The meat had burned after all—or rather, it hadn't burned; it had gotten charred.
The three of them had no choice but to make instant noodles and eat them with salad, settling for a few quick bites.
Hugging her round bowl, Lin Yue was clearly still thinking about the barbecue. "It's all that deer's fault. The meat was almost done."
Chen Xi picked up a piece of lettuce and placed it in her bowl. "Stop complaining. Let's get to bed early tonight. The next time we sleep, we might already be at Huaijiang Port."
"I know..."
"By the way, how do you turn off this perception?" Lin Yue slurped up a noodle and looked at Chen Xi.
"You really seem to be glowing in my eyes right now. I can sense roughly where you are even with my eyes closed."
Chen Xi remained calm as she replied, "You can turn it off for a specific person. Just think about it. You haven't tried that?"
Having this ability meant those two Legends understood the rules all too well.
Lin Yue crossed her eyes and stared intently at her. Three seconds later, she announced, "Done."
"Then let's go to bed."
As the three of them chatted, Zhu Li suddenly stood up.
[You two sleep. I don't need to. I'm going to take a walk by the lake. Message me if anything happens.]
After "saying" this, Zhu Li left.
The Flame Ghost's flames had long since robbed her of the ability to sleep.
The more powerful a Legend was, the heavier the price they had to pay.
To avoid or reduce those costs, Transcendents generally chose to wield the corresponding Legend.
The only Legend that could quell the Flame Ghost's flames was the equally top-tier Legend, the Snow Dragon.
But it had been a year since the Snow Dragon last appeared in the Spark Federation.
The Snow Dragon was a fourth-tier Legend in the friendly faction. It used its own power to quell the flames of fire-type Transcendents afflicted with negative curses.
In theory, no high-tier Transcendent would dare attack it.
After all, the Transcendents who had benefited from its grace would be the first to object.
"It's already eleven. Let's get to bed early, too."
They unzipped the tent and climbed inside one after the other.
The tent was spacious, with enough room for all three of them to move around.
With Zhu Li gone, Lin Yue sprawled out with her arms and legs spread wide.
Chen Xi lay on her right side, idly scrolling through Zhu Li's forum account.
"I'm a little worried. I'm going to check on Zhu Li." She unzipped the tent and headed toward the lake.
Watching her walk away, Lin Yue seemed to want to say something, but held back.
By the lake, Zhu Li leaned against the railing with her headphones on, enjoying the cool breeze.
"What are you doing?" Chen Xi emerged from a path in the woods.
[Listening to music. Want to listen?]
Zhu Li took off one side of her headphones and held it out to her.
"I didn't say I wanted to listen..." Though she said that, Chen Xi still took the headphone and put it over her right ear.
The same soothing melody sounded in her ear again. Chen Xi leaned against the railing beside her, enjoying the peaceful, lovely atmosphere.
[Do you like it?]
The red-haired girl gazed at her expectantly.
"It's nice. Did you sing it?"
Zhu Li looked startled.
[How did you know?]
"I guessed. Besides..." Chen Xi suddenly leaned back, taking in Zhu Li from head to toe. "I feel like your voice should sound just like that."
Zhu Li's right hand hovered awkwardly in front of her chest, nowhere to rest. She looked at Chen Xi with a complicated expression.
[My voice...]
The flames gathered halfway, then suddenly collapsed.
Zhu Li stared blankly as the sparks scattered.
"What's wrong?" Noticing her mood, Chen Xi leaned toward her and asked.
[It's nothing. Lin Yue's probably about to fall asleep. You should hurry back, or you might disturb her.]
Zhu Li pulled herself together and smiled.
[I'm fine here by the lake. The mosquitoes don't dare bite me, either.]
Seeing that she really was fine, Chen Xi waved and left the lakeside.
"Then I'll go. Good night, Zhu Li."
On the way back, Chen Xi spotted the tent, its light still on.
She unzipped it. Lin Yue was lying on her side, scrolling through the forum.
"I'm turning off the light." She went inside and lay down.
"Oh," Lin Yue murmured.
Chen Xi switched off the lamp, then turned off her phone. The tent instantly went dark, with only a few flecks of moonlight remaining.
She turned onto her side again and quietly admired Lin Yue's profile.
Lin Yue noticed her gaze and turned onto her right side, meeting Chen Xi's eyes in secret.
Five seconds later, they both suddenly remembered that the other could see in the dark, too.
And so, a strange scene unfolded.
Not wanting the other to realize she was staring, they silently held each other's gaze, neither giving herself away for a long time.
Lin Yue was the first to give in. She glanced at Chen Xi's chest, giving Chen Xi her opening.
"Had enough?" the black-haired girl asked in a low voice.
"No."
Knowing she'd been found out, Lin Yue gave up pretending. She stared straight at Chen Xi's face, feeling the warmth of her breath.
After a long silence, Lin Yue finally asked the question they'd both been avoiding.
"Chen Xi... why are you following me? The mark is on me. You could've escaped a long time ago."
Setting aside the experience of Regression, the two of them had only known each other for five days.
If their roles were reversed, would she have done everything she could to help Chen Xi?
It was this sense that their feelings were mismatched that made Lin Yue constantly doubt herself. Did someone as weak and useless as her really deserve to be saved by Chen Xi?
"Why?"
The blonde girl gently cupped Chen Xi's face. Chen Xi didn't resist, simply gazing quietly at her.
At that moment, Lin Yue's intuition and powers of observation were at their peak.
If Chen Xi tried to hide something, Lin Yue would probably see right through her.
"Because I can see the future."
Chen Xi's eyes shimmered as she teased, "In the future, you'll save the world and become the most powerful Transcendent. So I'm just investing in you a little early."
"Well? Touched?"
The hardest lies to see through were usually nine parts truth and one part lie.
Besides, this was simply what she truly felt.
Hearing about the Prophet, Lin Yue pouted. "Could you stop teasing me and answer seriously, Chen Xi?"
Chen Xi looked at the sulking girl, smiling. "Because I like you. It's that simple. Go to sleep. I'm tired."
Hearing those four words, Lin Yue's heart shuddered. Then, coming to her senses, she turned away indignantly.
"You're brushing me off again. I'm not talking to you..." she muttered, hiding her flushed face beneath the blanket.
Chen Xi tugged the blanket over herself and turned onto her left side. "Perfect. I'm going to sleep."
They lay back to back, their thoughts unspoken.
Time passed. They both knew the other wasn't asleep.
Chen Xi was the one who finally broke the silence.
"Lin Yue, do you know what my life was like before I met you?"
With her back turned and the girl unable to watch her, Chen Xi could finally begin her real performance.
"What was it like? Were you a top student? I remember you had good grades," Lin Yue asked curiously.
"Nothing like that existed."
"Before I killed Wu Xin, all I felt was despair."
Chen Xi's voice trembled, but her face remained expressionless.
"My parents died a long time ago, leaving me only an old house and enough savings to get through university."
"Back then, every day, I wondered whether I'd get to see tomorrow."
"What did it feel like to die...?"
"What did it feel like to be killed by Wu Xin...? What would she do with my identity...? How much would it hurt to have my skin peeled off...?"
"Until I met you..." Chen Xi's voice had taken on a hint of a sob.
After building up her emotions, she deliberately turned back over.
Hearing her move, Lin Yue turned back, too.
Pale moonlight surrounded them. The black-haired girl's face was full of tenderness, tears welling in her eyes and already dampening the pillow.
Lin Yue had never seen such sorrowful eyes, yet ones so full of hope.
She slowly raised a hand and brushed away the tear at the corner of Chen Xi's eye.
Before you continue