Chapter 110: A Welcome Sight

Bai Xiaozhi looked somewhat haggard.

She stared anxiously at the coastline, as if waiting for something—yet until now, nothing had come.

Wu Xiaomi knew exactly who she was waiting for.

But that brother would never return.

“Your brother left you a message,” Wu Xiaomi said guiltily, lowering her head. “She said she discovered an underwater current and went adventuring along it.”

“Did my brother contact you?” Xiaozhi was stunned.

“Yeah.”

“Then why didn’t he contact me?”

“Maybe, possibly, probably… because she was afraid of the farewell scene?”

“…”

No, no way! That’s too fake!

Who would believe this nonsense? Not even I believe it!

Even if he didn’t want to contact her directly, couldn’t they at least add each other as friends to keep a communication channel?

That alone would ease Xiaozhi’s mind a lot!

It just didn’t make any sense!

“D-don’t worry!” Wu Xiaomi stammered, her voice soft. “He’s very safe. The reason he doesn’t meet you in person or add you as a friend is… because he’s afraid that frequent communication would distract him from focusing on the exploration.”

“…”

No way, no way! Xiaozhi obviously didn’t believe it at all!

Her face was practically written with doubt.

“I’m going out for a walk, you two talk,” the Witch gracefully rose and headed for the door.

No! Don’t go, sister!

Say a few words for me! I’m about to die of awkwardness!

“I… I’m coming too! Take me with you!”

Milk Mud stood on tiptoes, wobbling as she chased after the Witch.

“No.”

Swoosh~~~

Ah, the Witch flew away on her broomstick~

Leaving behind a guilty Wu Xiaomi, her legs weak, facing Bai Xiaozhi’s piercing gaze.

“Are you lying to me?”

Bai Xiaozhi slammed the door shut with a bang.

“I… I… I’m not…”

Wu Xiaomi was forced to retreat.

Step by step, backing away.

Xiaozhi’s mood was terrible—her brother’s sudden disappearance, his fate unknown, leaving her unsure whether to be angry or sad.

And the girl in front of her clearly harbored some secret.

This one couldn’t lie to save her life.

She wasn’t sly like a fox at all.

That trembling tip of her tail had already given her away.

“I… ugh… I…”

Wu Xiaomi trembled all over from nerves.

Ah!

Her knees suddenly hit the bed frame.

Her whole body collapsed back onto the bed.

When she came to, Xiaozhi’s arms had formed a cage around her.

“Don’t lie to me,” Xiaozhi said sadly, staring at the girl. “Tell me the truth. What happened to my brother? Has he… already…?”

“No! That’s impossible! She’s alive and well!” Wu Xiaomi hurriedly defended.

“But he promised me, if he was alive, he would come back. He wouldn’t lie to me.”

“It must be that new discovery under the sea is too important…”

“That’s completely unreasonable. Nobody would believe such a clumsy lie. Do you take me for a fool?”

“…”

Of course, Xiaozhi wasn’t a fool.

So such a stupid lie could never fool her.

But as long as there wasn’t concrete proof, maybe it could still leave a tiny flicker of hope in her heart…

……

Silence.

The two girls fell briefly silent.

“You know, your scent is very unique,” Xiaozhi suddenly broke the silence.

Huh?

W-why say something so strange all of a sudden…

Wu Xiaomi’s cheeks flushed red.

Xiaozhi’s arms gradually bent, shrinking the space of her cage.

She slowly leaned closer.

Her whole body pressed down on Wu Xiaomi.

Wu Xiaomi had nowhere to exert force and could only watch as Xiaozhi’s cheek drew closer.

Finally, her face buried in Wu Xiaomi’s hair.

Xiaozhi breathed heavily.

Greedily inhaling the scent in her hair.

“Th-that… what’s wrong?”

Wu Xiaomi was so nervous she dared not move.

“Nothing.”

Wuuu—

She felt like a prey bitten on the neck.

So strange.

“My brother is dead, isn’t he?”

“No…” Wu Xiaomi denied again, hopelessly.

“You don’t have to answer.”

“But she really isn’t dead…”

Suddenly, a wave of pity and guilt washed over her.

Her hands unconsciously reached out and quietly wrapped around Xiaozhi’s back.

Gently stroking, comforting.

“Don’t be sad. It’s okay, I’m here,” she whispered, hoping to ease the girl’s pain.

Also… could you please get off me? It’s not heavy, but it’s so weird…

Xiaozhi slowly stood up.

The two girls leaned against the wall at the foot of the bed.

“Where have you been these days? Didn’t join the mainline strategy group?” Bai Xiaozhi asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!” Wu Xiaomi nodded hard. “I was healing at the Witch’s place the whole time, perfectly missing the mainline strategy.”

“…”

Xiaozhi’s gaze swept over to the bedside.

A combat suit made of acid-resistant carbon fiber fabric and a Polytetrafluoroethylene mask lay on the floor.

Wu Xiaomi followed her gaze, her delicate body instantly stiffening.

“T-that… this was left behind by a Xinhua member during evacuation.”

“Is that so?” Bai Xiaozhi smiled. “I remember before the Asklei Mountain invasion caused a tsunami and the entire city was evacuated, we carried out another task.”

She used the tip of her sword to lift the combat suit and held it in her palm, staring at the mask.

“What task?” Wu Xiaomi asked stiffly.

“Recover all the combat suits, and remove the Polytetrafluoroethylene components. Then melt them down again to make cages used to control Acidic Lifeforms.”

Wu Xiaomi looked at the combat suit in front of her.

This suit only had cuts and stab wounds, but the Polytetrafluoroethylene parts were still intact.

…A huge mistake!

The landslide came just that suddenly.

Wu Xiaomi’s anxiety made it hard to breathe.

“You said this suit was left behind by a Xinhua member during evacuation. But most Xinhua members had already removed their Polytetrafluoroethylene parts before evacuating. Only six suits still had those parts.”

Bai Xiaozhi lifted the suit.

It was stained with a lot of blood.

On the shoulders, heart, right lung, and lower abdomen. Not only were there clotted blood scabs, but also obvious sharp weapon puncture holes.

Penetrating both sides.

It was like a murder scene.

No one could survive such wounds.

“Those six suits belong to me, Miss Nuo, Han Nuo, the Enforcer, Ah Lei, and—my brother. So this suit… is my brother’s, right? He died from these five fatal wounds.”

No more excuses.

This was ironclad evidence of death.

Wu Xiaomi fell silent.

The situation had spiraled completely out of control.

The moment Xiaozhi found the combat suit, any feeble denials, any last glimmer of hope vanished from her heart.

She had officially accepted her brother’s death.

Since that was the case…

What meaning was there in causing Xiaozhi even more pain?

Wu Xiaomi looked at the girl only inches away.

She forced a bitter smile and made up her mind.

The plan was already a failure; she would bear the consequences.

She could never let Xiaozhi carry the sorrow of her brother’s death alone.

With that in mind…

“Actually…”

“We should date.” Bai Xiaozhi suddenly spoke, interrupting her.