The awkward opening did little to ease the tension, only making the atmosphere more stifling.
Xiao Zhenyun stood there gloomily for a while, shot Hedgehog a glare, then turned to the window, clearly wanting to have a private chat.
Hedgehog, acting like he was at home, swapped his shoes for slippers and grabbed a drink from the fridge before wandering over to Xiao Zhenyun’s side. “Hmm?”
“Why did you bring them here?” Xiao Zhenyun squinted. “With so many hiding spots outside, is mine the safest?”
“Yours is ready and available.”
“…Then why did you call me?”
Hedgehog answered as if it were obvious: “This is your mission. Shouldn’t you be in charge?”
“…” Xiao Zhenyun was momentarily speechless. He glanced at the two brothers on the couch: Duan Fei, sitting sternly and coldly on the left, and Duan Pei, trying to look carefree on the right.
“Do you even know,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, almost inaudible, “that Duan Fei knows me, and I can’t let anyone know my whereabouts these few years?”
Thanks to Hedgehog’s excellent hearing as a Dark Sentinel, he had no trouble understanding him. “I know, I know, that’s why I disguised you, right?”
This guy seemed oblivious to the seriousness of the situation… but Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t explain it to him.
“It still looks somewhat like me.” He glanced at his reflection in the window; His eyes were unaltered, their unusual misty blue color unmasked. Then Xiao Zhenyun remembered something, “And Si Di even called me by name in front of Duan Pei.”
“Just say your real name is Shu Zhenyun, so Si Di calls you Xiao Shu1‘Xiao Shu’ translates to ‘little uncle’. or Zhenyun.”
“…”
On the other side of the room, Duan Fei spoke first. He sat there like a cold, silent statue, lowering the temperature of the surrounding area by five degrees just by being there. He turned to Duan Pei, expressionless yet icy, and asked, “How’s the tumor in your head? Why didn’t you tell us earlier that you were sick?”
This should be a form of concern, Xiao Zhenyun guessed, though Duan Fei’s tone sounded more like a stern superior questioning a subordinate for wrongdoing—still, he was the younger brother, fiercely questioning his older brother.
“It’s nothing, not important at all. What’s there to say?” Duan Pei’s expression was one Xiao Zhenyun had never seen before, completely different from his demeanor in the car or in front of Harold Xiu. Now, Duan Pei looked like a self-exiled wanderer, with drooping eyes, a disdainful smile, and a slouched posture on the sofa.
Acting all nonchalant and claiming a terminal illness was ‘not important’ would make even his grandfather, the Commander, want to break his ribs, let alone Xiao Zhenyun, who glanced over more than once, tempted to give him a kick.
Unsurprisingly, Duan Fei, accustomed to his role as an officer, couldn’t tolerate Duan Pei’s current attitude either. His brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a mosquito. “Not important? Your brain isn’t important? How big is the tumor now, and is it growing quickly?”
“Just a minor issue, no big deal,” Duan Pei scooted closer to Duan Fei. “Where’s your little girlfriend? Lily or something, why isn’t she here?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Duan Fei replied expressionlessly, probably irritated as his words came out harsher than intended, “And besides, you don’t seem like someone worth her time.”
Duan Pei didn’t seem bothered, chuckling before reclining back to his original position. But he had no reason to be bothered. From Xiao Zhenyun’s perspective, being sarcastically taunted by his younger brother without mercy was simply what this man brought upon himself.
So troublesome… Xiao Zhenyun felt weary, not wanting to deal with these tangled family issues.
The two brothers seemed to despise each other, naturally shifting their attention to the other two in the room, coincidentally just as they finished their whispered conversation and turned to meet their gaze.
“Hello,” Duan Fei spoke first, standing up to salute, “Thank you very much for your help.”
Duan Pei also greeted Xiao Zhenyun politely, “Nice to see you again, kind guide… I still don’t know your name?”
Hearing the word ‘guide,’ Duan Fei’s eyes noticeably flickered, his observing gaze focusing more on Xiao Zhenyun, scrutinizing his figure closely.
With no cold to mask his voice, Xiao Zhenyun kept it short and cool, “My name is Shu.”
“So, Mr. Shu… and the sentinel with the black wolf’s spiritual body, he’s not here today?” Just mocked by his own brother as unworthy of a meeting, Duan Pei, despite trying to maintain a carefree demeanor, probably felt hurt inside, because after this casual remark slipped out, he immediately explained, “I didn’t mean anything else, I just heard that marked sentinels and guides are always inseparable. I assumed you two were a pair?”
The term ‘Black Wolf’ was obviously another crucial keyword to consider, and if Duan Fei had cat ears on top of his head, they should be standing upright right now.
Xiao Zhenyun, with a headache, averted his gaze. “…Our relationship is very complicated… Let’s just say we’re not a pair.”
“The sentinel with the black wolf’s spiritual body?” Duan Fei turned to look at Duan Pei. “Is it the one with the heterochromatic face?”
Xiao Zhenyun’s brain, operating at lightning speed, almost emitted an overload of noise. Meanwhile, Hedgehog, standing beside him, innocently sipped his drink.
The guillotine fell swiftly, sparing Xiao Zhenyun from extra pain—Duan Fei nodded immediately after Duan Pei’s question. “Yes, do you know him?”
“Captain Si Di.” There might be other black wolf sentinels, but the one with heterochromatic eyes was unique in the world. Duan Fei’s eyes burned as he looked at Xiao Zhenyun. Even his usually stoic face lit up with surprise. “You’re Chairman Xiao Zhenyun?”
Xiao Zhenyun felt even more distressed now, with Xiao Nian’s roar echoing in his ears from all directions…
Hedgehog pulled out a handful of melon seeds from his pocket and started munching away, looking utterly carefree. Xiao Zhenyun felt that if he were to tell him the truth right now, like if his identity were exposed, it would lead to doomsday. He feared that the mischievous Hedgehog would get even more enthusiastic about munching on melon seeds.
“More than one person has said we look alike,” Xiao Zhenyun calmly removed his mask, “but I’m sorry, I’m not.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“No problem.”
After a full five seconds passed since the end of this conversation, Duan Fei finally realized something was off:
Xiao Zhenyun’s disappearance for nearly a year + a guide resembling Xiao Zhenyun appearing beside Captain Si Di + Duan Pei, who witnessed the interaction between the two, and thought they were a couple = Captain Si Di, feeling lonely and lovesick, found a substitute.
Duan Fei: “…”
Could such a mess occur in the sentinel-guide community, universally recognized for its pure and unwavering love?
“Xiao Zhenyun… Chairman, who is he?” Duan Pei asked in confusion.
Duan Fei’s expression was somewhat strange, momentarily unsure how to answer. Instead, it was Hedgehog who quickly replied, “The guide of the Black Wolf.”
“The Black Wolf is that… ah…” Duan Pei finally caught on. The myriad expressions on his face seemed like he was mentally slapping himself, scolding himself for being too talkative, for blabbering on.
The atmosphere became even more awkward.
Perhaps due to the restraint of the two brothers from the Duan family, the black-haired guide at the center of the storm remained completely calm. If everyone feels awkward, then the most awkward person won’t be me. He casually took a seat and crossed his legs, calmly saying, “Sit down, let’s talk about what’s next.”
Duan Pei seized this thrown topic to quickly divert everyone’s attention. “I’m going back to find Harold.”
Xiao Zhenyun and Hedgehog weren’t surprised by this answer. Hedgehog even seized the opportunity to solicit business. “The old man won’t let you off easily. Give me this amount, and I’ll ensure your safety and reunion with your master, plus I’ll help you buy plane tickets and provide airport transfer services.”
“That’s too expensive. I’m a regular customer. Give me a discount.”
“What regular customer? Your last deal was with… Guide Shu. My previous employer was your grandfather.” Hedgehog flattened the bottle, “So, from now on, I’ll give you a discount on your orders. How about that?”
“You…”
“Duan Pei.” Duan Fei suddenly erupted, interrupting their conversation. “What exactly do you want to do?! I defied Grandfather to rescue you, not to let you go back and fool around with others again!”
“Then you might as well send me back.” Duan Pei’s face also turned cold. “Anyway, I won’t live much longer. Even if I’m locked up until death, it won’t take many days.”
“You’re dying soon, so you’re giving up on yourself? You don’t care about life because you don’t have much time left?!” Duan Fei’s emotions were unusually intense, whether it was because Duan Pei’s words touched a sore spot or not, Duan Fei even stood up abruptly, like an angry lion, speaking without restraint, “Duan Pei, if you want to make your presence known at home, I can only say you’re using the wrong method.”
“Make my presence known? What presence do I have? I’m inferior to you in every aspect. I admit it, what’s there to deny? So what? You feel great, don’t you? You’re so proud of yourself.”
Duan Fei said coldly, “I never felt this way before, but now, based on your attitude of using your own life to retaliate against your family, I look down on you. You wouldn’t understand, some people, even in the last moment of their lives, will do everything to protect others, but you…”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t know, I’m not that noble, I’m not that selfless, I’m just a lowly person. I just want to do things I like in the final moments of my life, is that not allowed?” Duan Pei’s emotions collapsed. “I’ve lived like a monk, trembling with fear for thirty years. My honor, my pride, all wiped out by you. It’s my fault for being inferior in skill, I can’t blame anyone else. I just want to die happily. Is that not allowed? Why can’t I live the life I want most at the end of my life?”
His chest heaved wildly, the more he roared, the more aggrieved he felt, releasing years of dissatisfaction and resentment through his hoarse screams.
This time, Duan Fei didn’t immediately refute him. Instead, he quietly gazed at the person in front of him until Duan Pei closed his eyes, sat down, turned his face to the side with red-rimmed eyes. Only then did Duan Fei take a deep breath. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Duan Pei looked up at him angrily. “Is it your turn to educate me on what I truly want? I’ve always enjoyed being controlled by others, enjoying kneeling down to kiss the tips of others’ shoes, it’s a quirk I’ve had since birth. Is that not allowed? Is it unreasonable?”