TDU Chapter 336
TL Note: Thank you whoever just gave this novel on NU its 90th five-star rating, omg! Once we reach 100th, I’ll release not just one chapter, so we can all celebrate that milestone!
(7/16/2025) Thank you M.N for your support, you’re a REAL OG (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
Edited by Molly Z and SpeedDemon
Chapter 336 Fragrance
The woman addressed as Six jie had stated, {No matter how urgent, it can wait. Come with me to see Five ge first}. Judging by her words, Song Seven and the others stood a strong chance of survival once in Qian Five’s presence.
The circumstances aligned exactly with Qi Xia’s conjecture, no more than a few minutes passed before Song Seven reemerged, his right hand fully restored to its original state.
“Apologies. You all should rest inside for now. Five ge is rather busy at the moment,” he nodded toward the three men. “He should be able to see you in about half an hour.”
Qi Xia glanced down at Song Seven’s right hand, feeling a sense of disbelief—could this Qian Five truly possess a {Reverberation} capable of healing even fatal injuries?
Was he the source of that dense scent Hero had sensed?
The trio followed Song Seven into the prison, waiting roughly half an hour in what appeared to be a guard’s lounge before footsteps echoed down the corridor.
They rose slowly, eyes fixed toward the door.
Just what kind of person was Qian Five, the man at the helm of the {Cats}?
Seconds later, a tall woman stepped into view, dressed in black leather, her short hair and composed features radiating authority.
A savage scar marred the left side of her face, as if torn by some wild beast.
She stepped forward a few paces, her pupils flickering slightly before extending a hand toward Qi Xia.
“Hello, I am Qian Five.”
A peculiar tension flickered through the room.
“You’re Qian Five...?”
“Genuine, guaranteed,” the woman replied.
"Hello." Qi Xia did not take her hand, merely nodding coolly and introducing himself. “Qi Xia.”
“Indeed… Qi Xia...” Qian Five’s expression twisted into a half-smile tinged with wistfulness.
“Were we acquainted?" Qi Xia asked.
“No,” Qian Five withdrew her hand, “This is our first time meeting.”
Qi Xia furrowed his brow slightly—this woman was likely lying.
But then again, who ever said the boss of {Cats} owed him the truth?
Qian Five smiled at Qi Xia. “What’s with that look? You seem to doubt my identity.”
“That I do,” Qi Xia replied, brow still furrowed. “Though I can’t help but notice—those two addressed you as {Five ge}, but you’re clearly a woman?”
“Me? A woman?” Qian Five glanced down at her own body. “Seems about right.”
Qiao Jiajin and Officer Li exchanged a glance, both feeling puzzled. Who needed to look down at themselves to confirm their own gender?
“Damn, you’re not some kind of pervert, are you?” Qiao Jiajin blurted out.
“Haha, of course not…” Qian Wu turned to look at Qiao Jiajin, her eyes briefly clouded with a wistful hesitation, something unspoken weighing behind them. After a pause, she said, “So it’s my gender that’s piqued your interest?”
“No,” Qi Xia cut her off sharply. “Qian Five, let’s get down to business.”
“Oh...?” Qian Five turned to Qi Xia. “I know you must have many questions, but now is not the time.”
“Not the time?”
Without answering, Qian Five dragged a chair over and sat down, then beckoned for everyone to do the same.
“Would you like a smoke?" She pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her leather jacket pocket and offered it around.
Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin declined, but Officer Li accepted without hesitation.
Qian Five stood, bent over to light Officer Li’s cigarette, then lit one for herself.
Qi Xia felt a touch of strangeness and queried, “What exactly are we waiting for?”
Qian Five took a slow drag and replied, “Waiting for a person.”
“A person...?”
Silence fell over them as they waited. Qi Xia sat by the table in deep thought, analyzing the situation. Qiao Jiajin eyed the room’s furniture, calculating which piece to wield if things turned violent.
Officer Li and Qian Five smoked quietly, exchanging no words.
The most restless was Zheng Hero—he paced the room nervously, frequently sniffing the air, as if searching for something elusive.
As the cigarette burned to its end, Qian Five crushed the ember in her hand, then glanced back at the woman with the lip piercings.
“Understood.” The woman nodded subtly, then began to move her lips as if speaking to someone.
Minutes later, footsteps echoed down the corridor. An intellectual-looking man pushed open the door.
“Six jie… did you summon me?” the man spoke in a low voice.
“Nineteen, Five ge wants to speak,” the woman replied. “Come in and stand.”
“Understood.” Nineteen nodded. “Please leave it to me.”
Song Seven and the woman with the lip piercing exchanged a glance, about to leave the room, but Qian Five called them back.
“It’s fine. No one needs to step back,” she waved. “Song Seven, Zhou Six, you both sit as well.”
With everyone seated, Nineteen silently stood nearby, closing his eyes.
Zheng Hero slowly slipped behind Qi Xia, whispering, “I… smell the light fragrance of {Sound Insulation}.”
“What…?” Qi Xia turned back, staring blankly at Zheng Hero, but before he could say anything, a strange force seemed to envelop the room, muffling all sounds from outside until the surroundings grew eerily silent.
It felt as if something was about to stir.
“Everyone, there’s no need to be tense,” Qian Five said earnestly. “Nineteen’s ability completely isolates the area from any outside noise. This is just so we can have a proper conversation.”
“Conversation...?” Both Qiao Jiajin and Li Shangwu’s faces flashed with caution.
At that moment, Qi Xia glanced toward Zheng Hero, a flood of questions stirring in his mind.
Simultaneously, Qian Five spoke up, “Qi Xia, the {Celestials} are looking for you.”
“Oh?” Qi Xia turned toward Qian Five, expression unreadable. He had already guessed as much. “So the concern was eavesdropping? It was a {Celestial} who commissioned you. What is their ultimate goal?”
“I’m also unsure.” Qian Five waved her hand. Zhou Six then took out a dusty bottle of foreign liquor from a nearby cabinet. “Qi Xia, today I intend to gauge your attitude before deciding whether to hand you over to the {Celestials}.”
With a familiar air, Qian Five offered the bottle to Qiao Jiajin but stopped midway, catching her slip, pulled back, and inquired, “How should I address you?”
“Portland Street, A’Jin.”
“Portland Street... A’Jin...” Qian Five hesitated for a moment, a hint of melancholy flickering in her eyes before she placed the bottle of liquor in front of Qiao Jiajin.
“This…” Qiao Jiajin stared at the half-full bottle, swallowing slightly. He felt as if he had just stepped into paradise. “Is—Is this all for me?”
“Not exactly.” Qian Five smiled faintly. “A’Jin, every bottle of fine liquor in {End Point} is one less to savor, so you can’t keep it all to yourself—I’ll be drinking with you.”
TL Note: Wasn’t Qian Five a dwarf? He/She definitely knows the trio. It’s weird why he/she’s hiding it. What do y’alls think?
Also, Hero’s words are almost exactly like the display screen, but instead of ‘hear’, it’s ‘smell’, and instead of {reverberation}, it’s {fragrance}.
