Chapter 128: The Alter Ego Says He Loves Me (17)
The mist slowly dispersed before his eyes, and a small dirt road overgrown with weeds appeared in front of Xiao Yinnian.
“Are you there?” Xiao Yinnian asked softly in his mind.
However, this time, there was no response.
Xiao Yinnian took a deep breath and continued along the small dirt road. The mist still swirled around the weeds, making it impossible to see his surroundings clearly.
After walking for a full ten minutes, a small three-story wooden building faintly appeared ahead.
The courtyard wall wasn’t high. Likely due to the gloomy weather, besides being dilapidated, it looked somewhat damp, carrying the characteristic chilly dampness of many villages during the plum rain season.
Xiao Yinnian stepped over the threshold and entered the door. A few people were sitting in the room. They didn’t show any special reaction when they saw Xiao Yinnian enter.
Some ignored him, while others nodded slightly as a greeting.
Not a single person spoke; they seemed to be waiting for something.
Xiao Yinnian simply walked to a corner and sat down silently, observing these people.
There were many more people than last time in the sanatorium.
Including Xiao Yinnian himself, there were a total of seventeen people.
Half of them were sitting together, looking like they already knew each other.
Although they weren’t shouting like the fat man last time, the worry on most of their faces was hard to hide.
A few individuals looked numbly calm—clearly veterans.
Xiao Yinnian scanned the room but didn’t see Lin Chuan.
He only saw a man leaning back in a reclining chair not far away, looking completely out of place with everyone else.
He wore a white leisure suit, and the sneakers on his feet were as clean as display samples in a shop window.
His long legs were stretched out lazily, revealing a small section of fair and beautiful ankle.
Moving up, his body shape couldn’t be discerned because his jacket was too loose, but judging from the silhouette and proportions, it shouldn’t be bad.
His slender, clean hands were folded over his abdomen with fingers interlaced.
Further up, his entire face was covered by a yellowed newspaper. He seemed to be asleep.
To be able to sleep in such a situation, Xiao Yinnian really had to marvel at how excessively large this person’s heart was.
After a while, footsteps sounded outside the door again. Xiao Yinnian snapped back to attention and saw Lin Chuan stepping inside.
The two exchanged a look, tacitly choosing not to speak to each other.
Lin Chuan’s arrival broke the silent atmosphere in the room.
An old-fashioned floor clock against the wall suddenly made a clicking sound, and the second hand began to tick away.
At the same time, a woman wearing a qipao vest walked in from outside. She held a wooden tray with a bunch of small teacups on it.
As soon as she entered, she smiled at everyone. “Welcome, everyone, for coming from so far away to attend my sister’s wedding feast. You’ve worked hard.”
“The family has been too busy preparing for the happy occasion these days. If we’ve been neglectful, I hope you’ll forgive us.”
“Guest rooms have been arranged for everyone; they’re upstairs in the backyard. Please move to the room on the left next door to eat in a moment. After that, you’re free to do as you please.”
After saying this, she put the tray on the table and began pouring tea for everyone on her own.
The small teacups on the table were filled one by one. Just as the woman put down the teapot, a child’s cry came from behind the courtyard.
Hearing the sound, the woman’s expression changed. She apologized to everyone and hurriedly left the hall, walking toward the backyard.
A middle-aged man sitting in the middle of a long wooden bench spoke up, “No rules or conditions given. This is going to be difficult.”
Everyone looked at each other. Among those sitting together, a young girl reached out and grabbed the arm of a man with slicked-back hair. She said timidly, “Chang-ge, you said you’d protect me. You can’t go back on your word.”
The man called Chang-ge was clearly the central figure of that group. He reached out and put his arm around the girl’s shoulder, patting her arm. “Don’t worry. Just do what I tell you and don’t act on your own. I guarantee I’ll get you out the same way you came in.”
The middle-aged man on the wooden bench scanned the others, focusing briefly on Xiao Yinnian before shifting his gaze away. He asked, “My name is He Lei. This is my eighth mission. Is there anyone who came in alone and wants to cooperate?”
Xiao Yinnian didn’t say a word.
He didn’t feel at ease right now because he couldn’t yet determine if Xiao Ji was among the people present.
Seeing Xiao Yinnian remain silent, Lin Chuan followed suit and stayed quiet, but he moved closer to Xiao Yinnian’s side without drawing attention.
At that moment, the man who had been sleeping in the reclining chair suddenly yawned. He raised his hand to remove the newspaper from his face, sat up straight, and looked at Xiao Yinnian.
Hearing the yawn, Xiao Yinnian instinctively turned his head and met the man’s eyes.
His eyes were deep and narrow, his nose bridge was high, and his features were sharply defined yet soft.
His pupils were as black as ink, like an ancient well without ripples. It wasn’t a rugged or masculine appearance, but rather a cold, aloof, and noble elegance.
Xiao Ji looked at Xiao Yinnian and said immediately, “Come here. Why are you huddling with them?”
As soon as he said this, Xiao Yinnian’s brow twitched, and he couldn’t look away for a long time.
In Xiao Yinnian’s imagination, Xiao Ji had been separated from his own body. If he had a physical form, he should share some similarities with himself—maybe even look identical.
If they weren’t identical, then based on Xiao Ji’s skills and temperament, he should at least be a muscular, hulking man.
Who would have thought he would look like this—a refined, noble young master from a great clan.
Xiao Yinnian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He obediently walked to Xiao Ji’s side and whispered to confirm, “A-Ji?”
Xiao Ji gave an “en” in affirmation. His clean voice and indifferent tone overlapped with the familiar voice that had appeared in Xiao Yinnian’s mind countless times.
Xiao Yinnian’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. He used a finger to secretly poke Xiao Ji. “How dare you grow up looking this good behind my back? Do you want to die?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Chuan also walked over. His gaze swept back and forth over Xiao Ji several times before he grinned at Xiao Yinnian. “Hello. Can I join your team?”
Xiao Yinnian nodded. “Sure.”
On the other side, a girl who had been alone and silently observing Xiao Yinnian since he entered also raised her hand. She looked at the three of them. “Can you take me too? I have experience. I won’t drag you down.”
Currently, everyone’s identity panel was blank, meaning that in this mission world, everyone’s identity was the same—they were all guests attending a wedding feast.
If there were no conflicting identities or stances, the danger between companions would be relatively small.
But it wasn’t absolute.
At such a time, no one could say for sure whether an extra teammate would be a help or a burden.
Xiao Yinnian couldn’t make the decision and looked at Xiao Ji.
Xiao Ji’s answer was simple and blunt, consisting of only two words:
“No.”
Translator’s Note: Chang-ge (常哥) means “Brother Chang.” Also, Xiao Ji’s appearance is described as qīnglěng (清冷), which I’ve translated as “cold, aloof, and noble.” It’s a very specific aesthetic in Chinese novels. And yes, Xiao Ji is indeed very handsome!
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