Chapter 783: Introversion and Social Anxiety
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin walked down the road, both unusually silent, having shed their usual playful, bantering demeanor.
It wasn't because they were in any danger, but because someone else was following them.
A woman.
"Where exactly are you two going?" Qin Dingdong asked from behind them. "A Jin, you're the most honest. Tell big sister where we're headed."
"Uh... we're going to find someone," Qiao Jiajin said with a dry laugh.
"Find who?"
"Find a rat," Qiao Jiajin replied.
"A 'Zodiac'?" Qin Dingdong chuckled. "Human Rat or Ground Rat?"
"Ground Rat, missy," Qiao Jiajin said, reaching out to tug at Chen Junnan's sleeve, clearly asking for help.
But Chen Junnan acted as if he hadn't noticed, repeatedly dodging away.
"Damn..." Qiao Jiajin couldn't take it anymore. He turned his head and whispered, "Brother Junnan, you're going too far... We've braved mountains of blades and seas of fire together, and now you're leaving me alone to talk to this pretty lady. Isn't she your old flame?"
"Old Qiao... today's different from before..." Chen Junnan replied with a bitter smile. "I can take a blade or a bullet for you, but I can't handle Sister Dong. Just cover for me a little while longer."
Seeing Chen Junnan so troubled, Qiao Jiajin could only grit his teeth and continue talking to Qin Dingdong.
But in his eyes, this girl wasn't all that terrifying. She spoke politely and had a gentle tone. He had no idea what Chen Junnan had done to make him so afraid of her.
The three chatted awkwardly and soon arrived at the Ground Rat's gaming arena.
The Ground Rat was standing at the door, turning his head to look into the distance, not even noticing the trio approaching.
"Well, well! What a coincidence!" Chen Junnan suddenly perked up at the sight of the Ground Rat and called out loudly, "If it isn't the most introverted big rat among the 'Zodiac'!"
The Ground Rat snapped back to reality, turned to look at Chen Junnan, and replied, "If it isn't 'Beijing's Biggest Social Anxiety', Chen Junnan."
Hearing this title, Qin Dingdong's face was a picture of speechlessness, her eyes nearly rolling to the back of her head.
Qiao Jiajin gave another dry laugh and walked over to the Ground Rat.
Chen Junnan stood before the Ground Rat, looked back in the direction the rat had been staring, and asked curiously, "What were you looking at? A hot babe passing by?"
The Ground Rat also glanced back in that direction, his expression a bit strange. "You're joking, sir. I'm a rat. It would be absurd for me to be looking at beautiful women. I think there might have been a wandering soul passing by."
"A wandering soul...?" Chen Junnan was taken aback. "The soul of a female rat? Got your eyes all hooked."
The Ground Rat shook his head. "I don't know if it was a rat, but I feel like one of my colleagues has died."
Only then did Chen Junnan realize that the Ground Rat's tone wasn't joking. His own expression darkened. "Huh? No way? You have 'colleagues'?"
"Barely qualifies as 'colleagues', sir," the Ground Rat replied. "We all share the same boss, so that makes us 'colleagues'."
Chen Junnan scratched his head. "Meaning, another 'Zodiac'? Did they get gambled to death?"
"I don't know, sir," the Ground Rat shook his head. "I don't even know if he's really dead. I hope it's just my imagination. After all, under broad daylight, for no good reason... how could he... just die?"
The Ground Rat's voice grew weaker, as if he had lost his confidence.
"Ah..." Chen Junnan was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure whether to be happy or sad.
Although the dead one was a 'Zodiac', technically an enemy, seeing the Ground Rat like this made it hard for him to feel joy.
After all, every 'Zodiac' here was once a person of flesh and blood — they just changed.
There has never been any real 'growth' in this world. People only die in the past, and then a new body hatches from the corpse, telling everyone they've grown.
We died in the past when we were young, and we still die in the past when we become adults.
Every 'Participant' and every 'Zodiac' here is the same.
"Hey... well..." Chen Junnan reached out and patted the Ground Rat's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Don't be so down, big rat. At least you're still alive, right?"
"Huh?" The Ground Rat raised an eyebrow.
"No... I mean... Maybe the guy isn't dead after all?"
The Ground Rat nodded. "Sir... I can only hope your words come true. I've lived with my colleagues for many years; there's always some strange connection. I hope he wasn't gambled to death... but if he wasn't gambled to death... then he..."
"Ah, think on the bright side," Chen Junnan said. "Even if he did die, maybe it's liberation. Isn't that what you 'Zodiac' types always say?"
The Ground Rat let out a deep sigh and replied, "Sir, you don't understand. I would have preferred him to be liberated early or late. Not to have struggled for so many years, scraping by like a dog until now, and then suddenly be liberated. He suffered unfairly and gained an unnecessary liberation. That makes me feel sad."
Chen Junnan scratched his head and glanced at Qiao Jiajin. Even Qiao Jiajin seemed a bit affected by the Ground Rat's mood.
This usually carefree Ground Rat, the one who seemed to have no worries, now wore an expression of profound grief, leaving the two thoroughly bewildered.
"What are you being so melodramatic about?"
A female voice rang out from behind the group, startling them.
The Ground Rat slowly furrowed his brow and asked, "And who is this, gentle sirs?"
"I'm your big sister," Qin Dingdong replied. "You three big men standing here wallowing in self-pity — I really can't understand it."
"I don't need your understanding," the Ground Rat said. "It's like if you suddenly dropped dead on the road one day, I wouldn't understand why you died so miserably."
"That must be because Big Sister is so beautiful she died of her own beauty. A dull, brownish-gray rat head like you naturally can't comprehend."
"You flatter yourself, madam. We rats don't study how beautiful a corpse is — after all, regardless of beauty, all corpses end up as our meal."
"If you ever get to feast on such a beautiful corpse as mine, remember not to brush your teeth for a week, and savor the charm between your teeth," Qin Dingdong said.
The Ground Rat stared into Qin Dingdong's eyes for a long moment, then cracked a smile.
"Thanks to you, I'm not sad at all anymore." He dropped the expression, looked around at the three people before him, and asked, "What brings you gentlemen here today, making a grand entrance? What virtue does my humble abode possess to deserve a visit from all of you at once? Looking for a plot to bury yourselves?"
"Hey! That's more like it!" Chen Junnan laughed. "Now that's the right vibe! Only Sister Dong can manage that."
The Ground Rat shot Qin Dingdong an irritated glance, then resumed his cold demeanor. "If you gentlemen have business, please speak quickly. If not, please die."
"Of course we have business," Chen Junnan said. "Ground Rat, treat us to some fruit."