A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

'My brother's girlfriend—that Japanese rich girl, Kuroki Hitomi... is she really the "player" they were talking about?'

Xia Zili's mind raced, her chest tight with turmoil and unease.

'Yes, that has to be it.'

'Otherwise, why would I have overheard a conversation like that the other day? I couldn't have misheard them—'

At that thought, Xia Zili turned to look at Ke Mingqing's profile.

Just then, someone flicked off the living room lights. The space plunged into darkness, hiding his expression from her view.

Xia Wenna clapped softly in the dark. Standing around the glowing candles, she led them in the birthday song, with Ke Linye and Xia Ningzhi chiming in verse by verse.

Xia Lingxue leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, stubbornly keeping her mouth shut as if singing a single note would kill her.

Still, she quietly pulled out a birthday flower crown, walked over, and settled it onto Ke Mingqing's head before ruffling his hair.

Ke Mingqing swatted his second sister's hand away, though he left the crown where it was. "I'm trying to make a wish here. Don't mess it up."

"We're all ears, Young Master."

Xia Lingxue crossed her arms again and gave a cold, deadpan sneer.

The candlelight flickered as Ke Mingqing leaned closer to the cake.

He clasped his hands together in the dark and threw out a perfunctory wish. "Uh—I hope Third Sister gets into a good college."

"Since when are you this sweet?" Xia Ningzhi blinked, genuinely touched, before humming softly. "But I'm going to get into college on my own merit. Why don't you make a wish for yourself instead?"

"Oh. Then I wish for a long life of a hundred years," Ke Mingqing said, voicing the wish with a self-deprecating tone.

"No, wishes don't come true if you say them out loud! Plus, you didn't even close your eyes." Xia Ningzhi rested a hand on his shoulder. "Do it again."

"Is there a need to be so strict?" Ke Linye asked with a smile.

"The birthday supervisor," Xia Lingxue remarked lightly.

Xia Ningzhi glared huffily at her older brother and second sister. They instantly and obediently clamped their mouths shut.

Seeing his two backers surrender, Ke Mingqing knew he had no choice. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

In the utter silence, he made the very first birthday wish of his life in his heart. 'I hope that in six months, I can successfully murder my entire family.' Wish complete, he opened his eyes.

The candlelight reflected in the teenager's eyes, making his gaze burn like a torch. A moment later, he blew out the candles, and his pupils darkened, as pitch-black as the night.

With the candles extinguished, the last source of light vanished. The living room plunged into absolute darkness, so pitch-black they couldn't see their own hands.

Xia Lingxue reached for the wall switch. With a sharp click, the lights snapped back on.

'And God said, let there be light,' Ke Mingqing thought randomly, squinting against the sudden, blinding glare.

"Can we eat now?" he sighed.

Xia Ningzhi volunteered enthusiastically. "Reporting to Your Majesty, I shall cut the cake!"

"Please do, my beloved concubine." Ke Mingqing, lazy as a dog, decisively gave up his spot.

Ke Linye hesitated for a moment before suggesting with some concern, "Ah Zhi, maybe we should let your second sister do it?"

Xia Ningzhi puffed out her cheeks and glared at him. "My dear brother, do you not trust my skills? I'm holding a grudge."

"Alright, stop arguing, both of you. Let Mom do it."

Xia Wenna spoke solemnly, already wielding the plastic knife with the grave intensity of a Japanese samurai preparing to commit seppuku.

A faint, almost imperceptible blue light flashed in her eyes. Moving with the precision of a butcher carving an ox, she swiftly divided the cake into six slices, her movements clean and decisive.

"Wow, wow, wow!" Xia Ningzhi clapped, cheering her on. "Mom is so amazing! Way more useful than our chain-smoking dad who always disappears on us."

Looking down as she unwrapped an Alpenliebe lollipop, Xia Lingxue absentmindedly agreed, "Indeed."

Ke Linye flipped a page in his book and gave a soft chuckle. "I wonder what Dad is so busy with that he couldn't even make it back for Ah Qing's birthday."

"Being a police officer isn't easy."

Xia Wenna set down the plastic knife and placed the sliced cake onto plastic plates piece by piece. "You have to be understanding of your father."

While the others chatted and handed out the cream cake, Xia Zili silently took a seat right next to Ke Mingqing.

She hesitated for a moment before reaching out to give his sleeve a gentle tug.

"What's wrong?" Ke Mingqing asked without looking up from the phone he was fiddling with. "Are you still mad about earlier?"

"I need to talk to you," Xia Zili said.

Ke Mingqing lifted his gaze from his screen, looking at her in confusion. "Comrade Xia Zili, didn't you say enough on the high-speed train?"

"No, this is really important." Xia Zili shook her head, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I have to get this clear with you, but this isn't the right place."

Seeing her absolute seriousness, Ke Mingqing shrugged in compromise.

He lowered his voice. "Should we head upstairs?"

Xia Zili gave a complicated hum of agreement, then stood up from the sofa first.

"Where are you two going?" Xia Ningzhi noticed them.

Ke Mingqing stepped onto the stairs, explaining without looking back, "My little sister says she has a present for me in her room. Don't be so nosy."

Xia Ningzhi shook her head and sighed, pursing her lips in a terribly aggrieved expression.

"Sigh, Ah Qing only cares about getting close to his little sister. You don't even treat your older sister and brother like people, do you?" she said.

Ke Mingqing gave a deadpan laugh and flipped his three older siblings the middle finger before following Xia Zili up to the second floor.

"Come in."

Xia Zili stood inside her room with her hands clasped behind her back.

Ke Mingqing walked in.

It felt like it had been a long time since he'd been in here. After all, they were teenagers now, and boys and girls needed boundaries. Not to mention, Xia Zili had always kept her distance from the rest of the family.

Xia Zili leaned against the doorway, saying nothing.

Ke Mingqing glanced around. A Shugo Chara! poster hung on the wall, and a complete set of Charlie IX lined the bookshelf. The lamp on the nightstand was still on, casting a warm orange glow across the room.

A moment later, she pushed the door shut and stood with her back pressed against it. Ke Mingqing took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Xia Zili remained silent for a long time before finally looking up at him.

"At the train station the other day... I heard you and that Japanese rich girl discussing something."

She paused. "At the time, you called her a 'player'—didn't you?"

Ke Mingqing's heart gave a slight jolt.

The bedroom was dead silent.

On this midsummer night, the only sounds they could hear were the cicadas buzzing outside the window and the faint laughter drifting up from the living room.

'Well, looks like this day has finally come,' Ke Mingqing thought, massaging his temples.

He was actually already mentally prepared for this, so he looked up and tested his most perfunctory excuse. "Little sis, are you hearing things? We were definitely just discussing where to go on a date after school tomorrow."

"No, I couldn't have misheard." Xia Zili shook her head, her tone absolute. "I know what a player is now. My master just told me on the phone."

Her small face darkened slightly, and she demanded in a cold voice, "Tell me, what is actually going on?"

"Come on, we were just roleplaying. Isn't that super popular with middle schoolers right now?" Ke Mingqing shot back. "Are you going to arrest everyone who says the word 'player'? What is this, the thought police?!"

Xia Zili stared straight into his eyes and shook her head. "You're lying. I still remember the look on your face when you saw me. You were obviously panicking—"

"I was panicking because I didn't want you to see me with my girlfriend," Ke Mingqing explained.

"Why?"

Xia Zili paused in surprise before pressing the question. For some reason, she suddenly found herself looking forward to his answer, even though she knew it would be a lie.

Ke Mingqing didn't even have to think about it. "Because you're my little sister. Why else?"

"What does me being your little sister have to do with it?"

"You, you, you—" Ke Mingqing stopped himself, shaking his head. "Forget it, you win."

"I knew it—"

Xia Zili murmured. "When she kissed you in front of me on purpose back then... was that to cover up the 'player' thing too?"

"..."

Ke Mingqing lowered his head, staying silent for a very long time. Finally, he spoke up. "Yeah. She was just faking it. Could you just let me be quiet for a second? My head is a mess right now, too."

Saying that, he took a deep breath and flopped backward onto the bed, resting his hands over his stomach.

A moment later, he suddenly asked, "Since you say you already know what a 'player' is, do you know that if they don't complete the mission to 'Exterminate Superhumans' within six months... they die?"

Xia Zili froze. She could hear a trace of hoarseness and sorrow in his voice. After a long pause, she nodded. "Yeah. That's what my master told me."

She looked down in thought for a moment before asking again, "So, you admit your girlfriend is a player?"

Ke Mingqing remained silent. He raised an arm and draped it over his forehead, covering his eyes.

"Yes. She only has six months left to live." At that, he let out a sigh. "You should know as well as I do that 'exterminating all superhumans' sounds absolutely impossible."

"Not necessarily," Xia Zili said. "My master said this type of super-human species is very dangerous. They grow rapidly, so even if they're weak now, they—"

Ke Mingqing cut her off. "Kuroki Hitomi isn't a bad person. She isn't actually going to hurt anyone. She just wants to live out these last six months in peace."

Hearing this, Xia Zili lowered her head and stayed silent for a while. When she spoke again, her tone was suddenly heavy. "But what if she wants to hurt you? You could very well be getting tricked by her—after all, she can only survive by killing all the super-human species. You'll become her target too, won't you?"

Ke Mingqing said calmly, "I believe her."

"Why? You've only known her for a few days."

Ke Mingqing suddenly raised his voice, a hint of anger threading through his absolute certainty. "Yes, I haven't known her long, but I just know she wouldn't do that. Are you happy now?"

Xia Zili stood frozen in place.

It was the first time she had ever heard Ke Mingqing speak to her in that tone. After a long time, she lowered her head, her bangs falling to cover her eyes.

"No—" She shook her head, whispering, "You have to break up with her."

Ke Mingqing went quiet for a moment. "She's someone who only has six months left to live anyway. If I break up with her, won't she have absolutely nothing left?"

He paused, turning his head to look her dead in the eye, and asked in a low voice, "How can you be so selfish?"

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