Chapter 194: Jaw-Dropping Scene

The intensity of the underground battle was strong enough to trigger localized tremors. Shi Ji couldn’t help but be a bit anxious. Forgetting the dirt clinging to his body, he bolted as fast as he could. He was worried someone might catch him in the act.

Later, Shi Ji heard the news.

Downtown Yinshuang had experienced a brief but noticeable earthquake. The tremors were strong enough to damage some buildings. 

Shiji didn’t need anyone to tell him—he already knew exactly what had happened.

He felt guilty about it. But step forward and confess? No way. Even if he spent the rest of his life washing dishes, he couldn’t begin to pay for the damages. In the end, he decided to compromise with his conscience. He didn’t have the money to make things right, but he could pay society back by taking down a few extra monsters in the future.

The damage caused by the quake was minor compared to what might’ve happened if the battle had taken place in the heart of the city. Saving the city at such a small cost was a deal anyone would take.

Now that the hordes of anomalies had been wiped out, tomorrow’s mission was technically unnecessary. But Shi Ji wasn’t about to go and admit that. Better to stick with the team and blend in with the crowd than expose his involvement and get stuck paying off debt for the rest of his life.

With the matter settled, Shi Ji decided to head back instead of wandering around.

Elsewhere, Xing Yuxiu and Chi Yang were out patrolling, inspecting the city for quake damage. Halfway through their route, they ran into Shi Ji.

Shi Ji and Lin Xinyan had gone to the Star Alliance headquarters earlier that morning for a meeting and hadn’t returned since. Xing Yuxiu had already received a message from Lin Xinyan, so he had some idea of the situation. But now, running into Shi Ji alone, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

“Hey, you jerk, why are you by yourself? Where’s Lin Xinyan?”

Chi Yang seemed just as curious about this.

Earlier, Shi Ji’s mind had been all over the place because of the earthquake disaster. Hearing Xing Yuxiu suddenly bring up Lin Xinyan reminded him of what she had told him earlier.

At that moment, his wristband buzzed.

He glanced at the screen—sure enough, it was Lin Xinyan calling.

Shi Ji didn’t hesitate and immediately picked up.

“Oh, Xinyan.”

“Hey, what the heck have you been doing? Why didn’t you have any signal earlier? I’ve been trying to call you, but you didn’t respond at all!” 

Lin Xinyan’s voice sounded a little frantic.

Her question made Shi Ji feel a bit awkward. He wasn’t sure how to explain. He couldn’t exactly spill the beans about the earthquake, could he?

“Oh, uh… my wristband had a little glitch. I wandered around to find someone to fix it. I was just about to head over to you.”

“Hmph! Why are you always so much trouble? You’ve only had that wristband for a few days, and it’s already broken? You definitely did something to it on purpose, you big dummy. You’re so careless with your stuff.”

Hearing her voice now, Shi Ji could clearly pick up on her frustration. But there was also a hint of something softer beneath it.

“Heh, heh! I’ll head over to you right away, just wait for me.”

“Fine. I’ve sent the address to your wristband. Come here on your own, I’ll wait.”

As soon as the call ended, Shi Ji felt a pang of guilt. Lin Xinyan was so kind and wonderful. It made him feel like he owed her a lot. And honestly, it was true. Ever since he arrived in Yinshuang City, no one had helped him more than Lin Xinyan.

Setting aside his thoughts, Shi Ji decided to head straight to her. If he delayed any longer, Lin Xinyan might just come out and drag him back herself.

He hadn’t noticed much during his earlier conversation with Lin Xinyan, but now, as he looked up, he realized that Xing Yuxiu and Chi Yang leaned in way too close. Both of them wore mischievous grins plastered across their faces.

Shi Ji shot them a disgusted look. “You two idiots, can you back off?”

Chi Yang quickly straightened up, looking more composed, but Xing Yuxiu’s grin only grew wider.

“Heh heh! You and Lin Xinyan seem pretty close these days. Spending the night together? That sounds way too exciting!” Xing Yuxiu teased shamelessly.

“Ugh! You perverted moron, stop overthinking things. Don’t tarnish the pure friendship between me and Xinyan.”

Xing Yuxiu continued his joking, but neither he nor Chi Yang noticed that Shi Ji had been completely serious when he said that.

With Lin Xinyan not around, Chi Yang decided to chime in, his tone more thoughtful.

“In the academy, Lin Xinyan’s always been a bit of a lone wolf. She’s never had someone this close to her before. I have to say, you’re pretty lucky, Shi Ji. Whatever happens, good luck.”

Chi Yang even raised his fist in encouragement.

Shi Ji, however, just sighed. He felt drained. To him, his relationship with Lin Xinyan was purely friendship—nothing more, nothing less.

After a few lighthearted remarks, Xing Yuxiu and Chi Yang left. Shi Ji, meanwhile, set off.

He opened the communication function on his wristband and found the coordinates Lin Xinyan had sent. Following the directions, he headed toward her location. But just as he lowered his left hand, something caught his eye.

“Huh? What’s this…”

He noticed a notification icon with a string of numbers, Shi Ji couldn’t help but tap it. That’s when he realized—it was a record of all Lin Xinyan’s earlier call attempts.

He let out a bitter chuckle.

“Looks like the problem wasn’t with the wristband. It’s my brain that’s broken.”

***

Half an hour later…

“This… this is where that girl lives?” Shi Ji couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief.

He was standing in a massive square, easily several hundred square meters wide. Just a few dozen meters ahead stood a standalone high-rise villa. Its design was unique, its decorations luxurious, and most importantly, it exuded an undeniable sense of grandeur.

Rows of neatly planted trees lined the area, with carefully arranged flower beds in between. In the center, a fountain sparkled under the sunlight, casting a clear rainbow across the air. It was so picturesque it almost felt unreal.

Shi Ji sighed. Once upon a time, he too had owned a massive villa. It even had a bathroom—one with actual running water. But financial troubles had eventually driven him to the streets. Thankfully, he’d made one wise decision after another: stumbling his way to Xiyu, joining the Star Hero Academy, and securing himself a cushy life of freeloading.

Suddenly, Shi Ji straightened his back and struck a haughty pose, putting on airs.

“What a joke. I, Shi Ji, was once a rich man. You think I haven’t seen luxury before? I… Pfft!”

Midway through his declaration, his eyes widened in shock. On the flat rooftop of the villa, a girl in a pale blue swimsuit suddenly stood up, her stunning figure fully on display.

Shi Ji froze, staring in dumbfounded amazement. There was no way this 170-centimeter-tall girl was Jing Xin. That brat was way shorter than this.

Lin Xinyan, though, was tall. Just from her usual clothes, Shi Ji had always guessed her figure was incredible. But seeing her in a swimsuit now? It was a sight to behold.

From the rooftop, Lin Xinyan spotted him immediately. She paused for a moment, clearly startled, then realized what was happening and dove out of sight.

Sploosh!

He faintly heard the sound of water. She must have dived back into the pool to escape his gaze.