Xie Yuchen, after striking Wu Tianzhen with the truth, abandoned his childhood friend who desperately needed a psychologist and walked towards the Black Gold Ancient Saber lying on the ground.
He hadn't really interacted with this saber before. Upon hearing that it was so heavy it could dislocate Fatty's shoulder, a flicker of interest arose within him.
Ever since meeting Hua and Hei, the poor Black Gold Ancient Saber had been forgotten by Wu Tianzhen on the cold ground. Seeing Xie Yuchen approach, it almost shed tears of gratitude.
... Just kidding, it had no face and couldn't shed tears.
Setting aside Xiao Hua, who had entered a state of research.
It wasn't until Wu Tianzhen heard the excited hum of the Black Gold Ancient Saber that he realized he had arrogantly dropped the saber on the ground and ignored it. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, as if he were a petty hoodlum who bullied someone's child (the Black Gold Ancient Saber) while the parent (Zhang Qiling) was away.
But soon, his wandering gaze caught sight of Xiao Hei, who looked even more like a petty hoodlum opposite him.
Clearly, the sleeping Fatty, whose entire face was now revealed, had once again ignited Xiao Hei's interest in taking unflattering photos. The optical computer in Hei Yanjing's hand was frantically adjusted, and each photo captured the Fatty's haggardness from a cunningly chosen angle.
Wu Tianzhen cast a sympathetic glance at the oblivious Fatty on the ground, steadied himself, and walked towards Hei Yanjing.
"Um, Hei Yanjing..." He glanced in Xie Yuchen's direction, hesitated, and then spoke, "Are you free? I have something I want to ask you."
"Wow?" Hearing this, Hei Yanjing raised his sunglasses, his tone laced with a hint of confusion.
... Wu Tianzhen had been tricked by him when they first met, and now he was approaching again so quickly?
Something wasn't right. Hei Yanjing slightly controlled the arrogant words that were about to escape his lips and looked intently through his sunglasses.
At this moment, Wu Tianzhen's expression was also exceptionally solemn. He seemed to have undergone intense psychological struggle, his entire being radiating a sense of extreme contradiction.
Looking down, from Hei Yanjing's perspective, Wu Tianzhen's face even seemed to carry a hint of ferocity.
Hei Yanjing already understood what aspect of things he wanted to ask about.
It wasn't difficult to guess. After all, for someone as innocent as Wu Tianzhen, only specific individuals could reveal the other side hidden within his heart.
As expected, in the next second, Wu Tianzhen abruptly pursed his lips and looked up, asking:
"Hei Yanjing, do you know how old Xiao Ge is now?"
"..."
The question was asked, but no response was received.
Wu Tianzhen stared intently at Hei Yanjing's expression, but his gaze was completely obscured by the large sunglasses, revealing no outward emotion.
After a few seconds, Hei Yanjing suddenly put on a roguish smile again, "Oh, why would you ask a blind man like me about such things? I'm just a simple worker who knows nothing~"
His roguish smile was like a mask, plastered on his face, making him seem like a machine fixed in a certain format.
Wu Tianzhen's lips trembled, and he said nothing.
... He had already received his answer, but it wasn't the one he wanted.
Hei Yanjing walked past him, attempting to extort more money from Xie Yuchen by carrying the Black Gold Ancient Saber. But after only a few steps, Wu Tianzhen suddenly grabbed his sleeve tightly.
Wu Tianzhen's grip was firm, even trembling slightly.
"One more thing..." Wu Tianzhen slowly turned around, his gaze towards Hei Yanjing filled with belated realization.
... He suddenly remembered the details of Hei Yanjing's interaction with Xiao Ge when he first appeared. The scene was now replaying in his mind like a slideshow.
"How long have you and Xiao Ge known each other?"
This time, Hei Yanjing said nothing.
He tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing Wu Tianzhen for a moment, then slowly revealed a smile of unknown meaning.
...
The wait for Fatty to wake up was long.
Wu Tianzhen leaned against the wall beside Fatty, his gaze vacant, his eyes fixed on nothing in front of him.
Hei Yanjing, true to his elusive nature, had disappeared into some corner after taking unflattering photos of Fatty. Looking around, his figure couldn't be found in the darkness.
... If it were Xiao Ge, he would definitely be standing where they could see him.
Thinking of Zhang Qiling, Wu Tianzhen's mood suddenly became even more somber.
The faint sound of water droplets hitting the ground echoed from a distance, blurring into the clatter of turning gears in his ears, pushing time towards its predetermined conclusion.
"What's wrong, looking so down?" Xie Yuchen, who had been recording information on his panel, suddenly spoke.
He hadn't failed to hear their conversation when he was examining the Black Gold Ancient Saber, but these words clearly involved some secrets, so he had pretended not to hear.
However, Wu Tianzhen's current mood was too oppressive.
The sound of water droplets continued to drift in. Wu Tianzhen remained silent for a while, unsure how to untangle the complex thoughts in his mind. He suddenly blurted out incoherently:
"... I still think the medium for the black-haired vengeful spirit's possession is its blood."
"Whether it's from Fatty's experience or the vengeful spirit's attitude, Hei Yanjing shouldn't have shown no reaction at all."
At this point, Wu Tianzhen's voice trailed off. He felt as if his usually agile tongue had suddenly tied itself in knots, and he couldn't find the words no matter what.
As he spoke, Xie Yuchen didn't look at him or approach.
He remained seated at a distance, casually looking at the panel in front of him, but his fingers had stopped moving, indicating that he was listening intently.
Wu Tianzhen felt a sense of relief and, after calming his emotions, continued,
"So, Xiao Hua, why aren't you curious? And why did you know he was fine then..."
"Do you really not know why, Wu Tianzhen?" Xie Yuchen replied without much thought, perhaps because he had already seen through these answers.
"Because I believe in his ability, so I know he's fine."
"As for curiosity... if knowing a secret brings no benefit to anyone, then why must I know it?"
"Wu Tianzhen, I don't know what secret you've just discovered, but," Xie Yuchen turned his head to look at Wu Tianzhen, his calm eyes seeming to hold immense power, "you must understand that there are always things that are regrets we can never change, no matter how hard we try."
"All we can do is accept, and then do our best."
"..."
Wu Tianzhen remained silent for a long time.
He suddenly remembered something he thought he had long forgotten.
On their way to find Yingzhou, Hei Yanjing had told them something – "Don't get too emotionally attached to that mute."
Now, he perhaps understood the meaning.
However, he wasn't actually grieving for his own fleeting life, which was like that of a mayfly.
He was just thinking—
If they died, what would happen to him?