Chapter 24 : What Was Lost

Tick, tick.

The sound of blood, a noise I hadn’t heard in a while.

The quiet pool of blood felt lonely, as if reflecting life’s solitude, while the dripping from the wound gave the absurd sense of a countdown.

I crouched down, looking at Li Xiaowan, her eyes wide like a dead fish.

“Wondering why I came back?”

Smiling, I met her dim, flickering gaze.

I’m not Shen Yingxu, versed in healing magic. My healing spells are crude, battlefield-grade, just pumping life force into someone’s body.

But in my original world, I hadn’t yet lost that power.

Roughly treating her wound in that style, I smirked.

“Because I noticed him tailing you.”

Taking Li Xiaowan’s hand, I made her press on her wound, adding with a grin, “And I saw your hesitation—and your plan to betray.”

“Of course, I mean betraying me.”

She trembled, staring at me in disbelief, too weak to speak.

“You were scared of my threats, but your pity and guilt for Yang Xinwei were stronger.”

“I didn’t know what you’d choose, but I figured you’d probably betray me to protect him.”

I applied basic first aid, smiling at her.

“You were going to take the fall for him, right? It’s hilarious—a rotten person like you genuinely liked him. When I realized that, I couldn’t believe it—so fake, yet so real.”

Leaving her on the ground, I made a few calls.

“It’s funny to think what Yang Xinwei’s face would be if he knew you planned to take all the blame. You’re probably the last one on his side, yet he made you his evidence. No use talking peace now—I recorded that scene, and wounds don’t lie.”

Her eyes, fading like those of a dying person, met mine as I leaned close.

“Thanks for being my pawn to the end. Your betrayal drove the final nail into Yang Xinwei’s coffin.”

Patting her head, I chuckled.

“Remember when I said I’d make your worst fears come true, a hundredfold?”

“This is your punishment for aiding evil. You thought bugs were your biggest fear? Wrong, Li Xiaowan.”

“Wrong.”

I stood, looking down at her.

“Your greatest fear—”

It was so absurd, I nearly laughed to tears.

“—is giving everything, yet being loved by no one.”

“Congrats. The moment that knife plunged into your gut, you realized that pathetic truth.”

“You, like your pathetic candid photos, were just a tool, never truly seen.”

Ever seen the embers of burned firewood?

That black, filthy ash that stains your hands.

That’s the color in Li Xiaowan’s trembling eyes now.

…

She’s still useful, so she can’t die.

Though, judging by her look… maybe the knife took something vital from her soul.

But rather than pity her, I’d rather pity the girls who trusted her and got photographed.

“How’s it going on your end?”

Shen Yingxu replied instantly over the phone.

“Nothing special. I’m with Ye Qingshu at your place—”

“Wait, I heard Yang Xinwei actually hurt someone? Are you okay, Zhu Hanqi?”

Ye Qingshu’s voice cut in. I smiled, humming, “Just a stray dog biting blindly. I’m at the hospital now, about to give a preliminary witness statement and submit evidence.”

“T-That’s good…” Ye Qingshu exhaled, her soft breath audible. “But has he really gone that crazy?”

Shen Yingxu, reclaiming the phone, sounded incredulous. “This is Jiuguo, a law-abiding society! Isn’t this too insane?”

What’s this knife-throwing Saintess on about now?

I sighed.

“He’s facing expulsion, and for someone obsessed with his future, that’s everything. He laid low in third year, but now, facing jail, dark thoughts are bound to surge.”

“Plus, I had Li Xiaowan prod him toward extremes with her words and actions.”

“…What a demon.”

“I’m on your side, can you at least be nicer?”

I’m done with this dumb Saintess.

“Got it, got it. I’ll check for other issues—oh, wait, Ye Qingshu’s family’s fine, right?!”

Her eager, new-world-discovery tone made me sigh softly.

“Don’t worry, they’re home. I promised to eat at their place tonight… Mu Ziqing’s there helping out.”

I spoke loud enough for Ye Qingshu to hear.

“Yeah, Mom mentioned. I’m looking forward to it,” Ye Qingshu replied softly. “Come too, Shen Yingxu?”

“Huh? Um… I’d need to check with my family first.”

“Haha, don’t come, I’ll be too scared to eat,” I teased.

“—Fine, I’m definitely staying for dinner. I’m calling home now.”

Shen Yingxu hung up with a huff, and I shrugged helplessly.

Thanks to Li Xiaowan’s sacrifice, the school and police were hunting Yang Xinwei. Once this initial phase passed, finding him was only a matter of time.

The rest was up to the adults. If Yang Xinwei’s fate was once just expulsion and leaving town, now he’d spend his unforgettable 18th birthday in a dark cell.

—And fail background checks forever, a nightmare for someone so obsessed with his future~

…Wait, why am I, a former Demon King, such a realist? I envy those heroes, saintesses, princesses, and knights charging in with dreams and bonds.

With that thought, I pocketed my phone and headed back to the hospital.

Time to do what I can, like finishing the statement and submitting Yang Xinwei’s crime evidence.

…

Stretching, I looked at the sky.

“Ugh, it’s getting dark.”

I expected a long witness process, but not this long.

I turned my phone back on, and before it fully loaded, a flood of messages and call logs popped up.

Frowning, I called back.

“Anything else?”

I have phone anxiety.

Especially now, when a ring feels less like a phone and more like life’s trouble.

As expected, Shen Yingxu didn’t let my bad premonition miss.

Panting amid wind noise, she answered frantically.

“Zhu Hanqi! Ye Qingshu said ten minutes ago she was grabbing something next door, then sent me a message saying she had to go out, and now she’s gone!”

I exhaled in relief.

As expected, things predictably went wrong.

…Classic “gourd brothers saving grandpa” moment.

Good thing my preparations weren’t just fighting air.