TDU Chapter 528
Chapter 528 Hollow Deceit
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin took turns carrying Qi Xia toward the prison, only reaching as night had fully settled.
Standing watch at the gate were Zhou Six and Luo Eleven, who froze the moment they saw Qi Xia’s condition.
Zhou Six was the first to rush forward, checking him over. “Tsk… what happened to this guy?”
“I really don’t know…” Chen Junnan panted, lowering Qi Xia from his shoulder. “Come on, give us a hand. We’ve been carrying him for over three hours straight… we’re dead tired…”
Luo Eleven quickly took Qi Xia in his arms and hoisted him back onto his shoulders. “I’ll put him on the bed first, you two get inside quickly too. We need a proper rest tonight. There’s a motherf*cking {Celestial Horse’s Hour} tomorrow.”
The group passed through the prison’s exercise yard and office area before finally entering the cell area.
Qian Five had arranged individual cells for everyone, yet Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin insisted on checking on Qi Xia first, wanting to ensure he was alright before leaving.
The boy they had seen earlier, Zheng Hero, had remained in Qi Xia’s room the entire time, resting quietly.
After Zhou Six relayed the situation, Qian Five also arrived at the cell. Only once he confirmed that Qi Xia was not injured did he allow himself to relax.
“Are you sure we don’t need to switch him into a new body?” Qian Five asked. “How does a perfectly healthy person just collapse like that in the middle of the street?”
“He probably doesn’t need a body swap…” Chen Junnan said, though his tone betrayed some uncertainty. “This punk’s body isn’t injured. I’d guess his brain just… crashed.”
“Brain crash?” Qian Five frowned sharply at that. “I might believe that about someone else, but him? Qi Xia?”
“Exactly because it’s Qi Xia that his brain can crash so easily,” Chen Junnan waved his hand. “Everyone else watching the spectacle, you might as well leave. Visiting time is now over. If you all stay here crowding around, the patient can’t even breathe.”
After ushering out all the members of {Cats}, he finally sat down in the cell with Qiao Jiajin.
It was a two-person cell: one side held Qi Xia’s bed, the other side was where Zheng Hero sat.
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin took the chairs placed between them.
“Junnan lad… has Swindler lad ever fainted before?”
“Before?”
“I want to know… did he have any condition before coming here?” Qiao Jiajin asked, unease still lingering. He had known Qi Xia for some time, yet had never seen him in pain severe enough to lose consciousness.
“Shouldn’t be the case, right?” Chen Junnan admitted. “You’re asking me, but I’m just as clueless… he never even complained of headaches before. How should I know what’s going on now?”
As the two sat in that tense stalemate, a faint sound came from nearby.
“His scent… it’s changed…”
Chen Junnan followed the voice and saw Zheng Hero staring unblinkingly at Qi Xia on the bed, muttering under his breath.
“Changed?” Chen Junnan’s face paled. He hurried to check Qi Xia’s breathing. “Kid, don’t talk nonsense! He’s not dead, how could he possibly smell bad?”
“No…” Zheng Hero shook his head. “His {Reverberation} has emitted a strong odor…”
As the words left his mouth, a deep red stream of blood ran straight from Zheng Hero’s nose. “Do you smell it? Once a fragrance reaches a certain intensity, it transforms into a stench.”
“So… it really does stink?” Chen Junnan stepped forward, wiping the boy’s nosebleed. “Kid, don’t you feel pain? You didn’t notice your nose was bleeding?”
Zheng Hero casually wiped his nose with his sleeve, his young yet unnervingly intense eyes fixed on Qi Xia. He said, unflinchingly: “Guess what dream he’s having…?”
“What… dream…?”
…
“Knock knock knock!”
“Knock knock knock!”
Voices echoed in Qi Xia’s ears, yet his eyelids felt unbearably heavy, refusing to open no matter how hard he tried.
A wave of relaxation washed over him… every pore, every muscle in his body seemed to unfurl, as if he hadn’t felt this at ease in years.
Why…why did it feel like this?
He moved his hands and feet slightly, realizing he was lying down.
‘I…Why am I lying down?’
A sense of unease pricked at him. Suddenly, Qi Xia forced his eyes open and found a familiar face beside him, wearing a gentle, sweet smile.
“An…?”
“So Qi Xia is home after all!” Yu Nian’An bit her lower lip, then let out a soft, amused laugh. With delicate fingers, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You were sleeping so soundly. I called your name several times and you didn’t respond…I thought Qi Xia wasn’t home.”
“I…” Qi Xia’s eyes flickered slightly. “I’m… home?”
He glanced around. Indeed, this was his humble, shabby little home.
Sparse and bare, the room offered little more than a solitary table and chair, while he lay upon the floor.
“If you’re not home, then where would you be?” Yu Nian’An reached out and probed his forehead. “Do you have a fever?”
Qi Xia’s gaze stayed fixed on her as he slowly stood up. This was undeniably his home, but why was he here?
“What do you want to eat today?” Yu Nian’An suddenly asked.
“What do I… want to eat…?” Qi Xia’s voice wavered. He still couldn’t make sense of his current state. Today felt different from any other day.
Usually, his mind was constantly calculating, planning a thousand things at once, but now his mind felt…empty.
Yu Nian’An couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction, nearly tipping forward in delight. “Heavens! Xia, are you still groggy from sleep?”
Qi Xia’s expression slowly dimmed. He felt a wave of sadness, though he had no idea where it came from.
“An… guess what I want to eat right now?”
“How would I know?” Yu Nian’An asked, puzzled. “Am I a worm inside your brain or something?”
“You…don’t know?” Qi Xia was momentarily stunned. “You’re oblivious to what’s in my mind?”
“If you keep this up, I’m going to get angry,” Yu Nian’An pouted. “I just wanted to ask what you wanted to eat, but you keep playing… fine, I’ll just make it myself. Forget you.”
She turned away, slightly annoyed, and busied herself in the kitchen.
Qi Xia watched her for a moment, frowning as he shook his head. Something felt off, yet he couldn’t quite place it.
He turned his gaze to the sky. Outside, the streets reeked of decay.
A few figures, like walking corpses, drifted aimlessly among the ruins. The stench wafted through the open windows, curling into the room.
The dark-red sky resembled a blood-stained sunset, not a single cloud marring its expanse.
A massive, dirt-colored sun hung motionless in the center of the sky. Fine black lines crept along its outer edge, slowly spreading inward.
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
