Chapter 44: The Two Yangs—Unforgettable Grudges from a Past Life

“What? How could that be?” Lin Rongrong was shocked. “Could it be because of what happened last night…?”

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 guessed it was a spatial ability. Honestly, his observation and logical reasoning skills are a bit scary.”

“Then… what did he say? Wait, why did he keep you around? Shouldn’t he be looking for me?”

Bian Changxi smiled. “Because he thinks I’m the one with the spatial ability.”

“So what did you tell him?”

“I had no choice—I had to give you up.” Bian Changxi glanced at her. “He was very straightforward. He said that the supplies in the supermarket would just go to waste if left there, and since he’d already discovered my secret, whether I took things or not, whether I was exposed or not, it made no difference to him. He also promised not to reveal anything without my consent.”

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 threatening her, he’d pulled her aside privately and told 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 added, if she felt bad about it, she could give him thirty percent of what she took as his reserve. That was the practical side.

She figured it was just an excuse so she wouldn’t refuse to take supplies, but even if it wasn’t—even if it was for his own benefit—this was a man who balanced public and private interests, who was loyal but not foolishly 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’d still come out ahead.

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

That’s when he mentioned the ability fluctuation.

That one sentence dashed all her thoughts.

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

She immediately realized: Gu Xu only knew there was a spatial ability—he didn’t know who had it.

Why he guessed it was her and not Lin Rongrong wasn’t the point. What mattered was that in that instant, Bian Changxi realized just how dangerous Gu Xu was—his eyes were too sharp, his mind too keen. If he could deduce the existence of a spatial ability from the tiniest clues today, who’s to say he wouldn’t one day suspect she had something like a farm?

In caution, intelligence, and ability, even with seven more years of life experience, Bian Changxi knew she was no match for him.

Besides, she had a deeper reason for not wanting to expose the farm: if she could be reborn, could others as well? What if it was someone she’d known in her previous life…

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

And if she ever activated the farm in front of Gu Xu and there was no supernatural fluctuation, 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, Gu Xu’s handsome face clearly flashed with surprise, though she couldn’t tell if he believed her. Bian Changxi sighed inwardly and smiled faintly. “I told Gu Xu that you do have a spatial ability, but it’s very small, so you didn’t mention it before. If you still want to keep it hidden, just don’t say anything—Gu Xu won’t make things difficult for you.”

Lin Rongrong was silent for a while, then said softly, “Actually, I kind of regret it.” She looked up. “Back when we didn’t know each other well, I didn’t dare say I had a spatial ability. But when we came out of the supermarket just now, everyone—even Gu Pei—looked out for me, and I wasn’t hurt at all. They’re all good people. If I’d told them earlier, I could’ve helped bring out more supplies. There’s still space left in my ability, actually.”

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

“It’s not really helping. I asked, and their destination is also the Sucheng base. Since we’re heading the same way, we’ll definitely be traveling together. I can’t just take advantage without contributing, right? Everyone needs to rely on each other to get along. But do you think if I say this, it’ll sound like I’m overestimating myself?”

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

So, if there’s no need to rely on each other, why stay together at all?

Bian Changxi mocked herself inwardly. In this new life, what she hated most was the idea of “relying” on others.

Relying on others makes you weak, makes you lose yourself, blinds you to the true faces around you. Then, when you lose that support, you can’t handle it, can’t accept it, and you’re left lost and resentful, as if your whole world has collapsed.

The two people who’d promised to support her in her past life—Bian Kuang was dead, and Zhu Yunhua? His promises were nothing but hot air. She would never believe in it again. In this life, she would only rely on herself.

Ten minutes later, Gu Xu announced it was time to set out. Anyone who wanted to follow could come; if not, suit yourself. But no one wanted to stay in this desolate place, so no matter how tired or emotional, everyone obediently climbed into their cars.

Bian Changxi had planned to go her own way as soon as they left the supermarket, but when the time came, she realized she couldn’t bring herself to say it—it would be too abrupt, and who knew what Gu Xu would think. In front of him, she had to think twice about everything she did or said. She felt wronged by it.

When the original group of forty-four escaped the supermarket, they’d used a lot of cars. The ten who came later only had one, and it was too damaged to use, but thankfully there were still a few sedans at the gas station. After dividing them up, everyone had a seat, with room to spare.

Bian Changxi, Lin Rongrong, and the Gu brothers shared a car. Qiu Feng, Qiu Yun, Wu Dalang, and the unconscious Shadow were in another, for convenience’s sake. As for the others, they didn’t care—only Chen Haitao’s family was assigned to follow behind, since Gu Xu admired the young man’s courage and wanted to keep an eye on them in case anything happened.

Gu Pei was thrilled for his classmate, almost wanting to climb into their car to chat, but insisted on driving himself so Gu Xu could rest.

Outside, the sun was blazing. Inside the car, it was stiflingly hot. Gu Xu sat in the 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 crossed, swaying slightly with the car’s movement. She didn’t give off an unfriendly vibe, but she was clearly keeping her distance.

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