NOVPUB
Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Persuading for Reconciliation
Tian Xinyue wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping.
She knew that, out of politeness, she should have waited outside until the two had finished talking before entering. But... they were currently camping outside, not picnicking, and people were quickly finishing their meals, then cleaning up the tableware and clearing the scents, followed by arranging the night watch shifts. When she was in the Special Training Team, missing a mealtime meant going hungry, and although Han Yi’s team wasn’t as well-trained as the army, they wouldn’t tolerate dawdling.
It was clear that the two inside wouldn’t finish talking anytime soon, so Tian Xinyue just... entered a bit abruptly.
Even if she were rather oblivious, Tian Xinyue could sense that something significant was amiss between the two in front of her.
She awkwardly handed over a large bowl and said, "Um... Wei Jie, Yu sister made you egg noodles, eat up."
Wei Jie thanked her and took the bowl, and although he wasn’t hungry, he knew he needed to quickly regain his strength.
Wei Jie looked up at Liu Ling, who was quietly shedding tears on the side, and calmly said, "You should go eat as well, and then get some good sleep. We’ll arrive at Lingchuan tomorrow."
Liu Ling wiped her swollen eyes and walked out slowly, her expression sorrowful.
Seeing Liu Ling leave, Tian Xinyue tentatively asked Wei Jie, "...are you guys breaking up?"
Wei Jie paused with his chopsticks and then said, "You don’t know what happened."
"I might not know the specifics, but I heard the general idea..." Tian Xinyue hesitantly advised, "Think it over again..."
Wei Jie sighed. He wasn’t feeling great about it either. But...
"I can’t get over this hurdle in my heart." Wei Jie said somberly, "Once I take her to Lingchuan, afterwards... we won’t see each other again."
Tian Xinyue opened her mouth, unsure of what to say.
Wei Jie looked at her with a bitter smile and asked, "This isn’t like you, aren’t you the one who can’t stand the slightest injustice?"
"I just think it’s a pity for the two of you..." Tian Xinyue said gloomily, "You know how it is now, people are full of suspicion and wariness towards each other, and even when two people get together, it’s often just an act. There are too few who truly trust each other."
Wei Jie’s gaze grew dimmer as he slowly said, "I know all that you said. She is a good girl... If she were only chasing after power, she wouldn’t have been with a guy like me who lacks any Ability from the start. But... this matter will always be a thorn in my heart, and it’s better to separate now than to resent each other later..."
"Is it really unforgivable?" Tian Xinyue murmured softly.
Wei Jie didn’t answer, silently starting to eat his noodles.
Tian Xinyue felt a little sad.
Actually, when she first entered the base, she had thought like Liu Ling: sacrifying herself to a man with power, just to survive.
Because back then, it was simply too hard...
The apocalyptic world had arrived, and her parents had passed away suddenly. At nineteen, she knew nothing, was capable of nothing; she arrived at the base in a daze. Every day, the relief food she received was stolen by others, and she couldn’t even find a safe place to sleep. Even after she joined the Special Training Team, things did not go smoothly.
It was so hard, truly too hard... She, who couldn’t even pass the 800 meters school test, had to run a full three kilometers each day, and there were also numerous physical training activities. At the end of the day, she was covered in bruises, so tired that she fell asleep without attending to her wounds. She dared not slack off because those who didn’t meet the physical standards in a month would be removed from the team, and then she would be even more lost and alone.
Whenever she felt she couldn’t go on, she would think to herself, "Just give up, just give up; find a powerful Superpower User who can help you survive. Forget about dignity!"
The difference between her and Liu Ling was simply that these thoughts only flashed through her mind, but Liu Ling acted on them.
Could it be that Liu Ling also just couldn’t bear the hardship anymore?
After leaving Wei Jie, Liu Ling did not go to have dinner but walked straight to Han Jiaojiao’s tent. She stood there with lowered eyes, the tears in her eyes already dry, her expression somewhat vacant as she gazed at Han Jiaojiao inside the tent—
"I’m sorry about what happened just now... I wasn’t thinking clearly, I hope you won’t take it to heart," she said.
Faced with such a direct apology, Han Jiaojiao was somewhat stunned.
Liu Ling calmly continued, "There’s a Superpower User in the base who wants to marry me, and he continued to pester me after I refused him, so I was forced into a corner, and that’s why Wei Jie took me away with him. I know that after what happened just now, you must think poorly of me. Don’t worry, once we get to Lingchuan tomorrow, I won’t appear before you and your brother again."
After saying this, Liu Ling paused briefly and gathered her courage to look at Han Jiaojiao, saying, "But the things about Su Xue are not exaggerated. There is someone behind Su Xue, though I’m not clear who it is. You should be careful of her in the future, she really hates you."
Finally showing a reaction, Han Jiaojiao stepped out of the tent. She looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them, then asked Liu Ling, "Hasn’t Su Xue disappeared?"
Liu Ling was momentarily taken aback, then quickly realized, "So you have always had someone watching her... I’m not sure about her disappearance, but indeed, she hasn’t been around recently to find Xu Luosheng, who she claims publicly to be her boyfriend. She often comes to the ability team’s training camp looking for Xu Luosheng, everyone knows about it."
"What do you mean by Su Xue has someone behind her?" Han Jiaojiao asked, her expression serious.
"Recently, she appeared suddenly, not to find Xu Luosheng but to invite a few female team members, and me, for a dinner. Red wine and steak, a lavish meal. But she didn’t know that my family used to be in the wine business; I knew something was off with the wine as soon as I tasted it. I found it very peculiar, so I made an excuse to leave," Liu Ling said.
Liu Ling, feeling a chill recalling the incident, showed fear naturally reflecting the fear she felt at that time.
"I felt uneasy afterwards, thinking something big was going to happen, so I turned back halfway. I saw a black van pull up at the door, and two men got out of the car, went inside, and then carried off some of the female team members who had been drugged..."
Han Jiaojiao’s eyes widened, "A black... van..."
Liu Ling nodded affirmatively, "Yes, a black van, I double checked. It had no license plate, but there was a circular beast head emblem on the front, very distinctive. Those female team members were carried into the van and then disappeared; no one knows where they went. Su Xue disappeared soon after, someone powerful is definitely orchestrating these events from behind, and Su Xue couldn’t have managed this alone. Be careful if you come across her," she warned.
Stunned, Han Jiaojiao murmured a "thank you."
Liu Ling gave a dry laugh, "No need for thanks. I’m content knowing your brother is strong and that you won’t hold what just happened against me..."
"Still, thank you," Han Jiaojiao said to Liu Ling, sincerely adding, "You might not know, but what you’ve just told me is very important."
She wouldn’t forget how in her previous life, it was Su Xue who had had her put on a black van, after which there was only darkness...
