Ling An and Tide Sis exchanged a glance, both keenly sensing that something was off.
"He seems to be avoiding something," Ling An observed.
"Beep beep. While we were chatting with this researcher, I detected someone nearby listening in." Xiangli flew a circle in the air and pointed at a young researcher with teal hair.
"Um, hello. I'm Jiu Li, also a researcher." Having been discovered, he scratched his head sheepishly and introduced himself.
"Why were you eavesdropping on us?" Ling An demanded righteously.
"Well, I didn't mean to. Oh, right, I might be able to help you find the person you're looking for," Jiu Li said earnestly.
"Oh?" Ling An raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it."
"You're looking for Xiaosheng, aren't you?" Jiu Li said confidently. "You came here to help fulfill the wish he submitted under a pseudonym."
"That's right. How did you know?"
"Hehe, that's a robot from the Moon Tree House beside you, isn't it? I can recognize that much."
"So, who is Xiaosheng?" Ling An asked seriously, getting straight to the point.
Jiu Li's expression grew serious as well. "It's Shifan. He must have realized who you were and made an excuse to run away."
Ling An was startled. "It was him?"
He remembered that Shifan had seemed perfectly normal earlier. He hadn't even looked down, let alone depressed.
Jiu Li nodded. "Late-Night Emotional Syndrome often only manifests when someone is alone at night. He was always the best at everything growing up, but at some point, he started posting those strange, negative comments online. I know his way of speaking all too well."
Only after hearing Jiu Li's explanation was Ling An certain. His gaze lowered as he asked Jiu Li, "Your arm seems to be injured?"
Jiu Li held his arm and smiled.