Do You Need Me to Keep You Company Tonight?

Early the next morning, Qin Fengying got up early as usual and prepared breakfast.

Xiao Wang and Zhou Zhengxiong sat down at the table. Before Zhou Zhengxiong could say anything, Zhou Xuanyu took the initiative to turn on the radio.

As the family ate breakfast, they started chatting.

"Will you be coming back to stay tonight?" Qin Fengying asked Xiao Wang as she ate.

"Probably not. The assessment is coming up, so I need to focus on training."

"Don't overwork yourself. Your health comes first, understand?"

"I know, Auntie. Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Zhou Zhengxiong added, "Just do your best in martial arts. If you really can't get into the Martial Arts Academy, a vocational skills school wouldn't be bad either. I could still give you some guidance then."

Xiao Wang knew Zhou Zhengxiong was afraid he was under too much pressure and was reminding him that he still had a way out.

But what Zhou Zhengxiong did not know was that he had no way out. If he failed to get into the Martial Arts Academy, he would not be able to enter the inner city. And if he could not enter the inner city, he had no idea what Aries would do to him.

As the family chatted over breakfast, a news report came on the radio.

"The Federal Government is intensifying its crackdown on the rebels. In recent days, several rebel espionage operations have been dismantled in the capital region."

"After the Federal Government's many efforts, the prices that had been rising for days have been effectively brought under control recently."

"Bullshit." Upon hearing that broadcast, Qin Fengying immediately cursed. As the one who bought groceries, cooked, and looked after Zhou Xuanyu every day, she felt the changes in prices most keenly. "Prices have gone up by at least twenty percent lately, and they call that effective control? Control my ass."

"Watch your language. The child is right here," Zhou Zhengxiong reminded her.

"Bullshit, hahaha!" Zhou Xuanyu immediately copied her.

"Hahaha..." The whole family could not help laughing at Zhou Xuanyu's words.

The radio broadcast continued.

"Early this morning, a murder occurred in a residential building on Baifeng Road in the outer city. Of a family of three, both husband and wife died. The preliminary ruling is food poisoning. They left behind a daughter who was about to come of age. It is said that the couple adopted the girl eight years ago..."

"Poor child..."

Qin Fengying casually remarked, but before she could finish, she saw Xiao Wang abruptly rise to his feet.

The moment Xiao Wang heard Baifeng Road, he began paying attention to the report. By the time he heard "daughter about to come of age" and "adopted eight years ago," he was almost certain it was talking about An Han.

Xiao Wang grabbed his schoolbag and hurried toward the door.

"Auntie, Uncle, I'm leaving first. I'll be staying at the martial arts gym tonight."

Before Zhou Zhengxiong and his wife could even process what had happened, Xiao Wang had already vanished from their sight.

Xiao Wang rushed downstairs and ran straight toward Baifeng Road.

Along the way, Xiao Wang finally understood why An Han had always seemed hesitant and unable to say what she wanted during their previous meetings.

Especially when he recalled what she had said yesterday: "If I did something not very good, would you be very disappointed in me?"

Xiao Wang suddenly stopped.

"What did she mean?"

"Did she know this was going to happen?"

"Could it be that she..."

At that thought, Xiao Wang did not dare continue. Murder cases were common in the outer city. Unless it was a major riot with widespread impact, they were barely investigated before being hastily closed and forgotten.

It would have been one thing if it were someone else, but the dead were her adoptive parents.

Xiao Wang quickened his pace and ran toward Baifeng Road.

Half an hour later, he finally arrived downstairs from An Han's home.

Quite a few onlookers had gathered below, and Patrol Bureau staff were maintaining order at the scene.

Xiao Wang walked closer and was about to go upstairs to find An Han when he suddenly spotted her sitting on the steps downstairs.

"An Han," Xiao Wang called as he approached.

"You know her?" a Patrol Bureau staff member stopped him and asked.

"We're classmates."

After hearing that, the Patrol Bureau staff member let Xiao Wang pass and go over to An Han.

Xiao Wang crouched down in front of An Han and looked at her face.

There was no expression on it. She was calm, as though nothing had happened.

Xiao Wang's heart skipped a beat. His guess was probably correct.

But he still said nothing. He simply sat down quietly beside An Han to keep her company.

He did not know what to say.

Should he ask whether she was all right?

Or ask what had happened?

Neither seemed appropriate.

All he could do was what he had done for the past eight years: stay with her. When the time came, perhaps she would tell him. Or perhaps she never would.

After they sat there for a while, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed.

An Han stood up, picked up her schoolbag, and said in a rather relaxed tone, "Come on, let's go to school. We'll be late soon."

Xiao Wang: ???

"Is everything here taken care of?" Xiao Wang asked.

An Han's composure shocked him, and her ease even made his skin crawl.

"What could possibly be left? The Patrol Bureau already questioned me, and they finished their investigation and are getting ready to leave. I paid someone to handle my adoptive parents' bodies. Come on, we really will be late soon."

After saying that, An Han walked ahead by herself. Xiao Wang saw her lightly hop once, kicking away a pebble by her feet.

Sure enough, Xiao Wang soon saw several Patrol Bureau staff members withdraw from the scene as well.

Xiao Wang stood dazed for two seconds before he could only follow An Han.

On the way.

An Han still spoke very little.

Xiao Wang wanted to say something, but he could not bring himself to ask about what had happened earlier, so he changed the subject. "I found some information on Hu Guangzhong."

As they walked, An Han turned to glance at Xiao Wang. "What information?"

"I found his license plate number. I also found out that he's very skilled with guns and hand-to-hand combat. If it's just the two of us trying to take him out, our chances of winning in a direct confrontation probably aren't very high."

"We'll find a way. What's his plate number?"

"Yuan A4834."

"Alright, I've memorized it."

After that, the two walked toward school in silence.

Just as they were nearing the school, An Han suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Xiao Wang. "You've already guessed, haven't you?"

Xiao Wang nodded.

"Are you very disappointed in me?"

Xiao Wang did not know how to answer. Instead, he asked, "Can you tell me why?"

An Han was silent for a moment. "They wanted to do things to me that they shouldn't have."

After a pause, she added, "I originally wanted to wait, but aren't we supposed to kill Hu Guangzhong within a month? I thought about it. We might both be in danger when we kill Hu Guangzhong. If I died, wouldn't they still get to live happily, and even adopt another girl? So I could only send them on their way early."

An Han spoke calmly, without the slightest fluctuation in her voice.

Xiao Wang remained silent. He did not know how to respond. When they were about to part ways at the school gate, he looked at An Han and asked, "Do you need me to keep you company tonight?"

An Han looked at Xiao Wang and finally smiled. "No, I'm fine. Don't worry."

After a moment, she looked at Xiao Wang again and said seriously, "Thank you!"

With that, she began whistling and headed toward her classroom.