Later, Bai Lansheng would realize that Old Wu didn’t go with Qin Sisi and the others that night. He had stayed behind at the general store to check the accounts and, once done, would usually patrol the area.
According to what had happened in her previous life, he should still be working on the accounts right now. Why was he here?
Confused and wary, Bai Lansheng held her breath as she watched the approaching figure.
Old Wu stopped about two meters away from her.
He said, “It’s not safe to walk around at night, but I’m not here to stop you. Someone asked me to pass on a message: Keep everything with you and stay safe.”
Then he turned the flashlight toward her and handed her something else.
The object made a clinking metallic sound, unexpectedly loud in the quiet night.
Old Wu left. His thin figure disappeared into the darkness, and if not for the cold metal still in her palm, Bai Lansheng might have thought he had never been there.
She looked down. It was a keychain, and it looked familiar.
With the flashlight in hand, the road ahead became much clearer and easier to walk.
The muddy path was no longer an obstacle. Bai Lansheng made her way out of the alley, and this time, no one called her back.
Once she passed the alley, she reached a crossroad and saw a familiar motorcycle.
It was the one that had brought her here.
There was something bulging on the seat, as if someone had left something behind.
She walked over and found a black bag.
Inside were several buns, two bottles of water, some coins, and a folded piece of paper.
On the paper, it said:
“Drive slowly.”
The handwriting was awful.
She was about to crumple the sloppy note and toss it when she noticed there were ink marks on the back.
She flipped it over and saw a hand-drawn map.
The lines were rough and basic, outlining an escape route.
There were notes at every turning point, carefully marked to help her avoid getting lost.
Bai Lansheng stood in silence for a moment.
She hesitated, then inserted the key into the ignition. The dashboard lit up.
The motorcycle was working.
Someone had told Old Wu to pass her the key. They had left food, water, money, and even a map.
That shameless woman wanted her to leave?
She couldn’t believe Qin Junlan would be so kind.
But the evidence in front of her felt like wings of freedom. All she had to do was spread them and fly far away from this suffocating place.
When she came here, she thought she would never get out. Now the chance was right in front of her.
Yaomu Star was divided into two areas: Dongxi and Xixi. That night, the two factions were scheduled to fight and settle old grudges.
Because of a detour, Qin Junlan, Green Hair, and their driver Minzi arrived at the meeting point a little late. Most of the others were already there.
The location was an abandoned factory in Area C. Steel bars jutted out of concrete, rust covered everything, and mismatched shipping containers were scattered around. Graffiti in bright colors covered the walls. The lighting was dim, and smoke hung thick in the air from people smoking.
The whole place had a gritty, greasy atmosphere. Qin Junlan pinched her nose. The air was awful.
Small groups gathered and chatted loudly, adding to the chaotic environment.
After a while, someone climbed to the top of the tallest container.
Voices started shouting, “Brother Su!” Others joined in, and someone even whistled.
Brother Su raised a hand to quiet the crowd before speaking.
He had a way of riling people up. By the end of his speech, the young ones below were boiling with energy, ready to clash with Xixi right then and there.
Qin Junlan remained unmoved. She was reminded of her old boss in a past life, who also liked to make empty promises.
Brother Su clearly enjoyed the attention but knew how to read the room. These weren’t office workers willing to listen to long-winded speeches. He quickly cut to the point and began assigning teams to their respective zones.
Qin Junlan was part of the D-zone fighters and had originally been assigned to area D-7.
Just as they were about to head out, one of Brother Su’s men called out her and Yu Zhao’s names. They were being reassigned to area X-19.
It was a big shift, and only the two of them were being moved.
Qin Junlan found it suspicious.
She asked Green Hair, “Have there been sudden reassignments like this before?”
Green Hair scratched her green hair, puzzled. “I guess… sometimes? But we’re usually told in advance.”
Frowning, Qin Junlan remembered Old Wu’s advice and decided to play it safe. She put on the helmet she had picked up earlier.
She also told Green Hair to wear one, but she didn’t want to mess up the hairstyle she had spent so much time perfecting. She figured she’d put it on if things went sideways.
When they reached area X-19, a full-on brawl had already broken out. Green Hair had no time to protect herself.
Qin Junlan hadn’t been in a fight this intense in a long while. When it was over, she took a few deep breaths to calm down. Thankfully, the helmet had kept her head safe.
Green Hair wasn’t so lucky. Her face was bruised, and her fancy hair looked like a bird’s nest.
Her face was covered in every color imaginable. Still, she didn’t want to spend money on treatment and said she’d wait for the wounds to heal on their own.
Qin Junlan insisted on taking her to a clinic.
Green Hair said, “Boss, you’ve been distracted all night. I bet you’re worried about your wife at home. Go on, I’ll be fine. Minzi’s here with me.”
Qin Junlan replied, “Sorry about this. I’ll come check on you later.”
“Boss, come on, no need to be polite,” Green Hair grinned, though her bruised face made the smile look terrible.
Qin Junlan gave Minzi a few instructions, paid in advance, then left in a hurry.
After she left, Minzi poked Green Hair lightly.
Green Hair winced. “Ow, don’t poke me. That hurts.”
Minzi said, “Quit pretending to be a hero. You’re going to need a bunch of stitches.”
Green Hair grumbled, “You should’ve seen Boss fighting. She was incredible. I’ve never seen anyone look so calm and hit so hard at the same time.”
Minzi rolled his eyes. “Wasn’t she wearing a helmet? Like you could even see her face. You’re seriously injured. Want me to call that childhood crush of yours?”
Green Hair raised her hand to scratch her head but thought of her wounds and lowered it again. “Forget it. If she sees me like this, she’ll only get angrier.”
After a short pause, Minzi said, “I think the boss has changed.”
Green Hair’s heart skipped. “Changed how?”
Minzi looked thoughtful. “She used to care a lot about us. Ever since she got a girlfriend, she’s become more… domestic. If it were before, she’d definitely be here with you now.”
Green Hair gave him a look and said, “You’re just jealous because you’re single.”
“Come on, like you’re not single too!” Green Hair snapped.
The doctor finished treating the wounds on her head and asked, “You’ve got blood on your stomach. Did you get hurt there too?”
Green Hair shook her head. Minzi, still worried, lifted her shirt to check. There were no injuries.
They looked at each other in confusion. Where did the blood come from?
Minzi frowned. “Could it be from Boss Qin?”
She didn’t have any visible injuries on her face, but who knew about the rest of her body?
The fight had been a mess. No one had the time to check on anyone else. They couldn’t be sure whether the boss had been hit or not.
Now even Green Hair started to doubt herself.
Qin Junlan was speeding down the road on her motorcycle, even faster than Green Hair’s wildest rides.
The cold wind whipped past her, cooling her heated body. After a while, the heat on her back faded and was replaced by a chilling cold. Still, she didn’t slow down. Instead, she twisted the throttle harder.
The system spoke up, clearly unhappy.
[System: If an eighty percent chance means guaranteed success, then by leaving Bai Lansheng behind, you’ve dropped it to less than twenty percent. Do you really think she won’t run? She’s got two working legs, you know. And now you’re worried? Why didn’t you think about this earlier? You should have never left her alone!]
Qin Junlan ignored the system completely and focused on driving.
Back in District D, she saw Green Hair’s bike still parked at the alley entrance.
The system noticed too and seemed surprised. Bai Lansheng didn’t take the bike?
Qin Junlan stepped off and examined the muddy ground.
She had delayed her departure on purpose to check the footprints. In the mud, they stayed clear unless someone stepped over them.
Now there were two new sets. One had longer strides and returned quickly—Old Wu’s. He had just come to deliver something.
The other set was lighter and continued out of the alley. That had to be Bai Lansheng’s.
There were no prints showing a return. She was definitely not inside the house anymore.
Qin Junlan got back on her bike and headed for the general store. Before Old Wu could even finish pointing the direction, she had already driven off.
Old Wu chuckled. Young people in love were always in such a hurry.
Qin Junlan followed the trail for a long time. It vanished here and there, but eventually, she found her near the river.
In the moonlight, Bai Lansheng’s silver hair glowed like a halo. She looked like a delicate spirit from another world, quietly standing by the water.
Qin Junlan kicked down the stand and parked. She left the lights on, tossed her helmet onto the seat, and walked straight toward her.
She wasn’t here to admire the view. She was here to pull someone back to reality.
Before she got too close, she spoke.
“I’m back.”
Bai Lansheng didn’t turn around.
She stared at the dark river. Without the sunlight, the water was pitch black. Gone was the sparkle from earlier. But somehow, the darkness fit her mood better.
Compared to the brightness of the day, she preferred what she saw now.
“I want to be alone,” Bai Lansheng said softly.
“You gave the wrong answer,” Qin Junlan replied. “When someone says ‘I’m back,’ you’re supposed to say ‘Welcome back.’ But I’ll forgive you this time. I won’t come over. You come to me.”
Bai Lansheng had been struggling all night. Hearing Qin Junlan’s teasing tone nearly broke her. She held it in as long as she could, then shouted, “I’m not coming over, and you’re not allowed to come here. If you take one step closer, I’ll jump in!”
“Go ahead.”
“Don’t think I won’t do it!”
“Just remember,” Qin Junlan said calmly, “if you end up in the water, make sure you don’t survive. Because if you get reincarnated as a fish, I’ll be the one to catch you.”
Bai Lansheng was speechless. What kind of ridiculous warning was that?
Qin Junlan softened her voice. “Turn around. I brought you a gift.”
Bai Lansheng didn’t move.
“You’re really stubborn, huh? If you won’t come to me, then I’m coming to you.”
Hearing footsteps, Bai Lansheng quickly spun around. She didn’t trust that woman one bit.
Qin Junlan gave her a small smile. “Watch closely.”
She opened her hand. A tiny firefly fluttered into the air, glowing gently like a star.
It was beautiful.
But Bai Lansheng had already seen plenty of fireflies tonight. This wasn’t special at all.
She pouted slightly. What kind of gift was this?
Qin Junlan hadn’t had time to prepare anything real. She had just caught the firefly to distract her and maybe lighten the mood. But unexpectedly, the insect flew straight into Bai Lansheng’s collar.
“It flew onto you. Want me to help get it out?” she asked, already reaching forward.
Bai Lansheng stepped back quickly and glared, warning her not to come closer.
Qin Junlan raised her hands and stopped.
But then Bai Lansheng felt a strange tickling sensation around her collar.
Could she have been telling the truth?
Panicked, she started patting her shirt, only for the insect to crawl further inside. She let out a squeak, jumped back again, and her foot landed right in the muddy riverbank.
The mud sucked in her foot, trapping her ankle. The harder she tried to pull out, the more stuck she became. Her body tipped forward, almost falling into the river.
Qin Junlan grabbed her just in time and pulled her back.
But Bai Lansheng scowled and shoved her away. She didn’t want to be rescued by that woman.
Seeing her stumble, Qin Junlan let out a quiet laugh. She was about to say something when Bai Lansheng gave her another shove. It wasn’t strong, but Qin Junlan paused, then let herself fall back into the river.
She flailed for a moment before slowly sinking beneath the surface.
Bai Lansheng’s foot was still stuck in the mud. She stared at the water, stunned.
She had imagined pushing Qin Sisi into a river before. But she never did it, because she wasn’t sure if that woman could swim.
Now, one careless shove, and Qin Junlan was gone beneath the water.
Could that shameless woman really not know how to swim?
Just as Bai Lansheng was about to feel triumphant, a hand grabbed her ankle and yanked her into the water.
The cold rushed in from all directions, wrapping around her like a suffocating net. Panic and helplessness overwhelmed her, until a pair of strong arms steadied her and helped her stand. Drenched and breathless, she clung on, stunned.
Qin Junlan held her firmly by the waist. Bai Lansheng clutched her shoulder, legs wrapped tightly around her. They were still standing in the river, but the water barely reached Qin Junlan’s thighs.
Qin Junlan thought to herself, “It’s barely this deep, and she thought it could drown someone?”
Her once ethereal little fairy now looked like a miserable, soaking mess. Qin Junlan couldn’t help but chuckle and said, “You can’t blame me for this. You pushed me in first.”
The light wasn’t great, but Bai Lansheng could still see the curve of Qin Junlan’s smiling eyes.
Was Qin Sisi ever able to smile like that?
Bai Lansheng murmured, “What does it mean to be alive?”
She wasn’t sure who she was asking—Qin Junlan or herself. What was the point of living again?
When she first came back to life, she had already felt exhausted with everything. She had wanted to end it all, and someone had stopped her. Then she had been saved, again and again—by the very person she once hated the most.
Qin Junlan gave a look of mock disgust. “Why ask me about such deep stuff?”
Bai Lansheng fell silent. Right. Why was she looking for life’s meaning from someone so crude?
“If I had to say,” Qin Junlan continued, “maybe it just means living better than everyone else.”
What a terrible answer, Bai Lansheng thought.
Qin Junlan leaned in slightly. “But no matter what, you’re not allowed to die.”
“Why not?” Bai Lansheng asked quietly.
Qin Junlan’s expression softened. “Because you are my life.”
Bai Lansheng’s heart skipped for just a second.
She hadn’t stayed because she had any attachment to this place. It was because, deep down, she realized that even if she left, there was nowhere else for her to go.
The world outside this abyss was another hell. There was no space left for her out there.
She had wandered like a ghost, and without meaning to, ended up here.
Qin Junlan gently tucked a lock of silver hair behind her ear. “If you don’t have anywhere specific you want to go, then stay with me for now.”
Bai Lansheng didn’t respond.
She had run out of love for the world. All she had left was hatred, and that hatred had rooted her in this place.
Now, she finally found a reason to stay.
If she had to live another life, she wasn’t going to stay in the abyss alone. If she had to die, she’d take someone down with her.
She closed her eyes and leaned against Qin Junlan. The exhaustion pressed in again.
“I’m tired,” she whispered.
“I’ll take you home.”
Bai Lansheng gave no clear response, but Qin Junlan could feel her resistance soften.
The mission hadn’t been marked complete, but at least for now, Bai Lansheng was alive.
Still, the choice Qin Junlan made tonight had stirred up a few consequences. The little life she’d just saved might now be tangled up with her own.