AITAMITB Chapter 39

Twenty minutes later, Wang Junwu led a team of Night Watchers out of the woods.

Beside him was Wang Yan, whose arm was twisted by someone, and a metal ring similar to a dog chain was placed around his neck.

Unlike the arrogant laughter echoing in the valley, the eyes of this nineteen-year-old at the moment were filled with fear and confusion.

“Three dead, and we caught this one.”

After a busy night, Wang Junwu was exhausted.

He signaled his subordinates to take the captive away, clapped his hands, and said, “The operation is over, let’s disband.”

Zhao Xiaokui jumped out of the trunk.

Lin Bai felt a gust of wind passing by him.

Wang Junwu did notice Zhao Xiaokui’s arrival, but before he could stop her, she had already punched Wang Yan in the face.

Wang Yan was directly knocked to the ground, looking bewildered.

A moment later, the belated intense pain made his expression turn fierce. He stared at Zhao Xiaokui, his angry eyes seemingly capable of spewing flames. Like a fish on a chopping board, he struggled and roared, “I’ll kill you, kill you!”

The surroundings fell silent, time seemed to be paused, and everyone watched this scene, but no one stepped forward to stop her.

Zhao Xiaokui didn’t speak, just stared at him, exerting more force with each step on his face.

Wang Yan’s head sank little by little into the muddy ground that had recently been rained on. Tears and snot flowed together, and a choking sound came from his nostrils.

He was still very young, only nineteen.

Among the Night Watchers present, including Zhao Xiaokui, no one was younger than him.

The thunderous roar of the explosion and the painful moans of comrades still echoed in their ears. Watching this scene, no one felt pity, only a sense of satisfaction.

Some had red eyes and tightly clenched fists, wishing that the person trampling the other on the ground was themselves.

But what Zhao Xiaokui could do, they could not.

They were Night Watchers, disciplined military personnel.

At some point, rain began to fall from the sky.

Pitter-patter.

Raindrops hit their faces, cold and icy.

Wang Yan’s anger was gradually extinguished by the rain.

The earthy smell of mud and the scent of fallen leaves rushed into his nostrils one after another.

In an instant, boundless fear overwhelmed him.

“Worthless, why did I give birth to such a worthless person? I should have thrown you to the ground and smashed you to death in the delivery room!”

“A person like you is a waste of food when alive and a waste of land when dead. Even turning you into ashes would pollute the air!”

“You’re just garbage.”

Accusations from parents, mockery from relatives, disappointment from teachers…

No, I’m not worthless.

He reached out his hand and turned all these people into charcoal.

Before he could savor the satisfaction of revenge, the scene before him suddenly changed.

His mother was cooking noodles in the kitchen and loudly asked him, “Do you want one egg or two eggs?”

His father, with weathered and rough hands, handed him a stack of scattered money. “Borrowed some from your uncle, finally gathered enough. Remember to bring the tuition fee to the teacher this afternoon, don’t let them urge you.”

His newborn sister, just one-month-old, was in his arms, showing a sweet smile.

Wang Yan almost forgot that he was lying in the mud, with someone’s foot on his face.

He reached out his hand, wanting to poke his sister’s soft face. He knew how tender her skin would feel, like water.

However, before his hand could touch his sister’s chubby cheek, a fierce fire suddenly ignited from within him.

His mother in the kitchen, his father sitting on the sofa – flames erupted from their bodies.

But they seemed unaware of being engulfed in flames, their expressions unchanged. Only bits of burnt flesh continuously fell off their faces and bodies.

Waves of black smoke emanated from them, and in the blink of an eye, their features twisted, making it difficult to recognize their original faces.

Even so, their smiles remained as usual.

“Eat more meat to grow tall. Here’s a chicken leg for you.”

“Found you a job at the auto repair shop. Work hard for two years and learn some skills.”

“Brother…”

“No, no, no—”

Wang Yan desperately tried to stop the raging fire, wanting to preserve the beautiful scene before him.

It was futile.

But it was futile.

The flames that once obeyed his every command now completely ignored his summons.

They burned recklessly, consuming his loved ones and scorching his heart.

His lips trembled.

Regret came too late.

Zhao Xiaokui lifted her foot, releasing him. At this moment, Wang Yan was completely immersed in his own emotions, forgetting to resist.

Two Night Watchers approached, pulling him up from the ground.

As they got closer, they could hear what he was murmuring.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Hot tears rolled down from his eyes, and he trembled, repeatedly uttering the three words, “I’m sorry.”

But if apologies could undo what had been done, then what would be the need for the police?

Time couldn’t be reversed, no matter how many times he said sorry. Those he had caused harm to couldn’t come back to life.

“How does it feel to participate in a Night Walker operation for the first time?”

In the car, upon learning that the operation had concluded, Su Mingyue sent a message to Zhao Xiaokui.

“Tired.”

Almost falling asleep, Zhao Xiaokui, upon hearing the message alert, replied with half-closed eyes.

Tonight’s arrest operation saw significant contributions from Zhao Xiaokui. She was the first to spot the helicopter, and it was her water pillar that brought it down. Without her leading Lin Bai and Gou Rixin, bypassing the landmine field, capturing the suspect tonight might not have been so successful. Moreover, the potential losses for the Night Walkers could have been much greater.

Having heard about her achievements, Su Mingyue praised her extensively and asked, “Although the trial date hasn’t been set, it should be within this month. Would you like to come and see?”

Zhao Xiaokui asked, “Can I come to see?”

Su Mingyue replied, “Yes, if you join the Night Walkers, tonight’s operation will be credited to you.”

Zhao Xiaokui pursed her lips, “I’ll think about it.”

As she spoke about considering, she knew in her heart that she was already wavering.

She was a transmigrator.

And not just any transmigrator, but one who had lived in a parallel world for five years.

If it weren’t for those five years of experience, she might have been like the majority of ordinary people, chasing after fame, wealth, and status, spending a mediocre life.

But having witnessed the splendors of the parallel world and experienced the beauty of life’s transformations, how could she willingly squander her existence for worldly fame and fortune?

She closed her eyes.

Her thoughts were tangled.

The black convoy drove back along the return route, and on the distant horizon, a faint light silently appeared.

…

Shen Zhifei woke up from the darkness.

There was no trace of Zhao Xiaokui’s presence in the villa.

She belatedly sensed a faint feeling of being transmigrated.

She had another dream.

It was still scenes from the mermaid kingdom.

She didn’t wander around aimlessly but followed the mermaid girl with a golden fishtail.

She watched her being mocked, saw her fighting back desperately, witnessed her hysteria, and also observed her silent cries in the darkness.

Upon waking up, that suffocating pain seemed to linger in her heart.

She wanted to convince herself that none of it was real, but it wasn’t easy.

Whether it was the frowning brows when she disliked the food or the trembling little finger when she was sad, everything told her clearly—

This was Zhao Xiaokui.

No matter how much she denied it, unwilling to believe, those were Zhao Xiaokui’s past.

It was the past of the girl who would slump on the couch, watch silly variety shows, and burst into laughter.

She had once been so miserable, so lonely, so… helpless.

In her dreams, countless times she wanted to hug that seemingly stubborn girl, wipe away her tears, and stand in front of her during those times when she was surrounded.

But she couldn’t.

Except for the central sculpture, no one or nothing in the entire mermaid kingdom noticed her existence.

She could only watch helplessly as the mermaid girl passed through her body time and time again, hearing the unbridled mockery from those people…

Shen Zhifei had never felt as powerless as she did in her dreams.

….

The Night Walkers’ car dropped Zhao Xiaokui off at the villa entrance.

As she opened the door and got out, she saw Shen Zhifei standing outside.

Shen Zhifei, draped in a khaki trench coat, leaned against the door. She closed her eyes, and under the faint morning light, her face was paler than paper.

Hearing the movement, she raised her head and looked over, a smile appearing in her eyes as she scanned Zhao Xiaokui.

Exhausted, Zhao Xiaokui jumped out of the car and only then felt Shen Zhifei’s presence.

She bid farewell to the Night Walkers in the car and ran towards Shen Zhifei, asking, “Why are you outside?”

Unexpectedly, Shen Zhifei bent over suddenly, reaching out to hug her.

Zhao Xiaokui, caught in her embrace, stood there stunned. There was no trace of the cruelty and fierceness she showed when facing enemies.

The girl’s body was soft, like a bundle of cotton.

Shen Zhifei could hear the strong and powerful heartbeat in the chest of the mermaid girl, more vigorous than that of an ordinary person, beating incessantly.

This wasn’t a dream.

The person in her arms was real.

This realization made Shen Zhifei suddenly relax.

She closed her eyes and buried her head in Zhao Xiaokui’s neck, deeply inhaling the unique and sweet fragrance of the mermaid girl. She said, “I want to see you as soon as possible.”

Thinking… she couldn’t even wait for the distance from the entrance to the living room.

A blush gradually spread across Zhao Xiaokui’s face, and a silly smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

“Really,” she said awkwardly, “we’re both adults, why are you even more coquettish than me.”

“So hungry! I want to eat something cooked by Zhifei to feel better!”

As soon as they entered the house, Zhao Xiaokui shouted.

She had been busy all night and only had a lollipop and a few candies to eat, leaving her stomach growling.

Shen Zhifei opened the refrigerator and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Hungry as she was, Zhao Xiaokui didn’t want to trouble her girlfriend early in the morning. She said, “Just make a bowl of noodles.”

Shen Zhifei glanced at the refrigerator.

With Zhao Xiaokui around, leftovers had never appeared in Shen Zhifei’s fridge. It was filled with fresh vegetables and meat put in just yesterday.

Shen Zhifei took a piece of lean meat, a few green onions, and a bag of noodles.

Although Zhao Xiaokui wasn’t picky about food, she didn’t eat much of what she didn’t like. When it came to noodles, she could eat a bowl of noodle-like pancakes but only accepted a regular fine noodle reluctantly.

She ground the lean meat in the meat grinder, while Shen Zhifei lit two stoves simultaneously.

One stove boiled water, and the other heated oil.

The blue flames licked the bottom of the pot, and soon, the oil in the pot started to emit smoke.

Pouring the minced meat into the pot, Shen Zhifei stir-fried it until it changed color. Then, she added cooking wine and finely chopped ginger, followed by various seasonings. Stir-frying and sautéing filled the kitchen with a fragrant aroma.

The moderately lean and fat minced meat quickly changed color in the pot. Under the rich oil gloss, the meat flavor, accompanied by the fragrance of garlic, spread together.

While the stir-fry was ready, the water in the other pot was boiling. Pouring a ladle of it created sparkling oil splashes.

Putting the noodles into the boiling water, three minutes later, she used a colander to lift them out. After rinsing with cold water, she poured them into a bowl.

The hand that lifted the pot was more relaxed than before, and the stir-fry was poured over the noodles, creating a splashing sound.

She scooped up the blanched vegetables and neatly arranged them on a plate. Finely chopped green onions were sprinkled on top.

Shen Zhifei tidied up the kitchen with ease and carried the noodles outside.

The person who usually loved to linger behind her while she cooked was lying on the sofa in the living room with closed eyes.

She placed the noodles on the dining table, intending to call the person up. However, she noticed the slightly furrowed brows and the fine cold sweat on the forehead of the girl with closed eyes, as if she had a nightmare.

Shen Zhifei tore a piece of paper to wipe away the sweat on the girl’s forehead.

Zhao Xiaokui opened her eyes, displaying lingering fatigue. She murmured, “My head hurts…”

Shen Zhifei touched her head and asked, “What happened?”

Feeling the cool hand on her forehead, Zhao Xiaokui said, “It hurts.”

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