An unexpected pursuit

After killing Liu Dazhi, Qin Siyang enjoyed a peaceful week.

That week, he followed a regular routine of school, cafeteria, and library, then dutifully spent the weekend lying around at home.

He had made too many big moves in the first few days after his rebirth. It was time for a break.

The slower pace of that week allowed Qin Siyang's taut nerves to relax.

Chatting with Teacher Zhu in the library during school was quite interesting, too.

The old woman had deep insights into life, and she had been a considerable help to Qin Siyang.

Of course, he saw Wen Shu in the library every day.

With less than half a year left before the Gaokao, Wen Shu had practically stopped attending classes. Instead, she spent every day in the library working through old exercise books to identify and fill the gaps in her knowledge.

Another morning came. Qin Siyang got out of bed and glanced at the calendar.

[Earth Era, January 14, 2010]

[Western Calendar, Thursday.]

[Xia Calendar, Jichou year, eleventh month, twenty-eighth day. Auspicious for placing the deceased in a coffin.]

After a glance, Qin Siyang decided that today's almanac probably had nothing to do with him.

The boring day soon passed.

After school, he went to the library again.

"Teacher Zhu, I'm here to help you tidy up."

Qin Siyang put down his bag and lunch box, then saw that Wen Shu was the only person left at the library tables.

When Wen Shu saw Qin Siyang arrive to tidy the library, she knew it was closing time, so she stood up to leave.

"Keep studying. Qin Siyang and I still have another ten minutes or so of tidying to do."

Teacher Zhu said it casually to Wen Shu.

Wen Shu glanced at Teacher Zhu, nodded her thanks, and sat back down to continue studying.

Teacher Zhu came over to Qin Siyang and whispered with an affectionate expression, "Xiao Qin, do you like her?"

Qin Siyang froze for a moment. "Huh? No."

"No?" Teacher Zhu looked unconvinced.

Qin Siyang waved dismissively. "Dating isn't much fun."

Teacher Zhu gave a scornful smile. "Dating isn't fun? Then why do I remember you happily trailing after a girl, grinning from ear to ear?"

With that reminder from Teacher Zhu, Qin Siyang had no ground left to stand on.

Before his rebirth, hadn't he been nothing more than a lovesick lapdog following Li Jingwen around?

All he could say was, "It's because I've already sim-dated someone that I know it isn't fun."

Teacher Zhu patted Qin Siyang on the shoulder. "Xiao Qin, as someone who's been there, I have a few things to tell you."

"Go ahead." Qin Siyang smiled, listening to Teacher Zhu as he tidied the books on the shelves.

Qin Siyang knew that Teacher Zhu liked chatting with young people in her old age.

He enjoyed her warm way of talking, and he liked Teacher Zhu herself even more for being so kind to him.

Since the old woman wanted to chat, he might as well keep her company.

"That girl you used to follow around looked flighty at a glance, not like someone you could build a life with. So perhaps dating her hurt your feelings and made you think it wasn't worth it."

Teacher Zhu's very first words stunned Qin Siyang.

He was surprised by her appetite for gossip and impressed by her keen powers of observation.

He had been so close to Li Jingwen in his previous life, yet he had never seen her clearly. Teacher Zhu, a library teacher who hadn't exchanged a single word with Li Jingwen in three years, had seen straight through her.

He had to admit that older people really were better judges of character.

"Teacher Zhu, you... you've been watching me all along?"

"Oh, you and Wen Shu are the only people in this whole library who stop to chat with me. Of course I pay a little attention to you two. Besides, you followed that girl around all day. I saw her so often I practically wore my eyes out. Naturally, I recognized her."

Teacher Zhu continued disdainfully, "When you two were dating, a young fellow like you would never have listened if I'd said anything bad about her. Now that you say you're no longer together, I can finally get these things off my chest."

"I've seen her getting close to several boys. Especially Director Zhou's nephew, that Zhou... Zhou something..."

"You mean Zhou Yang?"

"Yes, that boy. They were awfully close! But whenever those two were together, you weren't there. And whenever you two were together, he wasn't there either. That's why I thought that girl was no good."

Qin Siyang nodded. "You're right. I only found out later, so I stopped seeing her."

"Yes, as the saying goes, better none than the wrong one. The farther you stay from someone like her, the better. But Xiao Qin, Wen Shu is a truly rare, good girl. If you win her over, you'll be happy for the rest of your life!"

"What... where did that come from?" Qin Siyang frowned, caught off guard by Teacher Zhu's sudden matchmaking.

"Oh, why shouldn't I say it? You'll probably be heading out into the world on your own after graduation anyway, so it isn't too early to find a girlfriend. I think Wen Shu is wonderful. So are you. Two kind people like you should be together!"

"Teacher Zhu, I never expected you to be so open-minded at your age. Our grade director is still cracking down on teenage dating, while you're busy playing matchmaker."

"Pah, what grade director? He's just the principal's lackey. You kids were born at the wrong time. The Apocalypse came, the universities were completely reshuffled, and colleges became scarce. Most people can't continue their education after high school anymore. If high school marks the end of your student years, can dating in high school really be called premature? I certainly don't see a problem."

"But seriously, Wen Shu really is a good child. I know her grandmother, too. I met her a few times when Wen Shu was little, and she was very gentle when she spoke. Perhaps her grandmother's good nature is why Wen Shu has such a lovely disposition."

"You have a good disposition too, Young Qin. You're considerate of an old woman like me, always rushing to help with the work."

"Leave me out of it. I only started helping you recently. Before that, I always ran off as soon as school ended. That hardly makes me a good person."

"I know. You were off doing that little girl's homework. I don't blame you. See? As soon as you split up with her, you came to help me. That shows you're still kindhearted."

Qin Siyang was dumbfounded. "You even knew about that?"

Teacher Zhu smiled proudly. "Your Teacher Zhu plans her strategies within the library and wins her victories beyond the classroom!"

"I... I'm impressed."

"Don't brush off what I'm saying. Xiao Qin, a girl as good as Wen Shu is a rare find. Seeing two kind children like you together would make me happy, too."

Qin Siyang shook his head helplessly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Wen Shu was a good kid. There was no arguing with that.

But him?

What kind of good kid had so many lives on his hands?

Just last week, he had killed someone and set a fire. This week, a teacher was praising him as a good kid in the library.

Qin Siyang felt there was something bizarre about it, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"What, do you think I'm being long-winded?"

"No. I just think Wen Shu can get into a college, while I'll just be scraping by out in the world. Being with me would hold her back."

"You look like a handsome young fellow, so why do you talk as timidly as a girl? If she goes to college, can't you find work nearby? What future is there in spending your whole life cooped up on the edge of this Safe Zone?"

Seeing Teacher Zhu's exasperated gaze, Qin Siyang knew the old woman genuinely had his interests at heart.

But he didn't want to be anyone's lapdog again.

"All right, I understand, Teacher Zhu. Thank you."

"Forget it. Looks like you still haven't listened. The choice is yours. I'm only offering advice. Hurry up and finish tidying. I need to lock up."

Seeing Qin Siyang's perfunctory response, Teacher Zhu lost interest in continuing the conversation and began shooing them out. Qin Siyang could only feel helpless. The old woman changed her mood as quickly as turning a page.

By the time he finished tidying the shelves, Wen Shu had packed her schoolbag and was ready to leave.

Teacher Zhu locked the door and said, "I'm going to the restroom. You two go on ahead."

With that, she left Qin Siyang and Wen Shu standing outside the library.

Qin Siyang looked at Teacher Zhu's retreating figure, filled with mixed feelings. The old woman meant well, but she was wasting her efforts on an unreceptive audience. There wasn't the slightest romantic feeling between the two of them right now.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

The two left school side by side.

They reached the fork in the road again, and once again it was time to part.

Wen Shu said, "Goodbye."

She was just about to turn away when Qin Siyang grabbed her schoolbag strap.

A smile curled at the corner of Qin Siyang's mouth, but his eyes were cold. "I'll walk you home today."

Wen Shu didn't understand why Qin Siyang had suddenly become so forward, as though he were a different person.

"You don't have to..."

Without letting her argue, Qin Siyang took her hand and headed toward her home.

Wen Shu frowned and tried to pull free, only to hear Qin Siyang say in a very low voice, "I warned Li Jingwen last week. I didn't expect her to dare send someone after us today."

Wen Shu looked back, but saw nothing. She turned a puzzled gaze toward Qin Siyang again.

Holding her hand, Qin Siyang strode forward.

"My home isn't that way."

Qin Siyang turned left and right through the alleys, then looked back at her with a smile. "Would you rather I killed someone outside your front door?"

"Kill..." Wen Shu's eyes widened in shock.

She thought Qin Siyang was joking.

But the icy look in his eyes just now made her realize that he seemed to be serious.

"No... Qin Siyang, shouldn't we try talking things through with Li Jingwen and the others?"

Qin Siyang said, "If it were Li Jingwen following us, I'd just slap her a couple of times and send her packing."

"It's... it's not Li Jingwen? Then who..."

Qin Siyang glanced behind him and continued pulling Wen Shu forward.

Wen Shu looked back as well.

This time, she suddenly saw seven or eight dark figures dart out of the alley they had just passed through. They carried weapons that looked like iron bars and short blades.

Qin Siyang quickened his pace, pulling Wen Shu into a run.

Wen Shu immediately looked up at Qin Siyang beside her in panic. "They... who are they..."

"Probably Li Jingwen's uncle. He's a notorious thug around here, with blood on his hands."

"Then why is her uncle following us?"

Qin Siyang thought for a moment. "To kill us both. They'll probably beat me up before killing me. As for what they'll do to you..."

He didn't finish. He merely gave Wen Shu a pointed glance up and down, and she immediately covered her neckline.

"But why?! Why would they kill us?!"

"You heard what I said to her last time, didn't you?"

"Because of her and Zhou..."

"Zhou Yang."

"Because of her and Zhou Yang?"

"Yes."

"Who exactly is Zhou Yang?"

"Just an ordinary person. But his uncle awakened a sequence ability, so he's been on the rise lately. Li Jingwen probably wants to latch on to Zhou Yang and live as a rich wife."

"But didn't you say you'd scheduled an email so she wouldn't try anything?"

Qin Siyang gave Wen Shu a faint smile. "I lied to her."

"Lied?"

"The internet cafe costs so much. Where would I get that kind of money? She must have realized that, too, and sent her uncle to deal with us."

"But how does her uncle know whether you went to the internet cafe? Has he been following you all along?"

"No. Following me would be too much work. I think her uncle probably had someone stake out the internet cafe for a week. I said I'd go there and schedule an email to be sent a week later, then return every week to push back the time."

"If I didn't go to the internet cafe for an entire week, it would mean I'd never scheduled an email in the first place."

Wen Shu was stunned again. "They... care that much about this thing with Zhou Yang?"

"That was careless of me, too. From the looks of it, Li Jingwen's whole family sees her relationship with Zhou Yang as their chance to turn their fortunes around. That must be why her uncle went to all this trouble."

With Qin Siyang's confirmation, Wen Shu was utterly at a loss. She glanced back at the men drawing ever closer and said despairingly, "Then... then aren't we... aren't we going to die here?"

"It was my fault for dragging you into this. So I'll take care of it."

"You?"

Qin Siyang's smile held a hint of menace:

"You're someone who can keep a secret, aren't you?"