After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 20 He Lin
A long shadow was cast by the window at the end of the corridor, and the reflection of a person moving slightly was seen in the glass.

As soon as He Lin left the ward, she bumped into Director Cheng walking around the corner.

"How is it?" Director Cheng asked, his voice low. "She still hasn't said anything?"

He Lin nodded slightly, her brows furrowing slightly: "She is emotionally stable, but she resists communication. I think it's not that she can't speak, but rather... she's afraid to speak."

Director Cheng paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you think she's hiding?"

“…I’m not sure.” He Lin looked at the closed ward door at the end of the corridor and said in a deep voice, “She is still young, has just experienced a mysterious event that nearly wiped out the entire group, and has an ordinary background. It is normal for her to have an emotional breakdown or choose to remain silent. Don’t pressure her. I hope the Special Service can give her more time.”

Director Cheng looked at her face, then suddenly nodded, his tone softening slightly: "Of course. We are not an organization completely devoid of humanity. The bureau will not force her to confess, especially without evidence that she is a carrier of the supernatural."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the light outside the window: "I'm more worried about you."

He Lin was slightly taken aback, then raised an eyebrow: "Worried about me?"

Director Cheng glanced at her, his tone softening with a touch of gentle reassurance: "He Lin, you don't need to force yourself. As for 001... nobody thinks you're alright."

The affection between them is obvious to anyone with eyes.

He Lin didn't speak, but just smiled lightly, a smile so faint it was almost unreal: "We should have been prepared for sacrifices a long time ago."

She turned and leaned against the window, her back to Director Cheng, and said in a low voice, "From the day I received the training to hold the lamp, I knew that one day he or I would fall first."

"But you're still sad, aren't you?" Director Cheng said in a low voice.

She didn't deny it, she just nodded.

"Don't worry," He Lin said softly, almost in a murmur, "I can handle it."

Director Cheng didn't say anything more, only saying, "If you need to take time off, report to your superiors immediately."

He Lin smiled slightly: "It's not the right time yet."

"Okay." Director Cheng looked at her, paused for a moment, and said, "I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the corridor returned to silence.

He Lin stood by the window for a long time, as if waiting for some emotion to slowly rise up.

Instead of walking back, she slowly sat down on the empty chair at the end of the corridor.

There was no one around, and the light was as pale as snow.

She lowered her head and buried her face in her hands.

Still couldn't help it.

Tears streamed down my palms silently, without a sound or a sob, yet they flowed uncontrollably.

Like a rainstorm without warning.

She remembered the first time she met 001 was at the training ground in the early days of the Lighthouse Bureau.

Everyone was young, dressed in matching black combat uniforms, with clear eyes and faces filled with resentment and longing.

She has always been competitive and always wanted to be number one in everything she did, but Luo Chuan took that spot from her.

She was unconvinced at the time.

"Why are you 001?"

When she asked him that question, he didn't answer. He just walked past her and patted her shoulder cheerfully: "You can try to surpass me."

She never forgot those words.

From that day on, she began to live the number "002" as a shadow of "001".

She's been chasing after it.

She kept thinking that maybe one day she could catch up with him and walk alongside him, instead of always watching him walk ahead of her.

They fought side by side many times.

Once, in an old subway tunnel beneath the city, the eerie magnetic field was extremely dangerous. She stepped into the wreckage and broke her ankle. While everyone else was retreating, he carried her on his back and crossed the entire out-of-control area.

He didn't say anything, only one sentence: "Hang in there."

Later she asked, "Weren't you afraid of dying back then?"

He said, "I'm afraid. But I'll be even more afraid if you die."

She laughed it off as a joke at the time. But now, those words, "I'll be even more afraid," are like hammer blows, relentlessly striking her heart.

He still walked ahead of her.

But this time, there was no catching up. The tears slowly stopped.

He Lin raised her head, her eyes still wet, but her gaze had regained its composure.

She took out the pendant she wore on her chest; it was a numbered necklace unique to early members of the Lighthouse, with "002" engraved on the thin metal plate—it was hers.

The other numbered tag, "001," was found by her personally within the magnetic field three days earlier, while he was completely dead, leaving only this one behind.

She carried it with her and never returned it.

The two were both intelligent enough to understand the depth of their feelings for each other.

However, precisely because they were both intelligent, the two tacitly refrained from revealing their true intentions.

At this point, what's the point of talking about petty love and affection? Even if they were together, if one of them died, the other would only suffer more.

It can also easily affect oneself.

He Lin has bigger ambitions, so she doesn't allow these emotions to hold her back as she moves toward her goals.

Anyone is, including 001.

He gently pinched the small piece of metal, his gaze hardening again after a moment of hesitation.

She wanted to know what 001 was thinking before he died.

He pinned his hopes on An Jing not out of impulse, but because he believed in her.

He believed that the girl was someone he could entrust his life to.

He Lin stood up and straightened her clothes.

She will continue to stand guard outside this ward, not just for the investigation, not just for the bureau's mission.

It was because she had to carry out this task on behalf of 001 and all the dead.

She won't cry a second time.

at the same time.

In the ward.

An Jing remained seated on the bed, motionless.

Like a ghost, I can never get rid of it.

"...Do you think I should say it?" she asked softly.

The system paused for a moment before saying, "This is your own decision."

"Aren't you afraid that others will find out you exist?" Her voice was terribly hoarse. "Shouldn't you have stopped me?"

This time, the system didn't refute, but remained silent for even longer: "The decision is yours. If you insist on saying it, there's nothing I can do."

An Jing smiled wryly: "Your system is quite honest."

But some of them are willing to believe you. Like 002.

"She believes in 001, right?"

Perhaps, but what's the difference?

An Jing lowered her head, her gaze fixed on her palm.

There was a small, new crack on her palm, which she had unconsciously torn when she gripped the bedding tightly.

She suddenly felt like a broken glass jar, shattered and cracked, afraid that anyone who touched it would shatter it into pieces again.

"Fine, I'll just end it all, system."

What kind of talk is that?

"By the way, why did you suddenly ask me to use that blank card? Didn't you say you didn't know what it was for?"

I suddenly remembered it then.

"...Is there a chance to draw cards?"

"There are five chances, do you want to try?"

"I'll save them up; I can't do without a safety net of luck."

I think you're lucky.

(End of this chapter)