Tang Qiaoqiao sat in the teahouse looking dejected for more than half an hour before Long Ling finally hurried over.

“Qiaoqiao, don’t listen to what Long Jin said. She just doesn’t understand,” Long Ling said. She had already seen the messages Tang Qiaoqiao sent her.

“Oh.” Tang Qiaoqiao held her warm teacup, looking lost. She had already cried her heart out. Now that her emotions had settled, she did not want to talk.

“Didn’t I show you information about Teacher Wen’s ex-girlfriend before? He must have been hurt badly by her. She married another man not long after they broke up. Maybe… anyway, you and Zhang Simiao are the same type of girl, cheerful and lively, so it’s normal for him to be more guarded around you.”

“Really? Everyone thinks Teacher Wen doesn’t like me. You really think he likes me?” Tang Qiaoqiao suddenly looked up and stared at her.

For a moment, Long Ling almost thought Tang Qiaoqiao had seen through her thoughts. Her hand holding the teapot trembled slightly, but her expression stayed calm.

“Or do you want to give up?” she asked instead.

Tang Qiaoqiao immediately fell silent.

Give up?

Jing Pei’s words and Wen Yuxian’s eyes flashed through her mind. Did Wen Yuxian hate her? Had she become some creepy stalker bothering him?

Feeling upset, she turned to look out the window—

—and froze.

Teacher Wen?

She stood up at once. She could mistake anyone else, but never Wen Yuxian. Had he just entered the handmade jewelry shop across the street?

Why would a man go into a handmade jewelry shop? Wen Yuxian wore no accessories other than his watch.

A woman’s intuition kicked in.

Tang Qiaoqiao’s expression changed. She pressed herself against the glass and looked downstairs. Not long after, Wen Yuxian walked out carrying a paper bag.

Tang Qiaoqiao immediately rushed out of the teahouse and entered the jewelry shop.

Inside was only a middle-aged woman in an ethnic-style dress. She smiled when she saw them.

“Welcome. Feel free to look around. I also do custom orders. If you bring your own materials and design, you only need to pay the crafting fee.”

“That man just now—” Tang Qiaoqiao immediately started asking, but Long Ling stopped her.

Long Ling asked instead, “Hello, we wanted to ask what the man who just left bought. To be honest, that man is my friend’s boyfriend, but recently he seems to be cheating on her.”

The shop owner immediately looked shocked and glanced at Tang Qiaoqiao.

Tang Qiaoqiao looked only seventeen or eighteen. Her red eyes and distressed expression really made her seem like a young girl tricked by a scumbag.

B-but Wen Yuxian didn’t seem like that kind of person. When he talked about his girlfriend, he looked so happy and full of love. How could someone like that cheat with a young girl like this?

The owner repeatedly confirmed whether the man they meant was really Wen Yuxian. In the end, she sided with the girls.

After all, she did not know much about her customers. She did not even know his full name, only that his surname was Wang.

So she told them Wen Yuxian had custom-made a ring to propose to his girlfriend. The inside of the ring was engraved with “W&M.”

Girlfriend…

He really had a girlfriend.

So the girlfriend was real after all. Wen Yuxian had not invented her just to reject her. Jing Pei had not been trying to upset her either.

They were simply telling the truth.

Tang Qiaoqiao walked out of the jewelry shop in a daze.

“What have I been doing…” She squatted by the roadside and covered her face.

Long Ling frowned and crouched beside her.

“Qiaoqiao, don’t be sad yet. Don’t you think this is strange? If Teacher Wen really has a girlfriend, why hide it from the whole school? And when you confessed this time, he suddenly stopped using the ‘I have a girlfriend’ excuse.”

“He has a girlfriend. What else matters?”

Long Ling instinctively felt something was wrong.

“I think either Teacher Wen has some mental problem and imagined the girlfriend, or this girlfriend can’t be revealed publicly. Maybe she’s dangerous. Teacher Wen and Zhang Simiao were together for years, but they suddenly broke up. Maybe it has something to do with this ‘girlfriend.’”

Actually, Long Ling had no interest in Wen Yuxian or his girlfriend at all.

But the only thing connecting her to Tang Qiaoqiao was Wen Yuxian. If Tang Qiaoqiao gave up on him completely, would she still contact her? Then how would Long Ling get the thing she wanted from the Tang family? And if she could not get it, how could she kill Jing Pei and take the dragon pearl?

So she needed Tang Qiaoqiao to keep chasing Wen Yuxian. That would give her time to deepen their friendship.

“Stop talking. I don’t want to hear this right now. Let me calm down,” Tang Qiaoqiao said miserably.

…

After getting the ring, Wen Yuxian went to school.

He had no morning classes, but his afternoon schedule was full.

Besides teaching, he also had another matter to deal with.

“Resigning?” The principal looked at the resignation letter Wen Yuxian handed over in surprise. “Teacher Wen, is this because of Tang Qiaoqiao?”

Everyone had heard rumors about Tang Qiaoqiao constantly chasing Wen Yuxian. But since Wen Yuxian handled it carefully, everyone pretended not to notice.

And since every camera in the school was basically the principal’s eyes, she naturally knew Tang Qiaoqiao had confessed again recently.

“If this is because of Tang Qiaoqiao—”

“It’s not.” Wen Yuxian interrupted gently. “It has nothing to do with student Tang Qiaoqiao. I just want a different kind of life.”

The principal adjusted her glasses.

“Like what?”

“Like opening a pig farm or something.” Wen Yuxian seemed to be in a good mood and smiled. “Principal, do you know anyone good at caring for sows after birth? Could you introduce them to me?”

The principal: “…”

Wen Yuxian really did seem serious about resigning.

“Alright then. I won’t force you to stay,” the principal said. “I’ll keep the resignation letter for now. If you regret it, you can always come get it back.”

“Thank you, Principal. I’ll go teach now.”

Of course, handing in the resignation did not mean leaving immediately. As usual, he gave one month’s notice.

Back in class, Wen Yuxian unconsciously kept touching the ring in his pocket.

In two days, it would be Zhang Simiao’s thirtieth birthday.

Their old life plan included getting married at thirty, so he planned to propose to her that day.

Even though they had barely spent time apart except during his years at the Twelve Zodiac Academy, the thought of marrying her still filled him with excitement and anticipation.

Even if no one would bless the marriage.

Even if the law would never recognize it.

Jing Pei noticed his small movements, then glanced at Tang Qiaoqiao’s empty seat.

In the original story, it was this ring that led Tang Qiaoqiao and Long Ling to follow Wen Yuxian and uncover his secret. They accidentally witnessed him trying to move Zhang Simiao. Tang Qiaoqiao died there, and that event also laid the groundwork for Wen Yuxian’s death on Zhang Simiao’s birthday.

In the end, the ring was left forgotten in some unknown corner, carrying their untold story forever.

But Tang Qiaoqiao had run away today, so she probably would not discover the ring this time.

And even if she did, Wen Yuxian and Zhang Simiao had already moved into the hidden Bubble. Wen Yuxian’s injuries had almost healed, and he was already very familiar with Tang Qiaoqiao’s Atavist aura.

The chances of her secretly following him all the way through mountains and forests without being discovered were extremely low.

Still, the pull of fate was powerful. Who knew whether events might still twist back onto the original path?

Wen Yuxian had to make sure of one thing. Otherwise, even Jing Pei might not be able to save them.

That was why she came today.

Besides dealing with the one-eyed boy, she also wanted to warn Wen Yuxian.

Just as class ended, Wen Yuxian asked her with concern, “You’ve been absent for days training with Xiao Mei. Did something happen?”

“Mm. I’ve been feeling a sense of danger. Let’s talk while walking.”

Wen Yuxian paused, then followed her out of the classroom.

“You know about the human bone case in Jiangnan District, right?” Jing Pei asked. “Later, the killers were found—one Mutant and two men.”

A faint change passed through Wen Yuxian’s eyes.

“I saw it on the news.”

“But what you don’t know is that the killers weren’t found by us. They were exposed only after a mysterious person killed them first.”

“Really? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“So I was thinking… there are really many hidden experts in this world. Even as a Dragon Atavist, I might not survive if I meet someone dangerous. Maybe I’d end up skinned alive and have my dragon pearl dug out.”

Wen Yuxian frowned seriously.

“It’s good to have that kind of awareness. Don’t put yourself in danger. Children should do what children are supposed to do. Adults will handle the rest.”

His words sounded so gentle.

But even a teacher as gentle as a golden retriever or a Samoyed could lose control and kill his own students when cornered.

And once he crossed that line, no matter his reasons, there would only be a tragic ending waiting for him and Zhang Simiao.

“That mysterious person,” Jing Pei continued, “we all think he’s a good person.”

She guided the conversation back calmly.

“Even though we don’t know why he hides his identity, eats huge amounts of food, and secretly throws animal bones into the river and buries them underground.”

Wen Yuxian’s whole body stiffened.

He had no idea the animal bones had already been discovered. Tang Qiaoqiao—his accidental “informant”—never knew about that part.

Jing Pei acted as if she noticed nothing.

“That person makes us curious. But since he only kills bad people and just happens to eat a lot, we decided not to investigate further or report him to the police. Teacher Wen, do you think we did the right thing? Or are we being childish?”

Wen Yuxian looked at Jing Pei carefully, trying to read something from her face.

But she always carried an unreadable mystery around her.

He could not tell whether she was hinting at something, warning him, or simply asking a teacher for advice.

“If he truly only kills bad people, then what you did isn’t wrong,” Wen Yuxian finally said. “This world isn’t completely black and white. But you can’t guarantee he’ll only kill bad people forever.”

“Yes.” Jing Pei sighed. “That’s the difficult part. I hope he doesn’t lose his way and kill someone he shouldn’t. Otherwise, even people who want to protect him won’t be able to.”

…

Long Ling spent a long time trying to convince Tang Qiaoqiao not to give up on Wen Yuxian.

In the end, Tang Qiaoqiao only said, “You’re so annoying,” before leaving.

Of course she wanted to know the truth about Wen Yuxian’s girlfriend.

But Jing Pei’s words kept echoing in her mind, making her feel embarrassed.

If she followed Wen Yuxian and got caught, wouldn’t Jing Pei mock her even more harshly?

Long Ling clenched her fists in anger, but for the sake of her goals, she forced herself to calm down and made a decision.

School ended at the Twelve Zodiac Academy.

Wen Yuxian drove out in his old beat-up car while a taxi quietly followed behind him.

“Xiao Ling, I’m following him now,” the taxi driver said toward the phone mounted in front of him.

“Okay. Keep your distance and don’t get noticed,” Long Ling’s voice replied from the phone.

Long Ling put down her phone.

She planned to investigate Wen Yuxian’s girlfriend herself and then tell Tang Qiaoqiao.

If the girlfriend was imaginary, that would be ideal.

And if she was some hidden problem? Even better.

Long Ling had spent too much effort building a relationship with Tang Qiaoqiao. She could not end up gaining nothing.

Tang Qiaoqiao liked Wen Yuxian so much, and she had the spoiled and stubborn personality Long Ling disliked most. With enough encouragement, she might even try to forcefully take him for herself.

Long Ling’s instinctive way of controlling people was always the same.

Push them into darkness first.

Once they had nowhere else to go and nobody else to rely on, they could only become her puppets.

Just like the plan she now had for the one-eyed boy.

Of course, that depended on whether his Atavist species was strong enough to be worth all the effort.

So after school, when Wen Yuxian drove away, Long Ling’s people followed him.

Her years of performing kindness outside the school gates had not been useless. She never did anything without gaining something in return.

She had gained many grateful “friends” who were willing to help her.

Long Ling knew Wen Yuxian was an Atavist. Even if his blood purity was not high, his awareness would still be sharp.

So this tracking plan had been carefully designed long ago, just in case.

Experienced drivers familiar with the city could roughly predict where Wen Yuxian would go after seeing his direction.

Whenever suspicion might arise, one car would pull back while another waiting farther ahead would take over.

That greatly lowered the chance of being discovered.

Still, Wen Yuxian eventually noticed.

Halfway through the trip, he suddenly realized he was being followed.

In that instant, his nerves tightened. Fear and violence flashed together in his gentle eyes.

Who was following him?

Why?

Was it for Miaomiao?

Was it them?!

…

Elsewhere, the woman sat in the passenger seat flipping through the latest information sent by the organization.

Everyone in the organization was overjoyed.

They had finally identified the target.

“Wen Yuxian. So it really was him. No wonder the name didn’t sound like some random extra,” the woman said.

“So the breakup and arranged marriage were all fake. They staged the whole thing.” The driver clicked his tongue. “They really committed to the act. Zhang Simiao actually returned home and held a wedding before publicly claiming she moved away with her husband. There were wedding photos and videos too. That’s how they escaped our investigation back then and stayed hidden for four years.”

If they had not first narrowed the search to Wen Yuxian and Zhang Simiao and then worked backward, they might never have found them.

The woman shook her head.

“What a pity for those lovers. Bad luck for them.”

Back then, the organization randomly selected people and injected them with Atavist Serum while secretly observing the results.

Zhang Simiao was probably just like the others.

Maybe she was walking home from work.

Maybe shopping for groceries.

Maybe doing something completely ordinary—

—and then someone suddenly stabbed her with a syringe, and disaster fell upon her life.

This experiment was no different from the previous ones.

Every subject eventually suffered rejection and mutation.

Some mutated at home and ate their own families and neighbors.

Some transformed in the subway.

Some on the streets.

Some in offices.

In the end, all were killed by Atavist warriors sent by the Tribunal Division.

One.

Two.

Three…

The researchers watching from the shadows marked each failure with an “X.”

Beneath each X was only a number.

They never cared about the subjects’ names.

Then, days later, they realized one subject still showed no signs of mutation.

A Mutant could not stay quiet.

Their hunger always caused chaos.

Even if someone hid a Mutant, violence and disturbances would still happen.

So although they did not know who the last subject was, they knew the mutation should already have occurred.

Unless—

unless the Mutant still had enough intelligence to cooperate with a protector and hide willingly.

That possibility drove them wild with excitement.

It meant the Mutant still retained intelligence.

Or perhaps their cells or brain were fundamentally different.

Either way, it was precious research material.

“Who had that serum?”

“Who was injected?”

“It seems that guy took it, but we can’t find him anywhere!”

Without finding the person who performed the injection, they could not identify the final subject.

They searched for a long time without success and eventually reached one conclusion:

The holder of the final serum had already been killed to hide the identity of the last test subject.

They searched for four years.

Only three months ago did they finally narrow the area to Jiangnan District.

That was why they created the human bone case—to force the target to expose themselves.

Based on everything they now uncovered, Zhang Simiao had to be the Mutant.

The organization would never let such a miracle go.

“Find out where Wen Yuxian lives now,” the woman ordered. “Zhang Simiao must be hidden beside him.”