The words on the wall soon disappeared.
[Third round, Ji Heng.]
After Fake Shen Cheng left those words, the red lines in the warehouse receded completely, leaving only the dark marks on Gu Huai, Xu Mingji, and Zhao Huaide. Team members unfastened Gu Huai from the iron chair, and he nearly fell to his knees when his feet touched the ground. Xu Mingji reached out to steady him, but let go almost as soon as he touched his cuff.
Gu Huai glanced at him, his voice hoarse.
"Thank you."
Xu Mingji lowered his eyes. "No need."
The hollow closeness they once shared was gone. All that remained was a mess of old grievances laid bare, which neither could get around.
Zhao Huaide was put back in restraints. The seven line marks on his back were still seeping blood. As a medic treated him, he kept gasping in pain but did not dare cry out loudly.
Lu Wenchuan stood at the warehouse entrance, looking down at his wrist.
The line had receded, but the wound had split deeper. Blood stained the gauze, and its edges bore charred marks. He looked at it for two seconds, then lowered his cuff.
Xu Zhihan walked over to him.
"Let me see."
Lu Wenchuan looked up. "I'll let Song Zhixia look at it when we get back."
"Now."
Lu Wenchuan paused, then held out his hand.
Xu Zhihan lowered his head and unwound part of the gauze. His movements were unhurried, his fingertips avoiding the deepest part of the wound as he peeled away only the outer layer of Talisman Paper contaminated by the red line.
Lu Wenchuan watched his lowered lashes and softened his voice.
"It's nothing serious."
Xu Zhihan said coldly, "That's not for you to decide."
"Then who gets to decide?"
Xu