I See Roses

I See Roses – Chapter 16

Cheng Yu was still pretending to cry, complaining that Liang Xian was too heartless and not worthy of being his father. Liang Xian leaned against the sofa, coldly watching him, unmoved by his exaggerated expressions.

Cheng Yu wailed even louder.

Yu Chuan and Ke Lijie couldn’t stand it and came forward to mediate.

Everyone was making a commotion, and for the moment, no one noticed the slight movement not far away.

Moreover, Liang Xian’s living room was spacious, and Ming Si was sitting alone on a single-seat sofa, which happened to have a clear view of He Sui.

The other people were sitting on the left side of her. If they didn’t turn their heads, the area behind the sofa was basically in their blind spot.

In any case, the situation wasn’t too bad at the moment.

Ming Si breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she was mentally prepared for the announcement of their marriage, it certainly didn’t include being exposed in such a situation.

It would be so awkward.

She didn’t dare to relax for too long and quickly thought about how to get He Sui to go back.

At first, Ming Si tried to communicate with her eyes, but He Sui was too busy moving the marriage certificate and didn’t even lift its head.

She had no choice but to stand up.

“Ming Si, where are you going?” Cheng Yu seemed to have grown extra eyes and immediately noticed her movement.

As he spoke, the others also subconsciously looked in her direction.

Ming Si mentally beat Cheng Yu up a thousand times as she hastily made up an excuse, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

But soon, she realized she had set a trap for herself because Cheng Yu enthusiastically turned his head and pointed, “Oh! Over there!”

He moved too quickly, and Ming Si couldn’t stop him in time. She could only watch as he turned around. In that instant, her mind was filled with the words I’m doomed.

She even reflexively closed her eyes for a moment. After two seconds, she didn’t hear any special reaction from Cheng Yu, so she subconsciously looked in his direction.

Liang Xian had one hand on Cheng Yu’s shoulder and the other forcefully turned his face towards Ming Si.

Cheng Yu, who was forced to tilt his head, looked puzzled, “Brother, Brother Xian?”

Liang Xian remained calm, “I want to see what words you shaved on your head.”

“Oh…” Cheng Yu didn’t know why Brother Xian suddenly took an interest on the words shaved on his head, but he was simple-minded and didn’t think too much about it, “Forgiving is chaos in great plans. It looks pretty good, right?”

“Looks good,” Liang Xian replied indifferently.

Cheng Yu felt pleased. “Next time, I’ll take you to get one. I think a flamingo hairstyle would be nice.”

“…”

“But, Brother Xian,” after a few more seconds, Cheng Yu couldn’t help but speak again, “Have you seen enough? My head feels uncomfortable like this.”

Liang Xian said casually, “Let me take another look.”

It’s unclear whether his expression or tone gave people the wrong idea, but after a moment of silence, Cheng Yu was on high alert and stammered, “Brother Xian, I don’t have that kind of interest! I’m straight, really!”

Liang Xian gave him a sidelong glance and finally let go of his hand, sneering, “I don’t either.”

Cheng Yu patted his chest and sat back down, forgetting to point the way to the bathroom this time.

He Sui was probably tired from moving around or lost interest in the red booklet, so it was now resting on the side, abandoning the booklet.

After Cheng Yu’s interruption, Ming Si knew her plan wouldn’t work and might even attract more attention.

Fortunately, it seemed that Liang Xian also realized the situation wasn’t good.

Earlier, when she stood up, He Sui made some noise, causing Liang Xian to tilt his head slightly and understand what was going on.

“Ming Si, aren’t you going to the restroom?” Cheng Yu offered her a piece of melon.

Ming Si sat back down, “I don’t feel like going.”

In the meantime, she became nervous again—He Sui seemed to have rested enough and was now picking up the marriage certificate again, strolling towards the corner of the sofa.

Ming Si quickly used her eyes to signal Liang Xian.

The certificate dropped again, but He Sui didn’t bother picking it up. Instead, it used its mouth to push it forward. It was getting closer.

Liang Xian bent down to pick up his glass and, sensing her gaze, raised an eyebrow slightly.

Seeing him like this, she wasn’t sure if he was genuinely unconcerned or deliberately teasing her.

Ming Si couldn’t care about anything else and glared at him while mouthing, “He Sui is coming!”

Liang Xian chuckled.

Ming Si probably didn’t know that when she was angry, she didn’t appear very fierce. Especially now, she seemed more like a cat showing its claws, but with the handle held by someone else.

But this cat was beautiful, elegant, and had an explosive temper.

Liang Xian didn’t keep her waiting for too long. He put down his glass and casually suggested, “Let’s play a card game.”

The cards were already under the coffee table, easy to reach.

Once they started playing, Cheng Yu no longer paid attention to his surroundings.

Liang Xian found an excuse to change positions with Yu Chuan, sitting at the end of the sofa. Before He Sui happily bounced over to them, he extended his leg to block its way.

He Sui tilted its head in confusion for a moment, feeling that its owner wanted it to go back. So, it picked up the red booklet again, obediently turned around, and left.

After taking a few steps, its mouth didn’t hold the booklet steadily, and the marriage certificate fell to the floor with a pa.

“What was that sound?” Cheng Yu picked up a card and immediately looked suspicious, “Did you guys hear it?”

Liang Xian slightly leaned to the side, blocking any possible sightlines, lazily stretched his long legs, and spoke nonchalantly, “Didn’t hear anything.”

Ming Si glanced at Cheng Yu, “I didn’t either. Are you hearing things? Are you going to play your card or not?”

“Really?” Cheng Yu started to doubt himself, “A six.”

“…”

With their covering, He Sui smoothly ran away.

Ming Si finally relaxed completely. Her gaze casually met with Liang Xian’s, and as he played a card, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Later, as they played until late at night, Cheng Yu received a sudden call from his family, asking him to come back for something. Yu Chuan and Ke Lijie decided to accompany him, so they all left together.

Left behind, Ming Si sat on the sofa, waiting for the driver.

She glanced at her phone for a while, then picked up the nearby cushion, absentmindedly fiddling with its corners.

Though He Sui could open cabinets, it hadn’t reached the level of putting things back where they belonged. When Liang Xian went upstairs earlier, the marriage certificate was left alone on the stairs. He Sui had already run off to play with Shi Tai.

Liang Xian picked up the certificate, glanced at it, then tossed it into the cabinet next to the bed. After some thought, he placed it on the highest shelf.

Just as he came down the stairs, Yu Chuan’s phone call came in.

“Hey, Brother Xian! Can you check if my phone is on the sofa?” Cheng Yu’s voice came through, along with the sound of wind, “I think I tossed it there after the call, but I’m not sure.”

Liang Xian walked over to the sofa, spotted the phone beneath the cushion next to Ming Si, and said, “It’s here.”

“Cheng Yu’s phone,” He maintained the posture of answering the call, his eyes casually drooping, as he naturally reached out his hand towards Ming Si.

He was bossing people around again.

Ming Si glanced at him and picked up the phone, handing it to him.

Just as he was about to leave, her fingertips accidentally brushed against the palm of his hand.

It felt like a gentle stroke of a feather.

Liang Xian got lost in thought for a moment, missing Cheng Yu’s words. He sat down and asked, “What did you say?”

“I said,” Cheng Yu shouted, “You and Ming Si are alone together…”

His voice was loud and piercing, prompting Liang Xian to move the phone away. Even without the speaker, the words were clear.

Ming Si’s eyelid twitched, and she was about to scold Cheng Yu for having such improper thoughts.

But unexpectedly, his next words were, “So please don’t fight, there’s no one here to stop you!”

Ming Si: “…”

She had overestimated him.

After hanging up, Liang Xian casually put the phone aside and leaned back on the sofa, “Is the driver here?”

Ming Si replied, “Almost there.”

In reality, when they were alone together, they didn’t always quarrel, let alone fight.

It was just that Cheng Yu and the others were used to seeing them bicker as they grew up that they subconsciously believed they couldn’t be left alone.

“Ke Lijie just sent me a message,” Liang Xian suddenly spoke.

Ming Si casually asked, “What did he say?”

Liang Xian opened his WeChat and showed her the chat history. Ming Si took a look and her eyes slightly widened in surprise.

Ke Lijie’s message was simple:「I saw it.」

Ming Si couldn’t believe it, “Is he saying that he saw the marriage certificate?”

Liang Xian nodded and asked her, “How do you want to me respond?”

He wasn’t really concerned about when Ke Lijie and the others find out about their marriage. For him, what had happened was a fact, and there was no need to dwell on it.

At most, he would be teased for a while.

“Just make up something random, say you bought it for three yuan from a street vendor,” Ming Si said.

“Sure, a three-yuan marriage certificate,” Liang Xian followed her words and gave her a teasing glance, smiling, “Then after some time, you can buy one for three yuan too.”

Ming Si: “…”

Why is talking to him so exasperating?

“So, what should we say in response?” She threw the question back at him.

“Ke Lijie is different; he won’t tell anyone outside,” Liang Xian said casually, “It’s fine to tell him; he’ll find out sooner or later anyway.”

Hearing his words, Ming Si somehow felt strangely relieved—fortunately, it wasn’t Cheng Yu who saw it.

Cheng Yu was the kind of guy who couldn’t keep a secret; in their school days, he had the nickname Megaphone because of how easily he blabbered things out. Ming Si suspected that if Cheng Yu had seen the certificate, they wouldn’t even need to wait until the day of their engagement; news of her and Liang Xian getting married tonight would have spread far and wide overnight.

She glanced at Liang Xian and muttered, “You’re quite accepting of this.”

When it came to their marriage, it seemed like she was the only one who felt a little uncomfortable.

“I…” Liang Xian was about to say something when Ke Lijie’s message came in again, and both of them instinctively looked down to read.

「Cheng Yu said he saw a little red booklet, but he didn’t think much of it and thought it was He Sui’s toy. Yu Chuan, the academic overachiever, was talking to a junior in the lab about a project and didn’t notice anything. Just giving you a brief rundown.」

「Liang Xian, it’s okay if you don’t want to say anything. Actually, I already guessed it. Don’t forget to invite us to the wedding!」

With the news being out like this, it seemed pointless to keep hiding it.

Actually, both Yu Chuan and Ke Lijie were fine, but Ming Si imagined what Cheng Yu’s reaction would be if he found out, and her head started to ache.

However, it was better to say it through the phone than in person.

“You tell him,” Ming Si laid back on the back of the sofa, her tone tinged with a hint of despair.

Liang Xian replied:「We got married.」

Ke Lijie almost instantly responded:「We??? You and who???」

Even through the screen, one could imagine his shock. Liang Xian slightly furrowed his brows and replied:「Didn’t you say you already guessed it?」

「Yeah, I thought you got married to some big star in your company…like, perhaps their career being on the rise and needing a secret marriage or something…」

Ke Lijie was typing while trembling, feeling that Liang Xian’s address of we was absolutely unimaginable.

If he thought about it too much about it, it seemed like it would ruin his perception of love.

「So, the woman is…」

Liang Xian fell silent for a moment:「Ming Si.」

Ke Lijie on the other side didn’t reply for a while, probably because his worldview had been shattered by this news. After a long time, he finally sent a screen full of “WTF!!!” messages.

It was as if his ability to articulate had disappeared as he kept typing numerous exclamation marks.

Liang Xian glanced at it, estimating there were several hundred exclamation marks.

After the last exclamation mark, Ke Lijie finally regained his ability to message coherently:「You’re not kidding me, right? It’s not April Fools’ Day today, is it?」

Liang Xian:「You are asking this after all the exclamation marks. Don’t you think it’s a bit late?」

Liang Xian:「It’s true.」

“Done,” Liang Xian showed the phone to Ming Si.

“For the next six months, don’t invite me to any gatherings,” Ming Si covered her face with a cushion, “Just pretend I’m dead.”

Liang Xian found her actions somewhat cute, as if burying her face could let her escape reality.

He thought for a moment and decided to send another message to Ke Lijie:「It’s just an arranged marriage, keep it confidential for now.」

Ke Lijie was still in a state of being thunderstruck. When he saw the new message in the chatbox, he finally came to his senses:「Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Only heaven and earth knows, you know, I know..」

Liang Xian: “…”

It wasn’t that confidential.

“Besides, even if I tell others, nobody would believe it. Do you know what I said to Cheng Yu right after he finished the call?” Ke Lijie probably got off the car and sent a voice message directly, “I told him his thinking was unique. If a single man and a single woman were alone together, he shouldn’t worry about fighting but should worry about heaven/ lightning/ earth/ fire1… cough, just kidding. You know what he replied to me?”

The voice message played on loud speaker mode. After it finished, another message was immediately sent.

“He said my thoughts were dirty. He also said that even if you two were lying together, completely naked, nothing would happen.”

The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment.

Ming Si wished she hadn’t heard it and looked away.

Even though Liang Xian didn’t have such intentions, he was bit influenced by those words. He fell silent for a moment and his Adam’s apple rolled slightly.

In the end, Ming Si couldn’t fulfill her wish of disappearing for half a year. It was because at six o’clock on a Saturday morning, Cheng Yu drove directly to her house, and then he bombarded her with continuous calls, almost like he wanted to use a loudspeaker to broadcast everywhere, urging her to come out.

Under this relentless and life-threatening barrage of calls, even her deep sleepiness vanished.

Ming Si sat up in annoyance, repeatedly telling herself not to care about Cheng Yu. With great effort, she suppressed her morning grumpiness, lifted the covers, and went to wash up.

Ming Si reckoned that Ke Lijie had not told others about the marriage in these past few days. Otherwise, Cheng Yu would have definitely come over to gossip, and she wouldn’t have been able to stay so peaceful all these days.

She somehow felt that Liang Xian might have given Ke Lijie a wake-up call.

Because they were going to spend the night in the mountains, Ming Si dressed simply and neatly. She wore a white T-shirt, jeans, purple sneakers, and brought a black leather jacket—looking beautiful and chic.

Once she got in the car, she felt that something was not quite right.

Soon, she realized that Ke Lijie, who had always been squeezed between her and Liang Xian, creating a so-called isolated zone, was now sitting in a very low-key manner by the window.

And sitting next to her was Liang Xian.

He happened to be wearing a white T-shirt today too, leaning against the seat and looking at her with a casual and lazy demeanor.

“Morning, Ming Si. We called you so many times,” Yu Chuan said while driving; Cheng Yu turned to look back with a dissatisfied expression as he expressed his own complaints.

Ming Si put her phone back in her bag and looked at him disdainfully, “I never said I would come.”

If she hadn’t forgotten to put her phone on silent before going to bed last night, she would still be under the covers now.

Cheng Yu was exasperated, but jumping around wouldn’t help.

“Why can’t you come to do fun activities? Aren’t we all looking forward to it? Real-life CS, barbecue, billiards, and camping,” Cheng Yu said in confusion, “I went to bed at eight o’clock yesterday!”

Among the people in the car, except for Yu Chuan, who always had a good temper, everyone else expressed their disdain at him—today, they were all woken up by Cheng Yu early in the morning.

Ke Lijie: “Eight o’clock?? Are you an old man?!”

Liang Xian: “Sleeping so early, you should be able to manage on your own later.”

Ming Si: “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

“…” Cheng Yu had no words.

Liang Xian closed his eyes again to catch up on sleep.

Yesterday morning, he flew back from Venice to Pingcheng, attended three consecutive meetings, and barely slept a few hours at night before being woken up by Cheng Yu.

Ming Si glanced at her phone, feeling a bit dizzy. She put the phone back in her bag and decided to take a nap.

Just as she zipped up her bag, she inadvertently noticed that Ke Lijie seemed to be looking at her.

Ming Si turned her head too look at him.

Ke Lijie winked at her, then pointed to Liang Xian and patted his own chest, finally giving a thumbs-up. He had a look that said: You can rest assured; I’m extremely reliable and won’t say anything.

This exaggerated underground-party behavior made it seem as if there was something improper going on between her and Liang Xian.

Ming Si was awakened by a sudden jolt.

Opening her eyes, her vision was momentarily blurry. The car window seemed covered with a layer of mist, and the scenery outside flashed by.

She slowly regained her senses, and her gaze turned slightly, catching sight of a man’s distinct Adam’s apple. Moving upward, she saw the sleek and smooth jawline.

Even in this unflattering angle, he still looked excessively handsome.

Perhaps because she had just woken up and her consciousness was still a bit fuzzy, Ming Si didn’t immediately recognize who this man was. By the time she realized, it was too late—Liang Xian happened to open his eyes and their gazes met.

Caught in the act.

Ming Si: “…”

With his naturally flirtatious appearance, Liang Xian’s eyes still held a hint of drowsy laziness after just waking up, making him even more charming.

He looked quite alluring.

She quickly averted her gaze and sat upright.

The CS club was located in the mountains, the road they were taking was not easy to traverse. They even had a flat tire halfway.

By the time they arrived, it was already past nine o’clock, but the surrounding area was still shrouded in mist. Looking into the distance, the jungle was obscured by clouds and fog, making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion, adding a sense of mystery and danger.

After changing into their clothes, they each selected their equipment.

Though Cheng Yu had been claiming that he would cling to Liang Xian’s big thigh, he quickly changed his mind when he saw a gun from afar, exclaiming So cool! as he darted away.

“This is what happens when a husky can’t be restrained,” Ke Lijie shook his head repeatedly.

As they picked their gear, they gradually walked over to Liang Xian’s direction.

Ming Si had no expertise in these matters and relied entirely on what others picked for her.

Liang Xian handed her a magazine of paintballs, with a very natural attitude, as though he had forgotten about her sleeping on his shoulder earlier.

Ming Si accepted it, mentally emphasizing once again that there was really nothing serious about it. After all, when they were kids, they used to take naps together on the same bed.

Who feels embarrassed now?

Cheng Yu had just picked up the gun when he felt someone forcefully pulling it from the other end.

He looked up and saw five or six people, led by a guy with a crew cut and an unfriendly smile on his face, “Hey, isn’t this the someone from the Cheng family?”

Cheng Yu frowned.

One of the guys next to him, trying to cooperate, asked, “Who?”

“That’s Cheng Yu, the Cheng family’s youngest son who had a high fever in his childhood, yet no one cared about him. In the end, his brain got fried,” the crew-cut guy said loudly, full of disdain and provocation, “What, now you’re playing this? Can you handle it? Shouldn’t you be learning simple addition like one plus one, you damn fool?”

Before the crew-cut guy could finish his words, he felt a forceful hit on his back.

“Damn it!” The crew-cut guy clutched his back, cursed, and turned around, “Who’s that? Can’t you see there’s someone here?!”

“I didn’t see anyone,” Ming Si chuckled lightly, placing the gun back where it was, “I still don’t see anyone now.”

“Are you doing this on purpose? Are you insulting me?” The crew-cut guy’s eyes turned fierce.

Ming Si raised her arm arrogantly and gave him a disdainful glance, “Just now, I saw that it’s your brain that’s fried.”

Cheng Yu did have a high fever in his childhood, but it wasn’t true that nobody cared. He recovered later, but there was only a slight impact on his intelligence and emotional intelligence. It was negligible, and he was just a bit more stubborn and temperamental than others.

But in the words of the crew-cut guy, Cheng Yu seemed like a fool.

As soon as Ming Si heard this, she unhesitatingly swung the gun and hit him.

She had a kind of temper where she would vent it on the spot.

The two stood face to face. The crew-cut guy was big and tall, and he should have had a psychological advantage.

But Ming Si, with her arms crossed and a cold face, had an air of a proud young lady who didn’t care about the opponent, and she showed no signs of backing down.

At this moment, a lackey-like guy on the side came over to help, “Who are you? How dare you talk to our Brother Ping like this? Don’t you know that he’s from the famous Fengping Real Estate?”

“Fengping Real Estate? Never heard of it,” Ming Si looked him up and down, her eyes and brows showing disdain. Her red lips curled coldly, “Some trashy nouveau riche? Low on money, but their sons are good at acting all high and mighty.”

“You b*tch!” The crew-cut guy couldn’t hold back any longer and cursed before swinging his fist at her.

Ming Si didn’t dodge or avoid, nor did she even blink her eyes.

She knew that Liang Xian, Yu Chuan, and Ke Lijie were all behind her.

The next moment, the crew-cut guy’s fist was intercepted midway, and then his whole body was twisted fiercely as he was kicked in the chest.

“Ah!!!” From throwing punches to being overpowered, it took only a moment. The crew-cut guy was already kneeling on the ground, howling in pain.

The other lackeys were stunned for a moment and no one dared to act recklessly.

Then, perhaps because Brother Ping let out a cry of pain, some of them realized that it was time to show loyalty and immediately rushed in.

Liang Xian dodged to the side, grabbed one of their wrists with one hand, and then pulled and kicked him away – he was skilled in martial arts, and his style was fast, accurate, and ruthless, perfect for this kind of group fight.

The others looked at each other, and they all rushed towards him.

……

As soon as the fight started, Ming Si had already distanced herself from the battlefield.

She looked at Ke Lijie, Yu Chuan, and Cheng Yu, who were standing beside her, and felt that something was off, “I’m a woman, so it’s fine for me to run away. But why are you all still here? Where’s your loyalty?”

Ke Lijie folded his hands together, “Amitabha, please look, Brother Xian has already double-killed in just a few seconds.”

In other words, do we even need to intervene?

Ming Si snorted.

But indeed, as he said, Liang Xian didn’t need any help. In just a few minutes, those guys were all howling in pain.

“I think you guys don’t need to play anymore,” after he was done dealing with them, Liang Xian sneered, “You’re covered in bruises. Don’t die halfway.”

“Brother Xian, from today onwards, you’re my dad! No one can disagree!” Cheng Yu held the gun and followed closely behind Liang Xian.

Liang Xian remained indifferent, “Thank you, but pass.”

Cheng Yu wasn’t discouraged at all and made up his mind. Suddenly, he turned his head and said, “Ming Si! You can be my second dad!”

After saying that, he felt it didn’t sound quite right and pondered for a moment, “Or should I call you ‘godfather’?”

Ming Si casually pointed in a direction, “Scram.”

Cheng Yu didn’t mind being rejected by his two dads and continued to smile.

In fact, he understood why the crew-cut guy had come to trouble him. Probably a few weeks ago, the crew-cut guy was at a bar and took a liking to one of the waitresses, wanting to take her away forcibly.

Seeing that, Cheng Yu called the police, and he then was warned by the crew-cut guy at that time.

He also knew that he had to cherish these friends.

Although Liang Xian and Ming Si acted like a young master and a young lady, respectively, they had a strong sense of camaraderie. Since they were kids, whenever he was bullied, they would always stand up for him.

Yu Chuan silently took care of him, while Ke Lijie was the person who understood him the most. Cheng Yu could talk to them about anything on his mind.

He felt fortunate to have them as friends.

Even if he was fool, what did it matter?

The trouble-seeking crew-cut guy and his gang didn’t appear again. According to Ke Lijie, he saw them limping away, supporting each other in their car.

Cheng Yu felt relieved.

Today was the weekend, and the club was bustling with business. Besides them, there were two other groups of people, totaling around twenty-five individuals.

The boss suggested playing a Battle Royale elimination game, “It’s more exciting this way. At the beginning, there will be teams, but in the end, teammates may turn against each other, and only one will emerge victorious.”

No one had objections.

Three teams entered the jungle from three different entrances. Ming Si’s team had the least number of people, but Cheng Yu was not worried at all. He had become an unyielding fan of Liang Xian because his Brother Xian was unbeatable.

He had confidence that his Brother Xian would lead them to survive until the final round.

As the number of players decreased on the electronic watch, a tense atmosphere spread among the five of them.

“There are still twelve people left,” Cheng Yu swallowed nervously, “When there are only five left, will you guys shoot me from behind?”

“Paranoid much?” Ke Lijie teased him, then lowered his voice and said, “If it were me, I’d definitely shoot Liang Xian first, and the rest would be easy targets.”

“Oh! Then, why don’t we team up ambush him later?!” Cheng Yu quickly forgot about calling Liang Xian his dad.

Ming Si watched Liang Xian, who was leading the way, as she listened to the ungrateful remarks of the two beside her. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react.

Up ahead was the end of the forest, leading to a small clearing. Liang Xian made a hand gesture, and they all stopped in their tracks.

“What’s going on…?” After waiting for a long time without any movement, Cheng Yu wanted to poke his head out to take a look, but Liang Xian quickly pressed him down. Almost at the same time, a burst of colored paint exploded on the chest of the person who had suddenly appeared from the side.

“That was close…” Cheng Yu was still shaken from the fact that he almost got eliminated just now.

In just a few minutes, the number of players on the electronic watch had dropped to seven.

“Other teams have started killing each other,” Yu Chuan analyzed calmly, “Otherwise, the numbers wouldn’t decrease so quickly.”

Liang Xian changed to a new paintball magazine and said, “En, let’s disband too.”

After he said disband, the other three members split up, while Ming Si continued to follow Liang Xian.

Before parting ways, Cheng Yu’s spirit was high as he said, “Since you’re a girl, I’ll give you my dad to protect you!”

Ke Lijie quietly rolled his eyes upon hearing this.

This big, simple-minded guy; your so-called dad is her husband, do you need to give him away?

The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of leaves brushing against each other as people passed by.

Ming Si followed closely behind Liang Xian and heard him ask, “Do you want to kill or just go with the flow?”

Without context, this question sounded really creepy.

Ming Si adjusted her tactical vest and asked, “Is there a difference?”

“If you want to go with the flow, head downhill and find a hidden spot to hide until the end,” Liang Xian turned to look at her, his tone still casual, “If you want to kill, head uphill. There should be a team going up at the start. By now, they should be coming back down. Also, Ke Lijie went in that direction.”

Ming Si pondered for a moment and decisively said, “Up. Let’s go after Ke Lijie.”

After all, he saw something he shouldn’t have seen.

Liang Xian chuckled lightly, “Want to silence him?”

Realizing that he read mind so easily, Ming Si suddenly felt annoyed. She didn’t say anything and walked ahead without waiting for him.

Liang Xian observed the surroundings and didn’t rush to speak as he leisurely following behind her.

Ming Si walked quickly, seemingly trying to leave Liang Xian far behind.

But the mountain road was uneven and she accidentally stepped into the air. Upon landing, a piercing and bone-chilling pain shot up her ankle.

It was such a solid step that it made her feel like she had her bones broken from the impact.

Liang Xian saw her standing still for a long time and raised an eyebrow lightly, “Why are you not moving?”

Ming Si couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and turned back, her voice trembling in pain, “My foot… seems twisted…”

Her right foot was in so much pain that she had to stand on one leg. Unexpectedly, her body swayed, and she lost her balance in an instant.

Ming Si exclaimed in shock, and her right hand frantically reached out, only to be firmly grabbed by another hand.

Still in shock, she quickly held onto his arm with her left hand.

In the close proximity, her nose brushed against his shoulder, and she caught a faint, unfamiliar clean scent from his combat uniform, as if it had been permeated by the mist in the mountains, giving off a slight chill.

It was at this moment that Ming Si finally realized what had just happened, and she hurriedly tried to pull away.

Liang Xian was amused by her rare flustered actions and effortlessly pulled her back, saying, “Don’t you think your foot is injured enough?”

Ming Si glared at him.

This person had no sympathy at all.

She scolded him, “You’re the one with the injured foot. Rogue, let me go.”

“What if I let go and you fall again?” Liang Xian chuckled. His gaze lowered, landing on her slender ankle, “Don’t be silly, let me check if it’s serious.”