Chapter 121 Spiral World (59)

Chapter 121: The Spiral World (Fifty-Nine)

"So, what are you doing now?" Tears glistened in Lin Yanqing's eyes. "Knowing you'll die, why aren't you getting as far away as possible?"

Jiang Songnian's lips curved into a smile. "If Mai Li and I had known the location of Cangqiong Mountain over a decade ago, we would have blown that mountain sky-high without a second thought. You foresaw this, which is why you never revealed the location of the Snow Country. Because of that, Mai Li was bound to find you as you are now and pull you into this mess."

That smile didn't last long. It vanished from Jiang Songnian's face in an instant, tears welling up in his eyes again. He said painfully, "You can't change the past. We've ultimately returned to the inevitable course. I will die at Cangqiong Mountain and lose you completely."

"Lin Yanqing, I lied to you." Jiang Songnian stood straight, his resolute gaze red-rimmed from tears.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Yanqing stepped towards him, opened his arms and hugged him, saying softly, "It's not like that, Jiang Songnian. You're wrong."

Jiang Songnian lowered his head, tears falling and landing on Lin Yanqing's upturned face.

Lin Yanqing raised a hand, wiping the tears from the corner of his eye, smiling faintly, "I never went back to the year you were eleven, Jiang Songnian. That's your history, not mine. My future is always ahead."

Jiang Songnian gazed at him silently, took his hand, then closed his eyes, nuzzling affectionately against his palm, letting tears flow freely. "I shouldn't have gotten close to you for Cangqiong Mountain, shouldn't have dragged you into this. If I had always just been your older brother, perhaps all this trouble could have been avoided."

But Lin Yanqing asked, "Pioneer Army Jiang Songnian gets a hundred points, Uncle Niangao also gets a hundred points, but the Jiang family's eldest son gets zero. Given another chance to choose..."

Jiang Songnian opened his misty eyes, smiling through tears, "I want a perfect score for both."

Lin Yanqing brushed his thumb over his cheek. "The Energy Stone's influence on me is fading. My presence here is the best proof. This time, let me take care of blowing up Cangqiong Mountain."

Jiang Songnian suddenly frowned, worry reappearing on his face.

Lin Yanqing turned his head, his gaze falling on the design diagram. "How about we study it together? Maybe we can build a timer."

"Alright, let's take a look together." Jiang Songnian leaned his forehead against Lin's and murmured another apology.

"Stop apologizing all the time. If you make a mistake, you fix it. You should trust me, just like I trust you."

Jiang Songnian pulled him into a tight hug, pressing his face helplessly into the crook of Lin Yanqing's neck. That body, carrying countless secrets, felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in that moment. Time flashed by. Knowing Death had already raised his scythe, Jiang Songnian still ran towards the love of his life. It was undoubtedly a selfish feeling, yet Jiang Songnian fooled himself, thinking perhaps he had a sliver of a chance to survive.

Lin Yanqing suddenly said, "Thank you."

"For what? I haven't bought you anything lately," Jiang Songnian muttered gloomily.

Lin Yanqing lifted his head, his eyes bright as stars. "Thank you for not distancing yourself from me or pretending not to like me just because of a little setback."

Jiang Songnian was completely stunned. Pain twisted and churned into a knot, seeming to crush and shatter his entire being. Yet that body wracked with illness felt miraculously healed in that instant.

"You... how can you be like this! Utterly unreasonable!" Jiang Songnian said this, then pulled Lin Yanqing back into his embrace, vowing, "I will survive. No matter what, I will survive!"

"Mhm." Lin Yanqing wrapped his arms around his waist. "It's a promise."

*

Jian Xi stared at the sleeping Lin Yanqing and asked curiously, "Is he really astral projecting?"

Xia Li pulled Lin Yanqing's hat down further and glared at Jian Xi. "Stop staring like that!"

Jian Xi was utterly confused, not understanding why Xia Li was winking at him.

Qiu Tian still had other duties. He left Jian Xi at the gymnasium so the three of them could look out for each other.

The broadcast announcement was indistinct amidst the noisy background. People gradually stood up and began moving forward—it must be time for the food distribution.

Jian Xi stood up, winked at Xia Li, and said, "I'll go queue up first. The walkie-talkie is on, call me if anything happens."

The corner of Xia Li's mouth twitched. He gave a silent nod, then straightened Lin Yanqing's gradually tilting body and slipped an arm around his shoulders.

The smell in the gymnasium was awful. Xia Li had a bit of mint in his pocket, given to him earlier by Jiang Sinian. He held the mint to his nose, inhaling its cool fragrance, while the image of Jiang Sinian drowning kept replaying in his mind.

Xia Li shook his head, trying hard to push the past out of his thoughts.

Being back in this familiar city, the old feelings of resentment and bitterness invaded him again. Xia Li felt angry and also panicked. He was all prickly, like a wary hedgehog. Everything around him made him anxious. Even though it was a cold winter, his heart felt like it was burning. He desperately needed an outlet.

Lin Yanqing stirred.

Xia Li snapped back to reality. His gaze inadvertently drifted to the second floor of the stadium. Someone seemed to be watching him there. The moment Xia Li looked up, the person quickly turned and limped away from the railing.

A cold sweat instantly broke out on Xia Li's back. That figure was too familiar. He often thought of that family when he woke up in the middle of the night—those fierce, malicious eyes haunting him like a nightmare.

"Lili?" Lin Yanqing grasped his cold hand.

"You saw wrong." Lin Yanqing pulled him into an embrace, covering his eyes. "There are no Xia family members here. Even if they were, they couldn't hurt you."

Xia Li's eyelids trembled, his thick lashes brushing against Lin Yanqing's palm. He realized Lin Yanqing was also shaking.

"It's not like before anymore. No one can hurt you." Lin Yanqing said in a low voice.

Through the gaps between the fingers, Xia Li saw Lin Yanqing's tense jawline.

Half an hour later, Jian Xi returned from the queue, bringing back only two steamed buns. There were too many people trying to claim food illegally; supplies were simply insufficient. When they registered yesterday, Lin Yanqing was skipped over, so they only had rations for two people.

"One bun per day. Drink more water. I won't eat; you two have them." Jian Xi said considerately.

Lin Yanqing shook his head, unscrewed his thermos, and took a sip of water. "I'm not hungry. You two eat." He looked around, observing his surroundings. Some people nearby were also watching him. There had been several violent fights last night. Everyone was on high alert, not daring to let their guard down.

"Brother, you should eat a little. If you don't eat..." Xia Li paused for a long moment, not finishing the sentence. Lin Yanqing was becoming less and less like a human. He worried that one day, Lin Yanqing would truly become an anomaly, separated from him by an unbridgeable gap.

Lin Yanqing broke off a small piece of the bun's crust and said quietly, "I'm still on the wanted list. I can't go to Bei'an City for now. I've discussed it with Jiang Songnian; he'll try to apply for a pass. Lili, you go to Bei'an City first and meet up with him."

An anxious expression appeared on Xia Li's face.

Lin Yanqing pinched his cheek. "Don't worry. Have you forgotten? I can travel between the two regions anytime. Once you reach the Jiang residence, you'll see me immediately."

Xia Li bit his lip. After a long while, he gave a small nod.

Lin Yanqing patted the backpack cushioning his lower back. "Professor Leng's bag. Keep it with you and take it to Bei'an City for me."

"What's inside? Nothing illegal, right?" Xia Li asked.

"Just personal items—notebooks, photo albums, things like that. Just give it to Jiang Songnian."

Xia Li agreed, broke off half a bun, and handed it to Lin Yanqing. "Brother, eat a little more."

*

He Yunchuan was surrounded by madmen in the center. Not far away, Jiang Hui's screams could be heard. He stretched his leg, transforming it into a vine. The vine whip wrapped around a madman's calf, tripping him. Then he quickly extricated himself, darted out of the room, and firmly locked the door before the madman could get up.

The screaming stopped. Jiang Hui stood motionless not far away, his desolate silhouette swaying precariously in the wind.

He Yunchuan could no longer remember the chubby Jiang Hui from before.

"What's wrong?" He Yunchuan walked over quickly and threw his backpack to him. It contained collected supplies. Jiang Hui didn't eat much these days; a few packs of crackers would last him two days.

Jiang Hui was sweating profusely, stammering, "I've been put on the wanted list."

This was expected. He Yunchuan wasn't too surprised.

Jiang Hui had a communicator distributed by Aimeile, occasionally receiving news from the north. After Carlos was captured, Lu Li went into hiding and became a key wanted target.

Jiang Hui climbed into the car, caught his breath, and then handed the communicator to He Yunchuan. Clutching his chest, he gritted his teeth and said, "An S-class wanted criminal, listed alongside Lu Li! What did I ever do to rate that?"

He Yunchuan read the news page expressionlessly. Only when he saw Lin Yanqing's photo did he sigh and return the communicator to Jiang Hui.

"Yun Chuan, have you ever thought that if we keep heading north, we'll get our heads chopped off before even reaching Beian City? Lu Li is already wanted. Is it right for us to go seek refuge with him?" Jiang Hui said bitterly.

Jiang Hui knew nothing about the Snow Country. For him, survival meant heading to the base—it was the only path. Most humans were migrating northward.

Jiang Hui had no way back, and neither did He Yunchuan. He understood Xia Li all too well. As long as Chen Ya lived, the fury in Xia Li's heart would never be quelled. Rather than letting Xia Li take the risk, it was better to go through Jiang Hui—perhaps there was still a chance to fight back.

"Brother Jiang, if we don't go to the base, where else can we go? You were the one who said that Lu Li is dangerous, and the greater the danger, the greater the opportunity. That's how we've always gotten by," He Yunchuan coaxed.

"He's a madman, a lunatic! I heard from Jiang Lingxiao that he acts on a whim, with no regard for consequences. Yun Chuan, you can't make a deal with a tiger and come out in one piece," Jiang Hui trembled.

"Since when have you become so timid and hesitant?" He Yunchuan gave a dry chuckle. "Brother Jiang! You taught me that to thrive in this world, one must fight hard and ride the turbulent currents."

Jiang Hui was at a loss for words. Weren't those just empty platitudes he used to spout?

He Yunchuan patted his shoulder and started the car.