Chapter 12: A Sudden Departure and a Chilling Warning

“So suddenly?”

“Tell me about it. When I got the call, I was completely bewildered. My dad spoke in this incredibly serious tone, just telling me my things were packed and I needed to come home now to catch a flight out.”

When Qiao Xia heard Zhou Li invite him to leave together, he didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he asked with a hint of confusion.

This only deepened the bitter expression on Zhou Li’s face, clearly indicating he had no idea what was going on either.

‘What an impromptu trip this is.’

Moreover, Zhou Li felt there was something very off about his father.

For this departure, his dad had even packed his beloved figurine wives. It was far too abnormal!

After all, whenever he’d suggested bringing his figurine wives along on previous trips, his father would invariably shoot him a disdainful look.

Yet, now he had actively helped pack them. It was truly baffling.

“Perhaps something’s come up with your family. I won’t go with you. There’s no one to look after things here at home, and that won’t do.

Besides, even if you go somewhere else, we’ll still have the internet. We can stay in touch online, it’s all the same.”

Qiao Xia quickly considered Zhou Li’s suggestion, realizing he was reluctant to leave his cozy home.

Furthermore, moving to a new place would mean meeting new people all over again, a thought that exhausted Qiao Xia. He preferred to stay here.

Staying would also give him an opportunity to see Duan Yulan and inquire about the origins of the black bracelet.

If he didn’t fully understand the origins of his ‘cheat code,’ Qiao Xia felt he would soon be driven to distraction.

“Ah, my good brother, can you truly bear to let me leave alone? Oh, I understand now. It’s just as they say: ‘prioritizing the opposite s*x over decency, a wife over your brother, like a cabbage in the field…’”

Seeing Qiao Xia refuse to leave with him, Zhou Li began to wail, his mournful tone like that of a jilted lover, sending shivers down Qiao Xia’s spine.

He even wriggled closer to Qiao Xia, clearly intending to cling to him, making Qiao Xia wish he could just punch the fellow away.

‘It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.’

‘At worst, we’ll meet next year!’

‘After all, more than half of this year is already over, and next year isn’t far off.’

With that thought, Qiao Xia directly raised his hand and placed it on Zhou Li’s forehead, simultaneously stopping his advance and speaking, “Get lost, you! Your dad even called specifically.

Your family’s driver is probably already waiting at the school gate. Hurry up and go!”

“But I feel like after this departure, maybe we won’t see each other for a long, long time… That apocalypse everyone’s been talking about online, I just have a feeling it’s about to happen!”

After hearing Qiao Xia’s words urging him to leave, Zhou Li stopped his antics. Instead, he spoke with a worried tone, bringing up theories of the apocalypse.

The topic had been heavily sensationalized recently, and even if it seemed unlikely, it still caused significant anxiety.

Qiao Xia was Zhou Li’s only true brother from childhood. The thought of never seeing him again made him deeply distressed.

“It’s just that there have been more natural disasters this year, perhaps due to global warming. Don’t go looking at all that nonsense for no reason!

Once you’ve settled down over there, take some time to study more. You’ll have so many companies to manage for your family later on!”

Qiao Xia didn’t believe in apocalypse theories.

Thus, he didn’t waste much time with Zhou Li. After speaking, he promptly urged Zhou Li to leave.

Since he had to leave anyway, it was better to do so cleanly, avoiding a prolonged melancholic atmosphere. Hearing Zhou Li’s words, Qiao Xia, who had originally thought it was no big deal, now felt a pang of sadness.

“Alright, I’ll call you once I’m there. We’ll game together again.”

Afterward, once Zhou Li had made his reluctant farewells, his family’s driver arrived directly.

Accompanying the driver were two burly, muscular men, who seemed ready to physically escort Zhou Li away if he didn’t comply. This left Zhou Li speechless, and he obediently followed them.

Immediately after the earthquake had completely subsided, the school promptly announced a day off, with classes resuming tomorrow.

Qiao Xia even refused to go back to the classroom for his backpack. He quickly left the school alone, ready to go home and play games to his heart’s content.

Now that he finally had a holiday, no one could stop him from gaming!

****

“Oh, Little Xia, why are you back so early today?”

“There was an earthquake today, so the school gave us a day off! Grandpa Li, out for your usual stroll, are we?”

Just as Qiao Xia returned to the entrance of his residential complex, he was called out before he could even head towards his own home.

Seeing the elderly man in front of him, constantly twirling iron walnuts in his hand, he didn’t rush to leave.

Having lived in Happy Community for so many years, Qiao Xia, despite his slight dislike for socializing, had nevertheless gotten to know quite a few people.

Grandpa Li was one of them.

After Grandpa Li’s wife and child died in a car accident a few years prior, the once genial man changed drastically. He now habitually fixated on minor issues, often escalating them directly to the police station, which earned him considerable resentment from many.

However, Qiao Xia had known Grandpa Li for a long time and understood that his personality shift stemmed from the hit-and-run driver who had killed his wife and child.

It was said that the accident occurred in such a remote place that hardly anyone passed by. If the driver hadn’t fled and had called an ambulance immediately, Grandpa Li’s son might have survived.

Ultimately, by the time medical personnel arrived, the injured person’s face was contorted in agony, their body nearly drained of blood.

After examination at the hospital, it was discovered that he had struggled for several hours before finally succumbing.

It was precisely out of sympathy for Grandpa Li’s plight that Qiao Xia would always make an effort to speak a few words to him whenever they met.

This interaction gradually softened Grandpa Li’s demeanor, transforming his initial hostility into a more peaceful disposition. His attitude towards Qiao Xia improved, and he spoke with warm kindness every time they met, astonishing other residents of the community.

Qiao Xia, for his part, wasn’t overly surprised.

Grandpa Li was fundamentally a good person; even if he had cloaked himself in a prickly exterior, his true nature remained unchanged.

“Just strolling around, you know. Today’s earthquake was indeed quite strong. Little Xia, you should be careful at home recently. If there’s another earthquake, hurry out of the house.”

“Yes, I know. There will probably be a few more aftershocks, so we all need to be extra cautious.”

As they chatted, Grandpa Li suddenly glanced left and right. Seeing no one else nearby, he immediately leaned closer to Qiao Xia and whispered, “Little Xia, Grandpa Li knows you’re quite friendly with Liu Dali, but you need to be careful.

Yesterday, I saw him drooling at a small child in the community square, and his eyes were bloodshot! He looked just like a monster, it was truly terrifying.”

When speaking of Qiao Xia’s strange neighbor, Grandpa Li couldn’t help but shiver.

Having witnessed Liu Dali drooling firsthand, Grandpa Li felt as though he had seen a man-eating demon, instinctively chilling him to the bone.