EBE Chapter 356 Sudden Outbreak
Chapter 356 Sudden Outbreak
"...Lezhi, it's settled then. I'll come see you tomorrow. Goodnight."
"OK, bye."
He waved goodbye to Cang Jin, and after watching the icy blue figure get a little further away, he jumped into the sea. Upon closer inspection, all that could be seen was a fish tail splashing in the water as it quickly disappeared into the distance.
"Wow, so beautiful." No matter how many times she sees it, Lezhi is still amazed when she sees it again. "Aquatic creatures are so amazing, I'm so envious."
"Hmm?" Lei Xiu, who had been silent the whole way, finally waited until it was just the two of them. Hearing what Le Zhi was muttering to herself, his dark purple eyes instantly dimmed. "Does Zhi Zhi like it?"
Lei Xiu's voice was a little soft, and Le Zhi, who had already turned and walked into the house, didn't hear it clearly. "Huh? What?"
As Lezhi spoke, the wooden door slid open, and the photosensitive plants inside lit up automatically. Lezhi stood at the door, as if she were standing in the light, and turned to look at him through the light.
Backlit, Lei Xiu couldn't see the expression on Le Zhi's face, but it was precisely because he couldn't see it that he had the courage to speak, "I mean, Zhi Zhi seems to really like the aquatic tribe, or maybe you actually like the people here more!"
Lei Xiu had been holding these words in his heart the whole way. Ever since Le Zhi left with him, she had been overwhelmed by the sights of the Lingquan Clan's water-based territory.
This place is indeed amazing. The land that is common in the terrestrial tribes is very rare here. Most of it is water, and apart from a few walkways for people to pass through, the rest of the place is a crystal clear waterway.
The Lingquan tribe primarily uses waterways for daily travel, and each of their homes even has underwater passageways connecting to the waterways for easy access.
If that were all, Lei Xiu wouldn't have reacted so strongly. The novelty of the environment was only temporary; what truly made him feel threatened was the people.
The biggest difference between aquatic creatures and their land-dwelling counterparts is that they possess a second form. Their first form on land is essentially the same as other tree spirits, but once they enter the water, their wing-like parts automatically transform into organs that allow them to breathe underwater, similar to gills, while their legs also transform into fish tails that facilitate movement in the water.
Heaven knows how shocked Lezhi was when he first saw Cang Jin enter the water in front of him.
He almost thought he had transmigrated again!
After Lei Xiu explained, he understood that this was a unique form of the aquatic race. This special form allowed them to move at top speed in the water, which was also an important guarantee for their dominant position in the water.
In this sense, aquatic creatures are truly blessed, omnipresent on land, water, and air. They can fly in the sky, dive into the sea, and live on land in their daily lives.
"Then they're invincible, aren't they? The mother tree is biased."
“Not really.” Lei Xiu said dismissively, “They’re only good in the water. Once they’re in the air, they’re just for show. Their aerial combat ability is… average.”
Actually, he wanted to say it was weak, but since Cang Jin was listening nearby, Lei Xiu gave a more objective assessment.
"That's great too! I'm so envious. I still can't swim." Lezhi's eyes were overflowing with envy.
From his past life to the present, Lezhi has always been a typical inland child, and his swimming skills have never been developed. What he longs for is someone else's innate talent, so how can he not be envious?
Lei Xiu couldn't understand what Le Zhi envied; in his view, Le Zhi was already perfect.
So when Lezhi, contrary to his usual behavior, became unusually enthusiastic and asked Cang Jin about the daily life of the aquatic tribe, expressing envy from time to time, and readily accepting Cang Jin's invitation, Lei Xiu couldn't hold back any longer.
He wasn't sure whether he was just envious of the aquatic creatures having a second form, or if he simply liked the person who invited him to play in the water.
The emotions that had been building up all day finally erupted when the two of them were alone.
Lei Xiu had never faced Le Zhi with such a questioning attitude before, and Le Zhi was momentarily stunned when she first saw it.
He paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Uh, I like them all. The underwater world sounds very interesting. Cang Jin said it's completely different from the land and is definitely worth seeing. And the fact that aquatic creatures can transform into fish tails when they enter the water is even more interesting. This is the first time I've heard of that. I didn't learn about it in my tribe before. What's wrong with you?"
Why does your complexion suddenly look so bad!
Seeing Lei Xiu suddenly step closer with an unusually gloomy expression, Le Zhi finally realized, belatedly, that Lei Xiu seemed, perhaps, probably unhappy.
"The place is interesting, the people are interesting, everything is interesting, so Zhizhi likes it here, likes the aquatic tribe, and likes Cangjin, so much so that she wants to stay, right?"
His words were a bit harsh and his tone was unpleasant. Lei Xiu's best hope was that Le Zhi was just indulging in something new for a short time, and he couldn't wait to find out Le Zhi's attitude.
So even though he knew that what he was doing would make Lezhi uncomfortable, he still couldn't help but say it. He wanted Lezhi to know that he cared and felt uncomfortable, and he hoped that Lezhi could give him a clear answer: no, he didn't like Cang Jin, and he didn't want to stay in the Water Tribe.
All he wanted was this answer.
The two were very close at this moment, separated by a step, with Lei Xiu's line of sight slightly lower than Le Zhi's.
Lei Xiu's positioning of the subordinate was intentional, so although his tone was interrogative, he deliberately lowered his stance, thus not giving Le Zhi too much of a sense of pressure.
But he didn't know that Lezhi didn't care about the issue of oppression.
He only saw that even though Lei Xiu seemed to be having an emotional outburst at this moment, his behavior was still methodical.
With her pure white eyes locked onto Lei Xiu's gaze, Le Zhi's signature smile slowly faded, leaving only inquiry in her eyes.
Let's investigate what Lei Xiu's purpose was in choosing this moment to unleash his power.
As the sun gradually set, the afterglow painted the sky with a magnificent scene, the colors so vibrant that they carried a hint of eeriness.
Just like the atmosphere between the two of them.
The Lingquan Clan arranged for Lezhi and Leixiu to stay in a relatively remote location, with no other residents around. This was mainly to provide the patients with a quiet environment for recuperation, so it was very peaceful.
Quietness is usually a good thing, but now it seems to be a little too quiet.
Silence spread between the two, with only the occasional breeze brushing their cheeks and rippling the water's surface, mirroring Lei Xiu's state of mind.
From raging waves to still waters, and then inevitably stirred by the wind.
Being stared at so intently by Lezhi, who simply looked without offering any response for a long time, caused Lei Xiu's heartbeat to gradually become erratic. He realized that something seemed to have gone out of control, but he didn't know to what extent it had gone out of control, so he could only pretend to be calm.
But beneath those pure white eyes, all thoughts are laid bare.
Finally, as dusk approached, Lezhi spoke, but not to answer Lei Xiu's earlier question.
"Then, Lei Xiu, on what basis are you questioning me?"
"..."
"What's the difference?" Regardless of one's identity, what matters is Lezhi's answer, isn't it?
Clearly, Lezhi didn't think that way. He slightly raised the corners of his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Of course it's different. If I were asking this question as a friend, and using this tone, don't you think it would be a bit abrupt?"
“What if we’re not friends? I mean, we’re more than just friends, aren’t we?” Lei Xiu retorted instinctively. He remembered his promise to Le Chu; there were some things that weren’t ready to be made clear yet.
“More than friends…” A glint flashed in his eyes, and Le Zhi took a small step forward, bringing the two closer together. His superior posture became more obvious. He lowered his eyes and said, “Then what are we? An elder, or a roommate? We can’t be my guardian, can we? Even the clan leader wouldn’t question me about anything as a guardian. Lei Xiu, what gives you the right?”
Words are like knives, piercing straight into the listener's heart without mercy.
Lezhi knew his words might hurt Lei Xiu, but so what? Lei Xiu started it.
Their relationship was led by Lei Xiu from the beginning. He saw everything and tacitly allowed Lei Xiu to invade his private space, but the premise for Lei Xiu to do so was that he could not cross the line.
But just now, Lei Xiu crossed the line.
"..."
Lei Xiu did not answer. He could see clearly the righteousness in Zheng Zha Lezhi's eyes. After waiting for a while, he softened.
With a soft sigh, Lezhi conceded and offered Lei Xiu a reason: "So you don't want to stay, and therefore hope I can leave with you."
If he doesn't want to talk, he won't. If he likes to play dumb, he will. Let's all take a step back and pretend that none of this happened. He doesn't want an answer that he's forced to give. If it's true, he won't say it; if it's false, it's meaningless.
"No, it's not."
But to Lezhi's utter surprise, even after he had offered Lei Xiu a way out, Lei Xiu still refused to take it.
After hearing Lei Xiu's answer, which he had been struggling to come up with, her heart, which had just softened, hardened again. "Then what do you mean?" Chun Chun was being unreasonable and trying to get his attention. Was she just a child?
He refuses to admit anything, says nothing, and just wants to be a mind reader, automatically putting him first. What a wonderful thing he's thinking!
“What I mean is, Zhizhi can do whatever she wants, I just…” Rai Xiu looked up at Lezhi, unsure if now was the right time, but who knows when the right time would come.
"I'm just jealous. I don't want Zhizhi to get too close to Cangjin, I don't want Zhizhi to look at other people... Zhizhi, I think I've fallen in love with you..."