When the last cluster of flames went out, the entire east and west wing had been burned to the ground.
Countless ashes with Mars floated in the air, and with the night wind, flew to an unknown distance.
nothing left.
The dark rooms in the east wing were filled with nightmares, and the cabinets in the west wing, which might be closed to people, were all in flames, turning into ruins and scorched earth.
The yard is safe and sound.
The fire dragon seemed to have made up his mind to only burn the room, from west to east, it started fiercely and ended abruptly.
A piece of ash like black snowflakes fell on the cabinet in the courtyard.
click.
The hanging lock opened naturally.
The four partners looked at each other in astonishment. After the cabinet was kicked out, they tried their best to open it, but it was all in vain, but now, when the last ray of fire was annihilated, it opened by itself.
Xu Wang reached out, took off the padlock, and gently opened the cabinet door.
The moonlight finally shone into the dark cabinet, illuminating the curled up figure...
[Owl: Congratulations on passing the test, the paper was handed in smoothly on 9/23! Dear, see you tomorrow~~]
A second of scorched earth ruins, a second of a city street.
Even if there is a dizzying sense of weightlessness to do the segmentation, the speed of the world switching is still too fast for people to return to their senses.
It was still dark.
But the street lights are on.
Sanitation workers are already cleaning the streets, and cars pass by from time to time. The gloomy feeling that invaded the bone marrow disappeared completely, replaced by the open streets and down-to-earth fireworks.
Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin stood under a street lamp, surrounded by them in the center was Chi Yingxue, who had woken up.
He sat on the ground leaning against the street light pole, raised his head slowly, looked at each partner's face lightly, and there was still some daze and daze in his eyes.
But Xu Wang always felt that he was not completely blank about everything that happened.
The four partners crouched down almost at the same time and looked at Chi Yingxue with concern. They didn't have any eye contact in advance, it was completely coincidental.
"Are you alright? Do you feel any discomfort?" Xu Wang didn't want to explore what Chi Yingxue had experienced in the secret compartment, whether he had broken through the gates of hell like them, he just hoped that he would be all right, that's it .
In fact, Chi Yingxue didn't look very good. His face was whiter than usual, his forehead was faintly sweaty, and his lower lip seemed to be bitten by himself, and it was red.
But he tilted his head and looked around at the four companions, and suddenly smiled, lightly and lazily: "It's just a sleep, what are your expressions?"
Wu Sheng and Qian Ai were stunned, not sure whether he was telling the truth or perfunctory.
Kuang Jinxin frowned slightly and looked at him worriedly.
Xu Wang put down half of his heart, at least, there was still the little snow that made people love and itch.
But the other half of the heart is hanging...
"How is the King of Hell?" Xu Wang asked again.
All along, he actually didn't take the initiative to presume the King of Hell in front of Chi Yingxue. It felt like having two teammates who couldn't get along. As the captain, he couldn't help them turn enemies into friends, so try to avoid conflicts.
But now, he can only ask Chi Yingxue, and he has even made up his mind. After Chi Yingxue calms down a little, he will tell him exactly what King Hades paid for this level.
Chi Yingxue did not answer immediately.
He narrowed his eyes, as if thinking, but also looking for.
The streetlight shone on his face, through the eyelashes, leaving a shadow under his eyes.
"I can't find him."
After a long time, the four friends heard him say this.
The voice was so soft that it was almost impossible to distinguish emotions.
But Xu Wang was sure that there were no surprises or surprises, but just a hint of confusion and more at a loss.
At that moment, he understood that during the whole process of breaking through the barrier, Chi Yingxue knew that he was the child hiding in the cabinet, the dark shadow with the smell of orange soda, and the ubiquitous Danyue, dark clouds, Wind—everything on 9/23, he can perceive.
…
For the next two days, Chi Yingxue didn't say a word.
During the day, he shut himself in his room, and at night, he sat in the 9/23 capsule.
They handed over this level, and the secret box would not be opened again, so they just sat in the space capsule for a long night.
Chi Yingxue leaned against the corner and stared at the ceiling in a daze, and they stayed with him in a daze.
Yama, go away.
He was born because of the fear in Xiaoxue's heart, and dissipated because of the annihilation of fear.
Everyone didn't say it, but they knew it in their hearts. Even at that time, Qian Ai, who had a vague understanding of Chi Yingxue's phrase "can't find it", realized this fact in the low atmosphere of the past two days.
The recovery of the split personality is a good thing no matter how you look at it, but reason cannot replace feelings, and it is even more impossible to obliterate the memories of those who fought side by side.
They are still like this, what about Chi Yingxue
The child who set the password of the last line of defense in his heart as the birthday of the King of Hell, will he leave one day
…
Xu Wang was already prepared for a protracted battle, and even held a small meeting for his partners in private. Chi Yingxue waited for three days, and they waited for three days. After ten days, they waited for ten days.
Unexpectedly, when he sat out of the owl for the second time, Chi Yingxue said without warning: "Book a ticket."
The coordinate point of 10/23 is in Hunan.
Xu Wang didn't know if he really cheered up, or if he buried more emotions in his heart, but life is like this, whether you like it or not, the calendar is turned forward page by page.
"Have you talked to your brother?" Xu Wang always felt that his relatives should know about such an important matter.
Chi Yingxue shook her head lightly: "When will I go back to Beijing, let's talk about it."
This is a matter between brothers and sisters, Xu Wang did not say more.
When the sky was white with fish belly, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng booked a high-speed train to Hunan.
Hotel rooftop.
This hotel is located in the most prosperous part of the city center, leaning on the roof railing, overlooking most of the city. At this moment, the city is waking up, the street lights go out one by one, the buildings come out of the darkness, and the hustle and bustle slowly rises.
But Chi Yingxue didn't see this.
He sat on the only sofa in the corner of the rooftop, quietly looking up at the sky.
The sofa is half-new or not. I don't know if it was specially designed for guests to rest, or it was abandoned by the hotel, but at this moment, he and the sofa under him are in harmony like a painting.
Most of the sky has already lit up, and the clouds are a little thick today, but the sun is still persistently penetrating the clouds and spilling into the world.
When Kuang Jinxin came to the rooftop, he saw the sunlight first, and then Chi Yingxue bathed in the morning light.
Feeling someone breaking in, Chi Yingxue turned around.
"The train ticket is booked," Kuang Jinxin came to the sofa, "it's three o'clock in the afternoon."
Chi Yingxue looked at him and said, "Oh."
I thought it was a routine notification, and after the notification, the person left, but Jin Xin sat down instead, as if the other half of the sofa was specially reserved for him.
"Beautiful." Kuang Jinxin said suddenly without thinking.
Chi Yingxue was at a loss: "Huh?"
Kuang Jinxin looked at the rising sun that finally appeared beside the clouds, and said sincerely, "The sunrise is really beautiful."
Chi Yingxue has no hobby to talk about scenery with people, especially now, he just wants to be alone.
Standing up without hesitation, Chi Yingxue walked to the door without even saying hello.
"No one will protect you from now on." Kuang Jinxin looked at his back and said suddenly.
Chi Yingxue paused, and after a few seconds, she slowly turned her head back, her eyes sank: "What did you say?"
"I said no one will protect you from now on." Kuang Jinxin repeated it word for word, louder and louder.
Chi Yingxue narrowed her eyes dangerously and said word by word, "I don't need anyone to protect me."
"It would be better if King Hades left," said Kuang Jinxin. "You don't need his protection anyway, and no one will rob you of your body anymore."
Chi Yingxue was silent for a while, then suddenly pulled out a faint smile: "Yes, it's better to leave."
Kuang Jinxin looked at him fixedly: "Then why are you panicking these two days?"
"Who told you I was panicking." Chi Yingxue was still smiling, but her voice was slightly cold.
Kuang Jinxin looked at him for a while, and suddenly asked, "What dream did I have in the dark cell, do you know?"
Chi Yingxue was stunned, the topic was too jumpy, he couldn't catch it.
"I dreamed of when my parents were in a car accident." Kuang Jinxin looked calm and calm, "Captain, Brother Sheng, Brother Qian, they all know, but you haven't come out in the dark, so I'll tell you again."
Chi Yingxue frowned: "Maybe I don't want to hear it."
"I won't do it if you don't listen," said Kuang Jinxin confidently, "I've finished your nightmare. If you really want to talk about it, it's only fair that you have to walk through my nightmare again. I don't need you to go now, I just need you to listen. Are you still haggling? "
Chi Yingxue: "…"
I always thought this "fair exchange" was weird, but what was wrong at the moment, Chi Yingxue couldn't tell.
"My parents died in a car accident when I was very young. I don't have any memory. The so-called car accident was all told by my grandparents, and then I imagined it myself..."
As if Chi Yingxue would not leave, Kuang Jinxin looked at the gradually blue sky and said to himself.
"I really started to have memories of being beaten. In fact, they were half-aged children who played with each other. They didn't understand anything. They ran and played crazy all day long, but they bullied me and beat me because I didn't have parents..."
"I was very impressed. As long as it rained, they would push me into a mud puddle and laugh around..."
He smiled bitterly, but the bitterness was short-lived, like a flash of haze, and when he looked again, it was bright and sunny.
"Later, there was a neighbor's elder brother who found out that I was always being bullied, so he helped me out. He was older than us. At that time, he was already in the third year of junior high school. It was no problem for a group of children to be singled out. Never been beaten again…”
"Good luck." Chi Yingxue finally gave a not very enthusiastic response.
He stood two meters away from the sofa, did not continue to leave, did not approach again, just turned around and looked at Kuang Jinxin not far or near, as if he was bored, so he simply listened to a story.
"I also think I'm very lucky, I almost regarded him as a real brother at the time." Kuang Jinxin looked at Chi Yingxue and smiled brightly, "Then less than a year later, he was admitted to a key high school and has to move to a school nearby."
Chi Yingxue frowned.
He really didn't like the story.
"When I was leaving, I hugged him and cried and didn't let him go, no one could persuade him..."
Kuang Jinxin fell into memory again, clearly looking at Chi Yingxue, but his eyes fell on an unknown place.
"I said that if you left, no one will protect me in the future. He said, in fact, in this world, the only person who can protect you forever is you..."
"Then he moved away. As soon as he left, those people beat me, but I fought back. I went crazy, fighting back desperately, and finally beat them all down..."
His eyes met Chi Yingxue again, showing pride: "No one will dare to bully me after that."
Chi Yingxue shrugged: "So he's right, it's better to ask for yourself."
Kuang Jinxin restrained his smile and shook his head sternly: "No, he is wrong."
Chi Yingxue: "Wrong?"
Kuang Jinxin said: "I can fight back because I remember him in my heart, remember the protection, encouragement, and warmth he gave me. They give me strength."
Chi Yingxue fell silent.
The warm sunlight reflected his beautiful outline, and at a certain moment, another shadow seemed to flash between his brows.
"In this world, there are people who can protect you forever." Kuang Jinxin looked at him quietly, his eyes were gentle but firm, "As long as you always keep him in your heart, he can always guard you."
…
18:00 Beijing time, Hunan.
Because there was no contact in advance, this time, the powerful President Chi Zhuolin did not have time to help the team arrange the presidential suit. They stayed in an express hotel with two standard rooms and one big bed room.
The big bed room was given to Chi Yingxue, after all, the president's suit that he had been living in for so long.
But after opening the room, Xu Wang felt a little regretful, and felt that he should book a standard room, and then send Lao Qian or Xiao Kuang, even if he himself, to stay with him for one night.
After privately chatting this idea with other teammates, Kuang Jinxin said, Captain, don't worry, Chi Yingxue is not as fragile as you think.
Xu Wang was dubious and tangled for two hours. After eight o'clock in the evening, he still secretly knocked on Chi Yingxue's door.
The door opened, but Chi Yingxue didn't mean to invite you in, so she stood behind the door panel and looked at him blankly.
Xu Wang was also a little embarrassed, but seeing that he was in a good condition, there was no sign of instability, he was stunned, and forcibly shoved the thing he had been holding for a long time into the crack of the door and into the other's hand.
Chi Yingxue was caught off guard. After receiving it, he saw clearly that it was a small badge engraved with the Arabic numeral "6". The badge is well done, but… the meaning is unclear.
Raising his eyes, he looked at his captain in confusion.
"That, the team number," Xu Wang said in confusion, his speech rate was a little unstable, "I have sent them all, this is yours."
The badges were ordered online on the day Xu Wang handed in the papers. No special plate making was required. Many stores of this type of Arabic numerals were ready-made. He chose a store in the same city, and the express delivery arrived the next day.
Chi Yingxue fiddled with the badge with her thumb and frowned, "I'm number 6?"
"Well," Xu Wang paused for a moment, "Ye Wang ranked No. 5."
Chi Yingxue stopped talking, looked at him quietly, and could not see any emotions.
Xu Wang let him watch, his eyes did not flicker or hide.
Some things, if you don't mention them, will always be knots. Only when you break them can you shine into the sun.
"Give it to me." Chi Yingxue said suddenly.
Xu Wang didn't understand: "What?"
"The badge of No. 5." Chi Yingxue raised the corner of his mouth, "I am No. 6 and also No. 5."
Xu Wang reacted and immediately took out another badge from his pocket.
Before he could give it this time, Chi Yingxue reached out and took it.
"Thank you, Captain." Chi Yingxue smiled lightly, snapped, and closed the door.
Xu Wang: "..."
This teammate is still as bad as ever! ! !
A door apart.
Chi Yingxue turned around and walked back to the big bed. As she walked, she couldn't wait to pin both badges to her clothes.
The badge is very small, not on the neckline, chest or hem, it is exquisite and does not affect the activity.
But Chi Yingxue, who was lying in the big bed, didn't dare to turn around for three minutes.
In the end, he still reluctantly took off the badge, wrapped it in a soft tissue, and put it in the most private and safe place in the backpack before lying back on the bed.
The curtains in the house were drawn, and the heavy curtains blocked the lights of thousands of homes.
The room was as dark as night, with only one bedside lamp, dutifully lit.
Chi Yingxue lay on her side, staring at the lamp for a long time.
Finally, reached out and turned it off.
When was the last time you turned off the lights before going to bed? Chi Yingxue doesn't remember. Or maybe never. His night, no matter when, no matter where, always leave a light.
He hates darkness, or rather, fear.
Just like this room at the moment, it is so dark that there is no trace of light.
But he is very steady now.
"Good night."
In the darkness, he whispered softly, as if talking to himself or to another person.