Xing Yue received a message from Tang Qiūqiū asking if she had any medicine for a cold or fever.
While such minor ailments usually cleared up quickly for ability users with a bit of rest, hearing that the one sick was Xin Ye prompted her to make a special trip to the supply depot. She figured it was also a good time to mention the matter of the frilled shark.
On her way back, she happened to run into Xin Ye, who had just finished seeing Jian Weiwei off and was about to take the elevator upstairs alone.
"Xin Ye," Xing Yue jogged up and tapped his shoulder with the medicine box. "Take this. Why were you walking with Jian Weiwei?"
Xin Ye took the medicine. "Thanks. Qiūqiū told you I was sick?"
"Yeah, he’s always the one most worried about you," Xing Yue smiled. Today, her hair tie happened to be decorated with a little cat. "Just make sure you actually take it. I already went through the trouble of getting it."
"Oh, right, I have something to tell you..."
"Want to head up together? We can call Leng Xianye and the others to check the official website updates."
"Sure."
The two stepped into the elevator car, and Xin Ye pressed the button for their floor.
Xing Yue noticed Xin Ye seemed to have something on his mind, but she spoke first. "Back in the aquatic zone, Tang Qiūqiū and I followed Yu Xiaoyu back down to a depth of a thousand meters. Her blue material target was that flesh-colored frilled shark. After we got out, the researchers actually passed her materials. What do you make of that?"
"A flesh-colored frilled shark? Regarding the materials, Leng Xianye mentioned some suspicions to me before. He wondered why the requirement to end the match early was specifically to collect materials rather than just finishing the top-five-to-top-three elimination. It seems we have an answer now."
The elevator’s outer shell was transparent and capsule-shaped. At a glance, it looked much like a sightseeing elevator in a grand hotel.
In reality, there was nothing worth seeing at Headquarters. If the screens on the walls weren't projecting images of a normal sky, all one could see were the various layers of subterranean soil and the winding, twisting pipes.
Xing Yue stole a few glances at Xin Ye’s profile before turning her gaze back to the screen outside.
It was still that same handsome face paired with a calm expression, yet for some reason, she doubted the sincerity of that calm.
Just before the elevator reached their destination, Xin Ye suddenly asked, "You stayed through so much of the Initial Training. Why did you leave right when the Investigation Department first tried to dispatch ability users to clear out mutants?"
At the words "Initial Training," Xing Yue’s shoulders flinched.
Why was the Captain suddenly bringing up Initial Training? Who told him?
Jian Weiwei? Lian Muyun? Leng Xianye? Leng Xianye seemed unlikely... could it be Yi Ting?
While Xing Yue was frantically compiling a list of suspects, the elevator doors opened. Xin Ye said a casual "Let's go" and stepped out first.
The other three were already waiting in Xin Ye’s room. Seeing Xing Yue’s pale face as she entered, Leng Xianye offered a word of concern.
The official website refreshed on the hour. The finals result board was set in red and pinned to the homepage. Xin Ye clicked in and saw the somewhat ridiculous name "You're Gonna Lose, Right?" back at the top of the rankings. He joined his teammates in feigning a bit of joy.
Sensing Xin Ye’s true emotions, the Mirror Image sat by the bed, sipping tea.
"Settle down, look at the notice below." Xin Ye navigated to the second page. "Lian Muyun, you read it. I’m still sick."
Lian Muyun didn't mind being used as manual labor. He leaned over Xin Ye’s shoulder to get a closer look at the computer screen. "The two eliminated teams will be sent back to their original branches. The advancing teams must update their employee cards within three days. Starting today, there will be a one-week adjustment period. Formal assignment execution begins in seven days..."
"One more week to play, then it's off to work."
*Work? There is absolutely no way I’m working,* Xin Ye thought.
He pulled a biscuit from a tin and held it in his mouth.
He had originally intended to discuss the suspicious points of the competition with everyone today, but now it seemed unnecessary.
It was nothing more than the tricks played by those researchers.
The small team gathering ended abruptly after they agreed on a time to update their employee cards. To the very end, Xing Yue never worked up the courage to ask Xin Ye why he had brought up that question.
A lack of communication seemed to be a common trait among important characters; only by keeping things hidden could more plot be generated.
Xin Ye abandoned this trait. That afternoon, he went directly to Yi Ting’s office. Unfortunately, he didn't catch her there, but he did run into Fu Shu, who was busy playing with a spider plant.
"Do you like it? This gift." Seeing Xin Ye arrive, Fu Shu seized the chance for a chat. "I took advantage of the Mirror Image being on the phone with you to shove a vial of blood into his hand. It saved your first-place spot. Hurry up and say thank you."
Xin Ye didn't respond, but Fu Shu wasn't offended.
"Looking for Yi Ting? She went to another floor to argue with someone. She won't be back for a while."
Seeing that Xin Ye didn't plan on leaving, Fu Shu cleared a spot for him. Xin Ye didn't stand on ceremony and sat right down. "What did Sister Ting go to argue about?"
"The blue materials issue," Fu Shu said, acting as if he owned the office as he poured tea for Xin Ye. "I saw Xing Yue and that little cat come out with Yu Xiaoyu. Did they not tell you that the materials Yu Xiaoyu drew were different from yours?"
Xin Ye took the teacup. "They told me. But I feel like even if I asked, the answer would be the same."
"The same as what?"
"I’ve asked Yi Ting two questions before: one about the metal spheres, and one about you. Both times, her answer was 'This isn't something you can handle,'" he said, cradling the cup and feeling the warmth of the tea through the glass. "Will it be the same this time? Something I can't handle?"
"Ah... probably," Fu Shu said with a hint of regret. Then, he suddenly leaned in close to Xin Ye with shameless familiarity. "So you actually cared about me? You were so stubborn about not cooperating with me during the preliminaries."
"But I care now. Aren't we friends who've faced death together?"
The statement was so direct that Fu Shu immediately recoiled.
Xin Ye: "What's wrong?"
Fu Shu: "...Nothing."
He certainly couldn't admit that he was feeling a bit embarrassed because he hadn't made a single friend since joining the Investigation Department.
But he could accept this friendship. There was no problem with that.
"It’s fine if she won't tell you. I can tell you myself," Fu Shu said, sitting back down. "Go on, what were you going to ask Yi Ting back then?"
Xin Ye felt that running into Fu Shu today was an unexpected harvest. "What I wanted to ask then wasn't a big deal. Just, where is your dorm? And what was that talk about 'extracting nerves'?"
Fu Shu’s expression froze for a moment. He rubbed his face once, and his composure returned.
He said, "Well, that is indeed a bit difficult for Yi Ting to answer out of the blue."
"...Because my dorm is the laboratory."
If he hadn't lived in the lab all this time, he wouldn't have gone years without a single friend.
"But don't worry, I think it's fine. After all, that lab is exclusively mine."
Hearing this, it wasn't Xin Ye’s expression that froze, but his gaze.
He had received enough information-based shocks lately.
"You..."
"My dear friend, let's talk about something more interesting!"
Fu Shu draped an arm around Xin Ye, pulling him closer, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Do you remember the background story from the preliminaries? The one about the butterfly growing a brain, where two sick scientists led the whole world into the Butterfly Order?"
"I remember," Xin Ye nodded.
Leng Xianye had told him at the time that the story felt like the focus wasn't on the birth of the mutants, but on the two men, Jiang Kelan and Gu Shaolou.
Now that Fu Shu was bringing it up again, there was clearly something behind the story. It made him marvel at Leng Xianye’s sharp intuition as a "true protagonist."
It was the same when they collected the metal spheres; the look Leng Xianye had given him was quite unforgettable.
"I didn't have any data to be measured at the time, so Yi Ting tossed me to the Seventh Branch to monitor the actions of those young masters and ladies. Sister Ting’s mood was complicated back then... she didn't want them to come to Headquarters, but she also kind of hoped the kids would achieve success. So she let me play it by ear and gave me the competition's world-building in advance."
"Whether I stayed in first place or helped a young lady win the championship, I had to use some cheats, right?"
Xin Ye understood now. No wonder the Regeneration Team’s progress was so fast; both the first and second place of the Seventh Branch were cheaters.
"As for this world-building, how a researcher like Sister Ting got her hands on it is the fun part. Don't you dare look down on her! Researchers aren't the bottom-tier workers in this place. The ones acting as dogs are us ability users."
Fu Shu looked mysterious, pulling his hand back to cup his mouth.
"...This background story? She wrote it herself, knowing full well that the three childhood friends—Leng Xianye, Xing Yue, and Lian Muyun—had lowered their status to go to the Seventh Branch."
"Originally, I was the only one who knew. Now, there’s you."
***
When Xin Ye left, Fu Shu comforted him, saying that if today didn't work, maybe he could try his luck tomorrow and run into Yi Ting.
Xin Ye was momentarily choked by that "maybe" and asked why her return time was so uncertain.
Fu Shu: "Because it depends on Sister Ting’s energy. It’s always been like that. If she sees something she doesn't like, she picks a fight. When she’s tired of arguing, she comes back."
Xin Ye: "...I see."
Quite willful.
He wasn't in a hurry to return to his dorm. Five minutes after walking away, he turned back to ask Fu Shu if he wanted to have dinner together. Fu Shu accepted with outward composure, but internally, he was as excited as if he were going on a spring field trip.
Over the years, he had either eaten dinner with Yi Ting, eaten alone, or gone to get a nutritional IV drip when his body acted up. He had never eaten with anyone else. Tonight was a novel experience.
In Fu Shu’s eyes, even the white cafeteria seemed to brighten up.
Xin Ye took in his expressions and small gestures, silently noting that his choice to turn back had been the right one.
After dinner, Fu Shu proactively asked if Xin Ye could accompany him to the shooting range for some practice. The latter naturally had no objection. By the time he returned to his own floor, it was already 8:30 PM.
Half of the yellow lights in the dormitory area had been turned off to save energy.
As soon as Xin Ye stepped into the hallway, he saw someone standing at his door. Approaching, he asked, "How long have you been waiting?"
Leng Xianye had been leaning against the wall, but he stood up slightly as Xin Ye arrived. He was a few centimeters taller than Xin Ye, but the pressure brought by that small height difference exceeded the single digits.
Based on appearance alone, Xin Ye had to admit that Leng Xianye looked much more like a protagonist than he did.
"Not long," Leng Xianye said. "...I just wanted to tell you that during the Initial Training, I was the one who approached Xing Yue and helped her decide to leave quickly."
*Oho, Xing Yue told Leng Xianye.*
Xin Ye blinked.
Xun Yin: [See? I told you. You blurt out a random line, and now the boyfriend is at your door.]
"Actually, I also feel like my attitude this morning wasn't great," Xin Ye was seriously reflecting on himself. "But this feeling of being confronted by someone’s relative is really draining. Is there any way to alleviate this?"
Xun Yin: [Find someone to back you up?]
Xin Ye: "Do you have a suitable candidate?"
Xun Yin: [Sorry, I can't. Because this standalone side story is in the 'No CP' category. The protagonist has to shine solo.]
Xin Ye: "?" *How helpless.*
Xun Yin: [But I can tell you that Xing Yue really doesn't know anything.]
[The little princess of the Secretary-General’s family was raised strictly. Do you think trash information could reach her ears? When she went to Initial Training, Yi Ting was watching over her. She persuaded Lian Muyun to leave purely because she was afraid he’d be in danger. She refused to take Jian Weiwei because Leng Xianye was young and his abilities were limited; he could only save one person.]
Leng Xianye lowered his eyes. "I don't know why you suddenly asked those things, but I can tell you that making Xing Yue flee was my intuition... I don't think my father is a good man."
"He isn't good to me. He’s likely even worse to his subordinates."
Looking at Leng Xianye, a dull, indescribable pain rose in Xin Ye’s chest.
The first time he had learned how Leng Xianye’s ability was born was after the apocalypse had ended.
At that time, the "Black Box" ability had already vanished along with the Mutant Core.
"It’s fine, I was just asking casually," he patted Leng Xianye’s shoulder. "It’s late. Go get some rest. We’ll go update our employee cards together in a couple of days."
With that, he moved to brush past him.
Leng Xianye grabbed him.
"You have something on your mind, Xin Ye. You’ve been hiding it all day," he said. "You can fool others, but you can't fool me. Is there something you can't share with the rest of us?"
Xin Ye looked back into his former captain’s eyes.
They were beautiful eyes, very clean, allowing one to see straight to the bottom—unlike his own eyes, where the black pupils were composed entirely of the sludge used to mask his true emotions.
Seeing Xin Ye’s thoughts, Xun Yin watched his two "sons" pull at each other: [Go ahead and say it.]
[I’ll back you up.]
"Fine," Xin Ye said. "I don't need your other methods of backing me up. Just one thing: regardless of whether he understands or not, stay away from your keyboard."
Xun Yin raised both hands in surrender.
Xin Ye: "Leng Xianye."
"If one day I said I wanted to leave Headquarters—to throw away the positions we worked so hard for and give up staying in this place hailed as a 'Sanctuary for Ability Users'—would you... would all of you be willing to leave with me?"
A look of bewilderment appeared on Leng Xianye’s face.
Xin Ye had seen this reaction before. Back during the preliminaries, when Xun Yin had Xin Ye ask Lian Muyun what flavor of cake he liked, Lian Muyun had reacted exactly like this.
Unable to answer, lost, indecisive... as if the question simply didn't exist in the world.
It was a file missing from the computer, a setting that had never been written down.
How could a protagonist with such a deep background leave the Headquarters managed by his own father? That was supposed to be his stage.
Though this idea had been born less than twenty-four hours ago, Xin Ye felt it was already fully matured.
If all that was needed was to eliminate the Mutant Core, then there was no need for him to remain entangled with Headquarters... It would be best if he could take the team with him, but if Leng Xianye and the others were unwilling, "The Me in the Mirror" and "Black Box" were sister abilities anyway, and Xun Yin was here, he...
Thinking of the Mirror Image waiting for him inside the dorm, Xin Ye couldn't follow that train of thought any further.
He bit the soft flesh inside his cheek, using the pain to force his wandering thoughts to a halt.
Leng Xianye was still "lagging."
It seemed this question was indeed too difficult for the character. Xin Ye felt that if he waited any longer, he might die of sadness, so he said to Xun Yin: "Once I go in, make Leng Xianye go back to his dorm. Don't let him get tired standing there."
Xun Yin: [I know, I know. Look at how sad you are; even your voice is shaking.]
Xin Ye: "...Just shut up."
Both of them thought today’s drama should end here.
Xin Ye figured his expression probably looked terrible. Although the Mirror Image had a degree of telepathy, it wasn't good to be too obvious on his face. He stood outside the door, rubbing his face vigorously, using so much force he nearly crushed his features.
When he was finally satisfied and placed his hand on the door, a somewhat strained voice came from beside him.
Leng Xianye’s voice was now even raspier and more tremulous than Xin Ye’s had been.
"On your birthday, we said the whole team would always be together, right?"
"So, if someone wanders far, the rest of us will surely follow."
***
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Promoted to Protagonist: Persecuted by the Meta-Narrative | Chapter 50 | A Choice to Leave | Novela.app | Novela.app
