Chapter 173: Explanation—The Matter of Sun Buqun

Gu Xu had originally intended to refuse Sun Buqun’s request, but after hearing his words, he glanced at Bian Changxi. Her eyes were full of determination—there was no sign of reluctance or being forced. In fact, she even looked a little eager, making it impossible for him to say anything about not pushing herself too hard.

He sighed inwardly: “Since Changxi agrees, I have no objections.” He said to Sun Buqun, “No need for formalities. However, for the time being, Mr. An will need to follow Changxi’s instructions on some matters.”

Sun Buqun and An Jibo both readily agreed.

After arranging things for An Jibo, Sun Buqun took his leave. An Jibo immediately turned to Bian Changxi and said, “Miss Bian, is there anything you need me to do?”

“We’ll be heading to the hospital soon. Just wait for me at the entrance for now.”

“Alright, sure.”

An Jibo’s obedience and tact surprised Bian Changxi. Watching him trot off to stand guard at the villa’s front gate, she couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Was this really the same proud, aloof wood-type powerhouse from her previous life?

She turned to Gu Xu. “I have something I want to discuss with you.”

Gu Xu was surprised—this was the first time she’d spoken to him in this tone, making such a request.

He said, “Shall we talk in the study?”

“No need, here is fine.” She stood in front of the sofa, glanced around—the others were far away, and all were trusted people—so she lowered her voice. “Before coming to the base, do you remember that incident with Boss Zhang and the attack on me?”

Gu Xu’s expression turned serious and he nodded.

“Before Zhang Bo died, I injected him with this.” She took out a syringe filled with blue liquid, something she’d picked up at a car dealership. There was a whole pack of these syringes—twelve in total. “He was in great pain afterward. I asked who was behind it, and he named Sun Buqun.”

Gu Xu’s face grew stern. He examined the syringe carefully, then injected a bit into a cup on the coffee table. Leaning down to sniff, his expression changed and he quickly covered the cup. “It’s a type of truth serum—quite a strong one. Some of these serums can disrupt brainwaves and cause hallucinations, others cause intense pain. This is the latter. Still, it seems to be an experimental version.”

Bian Changxi nodded. “So, about Zhang Bo’s confession…”

“Nine times out of ten, it’s true.” Gu Xu thought for a moment, then looked at her. “What exactly do they want from you?”

He wouldn’t have asked this in the past—Bian Changxi was sensitive, easily agitated, and had many boundaries. After running into walls a few times, he’d learned to keep his distance. He hadn’t even asked about the details of the attack that night. But now, her attitude was open, which meant she was willing to talk.

“My old jade bracelet—you’ve seen it, right? It was made of top-grade mutton-fat jade. Jiang Zhihuan’s research found that mutton-fat jade is the ideal material for creating spatial artifacts.” She was telling the truth, but only half of it. After a pause, she added, “Actually, there are quite a few strange treasures in the apocalypse.”

That was as good as admitting her bracelet was one of those treasures.

Gu Xu understood, and suddenly seemed to connect a few more dots. He didn’t press further, just turned the syringe in his hand and fell silent for a moment before saying, “I understand. Don’t confront Sun Buqun directly—leave him to me.” He frowned. “And as for An Jibo outside, you’d best avoid contact with him.”

“It’s fine. There aren’t any restricted areas in the hospital. Other wood-types from different factions sneak in to observe all the time. If they can, An Jibo is no different—he’s a healer, not a threat.” As if remembering something, a shadow flickered across Bian Changxi’s brow, but she quickly smiled. “Besides, he seems pretty good at healing. I’d like to see for myself.”

Gu Xu couldn’t help but recall a military dog he’d seen at the training base. It had started out small and weak, always bullied by the bigger wolfhounds. One day, after being badly bitten in a fight, it became quiet and withdrawn, seemingly losing its spirit. But on closer observation, he’d noticed a fierce glint in its eyes—it was biding its time, gathering strength, waiting for the chance to bite back.

Right now, Bian Changxi seemed just like that dog—she’d been holding back for a long time, and now her eyes shone with a cold, determined light. She looked ready to fight.

He suddenly found himself curious about An Jibo.

He didn’t try to dissuade her further. “Just be careful. You can bring him along if you need to.”

Bian Changxi understood he was referring to treating the wounded. “Alright.”

“It’s not ideal for you to be out and about without someone to run errands for you. I’ve arranged for two people to assist you—they’re waiting outside the villa. Try them out, and if you’re not satisfied, we can switch. If you have your own candidates, feel free to replace them—don’t worry about it. They’ll take you to the military camp later.”

Bian Changxi paused. “Okay.”

She headed outside. Walking into the yard and seeing the lush vegetables, she suddenly remembered the temperature was about to drop. The Su City base had a dedicated farming area—she’d visited it before. Gu Xu had also arranged two farming plots for Jiangcheng, plus a medicinal herb garden. If they didn’t prepare, the next few crops would suffer heavy losses. She’d have to remind Gu Xu about cold-weather precautions.

Speaking of medicinal herbs, she’d planned to set aside a plot for them back in the new district, but after the farm sacrificed everything to save her, all the crops had withered, and the herbs had become fertilizer for the black soil. The plan had been forgotten.

It was time to revisit it.

Someone followed her outside. She turned—it was Shadow. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to the hospital too. Nothing else to do anyway.” As he spoke, his eyes were on An Jibo outside.

Sun Buqun had left a bad impression, and An Jibo didn’t seem like a good person either. Shadow had overheard Bian Changxi and Gu Xu’s conversation. Knowing she was aware of An Jibo’s ill intentions yet still planned to interact with him seemed reckless, and Gu Xu wasn’t stopping her. Shadow felt uneasy.

Bian Changxi couldn’t help but laugh. “Nothing to do? Didn’t I tell you to rest for half a month?”

Shadow frowned. “I’m fine.”

She checked his complexion—he did look alright. The man was as resilient as a cockroach, recovering faster than she could imagine, but…

She glanced around, then beckoned Shadow to a secluded spot.

Inside, by the window, Qiu Yun’s eyes widened. “Wow, there’s something going on!”

He kept shoveling porridge into his mouth.

Qiu Feng glared at him. “Eat your food!”

Gu Pei was packing up, getting ready to leave, and muttered, “It’s all this gossiping that’s made things so awkward now.” Although, it wasn’t that bad, just not going as everyone had hoped. The atmosphere was a bit strange.

Wu Dalang shook his head. “Loose lips cause trouble. Qiu Yun, your bad habit’s only getting worse.” He picked up his cane, ready to exercise behind the villa. He no longer needed the cane to walk, but couldn’t move quickly yet. After being out all day yesterday, he’d been ordered to stay home today.

At least the days of convalescence were almost over. He wasn’t as restless as Shadow—he listened, he rested.

He hadn’t even left yet when Shadow came back in, looking dejected. Wu Dalang grinned, “What, got sent back?”

He glanced outside—Bian Changxi was already in the car, just about to leave.

Shadow ignored him and walked straight ahead.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“To bed!”

Qiu Yun, mouth full of porridge, clicked his tongue. “Guess the doctor’s orders trump the boss’s. Boss, your authority’s being challenged.”

Gu Xu looked up coolly. “If you can’t finish your food, you can sit there all day.” He called Qiu Feng over, and the two began quietly discussing Sun Buqun’s matter.

Meanwhile, Bian Changxi sat in the car. The driver was a young man, a second-tier wind-type, former military, and a formidable special forces soldier—much like Qiu Yun, but this one was absolutely silent. When he introduced himself, he’d only said, “Lin He,” and nothing more.

Next to her sat a young woman—one of the two female bodyguards who’d been on her balcony yesterday. She was cold, sharp, and efficient—everything about her, from her movements to her attire, exuded competence.

Her name was Zhao An’an, a second-tier ice-type. Before the apocalypse, she’d been a bodyguard, but according to the file in Bian Changxi’s hand, her real identity was an assassin who owed Gu Xu a favor. Lin He had also worked under Gu Xu on a mission before.

Gu Xu had picked these two for her… Well, they were certainly professional, and their strength was unquestionable. People like this, with ties to Gu Xu in the South, were rare—potential confidants. He’d clearly put thought into it. Still, wasn’t it a bit of a waste to have them as her driver and bodyguard?

The car was cold and silent, making Bian Changxi feel a bit stifled. An Jibo, who came from an ordinary background, seemed even more out of place—he sat ramrod straight in the front passenger seat, eyes fixed ahead, visibly tense.

Bian Changxi asked Zhao An’an, “What were you doing before today? I mean, before you were assigned to me.” The file didn’t mention this.

Zhao An’an replied without looking at her, “I was in charge of a team of fifty second-tier ability users. We mainly patrolled and trained, always preparing for missions outside the base.”

She spoke honestly, with no sign of resentment at being demoted from captain to personal bodyguard.

Bian Changxi looked at Lin He. He said, “Pretty much the same, except I mainly dealt with external provocations and troublemakers.”

So his job was even more important than Zhao An’an’s.

Bian Changxi felt a little guilty—these were two top generals.

The car sped smoothly, and soon they arrived at Jiangcheng Medical.

Lin He went to park the car, Zhao An’an stuck close to Bian Changxi. As they walked, Bian Changxi said to the curious An Jibo, “Just stick close to me. You might need to help treat some patients. Don’t ask too many questions, don’t say too much. If you see any strange symptoms, don’t be surprised—just stay calm and respectful, even if it’s only on the surface. You said you wanted to learn from me, but I won’t be teaching you anything in particular. Just watch and learn as you go.”

Thanks to Fuyunwang for the two pink tickets! l3l4