Boran sighed, so she was coming to rescue this thing? He smiled,
Finally, finally...
"Ill be waiting for her.."
[You’re a sorry excuse for a man.] Tartarus answered [What’s your goal with that woman? If you wanted to be the villain then you shouldn’t catch feelings. You already made her suffer so much during your past life..you can’t be that shaless.]
Boran didn’t say anything, it wasn’t like he was trying to get back with her. He just wanted to....
"She’s on her way here, so go look pretty or sothing. Knowing you, I doubt you want her to see you with all that blood.."
Moli stepped forward, not backing down. "So are you, darling. You think letting her find this place on her own terms will make her more forgiving. That she’ll look around and think you’ve changed. But we both know you haven’t."
He didn’t argue. Not because she was right. But because it didn’t matter.
Tartarus stirred again, its voice quieter now.
[She’s less than two hours out. You’re going to let her see him like this?]
Boran’s gaze flicked to Wei Sheng’s body.
The man was sitting on the chair, pale and still, bandages sloppily wrapped around his shoulder and neck.
The bleeding had stopped, but only just. His pulse was so weak it barely registered.
"I cleaned him up.." Boran muttered under his breath.
[That’s not what I asked.]
Moli turned her head slightly, catching his words. "Talking to yourself again?"
"Tartarus," he said flatly. "Reminding of the past..."
Her smile stretched wide. "Your little demon’s nervous too?"
[I’m not nervous..tell that bitch to seat the fuck down.] Tartarus said calmly, [but the decay you leave behind is harder to cover with sentint.]
Boran’s jaw clenched.
He crossed the room to the table in the corner and reached for the syringe he’d left capped beside a stack of dried cloth.
He checked the dose, barely enough stimulant to bring Wei Sheng back to a semi-lucid state, just enough to put on the illusion of salvation.
"He needs to look recoverable..." he said aloud.
Moli’s brow raised. "To who?"
"To her."
She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "You’re still hoping to manipulate her. Still playing pretend."
"No..." Boran replied. "This ti, I want her to see it for what it is. I want her to know I broke him. That I can break anything she tries to fix."
He knelt beside Wei Sheng again, fingers brushing the man’s jawline. His skin was cold, but not yet corpse-stiff.
The stimulant would buy him a few hours. Just enough to whisper Qingran’s na. Just enough to spark hope that he could he healed..
"You think that’ll work?" Moli asked.
Boran’s voice was quiet. "It doesn’t have to, I just need her to co here..."
She watched him inject the needle, her eyes expressionless. "You’re setting yourself up for disappointnt but then again you should have no reason to be disappointed.."
Qingran stepped through the doorway first.
The building swallowed her in darkness almost imdiately. The staleness of the air was heavier inside, like it had soaked in blood, mold, and silence over ti. Her boots pressed against damp, dusty tiles, and each step felt louder than it should.
"Watch the walls," she whispered. "Check blind spots. Every corner."
Ruihuang moved to her left, sword half-drawn. "Don’t worry. I’ve got your back."
ng Nian didn’t speak. His fingers hovered near his belt, where a stun grenade waited.
Qingran didn’t need her system to confirm it,this place was wrong.
[Careful,] Lingquan said quietly in her mind. [He’s close. Very close.]
"Where?" she asked silently.
[Above or deeper in. I can’t feel the decay clearly it’s being masked.]
She swallowed the tightness in her throat. "Boran’s not stupid. He probably wants us to hear him first."
[He always liked theatrics.]
As if on cue, sothing scraped against the floor above them. Slow, dragging, tal on tile.
Ruihuang tensed. "Second floor?"
Qingran nodded. "Stay close. He’ll aim for whoever strays."
[That includes you, Qingran. Stay near Ruihuang. He’ll go for the weakest or the one you’ll flinch for.]
Her jaw tightened. "I won’t flinch."
Ruihuang glanced at her sideways. "You’re breathing heavier."
"Adrenaline."
"Or nerves."
She didn’t answer. Instead, she raised her hand and pointed toward a narrow stairwell at the end of the hallway. It spiraled up, mostly intact, but faint blood sars lined the wall near the banister.
ng Nian eyed the trail. "That’s fresh."
"No dust over it either," Ruihuang muttered. "Soone ca down not long ago."
They moved forward, one step at a ti.
Every stair creaked.
On the second floor, light barely bled in through shattered glass windows. The layout was tighter, hallways narrowed, rooms on either side locked or long-abandoned. The tension was thick, almost humid.
They passed a collapsed door, a file cabinet upended beside it. Mice skittered through paper remnants.
And then...
The footsteps were slow,deliberate and sowhere ahead.
Qingran held her breath.
A figure erged at the far end of the corridor. She recognized him imdiately.
Boran.
He wasn’t ard.
He stood with both hands open at his sides, palms empty, head tilted slightly.
Like he’d been waiting.
"Well," he said. "I thought I might be hallucinating."
His voice sounded the sa.
Still deep, still calm.
Still sickeningly familiar.
Qingran took one step forward, but Ruihuang shifted subtly in front of her, just enough to be a barrier.
"Where is he?" she asked.
Boran’s gaze didn’t flicker. "Alive. Sort of."
"Bring him out."
"Or what?"
Ruihuang’s voice was ice. "Or you’ll be missing a few limbs before the next breath."
Boran chuckled. "You brought guard dogs. Cute."
Qingran took another step. "Don’t play with , Boran."
His smile faltered. Just a crack.
"You ca all this way for a corpse."
"He’s not dead yet."
"Not yet," Boran agreed.
He turned slowly and walked into a side room without another word.
Qingran didn’t hesitate. She followed.
The room inside was wide and empty, lit only by the sunlight bleeding in through cracked glass. A single chair sat in the middle, and slumped in it—barely conscious, head lolling—was Wei Sheng.
His lips moved faintly. His hands twitched in his lap.
Her breath hitched.
But only for a mont.
Behind her, Ruihuang closed the door.
ng Nian stood at the threshold, gaze fixed on the bandages circling Wei Sheng’s chest and throat.
Boran leaned against the far wall. Watching.
"I kept him alive for you," he said quietly.
Qingran didn’t respond. She walked forward, stopped a few feet from the chair.
Wei Sheng’s eyes fluttered.
"Q...Qing..." he murmured, voice papery.
She crouched beside him and felt for his pulse.
Weak. Thready.
"He needs help."
"No kidding," Ruihuang muttered.
Qingran stood and turned back to Boran. Her expression was cold.
"You lured here to what? Make watch him die?"
Boran tilted his head. "I wanted you to see what I’ve done. I wanted you to know it wasn’t a trick. This...." he gestured to Wei Sheng.."this is what I am."
"And you think I’ll fall to pieces over it? I know this is who you are Boran.."
".Then.." Boran said. "I think you’ll want to kill . That’s the point."
Qingran laughed, staring at him blankly. "Is that why you did this? You want to kill you? You think I’d forgive you?"
Ruihuang stepped forward. "Say the word, and I’ll gut him."
But Qingran didn’t answer. She stepped forward, maintaining her gaze.
Then, she said softly.
"I’m not afraid of you anymore."
Sothing flickered in Boran’s eyes.
And for the first ti, he looked... disappointed.
"You hurt so much, that even my soul rember it. I will never forgive you but I’m not holding a grudge. Let go, if it’s a fight you want then I’ll give you that.."
Qingran turned to ng Nian, "Help Wei Sheng out, if he tries to touch you....turn this bastard to dust.."
Qingran maintained her gaze as ng Nian walked behind her to release Wei Sheng.
[Oops! He’s already dead. That man only give him a boost, to keep his heart pumping for a few minutes.]
ng Nian gritted his teeth, he didn’t need Qiaoqiao to tell him that, he could already see it.
"He’s already dead. Do you want to bring his body back?"
Qingran gritted her teeth, her fist raised up, hitting Boran with full force.
"You better dodge, if you think I’m going to go easy on you. You’re fucking delusional!!"
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