“The other Xing Chuan wouldn"t have slept, but looked at the opening and worried about it,” I chuckled and said.
He was stunned. He turned to look at me, “Does he lack a sense of security?”
I was stunned. I was surprised that this Xing Chuan revealed it just like that. I didn"t know if it was a lucky guess, or it was because of the genes.
“He lacks a sense of security. But he would be worried about the opening because he has a higher alert than you do,” I looked up at the Xing Chuan. “You are exposed. If the Ghost Eclipsers were to find out about you, you wouldn"t be as confident and at ease, as you are now.”
“We have a defense system!” He immediately emphasized, “We are not as weak as you see us. Our weapon isn"t far behind.”
“I used to think that there was nothing amazing about metahumans, but I realized that I was wrong when I saw them. I hope you don"t get discovered by the Ghost Eclipsers.” I stared into his clear black eyes solemnly. I was telling him that I wasn"t joking.
He frowned a little and locked his gaze with me for a very long time. He didn"t become alert because of what I said, nor did he take what I said seriously. He shared many similarities with the other Xing Chuan. For instance, their confidence.
He blinked and looked down with a faint smile. “But thank you for warning us and training us.” When he lowered his head and smiled, he wore a bashful expression just like Elena"s. The people here did share similar characteristics. Just like Elena had mentioned before, they had to maintain decorum. Hence, he and Elena were more like siblings.
I suddenly recalled what the other Xing Chuan had said. He had mentioned that he would marry Elena, but he wasn"t sure if it was love.
“I"m glad that I get to talk to you like this today. You always stay away from us.” He frowned. The sky turned dim under the moonlight, “I hope that you can blend in with us and be willing to befriend us. Everyone here knows that you are Luo Bing, but you can hardly call them by their names.”
My heart clenched. I felt guilty as he said that gently. Everyone in Hagrid Island was working hard to accept me, but I kept my distance from them.
I creased my eyebrows. Then, I picked up my shoes and socks before I got up, “We shouldn"t have feelings between us!”
“Why not?” He looked at me with a confused look, “Can"t we like each other?”
I was stunned, and so was he.
Under the silent moonlight, I could hear the water splas.h.i.+ng. The rippling water surface reflected his blus.h.i.+ng face. He quickly stood up to explain himself, “I meant you and us. I meant everyone.” He felt awkward.
“I know!” I raised my hand and cut him off. I looked to the side and said, “It"s my problem. I"m worried that I will develop feelings for all of you and loath to part with you when it" time for me to leave.”
“Isn"t it great if you don"t want to leave?!” He suddenly took giant strides towards me. He stepped in the water and stirred vigorous ripples. He held my arm and looked at me. “Stay here. You know that everyone likes you. Although Ah Long and the other guys refused to submit to you, they now understand why you are training them this seriously.”
“Who is Ah Long?” I looked at him suspiciously. He sighed and complained, “Look, you spent almost a year with us, but you don"t even know Ah Long and the other guys. You see them every day. How many of them can you call by their names?”
“It"s enough that I know you.”
“You know me because of the other me!” He wore a complicated expression as though he was holding something back, yet he looked happy.
I looked at his hand that was holding my arm, “When are you going to let go of my arm?”
He was stunned when he looked at his hand. He immediately let go of my arm and blushed. He seemed annoyed. There was immaturity and shyness across his face that the other Xing Chuan didn"t have.
The other Xing Chuan absolutely wouldn"t feel shy when holding my arm! Instead, he would pull me closer to him, pressing me below his body.
I turned around and creased my eyebrows. “You don"t understand. I plan to leave this place, not because I don"t see all of you as my friends, or you are Xing Chuan; but because the peace, comfort, and innocence here would affect me! It would make me lose the will to fight!”
“Luo Bing, you are a girl. The outside war is not suitable for you. If we can let you put down your gun and avoid the war, isn"t it great?” He looked at me with concern.
However, I became angry because of what he said.
I pointed outside. “You can think that the fighting and killing in the outside world are wrong, and it"s are not related to you! However, I must fight and kill. I am a soldier! I am a warrior! If everyone starts thinking that the outside world has nothing to do with them, the outside world has no future. The Ghost Eclipsers will forever conquer it! How long do you think Hagrid Island can stay hidden from the enemy? If you are genuinely kind and loving, why didn"t you open up the island to the people in the outside world and let them come in?!”
Xing Chuan was stunned.
I took a deep breath to help myself regain my calmness. “Xing Chuan, you are hiding here because you are afraid of death.”
Xing Chuan"s eyes began to lose focus under the moonlight.
“But, you don"t have to feel ashamed about it because I fear death too. Noah City that I used to live in is the same as you here. They are hidden underground because they are afraid to die. You are living in Hagrid Island…” I pointed at Hagrid Island, “But there is an outside world beyond Hagrid Island after all. Hence, you are the same as the people who are hiding outside. However, if you have the power to change this so that everyone can stop hiding, stop being afraid of death. Stop living in this peaceful and innocent happiness under the sunlight. You are truly a coward by refusing to fight. Hence, I want to join the fight to work alongside the people who strived hard to change the world. We don"t want anyone else to die in front of us like how our loved ones did!”
Xing Chuan became quiet. In the chaotic world where people only care about themselves, you don"t need to enforce your n.o.ble selflessness on them because you have no guarantee who will die with you.
I no longer spoke and bent down to put on my shoes.
“Let me do it,” he said gently as he walked to the sh.o.r.e. He picked up my shoe and put it on me.
When my foot slid in, there was a familiar scene that played in my head. Back then, when Xing Chuan, He Lei, and I had broken out from the prisoner"s cage, it was Xing Chuan who had put shoes on for me. It was at that moment that his gentleness moved me. I had handed my trust entirely to him.