Chapter 74: The Siren 02 Part 2

The onlookers watched the drama unfold, thinking that if the man succeeded, they might try the same. But now that he’d failed, they shelved their own schemes.

Tu Yu noticed how awful Yu Sui looked and wondered, puzzled, why he suddenly seemed so gravely ill.

He couldn’t help glancing at Lu Wang. Out on a mission and still dragging a guy along? Was he that desperate?

“Tch, you’re just jealous of me,” the man snapped, his defenses crumbling after back-to-back rejections.

He’d gotten plenty of benefits from his looks before, but this was the first time he’d hit a wall.

“So possessive. Once he loses interest, you’ll get dumped all the same,” he sneered coldly.

Yu Sui narrowed his eyes, fixing them on the man.

One of the men who’d been sneaking glances at him caught that look and froze, a chill running down his spine.

Those eyes had been emotionless to begin with, but now the pupils sharpened into slits, giving him the eerie sense of being stalked by a python.

His face drained of color. He quickened his pace and retreated to the group, not daring to say another word.

Lu Wang’s expression soured at the words. He opened his mouth to respond, but the man had already bolted—he couldn’t exactly chase him down.

“Don’t mind him,” he said to Yu Sui.

Yu Sui ignored him and closed his eyes to rest.

The D District ability users, though, thought the ordinary guy had a point. Watching their dynamic, Yu Sui’s indifference came off as spoiled and petulant.

The group didn’t quiet down either. They kept squabbling over the blankets, their eyes flicking over now and then, sizing up their odds of a successful snatch-and-grab.

Yu Sui felt the numbness and chill in his hands and feet finally easing. Before he could relax, a wave of heat hit him.

He knew it was time.

Just as the system had said, he’d figured out the pattern over the past few days: three times a day.

Yu Sui bit his lip, trying to endure it.

But nighttime was always the worst. His cheeks burned red as he slowly shifted upright.

Lu Wang, who had been leaning against the wall beside him, snapped his eyes open. “What’s wrong?”

“I need the bathroom,” Yu Sui whispered.

“Got it.” Lu Wang stood and followed him toward the gas station restroom.

Yu Sui didn’t stop him—who knew if there were zombies lurking in there.

Tu Yu, amid the crowd, had been keeping tabs on their movements. At those words, he frowned.

Something about it didn’t feel right on the surface. And why follow him to the bathroom?

With that in mind, he rose slowly too.

Lu Wang checked the place out, confirmed it was safe, then waited by the door.

Yu Sui had wrapped a scarf around his neck, pulled on a hat, and bundled up in thick winter clothes. It was all so damn inconvenient.

His mood soured even further.

Leaning against the wall, impatience etched into his features, he got a little rougher with himself.

Lu Wang stepped a few paces away. Over their time together, he’d picked up on Yu Sui’s boundaries and kept a respectful distance to avoid awkwardness.

Tu Yu rounded the corner and spotted Lu Wang’s back. He halted, hand against the wall, eyes closing.

His gaze shifted, moving ceaselessly, piercing through walls until it locked onto the bathroom.

Tu Yu was just worried Yu Sui might run into trouble—the guy had saved his life, after all.

He hadn’t expected to catch the man in the act.

He froze.

His eyes fixed on Yu Sui’s pale knuckles, then lower…

He really was flawless, like polished jade, impossible to look away from.

Lost in a daze, the man suddenly looked up—right at him.

Tu Yu’s heart jolted. His ability wasn’t weak; no way could he be detected. It had to be Yu Sui’s sharp instincts picking up on the scrutiny.

Tu Yu yanked his gaze back.

He turned and hurried away.

Yu Sui stared toward the door. That voyeuristic sensation had been too intense. He frowned—was it Lu Wang?

Once finished, he knocked.

Lu Wang opened the door right away and handed him some water.

Yu Sui washed up. “Were you right at the door the whole time?”

“I was over there.” Lu Wang pointed ahead. “What happened?”

“Someone was peeking.” Yu Sui eyed him, suspicion lingering.

Lu Wang frowned. “When did you notice? See anyone?”

“Just a feeling. No sounds at all.” Yu Sui met his gaze head-on.

Lu Wang saw his own reflection in those eyes and faltered, turning away awkwardly. “Sounds like an ability user. That’s tricky.”

He wasn’t thrilled at the thought—someone had seen Yu Sui in the middle of…

Seeing no odd reaction from him, Yu Sui dropped the probing.

The two returned to the front, one after the other.

Yu Sui crawled back into his sleeping bag.

Tu Yu’s heart pounded wildly. He couldn’t stop thinking about why Yu Sui would do that—and the expression on his face had been pure irritation, like a chore.

If that was the case, why the reaction at all?

It was too contradictory.

The next day, the temperature normalized.

Yu Sui shed the heavy layers, peeling off his coat. Lu Wang took it naturally and packed up their gear.

Watching his figure, Yu Sui said nothing.

Perhaps because of the mutation, his mood had barely improved at all. He couldn’t be bothered to argue over it.

As they prepared to leave, the others panicked and scrambled after them.

“Big brothers, which district are you from? We’re here to join up,” one called out.

“Join up?” The D District captain eyed them. “Then why not head straight to the city? Why hang around here?”

“Well…”

Someone started to speak but trailed off.

“Hah.” Ignoring them, the two teams rolled out.

Yu Sui puzzled over Tu Yu’s intentions but didn’t dwell on it.

Slouched in the back seat, he stared out the window listlessly.

Lu Wang occasionally pointed out passing trees and named them for him.

Red Hair’s expression grew more and more bizarre beside them.

Wasn’t their captain straight as an arrow? What was this about?

Yu Sui barely registered a word.

Once they were gone, the worry faded from those faces.

“All ability users. Some with space abilities.”

“Loaded with good stuff.” One licked his lips, greed gleaming in his eyes. “Get the front ready. Time to hunt.”

They were a band of wanderers, and far from the decent sort.

Tu Yu said nothing, moving with them but quietly slipping away from the pack.

“What happened up ahead?”

After some driving, Yu Sui’s group came upon a roadblock: several cars halted, people clustered in the middle of the highway, clearly in a standoff.

They pulled over at a safe distance.

Yu Sui glanced once and looked away.

Lu Wang and the others got out.

“Hand over the goods, we said.”

“How can you do this? We found those supplies first!”

“First come, first served? Strength rules here, got it?” One sneered and unleashed his ability.

The robbed group fell back steadily.

Lu Wang sensed something off and shot a look to his teammates.

But he couldn’t control the D District ability users.

“Looks like a robbery in progress.” One of them itched for action and stepped forward. “What’s going on here?”

Spotting potential backup, the man turned. “You guys ability users too? Help us out—we’ll split the resources fifty-fifty.”

“Fifty percent?” Eyeing the loaded vehicles, the ability user was tempted.

“They betrayed me,” the man spat, sounding like it was spite driving him.

“Captain?” The ability user checked with his leader.

“Go for it.” Resources were scarcest now; hauling back this much would solidify their standing.

Lu Wang frowned. Red Hair spoke up. “Hold on. You’re awfully generous—half to us?”

“Forget it if you don’t believe me.” Stung by the doubt, the man fumed. “It’s do or die today. I won’t let them win.”

Yu Sui leaned against the window, watching the drama. It was straight out of the plot: the protagonist shou passed by, saw through their scheme.

The protagonist gong admired his insight and invited him to join the team. But he didn’t remember it—the protagonist shou did, though, and gave him the cold shoulder, rejecting flat-out.

That only fired up the talent-loving protagonist gong, who pursued relentlessly until the shou agreed, all to off the guy later.

In the end, both got dosed with Yu Sui’s poison.

As his thoughts snapped back to the present, with the standoff hanging in the air, the distant blare of a car horn pierced the silence.

It drew everyone’s attention in an instant.

Tu Yu’s car pulled up beside Yu Sui. He glanced at the man, then stepped out.

“You’ve all been tricked,” Tu Yu said, exposing their scheme. “I ran into this once before. I didn’t think they’d have the guts to try it again.”

The moment their plan was laid bare, those people dropped the act and unleashed their abilities first.

“It’s you!” someone shouted, recognizing Tu Yu.

Earlier, this man had been blending in with the crowd, his face smeared with thick grime, which had kept him from being spotted.

But now, they knew him.

“Tu Yu, you’re screwing up my plans again!” the ringleader snarled, his face twisting in rage. “Take him down!”

Abilities collided in a chaotic frenzy, booming explosions echoing through the air.

The Ability User riding shotgun immediately threw up a defensive barrier in front of the car.

Yu Sui caught the commotion and covered his ears, peering out the window.

The Ability User up front eyed the man through the rearview mirror. Seeing no change in his expression, a spark of wariness ignited in his chest.

Tu Yu unleashed his own ability, instantly seizing the attention of Ability Users from both teams.

If they could recruit an Advanced Ability User like this for their district…

The group quickly realized they were outmatched and peeled out in their cars, fleeing the scene.

Lu Wang and the others made no move to give chase.

Tu Yu shook out his hand. “Tch.”

“Your ability is impressive,” the D District Ability User said first. “Want to join us in D District?”

“Our A District offers better perks,” Red Hair chimed in.

Lu Wang said nothing. He turned and walked toward the car.

When he reached the window, he asked, “You weren’t scared, were you?”

The teammate in the passenger seat gave a wry twitch of his lips. “I threw up my Defensive Ability the second it started.”

Lu Wang let out a breath of relief, though his gaze lingered on Yu Sui.

“No,” Yu Sui said, shaking his head.

“If you’re scared, just close your eyes,” Lu Wang added gently. “Fights like this always end up with some ugly sights.”

His tone was so tender it bordered on absurd.

A flicker of strangeness crossed Yu Sui’s eyes. “I’m not fragile enough to need that.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Lu Wang replied hastily, catching the ambiguity in his own words. He hurried to clarify. “I just don’t want you seeing all that gore.”

He couldn’t bear the thought of this carefree man gazing out with fear and dread in his eyes, those clear, limpid depths turning dull and shadowed.

Author’s Note:

Yu Sui: Annoying.

Lu Wang: I just want to protect the last pure land.

Tu Yu: He wouldn’t be thinking about me, would he…