"You wanted to kill me?"
Chu Qingjiu's words were filled with disbelieving sorrow. Qi Wu had been the one to approach him first, yet now Qi Wu wanted him dead.
"No, that's not it, big brother! I don't know why... something was strange just now..."
At Chu Qingjiu's accusation, Qi Wu seemed to snap awake and immediately began explaining in a panic.
But he couldn't explain why he had thought that way. He didn't know why he had gone to such extremes, even wanting Chu Qingjiu to die when he loved him most.
That wasn't who he was. Those weren't his thoughts.
Why had he thought that way?
Chu Qingjiu took a deep breath and shook his head, profound distrust written across his face.
"Stop explaining. You can't fool me." Chu Qingjiu raised his eyes to the panicked, helpless Qi Wu without much emotion, his voice cold. "If you want to kill me, do it openly. I'll give you the chance."
Chu Qingjiu had sensed Qi Wu's murderous intent with perfect clarity just now. That was why he felt disappointed.
Even though... Qi Wu's panic and helplessness were real now, too, that unmistakable murderous intent still chilled Chu Qingjiu to the heart.
They were supposed to be enemies. Even if they ended up taking up arms against each other, it would only mean returning to the course fate had laid out, to the path they should have followed from the start.
He had known the ending long ago, so what was he grieving over now?
Thump, thump-
His heart pounded violently, wracked by waves of twisting pain. Chu Qingjiu even slowed his breathing, because every breath made his heart ache.
He instinctively pressed a hand over his heart, as though that could ease the pain, but it was futile.
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