Click.
Fang Qi sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt.
Then, he instinctively rubbed his waist...
It hurt.
...Really hurt!
His wife had given him a vicious pinch!
What a completely unwarranted disaster!
When they were getting into the car earlier, Liguang was helping An Lian into the back seat...
So he instinctively headed toward the passenger side.
As a big guy, there was no way he could squeeze into the back seat!
But the moment he took a step, the softest spot on his waist got savagely pinched!
It hurt so much he nearly yelped out loud!
But thankfully...
Fang Qi turned his head.
The silver-haired girl was sitting quietly beside An Lian.
When she saw him look back, she narrowed her eyes slightly, and her crimson pupils flickered for a moment!
—Master, you figure this out yourself.
But she didn't move.
Fang Qi quickly gave his wife a sheepish smile.
His wife was really being good!
She only pinched him once, without making a bigger scene...
She was much more sensible than before!
"Senior."
Lin Xiaoyou, in the driver's seat, gripped the steering wheel and glanced sideways at him.
"This 'place we need to go' you mentioned—where is it exactly?"
Her tone was crisp, lacking her usual playful smirk.
The emotions in her apricot-shaped eyes... were complicated.
Fang Qi's eyelids twitched.
...Huh?
Where to...?
Oh.
He immediately understood!
He hadn't even told Lin Xiaoyou about that yet...
In the previous timeline, at An Lian's apartment, Liguang had sensed the "threads of fate"...
Liguang believed that if her original core could fully awaken, she could grab hold of those threads and successfully save the two of them.
And the best way to awaken Liguang's original core was to go to that underground research facility—that gene door!
Because as long as they got close to it, Liguang's core would gradually awaken!
But...
Explaining now would be too complicated!
Time was running out!
"Go to your and Xiaoqing's 'secret base'!"
Fang Qi said succinctly!
"There, Liguang has a way to save you both!"
Lin Xiaoyou's apricot eyes instantly flashed with sharp determination!
Then...
She didn't ask another question.
She gripped the wheel tightly, and floored the accelerator!
"Vroom——!"
The pink little clunker shot out from its parking spot!
The ramp of the underground garage rose before them.
As the tiny car burst out of the ramp, sunlight flooded back into the cabin.
Fang Qi squinted, adjusting to the change in light.
Then, in his field of vision...
A police car was speeding into the residential community gate!
The two cars were heading toward each other on the narrow community road, passing in opposite directions!
In that moment...
Fang Qi saw the person in the passenger seat of the police car.
A sharp, short black ponytail, an angular yet weary profile.
His pupils constricted.
Gu Xi!
She had arrived!
And in that same instant, Gu Xi turned her head.
Light brown eyes met Fang Qi's gaze.
She wasn't surprised, just gave him a slight nod.
The two cars passed each other by.
One drove deeper into the community.
The other headed out toward the main road.
Fang Qi took a deep breath and looked away.
...Gu Xi had come with the police.
The fact that she told them to leave immediately just now—did she know something...?
He glanced at the rearview mirror.
In the back seat, An Lian was slightly tilting her head, her right ear still wrapped in gauze stained with red.
She was staring in the direction of the departing police car.
Her cool gray eyes flickered with emotion.
It seemed she had seen Gu Xi too.
Fang Qi opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
He just took another deep breath, settled back into his seat, and faced forward.
This journey... was bound to be anything but peaceful!
...
The tiny car merged onto the main road, joining a sparse flow of traffic.
The scenery outside the window rolled by.
Pedestrians went about their business, vehicles moved in order.
Everything still seemed calm.
Just like when they came.
There were no accidents or dangers.
But the atmosphere inside the car was sort of...
Fang Qi pursed his lips.
Awkward. So quiet!
Why was everyone so silent!
He turned his head slightly to look at Lin Xiaoyou.
She still wasn't saying a word.
Both hands on the steering wheel, her round little face had lost its usual cheeky grin.
She just stared ahead, focused on driving.
In the back seat, An Lian's face was still deathly pale.
She had lost a lot of blood earlier, and though Liguang had treated her in time, her lips were still slightly white, and a thin layer of sweat clung to her temples.
She leaned against the seat, eyes closed, breathing shallowly.
And Liguang...
Liguang was even more intimidating!
Fang Qi glanced at the rearview mirror and his mouth twitched.
The silver-haired girl in the back seat had her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed.
The crimson in her pupils was fully on display, still flickering!
Her gaze darted back and forth between him and Lin Xiaoyou!
She wasn't even smiling!
No more amiable little smiles!
Just a blank expression!
Sort of...
A little cold!
His wife might have been more obedient, not throwing a tantrum...
But that didn't mean she wasn't bothered!
This atmosphere...
Was too awkward!
So, Fang Qi promptly turned around.
"Sister An Lian!"
He decided to break the awkward silence!
An Lian slowly opened her eyes, her gaze trembling slightly as she looked at him.
"What is it, Xiao Qi..."
Fang Qi glanced at the expressionless Liguang beside her, then cleared his throat.
"...Don't worry, Sister An Lian."
He tried to keep his tone light:
"I can't explain much right now, but..."
"When we get there, you'll definitely be saved!"
He even winked at Liguang:
"My Liguang is really amazing! Whatever she says she can do, she does!"
In the back seat, the silver-haired girl's crimson pupils flickered slightly.
That somewhat cold expression... visibly softened a bit!
A faint curve tugged at the corner of her mouth, and the amber in her pupils suddenly held more shimmering moisture.
She pouted slightly and gave Fang Qi a mock-stern glance.
Fang Qi was momentarily dazed.
He felt like... he'd caught a glimpse of that young Xiaoguang who used to help him with his homework.
"...Alright."
An Lian looked at him and nodded gently.
"I believe you, Xiao Qi."
Her voice was still weak.
"I also..."
She turned to the silver-haired girl beside her, her eyes no longer as cold, much softer than before.
"Trust Liguang."
The atmosphere in the car relaxed just a little.
Fang Qi let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Oh, by the way, Xiao Qi."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Fang Qi turned back to look at her.
An Lian was looking at him, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
A little... teasing?
"I wanted to ask you this earlier."
She raised her hand, pointing at Fang Qi's neck, her gray eyes curving slightly.
"What's that on your neck...?"
...?
Neck?
Fang Qi instinctively touched his own neck.
It felt a little bumpy.
...Oh!
His eyes widened as he suddenly realized!
On his neck...
There were now all the little "strawberries" Liguang had planted on him during the ride over!
He looked down and could even see his collarbone was covered in them!
Pink, red...
Some were even tinged with a faint purple!
Well...!
Fang Qi's eyes twitched.
So it was that "severe"?
He had been walking around with a neck like this all along...!
In the back seat, the silver-haired girl's body stiffened instantly!
Then, her cheeks quickly flushed with a thin layer of crimson!
Her fingers curled slightly, gripping her skirt.
But she only bit her lip, her face red with shyness, and said nothing.
Her behavior was very restrained!
Fang Qi could understand, though.
An Lian was right beside her.
An Lian was her caretaker!
She had always been well-behaved in front of An Lian before, and in such a short time, she probably couldn't change her attitude yet.
And now…
An Lian was also their sister!
In front of An Lian…
His crazy girl would still instinctively hold back a little.
"Pfft…!"
Lin Xiaoyou, who was driving, let out a laugh, her hand on the wheel trembling slightly!
The pink "chopped pepper fish head" car swerved a little on the lane before quickly straightening out.
Her round face, which had been somewhat heavy all along, finally showed a hint of a smile again.
The silver-haired girl's ears turned even redder!
She slightly turned her head away, avoiding An Lian's amused gaze.
Fang Qi, on the other hand, wasn't embarrassed at all.
Why would he be?
This was the mark his wife had left on him!
"Sorry about that!"
He leaned back against the seat, rubbing his neck.
"My Liguang really just can't behave herself!"
He spread his hands, his tone "helpless."
"I told her not to do that, but she just wouldn't listen! Look at that—she's been like a little puppy the whole way… Ow!"
His lower back was pinched again!
A small hand reached from behind and accurately grabbed the softest flesh on his side!
"Master!"
Liguang's voice was both shy and trembling!
"Ow, ow, ow, I'm wrong, I'm wrong!"
An Lian's lips curved into a faint smile, a rare moment of relaxation crossing her typically cool face.
She leaned back in her seat, the gauze on her right ear shifting slightly with the motion of her smile. She reached up and adjusted it gently.
But soon…
Her smile slowly faded.
Her gray eyes glazed over slightly.
"Xiao Qi…"
She spoke softly.
"The one who nearly killed me…"
Her tone hesitated.
"He really looks a lot like Lin You's father. Who exactly is he…"
The car fell silent again instantly.
The atmosphere, which had just eased up, was pulled right back down by her words.
Lin Xiaoyou's grip on the steering wheel tightened abruptly, her almond-shaped eyes fixed straight on the road ahead.
Then…
"Aiya aiya aiya—!"
Suddenly, she sat up straight!
And burst out wailing!
"Sister An Lian, you just said something about the senior's neck, right!"
Suddenly, she broke into a grin again!
"Oh, Liguang, you're way too naughty!"
She winked wildly at Liguang!
"How could you leave marks all over the senior's neck like that!"
"Think how awkward it would be if someone else saw!"
"Sister An Lian, look at them! Shamelessly showing off their love right in front of me!"
She howled loudly!
"I don't care—when we get to the place, I need a strawberry cake to heal my emotional trauma!"
"The senior's treat! Has to be! And I want—"
"Ahhh, we've got to speed through that red light ahead!!!"
She rattled off a string of words without even pausing for breath!
Her hands were busily working on the steering wheel the whole time!
In the back seat, An Lian stared blankly at the back of her head.
Fang Qi turned his head and looked at the round-faced girl beside him, acting so infuriatingly carefree…
His emotions were a mix of feelings.
He could tell—Lin Xiaoyou didn't want to talk about this right now.
Didn't want to mention that person…
Who looked exactly like her dad.
"Oh, right, Sister An Lian!"
He quickly helped change the subject, turning to look behind him!
"That was really amazing—being able to dodge a gunshot from such close range and only hurt your ear!"
He looked at An Lian in astonishment.
"Did you train for something like that before?"
Honestly, he was genuinely a bit surprised!
Before him, An Lian's gray eyes faltered slightly.
She was silent for a moment. Then…
She gently shook her head.
“…It wasn’t me who dodged.”
Her voice was very soft.
“I didn’t dodge.”
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