Chapter 14 – Testing
The elevator’s glass shielded them from the noise outside, making the confined space unusually quiet.
Xi Chunzhi had already let go of Tu Ran’s hand.
While Tu Ran was observing the world outside, Xi Chunzhi was observing her.
“Tu Ran,” Xi Chunzhi suddenly called her name.
“Yes?” Tu Ran turned to look at her.
Xi Chunzhi’s eyes were unusually calm, like cold seawater, terrifyingly unfamiliar.
Tu Ran’s pupils shrank; she sensed something was wrong.
In an instant, a short knife came towards her.
Tu Ran’s heart leaped to her throat, but unlike every previous time she encountered danger, this time her body didn’t dodge but began to counterattack.
Relying on muscle memory, she swiftly turned around and, at a speed that even she couldn’t believe, grabbed Xi Chunzhi’s wrist.
The blade grazed her neck, leaving a shallow cut.
The elevator alarm sounded, and red lights began to flash.
“Junior Pioneers Tu Ran and Xi Chunzhi, please comply with Federal laws. Fighting is prohibited. Fighting is prohibited.”
“What are you doing?!” Tu Ran couldn’t believe it.
Under the flashing red alarm lights, the bright red blood on Tu Ran’s neck was particularly striking.
Xi Chunzhi saw it, her gaze then falling on Tu Ran’s face, which was now full of vigilance and coldness.
This was the Tu Ran she remembered.
Completely different from the previously pitiful and weak woman.
“Nothing,” Xi Chunzhi said as she shook off Tu Ran’s hand and sheathed the blade.
She returned to her original position, leaning casually against the transparent glass, with no intention of explaining.
The piercing alarm sound in the elevator had stopped.
Tu Ran no longer dared to turn her back on Xi Chunzhi. She took a step back, and they stood facing each other at opposite corners.
Her neck stinging, Tu Ran raised her hand to touch it, seeing the bright red blood on her fingertips. She suddenly had a suspicion.
Could it be that Xi Chunzhi had started to suspect her?
Maybe she had been testing her just now.
If she were an alien species, in such a dangerous situation, it would have been very difficult to continue hiding inside a human shell.
Understanding this, Tu Ran slightly relaxed her tense nerves.
Xi Chunzhi had been good friends with the original owner. It was only a matter of time before she noticed something was off.
Tu Ran had never thought she could hide forever, but she hadn’t expected it to come this quickly.
She smiled bitterly to herself, unsure if her acting was too poor or if Xi Chunzhi was too perceptive.
It seemed she would have to come clean.
If she were lucky, Xi Chunzhi would still consider her a friend, and if she could offer some help, it would be even better. After all, surviving in this completely unfamiliar world was proving to be quite difficult.
However, Tu Ran decided not to speak directly in the elevator.
She remembered the alarm from just now.
The system had identified both of them and noted that they were fighting, indicating that the elevator was not a private place.
Xi Chunzhi had only called her name and hadn’t said anything else that might reveal her suspicions, probably aware of the lack of privacy in the elevator.
They remained silent.
“Ding”
The elevator doors opened.
Xi Chunzhi walked out first, with Tu Ran following closely behind.
Tu Ran had been curious about why Xi Chunzhi said she was taking her home but had gone upstairs instead of downstairs.
It wasn’t until she saw the scene before her that she understood.
A suspended rail track stretched out ahead, with bus stop-like structures standing on either side. Under the stop signs, quite a few people were already waiting for the next car.
