Chapter 34: Reconciliation

“Honestly…” A familiar voice echoed from the mouth of the alley.

With tear-filled eyes, I looked up at the man whose face I couldn’t quite make out.

“Who else could it be? Running around outside in this heavy rain… just to find a certain idiot who left without a word…”

“I’m not an idiot…”

“Then what’s going on with you? Running off without a word, wandering around without a sound…”

He stepped closer, and I immediately backed away until I was pressed against the trash bin.

Silence fell between us.

Only the rain poured down with a roaring sound.

In this rainy night’s alley.

“At least tell me what I did wrong, okay? Otherwise, if you keep running away like this… I’m afraid that one day, I really won’t be able to find you anymore.”

I pressed my lips together, only to suddenly notice—

The rain from the sky seemed… warm.

It slid down my cheek, dropping.

In the watery glow of the world beneath me, my face was reflected.

Silence thickened again; between us was a curtain of rain, as if the night itself had woven an impenetrable veil.

“Sui.” After a long silence, Lu Xiu finally spoke, his deep voice drawing my gaze toward him.

“Are you afraid?”

“Afraid of what? Afraid of studying? Afraid of the missions? Or… are you afraid of me?”

Corpse.

“He fell silent with me.

“Do you still remember what I told you back at the dam?” he said slowly, “I hoped that after I died, you could help me make it whole.”

“This wasn’t a joke, nor was it idle talk.

What… does that mean?

He took a deep breath. “If I die, you won’t die.”

“Because I already removed the restraints of the inhibitor.”

Boom—Boom—

Thunder crashed in the sky, illuminating his face.

Stubble dotted his chin, and there were dark circles under his eyes, but his gaze remained clear as he looked at me.

“So… if I die, I’ll have to rely on you to collect my body.”

“That was what I really wanted to say to you back then.”

“So, you don’t need to be afraid, because now, you can kill me.”

[He’s lying to you.]

That somber voice echoed.

[Wait until you obediently put on the inhibitor, then he’ll just execute you.]

I looked up at him. “Are you… lying to me again?”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

Those words, so familiar, made me press my lips together tightly.

“But you did lie to me… you want to kill me… you want to execute me… But I’ve, I’ve really tried my best to do as you asked…”

I don’t want to die… Lu Xiu… I want to live…

Raindrop after raindrop slid across my face, warm.

“What did I do wrong…”

Why… does everyone treat me this way?

Some fear me and avoid me, some hurt me and use me.

And you, Lu Xiu, how do you see me?

In your eyes, am I just like what everyone else thinks, a monster?

Whoosh—

The downpour seemed endless, without a trace of sunlight at its end.

Tap—

In the never-ending dampness, footsteps sounded at the mouth of the alley, step by step, drawing near.

I looked up in alarm, seeing Lu Xiu getting closer.

“No, don’t come any closer!”

I shouted.

But he still didn’t stop.

Claws sprung from my fingertips as I backed away several steps.

“Don’t come any closer…”

[He’s going to kill you!]

No, he wouldn’t.

[How naive.]

I’m not…

[You don’t have an inhibitor now; you could kill him without restraint.]

I won’t.

[Hahaha, you’re going to die.]

[Killed by your own keeper, useless pet.]

No…

“Don’t come any closer… please…”

I bit down hard on my lip, trembling as I spoke.

His footsteps paused.

Then, he continued forward.

Rip—

A warm sensation flooded my fingertips as my claws pierced flesh, stained with blood. He let out a muffled groan.

“I’m sorry…”

But I was so scared… I’m sorry…

“Tch… that hurts like hell…”

He forced a stiff smile at the corner of his mouth.

Then—

The rain above my head stopped.

Stunned, I looked up, only to see him holding an umbrella over me. Raindrops pattered against the membrane, tracing a silver trail.

“Honestly… crying like a little kitten… Never mind, I forgive you.”

“So… can you tell me now, why are you so afraid?” He pointed to my claws still embedded in his shoulder. “Right now, my life is in your hands… I guess I can’t threaten you anymore, can I?”

“What? Are you planning to stab my stomach next?”

“Mm?”

I was silent for a while before spitting out a few words, “The phone…”

“That phone… in the living room… you said I was missing something, that I needed to be dealt with…”

I suddenly sensed his body tremble.

What’s wrong with him?

“Sorry, I can’t help but laugh… but my shoulder really hurts…”

He spoke again, his tone seeming to return to its usual relaxed air.

With his injured hand, he fumbled in his pocket. I instinctively wanted to back away.

But he only pulled out his phone.

“The results from Yanluo City are out. It was an internal mutiny within the Response Division, then a collaboration with the Golden Remnants for rebellion.”

“The ringleader is likely that disaster seed this organization worships, [The Prisoner]. He incited the internal Hounds, conspired in the revolt, and turned all of Yanluo City into an independent reality border.”

Is this… Qu Le’s voice?

Qu Le: “The higher-ups are uneasy about this, so they’ve ordered purges nationwide and are evaluating all Hounds. Any who fail will be immediately purged.”

Qu Le: “Lu Xiu, there’s not much time. During this period, you must make Sui adapt to human society’s rules as quickly as possible.”

Still lacking… [Sui] still [has a barrier toward human society], as if [something is missing]… But there’s not much time, I have to make her [adapt] to this society as soon as possible, [otherwise she’ll] be [dealt with].

That’s Lu Xiu’s voice?

Her.

Qu Le: “There are three days left until evaluation… I can only buy you two more days at most, otherwise the higher-ups will get suspicious and force you to deal with her.”

Lu Xiu: “Alright… [I’ll speed up the process]. If it really [comes to that], [I] hope… that in the end, [I] will be the one [to execute her].”

The call ended.

“So, that’s everything… It’s my fault for not explaining things properly to you… because I thought you’d panic and do something drastic if you heard the truth… But I never realized, hiding things from you was already hurting you.”

“I’m sorry, Sui. I was wrong.”

His eyes met mine, full of sincerity.

“Can you forgive me?”

“…You, you’re not trying to kill me?”

“If I kill you, who else would be my partner?”

“And you don’t hate me?”

“A little… ow, ow, ow…” He quickly changed his words, “I don’t hate you, not at all.”

The transformation in my body gradually faded, the claws retracted into my fingertips. My palm pressed to his shoulder, helping him steady himself.

“…I don’t forgive you.”

“What?”

“I said… I still hate you.”

“Then what will it take for you to forgive me?”

“Alright… three cups of milk tea… is that enough?”

“Four cups. No more than that.”

I suddenly interrupted him.

“Am I going to die?”

His expression froze. “Maybe.”

At that moment, his rough hand fell on my head again.

“But maybe only after you help collect my body.”

Before that—”

“I’ll protect you.”

The sourness that had been gathering in my eyes finally overflowed; only then did I realize, the warmth wasn’t from the rain.

They were my tears.

All the grievances and anxieties of wandering spilled over with those words.

In the silent city, the first thing to break the calm wasn’t the dawn, but a girl’s muffled sobs.

“Well?”

On a tall building somewhere, Qu Le stood with an umbrella, watching the two figures embracing in the alley, speaking to the man in a suit beside him.

The latter didn’t reply, just turned around, and on a certain white page, next to a certain number, a certain name…

Lightly ticked a check.