Trust, Purple Clad's Confusion

In the end, I still took Purple Clad back with me.

Just like Fatty had said, she had latched onto me.

She put on a pitiful expression and said that I was the only person she knew in this world. She had no friends, no family, not even any money or identification. If I did not take her in, she would be unable to get anywhere.

She was right. In her current state, she had only one way to survive: sell herself. Of course, there was another way—scamming people. She had the talent for it.

Like how she had turned a napkin into a hundred-yuan bill right in front of me.

I called Xie Yi. He sounded like he was busy.

I told him about my meeting with Abe Ichinan and informed him that she had another Twin Fish Jade Pendant in her possession.

His reaction was calm, as though he had known all along.

"So I'm just bait, right? You all knew about this from the very beginning, didn't you? You already knew that Xie Xiaotang, Gu Song, Zhuanghe, and the others were all copies. You already knew they killed the originals and took the other Twin Fish Jade Pendant, then that pendant ended up in Abe Ichinan's hands. Is that how it happened?" I fired off the questions in one breath. I really did not feel good about this.

Xie Yi said softly over the phone, "You believe everything she told you?"

I froze.

Could Abe Ichinan have been lying? Could things not have happened that way?

Xie Yi sighed. "Jiang Xiaobai, do you know what your biggest problem is?"

I said nothing. I was wondering what exactly was wrong with me.

Seeing that I remained silent, Xie Yi slowly said, "Your biggest problem is that you don't trust your companions or your comrades. You always view your own people with suspicion. Someone tells you that you're a pawn, that you're bait, and you immediately believe that you really are a pawn, really are bait. You think your superiors and companions are all using you and plotting against you. Jiang Xiaobai, honestly, I'm very disappointed in you."

Xie Yi hung up directly.

He had actually hung up on me.

I had been on speakerphone just now, so Fatty had heard the entire conversation.

I looked at Fatty. His face was calm.

"Was I wrong?"

Fatty nodded. "Yeah."

I pursed my lips. Fatty said, "At least, I've never doubted Old Shu or anyone in Unit Nine. This isn't the first or second time I've worked with Unit Nine. Many times, we've been able to entrust our lives to each other. Sure, I work for money, but in my heart, they're comrades and brothers worth trusting with my life!"

I frowned. There was not the slightest hint of pretense in Fatty's words. It was as though he were merely stating something ordinary.

He continued, "Like right now, they entrusted your safety to me. That means I have to be the first one to stand before you when you're in danger. If I can take them head-on, I will. If I can't, I'll still risk my life to make sure you get away first. No matter what you think, I can't betray the trust they placed in me."

At that, he shrugged. "So Xie Yi was right. You haven't treated them as your own. You still can't integrate into Unit Nine's team. You've always regarded yourself and Xu Qiuyan as outsiders. Even though you're working for Unit Nine, you don't truly feel a sense of belonging or identification with it."

I sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly ahead.

Fatty sighed and patted my shoulder. "It's not entirely your fault. Maybe you've been through too much, so you're on guard against everyone. But I can promise you this: the people of Unit Nine are worth trusting."

With that, he started the car.

Purple Clad sat in the back seat without saying a word.

She gazed out the window, and I had no idea what she was thinking.

After returning to the hotel, I called Xie Yi again.

After he answered, he did not say anything.

We remained silent like that. It was only after more than ten seconds that I softly said, "I'm sorry."

Xie Yi sighed. "Jiang Xiaobai, I don't even know what to say to you."

I said, "I'll keep following Abe Ichinan's trail. I'll take back the jade pendant in her possession."

Xie Yi said, "Be careful around Abe Ichinan. That woman has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. To be honest, she doesn't have any Twin Fish Jade Pendant at all. The one you saw was fake. It was a lure meant to draw you in. Her goal was to take the one you have."

My heart skipped a beat. I instinctively took out the one in my hand and examined it for a long time. I was no longer sure. When I had held both jade pendants at once, had I mixed them up? No wonder she had worn that expression when I tried to overlap the two pendants.

"Are you listening?" Xie Yi asked.

"I'm listening," I said.

But a faint worry lingered in my heart.

"I... I once put the two jade pendants together. I'm not sure now..."

Before I could finish, Xie Yi said, "You're worried that the one in your hand has already been switched?"

I gave a bitter smile.

Then Purple Clad's voice came from behind me. "Don't worry. The one in your hand is real."

I looked at her and asked as though I had seen a ghost, "How did you get in here?"

Purple Clad pointed at my room door. "I just came in!"

I had clearly shut the door. How had she opened it?

"The jade pendant in your hand is real." Purple Clad ignored my confusion and spoke solemnly.

Xie Yi asked over the phone, "Who was that speaking?"

I hesitated before saying awkwardly, "It's the nightmare I mentioned to you. I didn't do it on purpose back then. I only showed her the Twin Fish Jade Pendant. I thought it couldn't possibly have any effect in the Dreamscape, but who knew..."

"The nightmare? Since she says the one in your hand is real, it probably is. But what are you planning to do with her?" Whenever Xie Yi spoke of this, I always felt that there was a strange hint of amusement in his tone.

"I don't know. But I need to get her an identity first."

Xie Yi said, "Leave that to me. All right, handle this matter as you see fit. Things are difficult on my end right now. Once I have some time, we'll meet and have a proper talk."

"What about Abe Ichinan?"

"Didn't I say to handle it as you see fit?"

"All right. I'm planning to return to Lin City tomorrow. I want to visit Uncle Long and Aunt Qin."

After hanging up, I let out a long breath.

Only then did I turn to Purple Clad and say, "Before entering someone else's room, it's best to knock first and wait for permission before coming in."

Purple Clad shook her head. "You're not someone else."

My face went dark.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes at Purple Clad before opening the door. Xu Qiuyan stood outside. When she saw Purple Clad in my room, she looked somewhat startled. I hurriedly explained, "She just got here too."

Xu Qiuyan smiled. "Why explain?"

I froze, and she added, "We don't need explanations between us."

I gave a bitter smile.

"I heard from Fatty about your phone call with Xie Yi. Maybe we really were wrong."

Xu Qiuyan said this as she walked in.

"Actually, I was just like you. I never truly trusted them completely. I always felt that they were only using us." Xu Qiuyan had shared my view.

"But I've changed my mind now. If they only wanted to use us, there should have been plenty of people more suitable than us. And Old Shu was so willing to place the Twin Fish Jade Pendant in your hands. That should also have been a form of trust in us."

Xu Qiuyan sat down on the sofa and casually picked up the bottle of mineral water on the table, taking a sip.

I sat down too. "I actually believed Abe Ichinan. She told me to watch out for Fatty and not let others use me as a weapon. I never considered our respective positions. If Fatty hadn't shown up at the time, those ninjas might have killed me already."

Purple Clad, who was still standing there, suddenly said, "They couldn't have killed you."

Xu Qiuyan asked curiously, "Why not?"

Purple Clad pouted, apparently unwilling to answer Xu Qiuyan's question. Xu Qiuyan smiled sweetly and looked at me. I also sensed that Purple Clad was competing with Xu Qiuyan, with a hint of jealousy in her tone.

So I asked her, "Why? Don't tell me you could deal with those ninjas?"

Purple Clad looked smug. "Of course I could deal with them. But I wouldn't even need to make a move. You could handle them yourself."

"Me?" I pointed at my own nose.

I really did not have that kind of confidence.

Purple Clad said, "You have that ability. I just don't know why you can't use it." She crossed one arm over her chest and rested her other hand on it, propping up her chin. "How could this be?" Her face held a trace of confusion.