TDU Chapter 240
Chapter 240 Past Grievances
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
Chen Junnan turned his head irritably and stared directly at Han Yimo. Since entering this classroom, this man had been staring at him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
With everyone else already lying down to sleep, Chen Junnan decided to have a cordial chat with the man in front of him.
"Yo, what the hell are you staring at?"
Han Yimo furrowed his brows tightly and lowered his voice, "Are you asking on purpose? I haven’t even questioned you yet—what exactly do you want to do?"
"I don’t really follow." Chen Junnan shrugged nonchalantly. "Aren’t we supposed to be getting some sleep?"
"Sleep, my ass..." Han Yimo muttered under his breath, his frustration palpable. "You fucking—" He gritted his teeth, seemingly on the verge of saying more, but with so many people around, he held back.
"Come with me!"
Without another word, Han Yimo pushed open the classroom door and strode into the dimly lit hallway.
Before long, Chen Junnan sauntered out after him.
"What’s this? You planning to go one-on-one with this young master?" He leisurely rolled up his sleeves, his smirk laced with arrogance. "Not sure you can handle it—I just might beat you to death."
"Your name’s Chen Junnan, right?" Han Yimo spat, irritation evident in his tone. "You should know how much I want to cut you to pieces."
"Oh?" Chen Junnan arched a brow. "And why’s that?"
"Because you make it impossible for me to take a single step forward!"
"Why’re you being dramatic?" Chen Junnan sighed after hearing that, "It’s not that big of a deal."
"You..." Han Yimo looked visibly angered, "Because there were too many people, and I decided to spare you some face by not exposing you... What's your real purpose in following us? Are you planning to continue stirring up trouble?"
"My purpose?" Chen Junnan looked at Han Yimo with some confusion. "Are you a diagnosed control freak? You really seem like micromanaging."
"I—" Han Yimo’s jaw clenched, his patience wearing dangerously thin.
"Besides, I don’t like the way you’re framing this." Chen Junnan shook his head in mock disappointment. "You—some petty little gossipmonger running his mouth online—who gave you the right to question me like you’re some kind of cop?"
Han Yimo stiffened, his breath hitching. "H—How do you know about that?"
"Oh~" Chen Junnan arched an eyebrow, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. "So you don’t remember me from back then? No wonder you’ve got the guts to challenge this young master today."
"What...?"
"Ole Han, I’m not exactly in a better spot than you." Chen Junnan let out a helpless chuckle. "For the past seven years, I’ve taken the stage right after you finished your performance. And once my song faded, yours would begin again. Bro, our situations are practically mirror images..."
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Han Yimo snarled, grabbing Chen Junnan by the collar. "It’s because of you that I’ve been trapped in the same place for the past seven years! You’re the one who made my life a living hell!"
"And isn’t that a good thing?" Chen Junnan tilted his head and asked. "Doesn’t it make you feel like a superhero? After all, you know exactly what happened that day."
Han Yimo’s grip slowly loosened, his hands trembling as he stepped back. His expression was etched with pain. "Chen Junnan… You’re a madman. But I’m not…" His voice wavered. "To keep myself from losing my mind… the only thing I can do is keep finding something new to chase."
"Oh?" Chen Junnan let out a low chuckle. "And what’s your gig now? Forum moderator? Game commentator? Admin of some obscure online community? Or have you found yourself an even more niche little hobby?"
Han Yimo refused to answer, his expression darkening.
"Chen Junnan, I just hope you stop stirring up trouble..." Han Yimo finally turned to face him, his voice carrying an uncharacteristic seriousness. "This time, we really have a chance to escape… Qi Xia—don’t you think this man named Qi Xia is like a savior, descending from the heavens?! He’s going to lead us out of here..."
Hearing this, Chen Junnan's expression shifted slightly. He had thought his situation was the same as Han Yimo's, but it turned out Han Yimo was in a much worse place.
What did he mean by {this man named Qi Xia}?
Has Han Yimo forgotten about Qi Xia?
To forget Qi Xia... It was a wonder Han Yimo had managed to hold on this long.
"A savior, huh?" Chen Junnan nodded. "You're right, Ole Qi really does seem like a savior. Don’t worry, I won’t stir up trouble."
"Really...?" Han Yimo looked at Chen Junnan with a skeptical expression.
"Mhm. What happened in the past, will never happen again."
Han Yimo nodded, pondering for a few moments before turning and heading back to the classroom.
As he watched Han Yimo’s figure fade into the distance, Chen Junnan couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.
To everyone residing in this realm, {End Point}, {Earthly Branches}, and {Games} were not to be feared—the truly frightening is {giving up}.
Chen Junnan cast a glance out the window, shaking his head, and was about to return to the classroom when he caught sight of a figure lurking in the shadows.
It was Lin Qin.
"Well well..." He flashed a slight smile. "And who might this be, a lovely lady sneaking around, eavesdropping on a conversation in the dead of night?"
"Apologies..." Lin Qin took a step forward, positioning herself in the light. "Although I feel a bit guilty, I was indeed eavesdropping on purpose."
"Heh, that’s quite candid of you," Chen Junnan remarked with a tone of light jest, but his gaze was sharp and cautious. "So, may I ask, why were you eavesdropping?"
He understood that the woman before him was far from simple. When Qi Xia made his second appearance, she had been right there beside him.
At the time, the moment he laid eyes on Qi Xia, Chen Junnan had thought his mind had finally snapped, that he was drowning in the depths of some elaborate delusion. He had even let out a quiet, almost self-mocking laugh of despair.
But then, reality proved him wrong.
Qi Xia wasn’t a hallucination.
He was real.
So, if that was the case... who was this woman standing before him?
Someone capable of slipping into another’s probation room as effortlessly as breathing—how could she be just another face in the crowd?
"Chen Junnan, I just wanted to confirm your motives," Lin Qin said. "I need to understand where you stand so I can determine whether we’ll be clashing blades or standing side by side—every cycle."
"Then what’s your motive?" Chen Junnan countered.
"I need to follow Qi Xia to find a way out."
"And what makes you so certain that following Ole Qi will lead to escape?" Chen Junnan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
"That, I can't say..." Lin Qin replied, her gaze fixed on him with equal caution.
She knew this man retained an extraordinary depth of memory. His {Reverberation} could be activated effortlessly, and he might even recall events from seven years prior.
If that were the case, then every instance of his {Penalty Proxy} wasn’t a consequence of her {Boosting Touch}—he had chosen death of his own volition.
"If you're not going to say it, then don't," Chen Junnan nodded. “The meaning of my existence is simple… At the very least, I need to get Ole Qi and Ole Qiao out of here.”
"Then a large part of our goals overlap," Lin Qin nodded. "I hope you're not lying."
"Rest assured, I'm not Ole Qi."
Lin Qin gave an ambiguous nod in response.
"By the way, I am Lin Qin, an {Adherent of Judgment’s Domain}. Have you really never seen me before?"
"No."
Lin Qin nodded and turned to leave.
Chen Junnan looked out at the night scene, a look of confusion crossing his face as he muttered, "What the heck is an {Adherent of Judgment’s Domain}? I've been holed up in that room for years... I didn’t expect {End Point} to have changed so much."
