Chapter 44: Relying on Yourself is the Most Reliable

“What? How could that be?” Lin Rongrong was shocked. “Could it be that last night we...?”

Bian Changxi was just as surprised. “Remember how we ran into Gu Xu at the stairwell when we came up last night? He said he sensed some kind of ability fluctuation, and then when he went downstairs, he noticed some things were missing. Somehow, he put two and two together and suspected a spatial ability.” Honestly, this man’s powers of observation and logical reasoning were a bit too sharp.

“So, what did he say? Wait, why did he come to you and not me?”

Bian Changxi smiled. “Because he thought I was the one with the spatial ability.”

“So what did you tell him?”

“I had no choice but to give you up.” Bian Changxi glanced at her. “He was very straightforward about it. He said that the supplies in the supermarket were just sitting there anyway, and since he’d already discovered my secret, whether I took the supplies or not, whether I exposed myself or not, it made no difference to him. He also promised he wouldn’t tell anyone without my permission.”

Lin Rongrong sighed. “Captain Gu is a good person.”

“He is.”

Bian Changxi squinted at the sun-baked concrete. He’d seen through her secret, but instead of making a big deal out of it or using it to threaten her, he’d quietly pulled her aside to talk things through, telling her not to let her worries stop her from taking supplies. That was his kindness.

But what Bian Changxi didn’t tell Lin Rongrong was that Gu Xu had then said, if she felt bad about it, she could give him thirty percent of whatever she took out as his reserve. That was his self-interest.

She figured it was just an excuse, a way to keep her from refusing to take the supplies. But even if it wasn’t, and he really was thinking about his own interests, it showed he was someone who could balance public and private, loyal but not blindly self-sacrificing. Someone like that was safe to deal with.

Either way, she was tempted. Whether Gu Xu was just being friendly or wanted her as a backup, didn’t she also want to build a good relationship with a future powerhouse? In the end, she would be the one to benefit.

Looking into his deep, sincere eyes, she almost agreed out of emotion. Luckily, she was cautious and asked how he knew she had a spatial ability. And luckily, Gu Xu answered honestly.

That’s when he mentioned the “ability fluctuation.”

That one sentence killed all her thoughts.

Fluctuation? What fluctuation? Her farm had nothing to do with supernatural abilities. Qu Yi had tested it countless times—no instrument ever detected anything unusual when she used the farm.

She immediately realized that Gu Xu only knew there was a spatial ability, but not who had it.

Why he suspected her and not Lin Rongrong wasn’t the point. In that instant, Bian Changxi snapped back to her senses: Gu Xu was still too dangerous—his eyes were too sharp, his mind too keen. If he could deduce the existence of a spatial ability from a few clues today, who’s to say he wouldn’t one day suspect she had something like a farm?

In terms of caution, intelligence, and ability, even with seven years’ extra life experience, Bian Changxi knew she wasn’t his match.

Besides, she had a deeper reason for not wanting to expose the farm: if she could be reborn, who’s to say others couldn’t? What if it was someone she’d known in her past life...

She wished she could hide the farm even deeper, so she’d have more time to observe and react if the time came.

And if she really did open the farm in front of Gu Xu and there was no ability fluctuation at all, that would be dangerous in itself.

So she went along with the misunderstanding and said Lin Rongrong was the one with the spatial ability—Gu Xu had the wrong person.

In that moment, a look of clear surprise flashed across Gu Xu’s handsome face. Who knew if he believed her or not? Bian Changxi sighed inwardly and forced a smile. “I told Gu Xu that your space is very small, so you couldn’t fit much in it, which is why you never mentioned it. If you still want to keep it hidden, just don’t say anything—Gu Xu won’t make things hard for you.”

Lin Rongrong was silent for a while before saying softly, “Actually, I kind of regret it.” She looked up. “Before, we didn’t know each other well, so I didn’t dare say I had a spatial ability. But when we came out of the supermarket just now, everyone—even Gu Pei—was looking out for me. I wasn’t hurt at all. They’re all good people. If I’d said something earlier, I could have helped them bring more supplies. My space is still half empty, you know.”

Bian Changxi smiled. “Then why not volunteer? Say your space grew after you cultivated your ability. Gu Xu would be more than happy to accept your help.”

“It’s not really help. I asked them—their destination is also the Sucheng Base. Since we’re going the same way, we’ll be traveling together. I can’t just enjoy the benefits without contributing, right? Everyone should do their part. Only by relying on each other can we get along. But do you think if I say that, I’ll sound like I’m overestimating myself?”

“Rely on each other?” Bian Changxi was taken aback, then slowly smiled. Lin Rongrong felt there was something cold and bleak in that smile, which made her uncomfortable. “You’re right. We’re all strangers from different places—why are we together, if not to rely on each other?”

So, if you don’t need to rely on each other, what’s the point of sticking together?

Bian Changxi laughed at herself. After living another lifetime, the thing she resisted most was this idea of “reliance.”

Relying on others makes you weak, makes you lose yourself, blinds you to the true faces around you, and when you lose that support, you’re left unable to cope, haunted by regret, as if the sky has fallen and the earth has cracked.

In her past life, two people promised to be her support—Bian Kuang died, and Zhu Yunhua? His promises were nothing but hot air. She didn’t believe anymore. She would never believe again. In this life, she would only rely on herself.

Ten minutes later, Gu Xu announced it was time to set off. Anyone who wanted to follow could come; those who didn’t could do as they pleased. But no one wanted to stay in this desolate place, so no matter how tired or upset, everyone obediently got into their vehicles.

Bian Changxi had originally planned to go her own way as soon as they left the supermarket, but when the moment came, she realized she couldn’t bring it up—it would seem too abrupt, and who knew what Gu Xu would think. Around him, she had to think twice about everything she did or said. She felt it was so unfair.

When the forty-four people escaped from the supermarket earlier, they’d driven out in several cars. Now, though there were only ten of them and just one car left (which was badly damaged), there were still a few sedans at the gas station. After dividing them up, there was plenty of space for everyone.

Bian Changxi, Lin Rongrong, and the Gu brothers shared one car; Qiu Feng, Qiu Yun, Wu Dalang, and the unconscious Shadow shared another. They only cared about their own group—except for Chen Haitao’s family. Gu Xu admired the young man’s courage, so he arranged for their car to follow closely behind, in case anything happened on the road.

Gu Pei was delighted for his classmate, almost wanting to squeeze into their car to chat, but to let Gu Xu rest, he insisted on driving his own car.

Outside, the sun was blazing. Inside the car, it was stiflingly hot. Gu Xu sat in the front passenger seat with his eyes closed, resting. Bian Changxi and Lin Rongrong sat in the back. Bian Changxi had her collar up, a white baseball cap pulled low over her face, arms folded across her chest, swaying slightly with the movement of the car. She didn’t give off an unfriendly vibe, but she still seemed distant.

At some point, Gu Xu opened his eyes. His dark gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, but all he could see was a sliver of pale skin at her chin.

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