Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin walked down the road, both having completely abandoned their usual playful and joking manner, remaining utterly silent.

It wasn’t because they had encountered any danger, but rather because another person was following behind them.

A woman.

“Where exactly are you two going?” Qin Dingdong asked from behind them. “A’Jin, you’re the most honest one. Tell your sister where we’re going?”

“Uh… we’re going to find someone,” Qiao Jiajin said with a dry laugh.

“Find who?”

“Find a mouse,” Qiao Jiajin continued to answer.

“A Zodiac?” Qin Dingdong smiled. “Man-Mouse or Earth-Mouse?”

“Earth-Mouse, beautiful lady,” Qiao Jiajin answered while reaching out to tug at Chen Junnan, clearly seeking help.

But Chen Junnan acted as if he hadn’t seen anything, dodging to the side with all his might.

“I swear…” Qiao Jiajin really couldn’t hold it in anymore and turned his head to whisper, “Junnan boy, you’re going too far… we’ve been through mountains of blades and seas of fire together, and now you’re leaving me alone to talk to this beautiful lady. Isn’t she your acquaintance?”

“Old Qiao… today’s different from before…” Chen Junnan also said with a bitter smile. “I can block machetes and bullets for you, but I can’t block Dong Jie. Just shield me for a bit.”

Seeing Chen Junnan so distressed, Qiao Jiajin could only continue talking to Qin Dingdong despite his reluctance.

But in his view, this woman wasn’t particularly terrifying. She spoke rather politely with a gentle tone. He didn’t know what Chen Junnan had done to offend her to make him this afraid.

The three people chatted in extreme awkwardness, and soon arrived at the Earth-Mouse’s game venue.

“Yo! What a coincidence!” Chen Junnan’s spirits instantly lifted when he saw the Earth-Mouse, shouting loudly, “Isn’t this the most introverted big mouse among the Zodiacs?!”

The Earth-Mouse also snapped back to attention at this moment, turned his head to look at Chen Junnan, then replied, “Isn’t this ‘Capital City’s Number One Socially Anxious’ Chen Junnan?”

Hearing this title, Qin Dingdong’s face was filled with speechlessness, her eyes nearly rolling back to the sky.

Qiao Jiajin also laughed dryly and walked over toward the Earth-Mouse.

Chen Junnan stood in front of the Earth-Mouse, turned his head to look in the direction the Earth-Mouse had been looking, and asked curiously, “What were you looking at just now? Did a beauty pass by?”

The Earth-Mouse also looked in that direction after hearing this, his expression slightly strange as he said, “Leader, you jest. I’m a mouse—looking at beauties would be a bit too ridiculous. There should have been a departed soul passing by just now.”

“A departed soul…?” Chen Junnan was stunned. “The departed soul of a female mouse? It hooked your eyes away.”

The Earth-Mouse shook his head after hearing this. “I don’t know if it was a mouse, but I always feel that a colleague has died.”

Only then did Chen Junnan realize the Earth-Mouse’s tone didn’t sound like he was joking. His own expression also became somber. “Ah…? No way, right? You have ‘colleagues’?”

“Barely count as ‘colleagues,’ Leader,” the Earth-Mouse answered. “We all have the same boss, so we count as ‘colleagues.'”

Chen Junnan scratched his head and said, “So other Zodiacs, then. Were they gambled to death?”

“I don’t know, Leader.” The Earth-Mouse shook his head. “I don’t even know if he’s really dead. I hope it’s just my imagination. After all, in broad daylight, everything was fine… how could… he die?”

The Earth-Mouse’s voice grew weaker and weaker, seeming to lose confidence.

“Sigh…” Chen Junnan was at a loss for words for a moment, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.

Although the one who died was a Zodiac, technically his enemy, seeing the Earth-Mouse’s expression, he really couldn’t feel happy.

After all, every Zodiac here was once a person of flesh and blood; they just changed.

There’s never truly been any such thing as “growth” in this world. People only die in the past, then break out from the corpse in a new body, telling everyone they’ve grown.

We died in the past when we were young, and we still die in the past after becoming adults.

All the Participants and Zodiacs here are the same.

“That… well…” Chen Junnan reached out to pat the Earth-Mouse’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. “Don’t be too discouraged… big mouse. Aren’t you still alive?”

“Hmm?” The Earth-Mouse raised an eyebrow.

“No… I mean… maybe that person didn’t die?”

The Earth-Mouse nodded after hearing this. “Leader… I can only borrow your auspicious words. I’ve lived with my colleagues for many years and have a kind of mysterious connection. I hope he wasn’t gambled to death by someone… but if he wasn’t gambled to death… then he…”

“Hey, think on the bright side,” Chen Junnan said. “Even if he really died… maybe it’s also liberation. Don’t you Zodiacs all like to say that?”

The Earth-Mouse sighed deeply after hearing this and answered, “Leader, you don’t understand. I hope he could be liberated earlier or later. Not after working so hard for so many years, living like a dog barely surviving until now, then suddenly being liberated. He suffered hardships he shouldn’t have suffered and gained an unnecessary liberation. This makes me feel very sad.”

Chen Junnan scratched his head after hearing this and looked at Qiao Jiajin beside him. Even Qiao Jiajin was somewhat affected by the Earth-Mouse’s emotions.

This Earth-Mouse, who usually seemed the most carefree, was now showing an extremely sorrowful expression, leaving the two of them completely bewildered.

“What are you being so pretentious about?”

A female voice came from behind several people, startling them.

The Earth-Mouse slowly frowned and asked, “Leaders, who is this?”

“I’m your sister,” Qin Dingdong answered. “You three grown men standing here lamenting spring and mourning autumn, I really can’t understand it.”

“I don’t need your understanding,” the Earth-Mouse said. “Just like if one day you suddenly dropped dead on the road, I wouldn’t understand why you died so miserably either.”

“That would definitely be because sister is as beautiful as a celestial maiden and was killed by her own beauty. A brownish-gray mouse head like you naturally couldn’t understand.”

“You jest. We mice don’t study how beautiful corpses are, because no matter how beautiful a corpse is, we have to gnaw on it.”

“Being able to eat such a beautiful corpse as sister’s, remember not to brush your teeth for a week and carefully savor the charm in the gaps between your teeth,” Qin Dingdong said.

The Earth-Mouse stared into Qin Dingdong’s eyes for a long time, then revealed a trace of a smile.

“Thanks to your blessing, I’m truly not sad at all now.” He put away his expression, looked around at the three people in front of him, and asked, “Why have you leaders had the time to make such a grand appearance today? What virtue and ability does this humble abode possess to have all of you visit together? Looking for your own graves?”

“Hey! Exactly!” Chen Junnan said with a smile. “Now this is the right vibe! It has to be Dong Jie who has the method.”

The Earth-Mouse looked at Qin Dingdong without any goodwill, then showed his cold expression again. “Leaders, if you have business, please speak quickly. If not, please go die.”

“Of course we have business,” Chen Junnan said. “Earth-Mouse, treat us to some fruit.”