I Return From Hell

Chapter 119: Chapter 112: Lucky in Love

Little Flower slowly extended its right hand, beckoning to Xie Shaokun with a crooked finger.

At the sight, Xie Shaokun’s brow furrowed.

’So arrogant?’

”Hmph!”

He was the first to attack.

It had to be said, Xie Shaokun had indeed grown a lot. His speed, Power, reflexes, and explosive strength had all improved, and even his combat experience was far richer than before.

The Resentful Corpse, in contrast, had yet to mature. The bit of resentful energy it absorbed last night provided too small a boost to its speed and power, leaving it far inferior to Xie Shaokun.

Moreover, it had little combat experience and its movements were clumsy. Even with no weak spots on its body, it was no match for Xie Shaokun.

It could only take a beating passively.

”BAM.”

...

At first, Xie Shaokun completely dominated his opponent.

He thought victory was in his grasp, but as the fight went on, he found himself starting to fall behind.

To be precise, his speed and power were becoming weaker than his opponent’s!

’What’s happening?’

He was stunned.

Xia Yu, however, knew what was going on: Little Flower was being infused with Yin Qi, causing its speed and power to increase dramatically until it was comparable to a powerful Mutated Beast.

Naturally, Xie Shaokun was no match for it!

”THUD.”

...

With no fancy moves, Little Flower, now holding the advantage, opted for a brute-force strategy of trading blows.

In less than a minute...

Xie Shaokun was beaten to the ground, in too much pain to get up.

Then, Little Flower drew the Yin Qi away.

”You... You don’t feel pain?”

He had specifically used his Enhancement on the areas he was hit, but it still hurt a lot.

He’d even used Enhancement on his fists, but his opponent seemed completely impervious to pain!

’Why?’

”A superpower!”

He seemed to have figured something out. ”You have a superpower, too!”

Xia Yu offered no explanation, simply turning and leaving with Little Flower.

”Are superpowers really that common?”

Xie Shaokun said, a little dejectedly.

He’d thought having a constitution that allowed for a superpower made him one in a million. But now?

”Brother Kun, did you notice that Brother Hua doesn’t breathe?”

Little Nannan’s words were startling.

”Huh?”

Xie Shaokun was stunned and couldn’t believe it. ”Impossible! How can a person not breathe!”

But, thinking back, he realized he hadn’t heard his opponent breathing during the fight.

And though they’d made physical contact, he hadn’t felt any body heat.

’Could it be a dead person?’

The thought had barely surfaced before he startled himself!

’Impossible!’

’How can a dead person fight?’

He couldn’t comprehend it.

Little Nannan, standing beside him, couldn’t comprehend it either.

But in a world where superpowers had appeared, what was truly impossible?

The two of them fell into a rare silence.

「A moment later.」

”I can’t be bothered to think about it.”

Xie Shaokun got up to leave. ”Nan, want to go into the city with me?”

As for the idea of recruiting Chen Ziqi, he had already squashed it.

Actually, after calming down and thinking about it, he realized Yu wasn’t against him recruiting people. She just required that any new recruits be useful—’useful,’ that is, to the team as a whole.

Brother Hua was far more useful than Chen Ziqi.

So, now, he was completely convinced.

”I’m not going.”

”I still have to find the coin the big sister hid.”

Little Nannan shook her head.

She still hadn’t found that coin.

Mainly because she’d been ’practicing her shooting’ lately and hadn’t had time to look.

Erk.

Xie Shaokun’s mouth twitched. He didn’t try to persuade her; after all, this was a fun game for Little Nannan, one she enjoyed and was engrossed in. ”Nan, I’ll bring you back a treat when I return.”

”Thanks, Brother Kun.”

”VROOOM.”

He slammed on the accelerator.

Xie Shaokun left the unfinished building.

He arrived at a teahouse in the city.

”Over here.”

Chen Ziqi waved and called out to Xie Shaokun, who was standing at the entrance.

Erk.

Hearing her loud voice, Xie Shaokun had a bad feeling.

Sure enough.

Everyone in the teahouse turned to look, and quite a few even frowned. He rubbed his nose in slight embarrassment, hurried over, and said in a low voice, ”Sister Chen, you...”

”Didn’t I tell you? Don’t call me ’Sister.’ It makes me sound old. Just call me Ziqi or Little Qi.”

Chen Ziqi said with a playful reproach.

”Oh, okay, okay.”

”Try the tea I just brewed. What do you think?”

Chen Ziqi felt a little nervous. After all, she had just started learning the tea ceremony, cramming at the last minute.

’The tea is already brewed?’

The words of persuasion Xie Shaokun was about to say were all swallowed back. He then said, a bit sheepishly, ”Ziqi, have you been waiting long?”

”Not at all, I just got here myself. I didn’t expect us to have the same hobby.”

”Yeah, I didn’t expect us to have such a connection either.”

「Outside the teahouse.」

Xia Yu sat in her car. Thanks to the excellent one-way visibility of the window tint, Xie Shaokun and Chen Ziqi had no idea who was in the car, or even if there was anyone inside at all. She, however, could see the two of them clearly.

’So that’s Chen Ziqi?’

Watching the woman laughing and chatting, being very proactive, and clearly interested in Xie Shaokun, Xia Yu’s eyes flickered as three possibilities formed in her mind:

First, love at first sight.

Second, a simple case of being attracted to power.

Third, ulterior motives.

She never hesitated to assume the worst of others, especially when she saw this woman intentionally or unintentionally making physical contact with Xie Shaokun, and still managing to keep up a friendly and harmonious atmosphere with a plain-looking, socially awkward guy like him.

This made Xia Yu even more certain: the woman had ulterior motives!

As for what those motives were...

She didn’t have a Mind Reading Technique, so of course she wouldn’t know.

’I hope you don’t have a death wish.’

”VROOOM.”

Xia Yu stepped on the gas and drove off to find Little Ai.

She never opposed team members getting into relationships—it was a natural biological response—as long as it didn’t affect team unity, safety, or missions.

Xie Shaokun caught a glimpse of Xia Yu’s car leaving. It looked familiar, and he was about to get a closer look at the license plate when Chen Ziqi drew his attention. By the time he looked back, the car was gone.

He collected himself and refocused on Chen Ziqi, saying, ”I mainly came today to thank you for stepping up to save my sister back then. So, let me treat you to dinner.”

”No way, it’s my treat. You saved my life, remember!”

”Well...”

”I’ve already planned it all out. After we finish our tea, we’ll go get something to eat—I know a restaurant that’s super delicious. Then we can go to Sha Bridge to see the night lights, they’re beautiful. And at nine, we can go see a movie at Wanda.”

’Isn’t that a little late?’

Although Xie Shaokun was a straight-laced guy, he knew better than to say something like that out loud. He just nodded in agreement and said, ”You were really brave back then. To think you dared to charge in at a time like that.”

”It’s probably because of my job. I’m used to protecting children.”

Chen Ziqi said.

Thinking back on it now, her heart still pounded with fear. At the time, she felt that Xie Shaokun could save her, and that it was a chance to change her destiny by making him owe her a huge favor.

So she took the gamble.

Luckily, she won.

”Oh? What’s your job?”

”I’m a preschool teacher. What about you?”

”Me? I... I don’t have a job. I’m unemployed.”

Chen Ziqi nodded.

Inwardly, however, she didn’t believe him at all.

’He carries a gun and can move freely around the city. Xie Shaokun’s identity is definitely not simple.’

But she wasn’t in a hurry. Sooner or later, she would pry the truth from his lips.

...

...

「The next day.」

At the unfinished building.

”Big sister.”

”Da Miao and Er Miao have bloomed!”

Little Nannan cried out in delight when she saw Xia Yu arrive.

”They’ve bloomed?”

Xia Yu was pleased and hurried over to the sunflowers.

”We can’t call them Da Miao and Er Miao anymore. We should call them Big Flower and Erhua.”

Little Nannan said excitedly.

Xia Yu: ”...”

Big Flower.

Erhua.

Plus the Little Flower behind her.

It reminded her of a certain phrase: ”the gathering of the three flowers.”

Xia Yu collected her thoughts and instructed, ”From now on, continue giving them three Crystal Cores a day.”

”Also, every day, add a drop of your blood to the water you use for Big Flower and Erhua. That way, they won’t bite you in the future.”

Plant-type Devouring Species needed to be watered with blood-mixed water every day before they bloomed in order for them to recognize a master. After blooming, it was no longer necessary to do it daily; only every now and then would suffice.

At this point, other people could also water them with blood-mixed water to avoid being attacked by them.

”Huh? Flowers can bite people?”

Little Nannan was startled.

”Mhm.”

Xia Yu said, ”Biting is nothing. They also eat people.”

For now, Big Flower and Erhua were just a bit larger than normal sunflowers and hadn’t yet grown ’sharp teeth,’ so they weren’t equipped to eat people. Just wait a little longer...

And they would be!

Little Nannan was even more shocked, seeing the Big Flower and Erhua she had spent so much time with in a completely new light.

”Have Xie Shaokun do the same, so he doesn’t get bitten.”

Xia Yu looked around and asked, ”Where’s Xie Shaokun? Still not up?”

Little Nannan said, ”Brother Kun said he was sleeping over at a friend’s house.”

Xia Yu: ”...”

”Tell him not to forget his shooting practice.”

Leaving those words behind, she turned and left.