Chapter 126
Chapter 126: Everyone Knows She Hasn’t Pooped in Three Days?
Qian Qi really hadn’t… gone in three days.
But the moment she woke up, hunger hit her like a truck.
She patted Xiang Wen Yun, who was dozing by the bed.
Xiang Wen Yun jolted awake, sitting up so fast her chair scraped. Panic and relief collided on her face. “Qi Qi? Qi Qi, you’re awake?”
Her voice woke the two kids nearby. Little Min and Little An rubbed their eyes, saw Qian Qi, and immediately looked like they might start crying again.
“Sister Qian Qi!”
Little Min launched herself at Qian Qi and bawled. “Waaah! I thought you wouldn’t wake up…”
“I’m fine,” Qian Qi said, wrapping an arm around her and patting her back. “I’m fine.”
Her gaze drifted to Xiang Wen Yun, who looked like she had something to say and was afraid to say it.
Qian Qi swallowed and chose the safest topic on earth.
“Director,” she said, “I’m hungry.”
Xiang Wen Yun blinked, then nodded too fast, wiping at her damp eyes. “Right. Of course. You should be hungry.”
She poured a bowl of chicken soup from a thermos and handed it over. “Drink this first. Warm your stomach.”
Qian Qi took a sip and hissed softly—hot. It must’ve been made early and kept warm.
Xiang Wen Yun hurried out to find a doctor.
Little Min stayed glued to Qian Qi’s side, gripping her hand with both of hers like she was afraid Qian Qi might vanish if she blinked. Her lips pressed tight. She didn’t say a word.
Director Mom had told her not to talk about Brother Xiao Jia to Sister Qian Qi.
“Little Min,” Qian Qi said softly.
“Ah!” Little Min jolted and blurted, “Sister Qian Qi, do you need the restroom?”
Qian Qi froze.
“…Huh?”
“No,” she said instantly. Then, because apparently her life had become a comedy, she added, “I’m not going. I don’t want to. I have absolutely zero desire to.”
Three denials. For safety.
“Oh.” Little Min stared at her like she’d just learned a new kind of science. “Then… we won’t go?”
Qian Qi cleared her throat and pointed at the door. “Why is it so loud outside?”
It had been noisy before, but after Xiang Wen Yun stepped out, it sounded like the hallway was trying to riot.
“Reporters,” Little Min said quickly. “They’ve been waiting out there for three days.”
She bit her lip. “Sister Qian Qi, is it too loud? Do you want me to chase them away?”
“No,” Qian Qi said, and almost laughed despite herself. “They’re grown-ups. You’re—”
She stopped.
Two seconds of stiff silence.
Then she rubbed Little Min’s hair and softened her voice. “You just stay here with me.”
Little Min nodded and went quiet again.
The room stayed strangely calm. Nobody mentioned Child A.
A minute passed.
Then Qian Qi sat bolt upright.
“Wait,” she said. “Reporters?”
Little Min and Little An flinched and nodded. “Yeah. Reporters.”
“Oh, we’re screwed.”
Qian Qi grabbed Li Hai Sheng’s lightbrain and opened it. Sure enough—messages from Chen Tong, stacked like angry bullets.
Chen Tong’s contact label read: Chen Tong – Not Grieving.
Perfect.
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: Holy shit, Qian Qi!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: That was you, wasn’t it?! That was you!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: I saw the news!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: That was fucking you!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: I knew Li Hai Sheng couldn’t possibly be that good at scamming people!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: You killed him and then pretended he scammed me, didn’t you?!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: Reply to me, damn it!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: You coward!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: If you’ve got the guts, reply!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: Just wait till school starts! Just wait!
[Chen Tong – Not Grieving]: I’m gonna fucking kill you!!!
Qian Qi stared at the screen, then slurped her chicken soup like she was enjoying a show.
Wow.
The rage fumes were practically burning her eyes.
If he was so capable, why didn’t he come find her now?
Why wait until school started?
Unless… he’d blown too much money, his parents found out, beat him half to death, and grounded him.
“Tsk,” Qian Qi muttered, and closed the lightbrain.
Right then, a group of doctors walked in.
They ran through a quick exam, and when they found her stable, their faces lit up like they’d just won something.
The attending physician beamed at her. “Miss, you’re the great hero of Yan Jiao! You killed more than a dozen D-rank magic beasts by yourself. Incredible!”
“What?”
Qian Qi blinked, then shot a look at System.
System, shamelessly, angled itself away like that would somehow hide its guilt.
Qian Qi’s mouth twitched.
Turning away doesn’t help when you look the same from every direction, you idiot.
She faced the doctors again and gave them the most official smile she could manage. “It was what I should have done.”
“You’re too modest,” another doctor said, genuine admiration in his eyes. “You saved a lot of people.”
Qian Qi lowered her gaze. The smile slipped. Her chest tightened, heavy and sore.
Seeing her mood, another doctor hurried to soften it. “Also, the hospital waived your fees. The director said you should stay a few more days, recover properly, then leave.”
Qian Qi nodded. As they prepared to go, she caught one doctor’s sleeve.
“Um,” she said quietly. “Are those people outside all reporters?”
“Some are,” the doctor whispered back, leaning down. “But not only. The principal of Yan Jiao Primary School is out there. Some parents who were there when the dungeon broke out. And some…”
He hesitated, then added, “You shouldn’t go online right now. There are… unpleasant comments. Don’t take them seriously. Trolls will be trolls.”
Qian Qi raised an eyebrow, then nodded politely.
The second the doctors left, she opened her own lightbrain anyway.
Unread messages flooded in. Little Wang. Her classmates. Mo Yin Qiu. The principal. Director Li. The school’s “grandpas,” as everyone called the older staff. Si Kong Wang. Sheng Qing Hong.
All of them asking if she was okay.
Qian Qi didn’t answer.
She went straight to the forums.
A few minutes later, she rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt.
“Sister Qian Qi…” Little Min looked up. “Are your eyes bothering you?”
“Yeah,” Qian Qi said, deadpan. “I saw something filthy.”
Little Min blinked, then nodded as if that made perfect sense. “Then don’t look anymore. Want more chicken soup?”
“Sure,” Qian Qi said, and handed over the empty bowl.
Little Min and Little An worked together to steady the thermos and pour another serving, then passed it back carefully.
Qian Qi’s heart softened.
“Our Minmin is so good,” she said, rubbing Little Min’s head. Then she kept her voice light—gentle—like she wasn’t walking on broken glass inside. “Sister’s asking you: when the magic beasts appeared, where did you go?”
At the words Sister’s asking you, Little Min’s whole body went tight. Only when she realized Qian Qi was asking about hiding did she loosen a little.
“There was a door on the west side,” she said quietly. “We hid in the restroom.”
So he got them somewhere safe… and then came back for her.
Qian Qi’s chest pinched. She looked away, took a slow breath, then forced herself to continue.
“After that,” she asked, “did you see how Sister killed those magic beasts?”
Why did she remember none of it?
Little Min shook her head. “No. An awakened soldier uncle found us. And then… we saw a few doctors around you.”
So Little Min didn’t have answers.
Qian Qi stared at the door, hearing the muffled swell of noise beyond it.
Reporters.
She exhaled.
“Little Min,” she said, leaning close, “can you do Sister a favor?”
She whispered a few words into Little Min’s ear.
Little Min’s eyes widened, then she nodded hard. “Okay! I’ll bring it back!”