Chapter 424 - 414: Pull Down the Quilt!
Enter Japan? Deal with Orochi?
Walking along a path outside Kunlun Mountain, Qin Fan revealed a cryptic, eerie smile. He had already added the vendetta against the Ninjas to his ledger. Even without the words of the Demi Immortal from Qilian, a trip to Japan was inevitable. He just hadn’t expected to hear about Orochi before he even set off. How interesting! he muttered to himself.
With a roguish smile, Qin Fan’s slender figure darted away like a shooting star. He had no intention of using any form of transportation for his return to Jinling from Kunlun Mountain. A lone figure could be seen flitting through the towering mountains of the Northwest like a shadow in brocade, his target set directly on Jinling.
「An hour later.」
The dormitory area of Jinling University was unusually tranquil in the early morning. Having traversed thousands of kilometers from west to east on foot, Qin Fan stepped into dormitory 708 without even breathing hard. As he pushed open the door, he was instantly taken aback.
Four exhausted figures, including Brother Wolf from 709, were slumped over with their heads drooping. They looked like they hadn’t slept all night.
"Fourth, you’re back?"
At the sound of the dormitory door, the four of them awoke abruptly and turned to Qin Fan, their faces lighting up.
"Hey, wait... I’m a bit confused. What’s going on with you guys?" Qin Fan asked, utterly bewildered.
"Fourth, what on earth happened last night? Why didn’t you come back? Us brothers were worried about you, so we stayed up waiting! If you had called and needed us, we could have rushed over immediately!" Li Qiuzhe said with a foolish smile, rubbing his groggy eyelids. The exhausting all-nighter had drained Brother Ze from the Northeast of his usual boisterous, tiger-like demeanor.
Recalling Qin Fan’s odd expression from the previous night that had even unsettled them, Wang Dalu still asked with a tinge of worry, "Fourth, can you give us the lowdown? What exactly were you doing?"
Looking at the fatigue on his brothers’ faces and listening to Li Qiuzhe’s heartfelt monologue, an exceptionally rare warmth began to flow through Qin Fan’s heart.
What are brothers? What does it mean to be brothers who can entrust their backs to each other?
Although they had only known each other for a month or so, this single act defined the word ’brothers’ with crystal clarity.
Qin Fan felt fortunate. He was fortunate to have made these brothers in the tragic destiny of his past life, and he was happy that in this new life, he could reunite with them once more.
"It was nothing, just some personal business that I’ve handled. Thanks, brothers. I’ll remember this," Qin Fan said, biting his lip and patting his chest in a rare display of sentimentality.
"Alright, as long as you’re okay! Damn, you had us worried sick all night for nothing! I’m not talking anymore, I’m going to sleep. I can’t stay up any longer!" Waving his hand, Li Qiuzhe muttered wearily before flopping onto a nearby bed.
"I can’t hold on either! Fourth, I’m going to sleep too, ’kay?" said Zhu Houqing.
"Big Bro, I’m heading back to my dorm to catch up on sleep!" added Brother Wolf from 709.
One quickly stepped out of the room, while the other swiftly climbed onto the top bunk and collapsed. In less than ten seconds, a rhythmic chorus of snores began to echo through the dormitory.
"Third, you’re not going to sleep?" Qin Fan couldn’t help but ask with a smile, seeing Wang Dalu still staring at him.
"Fourth, what exactly happened last night? Can you tell me?" Wang Dalu asked, his gaze fixed earnestly on Qin Fan.
Among his roommates, Wang Dalu was the most perceptive and sensitive. Since they were brothers who were supposed to stick together through thick and thin, he felt it was necessary to get something out of Qin Fan.
However, he was disappointed.
Qin Fan simply shook his head with a smile. "Third, I know what you’re thinking, but there’s really nothing to say."
Seeing Qin Fan’s resolve, Wang Dalu smacked his lips and offered a helpless, wry smile. "Alright, I won’t ask anymore. I’m going to get some sleep too."
With that, Wang Dalu buried his head in his pillow. Before long, the sound of his snoring joined the others.
Seeing that all his buddies were asleep, Qin Fan walked over and sat down on the sofa. He subconsciously picked up the cigarette box beside him and shook one out, but he suddenly remembered Jiang Yino’s comment at the supermarket about smoking being bad and put it back. Leaning against the back of the sofa, he closed his eyes, his mind calm and peaceful.
But this state didn’t last long. A DING-DONG from a WeChat notification broke the quiet of the dorm.
Qin Fan opened his eyes, grabbed his phone, and unlocked it. Upon seeing the screen, a genuine, heartfelt smile spread across his face.
On the screen was a message from Jiang Yino with a ’Hey’ emoji.
Getting up from the sofa, he walked out onto the balcony. Instead of replying with a text, Qin Fan initiated a video call.
"Master, why are you up so early too?"
On the video call, Jiang Yino, still in her pajamas and tucked under the covers, blinked in surprise.
"Couldn’t sleep, so I got up. Did you miss me?" Qin Fan said with a casual, teasing smile.
"You’re impossible! Hmph!" Jiang Yino rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. Then, composing herself, she gazed at the handsome face on the screen and added, "Qin Fan, thank you."
Thank you?
Hearing this, Qin Fan was momentarily puzzled. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"For last night. Thank you. The beautiful supermarket owner told me everything. She said it was you who saved us! We were so lucky to have you. Otherwise, who knows what could have happened if we’d slept in that KTV private room, especially in a place so unfamiliar! But why did you just vanish after doing a good deed? Were you trying to be some kind of selfless hero?" Jiang Yino teased with a playful smile.
Uh... Amber told her?
Qin Fan was slightly surprised by this, but he didn’t dwell on it. He knew Amber would be discreet. He just smiled and said, "A pity I couldn’t stay a secret hero in the end, huh?"
"Stop flattering yourself! Anyway, thank you! One more thing, do you know where Xu Jiayi went? She was gone when we woke up. Her phone is off, and she isn’t replying to messages," Jiang Yino said.
"I didn’t see her when I got there either," Qin Fan casually deflected.
"You don’t think something happened to her, do you?" Jiang Yino furrowed her brows.
"She’s a grown woman, what trouble could she get into? Let’s not talk about her. Yino, could you pull the blanket down a bit?" Qin Fan said, slyly changing the subject.
"What are you trying to do?" Caught off guard by his sudden shift, Jiang Yino became cautious.
"Nothing, I just want to see what you’re wearing today," Qin Fan continued to prod playfully.
"Pajamas. I haven’t changed yet," Jiang Yino replied, not seeing anything wrong with the question.
"Let me see!"
"There’s nothing to see! No!" Jiang Yino’s cheeks flushed as she shot him an annoyed glance, a coy smile playing on her lips.
"Is it because you aren’t wearing anything underneath and you’re afraid I’ll see?"
Even Qin Fan was shocked that he had actually blurted out such a thing.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Yino’s scream erupted.
"Ruanqin, I’m going to kill you!!!"
That was the last thing Qin Fan heard before, with a sharp THUD, the video call ended.
