Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Playing mysteries?

Wu Yin hates it when people play mysteries with him. Filled with frustration and plotting mischief to make Gui You come clean about his whereabouts, he finds Gui You too elusive, disappearing too quickly for a confrontation. Thus, Wu Yin, grudgingly, stays within Xie Linyuan, accompanying him to Grape's residence, where, unsurprisingly, they find the often-absent Hui Lan right at the doorstep.

Yes, right at the doorstep.

Not only Hui Lan couldn't enter, but even Grape herself was locked out. Xie Linyuan, intending merely to inform Hui Lan of their imminent departure, pauses to witness this scene, deciding to stay for the drama.

"Grape's husband, Tan Mao, suspects something between me and Grape," Hui Lan said, anger in his eyes. "Everything was fine before, but suddenly, he started looking at me as if I was unrecognizable, thinking I should keep my distance and stop visiting... After not showing up for two days, a neighbor told me he hit Grape! He's become a domestic abuser, his temper becoming erratic after becoming disabled, hitting his own wife! What kind of man is he?"

Xie Linyuan raised an eyebrow.

Hui Lan, indignantly, said, "Xie, you're just in time. You must have a way to open this door. Hurry up and help me open it; I'm going to beat him to a pulp!"

Thirty seconds later, like Spider-Man, Xie Linyuan agilely maneuvered over roofs and walls, quietly entering Grape's home through a window on the building's exterior.

Shattered dishes and congealed grease littered the floor, a testament to Tan Mao and Grape's current predicament, undoubtedly linked to Hui Lan's efforts. Navigating the mess, Xie Linyuan pulled aside the curtain blocking the view to find Tan Mao inexplicably on the floor, struggling to drag himself back to bed.

Wu Yin shifted his gaze to see a trash bin by the bed, wrapped in a plastic bag, emitting a faint stench.

Tan Mao's cheeks flushed with a sudden crimson, his eyes reflecting the despair of shattered pride.

Xie Linyuan withdrew his hand from the curtain, stepping behind the fabric.

Soon, he heard soft sobs coming from behind the curtain.

"There's no need for this, forcing Grape to leave you like this," Wu Yin suddenly spoke. "Whether to stay together or part ways in tough times is Grape's decision to make, not yours. You have no right to make choices for her. She loves you; leaving you might not necessarily make her happier than caring for you. Don't presume to know what's best for her... The three of you, each more foolish than the last, have truly been an eye-opener for me."

As he spoke, Wu Yin turned to unlock the door, only to hear Tan Mao's pleading sobs: "Please don't open it, I beg you."

Jie Lingyuan halted his action and turned his gaze towards the curtain.

"Just let Hui Lan take Grape away," Tan Mao said, taking a shaky breath. "I know she loves me, and she's willing to take care of me, but what then? My legs will never recover. I can't even... even take care of my own basic needs...

She takes care of me, for a month, two months, a year, two years... She'll get tired, her love will wear thin, she'll hate me, blame me for dragging her down, wish I were dead..." Tan Mao's emotions escalated into despair, "Better that than the inevitable!"

"Aren't you being a bit too optimistic about the future?" Wu Yin suddenly interjected, his lips curling into a mocking smile. "Given the state of the world right now, wondering if you'll even survive another year is more immediate than these worries."

“……”

"Life is already hard, Tan Mao. Don't create more suffering for yourself," Wu Yin said, moving to the door and pressing down the handle. "Try to make Grape smile more."

Behind the door, Grape's concerned gaze peeked through the gap in the curtains, with Hui Lan fuming behind her, sleeves rolled up. Jie Lingyuan stepped aside, "Go easy on him. Come find me tonight, I have something to tell you."

"Alright!"

……

After parting with the three genuine warriors of love, Wu Yin and Jie Lingyuan headed to the mutants' residence.

To their surprise, the entire household of mutants was absent, leaving only Lu Ba guarding the door, eating homemade noodles while reading a book.

"Looking for Ah Cheng and the others?" Lu Ba put down his bowl, standing up. "They're all out. Remember the speculation about someone controlling the wise mutant? They followed that lead and indeed found someone suspicious. Today, they're closing the net; by tomorrow night, there should be results."

Jie Lingyuan nodded, "Please inform me as soon as they return. If the controller of that mutant is still alive, I'd like to meet them."

Lu Ba didn't ask further, "Understood." After saying this, he hesitated, wanting to say more, but when he looked up, he found Jie Lingyuan's left eye normally on his face while the right eye was intently staring at his noodles on the table, creating an eerie split in focus that made Lu Ba forget what he was about to say, stuttering as he stood up, "Jie, Jie Lingyuan, are you okay?"

Jie Lingyuan then realized that control of half his body had been seized by Wu Yin again. He lifted his left hand to block the view from his right eye, "I'm fine. I'll be going then—your noodles do look quite tasty."

This abrupt change in tone, seamlessly transitioning as if flipping between two personalities, sent chills down the spine of the already paranoid Z1068, who swiftly drew his gun, aiming it: "Who are you!"

Wu Yin: "..."

Wu Yin: "All I wanted was to taste your noodles, is that really necessary?" He tried to cross his arms in resignation, but with his left arm uncooperative, ended up with his right hand resting on his left elbow.

Jie Lingyuan, worried about startling the sensitive Lu Ba, quickly took over the conversation: "Don't worry, Lu Ba, it's me. There's a bit of a problem, but I'll sort it out. I'll be leaving now."

He said he would leave, yet his legs were as if welded to the ground, unmoving.

"I'm leaving!" Jie Lingyuan sounded like an unlucky owner trying to persuade a stubborn Shiba Inu to follow him home.

Wu Yin played dead: "..."

Jie Lingyuan: "..."

Jie Lingyuan sighed deeply, completely ignoring the threat of Lu Ba's gun, and asked pointing to the noodles on the table, "Is there any more? I'd like a bowl."

Lu Ba: "..."

Completely taken aback, Lu Ba gestured towards the kitchen with his hand: "There's more."

"Thanks." Jie Lingyuan, making himself right at home, strode into the kitchen. Under Lu Ba's watchful, astonished, and suspicious gaze, he helped himself to the remaining noodles, heartily eating them. Midway, he even added some salt for taste and, after finishing, rolled up his sleeves, intending to wash the pot for Lu Ba.

Lu Ba: "..."

Lu Ba silently handed over his finished bowl and chopsticks.

Although Lu Ba was clueless about what exactly was happening with Jie Lingyuan, he doubted anyone would go through the trouble of impersonating Z1932 just to eat a bowl of his noodles and then offer to wash the dishes. Thus, Lu Ba relaxed a bit and couldn't help but lean on the doorframe to ask, "I just got a message from 429 and 1305, saying you're planning to return to the northern camp in three days?"

"Yes. Xiao Hu has some matters to attend to, and I'm accompanying him," Jie Lingyuan naturally responded, "...Don't tell me you're planning to come along too."

"I wouldn't go there," Lu Ba quickly shook his head. "That's the northern camp. If possible, I'd never set foot in that place again for the rest of my life."

Jie Linyuan smiled slightly, seemingly understanding his sentiment.

After a pause, as Jie Linyuan finished washing the dishes and dried his arms, Lu Ba spoke softly, his eyelashes half-dropped, "You don't really want to go either, do you?"

Jie Linyuan paused, not immediately refuting. He turned to look at Lu Ba and then gave a noncommittal answer, "It's okay... It's not a big deal. The northern camp is too preoccupied with its own problems now. Maybe the research team responsible for the Z series is all gone, and they can't control me anymore."

"I know, but that place is filled with bad memories, not exactly pleasant. I worry about the psychological shadows it might cast on you," Lu Ba said, patting Jie Linyuan's arm and sighing, "The place you desperately fled from, you're now choosing to return to... I'm not saying what you're doing is wrong, but it just occurred to me... You once told me the only thing you've ever truly desired in life is 'freedom.' You now have your highest command, no superiors, no missions, but are you really 'free'?"

Jie Linyuan was taken aback by Lu Ba's words. Before he could counter, Lu Ba shook his head thoughtfully, "You're not free. It seems you're bound, enveloped by love. You're even willing to return to that,"

He closed his eyes, "—nightmarish place for Xiao Hu."

"Stop," Jie Linyuan interrupted him, his breathing becoming uncontrollably rapid, "I don't have as severe a psychological shadow as you do."

Seeing Jie Linyuan's faint anger, Lu Ba quickly explained, "I didn't mean anything by it. It's just empathy, considering I'm also a Z-series bionic like you."

"Lu Ba, you fear the northern camp, while I merely despise it. I hate that place but not to the extent of avoiding it. But you, Lu Ba, you're completely defeated by it," Jie Linyuan earnestly said, "The northern camp isn't as terrifying as you think. Don't let the enemy you've conjured day after day defeat you. You can't live in the shadow of the northern camp for the next twenty years."

“……”

……

After comforting Lu Ba, who turned out to be more anxious about his return to the northern camp than he was, Jie Linyuan left the mutants' lair, only to realize... Wu Yin had gone silent.

The usually noisy little parasite remained quiet throughout, leaving Jie Linyuan puzzled, cooing a few words and even suspecting Wu Yin had silently left his body.

"Xiao Yin? What's wrong?" After consoling Lu Ba, the understanding big brother now had to comfort Wu Yin.

Still, no response came.

Jie Lingyuan, frowning, pushed open the door to Wu Yin's room in the mansion. The man sitting on the bed, deep in thought, instantly curled up, his eyes wide with terror like a young wife startled by a burglar. Jie Lingyuan could tell it was Gui You from just a hair's breadth: "Excuse the intrusion."

With that, he mercilessly closed the door.

"Wu Yin?" Jie Lingyuan tried calling out again.

He suddenly realized a terrifying possibility: if Wu Yin chose to disappear one day, he would have no means to retain him.

Jie Lingyuan's left hand uncontrollably crushed the aluminum window ledge with force, snapping to attention. Turning his head, he saw the Cerberus, basking lazily in the sun in the backyard.

"..." Coming up with a plan, Jie Lingyuan flung open the window and leapt from the second floor, startling the Golden Retriever and the Border Collie, who both looked up, their ears and tails stiff. Without a word, Jie Lingyuan reached for the neck of Cerberus, instantly hearing a stream of curse words.

Golden Retriever: "Are you crazy?! You scared the dog to death."

Border Collie: "What are you doing? Is scaring dogs fun for you?"

"Your master is missing," Jie Lingyuan said. "I'm looking for him."

Golden Retriever: "Looking for him in the garden? Is he buried in the soil?"

After hearing about Wu Yin's disappearance, the Border Collie kept sniffing around Jie Lingyuan, then gave him a look that seemed to see through everything but chose to keep silent out of politeness.

"Alright, I got it," Jie Lingyuan said, patting the heads of the two dog brothers, then turned back to his room.

He locked the door, lay back on the bed, and gazed at the mottled patterns on the ceiling, "Wu Yin, don't be angry anymore..."

"I'm not angry," Wu Yin finally spoke up, his voice a bit muffled in Jie Linyuan's mind.

"If you're not angry, why aren't you speaking?"

"...Because I am angry."

Jie Linyuan couldn't help but chuckle: "Angry about what? Angry at Lu Ba? He projected his own thoughts onto me, which led to such sighs. You can sense his immense fear of the Northern Camp; for him, returning there is utterly unbearable. But I'm different; I look forward to returning and encountering old acquaintances, flaunting my success in front of them, watching them seethe with envy yet powerless against me."

"...I'm not angry with him," Wu Yin said.

"So, you're angry with me?"

"Why should I be angry with you? What did you do wrong?"

"I don't know what I did wrong," Jie Linyuan said. "If you're not angry at Lu Ba or me, then who are you angry at? Surely you can't be... angry with yourself?"

“……”

Jie Linyuan clamped his mouth shut in horror.

“……”