40: Chapter 40 Humble Xiao Qing (online)

Su Qing's room.

The curtains were drawn tight, and the small nightlight at the head of the bed cast a warm yellow glow.

Su Qing lay on the bed, her communicator pressed against her ear, her voice lowered to the absolute limit.

"Sister Ye, can you think of another way, please..."

On the other end of the phone, Ye Qingqiu's voice was cold enough to freeze.

"Su Qing, Night Owl has already arrived in Linhai. His partner, Abyssal Eye, is calibrating the detection frequency and will begin scanning the entire city by 9 AM at the latest. You are out of time."

Su Qing gulped.

"The Investigation Bureau's accountability letter has been upgraded to a formal wanted notice. The level has been raised from B to A."

Ye Qingqiu's tone held no hint of a joke. "Do you know what an A-class wanted notice means? It means Night Owl has the authority to detain you immediately upon confirming your identity, without needing any approval process."

Su Qing's face turned pale instantly.

"However—" Ye Qingqiu changed the subject,

"If Su Yun himself issues a letter of understanding to the Investigation Bureau, stating that Dark Blade's actions were a private prank between the two parties and caused no harm, the Investigation Bureau will have no legal basis to open a case based on a victim. The accountability letter will be automatically voided."

Su Qing fell silent.

"Moreover, as long as Su Yun is willing to speak up for Dark Blade, the Sanctuary will have no reason to make trouble. After all, their core demand is to seek justice for that child. If the involved party has already forgiven her, they can't be more proactive than the victim."

Ye Qingqiu paused for a beat.

"If you can handle this, I will lend you that s-class sequencing weapon from the organization's vault. With it on you, Abyssal Eye won't be able to scan through your spiritual energy signature. You will be able to safely dodge this dragnet screening."

s-class sequencing weapon.

Su Qing's breath hitched for a moment.

She had coveted that thing for a long time, but Ye Qingqiu never agreed.

Now she was actually using it as a bargaining chip.

But what was the cost?

Asking her bastard older brother to forgive her.

Su Qing gripped the communicator, looking conflicted, as if solving a math problem harder than any she'd ever faced.

"...Fine."

Three words squeezed out from between her teeth, each one dripping with blood.

The communicator hung up.

Su Qing sat up and took a deep breath.

No choice, go for it.

She jumped off the bed and shuffled in her slippers to the bedroom door.

Her hand rested on the doorknob, and she paused.

The hallway was quiet.

Su Qing's gaze fell on her own shadow on the door panel.

As an Awakened of the Shadow type, she could sense biological activity within a certain range through shadows.

Earlier, she had noticed that her second brother, Su Yun, had entered her eldest brother, Su Chen's room, and neither had come out.

What could they be whispering about for so long in the room? Surely not skincare products.

Or did the second brother start using his passive charm ability?

Did he want to drag the eldest brother into this too?

No!

Absolutely not!

Go.

Must go.

Since she had to find Su Yun anyway, she might as well listen to what they were saying, get some intelligence, and gain the upper hand in the upcoming negotiation.

Su Qing turned the knob, her footsteps light as air.

She moved along the wall, stepping on the grout lines of the floor tiles to avoid making any noise.

Three seconds later, she stood silently outside Su Chen's bedroom.

She pressed her ear against the door panel.

There was faint talking inside, but it wasn't very clear...

Su Qing frowned and pressed her ear harder.

...

Inside the room.

Su Chen's gaze suddenly turned toward the door.

His spiritual energy perception had caught the extremely weak breathing fluctuations outside a second ago.

Someone was eavesdropping.

Su Chen's right hand silently reached behind his waist, water-type spiritual energy condensing into a transparent water needle in his palm.

Su Yun simultaneously activated the Foolish Eye.

His line of sight penetrated the solid wood door, and Su Qing's head, wearing a cooling patch, came into view.

She was squatting at the door in an extremely ungraceful posture, left ear pressed to the door, right hand holding a slipper, ready to pretend she was just passing by if discovered.

Su Yun almost lost his composure.

He signaled Su Chen slightly, indicating it wasn't an outsider.

Su Chen quickly put away the mask, flipped his wrist to stuff it under the pillow, and flicked his finger, causing the water-blue soundproof light film on the window glass to dissipate silently.

The corners of Su Yun's mouth curled up.

He lowered his voice, speaking to Su Chen at a volume intentionally just loud enough for the person outside to hear:

"Big Brother, did you know, actually, little Qing is a Cybertronian."

Su Chen: "???"

Outside the door.

Su Qing was straining her ears to catch every syllable.

Cybertronian?

What was that?

Wait, wasn't Cybertron the robot home planet in Transformers?

This bastard was saying she was an alien robot?!

"Bang!"

The solid wood door was kicked open, hit the wall, bounced back, and was caught by Su Qing.

"Good for you, Su Yun! You're actually badmouthing me behind my back!"

Su Qing stood at the door, a cooling patch on her head, one slipper on her foot, holding the other, looking like an executioner ready to carry out a sentence.

Su Chen sat on the edge of the bed, his expression extremely complex.

He had been fully on guard, his spiritual energy ready, and was two seconds away from piercing the door with a water needle.

It turned out to be his own sister crouching behind the door.

That was close.

Almost turned his own sister into a sieve.

However, he immediately noticed something else.

Su Yun had only said one sentence "softly."

At that volume, a normal person couldn't possibly have heard it.

Yet Su Qing not only heard it but accurately identified the content and completed an emotional stress reaction in 0.3 seconds.

Su Chen glanced at Su Qing.

This reaction speed and auditory sensitivity were definitely not what an ordinary middle school girl should have.

The intuition of a veteran S-class powerhouse gave a conclusion on the spot: This girl is an Awakened.

He just didn't know what level.

Su Qing, unaware she had shown her hand in front of her big brother, rushed angrily to Su Yun, raising the slipper high.

"Alien? Who are you calling an alien? You're the alien! Your whole family is aliens!"

Su Yun lifted his eyelids to look at her.

"My whole family is indeed not very normal."

Su Qing choked.

She turned to look at Su Chen, grievance overflowing from her eyes.

"Big Brother, you're not going to manage him! He said I'm an alien!"

Su Chen rubbed his temples.

"Isn't it because you were eavesdropping at the door? Where does a child get so much curiosity?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping!" Su Qing denied it instantly. "I was passing by! I was just passing by to pick up my slipper!"

Su Yun pointed to the one on her left foot.

"You're wearing one, and holding one. Both are there. What are you picking up?"

Su Qing looked down.

Her face turned liver-colored.

Su Chen spoke at the right time, his tone gentle but unrefusable: "Alright, little Qing, I'm talking about serious business with little Yun. Go back to your room first."

Su Qing was anxious.

"Big Brother! I also have serious business with Su Yun! Extremely urgent business!"

Su Chen looked at her without speaking.

That look, Su Qing knew it too well. It was the big brother's exclusive "Are you sure?" expression.

Su Chen spoke, his voice still gentle.

"Little Qing, don't make trouble. Go back to your room and study."

He paused.

"Did you pass math this time?"

The air in the hallway froze.

Su Qing was like she was struck by lightning, frozen in place.

She slowly turned her head, staring daggers at Su Yun, her eyes full of killing intent.

"Su Yun—"

Su Qing's voice popped out word by word from between her teeth.

"It must be you. It must be you who goes around saying I failed math! How can a man be such a gossip!"

Su Yun spread his hands, looking extremely innocent.

"I didn't say anything."

Su Chen frowned, looked at Su Qing, and his tone changed.

"No, did you really fail the exam this time?"

Su Qing stopped talking.

Su Chen's frown tightened.

"Su Qing, are you really a child of our Old Su family? Four children, and only your grades are poor. Yaoyao is in the top ten of her grade, little Yun even has hope for Tsinghua or Peking University, I was in the key class back then too, and you—"

"Enough!" Su Qing's eyes were red, and she slammed the slipper on the ground. "Math has nothing to do with killing Strange Tales! Can reciting formulas kill Strange Tales!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Su Qing stiffened.

Killing Strange Tales.

She said killing Strange Tales.

In front of two "normal people."

The wall clock in the living room ticked.

Su Chen and Su Yun looked at her simultaneously.

Panic spread across Su Qing's face visibly.

"I... I was talking about a game! A mobile game! That mobile game about killing Strange Tales! It's very popular recently!"

Su Yun leaned back in his chair, the corners of his mouth curling into an extremely dangerous arc.

"Oh? What mobile game? What's its name?"

Su Qing opened her mouth.

She couldn't make up a name.

"That... just that..."

Su Qing had a flash of inspiration.

"I also want to become a Strange Tales investigator like Big Sister!"

Su Yun didn't press further. He stood up and patted his pant legs.

"Alright, Big Brother, let's talk about the serious business later. Since this Cybertronian has extremely urgent business to find me."

Su Yun walked to the door.

As he passed Su Qing, he paused, looking down at her.

"Speak, what is it?"

Su Qing clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

Her lips moved twice.

Some words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't get them out.

Su Yun looked at her expression, which looked like she was wishing she were dead, and guessed a bit.

"Let's go." Su Yun tilted his chin toward his room. "Go to my room and talk."

Su Qing followed, her footsteps heavy as if heading to the execution ground.

Su Chen sat on the edge of the bed, watching them leave.

The door closed.

He pulled the mask from under the pillow and took a look.

Four children in the Old Su family.

Eldest sister is in the Investigation Bureau.

Little brother is Night Owl.

Just now, little sister's "killing Strange Tales"...

Su Chen put the mask back in the secret compartment and closed the drawer.

He closed his eyes.

Is this family really not normal?

...

Su Yun's room.

The door was locked.

Su Qing stood at the door, hugging her arms, her lips pressed into a line, refusing to speak.

Su Yun sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, waiting slowly.

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Thirty seconds.

"Su Yun." Su Qing finally squeezed out a sound, her tone difficult, timid.

"Do you know someone named Dark Blade?"

Su Yun lifted his eyelids.

"That shorty who used me as a punching bag from ten thousand meters in the air?"

Su Qing's temple twitched.

"...Yes, that's her."

"I know her. What about it?"

Su Qing took a deep breath.

"She asked me to ask you—"

Su Qing's voice got smaller and faster, like a machine gun firing, pouring out the whole sentence.

"She said she didn't mean it at the time, she's very regretful, she wants to apologize to you, can you forgive her, and tell the Investigation Bureau to act like it never happened."

Finishing in one breath, Su Qing's face turned bright red, the tips of her ears burning.

There was silence in the room for three seconds.

Su Yun slowly sat up straight.

He stared at Su Qing, the arc of his mouth moving upward bit by bit.

That smile made Su Qing feel a chill down her spine.

"Interesting."

Su Yun's voice was light.

"A wanted criminal who almost dropped me to my death from ten thousand meters, not coming to apologize herself, but entrusting my own sister to pass the message?"

He tilted his head.

"Little Qing, what exactly is your relationship... with Dark Blade?"