"Oh, right," Wen Shu suddenly asked, "When do you plan to reveal that you're a Sequence Ability user? If you don't do it before the college entrance exam, you won't be eligible for the Sequence Ability user assessment."
"I thought you'd first ask when I awakened my ability."
"Why would I ask that?"
Qin Siyang couldn't help but glance at her again.
She really was something special.
"Probably soon. I need to look into what preparations are required before going to the Sequence Ability Administration Bureau. My background is a bit complicated—as you saw today. So I have to make sure nothing goes wrong during registration."
"Mm, that makes sense."
"Also, I need to learn about the assessment. Since I'm going to take it, I want to be fully prepared. I don't want to be swamped with messy problems right after revealing my identity."
"Mm, that makes sense."
"No suggestions?"
Wen Shu shrugged. "Everything you said is reasonable. I don't have any advice to add."
"Alright."
"What about Li Jingwen? How do you plan to handle her? Her uncle's disappearance—she'll probably figure out it's your doing soon enough."
Qin Siyang's voice was cold and calm. "Just give her a glimmer of hope. Keep her hanging on."
"You mean… don't ruin her relationship with Zhou Yang? Let her hold onto that hope?"
"Exactly. Let her cling to it. Once I have everything sorted out, I'll shatter that hope with my own hands."
"And then kill her?"
"And then kill her—along with her entire family."
"Mm, that's logical."
Two young teenagers, their faces still innocent, talked casually about murder. Anyone overhearing them would have thought they were just children rambling nonsense.
After a moment of silence, Qin Siyang asked, "Which academy are you planning to apply to?"
"I haven't decided yet, but it has to be one that offers private dormitories. I'm going to take my grandmother with me."
"Are private dorms that rare?"
Wen Shu smiled. "You obviously didn't pay attention during the college application briefing last week."
"Why would I? As a Sequence Ability user, that's just a waste of time."
"Fair enough. You're right—it's my mistake. Out of the eight academies, only two offer private dormitories."
"Only two? What about the others?"
"The rest have shared dorms—four or six people per room."
"Sounds like the academies with private dorms must have better conditions. They're probably the top two, right? You're smart enough—you'll definitely get in."
Wen Shu was about to say something, but she glanced at Qin Siyang and saw the sincere smile on his face. He really was rooting for her.
She swallowed her words and said, "Mm, thank you."
Qin Siyang nodded, and the two fell silent again.
They walked on for a while before Wen Shu spoke up. "Do you know where we're going?"
"No. Don't you?"
"You dragged me running—how was I supposed to remember the way?"
"...So where exactly have we been walking for the past hour?"
"..."
"Forget it. Let's just keep going. Once we hit a main road, we'll recognize the signs."
They walked for another half an hour before finally spotting the dim glow of streetlights.
"We're at the main road. Let's check the road signs."
"Mm."
They approached the road and confirmed their location—only to realize they'd been walking in the exact opposite direction of home.
It would take them another forty minutes to get back.
"There aren't many people out now. I'll walk you home."
"Okay, thank you."
They walked side by side, their conversation growing sparser.
Both knew better than to ask too many questions—especially about each other's secrets.
Wen Shu didn't ask what Qin Siyang's ability was.
Qin Siyang didn't ask how Wen Shu had known exactly how to cover up their scents.
They'd committed a terrible crime together, and now there was an unspoken bond between them—close, yet carefully guarded.
It was a comfortable dynamic for both.
After a while, Wen Shu said, "Qin Siyang—you're so strong and smart. Why did you like Li Jingwen?"
It wasn't an intrusive question, but it made Qin Siyang feel embarrassed all the same. He looked down at her and saw she was staring straight ahead, no hint of mockery in her voice.
Yet somehow, he still felt like she was teasing him.
"Maybe even the smartest people do stupid things sometimes."
"Besides, I'm not that smart. At least not when I'm with you—I often feel a bit foolish by comparison."
Wen Shu shook her head gently. "Stupidity is temporary. It doesn't last that long."
Qin Siyang froze.
That sentence hit too close to home—it touched on his deepest secret.
Wen Shu was basically saying he was a completely different person now.
How could he possibly explain that?
After all, his transformation had only happened after his rebirth.
For the first time, Qin Siyang was at a loss for words.
He felt like no matter what lie he told, this girl with bright eyes and long hair would see right through him.
After thinking for a long time, he finally said, "Some things are beyond our control."
Wen Shu nodded. "You're right. Some things really are beyond our control."
She sensed she couldn't press the issue further, so she fell silent.
Qin Siyang had no desire to continue the conversation either.
They walked the rest of the way without saying a word, the cold wind cutting through their thin coats.
After passing under countless streetlights, they finally reached the fork in the road where they usually parted ways.
Qin Siyang followed Wen Shu the rest of the way to her house.
"Well, this is me. Thank you again. I wish I could invite you in, but it's getting late, and I don't have a place for you to stay."
"It's fine—I understand. We don't need to be so formal with each other."
"Okay. Be careful on your way home."
Qin Siyang smiled at her clear, bright face. "You know as well as I do—other people should be the ones worried about their safety. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Wen Shu watched Qin Siyang walk away, then let out a soft sigh.
Today's events had been far beyond her expectations. She'd never imagined that studying diligently at school would drag her into a matter of life and death.
It was all Qin Siyang's doing. A few days ago, they'd been strangers—today, they'd killed people and hidden bodies together.
She couldn't help but marvel at how unpredictable life was.
Shaking off her thoughts about Qin Siyang, Wen Shu took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
Then she turned and opened the door.
"Grandma, I'm home!" she called out in a cheerful voice.
As soon as she spoke, a candle inside the house flickered to life. Even though her grandmother was blind, she always sat by the candle every day, waiting for Wen Shu to come home so she could light it for her.
Wen Shu felt a pang of sadness—her grandmother must have been sitting there for three or four hours tonight.
"Xiao Shu's back? Why are you so late?"
"I'm sorry, Grandma. Something came up, so I got delayed."
Wen Shu took off her shoes at the door and stepped barefoot into the house.
The floor was cold, but she had no slippers to wear.
Her family's circumstances were similar to Qin Siyang's—even worse, in fact. With an elderly grandmother who couldn't work, their burden was heavier than his "one person feeds the whole family" lifestyle.
She walked barefoot because the rough, low-quality laminate flooring was spotlessly clean.
Someone spent hours carefully wiping every inch of it.
Wen Shu couldn't bear to dirty it with her shoes. If she did, her grandmother would get up early the next morning to wipe it again.
For a blind woman, cleaning the entire floor was an unimaginably difficult task.
"Xiao Shu, why aren't you wearing shoes? It's so cold! Put them on!"
"I'm fine, Grandma. I like walking barefoot. Remember when I was little and ran around the house barefoot all the time?"
"Of course I do. You were such a little rascal—nothing could stop you. Sigh… back then, the sun still shone in the sky. Before we knew it, the apocalypse has been here for ten years."
Wen Shu stepped onto the tattered carpet she'd scavenged from a dumpster and sat down next to her grandmother, taking her hand in hers—hoping to ease the old woman's sadness.
After her grandmother went blind, Wen Shu had removed all the chairs from the house and laid down carpets to prevent her from bumping into things.
She'd even moved their wooden bed out. Now, both she and her grandmother slept on three layers of blankets spread directly on the floor.
As a result, the house was almost empty—bare walls and nothing more.
The only piece of furniture was a small dining table, on which sat a single candle.
The candle's flame danced, casting the shadows of the two相依为命 figures against the wall.
Both had smiles on their faces, seemingly content with their simple life.
After a while, Wen Shu said, "Grandma, have you eaten? I'll go make you something."
"I already ate. Remember the leftover food you brought back from the cafeteria yesterday? I heated that up."
"Good. I was worried you'd wait for me and go hungry. I haven't eaten yet—I'll just warm up some food for myself."
She was about to stand up when her grandmother's gnarled hand grabbed her wrist.
"Xiao Shu, there's something I want to ask you."
"What is it, Grandma?"
"As soon as you walked in, I smelled something on you…"
Wen Shu's heart skipped a beat. She tensed up, then forced a smile. "What kind of smell?"
"The smell of someone else. Xiao Shu… are you in a relationship?"
Wen Shu let out a silent breath of relief.
She'd been afraid her grandmother had smelled blood.
She'd checked herself thoroughly before coming home—no blood on her clothes, only dust on her shoes. She'd been terrified her grandmother would detect the scent and she'd have no way to explain it.
Ever since her grandmother lost her sight, her sense of smell had become extremely sharp. She could even tell what dishes Wen Shu had eaten at school. Today, Wen Shu had walked home with her heart in her throat, fearing their secret would be exposed.
"Oh, I studied with a classmate today. I must have picked up his scent."
"Xiao Shu, you always study alone. Your grades are the best in the school—no one can help you with your studies. Why would you study with someone else?"
Faced with her grandmother's concerned questioning, Wen Shu could only stay silent. The more she tried to explain, the more suspicious it would sound. It was better to say nothing.
"It's not that I'm trying to criticize you. These are crucial times for the college entrance exam—don't get distracted. I won't stop you from dating once you're in the academy, but not now."
"You're the only student in your school who's sure to get into an academy. Don't waste your time on others and ruin your future."
"I promise, Grandma—I won't let anything distract me. And as for dating… I know what I'm doing."
She couldn't explain the "someone else's scent" on her, so she'd reluctantly admitted to dating.
What else could she say? That she'd gone killing with a boy?
"That's good. I've always trusted you, Xiao Shu."
"I'm going to heat up my food now. After that, I need to review some material. You should go to bed early."
"Is this candle too dim? Studying in such light is bad for your eyes. Don't end up like your grandmother—blind at a young age."
Wen Shu smiled. "Don't worry, Grandma. I know what I'm doing. Have I ever let you down these past few years?"
"Sigh… it's my fault I can't give you a better study environment. If we could afford an electric light, your grades would be even better."
Wen Shu hugged her grandmother tightly. "Grandma, being with you makes me the happiest person in the world. With or without an electric light, I won't let you down! I'm going to heat up my food now!"
"Okay, go on then."
Wen Shu walked to the tiny kitchen, poured the food she'd brought from the cafeteria into a pot, and the sound of sizzling filled the air.
Like Qin Siyang, she had the privilege of getting extra food from the cafeteria.
But while Qin Siyang's privilege came from Aunt Zhang's sympathy, hers was a true privilege.
The principal had personally instructed Aunt Zhang to give Wen Shu as much food as she wanted.
As the school's top candidate for the college entrance exam this year, the principal refused to let poor facilities hold her back.
Wen Shu stared at the three-winged flying fish sizzling in the pot, her thoughts drifting back to the events of the day.
Listening to Wen Shu bustling around in the kitchen, her grandmother's smile slowly faded, replaced by a look of deep sadness.
In the candlelight, her wrinkled face revealed a grandmother's love and worry for her granddaughter.
"Sigh… the smell of someone else, and a faint hint of blood…"
"Has she gone killing again with someone?"