IWBL: Chapter 101

Xiao Li was startled by Shen Chenzhi’s words for a moment before replying, “No, I have a goal.”

The house left behind by his mother was still vacant after her death. He could move in as long as Xiao Yuzheng let him go. In addition, he had too many secrets to rent a friend’s house. The hidden expectations couldn’t be seen in Shen Chenzhi’s eyes and he simply replied, “That’s good.”

Xiao Li reached out a hand and rested it on the other side’s shoulders. “I don’t know if I can do it. There are no signs of success yet.”

“It will be successful.” Shen Chenzhi’s moved his eyes away, not looking at the other side’s face that was close to him.

“I’ll believe your words.”

Xiao Li looked at the textbooks on the other side of Shen Chenzhi for a while and felt a bit bored. He was going to take back his hand when he saw that other person’s clear side profile and remembered a sentence that Shen Chenzhi had once said. Xiao Li sat up straight. “Did you say that you have seen a ghost.”

There was still the thing that happened at Shen Chenzhi’s house. Shen Chenzhi looked at him with questioning eyes.

Xiao Li wondered, “What type of ghost do you mean? Is it in reality or…?”

The doll sitting in the desk drawer extended her hair but was afraid of getting close to Shen Chenzhi. The young man glanced at the table and stopped Xiao Li from drawing on the edge of the book.

Shen Chenzhi closed the book. “You’ll know soon.”

Xiao Li slightly cocked his head, hair falling down and covering his eyes. Shen Chenzhi’s heart slightly moved. It was like his heart was caught by that wisp of hair and became itchy.

He held the book. “Do you want to go out for dinner later?”

Xiao Li raised his head and revealed the curiosity in his heart. “Okay.”

***

At night, that Xiao house.

After school, Xiao Li went out to have a meal with Shen Chenzhi and came back late.

He thought Xiao Yuzheng should’ve entered his room with Xu Mei long ago but didn’t expect the hall lights to still be on while Xiao Yuzheng was sitting on the sofa in the hall, looking at his laptop. It was like he was on a video call with someone.

Xiao Yuzheng saw Xiao Li, nodded to the person on the other end of the laptop and closed it, ending the communication. Then he called out to Xiao Li, “Xiao Li, why did you come back so late?”

Xiao Li had already walked up the stairs so he replied while standing in place, “I went out to dinner with a friend.”

“Which friend? Why haven’t I heard you mention them?”

Xiao Li didn’t speak.

Xiao Yuzheng looked at the face of his second son, found traces belonging to his mother on that face and slightly sighed. “Even so, you can’t be so late. You should focus on school and then taking over my career. If your mother was still here, she would hope for that as well.”

The more he spoke, the more reluctant Xiao Li became. Xiao Li turned directly to Xiao Yuzheng and said, “I want to move back.”

At Xiao Yuzheng’s fierce gaze, Xiao Li had to add the title, “…Dad.”

Xiao Yuzheng didn’t show much protest on his face. He knew why Xiao Li had made such a request. “No.”

Xiao Li wondered, “Why?”

Xiao Yuzheng’s tone wasn’t harsh but it sounded like he had long made his decision. “You can’t take care of yourself.”

“I can.” Xiao Li came down the stairs towards his father, who wasn’t familiar with himself. “I was always taking care of myself while you were away.”

Xiao Yuzheng drank the coffee on the table and looked at his second son through the fog.

The last time Xiao Li mentioned moving out, he had replied with the same words. “You can’t take care of yourself.”

At that time, Xiao Li’s response was, “As if you would take could of me. Xiao Yuzheng said it was impossible, his second son sneered and directly returned to his room.

Now Xiao Li’s response was no longer so extreme. He was calmer and this made Xiao Yuzheng want to compensate him.

Xiao Yuzheng inwardly sighed. “You’ve really decided?”

“It is decided.” Xiao Li heard the softness in the other person’s tone and wondered if Xiao Yuzheng was preparing good words to fight him with emotion.

Xiao Yuzheng got up from the sofa and gave his second son a hug. Then do you what you want. This time, I won’t block you.”

Xiao Li awkwardly accepted the hug.

Xiao Yuzheng whispered in his ears, “If you aren’t used to it, you can come back.”

“…Okay.”

Since  Xiao Yuzheng was willing, Xu Mei eagerly sent Xiao Li to pack. Then the next thing would be logical. Xiao Li only had little things. He sorted out his clothes and other items, filling two suitcases.

The next day, he finished packing and couldn’t wait to return to the dusty neighbourhood. The neighbourhood wasn’t new and couldn’t be compared to the luxurious Xiao house. It couldn’t even be compared with high-end apartments in the city centre but Xiao Li was happy.

Xie Zeqing heard the news and took the initiative to come and help Xiao Li move. He was a young master and wasn’t very good at these things, but Xie Zeqing was very curious about Xiao Li and wanted to know him better. For example, what type of environment would give birth to such a wonderful person?

Xie Zeqing carried a suitcase, exited the elevator and came to the house. Xiao Li stopped in front of the long-awaited anti-theft door, flocked the dust away from the keyhole, inserted the key and pressed down the door handle.

Dust blew into his face. The sunlight was exactly the right temperature and the facilities in the house hadn’t changed. No one had lived here since Xiao Li left and there was nothing except for a layer of dust.

Xie Zeqing helped carry the suitcase in and looked around in a circle. “Xiao Li, I will put it in the living room.”

“Okay.”

Xiao Li used his fingertips to wipe off a bit of dust. He opened the kitchen drawer with familiarly and took out two clothes from inside. Then he threw one to Xie Zeqing.

Xie Zeqing looked at the cloth. “Wait, I’m just here to help you move. Do I have to clean the house now? This type of thing, can’t it be done by a part-time worker?”

“I don’t like strangers in my house.” Xiao Li rolled up his sleeves, took out two more pieces of cloth and placed them to the side.

The doll was very obedient. Tan Li took one of the pieces of cloth and wiped the table with stiff limbs.

Zhou Ying took another piece. The child was short and he concentrated on cleaning the floor. The little black cat snorted, dissatisfied that Xiao Li ignored him. He used his claws to grab a cloth and entered a difficult corner.

Xie Zeqing who never thought ghosts could be used like this, “………”

He suddenly felt the room was a bit cold.

Xie Zeqing took a piece of paper from his pocket, bypassed Tan Li standing in the middle of the living room and spoke to Xiao Li, “If you sign this then I’ll clean for you.”

Xiao Li glanced at it. It was a Team Symbol. Xie Zeqing coughed and wanted to hide something. “Don’t misunderstand. I don’t want to team up with you. It is just that the person’s words last time make sense. Now being a team is the trend and it is easier to have a good teammate.”

In fact, it was quite good. He just had to follow and there was no need to use his brain.

Xiao Li took the Team Symbol and casually stuffed it into his pocket. “Clean up and then sign.”

Xie Zeqing’s mouth twitched.

If it was his brother who made the request, he would’ve left straight away. However, Xiao Li was the teammate he chose and acknowledged. Xie Zeqing sighed and rolled up his sleeves, cleaning the house with Xiao Li (and his ghosts).

Half a day passed but fortunately, the house had three rooms and a hall. It wasn’t small or big. The efforts of everyone meant it quickly became livable.

Xie Zeqing sorted out the last bag of garbage and slumped down on the sofa. “I’m tired to death. I didn’t expect that after avoiding ghost practice at home, I ran here and couldn’t be idle.”

Xiao Li also gasped but his state was a bit better. He was sitting on the side and eating takeaway.

Xie Zeqing was paralysed for a while before suddenly saying, “By the way, the matter about the Judges last time is something you have to be careful about. They have so much reputation and it absolutely isn’t just talk.  You live alone and should pay more attention at night.”

Xiao Li didn’t speak. Instead, Tan Li stiffly turned her head to indicate that they knew. Xie Zeqing was once again paralysed on the sofa as he waited for Xiao Li to finish eating. He had collapsed for a while when he felt his task book vibrate. He took a look and immediately sat up. “Integration!”

The night outside the window was as usual. Only the reincarnators knew that something was wrong. Xiao Li also looked at his little yellow book. There was a bulletin.

【 The regional integration has ended and the global instance has officially opened. 】

Underneath this passage, Xie Zeqing’s task book was blank while Xiao Li had a passage.

This passage described the next instance world but it was different from the previous introduction.

【 The six reincarnators are randomly chosen from regions around the globe. You come from different areas but have recently achieved a high degree of individual success. Thus, you are selected to enter the first global instance. 】

【 This is a small town located by the sea. It has beautiful scenery and excellent seafood. It is quiet, peaceful and aloof from the rest of the world. It excludes all outsiders. It is like the nearby sea. Under that calm sea, you don’t know what type of monsters lurk. 】

【 You need to keep one thing in mind. Stay absolutely silent. You can’t make a sound or you will get a glimpse of a bad fate. 】

【 Three minutes later, silence, silence fell. 】

【 Remaining safety time: 3 minutes. 】

【 Mission:

1. Survival in this town for seven days.

2. Crack the truth here.

The above tasks can be optionally completed and after completion, you will be randomly transmitted back to the real world. 】

There was a whirlwind and Xiao Li arrived on a moving bus. He looked at the rest of the reincarnators.

Apart from him, there were three Asian faces, two European ones and two American faces.

Xiao Li quietly thought about it. He read the task description and the other reincarnators looked strong. He was a bit tired from cleaning the room so this time, he would try to mix in with them.

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The author has something to say:

Xiao Li: This time, I really want to just mix in…