“Hmph, you almost smothered me to death! This isn’t over between us!” Ye Qingyi huffed angrily as she stormed out the door, only to bump right into Xia Qingqing and Huo Jingshu, who stood outside looking at each other in confusion.
Ye Qingyi froze for a moment, then blushed and dashed away.
“Qingqing, don’t you think Su Mo acts a bit like a girl sometimes, while Qingyi seems kinda… manly?”
Xia Qingqing’s eyes flickered with amusement as she smiled. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that too.”
“Remember back at the Longshan Ruins? Yaxian even called Qingyi ‘Su Mo,’ and it didn’t seem like a joke.” Huo Jingshu blinked mischievously.
“Jingshu, I never knew you were such a gossip!” Xia Qingqing teased. “I always thought you were the cool, icy beauty type.”
Huo Jingshu pouted. “Well, that’s because we weren’t close back then!”
“Fair point.”
Su Mo suddenly appeared beside them. “What are you two talking about?”
They both jumped in surprise, clutching their chests to steady their racing hearts.
“Jingshu said you act like a boy, while Qingyi acts like a girl!” Xia Qingqing blurted out before Huo Jingshu could stop her.
Huo Jingshu’s eyes widened. “Hey! You just sold me out!”
The two of them squared off, one tall, one short, glaring at each other. Su Mo couldn’t help but facepalm. “Is this really worth fighting over?”
“So, what’s the truth?” they both pressed, their expressions deadly serious.
Su Mo could tell that Xia Qingqing probably sensed something was off between him and Ye Qingyi but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Huo Jingshu, on the other hand, was just curious because of what Yaxian had said earlier—she wanted to get to the bottom of it.
Truly, gossip was human nature, regardless of personality.
“What if I told you I’m actually a boy? Would you believe me?” Su Mo laughed dryly.
“Of course! You’re Qingyi—you can do anything!” When it came to flattery, Xia Qingqing was the undisputed queen.
Huo Jingshu nodded firmly, as if she wanted to chime in with “Same here!”
Su Mo gave up on them and decided to let it go.
As the saying goes: Explaining is just covering up, and covering up means it’s true!
“By the way, when are you two planning to go home?”
“Now that you’re awake, I’ll head back today. My train’s in the afternoon.”
“Same here.”
Su Mo nodded slightly. “Sorry for the trouble. If it weren’t for me, you’d have been home with your families long ago.”
“Now that’s just rude! Are you saying we’re not good sisters?” Xia Qingqing narrowed her eyes playfully. “Or is it that now that you have Su Mo, you don’t need us anymore?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re friends who’ve been through life and death together.”
Xia Qingqing corrected him. “No, we’re sisters!”
“Right… sisters…”
Su Mo hurried off after Ye Qingyi, leaving Xia Qingqing and Huo Jingshu to continue their gossip session.
“Look at them. Doesn’t it seem like a couple’s fight? One runs off angry, the other chases after them.” Xia Qingqing giggled uncontrollably.
Huo Jingshu rolled her eyes. “Or maybe they actually are fighting.”
“But it doesn’t look like it. Their faces are all red—it’s not anger, it’s more like—” Xia Qingqing’s grin widened so much it was harder to suppress than an AK.
“Embarrassment!” they said in unison.
“Eeeek! We’re totally on the same wavelength!” The two of them hopped around excitedly.
“So they must’ve been doing something shameful just now… Mmph! Why’d you cover my mouf?!”
Huo Jingshu’s face flushed as she nervously glanced around before relaxing. “You can’t just say things like that out loud!”
Xia Qingqing realized her slip-up but refused to admit it. “We’re grown-ups now, we should be embarr—mmph! Why’d you do it again?!”
…..
Walking through the streets of Xingcheng, the scars of destruction were everywhere.
Passersby shook their heads at the sight of facilities demolished by superhuman force—some sighed in sorrow, others grumbled in frustration, while a few marveled in awe.
Seven days had passed, and the official statistics were in: the conflict had claimed at least 300 lives, nearly a fifth of whom were innocent civilians.
The number of injured was even higher—over 2,000, counting both organizations and civilians.
And these were just the direct casualties. The ripple effects on families would only multiply the suffering.
“So? Do you still think the supernatural world is exciting and fun?” Ye Qingyi’s voice was calm but tinged with sorrow.
Su Mo stopped in his tracks, his tone resolute. “Whether it is or not, we still have to adapt.”
“Have you ever thought about changing it?”
“Changing it?”
“Yes. Using your power to change the world.”
Su Mo shook his head. “‘If wealthy, benefit the world; if poor, tend to yourself.’ I’ll worry about that when I’m capable. Right now, I just want…”
He trailed off, realizing that aside from getting stronger, he had no other goals.
Ye Qingyi saw right through him and smiled. “Your face already gave me the answer.”
“What do you think?”
“I’m your girlfriend. Of course I’ll follow your lead.”
Su Mo’s eyes flickered with discomfort. “Qingyi, you need to understand—you’re my girlfriend, not my subordinate. You don’t have to give up your dreams or ambitions for me.”
Ye Qingyi booped his nose, her smile tender. “Silly, I haven’t given up anything.”
Her eyes shone as she gazed at him, brimming with warmth. “Before I met you, my dream was to be like my sister. After meeting you, all I wanted was to switch back. But now? I just want to be happy with you. Your happiness is mine.”
Su Mo could tell she wasn’t lying, but he still sighed. “Remember, I can only be truly happy if you are!”
“Mm.”
Night fell.
The two sat on the edge of the bed, discussing their travel plans.
“The earliest we can leave is tomorrow. Spring Festival travel tickets are impossible to get.” Su Mo grumbled.
“Oh.”
“I can only imagine how worried my parents are. This is the first time I haven’t made it home before Little New Year.”
“Oh.”
“Qingyi, are you feeling okay? Or is something on your mind?”
“Oh.”
Su Mo: “???”
He pressed a hand to her forehead. “No fever… so why are you so out of it?”
“I’m fine. Just a little tired. I’m going to sleep.”
They had booked a twin room. Ye Qingyi retreated to her own bed, ready to call it a night.
“Wait, why so early?” Su Mo grabbed her arm. “Come on, let’s go out.”
Ye Qingyi avoided his gaze. “It’s so late. Why the sudden urge to go out?”
“Do we need a reason to have fun?” Su Mo was baffled.
“I guess not.” A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes, but she agreed to go anyway.
Before leaving, she checked the time: 11:37 PM.
They arrived at a spacious square where workers were setting up a fireworks display.
“Why’d you bring me here?” Ye Qingyi’s cheeks were pink.
“For the fireworks! Xingcheng’s so strict about them—this is one of the few places that allows it, and I heard the shows here are amazing.”
Ye Qingyi stole a glance at his face, her heart racing.
Does he actually remember it’s my birthday? Is that why he brought me here? Or does he just want to see the fireworks?
She wasn’t sure.
Ugh, should I say something? It’s my eighteenth birthday, and there are only a few minutes left! But if I bring it up now, it’ll seem so forced… and he’d feel bad for forgetting, right?
As she agonized, a deafening boom snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Huh? It’s only 11:55. Why’d they start early?”
In her experience, fireworks were supposed to begin at the top of the hour.
Su Mo grinned. “If we waited any longer, it’d be too late. Look!”
She followed his pointing finger upward as the fireworks exploded into the sky, forming a giant pig’s head, followed by a trailing message like a caterpillar:
“YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
“Pig, happy birthday to you!” Su Mo whispered in her ear, rising on his tiptoes.