“Oh, so the mist’s not that scary after all!” Jiang Jin says cheerfully, seeing a boat rowing across the river with all possible haste.

  She waves at a small figure standing at the front of the boat.

  Wang Xifen sighs.

  “It’s not the young master who is afraid of Zone A, but people who are afraid for him,” she says, annoyed. “I’m going to have a word with his guards. Letting a boy overrule your instructions so easily leads nowhere good. And it’s much more unthinkable that your group has passed through it to get here. No matter how good the hunting for cores is, it’s a dangerous place to visit, and a worse place to linger.”

  Ah, a misunderstanding.

  “We live in it,” Zan Xinyi says. “It’s fine once you get used to it.”

  Wang Xifen falls silent, but her eyes become much more watchful, and her hand drifts closer to her sword.

  Unfortunately, there’s nothing a hand on the sword can do about a boy leaping from a newly-docked boat and running full tilt towards the problem.

  “Teacher Jiang!” Shi Yihua skids to a stop right in front of Jiang Jin, fangs flashing in his mouth as he smiles before he hastily swallows down his emotions. “You’re alive! I knew it! There’s no way you would die so easily!”

  He’s wearing kevlar armour over sturdy, high end clothes. But no mask.

  And no watch. The lack of watch applies equally to all of the people that get off the boat after him, many of whom have clawed hands, slitted eyes, and the occasional tail.

  Alright, so Pleasant Hills has a more mutated baseline than what Zan Xinyi had assumed from just seeing Wang Xifen. Her mistake.

  “I’m quite sturdy,” Jiang Jin says, smiling. “See? I only hurt my arm a little.”

  “It must have been so scary,” Shi Yihua says seriously. “It’s good you made it. Once you’re back in the mansion, my father can get the healer to look at it. He’s the best hunter, so it’s no issue to skip you to the front of the line.”

  Both of Zan Xinyi’s eyebrows go up.

  Rich kids are really...

  “Oh, I didn’t mean you needed to do something about it!” Jiang Jin says. “There’s no reason for Pleasant Hills to offer their healer to me, since I don’t work there anymore. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Yihua.”

  Wang Xifen leans over to whisper in Zan Xinyi’s ear.

  “She’s really with you now? She’s not coming back to the boss? I didn’t know she was into women.”

  Should Zan Xinyi attempt her first murder of a non zombie right here, in the middle of a neutral trading post that is the closest to her home, against someone who’s a professional bodyguard with a large sword? That’s a lot of cons, but the pro of it being satisfying to try is quickly outweighing them.

  “I’m not into women!” Jiang Jin says loudly, since whispering in front of her is utterly useless.

  “But you live there,” Shi Yihua says, startled. “And-- huh?”

  Wei Shengyuan covers his face with his hands. Zhang Hai starts laughing, and he doesn’t stop, his cigarette freshly ground out beneath his boot. He’s not really a part of this deal, but that’s not stopping him from watching them for entertainment. What’s anyone going to do?

  It’s his spot.

  “I’m not into women and I don’t live there,” Jiang Jin says, simply plunging ahead. “I moved. Actually, I was already moved out even before I went out with the crew I was with, the right time to collect my stuff just never came up.”

  “No, but you were just having a small argument with Dad,” Shi Yihua says. “Why would you move out?”

  “Because sometimes people have irreconcilable differences,” Jiang Jin says. “Sorry, Shi Yihua. I thought he’d at least explain...”

  Based on the few things Zan Xinyi has heard about Jiang Jin’s ex-boss/boyfriend, there’s no way that he’d explain anything.

  “You just need to talk to him! It can’t be that bad!”

  “Since my decision hasn’t changed, why should I talk to him?” Jiang Jin says, patting Shi Yihua on the head. “But I’m glad that I could clear things up with you. I’m not dead, I’m alive, and I’d appreciate getting my clothes and my music sheets back. But I can’t go all the way to Pleasant Hills. Just have someone drop them off here, and I’ll pick them up some other time.”

  Zan Xinyi had been waiting the whole conversation to figure out how to ask if they could access the Pleasant Hills healer, but the more the kid talks, the more Pleasant Hills appears in her mind as a place that will never give Jiang Jin back once she walks through its gates.

  And on top of that, the kid is clearly unused to Jiang Jin telling him no.

  He stomps his foot, his fangs flashing again as he scowls.

  “It’s because those losers thought you were worthless and abandoned you! They didn’t know you were still part of the Shi faction!”

  “But I wasn’t a part of your family,” Jiang Jin says.

  Her voice is soft and gentle.

  “And Yihua-- I don’t appreciate you implying that anyone could be worthless if they are adrift or alone. There’s no such thing as someone who deserves to be used as bait.”

  “Except those lowlives who used you.”

  Jiang Jin frowns.

  “You really...are learning more from him, these days. Now that he’s not busy with work.”

  It doesn’t sound like a compliment.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Just come back,” Shi Yihua says. On a less arrogant child, it would sound like begging. “I’ll support you if Dad won’t. You don’t have to hunt to earn your keep.”

  “It’s not about the core hunting,” Jiang Jin says, a faint layer of frustration finally threading through her voice. “Shi Yihua, philosophical differences can’t be resolved with money. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have been on your father’s crew from the start? Let’s part ways peacefully.”

  “He was trying to protect you! Because your power is too weak!”

  “I’m not going to have this argument with him through you.” Jiang Jin turns away from him and starts talking to Wang Xifen as if the kid isn’t there at all. “Well, it looks like we can’t manage to make a trade. But feel free to leave a request with Zhang Hai if the situation with my stuff changes in the future.”

  “Teacher Jiang! Don’t ignore me!”

  “Then we’ve got everything?” Zan Xinyi says, looking back at their truck. It looks pretty full.

  When there's no instant response, she glares at Wei Shengyuan.

  Wei Shengyuan’s eyes flick to the side guiltily. So whatever it is, it’s something on the list that he needed that he left for last.

  “What else don’t we have.”

  Wei Shengyuan points to a giant pile of junk.

  “He said he might have an extra wheelchair under there. Somewhere.”

  God, why is every single task one struggle after the next.

  “Do we need it that badly?”

  “Of course!” Jiang Jin says. “The wheel’s really noisy the way it shakes right now. It definitely needs to be replaced!”

  That had been a rhetorical question, but whatever.

  Zan Xinyi rolls out a crick in her neck.

  “So here’s what we’re going to--”

  “Hey, you!”

  A spark of flame erupts in Zan Xinyi’s face as the kid surges forward, so mad he’s actually spitting fire.

  “You’re the reason Jiang Jin isn’t coming back!”

  Jiang Jin gasps in horror.

  A barrier of water snaps into place in front of her while Wang Xifen’s sword leaps into her hand as she steps in front of Shi Yihua, pushing him back.

  Zan Xinyi’s hands tighten on her broom as her breath comes faster. Fire, she hates fire.

  Wang Xifen takes in the situation as well.

  “A powerful water user...” she says. “No wonder you can afford to be so dismissive with your own water. Please don’t take the young master’s outburst personally. The mist can make anyone irritable.”

  It could make anyone irritable, but it had only made him attack the one person who didn’t show any signs of having a mutation or strong weapon.

  “He’s even got someone willing to not-apologize on his behalf,” Zan Xinyi says tightly. “What next? Will you kneel down and take a whipping?”

  The broom warms in her hand as Wang Xifen’s expression goes cold.

  “You can’t take an olive branch when offered,” she says. “Come on, young master. Jiang Jin has her own bed to lie in.”

  “I won’t go!” Shi Yihua snaps. “Why does she even like you!?”

  Zan Xinyi smiles at him.

  It’s a cruel smile.

  “Because I dug her out of the rubble where she was dying,” she says. “She was already so far in the grave I had to use a shovel. Can you imagine? You don’t have her abilities. If you were buried that deep, no one would be able to hear you beg for aid.”

  “Yiyi, don’t scare him,” Jiang Jin says, curling one hand around Zan Xinyi’s elbow and trying to tug her a little further away. “And don’t say it like that. I didn’t beg.”

  It’s true, she didn’t.

  Does that make it better?

  “And that’s not why I like you!” Jiang Jin says. “It’s because of your optimistic personality!”

  Wei Shengyuan’s head snaps around to stare at her in incredulity.

  Zan Xinyi lifts her chin smugly.

  That’s right. It’s because of her personality.

  “Optimism is worthless,” Shi Yihua snaps. “All that matters is being the person who gets things done.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way,” Jiang Jin says. “Goodbye, Yihua. I hope you grow up into a wonderful person.”

  Shi Yihua’s eyes are edged in red.

  “You used to say that you hoped I’d grow into a wonderful musician,” he says.

  “Well,” Jiang Jin says awkwardly. “I’ve gotten more optimistic.”

  Shi Yihua’s hands curl into fists, and Wei Shengyuan lifts up his hand again. This close to the river, he has a lot to work with.

  “You...” he says to Jiang Jin, shoulders sinking a little. “Just tell me. Why’d you really get into a fight with my dad? If you tell me, I promise I’ll help get your stuff back even if he says no.”

  “Young master,” Wang Xifen sighs.

  But Jiang Jin nods.

  “It’s because he wants me to use my abilities in ways I don’t want to,” she says simply. “I don’t want to hurt people with my music.”

  “What?”

  “He asked me if I could use a concussive amount of force, if I could eavesdrop on secrets whispered at night, mimic what was said...stuff like that. And I can.”

  Wang Xifen goes pale.

  “I can, but I don’t want to,” Jiang Jin says simply. “My mother used to say that music has the power to hurt people in ways they can barely comprehend, and that I should always be careful with what I chose to sing about. And she didn’t mean concussive force blasts, she meant, like, propaganda. But she’s not here now, and I’m making my own decisions. I don’t want to hurt people with my music, which means I’m someone who cannot assist Shi Yan with any of his goals. So, the argument between me and Shi Yan cannot be fixed.”

  “But...”

  “I would rather die than hurt someone,” Jiang Jin repeats. “Unfortunately, he’s the type of person who takes vengeance for slights I don’t care about. It’s an irreconcilable difference, Shi Yihua. Things that I could overlook before are not overlookable now.”

  “Young master, you can’t spend this much time in the mist,” Wang Xifen says. “We need to go.”

  “But you still want to see me, right?” Shi Yihua says quietly.

  “Of course,” Jiang Jin says, waving goodbye as Wang Xifen finally drags her charge back to the boat. Zhang Hai’s dog had been splishing and splashing around the wave of the boat every time it went back and forth, making everyone except for itself uncomfortable.

  “Well,” Jiang Jin says. “That went well.”

  That’s not how Zan Xinyi would encapsulate what just happened.

  “Let’s just get the wheelchair,” Zan Xinyi says. “Before anything else happens. Zhang Hai’s sure this is the right pile?”

  “Pretty sure!” Zhang Hai calls.

  “Then let’s--”

  “Oh, what have I said about dead bodies, Xiao Ma!” Zhang Hai cries dramatically. “Don’t drag those up onto shore!”

  The dog whines sadly as it licks at the body it had brought back from its fun in the water. The military uniform is heavily scorched in places. Unlucky, to be burned and then drowned.

  “It’s just like dropping mice at the front door,” Zhang Wai groans.

  Dogs aren’t supposed to do that either.

  Jiang Jin blinks, and then pulls a single crowbar out of the pile in such a way that the entire thing collapses towards Zan Xinyi. A broken alarm clock nearly hits her in the face as everything falls over, and she feels something heavy hit her shoulder.

  “Jiang Jin!” Zan XInyi curses. “Pay attention!”

  “But Yiyi...I think that weird corpse is still alive!”

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