Despite the horrific massacre that had taken place in Hua's home, the five of them were too hungry, exhausted, and drained to care about superstitions. They gathered mattresses and pillows from the rooms and laid them out in the main hall, barricading the doors and windows before settling in for the night.
Fat Jun, oblivious to his own bulk, insisted on squeezing into the middle. Officer Huang took the outermost spot on the left, while the rightmost bedding—a red "mandarin duck" wedding quilt—was claimed by Prince Kai, who found it too effeminate and instead crawled into Officer Huang's blanket. From left to right: Officer Huang, Prince Kai, Fat Jun, Gao Yang, and Qing Ling.
Gao Yang had initially wanted to take the edge as a gentlemanly gesture, but Qing Ling insisted on the far right—her right hand never leaving the grip of her blade.
Lying on a red pillow under the vivid wedding quilt, Gao Yang glanced sideways at Qing Ling. Her breathing was steady, but her brows remained slightly furrowed—clearly, she wasn't asleep, just biding her time until dawn.
A strange feeling washed over Gao Yang. It was as if this were his wedding night, and his bride lay beside him with a blade, ready to fight side by side at daybreak...
Whack! Fat Jun rolled over, his meaty palm slapping Gao Yang across the face.
Suppressing the urge to kick him, Gao Yang peeled the hand away.
As the night deepened, the five gradually drifted off. Sometime later, in the haze of half-sleep, Gao Yang felt someone grab his hand.
Startled, he woke instantly.
The rhythmic snores of Fat Jun and Prince Kai filled the dark. His attention snapped to his right hand—yes, it was definitely being held by a cold, smooth one. He turned slightly toward Qing Ling.
In the darkness, her body was rigid, her eyes wide and faintly glinting.
"What's wrong?" he whispered.
"Nothing." Her voice was calm but carried a slight tremble.
Gao Yang understood. "You're... Qing Ling?"
Silence. A confirmation.
He didn't know what to say. The girl who loathed men had initiated contact—she must have been terrified.
"Maybe... you should go back," he ventured, unsure how to communicate with Qing Ling's alternate persona. "This isn't where you belong."
"I know. My sister told me everything." Qing Ling's grip tightened. "She hasn't slept, even with her eyes closed. I want her to rest..."
Gao Yang was puzzled. "Even if your sister's persona rests, your body's still awake, no?"
"Are you lecturing me?"
"Wouldn't dare..."
"I know what I'm doing. I need to sleep for her..." Qing Ling inhaled sharply, squeezing his hand harder. "Don't mind me. I'll be out soon."
"Okay."
A long while passed, but Qing Ling still hadn't slept, and Gao Yang's drowsiness had faded. He turned to face her.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Qing Ling's eyes flew open. "One wrong move, and I'll end you."
"Relax," Gao Yang said awkwardly. He wasn't a beast, and given their circumstances, such thoughts were the last thing on his mind. "I don't know if we'll make it out alive. Just in case, I wanted to apologize for... that thing."
"Li Weiwei?"
"Yeah."
"My sister killed her. Not you." She refused to look at him.
"I know, but if it weren't for me—"
"Spare me the drama."
Qing Ling shifted, resting her head on his pillow and curling her long legs inward until her back pressed against his chest. The scent of her hair filled his senses. Still unsatisfied, she grabbed his arm and draped it over herself, finally feeling somewhat secure.
"Stay like this. Don't move." She exhaled and closed her eyes.
"I thought you hated men?"
"You don't count as one to me."
"That's... a misunderstanding."
"Shut up. I'm resting for my sister."
"Got it."
Gao Yang held the uncomfortable position. At first, sleep was impossible, but exhaustion eventually pulled him under.
He had no idea how long he'd slept when he awoke to slivers of light seeping through the cracks in the doors and windows. He was still holding Qing Ling, his arm numb and stiff, while she had somehow turned to face him.
As he tried to move his arm, Qing Ling—no, Qing Ling—opened her eyes.
Their faces were barely a fist apart, breaths mingling, his hand still resting on her slender waist.
The silence was deafening.
"Don't stab me—I can explain," Gao Yang blurted, survival instincts kicking in.
"Don't bother. I can guess." Qing Ling removed his numb arm and sat up, sweeping her black hair behind her shoulders before tying it into a ponytail with practiced ease.
She stretched, seemingly well-rested, and glanced down at Gao Yang. "Thanks for last night."
"No problem..."
"Holy shit!" Prince Kai, just waking up, took in the scene and leaped to his feet. "You two?! In this place?! Under these conditions?! And you're out here 'thanking' each other? We're the ones who suffered, having to witness this!"
Gao Yang sat up and smirked. "Someone's jealous."
Hit where it hurt, Prince Kai bristled. "Jealous?! I had my first girlfriend at three! I was swimming in girls while you were still playing with toy cars—"
Gao Yang exhaled inwardly. Good. Topic successfully diverted.
Early morning. The five left Hua's house as the village bustled with activity. The mourning hall on the hill was alive with gongs, drums, firecrackers, and exaggerated wails.
"They're burying them today?" Fat Jun asked.
"Village custom," Gao Yang said. "Two days of funeral rites, burial on the third morning."
As they spoke, seven or eight men carried an aged black wooden coffin out from the canopy. Leading the procession was a Taoist priest brandishing a peachwood sword and bell, chanting indistinctly as he guided the way.
Behind the pallbearers trailed women in mourning clothes, theatrically fake-crying while supporting one another. A few men scattered paper money along the path from woven baskets. The remaining villagers, dressed in black, followed in clusters.
Soon, the procession reached the village entrance, passing right by the five.
Old Man Gu, at the rear, spotted Officer Huang and approached. "Officer Huang, you're here early."
Officer Huang nodded. "Can't sleep with the case unsolved."
"Take care of yourself. You and your boys look terrible."
Gao Yang grimaced internally. Thirty hours without food or water—of course we look like hell. If I weren't awakened with boosted stats, I'd have passed out from low blood sugar by now.
"Old Man, all five in one coffin?" Officer Huang asked.
"Sadly, yes." The old man sighed. "Hua's family wasn't well-off. What little they had went to the wedding, and then this... The villagers pitched in for the coffin. Five would've been too costly—and unnecessary. You've seen the state of the bodies..."
He shook his head and rejoined the procession.
"Shall we follow?" Officer Huang glanced at the group.
"Let's." Gao Yang had been waiting for this.