STG 31
Chapter 31: Qi Mo
Wu Xiangnan’s frown deepened at Lin Qiye’s answer.
Just as he was about to press further, Hong Ying suddenly sat up, her reddened eyes glaring at Wu Xiangnan as she shouted angrily:
“Wu Xiangnan! What the hell is wrong with you?!
“Zhao Kongcheng is dead! Our teammate is dead! And you’re still nitpicking over the details?!
“Don’t you feel even a shred of grief in your heart?!”
Wu Xiangnan opened his mouth but paused before speaking calmly, “I’m devastated too, but the truth matters just as much.”
Hong Ying stared at him, her chest heaving with rage. She let out a cold laugh, slammed the black case in her hand onto the floor, and stormed toward the basement exit.
Wen Qimo, who had been about to intervene, felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned in confusion to see Si Xiaonan standing beside him, shaking her head silently.
“So, those traces at the scene—”
“Xiangnan, enough!”
Just as Wu Xiangnan was about to press Lin Qiye further, Chen Muye, who had been standing quietly at the edge of the room, suddenly cut him off.
“Lin Qiye has made himself clear. There’s no need to dig deeper into the details. Consider this matter closed.” Chen Muye, hands in his pockets, walked over and placed a firm hand on Wu Xiangnan’s shoulder.
Wu Xiangnan turned in surprise, meeting Chen Muye’s unyielding gaze. After a long hesitation, he sighed and nodded reluctantly.
Chen Muye took a seat on the sofa across from Lin Qiye.
“Now that Zhao Kongcheng’s affairs are settled, it’s time we talked about you, Lin Qiye.”
“What about?”
“From what I know, Zhao Kongcheng once invited you to join the Night Watch, but you refused. Later, he even reported losing track of you. If you hadn’t walked out with his body, we might never have found you again.
“So, why do you want to join the Night Watch now?”
Chen Muye’s deep, probing eyes locked onto Lin Qiye’s.
“To repay a debt,” Lin Qiye answered calmly.
Chen Muye blinked. “A debt?”
“We had an agreement. I’d join the Night Watch.” Lin Qiye paused. “But I have one condition.”
“What condition?”
“I’ll only stay for ten years. After that, I leave.”
The moment these words left Lin Qiye’s mouth, everyone in the room stiffened, their expressions turning strange.
“The Night Watch isn’t a volunteer organization. Once you join, there’s no leaving. So this ‘ten years’ you’re asking for… I can’t promise that. No one in the entire Night Watch can.”
Just as Lin Qiye was about to respond, Chen Muye added:
“However, if in ten years you have what it takes to walk away on your own—and make the higher-ups powerless to stop you—that’s another story.
“But as far as official procedures go? No way.”
“Fine.” Surprisingly, Lin Qiye nodded without hesitation. “If I can’t leave in ten years, that’s on me.”
Hearing this borderline lawless response, Si Xiaonan and Wen Qimo’s jaws dropped. Even the usually stoic Leng Xuan’s eyelids twitched as he gave Lin Qiye a second glance.
“In that case, I’ll submit your application to the higher-ups immediately. But until you complete training, you won’t be an official member.”
“Training?”
“The Night Watch operates under semi-military discipline. All recruits must undergo a year-long training program before formally joining. You’ll learn combat, firearms, tactical deployment, Forbidden Ruin usage, and more.”
“When does it start?”
“Every September—so in one month. Until you finish, you’ll only be a provisional member of our team.” Here, Chen Muye seemed to remember something and added seriously:
“Provisional members aren’t provided room and board.”
Lin Qiye: “…”
No room and board?
Weren’t the Night Watch’s benefits supposed to be great? How could they be this stingy?!
“Then… where do I stay for this month?” Lin Qiye panicked.
Go back to Auntie’s? No, no, no—if he went back, there was a 99% chance he’d never leave. He might even take his entire family and flee…
Still, he needed to at least let Auntie know he was safe. He planned to send a letter saying he’d enlisted—that should reassure her.
But the immediate problem remained: if the Night Watch wouldn’t house him, was he supposed to sleep on the streets?
“It’s fine. You can stay at my place.”
At that moment, Hong Ying, who had been hiding behind the door, peeked her head in and whispered, “My place is pretty big. I can spare a room for you.”
“Hong Ying, I thought you stormed off in anger?” Wen Qimo gaped.
“I—I forgot something, okay?! Can’t I come back?!” Hong Ying huffed, marching into the room to grab the black case she’d left on the floor before shooting Wu Xiangnan another glare.
Wu Xiangnan: “…”
Under Wu Xiangnan’s exasperated stare, Hong Ying walked up to Lin Qiye and said warmly, “Don’t worry, Qiye. Now that you’re part of the team, big sis will take care of you!”
“Provisional. He’s a provisional member,” Chen Muye corrected sternly. “Also, we don’t even know who’s older. You can’t just call him ‘little brother’ so casually.”
“Captain, you’re so rigid!” Hong Ying stuck her tongue out at Chen Muye, tore off a slip of paper from the table, scribbled an address, and pressed it into Lin Qiye’s hand.
“Qiye, I’ve got target practice now. If the paperwork finishes and you can’t find me, just head over first.”
Her face was so close to Lin Qiye’s that he could clearly smell the faint fragrance on her, see the slight tremble of her lashes…
Her clear, smiling eyes—like autumn waters nestled in golden maple woods—were both captivating and warm.
There was no denying it: Hong Ying was beautiful.
Fair skin, a delicate nose, cherry-red lips, exquisite features, and a figure that was—
Lin Qiye quickly averted his gaze.
Two faint blushes inexplicably appeared on his cheeks.
This was the first time in his life he’d been this close to a girl—especially one as naturally radiant as Hong Ying.
“Th-Thank you, Sister Hong Ying.”
“Ahahaha—!” Hong Ying suddenly stood up, laughing so loudly it made Wu Xiangnan jump.
“What’s wrong with you?!” Wu Xiangnan grumbled.
“None of your business!” Hong Ying pouted. “Our newbie just called me ‘sis’ so sweetly…”
Lin Qiye’s lips twitched as he instinctively turned his head away.
At that moment, Wen Qimo stepped forward with a smile. “Hong Ying, stop teasing the rookie. Qiye, come on. I’ll show you around and fill you in on the Night Watch.”
Lin Qiye, as if granted amnesty, followed Wen Qimo out the door and up the stairs.
“Qiye,” Wen Qimo suddenly said in the hallway.
“Yeah, Senior Wen Qimo?”
“Ahem… Don’t call me ‘senior.’ That’s too formal. I’m only two or three years older than you.” Wen Qimo scratched his head sheepishly. “Just call me by my name, or ‘Qimo’ like the others.”
“Alright.”
“Actually… I have a favor to ask.” Wen Qimo stopped, looking seriously into Lin Qiye’s eyes.
“What is it?”
“Tonight… can I crash at Hong Ying’s place with you? I’ve been wanting to go there for ages.”
Lin Qiye: “…”
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