Split Zone No.13

After swallowing that leech, she wiped the corners of her mouth as if it was delicious.

“Thank you for the delicious crab. I’ll get you another one.”

I stared at her. “Who are you?”

The uniformed girl never lost her smile. “I can understand that Miss Li Shen might have forgotten, but from what I remember, you weren’t such an impatient person. How about enjoying the entire performance? Some things shouldn’t be rushed, don’t you agree?”

She turned to leave after saying this.

Nie Zun knocked on the table. “Hey what are the two of you talking about? Can this be eaten or not?”

I really missed the old Nie Zun. At least he wasn’t a retard.

I stared at him angrily. “You can eat it if you wish. Eat till you die from it.”

A look of confused bewilderment appeared on Nie Zun.

This individual acted just like a demon when he came out of that cave, and now he’s trying to act all cute with me? Has his character changed so much, or is it that he’s suffering from schizophrenia now?

There was no time for me to think about why Nie Zun turned out like this as Yuan Qian had now completed her dance and she was already walking towards us.

I smiled to myself bitterly. How popular am I that everyone seemed to be looking for me wherever I went?

“Been a long time,” I spoke first.

Yuan Qian probably did not expect for me to make the first move. She was a little surprised, but not for long. “Yes, it is a long time.”

“Sit down,” I said as I pointed at the chair between me and Nie Zun. Yuan Qian nodded as she sat.

I glanced at Nie Zun. To my surprise, he didn’t seem to be interested in her anymore now that she’s so close. He was looking elsewhere now.

“Seems like you’ve been made aware of your brother’s death.” I decided to be direct.

A look of pain flashed past Yuan Qian’s face, but it was gone in a moment.

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

“Are you looking for me to take revenge?” I asked simply.

Yuan Qian looked at me. “Are you admitting that you actually killed him?”

Tapping my finger on the table, I said, “No, but I was definitely involved in some way. I guess you wouldn’t believe me no matter what I say now.”

Yuan Qian kept her eyes on me. “Yes. At first, I didn’t believe you’d kill my brother, or let him die such a horrible death. However, he was an extremely rational individual, and I believe that apart from you, there would be nobody else who could approach him without ringing any alarm bells.”

“So you think I killed him?”

Yuan Qian bit her lip. “At least I think you’re involved somehow.”

I sighed. “It has something to do with me. But I’m curious about something. Who is it who told you I killed him?”

Li Wen was in the hotel now, and if she was the culprit, she should be here right now. There might be something else going on here.

Yuan Qian pushed the plate that was in front of Nie Zun towards me. “Eat it and I’ll tell you.”

I looked at the disgusting leech on that shiny white plate. It would probably be laced with a heavy poison if it was prepared by Yuan Qian.

I reached out to grab the leech.

However, Nie Zun suddenly snatched the plate and threw it to the side, smashing it into smithereens.

Nie Zun smirked with malice in his eyes. “This lady right here, it’s not nice to make others eat weird things. Moreover, this bug doesn’t even look delicious.”

Tears dripped down Yuan Qian’s face, surprising me.

She looked at me with sorrowful eyes. “Ah Shen, I’ve trusted you all this time. Did you really kill my brother?”

I didn’t know how to answer, and my hand that was resting on the table balled into a fist involuntarily.

Yuan Qian grabbed my arm as she looked at me with wide eyes. “My brother and I depended on no one but each other. He never put me in any kind of danger, no matter how helpless and afraid this Split Zone made me. I was never afraid as long as he was around. He was the only one I could rely on, how could you take his life?”

Her nails were digging into my flesh, but this pain was nothing to me now. Senses and feelings were twisted here in the Split Zone, whether it was inflicted on the flesh or upon one’s soul.

There was no point in avoiding this. I’m no longer the me of the past. I said calmly, “Yuan Qian, I’ll give you an explanation regarding your brother’s death. Come with me and I’ll give you the truth.”

Gritting her teeth, Yuan Qian asked, “Why should I believe you?”

My finger was digging into the tabletop. “What do you plan to do? I’ll listen to you.”

Yuan Qian took out a white pill from inside her bikini bra. Passing it to me, she said, “Eat this. At least it’ll let me control you.”

“Okay.” I swallowed it immediately. It didn’t feel any different, it just tasted sweet.

This must be poison then, since medicine was usually bitter.

“But there’s something I don’t understand. Why do you have to come here and dance like this? If you came here for me, you could’ve just approached me straight away.”

Yuan Qian pursed her lips in response.

I realized something as I looked at her hesitant expression. “Are you being controlled as well?”

“She’s being controlled by me, Ah Shen jiejie.” A girl’s voice came from behind Yuan Qian.

It was a familiar voice that sounded crisp and mischievous. I stood up as I tried to take a look at the individual. This voice belonged to Laurel.

The owner of the voice, that uniformed girl, appeared. Lifting a hand to her chin, she peeled a layer of skin off her face.

I frowned as I saw her. “Why the disguise, Laurel?”

Laurel laughed. “It’s so much fun like this, Ah Shen jiejie!” I was reminded of the lively Laurel from the past as I looked at that mischievous face.

But I knew that she would never be that Laurel anymore. Her body double was stabbed, and she has turned into a demon after having been bitten by those poisonous leeches. I still remember that cruelty and bloodlust of hers. My adorable Laurel would never be the same.

But even so, she still saved all of us from the Western District. Does this mean that I can still save her?

“Ah Shen jiejie, what’re you thinking about?” Laurel tip-toed and waved her hand at me.

I forced myself to speak coldly as I looked at that innocent face of hers. “No need to pretend here. What’s your goal?”

Laurel pouted. “I don’t have any goal. I just wanted to see jiejie. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen jiejie.”

I’m about to go insane.

Nie Zun interrupted at this point. “Little lady, you’re blocking the pretty women from my sight.” Nie Zun leaned back in his chair as he pointed at the women who were still dancing in the pool.

Laurel stepped in front of Nie Zun, blinking as she asked, “Nie Zun gege, you haven’t confessed to Ah Shen jiejie yet? You’ve been protecting her for so long, and you even woke the demon within you in that stone cave just to save her. Others might not know this, but I would know. It was so painful that day when you were strangling me.”

Laurel’s hands went up to her own neck as she said this, demonstrating how Nie Zun had attacked her.

Nie Zun’s smile made it look like he had actually remembered everything, and for a second, I thought he did.

“What are you talking about, little lady?”

Clicking her tongue, Laurel answered, “Nie Zun gege, Ah Shen jiejie will be taken by others if you continue being like this. Everyone can see that you’ve been quietly protecting her all these years, so stop hiding.”

Nie Zun turned to me with upturned lips. “I was that dumb in the past?”

I was a little hurt at this, as if someone had ripped a blood vessel out of my heart. I stared at him. “That’s right, you were really dumb in the past. You were also irritating, following me all day, every day.”

Laurel looked at us. “You mean you don’t remember what happened in the past, gege?”

I said angrily, “That’s right. He’s lost his memories. Just tell us what your goal is, no need to waste anymore time with him here.”

The adorable expression on Laurel turned icy in a split second. Her smile was gone and her voice turned sharp. “So it’s like this. I guess there’s nothing much to be afraid of now that you’ve lost Nie Zun’s protection.”

I smirked. “Finally revealing yourself?”

Laurel gave an evil smile. “Jiejie, I don’t really wish for your death. I wouldn’t have brought you here to the Northern District with that snake if I wanted you to die. Meimei just wants one thing from you. You won’t be that petty to disagree, right?”

She wants something?

I hope it’s not my second personality again.

“What do you want?”

Laurel pointed at Piercer that was hanging on my waist. “I want that living weapon of yours.”

I raised my brows. “Piercer? Only this? Not this?” I waved my left wrist that had Scorpion Ray’s insignia on it.

Laurel shook her head. “Nope. But I’ll gladly accept them if jiejie wishes to give both of them to me.”

It wouldn’t be Huai Du if she wants Piercer instead of Scorpion Ray. If she wasn’t sent by Huai Du nor Du Yue, then who could it be?

It’s unlikely to be Li Wen. Knowing her, she wouldn’t do something like this.

Is there some other secret group tailing me?

That could be likely. When Laurel went missing in the Western District, she wasn’t caught by Du Yue to be an experimental subject, and she didn’t fall into Li Wen’s hands either. She was merely a child at that time, and there was no way she could have survived up till now if she didn’t have a strong backing. Moreover, she had newfound abilities now.