Review and Blame-Shifting

"My apologies."

After passing through Mirror Lake, circling the lecture square, and returning to the intricate Eighteen Streets, Le Yu and Yin Yinyin finally made it back to the Teeth, Hemorrhoids, Injuries clinic, avoiding the raving drunks, gamblers with broken limbs, and pleasure-seekers that populated the night.

While examining his injuries in the basement, Yin Yinyin suddenly blurted out that sentence, leaving Le Yu a bit confused. "Huh?"

"Just now, I refused the hostage exchange and used aggressive tactics to force Kui Zhao to release you, putting you at great risk." Yin Yinyin took off its long, straight black wig, revealing a head of white hair. "Actually, I wasn't sure if Kui Zhao would truly accept the threat for his daughter's sake. Your chances of dying were quite high."

It paused, then explained, "But at that moment, it was the best solution. Kui Zhao had just set off a Light Burst Bomb, and the nearby Patrol Guards would certainly come running. Kui Zhao initially tried to stall for time with words, and then actively proposed a hostage exchange, also to buy time and look for an opportunity to counterattack. From the moment we were exposed, we and Kui Zhao were not on equal footing. Kui Zhao had all the advantages of time, place, and people. I could only use that method to leave him no room for counterattack."

Oh, so that's what it was about… Le Yu nodded in understanding. In fact, when they left, they had encountered Patrol Guards heading towards the scene, so he naturally understood how perilous that confrontation in the dark had been.

If Yin Yinyin hadn't been so decisive, if they had really gone through with the hostage exchange, even if it had been successful, they would have already been surrounded—not necessarily a physical encirclement, but just a few Patrol Guards providing light would have been enough for Kui Zhao to keep them there.

Le Yu asked curiously, "What if Kui Zhao hadn't let me go?"

Yin Yinyin replied, "I would have sent your sister away overnight. Given that I don't know if you have a habit of secretly recording information, I would have also burned down your house, dealing with everything once and for all."

You even considered the aftermath so thoroughly, typical of you… Le Yu wasn't surprised. "Why are you apologizing to me?"

"Theoretically, I should prioritize the lives of White Night Walkers. Although the outcome was good, it was built upon the immense risk you bore." Yin Yinyin said, "Being ruthless to others is easy. By common sense, I need to obtain your forgiveness afterward."

Le Yu asked, "Do you really feel guilty?"

"Of course, I value the lives of my comrades greatly, and I feel uneasy about my actions earlier." Yin Yinyin said, "After all, I am also a White Night Walker. Respecting life is common sense for White Night Walkers. Next time, I should handle things more appropriately."

Bullshit.

You'll definitely dare to do it again next time.

However, since Yin Yinyin had expressed itself this way, Le Yu could only say, "Since you're so sincerely begging for my forgiveness, then I, in my great compassion, will forgive you."

"Then,"

Yin Yinyin pulled up its pants and asked, "Now, it's your turn to explain why you turned back."

"Huh?"

"According to the plan, you should have immediately fled and retreated after shattering the streetlamp and attracting the first wave of attention from Kui Zhao and Dong Heng. You clearly disrupted the plan. It was because you turned back that Kui Zhao had the chance to grab you, adding many complications and laying hidden dangers for tonight's assassination. Even now, I'm not sure if I've cleared all traces. Perhaps tomorrow, Kui Zhao will bring people to apprehend us and subject us to harsh interrogation at the Statistics Department."

Yin Yinyin put on its shirt and turned to stare at Le Yu. "So, have you organized your words?"

"Are you kidding me? If I hadn't turned back to intercept Kui Zhao just now, you'd really be facing harsh interrogation at the Statistics Department right now." Le Yu was clearly indignant. "When Kui Zhao pulled out the Light Burst Bomb, our original plan had already failed. Not only did you fail to instantly kill Dong Heng, but you were also ganged up on by Dong Heng and Kui Zhao. Of course, I had to adapt on the fly."

"Are you asserting that I was powerless against Kui Zhao and Dong Heng?" Yin Yinyin frowned. "Even if they had light sources available, in the advantageous shadowed areas near the bushes and with the unknown fear of being attacked, I still had a certain chance of winning. The best outcome would have been for both Kui Zhao and Dong Heng to be lured into the bushes by me, and then I would kill them in the dark."

"Furthermore, the failed outcome you described is merely an unproven hypothesis. In reality, you disrupted the plan and created complications."

Le Yu said, annoyed, "How was I supposed to know the Wolf-Eagle Fist's burst speed was so fast… And as soon as he finished his burst, the Light Burst Bomb went off. I couldn't even counterattack. I still believe my reaction at the time was correct, but it wasn't my incompetence; it was just that the enemy was too cunning. Under normal circumstances, I should have been able to harass Kui Zhao and then slip away."

As he spoke, Le Yu suddenly recalled a picture he had seen in his previous life: a goat sees a tiger approaching, calmly and collectedly considers a strategy, decides to kneel down and slide under the tiger, then pierce the tiger's belly with its horns, counter-killing the tiger.

However, as soon as the goat knelt down, the tiger bit its neck.

Well, even if the plan and reality had a slight deviation, that doesn't mean the plan was wrong.

"So why did you turn back after all?"

"What 'why'? If I hadn't turned back, you would definitely be dead meat…"

"Then, why did you save me?"

Yin Yinyin wiped the makeup off its face and said expressionlessly, "So-called salvation is an act of kindness when one has reserves. Therefore, I could only gamble your life with Kui Zhao, because I had no reserves to save you; therefore, Kui Zhao always stood in the light, maintaining his best state without entering a disadvantageous environment, which was his best way to save someone."

"At that time, you couldn't even protect yourself, yet you went back to obstruct Kui Zhao. That was a very unwise move. If you hadn't turned back, the worst outcome would have been only my death; but by turning back, the worst outcome would have been both of us dying."

Le Yu shook his head. "But I was thinking that if I turned back, maybe we could also deal with the trouble that is Kui Zhao."

"Consider defeat before victory; that's common sense."

"Dare to fight and you'll win; that's my common sense."

"But didn't you say you were afraid of death?" Yin Yinyin asked. "Your actions don't seem like something a person afraid of death would do."

Le Yu paused slightly, then said after a moment of silence, "I am afraid of death, but I'm also afraid of my friends dying in front of me."

"Friends…"

Yin Yinyin chewed on the word and asked, "You call someone you've only met three times a friend? Do you… have no one else you can confide in?"

He was right.

Although Le Yu hadn't particularly noticed, in his current social circle, Yin Yinyin was a rather special figure. It was the only one who knew all of 'Qian Yuliu's' identities, and the only one who could give Le Yu sound advice.

Wasn't Qian Yuya good? She was, but for her safety, Le Yu couldn't talk to her about topics with overly heavy real-world implications.

Wasn't Chen Fu a sycophant? He was, but he was vain. Le Yu didn't even dare to develop him into a White Night Walker, so how could he talk to him about revolution and rebellion?

From transmigrating into Qian Yuliu's body to killing Lin Jinyao and meeting Qian Yuya, Le Yu had always been muddled and confused. It wasn't until he contacted Yin Yinyin that Le Yu slowly adjusted his mindset and integrated into this world.

It wasn't just about finding an organization; for Le Yu, Yin Yinyin was like a 'newcomer guide,' a 'mole training expert,' or a 'QQ Xiaoice' type of character.

Although Yin Yinyin was arrogant and always said, "That's common sense," and had that white, punk-rock hair, it was the only crime expert Le Yu could casually chat with and ask for advice. If Qian Yuya was Le Yu's current spiritual haven, then Yin Yinyin was basically like the old man in the ring.

Therefore, upon seeing Yin Yinyin in a fatal crisis, Le Yu quickly assessed the situation and decisively intervened. If Yin Yinyin were to die, Le Yu would lose his negative energy trash can, organizational contact, crime consultant, free hemorrhoid therapist…

And, a friend Le Yu had made after coming to this world, not inherited from Qian Yuliu, but one he had built a relationship with from scratch.

Le Yu didn't answer, and Yin Yinyin said nothing either. After a while, Yin Yinyin asked, "How are your injuries?"

"My ribs seem to be broken. Kui Zhao kicked pretty hard." Le Yu looked at his purplish chest, pressed it, and it actually caved in.

"I can perform phototherapy surgery for you here," Yin Yinyin said, turning on the incandescent concave lens in the basement. "But I don't have any Boiling Sleep Soup… I can find you a stick to bite on."

"No need, I'm not afraid of pain."

Le Yu lay down on the bed in the basement, suddenly realizing this was the first time in both his past and present lives he was having surgery done in a back-alley clinic.

"It's easy to be hard on others, but very difficult to be hard on yourself… I thought that was common sense, but for you, it's the opposite."

Yin Yinyin put on its gloves, and the light focused into a warm orb in its hands.

"Perhaps, you are someone I cannot understand with common sense."