STG 34

Chapter 34: What Do You Think You’re Doing?

In the woods on the other side of the cemetery…

“Xiangnan.”

“!!!”

Wu Xiangnan, lying prone on the ground, jolted violently and whipped his head around. Recognizing the newcomer, he let out a relieved sigh.

“Captain, walking around silently in a cemetery in the middle of the night? You nearly scared me to death.” He pressed a hand to his pounding heart, taking deep breaths.

Chen Muye quietly sat down beside Wu Xiangnan, watching Hong Ying carve the tombstone alone in the distance. He whispered,

“I thought your wooden head only stored tactics. Didn’t expect you to come too.”

Wu Xiangnan rolled his eyes. “Who’d believe she went to practice shooting at this hour? Do you really think I’m that dense?”

“Yes.”

Wu Xiangnan: “…”

“What about Qimo? He’s here too, right?”

“He’s lying in the ditch opposite with Lin Qiye.”

“And Leng Xuan and Xiaonan?”

“Leng Xuan disappeared who-knows-where. Xiaonan’s afraid of the dark and didn’t dare come.”

“Oh.”

The two men lapsed into silence.

After a long while, Chen Muye spoke again:

“I’m glad you came.”

“…Is it that big a deal?”

“It is.” Chen Muye nodded seriously. “It means you’re no longer the Wu Xiangnan who just crawled out of a pile of corpses. No matter how much you deny it… you’re already changing.”

“Why would I deny it?” Wu Xiangnan said calmly. “It’s been almost six years since the ‘Blue Rain’ squad was wiped out. Even a useless survivor like me has to move on eventually. Meeting all of you… was just my luck.”

Chen Muye sighed deeply. “To them, you’re just a rigid rule-follower. Last time I eavesdropped on Hong Ying and Xiaonan, they said you’d never find a wife in this lifetime.”

“…”

“If they knew you were once a member of the legendary ‘Blue Rain’ special squad, they’d probably lose their minds.”

“I’m just a useless survivor. I don’t deserve that name anymore.” Wu Xiangnan’s voice was steady. “Right now, I just want to be an ordinary member of Team 136.”

Chen Muye patted Wu Xiangnan’s shoulder and said nothing.

“What do you think?” Wu Xiangnan suddenly asked.

“About what?”

“That newcomer. Lin Qiye.”

“Good kid.”

“I’m not talking about his potential. I mean his personality.”

“Neither am I.”

Wu Xiangnan paused, then continued, “He’s the one who killed the Ghostface King. If I had to guess, Zhao Kongcheng only gravely wounded it—not enough to finish it off.”

“Does that matter?”

“Doesn’t it?”

Chen Muye met Wu Xiangnan’s eyes and spoke slowly, “That kid chose to credit Zhao Kongcheng. That’s his decision. Why obsess over it?”

“You worked with Lao Zhao for so long. Don’t you know what his dream was?”

Wu Xiangnan fell silent.

Chen Muye shifted his gaze from Hong Ying to the distant ditch, his voice calm.

“Like I said… he’s a good kid.”

.

.

Meanwhile.

Dozens of miles from the cemetery.

Leng Xuan, crouching stealthily on a hilltop, lowered his binoculars, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

“Tch. None of you know how to hide properly. Got you all on camera again…”

Click! Click!

A few soft sounds came from the binoculars as several high-definition photos slid out from the bottom. There was Hong Ying carving the tombstone alone, Lin Qiye chatting with Wen Qimo, two grown men “bonding” in the woods…

He treated these photos like treasures, carefully locking them away in a box.

Inside the box were stacks of photos.

Priceless, awkward, yet heartwarming snapshots of Team 136.

.

.

Two hours later.

Lin Qiye stood frozen in front of a luxurious villa, his jaw slack.

He double-checked the address on the slip of paper, then looked back at the villa, sucking in a sharp breath.

“She’s loaded?!”

Unless he’d gotten the address wrong, this was Hong Ying’s home.

Her earlier words echoed in his mind: “My place is pretty big…”

This wasn’t “pretty big”—it was a mansion!

After hesitating at the gate for a long time, Lin Qiye finally mustered the courage to knock.

Earlier, he and Wen Qimo had silently watched Hong Ying carve the tombstone until she finished before leaving. To avoid raising suspicion, he’d even waited an extra half hour before coming here.

The door opened after just two knocks.

The sound of slippers scuffing against the floor approached from inside before the villa’s grand entrance swung open.

There stood Hong Ying in fluffy pajamas, her eyes slightly red-rimmed. A smile spread across her face when she saw Lin Qiye.

“Qiye! Come in, come in. Why’d you take so long?”

“Qimo kept talking my ear off.” Lin Qiye lied through his teeth.

Stepping inside, he noticed Hong Ying had already prepared a pair of slippers for him.

“Um… I haven’t cleaned today, so it might be a bit messy. Hope you don’t mind!” Hong Ying twirled a lock of hair around her finger, looking slightly embarrassed.

“It’s spotless.” Lin Qiye glanced around helplessly. “Honestly, I’m just grateful to have a place to stay.”

The villa’s decor and furnishings exuded elegance and sophistication, making Lin Qiye—who’d never set foot in a mansion before—feel out of place.

And… this was his first time staying overnight at a girl’s house.

“Hong-jie, is Qiye here?”

A soft voice called from the second floor. A drowsy Si Xiaonan leaned against the railing, rubbing her eyes.

“Yeah.” Hong Ying nodded.

Lin Qiye blinked, turning to Hong Ying in surprise.

Hong Ying smiled. “Since I don’t usually stay at the dorms, and I didn’t want Xiaonan staying alone, she lives here with me.”

Ah, that makes sense…

Then, a thought struck him. “What about your parents? Won’t I be disturbing them?”

“No.” Hong Ying shook her head. “They disappeared in the fog five years ago. Before Xiaonan moved in, I lived here alone.”

“Were they part of the exploration teams?”

“Yeah.”

Lin Qiye’s mouth opened, then closed. He knew he’d asked the wrong question but couldn’t find the words to comfort her.

Hong Ying pointed to a room on the second floor.

“That’s your room. It’s all set up. The blue towel and toothbrush in the bathroom are yours—don’t mix them up!” She padded up the stairs in her slippers.

Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly spun around to face Lin Qiye.

“Oh, and if you want to enter Xiaonan’s or my room, knock first! If I catch you with any shady intentions… hmph!”

She rolled up her pajama sleeve, revealing a slender, pale arm, and waved it “menacingly.”

“Don’t forget—I’m the team’s frontline fighter. No one but the captain can take me on!“

“My spear doesn’t discriminate!”

With that, she tossed her long black hair and strode into her room.

Lin Qiye: “…”

A yawning Si Xiaonan gave him a small wave. “Goodnight.”

Thud!

Both doors closed, leaving the hallway in silence.

Suddenly remembering something, Lin Qiye hurried to Hong Ying’s door and knocked.

Creak…

The door opened to reveal Hong Ying holding her spear, her expression stern.

“You. What do you want?”