"Women are like this. When you don't understand her, she may seem more terrifying and awe-inspiring than the fiercest beast. But once you truly know her, she becomes the sweetest thing in the world—and also the most bitter. All right, I'm going to rest now. Ethan Zhang, someday I'll continue telling you this story. It's a long one. Our love, perhaps from the very beginning, was doomed to have no result and no way to stay together. All that's left is longing for one another."
Late at night, I sat on the rooftop, unable to sleep. The moon had already sunk in the west, and Jiang Tianci's words still echoed in my mind.
Lily Wu and Rachel Lan—one brought warmth to the first half of my life, the other taught me responsibility in the latter half. Both women would stand before me without hesitation, for my sake.
This love—I can't betray or ignore either of them. Before, I might have thought deep down that it was Lily Wu's fault, that she had crossed the line. But now, none of it matters. The knot in my heart has loosened, turning into smoke and clouds, fading away.
I stood up, turned around, and prepared to go downstairs. As long as we didn't make any big moves, Emperor God wouldn't be able to find us.
On the stairs, I slowly released a Specter Web—a supernatural network of threads used by Ethan Zhang to communicate telepathically with Blackfang members across vast distances, as well as to detect the presence of spirits or emotional anomalies. With my strength alone, breaking the rules of this world is impossible.
"Members of Blackfang, gather at the center of this world..."
A streak of black light flared up. My thoughts could travel through the Specter Web—no matter the distance, they would reach their targets. Soon, I sensed everyone nodding inside the web.
I held the Specter Web, choking back tears, nodded, and whispered, "Thank you."
Early the next morning, Lily Wu got up and immediately started talking about her dream last night. She said she dreamed of leaving here and returning to the living world.
"You will. You definitely will."
I smiled and got into the car.
"Ethan, why don't I drive instead?"
I shook my head. The car started up again. Even if we drove day and night, it would still take ten days to get there.
The road was wide—sixteen lanes, stretching so far you couldn't see the end. Just slam the gas and you could move fast. Lily Wu kept talking beside me, reminiscing about the past.
I listened quietly. In the rearview mirror, Nathan Li's expression had softened a lot today.
Just over a thousand more kilometers, and we'd be close to Rachel Lan's territory. I had promised Lily Wu I'd take her to meet Rachel Lan. The two had never met. I had briefly told Lily Wu about Rachel Lan, but Lily said, no matter how much she changed, she'd still be Rachel Lan.
Two days later at dusk, our car stopped. To the left was the entrance to Rachel Lan's domain. The people from Crimson Night had completely withdrawn. James Grant had already confirmed that the large-scale purges in this area were over. After several failed operations, Rachel Lan had stopped.
"Come on, I'll take you over."
I said, reaching out my hand. Lily Wu happily got out of the car, but there was still a hint of nervousness in her eyes. She had dressed up carefully.
"Be careful, Ethan. If Emperor God catches you now, the consequences will be unimaginable."
I nodded. Even if it was dangerous, I had to go. Lily Wu couldn't wait to see Rachel Lan.
Entering the neighborhood, the streets were crowded. Things had settled down a lot in the past few days, and the tension had eased. Lily Wu looked around everywhere as we walked.
"It's been so long since I've wandered the streets like this. Ethan, let's stay here for a day."
I nodded. I wasn't familiar with everything here, but asking as I went, I soon found myself in a somewhat familiar neighborhood. I knew that just a little further, we'd reach Rachel Lan's place. Leading Lily Wu, we arrived at Rachel Lan's residence half an hour later. The lights were on upstairs. I walked over and rang the doorbell.
"Who is it?"
From the intercom, Rachel Lan's cold voice came through.
"It's me, Ethan Zhang."
"Where the hell have you been these past few days?"
Right after that, I saw a figure in white come downstairs. With a click, the door opened.
"Lily Wu!"
"Rachel Lan!"
For a moment, their eyes met. I glanced from side to side, then smiled.
"Come inside."
Sitting in the house, I looked to my left—Rachel Lan sat there. To my right was Lily Wu. They stared at each other, and I was stuck in the middle. For a long time, neither spoke a word. I stood up.
"I'll go make something to eat. Rachel, have you been eating well these past few days?"
"Sit down, Ethan Zhang."
I was already standing up. Lily Wu laughed.
"Ethan, you've always been like this—can't sit still."
As Lily Wu spoke, she walked past me toward Rachel Lan and reached out her hand.
"Nice to meet you for the first time, Miss Lan."
Rachel Lan responded politely and shook her hand. I took the opportunity to slip into the kitchen. As expected, Rachel Lan didn't cook for herself. In the fridge, the things I'd left before I left were still there. I started cleaning up.
The two seemed to be chatting about something. I closed the door and busied myself in the kitchen. Whatever it was, I didn't want to listen. After a while, I'd made a few decent dishes. I sat down, took out a cigarette, and lit it.
It was already late at night, but the door still hadn't opened. The food had gone cold. I could only wait in the kitchen. Finally, with a creak, the door opened and Lily Wu came in, looking happy.
I hurried to my feet, said nothing, and started reheating the dishes. Rachel Lan came in too, her face still cold, but her expression had softened a lot.
Dinner was a bit heavy. I sat quietly to the side, watching them eat together.
"What are you planning to do next?"
I let out a sound, awkwardly looked at Rachel Lan, then glanced at Lily Wu.
"The two of you..."
"Who said anything about that? I mean, what are you going to do next?"
I felt extremely awkward, my cheeks burning. I quickly forced a smile.
"I'm planning to go to the central area."
There was suspicion in Rachel Lan's eyes.
"Then hurry up and go. Lily Wu will stay here for now."
I let out a sound, eyes wide. Lily Wu waved her hand with a cheerful smile.
"That's right, Ethan, you should go. I wouldn't be much help anyway, and instead..."
After hesitating for a while, Lily Wu finally spoke.
"I'd just be a burden to you."
I glanced at Rachel Lan.
"I'll guarantee her safety."
With a crisp sound, footsteps approached. I immediately became alert. Through the thin mist, I recognized Xu Fu—the immortal alchemist and manipulator, who gives Ethan Zhang a mystical key to unlock the secrets of the Central District. He wore a wicked grin, but his movements were hurried as he ran over, clutching something in his hand.
I was startled, and in an instant, Xu Fu had vanished. Though I hesitated, I followed Xu Fu's instructions. With a wave of my cloak, I stowed the key inside the Spirit Snake Shedding Skin—a mystical relic where Ethan Zhang can hide supernatural items securely, impossible for others to sense or access.