"Xiao Yue, scum like you should die sooner."
"Jin Fang, why don't you die?"
"Shouldn't cold-blooded and heartless scum die sooner?"
"I'm cold-blooded and heartless? I wonder who is bloodthirsty and heartless."
"My bloodthirstiness and heartlessness are towards enemies. You are cold-blooded and heartless towards everyone, including us, including He Li!"
"Jin Fang, go to hell!"
"Xiao Yue, clean up your mouth. If you babble one more word, I'll kill you!"
He Li pressed his forehead in helplessness, waved his hand in annoyance, and stopped the two from arguing.
"Alright, you two have been arguing for days, that's enough."
He Li sat up from the sofa, picked up a glass of juice on the table, and took a sip. It was cloyingly sweet and tasted bad.
"We're living in someone else's house now, can you stop arguing? Can't you two put your energy into something else, like finding those gods and using your powers to kill them."
"Of course, but I won't join forces with a cold-blooded and heartless piece of trash, because I'm afraid he'll stab me in the back." Jin Fang continued to mock Xiao Yue.
Clearly, Jin Fang was unhappy that Xiao Yue didn't catch Bai Fei. Of course, Jin Fang didn't care about Bai Fei's life or death. What he cared about was He Li, and he didn't want He Li to be so pained.
Xiao Yue offered no defense. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, he didn't explain. In fact, Bai Fei was already dead before he fell. He Li didn't know, Jin Fang didn't know, but Xiao Yue, who had borrowed He Jun's mental power once, knew. Therefore, catching Bai Fei falling from a high altitude was meaningless. It was better to use Bai Fei's death to stimulate He Li to unlock his gene lock.
"Jin Fang."
He Li glanced at Jin Fang, his tone slightly heavier, his eyes also carrying a warning.
Jin Fang looked at He Li, was silent for a moment, then finally snorted coldly, crossed his arms, and said nothing.
He Li sighed, raised his hands to rub his face, his flushed face hiding his sorrow. He looked up, his eyes pleading, and said to the two, "Don't bring this up again, okay?"
Xiao Yue and Jin Fang stared at He Li blankly, feeling a nameless heartache. They nodded in unison and fell silent.
He Li hooked the corners of his mouth, forcing a smile. He didn't want them to quarrel, especially at this time. He reached out and stroked Xiao Lan, who was lying at the front of the sofa, at his feet.
Xiao Lan looked up and affectionately nuzzled He Li's hand, making a whimpering sound.
"We need to find those gods now. Since they've used so many schemes and tricks against me, how can I always be passive and do nothing?"
Jin Fang said, "But we don't know where they are, or how many have awakened, so how can we find them?"
He Li hummed, "Aren't they working together against me? Then we just need to catch one of them."
"Catch? Catch... a god?" Jin Fang was stunned, looking at He Li in disbelief.
"Yes." He Li looked at Jin Fang and Xiao Yue and said solemnly, "Catch them, like catching a pig. Hold them, press them into your hand, hold a sharp knife to their heart, and if they don't obey, they die."
The cold, knife-like He Li shocked Jin Fang and Xiao Yue. The gentle big boy from before was now speaking words filled with killing intent so easily.
"Alas..."
A sigh suddenly interrupted He Li's coldness and eased the tense atmosphere.
Li Qin sat on the sofa beside them, sighed softly, glanced at He Li, then at Xiao Yue and Jin Fang, and waved his hand. "You two go first. I have something to say to He Li."
Xiao Yue nodded and disappeared.
Jin Fang hesitated for a moment, then gave He Li a deep look and also disappeared.
He Li waited for Li Qin's next words, but he didn't speak. Instead, he smiled and looked at Xiao Lan, who was lying on the blanket, with interest.
He Li waited for a while, but Li Qin remained silent.
"Uncle Li, didn't you have something to tell me?"
"Oh, right, I have something to say."
Li Qin seemed to realize, smiled, and looked at Xiao Lan. "Binhai Bay is 8,500 kilometers away from here. This little dog carried you and ran here in two days. It's quite capable."
"Ah?" He Li was stunned. Is this what you wanted to tell me?
"Uncle Li, what are you talking about? The matter we're discussing now isn't this."
Li Qin shook his head, his smile gentle, and said softly, "He Li, this is what I want to say."
"What?" He Li was very confused.
Li Qin said, "Don't be tense, don't be self-pitying, don't be full of bitterness and hatred, and don't be impatient. What you need isn't determination and courage, because you never lack these things. What you need is peace."
He Li looked at Li Qin. Having come to his senses, he tried hard to force a smile, but his eyes were filled with unconcealable sadness. He smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "If I had chosen the first option Xiao Yue mentioned to break through the dream, Fei Ge wouldn't have died, would he?"
"So what?" Li Qin asked.
"What?" He Li was stumped by Li Qin's question. So what? So... I could have saved Fei Ge, so what?
Li Qin asked, "So, you can go back to the past? Back to that night?"
"If there were truly 'ifs,' you shouldn't have let Xiao Lan chase that female corpse," Li Qin shook his head and smiled, continuing, "So, what's the point of you saying this?"
"You're saying this to falsely cover up your inner sadness."
He Li was stunned and speechless. He couldn't refute it. If? There were no ifs in this world. What happened is a fact. All you can do is accept it.
Li Qin patted He Li's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Some people, some things, are only suitable for collecting in your heart. You can't speak them, can't think about them, and can't forget them."
"You must be human,
Because those who possess extremely complex humanity and absolute rationality are gods."
He Li pursed his lips and smiled, nodding at Li Qin. "Uncle Li, I might not understand what you're saying now, but I will remember it until the day I do."
Li Qin said nothing more, glanced at Xiao Lan, and Xiao Lan suddenly floated up.
"Woof?" Xiao Lan's dog eyes were full of confusion. It looked around, then at its owner, bewildered.
Master, I'm floating.
Xiao Lan landed at Li Qin's feet. Li Qin reached out and stroked Xiao Lan's head.
It was evident that Li Qin was very fond of Xiao Lan, this dog that could grow big and fly.
He Li smiled helplessly, stood up, and walked towards the kitchen. Living in someone else's house, you had to do something to show you were a guest.
For example... cook a meal for them.
Not long after,
Braised pork ribs, stewed beef, stir-fried cucumbers with eggs, steamed egg custard.
He Li's signature hard dishes, in generous portions. The staple food was rice, and the soup was tomato and egg soup.
Creak,
The door opened.
A stout man with a beard walked in. He stood at the doorway, tilted his head back, took a deep, appreciative breath, and then exclaimed, "He Li, I really hope you can live in my house forever. You don't have to work, I'll support you, and you just need to cook me a Chinese dinner."
He Li brought the rice to the dining table and smiled, "Willow, your post office job can't support the two of us."
"Damn it, why are we talking about work?" Willow grumbled as he walked towards the dining table.
......