SS Chapter 12

However, after quite a while, the expected scream didn’t come. Long Xinyu cautiously opened his eyes and peeked at Rao Xian, only to find that there was no dismemberment or river of blood. Instead, Li Xu was using a knife to cut open the restraints on Rao Xian’s feet, and then looking at him.

Long Xinyu was completely dumbfounded: What was Li Xu trying to do?

“Get up!” Li Xu tugged at Long Xinyu, her voice hoarse from being choked earlier.

Once on deck, Li Xu had the two stand side-by-side. Long Xinyu finally saw that it was an antique-style yacht.

Seeing Li Xu tear off the rain tarp covering a pile of items on the deck, revealing several barrels of gasoline, Long Xinyu’s heart turned cold—this woman was going to burn them to death on the deck!

Long Xinyu glanced at the sea behind him, considering the possibility of escaping by jumping into the water. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Xu carrying a gasoline can, starting to splash gasoline everywhere.

Long Xinyu turned his head to look at Rao Xian beside him, tentatively asking, “Do you think she’s going to burn us alive first?”

Rao Xian’s eyes were filled with—very, possible.

Long Xinyu looked at the seawater: “How about we jump into the sea and escape?”

Rao Xian slightly strained his arms: “My hands are tied, I won’t make it to the shore.”

Long Xinyu: “That’s still better than being burned alive, right?”

Rao Xian: “One is being burned to death, the other is being drowned, which one is better?”

Just as the two were looking at each other, Li Xu poured gasoline into a line on the deck below, and even poured some on herself. Then, she threw away the plastic gasoline can, and walked over with a knife.

Long Xinyu felt a chill seeing Li Xu covered in gasoline.

Long Xinyu firmly said, “I regret it.”

“Yes!” Long Xinyu replied resolutely.

Long Xinyu’s answer exceeded Li Xu’s expectations. She paused, puzzled, and asked, “Why?”

“You turning bad is your business, whether or not I save you is my business. Saving you, I regret it, but I’m not wrong. Saving people is never wrong!” Long Xinyu answered without hesitation.

Long Xinyu had dated a few girlfriends, but they were all just for fun. He had never said he loved anyone, but he felt that love was definitely not like Li Xu, with death and the end of life as its goal.

“What are you doing?” Long Xinyu hadn’t understood Li Xu’s words yet when he saw her push Rao Xian off the boat. He looked at Li Xu in shock, then shouted towards the water, “Rao Xian—”

As far as he could see, Rao Xian had already disappeared into the water.

Long Xinyu turned his head to glare at Li Xu, but Li Xu gave him a brilliant smile. She then pulled Long Xinyu over, cut the restraints on his hands, and before Long Xinyu could react, stabbed him in the left shoulder.

“Ugh—I—” Long Xinyu groaned. Li Xu had already pulled the knife out, and the knife brought up a string of blood.

“I—” Long Xinyu clutched his stabbed shoulder, looking at this crazy woman. Li Xu didn’t give him a chance to speak, and pushed him hard.

Long Xinyu didn’t even have time to scream before falling into the sea.

With a “plop,” he landed in the water, and the water quickly submerged Long Xinyu. Luckily, Long Xinyu was a good swimmer. He didn’t have time to think about Li Xu’s conflicting behavior. After entering the water, he quickly surfaced to breathe, then dived back in to search for Rao Xian. Luckily, Rao Xian wasn’t far away and was still struggling. Long Xinyu swam over and dragged Rao Xian to the surface, and Rao Xian coughed violently.

At this moment, Long Xinyu saw Li Xu standing on the bow of the boat, looking at him and Rao Xian in the water.

Long Xinyu didn’t know what Li Xu was thinking, but he could feel that Rao Xian in his hands was getting heavier and heavier. Rao Xian could also swim, but his hands were tied, and with the large amount of blood loss, he couldn’t hold on any longer. Long Xinyu’s knife wound on his shoulder stung from the seawater. Seeing that Li Xu wasn’t making any moves, he turned his head and dragged Rao Xian, trying hard to swim towards the shore.

“Long Xinyu—” Li Xu on the boat suddenly called Long Xinyu’s name loudly.

Long Xinyu heard it, but didn’t turn back. He was already injured, Rao Xian’s hands were tied, and the shore looked so far away. He didn’t know what the woman was calling him for. His only thought now was to conserve his strength and get Rao Xian out of danger.

“Live well, and don’t forget me!” Li Xu’s voice came again, but Long Xinyu, dragging Rao Xian, didn’t turn his head at all.

Li Xu watched Long Xinyu swim away, and smiled bitterly. She took out her cell phone from her pocket, turned on the player, and played a song she had been listening to recently:

*The flowers born from rubble are swallowed by fire, not even having time to wither*
*The eroded dome of the sky is mottled with rust, hiding the clues of the constellations*
*Red rain is burning*
*Nowhere to hide*
*Hoarsely crying out to the grieving void*
*Praying until the end*
*Why does God remain cruel and indifferent*
*Whether it’s a terrestrial hell or a celestial prison, I also crave to have impure eyes*

A sigh escaped. Li Xu closed her eyes and let go of her hand. The lighter “clattered” to the ground, and then, with a “boom,” the fire started—

Unfortunately, there was no chance.

The seawater and Rao Xian, who he was dragging, didn’t give him time to think and feel emotional. He could only try his best to swim towards the shore!

—

In a large room, two women, one standing in front of a light-emitting display screen and one sitting. Behind them were several people in black jackets, respectfully standing by.

The display screen showed various data, curves, modules, and charts. One screen showed a blaze of fire. The woman standing sighed, “Are you satisfied with this result?”

The standing woman looked at the screen and sighed, “Human behavior is the most difficult to predict. Despair can make people decadent, but it can also stimulate unlimited potential and destructive power. Her behavior is very representative!”

A person in a white coat came over with a form, which contained various human data and the distribution of brain cell activity. They marked the peaks and handed it to the standing woman. The woman took it and carefully looked at the data. “The probability of two X chromosomes in females being affected by drugs and undergoing changes is higher than that of one in males.”

The sitting woman lazily said, “It’s a pity that men are also easily controlled by emotions. Besides, the person is already gone. Otherwise, who knows what kind of changes will occur in the next generation bred by this kind of drug-affected man. It’s boring to even think about it.”

“Tsk—”

The standing woman lightly clicked her tongue. “That means it’s not a waste even if she died!”

The black jackets didn’t respond.

The woman’s eyes stared at the fire on the screen, thinking of Li Xu taking out the lighter, feeling the “love.” An emotion flashed across her face, one that was hard to discern, whether it was pain, pity, sadness, or mockery.

—

Five months later.

The winter wind carried an icy chill. The earth was a little dim, and it seemed like it was going to snow.

Long Xinyu also saw Rao Xian. Thick winter clothes couldn’t hide Rao Xian’s thinness, the sickly pallor on his face, or his handsomeness.

Long Xinyu walked over with the cigarette in his mouth, took the shopping bag from Rao Xian’s hand.

Rao Xian didn’t resist.

Long Xinyu carried the bag in one hand and took the cigarette out of his mouth with the other, exhaling a smoke ring as he slowly walked into the unit with Rao Xian. He began to nag, “Why didn’t you answer when I called?”

Rao Xian said, “I was in the supermarket just now, I didn’t hear it!”

Rao Xian gave him a look, letting him figure it out himself.

At this time, the two had already entered the unit door. Rao Xian’s home was still the ordinary old building without an elevator. The stairwell was a little dark. Rao Xian’s home was on the 5th floor, and it was very difficult for him to climb the stairs now.

By the time they climbed to the 5th floor, Rao Xian was a little out of breath. Being shot and then falling into the water had made Rao Xian seriously ill. Now, his body was like a machine with broken parts, weak inside and out, barely maintaining operation.

Rao Xian took out his key to open the door, changed his shoes at the entrance, and Long Xinyu followed him.

Rao Xian entered, put his cane by the door, took the shopping bag from Long Xinyu, and casually said, “No smoking in my house.”

Rao Xian turned his head to look at him, silently took out an extra portion of noodles, prepared the ingredients, and only after the water was boiling did he limp out of the kitchen and sit opposite Long Xinyu.

Rao Xian asked, “The case has been closed for so long. I’m just discharged from the hospital, what are you doing running to my house?”

Rao Xian was puzzled. What could Long Xinyu possibly need to ask him for?

“Huh?” Rao Xian was dumbfounded.

Rao Xian was surprised, “Stalking you and sending things?”

Long Xinyu shrugged, “I’m a man, I didn’t take these things to heart, I just thought it was a prank. I figured that there shouldn’t be many lunatics like Li Xu, and there was no need to be alarmed, but last night, I saw Luo Pingping, and I felt that the situation seemed a little serious.”

“You saw who?” Rao Xian doubted his ears.

Luo Pingping was already dead, was Long Xinyu seeing ghosts?

Long Xinyu stroked his eyebrows and wrinkled his nose, “Luo Pingping!”

Rao Xian glared, “Luo Pingping is already dead!”

Long Xinyu sighed, he of course knew Luo Pingping was alive, but he really saw her.

P.S.: The song played by Li Xu at the end of this chapter is “Burning” lyrics by Yin Lin and Ming Huang.

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