After killing Liu Dazhi, Qin Siyang enjoyed a week of peace.
He stuck to a strict routine: school, cafeteria, library—and on weekends, he stayed home, resting like a log.
The first few days after his rebirth had been filled with intense action; he'd earned this chance to unwind.
This slow-paced week had eased the tight tension in Qin Siyang's chest.
Chatting more with Ms. Zhu in the library during school hours turned out to be quite enjoyable.
The elderly woman had profound insights into life, and her words had been a great help to him.
Naturally, he saw Wen Shu in the library every day.
With less than half a year left until the college entrance exam, Wen Shu barely attended regular classes anymore. She spent her days poring over old workbooks in the library, filling in gaps in her knowledge.
One early morning, Qin Siyang got out of bed and glanced at the calendar:
[Blue Star Calendar, January 14, 2010]
[Gregorian Calendar, Thursday]
[Lunar Calendar, Year of the Ox, 28th day of the 11th lunar month – Auspicious for encoffining]
Qin Siyang skimmed it, thinking the day's omens had nothing to do with him.
The boring day passed quickly.
After school, he headed to the library once again.
"Ms. Zhu, I'm here to help you clean up," he said, setting down his bag and lunchbox.
He noticed Wen Shu was the only student left at the tables.
Seeing Qin Siyang arrive to tidy up, Wen Shu knew the library was closing soon. She stood up, preparing to leave.
"Don't rush off—you can keep studying," Ms. Zhu said casually. "Qin Siyang and I still need about ten more minutes to finish up."
Wen Shu looked at Ms. Zhu, nodded in thanks, and sat back down to continue her work.
Ms. Zhu walked over to Qin Siyang, a warm, mischievous smile on her face. She leaned in and whispered, "Young Qin… do you like her?"
Qin Siyang froze. "Huh? No, of course not!"
"No?" Ms. Zhu raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Qin Siyang waved a hand dismissively. "Romance is just… meaningless."
Ms. Zhu scoffed playfully. "Meaningless? Then why do I remember you following some girl around like a lost puppy, grinning like an idiot?"
Ms. Zhu's words hit a nerve.
Before his rebirth, hadn't he been exactly that—a lapdog trailing Li Jingwen everywhere?
He could only mumble, "Exactly because I've 'dated' (or rather, groveled) before… that's why I think it's meaningless."
Ms. Zhu patted him gently on the shoulder. "Young Qin, as someone who's lived a long life, I feel I ought to share a few words of wisdom with you."
"Go ahead, Ms. Zhu," Qin Siyang replied with a smile, continuing to organize the books on the shelves as he listened.
He knew the elderly woman loved chatting with young people—and he genuinely enjoyed her kind, easygoing company. She'd always been warm to him; if she wanted to talk, he was happy to listen.
"That girl you used to follow—she always seemed so flighty, not the type to settle down. No wonder you felt hurt after dating her and thought romance was pointless."
Qin Siyang froze mid-motion.
He was shocked by Ms. Zhu's gossipy side—and even more impressed by her sharp observation.
He'd been so close to Li Jingwen in his past life and never saw her true colors. Yet Ms. Zhu, a library teacher who hadn't exchanged a single word with Li Jingwen in three years, had seen right through her.
It was true what they said—older people really did have a knack for reading others.
"Ms. Zhu… have you been watching me this whole time?"
"Well, in this entire library, only you and Wen Shu bother to talk to me. Of course I pay attention to you two! Besides, you followed that girl around so much, I'd have to be blind not to notice her."
Ms. Zhu's tone turned disapproving. "When you two were together, I didn't want to say anything bad about her—you young men are so stubborn, you never listen. But now that you've split up, I can finally get this off my chest."
"I've seen her getting cozy with several different boys. Especially with Director Zhou's nephew—what's his name again… Zhou…"
"Zhou Yang?" Qin Siyang prompted.
"Yes! That's the one! They were practically inseparable! But every time they were together, you were nowhere to be seen. And whenever you two were together, he was gone. That's why I knew she wasn't a good person."
Qin Siyang nodded. "You're absolutely right. I found out about it later, which is why we stopped talking."
"Exactly—'better alone than in bad company.' The farther you stay from her, the better. But Young Qin… Wen Shu is a rare gem. If you can win her over, you'll be happy for the rest of your life!"
"Ms. Zhu, that's… that's not what this is about," Qin Siyang said, frowning. He hadn't expected Ms. Zhu to suddenly play matchmaker.
"Oh, nonsense! You'll probably head out into the world alone after graduation—there's no harm in finding a girlfriend now. I think Wen Shu is wonderful, and you're a good young man too. Two kind people like you—you were made for each other!"
"Ms. Zhu, I never thought you'd be so open-minded for your age. Our grade director is still cracking down on puppy love, and here you are playing cupid!"
"Hmph, that grade director is nothing but the principal's lackey! You kids just got unlucky—after the apocalypse, all the universities collapsed, and academies are scarce. Most high school graduates can't continue their education. If high school is the end of your student days, then is dating in high school really 'puppy love'? I don't think so."
"But seriously, that Wen Shu—she's a truly good kid. I know her grandmother too; I met her a few times when Wen Shu was little. She's such a gentle, kind woman. I'm sure that's where Wen Shu gets her good nature from."
"Young Qin, you have a good heart too. You're always helping me out, even though you don't have to."
"I wouldn't go that far. I only started helping you these past few days. Before, I'd run off right after school—I'm not exactly a saint."
"I know you were running off to do that girl's homework. It's not your fault. Besides, as soon as you broke up with her, you came to help me— that proves you're kind-hearted."
Qin Siyang stared at her in disbelief. "You knew about that too?"
Ms. Zhu smiled proudly. "I may be stuck in this library, but I see more than anyone in those classrooms!"
"I… I'm impressed," Qin Siyang said, chuckling.
"Don't brush this off, Young Qin. A girl like Wen Shu doesn't come around every day. I'd be so happy to see two good people like you together."
Qin Siyang shook his head helplessly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Wen Shu was a good kid—there was no denying that.
But him?
What kind of "good kid" had blood on their hands?
He'd killed a man and set a building on fire just last week, and now he was being praised as a good person by a library teacher.
Something about that felt bizarre, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
"Why? Am I rambling too much?" Ms. Zhu asked.
"No, it's not that. It's just… Wen Shu is going to get into an academy. I'll probably end up just drifting through life. Being with me would only hold her back."
"You're a handsome young man—why are you talking like such a coward! If she goes to an academy, you can get a job nearby! What kind of future is there stuck on the edge of this safe zone forever?"
Meeting Ms. Zhu's disappointed gaze, Qin Siyang knew the elderly woman truly had his best interests at heart.
But he was done groveling for anyone.
"Alright, I get it, Ms. Zhu. Thank you."
"Sigh, I can tell you're not listening. The choice is yours—I just had to say my piece. Hurry up and finish cleaning; I need to lock up."
Seeing Qin Siyang's half-hearted response, Ms. Zhu lost interest in continuing the conversation and started ushering him along. Qin Siyang shook his head—this old lady really could change her mood faster than flipping a book.
By the time he'd finished organizing the shelves, Wen Shu had packed up her bag and was ready to leave.
Ms. Zhu locked the library door. "I need to use the restroom—you two go on ahead," she said, leaving Qin Siyang and Wen Shu standing outside the library.
Qin Siyang watched Ms. Zhu walk away, feeling a warm sense of gratitude. The old lady had gone out of her way to help him—but it was like winking at a blind man. There was simply no romantic spark between him and Wen Shu.
"Shall we go?" he said.
"Mm," Wen Shu replied.
The two walked side by side out of the school.
They reached the fork in the road where they usually parted ways.
"Goodbye," Wen Shu said, turning to leave.
But before she could take a step, Qin Siyang grabbed the strap of her backpack.
He smiled, but his eyes were cold as ice. "I'll walk you home today."
Wen Shu looked confused—Qin Siyang's sudden forwardness felt like a complete change of character.
"That's not necessary…"
Qin Siyang didn't let her finish. He took her hand and pulled her toward the direction of her house.
Wen Shu frowned, trying to pull her hand away—until she heard Qin Siyang's voice drop to a low, serious whisper. "I warned Li Jingwen last week. I never thought she'd have the nerve to follow us today."
Wen Shu glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing. She looked back at Qin Siyang, confused.
Qin Siyang kept a firm grip on her hand, striding forward quickly.
"My house isn't this way," Wen Shu said.
Qin Siyang led her through a series of alleyways, then turned to her with a faint smile. "Do you really want me to kill someone right outside your front door?"
"K-kill…?" Wen Shu's eyes widened in shock.
She thought Qin Siyang must be joking.
But the cold, determined look in his eyes told her he was dead serious.
"N-no… Qin Siyang, shouldn't we try talking to Li Jingwen and the others?"
Qin Siyang shrugged. "If it were just Li Jingwen, I'd slap her around a bit and send her packing."
"T-then it's not Li Jingwen? Who is it, then…?"
Qin Siyang glanced over his shoulder, then pulled Wen Shu along faster.
Wen Shu looked back too.
That's when she saw it—seven or eight dark figures had emerged from the alleyway they'd just passed through. Each was armed with what looked like iron rods and short blades.
Qin Siyang picked up the pace, pulling Wen Shu into a run.
Wen Shu looked up at him in panic. "W-who are they…?"
"Probably Li Jingwen's uncle. He's a notorious gangster around here—he's got blood on his hands."
"But why is he following us? What does he want?"
Qin Siyang thought for a moment. "To kill us, I'd imagine. For me, probably a beating first, then death. As for you…?"
He trailed off, letting his eyes sweep casually over Wen Shu's body. Wen Shu immediately pulled her collar tight, blushing with fear.
"B-but why?! Why would they want to kill us?!"
"You heard what I said to her last time, didn't you?"
"Because of her and Zhou…?"
"Zhou Yang," Qin Siyang supplied.
"Because of her and Zhou Yang?"
"That's right."
"Who exactly is Zhou Yang?"
"Just an ordinary guy. But his uncle awakened a Sequence Ability, so he's been on the rise lately. Li Jingwen is clinging to Zhou Yang, hoping to become a wealthy man's wife."
"But you said you set up a timed email to stop her from doing anything stupid!"
Qin Siyang smiled faintly at Wen Shu. "I lied."
"L-lied?"
"Internet cafes are expensive. Where would I get the money to set up something like that? She must have figured it out—and now she's sent her uncle to take care of us."
"But how would her uncle know you never went to the internet cafe? Has he been following you this whole time?"
"No—that would be too much trouble. I think he's had someone watching the internet cafe for the past week. I told Li Jingwen I'd go there to send a timed email that would delay for a week, and that I'd have to go back every week to reset it."
"If I never showed up… it would prove I never set up the email in the first place."
Wen Shu stared at him in shock. "T-they care that much about Zhou Yang?"
"That's my mistake. It seems Li Jingwen's entire family sees her relationship with Zhou Yang as their ticket out of poverty. That's why her uncle is going to such lengths."
Qin Siyang's confirmation left Wen Shu completely stunned. She glanced back at the men closing in on them, her voice trembling with despair. "T-then… are we… are we going to die here?"
"It's my fault you got dragged into this. So I'll handle it."
"You?"
Qin Siyang's smile turned slightly threatening.
"You can keep a secret… can't you?"