Zuo Xiu didn’t know if the weight in his heart had finally lifted or if it had only grown heavier.
When he received the news, his first reaction wasn't "How did he escape?" but rather, "He finally did it."
It wasn't that he wanted the young man to flee, but a premonition had told him that the youth certainly possessed the ability to escape; he was simply waiting for the right moment.
What was he waiting for? No one knew.
The man’s silence over the past few days had been like a ticking time bomb. The more compliant he appeared, the more nervous everyone else became. They didn't know what tricks he was hiding, nor did they understand why he had allowed himself to be imprisoned so submissively.
But now that he had acted, it meant they finally had a chance to find out.
Zuo Xiu took a deep breath and calmly began delegating tasks over the phone.
"...Your primary mission is to ensure public safety. Keep an eye out for any unusual patterns to prevent him from using those eerie methods to harm people again."
"...Station men at the city exits. If you find anything suspicious, detain them on the spot."
"...I will try to return for backup by the afternoon. Everyone is to participate in tracking the suspect, but leave the actual arrest to me and the vice-captain."
"Remember, the priority is the safety of ordinary citizens."
Ending the call, Zuo Xiu hurried to the master bedroom to bid farewell to the man who had invited him.
"Eh? Wait! You're leaving already? What if I can't beat this monster?" The person still tucked under the covers woke up with a start, frantically trying to get Zuo Xiu to stay. "I'm serious! If this thing gets out, it'll be terrifying!"
"I've asked someone else to help you." Seeing the other party's struggle, Zuo Xiu offered a rare, serious explanation. "The fellow who escaped from our side might be even more dangerous than your water monster."
The friend: "?"
*What the hell kind of thing did you catch?*
***
Mu Ran hadn't really slept all night, so when a faint sound echoed through the villa, he woke up immediately.
He desperately wanted to open his door and see what was happening, but his reason held him back.
*Something has happened. Since I'm the only one familiar with the System, they should call for me too.*
*Yes, it’s more realistic to join in passively,* Mu Ran thought.
But he waited and waited, only to hear Xu Qing knocking on the door with a hint of confusion: "Aren't you up yet, Xiao Ran?"
Mu Ran opened his eyes and realized it was already past his usual breakfast time.
*Wait... that’s not right.*
When Mu Ran opened the door, he saw the slight weariness in Xu Qing’s eyes.
Seeing Mu Ran finally open the door, Xu Qing spoke gently, "Did you forget to set your alarm? Come have breakfast. I have something to tell you afterward."
*Oh! Here it comes!*
Mu Ran, fully expecting to be questioned about the System after breakfast, moved very quickly. After finishing his last sip of milk, he set down the glass and looked at Xu Qing obediently.
Xu Qing spoke at the appropriate moment.
"You..." Mu Ran tilted his head.
"How about staying at Uncle Zou’s house for a few days?" Xu Qing’s tone was soft.
Mu Ran: "?"
His eyes, which had been wide with attention, slowly drooped. He looked like a puppy whose ears had fallen in dejection after being abandoned.
*No way, I absolutely cannot agree to this...*
"Did I do something wrong?" The boy’s eyes darted around frantically, as if he were trying hard to recall everything he had done over the past few days. "I—I'll fix it... I don't want to leave..."
Xu Qing immediately interrupted the boy’s overactive imagination. "No, don't worry."
There was a well-hidden anxiety in the depths of his eyes, but his face remained kind and natural. "It’s mainly because I have to go out for work these next few days, and I’m afraid I won't be able to take good care of you."
Meeting the boy’s fearful gaze, Xu Qing acted as if he were helplessly coaxing him. "Xiao Ran, trust me a little more. I promised to be your permanent guardian; how could I drive you away?"
Based on his understanding of the boy... this should be enough.
*Sigh.* If it weren't for the fact that his ability was only Mental Control and couldn't physically protect the boy—and the fact that he didn't know the purpose behind that young man's escape—he wouldn't have specifically asked Zou Yicheng to take him in.
"Do you remember Uncle Zou? The gentleman who brought you here that day. He has many small animals at his house; it's very cozy," he added warmly, trying to eliminate the last bit of the boy's reluctance.
"Work..."
To his surprise, the boy’s concern wasn't about the arrangement itself.
"Is it very troublesome? Is it hard?" The boy pursed his lips and looked at Xu Qing earnestly. "...Can I help?"
Xu Qing hadn't expected this reaction. He was momentarily speechless, but his heart stirred slightly.
*Is this what it feels like to raise a child?*
"There's no need," Xu Qing smiled and patted the boy's head. "But I'm very happy that Xiao Ran cares about me so much."
Mu Ran put on an embarrassed smile, intending to push back a bit more, when he heard Xu Qing say, "Go pack your things now. Uncle Zou is waiting for you outside."
Mu Ran: "!"
*Wait, what? That fast!?*
Seeing that Xu Qing was about to usher him upstairs to pack, Mu Ran steeled his heart. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he grabbed the corner of Xu Qing’s sleeve and whispered:
"...You'll be in danger."
...
Xu Qing paused and turned to look at Mu Ran, his eyes swirling with hidden depths.
"Does Xiao Ran know what I'm going to do?"
"That person... he escaped, didn't he?" Mu Ran lowered his gaze, deciding to take a roundabout approach. "Don't go looking for him..."
His clear, clean eyes stared straight at Xu Qing, filled with a rare persistence.
Xu Qing let out a soft breath.
"How did you know?"
The boy remained silent.
He simply continued to gaze at Xu Qing, his eyes gradually filling with a touch of pleading.
"It's dangerous. Don't go, okay...?" He kept murmuring broken, incoherent words, as if that alone could make Xu Qing believe him.
"Let go first." At Xu Qing’s command, the boy immediately and obediently released the sleeve.
Xu Qing turned around and crouched down. Because he was much taller than the boy and was standing one step higher on the stairs, he had to half-squat to meet the boy's eyes at the same level.
"I can trust you, right?" His slightly cool hands cupped the boy's face as he spoke in a gentle yet solemn tone.
Their eyes met. Xu Qing didn't miss any tiny flicker of emotion in the other's gaze.
Conflict, nervousness, unease, and hesitation—all of it eventually settled into a certain resolve.
The boy blinked and gave a small nod.
"Please trust me." His voice was tiny but firm.
For some reason, when Xu Qing finally let go, the boy lowered his eyes and added in a low whisper:
"I will protect you."
Xu Qing heard him, but he didn't take it to heart.
***
[System: It’s going alright. After escaping, I chatted with this collaborator for a while to stall for time. I haven't had the chance to look at that book he mentioned yet.]
[Mu Ran: Oh! Sounds like you two are getting along well. I thought you’d check the book immediately under these circumstances.]
[Mu Ran: Keep it up!]
[System: You too.]
Ending the call, the System opened his eyes.
*Getting along well?*
He recalled how the other man had broken down in tears halfway through his psychological dissection last night, and how he had remained silent until now...
*Well... close enough.*
Beside him, Liang Guang saw him open his eyes and spoke uncomfortably, "Can we start now?"
As soon as he spoke, he felt annoyed by the waver in his voice; he sounded weak and lacked confidence.
But he didn't dare pretend to be fierce like he had last night.
After all... the things the young man had said last night were truly terrifying.
He felt like a transparent person with no secrets; all his deeply buried thoughts, his resentments, and his hidden desires had been toyed with and torn open by the youth, who critiqued them one by one in the most mocking and playful tone.
"...What are you looking at?" he asked, his voice dry.
*Looking at how to keep fooling you.*
The System smiled.
