shubai wanted to say something several times, but the words were pushed back down every time they reached her lips.

In the end, she only gave a low “Mhm.”