Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 551 Three Parties
Chen Shaodong stared intently at the memory card in his hand.

The more he tried and the more anxious he became during the investigation, the more damaging Ai Liang's words were to him.

Chen Shaodong believed that the hermit needed this information, so he planned to take this opportunity to make some demands.

But who would have thought that the Hermits didn't care about their investigation progress at all; they were just bait thrown out, with the sole purpose of making Lydia reveal her true colors.

It doesn't matter if they're just dawdling.

It's enough for Lydia to know that someone is investigating the deceased and that the investigation has reached her.

"So you've fooled us all."

A sudden thought flashed through Chen Shaodong's mind, and a wave of fear washed over him: "There wasn't any bomb from the beginning, right?"

Chen Shaodong now wishes Ai Liang had really planted a bomb.

But the reality is cruel.

“No, the bomb was just an excuse to motivate you. Although it would have been enough to alert Lydia, I still hope that the process could be shortened.”

Ai Liang thoughtfully explained the specific reasons.

Chen Shaodong's mental state was completely broken.

"So in the less than half an hour we met, you had already seen through all my thoughts and personality, right?"

Chen Shaodong gripped the memory card tightly, his tone tinged with despair: "From the moment I heard about the bomb, I was already under your control. Everything was done according to your will."

For Chen Shaodong, the pain of having his personality exposed and exploited was more painful than the physical suffering.

The most terrifying thing is when someone silently manipulates others to do things for them, and the person involved doesn't even realize it's their own idea.

"If it's not according to my will, then it's your will. I was just using you. After all, everyone is free to do whatever they want."

Ai Liang gave an example to describe this: "It's like a train is also free, but as long as I lay the tracks, it will still move in the direction I want."

FNNNDP! Is that what you call freedom?
Chen Shaodong suppressed the urge to curse, trying to save face: "Aren't you afraid I'll report your situation to the police right now?"

Ai Liang said nonchalantly, "Of course you can notify me. I'll take the time to break your limbs when I have time in the future."

I have to say that those words were very hurtful.

Even taking revenge on someone requires finding the time and going out of your way, which shows that Ai Liang doesn't take people seriously at all.

Faced with such arrogant words, Chen Shaodong had something to say.

Before he could even speak, Ai Liang hung up the phone.

Ai Liang had her own things to do and didn't have time to chat with him.

After transferring the remaining money via cryptocurrency, Ai Liang put away her phone and left the breakfast shop.

........................

The teaching building of Qianhua Experimental Middle School.

The school's final exams are not used for multi-school joint exams; only two subjects are tested per day.

Two exams in the morning and two in the afternoon; the final exams were over quickly.

The students in the advanced class were jubilant, stuffing their books into their lockers in preparation for winter break.

The situation is similar in the top-performing classes.

They were just more excited than the students in the direct-admission class, and many of them were shouting excitedly.

Although we still have a class meeting tonight, the winter vacation will officially begin after the class meeting.

I've endured half a year already, one more night won't make a difference.

Ai Liang calmly stuffed her pencil case into the locker, then walked out of the classroom with the novel in her hand.

Just as she reached the top of the stairs, two delicate hands landed on Ai Liang's shoulders.

Why are you running so fast?

Ye Qing held Ai Liang down and forcibly turned him around: "You haven't come home to cook for several nights in a row. You're not going out to play tonight, are you?"

"No, I'm planning to go to the supermarket to buy some fruit," Ai Liang explained.

Ye Qing stared at Ai Liang without blinking.

After a long pause, he slowly asked, "...You haven't been deliberately avoiding me these past few days, have you?"

It's no wonder Ye Qing thought that way.

Ever since Ye Qing spent the night at Ai Liang's house, Ai Liang has been away from home for two consecutive days, only returning home to sleep at night.

After school started, he would run outside as soon as school was over and never go home, as if he was deliberately avoiding someone.

Ye Qing didn't say anything, but she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

It was as if their relationship had been ruined by his embrace that night.

Having reverted to his original form, Ai Liang naturally noticed Ye Qing's unease. He raised his hand and gently patted Ye Qing's head.

"No, I've just been busy with something these past few days," Ai Liang said softly.

"What is it?" Ye Qing asked, her head lowered.
However, Ai Liang kept it a secret: "You'll find out later."

Ye Qing squinted and rubbed Ai Liang's palm: "Couldn't you have told me now, instead of later..."

I might not be around anymore in the future.

Ye Qing didn't voice the second half of her thoughts.

But Ye Qing didn't press further. Since Ai Liang didn't want to talk about it, there was no need to force her to.

"I happen to be off today, let's go to the fruit shop together in a bit."

Ye Qing suggested with a smile.

“Mm,” Ai Liang replied.

"Cough! Cough! Cough cough cough!"

A deliberately loud cough came from beside the two of them.

Yi Wenna, with her hair tied in a side ponytail, glared at the two of them with an unfriendly expression, or rather, at Ai Liang's hand that was placed on Ye Qing's head.

She walked naturally to the two of them, took Ye Qing's hand, and pulled her away from Ai Liang's grasp.

"Ai Liang, you're probably still going out today. Xiao Qing and I will go to the cafeteria for lunch first..."

"Ah Liang has finished her business. She'll go home and cook dinner tonight."

Ye Qing smiled and brushed Yi Wenna's hand away, then raised her hand and scratched her cheek with her fingertips: "Weren't we almost out of fruit at home? We were just discussing where to buy more."

"Eek~~" Yi Wenna hissed.

Why put your hands on your head when discussing where to buy fruit?

If we talk about something else, does that mean we have to hug each other and go to bed?
Yi Wenna looked at Ye Qing with a resentful gaze, and her expression made Ye Qing feel embarrassed.

I thought Ai Liang was deliberately avoiding Ye Qing by not being home these past few days, but now it seems that not only was Ye Qing wrong, but I was wrong too.

The relationship between these two has not entered any so-called avoidance period at all!
Yi Wenna had finally enjoyed a few days of alone time with her boyfriend, but judging from the current situation, she was afraid she would become a third wheel again.

"Alright, alright, let's hurry back. Today is the start of winter break. Be careful, the streets will be packed with people and you won't be able to move in a minute."

Ye Qing quickly changed the subject and asked, "What should we buy later? Pomelos or pears?"

Yi Wenna thought for a moment and said, "I want to eat dragon fruit."

Ye Qing was speechless at this answer: "...I think you just want to have fun. Every time you eat dragon fruit, you like to use a toothpick to pick out the seeds. It takes you half an hour."

"Can't I just like seedless dragon fruit?" Yi Wenna retorted stubbornly.

Recently, Yi Wenna has been under a lot of pressure preparing for her final exams.

Just like some boys who, after a long holiday, will go to an internet cafe for two days and two nights.

Picking dragon fruit seeds with toothpicks or needles is actually a way for Ivanna to release stress.

The three walked and talked, while on the other side, Zhu Lan and Du Wei met at the entrance of a self-service restaurant.

........................

After buying their tickets, Zhu Lan and Du Wei were led by a waiter to a secluded corner.

The two didn't ask for a private room, since Dewey was there anyway.

If Dewey were to use his supernatural abilities to influence the people around him even slightly, no one would care about the conversation taking place in this corner.

Although the two live in the same city and even neighboring counties, today is their first formal meeting in nearly two years.

"Should I say 'Long time no see' at a time like this?"

Dewey looked at Zhu Lan, who was putting potato and lotus root slices into the hot pot, and said.

"We haven't seen each other for a long time. It's your fault for not choosing a place closer to me when you forged your identity."

After finishing the vegetarian dishes, Zhu Lan picked up a plate of mutton rolls.

Instead of eating one thing at a time with chopsticks, she prefers to dump all the ingredients into the pot at once in a buffet restaurant.

"Speak up. Whatever it is, we must talk in person. You don't seem to have anything important to say."

Dewey hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you still single?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lan looked wary: "What, are you interested in me? Let me tell you, there's no way we can be together. I just want to find an ordinary, good man to settle down with."

Who is interested in you?

Dewey couldn't help but retort, but seeing Zhu Lan staring at him, he looked away and added, "Even if there were, that's in the past. I just found a girlfriend recently."

Zhu Lan looked away and started grilling the meat: "Oh, congratulations then, so you just came to me to show off your love?"

Do you think that's possible?

Dewey took a deep breath and said, "I recently encountered a hermit."

Zhu Lan's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the barbecue tongs into the hot pot: "Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure, but I can't even resist him when I'm facing him."

Dewey gave a wry smile: "Apart from DX818A, none of us have any combat power. It doesn't matter whether that person is a hermit or not."

Because whether he's an Apostle or a Fusion Warrior, it makes no difference to us; he's definitely not someone we can afford to mess with.

"Get to the point, what does he want from you?"

Zhu Lan couldn't care less about grilling meat at this point.

“He knew who we were and said he wanted to talk to some of us. After I gave him Bloom and Lydia’s emergency contact numbers, he disappeared.”

At this point, Dewey asked Zhu Lan, "Since he wants to find one of us but is unsure of that person's location, he will definitely ask several people."

Even if he didn't know you had everyone's contact information, we're so close, he should have asked you if you'd seen him.

Zhu Lan remained silent in the face of Dewey's question.

She had never heard of this at all.

Just by looking at Zhu Lan's expression, you can tell that the hermit definitely didn't go looking for her.

Dewey muttered to himself, "That doesn't make sense. There are only a few of us. I thought he went to find you first..."

Zhu Lan interrupted Dewey and asked, "Do you know what his specific purpose is?"

Dewey shrugged: "If I knew, I wouldn't have come to ask you. It's because his purpose is unclear and he has the ability to find me that I came to you for advice."

I've finally started a new life, and I don't want to live in constant fear from now on.

Dewey's idea was reasonable.

Even if you retire to seclusion, people will still come knocking on your door; no one would feel at ease with that.

Zhu Lan shook her head: "I don't know either, I've never even met the person you're talking about."

If he really is a hermit, why would someone like him, who stands at the top of all major powers, seek out small fry like us?
I don't think there's anything about us that would make the other person notice us, except..."

Zhu Lan didn't finish her sentence.

But Dewey chimed in, "You mean he's looking for the DX818A?"

Zhu Lan corrected him with an unfriendly expression: "Call her by her name."

Dewey shrugged indifferently: "Come on, I know very well where it comes from. You're the only one among us who would see that bizarre monster as a human being."

Don't forget that when you were dealing with the Haixin Society's pursuers, the berserk DX818A pierced your stomach with its claws.

Memories of the past flooded back, and Zhu Lan subconsciously touched her stomach.

Then, calmly, she said, "That's in the past. She's settled down now and is no different from an ordinary person."

"That's how you see it."

Dewey shook his head and expressed his opinion: "No matter how docile a lion may appear in front of ordinary people, once you have seen it tearing apart its prey, it is difficult to regard it as a pet."

Since we were completely separated and went to various parts of Asia Union, only you have stayed by DX818A's side. Over time, you will naturally regard Him as a companion.

But I have never seen Him, nor have I ever known Him. Even if you say that He is no different from an ordinary person now, I cannot believe it. Moreover, I know what He is made of.

I am different from you. You are a researcher, and I am a combatant. For someone like me, even the strange things inside my body are a source of fear.

Therefore, I may never be able to accept a truly bizarre being as an ordinary person.

Besides, even you are sometimes afraid of Him, aren't you?

Dewey spoke very bluntly, but from his perspective, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he said.

Zhu Lan couldn't refute it, nor could she force him to change his form of address, because that would be pointless.

The atmosphere of old friends meeting again vanished completely at this moment.

Even when the ribs on the barbecue paper started to smell burnt, nobody cared.

In the end, Dewey took the initiative to change the subject: "Forget it, I didn't come to you to talk about this. Haixin Society has sent a lot of people this time."

Even Chuck Battier is here; it's only a matter of time before they send in fusion warriors. They must have crucial clues about our whereabouts. What are your plans for dealing with this crisis?

Zhu Lan picked up the tongs and threw the burnt roast meat into the trash can: "What can we do? Keep running away, change to a fake identity and start a new life."

(End of this chapter)