STG 21
Chapter 21: I’m Sorry
Outside the hallway.
“I’m sorry, Qiye, I really am!” Li Yifei stood there, head lowered, apologizing over and over. “I was just so scared at the time, I—I didn’t think, I just ran…
“I left you and Jiang Qian behind, and because of that, she…
“I don’t expect you to forgive me, but since we’re classmates, I at least wanted to apologize properly!
“I’m sorry!”
Li Yifei didn’t dare look Lin Qiye in the eye, but his words were sincere.
After he finished, Lin Qiye spoke slowly.
“Running for your life when danger strikes is human nature. There’s nothing wrong with that.” He patted Li Yifei’s shoulder. “Besides, if it had been me, I probably would’ve run even faster than you.”
Li Yifei: “…”
Li Yifei scratched his head, as if suddenly remembering something. “Oh, right… did you also sign that confidentiality agreement?”
Lin Qiye paused, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
It seemed Zhao Kongcheng hadn’t lied to him. The organization really didn’t plan to do anything to the witnesses. After Li Yifei escaped the monster that night, it made sense that they’d have him sign a nondisclosure agreement.
If he had to guess, Liu Yuan had signed the same thing.
Though Lin Qiye himself hadn’t signed yet, it was only a matter of time. If he told Li Yifei he hadn’t signed, it would only raise unnecessary questions.
“Honestly, even if they hadn’t made me sign, I wouldn’t have talked about it.” Li Yifei sighed. “That scene… I never want to remember it again.
“Besides, if you violate the agreement, you’ll rot in jail. I’m not about to ruin my own life.”
Li Yifei leaned against the hallway railing, looking down at the lively schoolyard below, a hint of longing in his eyes.
“Actually… I kind of wish I could join them.”
Lin Qiye was taken aback. “You want to join them?”
“Yeah. I even brought it up when I signed the agreement—told them I was willing to drop out of school and join. But… they turned me down.”
“Why would you want to? Your grades might not be great, but aren’t you about to get a sports scholarship?”
“Being an athlete is boring. No—being ordinary is boring.” Li Yifei’s eyes gradually lit up.
“Joining a mysterious, powerful organization, fighting enemies hidden in society, earning countless merits… and when the truth finally comes to light, the whole world will remember my name!”
His fists clenched as he spoke excitedly. “Isn’t that every guy’s dream? That’s a meaningful life!”
“You’re romanticizing it too much.” Lin Qiye mercilessly shattered his fantasy. “You might die on your first mission, torn to pieces by some monster, buried in an unmarked grave in the mountains. Your parents might never even learn what happened to you. You’d just… vanish from the world, alone.”
Li Yifei: “…”
“Qiye, your imagination is way too bloody.”
“That’s not imagination.” Lin Qiye shook his head. “Your version is.”
Li Yifei sighed helplessly. “Whatever. It’s not like they wanted me anyway. No point dwelling on it. I’ll just take this secret to my grave.”
“Mm.” Lin Qiye checked the time. “We should head back. Class is about to start.”
As they walked back to the classroom, Lin Qiye could tell that Li Yifei seemed much more relaxed than before. Clearly, the guilt over abandoning him and Jiang Qian had weighed heavily on him.
Both had run away, but Li Yifei and Liu Yuan had made entirely different choices.
As for Liu Yuan, Lin Qiye had no interest in going out of his way to cause trouble for him. But if an opportunity arose in the future… he wouldn’t mind teaching him a lesson.
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After a full day of classes, Lin Qiye slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed home.
The deaths of Wang Shao and Jiang Qian two days ago had caused quite a stir at school. Under pressure, the administration had canceled evening self-study sessions, letting students go home early.
What surprised Lin Qiye, though, was just how much authority the Night Watch seemed to have. Normally, after two students died, people like him and Li Yifei—who had been with the victims—would’ve been questioned by the police.
But two days had passed, and no one had come for them.
It seemed the Night Watch had taken full control of the case. Their authority was high enough to make the local police stay completely silent about it.
As he walked, the sky gradually darkened, and a light drizzle began to fall.
It was barely past six, but the world was already shrouded in gloom.
Lin Qiye frowned. He hadn’t brought an umbrella, so he could only quicken his pace.
The rain grew heavier. By the time Lin Qiye rushed home, he was completely drenched. But the moment he opened the door, the rich aroma of home-cooked food washed over him, instantly dispelling any frustration.
“Oh my—Xiao Qi, you silly boy, how did you get so soaked?” His aunt, busy in the kitchen, hurried over when she saw him.
“It started raining hard. I didn’t have an umbrella,” Lin Qiye said with a smile.
“You should’ve waited it out somewhere! Or called me—I would’ve come to get you. What if you catch a cold like this?” His aunt feigned anger.
Lin Qiye chuckled sheepishly but didn’t reply.
“Go dry yourself off. Oh, and your teacher came by earlier. I asked him to wait in your room,” his aunt added, as if remembering something.
“Teacher?” Lin Qiye was puzzled.
“Yeah, your P.E. teacher. Said he had something to discuss with you. Hurry up and go see him—don’t keep him waiting.”
Lin Qiye wiped his hair with a towel, baffled.
What the hell? His P.E. teacher came to see him? He’d only transferred a few days ago—he hadn’t even attended a single P.E. class. Why would the teacher seek him out?
Unless…
A thought flashed through his mind. He tossed the towel aside and quickly opened the door to his room.
A familiar middle-aged man sat in a chair, sipping tea and smiling at him.
Lin Qiye’s brow furrowed. “You? How did you find my house?”
Zhao Kongcheng smirked, picking up a badge from the table and waving it. “After you ditched me the other night, I learned my lesson. I slipped this into your pocket yesterday. It has a tracker.”
Lin Qiye locked the door and sat down on the bed. “I already told you—I’m not joining you.”
“I know. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Then are you here to make me sign the confidentiality agreement?”
“Not that either.” Zhao Kongcheng shook his head. “I reported to the others that you’d gone missing. Since I decided to let you walk away, I can’t have you sign anything now. If they knew you were still around, they’d send someone else to recruit you.
“And those people… wouldn’t be as easy to shake off as me.”
Lin Qiye was taken aback. “Then why—”
Zhao Kongcheng pulled out a roll of parchment from his pocket and placed it on Lin Qiye’s desk, slowly unfurling it.
“The Night Watch’s benefits are better than you think. I’ve saved up quite a bit over the years,” he muttered as he unfolded the paper.
When the parchment was fully opened, Lin Qiye’s gaze froze.
Inside was a thick stack of cash.
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