"You're suspecting Bai Qi?" I looked up into Gu Yuan's eyes, asking in disbelief.
"Don't you think it's strange? Why did he show up just at this moment?" Gu Yuan's words held not a hint of jest.
My gaze slid off his face. I couldn't believe it was true. Bai Qi was definitely not such a person.
Scenes of getting along with Bai Qi flashed through my mind like a speeding movie.
I'd never believe that Bai Qi would harm me, even if I were beaten to death.
"It's impossible. He's the prodigy of our gang. The fate of the gang is tied to his. How could he betray us? Besides, it was you who approved of him joining the gang. You'd never misjudge a person."
Gu Yuan tightened his grip on my shoulder. His eyes were ablaze: "If his purpose for coming here was impure from the start, who could tell?"
I shook my head repeatedly, on the verge of tears: "No, he never wanted to hurt me. He definitely wouldn't. I can feel it. The person who pulled me away just now wasn't Bai Qi."
"The person who pulled you away wasn't Bai Qi, but the one who pulled you down was. Calm down and think it over. They set up the trap, and I followed it. Everything was flawless, but Bai Qi ruined the plan. Only Bai Qi here knows that I'd never hurt you, so he showed up in time and concealed that person's identity. He is..."
"Gu Yuan, please don't say it. Maybe it's just a coincidence." I absolutely refused to believe that Bai Qi was a traitor.
Gu Yuan knew I couldn't accept it for the moment. He heaved a heavy sigh and returned to the first question: "No matter what the situation is, now that I've really fallen out with Bai Qi, will you still stop me?"
It was obvious that Gu Yuan cared a great deal about this question. Since I'd known Gu Yuan, this was the only time we'd had a heated argument and almost split up, and it was all because of Bai Qi.
If he'd really expelled Bai Qi from the gang back then, I really wasn't sure what I'd have decided to do.
Now Gu Yuan was telling me in advance because he was afraid something like this would happen again. He definitely didn't want to have any more unpleasantness with me over this matter.
But this question was really hard to answer. I could never leave Gu Yuan, and I didn't want to give up on Bai Qi either.
"Gu Yuan, can you give me a day? I'll handle this myself."
Gu Yuan remained silent. He seemed reluctant to let me get involved, probably because he was afraid I'd be soft - hearted. After all, this was no small matter.
I understood his concerns. I gently held Gu Yuan's hands with both of mine and said seriously: "Trust me. From now on, no matter what happens, I'll stand by your side."
My words had actually shown my stance, but I still wanted to fight for Bai Qi.
"If Bai Qi really does something immoral, I definitely won't stop you."
Seeing that I'd made up my mind and given him an answer, Gu Yuan had no reason to insist. He nodded in agreement.
I bit my lower lip and gave him a sweet smile. I held his face with both hands and said, "It seems you're really afraid of being abandoned by me."
He hooked the corner of his mouth helplessly, pinched my cheek, and retorted, "Aren't you afraid of being abandoned?"
I hugged his arm coquettishly, leaned my head on his shoulder, and said softly, "I'm afraid, of course I am. So I have to hold your hand tightly and never let go."
Gu Yuan reached out and gently ruffled my hair. His doting was palpable.
Speaking of this, I suddenly thought of my classmate. The incident was somehow related to her.
"Gu Yuan, Zhang Man's soul is still in Man Yue's hands. What should we do now?"
"Don't worry. Someone will send it back voluntarily."
"Really? Who would come to us voluntarily?"
Gu Yuan just smiled without saying a word.
I walked arm - in - arm with Gu Yuan all the way to the corner near our home. Not far away, a woman holding an umbrella appeared.
Seeing us coming back, she walked towards us with the umbrella.
As the woman got closer, I gradually recognized Dan Zhu's face under the umbrella.
My heart tightened involuntarily, and I held Gu Yuan's arm more tightly.
Noticing my nervousness, Gu Yuan took my hand and intertwined our fingers. He said gently, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
I looked up at him and smiled. His words were truly the best reassurance.
Dan Zhu stepped forward and bowed to Gu Yuan and me. Her eyes were extremely dull, and her face was deathly pale, as if she'd exhausted a great deal of her magical power.
"Dan Zhu pays respects to Third Master."
Gu Yuan didn't say a word. Dan Zhu's pale eyes turned to me, full of apology.
"What happened today was not my intention. My whole body was bewitched by Man Yue's soul, so I ended up like this. Lan Lan, I'm sorry."
I looked up at Gu Yuan. I didn't know whether I should forgive her or not.
Seeing my indecision, Dan Zhu lowered her head and continued, "Man Yue is too scheming, and she's no ordinary being. If we don't stop her in time, she might completely control my body soon. So please, Third Master, save me from this dire situation."
After saying that, she knelt on the ground again. It seemed that she was really at the end of her tether.
Gu Yuan didn't answer her in a hurry. Instead, he first solved my problem: "Is Zhang Man's soul on you?"
Dan Zhu took out a soul - locking bead from her waist and handed it to Gu Yuan.
"This is Zhang Man's soul. Her physical body is frozen under the Gangliao Bridge."
"How did Zhang Man die?" I rushed forward and asked.
"She wanted to avenge her father. She learned some evil spells from somewhere, jumped into the ice hole in the Songliao River. Her soul lingered in the human world without being detected by the ghost messengers, waiting for a chance to take revenge. But Man Yue discovered her a few days ago. That's why all these things happened later."
"It's cold outside. Let's go home and talk." Gu Yuan took my hand and walked ahead.
Dan Zhu got up and followed us into the gang's headquarters.
It was almost dawn by now. The sky was turning fish - belly white, and the gang's headquarters was deserted.
I glanced at the corner of the sofa. Bai Qi, in his true form, was lying on the sofa, fast asleep.
Gu Yuan ignored him. He patted my shoulder, wanting me to go back and rest first.
It was already dawn. How could I sleep? I quickly shook my head and wanted to stay with him.
Actually, I was very worried that he'd have a conflict with Bai Qi.
Gu Yuan didn't stop me. He said to Dan Zhu, "To suppress Man Yue's soul, I need to infuse you with internal energy. But I can't do it the way you absorb internal energy. So I can only use a magic formation to peel Man Yue's soul out of your body."
Dan Zhu nodded. After all, she'd been tortured enough by Man Yue during this period.
Gu Yuan gently waved his arm. The magic formation that had helped me separate my soul from my body before reappeared. Dan Zhu walked into it voluntarily.
Gu Yuan lifted his foot and was about to step into the magic formation when Bai Qi lazily got up from the sofa.
"Wait." His voice was as pleasant as the tinkling of a silver bell in a deep forest.
His blue eyes carried a natural sadness. His eyes had always been clear and innocent, but now there was a hint of something chaotic in them.
"You still need to protect Lan Lan. Your magical power can't be damaged. I'll help her peel out the soul." Bai Qi got up and, without giving Gu Yuan a chance to refuse, stepped into the magic formation.
"Bai Qi..." I wanted to say something, but the magic formation had already started. Gu Yuan grabbed my hand and wouldn't let me get closer.
The golden incantation characters were constantly swirling inside the hemisphere, and Dan Zhu's body began to change.
Man Yue's remnant soul was forcibly peeled out as Bai Qi channeled his magical power.
Like me, Dan Zhu experienced the pain of soul - peeling.
Watching Man Yue's broken soul being peeled out of the body, with only two souls and five spirits left, she could already cause so much trouble. If her soul were to be completely restored, God knows what terrible things would happen.
As Man Yue's soul coalesced, her venomous face appeared in front of Gu Yuan and me again.
"She absorbed the inner core of the Nine - Infant Monster. I trusted her too much and never suspected her identity."
Man Yue smiled wickedly and walked forward slowly. The magic formation began to crack. She wanted to break out of it.
Gu Yuan protected me behind him, and a surge of hostility rose around him.
Just as the gazes of the two clashed in the air, Bai Qi suddenly opened his eyes. He struck out with both hands, sending out a blue light that wrapped around Man Yue's soul.
"What's going on? What is Bai Qi doing?" I asked in a panic, tugging at Gu Yuan's arm.
Gu Yuan frowned. He certainly hadn't expected this.
"He's going to destroy himself along with Man Yue."
I was so shocked that I forgot to breathe. I lifted my foot and rushed towards the magic formation.