After midnight

"Brother An Yan, did you bring me out here because you have something to say?" Ajiu raised his childish little face.

"Ajiu, Xiaoqi's illness... the medicine I gave you can only reduce the fever temporarily, don't use it indiscriminately."

"I know what you are going to say, Brother An Yan." Jiu lowered his head and turned around sadly to walk forward. An Yan followed him silently.

"Actually, Xiaoqi and I are twins. But, Xiaoqi looks so thin and must be several years younger than me, right?" Jiu said pitifully, his guilt clearly written on his young face.

His tone was light and he didn't wait for An Yan to answer before continuing, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't competed with him for nutrition in my mother's belly, Xiao Qi wouldn't have been weak and sickly since birth. Xiao Qi's abilities were congenitally insufficient, and after awakening, he often became inexplicably confused. Xiao Qi couldn't control himself, so his health became worse and worse."

Ah Jiu became more and more depressed. "After his parents passed away, Xiao Qi's illness became more and more serious. Although the village chief said that as long as he took good care of himself, Xiao Qi would be fine. But I know he was just lying to me. During this period of time, the only time Xiao Qi felt better was today."

Jiu sniffed and almost cried.

"But Xiao Qi not only didn't blame me, but he also relied on me a lot. He said that he loved his brother the most. But it was me who made him like this. Brother Anyan, tell me, am I a bad person?"

Jiu's face was pale, he was tangled but forbearing. An Yan's heart softened, he held Jiu in his arms and comforted him gently. "Jiu is a smart and capable child. Not only that, he is also very gentle, which makes his brother feel safe. That's why Xiao Qi likes and depends on his brother so much. Xiao Qi is kind-hearted and will definitely not think it's his brother's fault."

Ajiu hummed muffledly in An Yan's arms, then hugged An Yan tightly for a while before slightly loosening his hand.

"Since our parents passed away, no one has been so kind to Ajiu and Xiaoqi except the village chief. Thank you, Brother Anyan. But... Brother Anyan, how do you know Xiaoqi's real illness?"

"I thought about the herbs you found for a long time before I remembered that I also used them when I was a child."

"Did Brother An Yan also suffer from this disease when he was a child?" Ajiu was full of doubts. The book he borrowed from the village chief said that disorder of abilities was a special case and could not be cured.

"Yes. But, I'm not born with this ability, so I can't help Xiao Qi. I'm sorry."

An Yan's voice was full of apology, and Jiu quickly shook his head. "It's okay, Brother An Yan, you don't have to apologize. But what does it mean that it's not natural?"

"Nothing... Jiu, what is your ability?"

"wind."

"The village chief said that I am the most powerful person to appear in the village in decades. Is that true?" Seeing An Yan's surprised expression, Jiu asked excitedly.

"It's true." An Yan's eyes were gentle and firm, "As long as Jiu works hard, he will become a very powerful person."

"Yes." Jiu nodded solemnly.

"What about Brother An Yan's ability?"

"……water."

"Water?" Jiu smiled happily at An Yan. "The book says that people with water abilities are 'sons of God'. Brother An Yan, I was right. You are amazing!"

Ajiu's admiring look instantly softened An Yan's whole body. He touched Ajiu's head with a smile and said, "Let's go back."

As An Yan and Jiu walked to the door, they heard Su Ziling's powerful voice. "An Yan, where have you been again? Your hand should have been patched up long ago!"

An Yan pulled Ajiu up the stairs and said, "Let's go in."

Su Ziling walked towards An Yan angrily, and An Yan explained: "I just went to say goodbye to Jiu."

"Farewell?" The four people in the room except An Yan said in unison.

An Yan felt a little strange at seeing Jiu's shocked and reluctant look. Wasn't he saying goodbye just now?

"An Yan, I think it's too hasty now." Yin stepped forward with a serious expression.

An Yan thought about his heart which was still aching after activating his ability today. Indeed, he was not 100% sure that he could guarantee the safety of three people.

"But we can't stay any longer."

"It's okay." Ah Jiu shouted, and then he seemed to have thought of something and muttered softly, "It should be okay."

An Yan rubbed Ajiu's hair.

"It shouldn't be a big deal if we stay one more day. Besides, it's dark outside now. Never mind. Come here first. Your wound needs to be treated quickly." Su Ziling talked in a nagging manner, sitting on a stool and picking up the medicine that had been put aside for half a day.

"Brother An Yan, please stay one more day."

Even Xiao Qi started to whisper, and An Yan had no choice but to sigh, walk to the table obediently and sit down, placing his injured hand on the table.

Su Ziling looked at him and raised his eyebrows at him, and began to change the dressing proudly and happily. An Yan no longer insisted on leaving, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Only An Yan focused on the blood-stained gauze being peeled off layer by layer by Su Ziling. Are they... caring about me?

Forget it, don't think about it, don't have any expectations. An Yan advised himself that no matter how deep the bond was, he would have to cut it off with his own hands in the end.

The next day, Su Ziling packed his backpack and followed Ajiu and Xiaoqi on the road they had walked yesterday. In the morning, the sun gently shone on everyone's shoulders on the narrow path, and the air was filled with the unique fragrance of the grass creeping on the roadside.

Perhaps it was because they were children, Su Ziling, Ajiu and Xiaoqi were walking and playing, and gradually left An Yan and Yin behind without them knowing it.

Yin walked slowly, enjoying the rare leisure. He looked at the very happy Su Ziling, and his eyes softened unconsciously. Soon, they will leave the large number of houses behind. The lake on the shore will be their new journey.

As he turned the corner and walked forward, he suddenly realized that the person who had been following him was not following him. He turned his head and saw An Yan standing quietly on the side of the road with his back to him. Yin walked back and stood side by side with him, and found that if he followed his gaze, he could get a glimpse of the whole picture of this magical village, and the village was peaceful.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking... this village will always be peaceful and tranquil." An Yan's light tone was blown away by the wind, and there was a deep affection in his eyes that Yin had never seen before. At that moment, he seemed to feel that An Yan had placed something eternal here, but he didn't know it yet.

Yin stared at him and said, "Maybe it will bring hope?"

An Yan retracted his gaze, glanced at Yin, turned around and walked forward. The emotion in his eyes had clearly disappeared. In front of him, the figures of three people playing and fighting just disappeared around the corner.

Finally, he had to leave. Su Ziling stood by the lake feeling a little melancholy. Although he had only been with Ajiu and Xiaoqi for a day or two, he still couldn't bear to leave.

The time spent together yesterday afternoon was a long-lost relaxing one for Su Ziling, just like a brother playing with his two younger brothers by the river. At that time, no one would come to remind him of his situation all the time.

He felt relieved, but was this really good? When would the string in his heart suddenly break? Time passed by quietly, neither fast nor slow. He had been here for half a month.

Maybe parting is always sad.

Ah Jiu stood on the shore, staring blankly at the three of them jumping straight into the water. The ripples on the lake gradually dissipated, and they never came up again.

Is this really connected to the vast world outside? Jiu walked over in a trance, and the water surface clearly reflected his twelve-year-old shadow.

He stared at his own shadow in a daze, and suddenly felt a little irritated, a little melancholy, and some impulse that came from nowhere.

"Brother!" Xiao Qi called him loudly.

Ajiu reacted quickly and pulled Xiaoqi away from the lake.

He led Xiao Qi home in frustration. After walking three or five steps, he saw the village chief standing on a high ground not far away. He squatted down, picked up Xiao Qi, and walked back to the village chief eagerly, panting and shouting, "Grandpa Village Chief."

The village chief helped him pick up Xiao Qi and touched his head and said, "Ah Jiu, are you happy to meet them?"

"Happy." He nodded. "Very happy."

The village chief patiently persuaded, "Ajiu, you have always been a smart and responsible child. You must figure out what you want and what you want to do."

Is that so? Ah Jiu lowered his head and thought. The village chief picked up Xiao Qi, took his hand and said, "Let's go home."

Ajiu nodded. One day, he would know.

As soon as Su Ziling got ashore, he fell to the ground and breathed heavily. He lay on the thick earth, his heart pounding. After a while, he finally took a long breath and exhaled a long breath.

Yin looked at his expression and kicked his leg in disdain, "Hurry up and get up, let's go while it's still light."

"I understand." Su Ziling stretched out his voice and stood up with energy.

As expected, they returned to the lake where they jumped two days ago. The lake was calm and the white clouds were far away. They once again went deep into the uninhabited island, letting the towering green sky block their hurried figures.

Zhao Yunqi's bad premonition was confirmed step by step, and he finally stopped.

How could An Yan not choose this island?

"Yunqi." Shangguan Can called him softly.

Zhao Yunqi pursed his lips into a straight line, his face solemn.

"I was wrong." He had to admit to Shangguan Can and Song Yu behind him that he was wrong.

"So what should we do next?" Shangguan Can listened to Zhao Yunqi very much, without any pursuit or complaint.

Song Yu stood by and said nothing, just looking around casually. His posture gave Zhao Yunqi the illusion that he had seen through everything.

Zhao Yunqi did not answer Shangguan Can's question immediately. Just when Shangguan Can felt the pressure, Zhao Yunqi gently spoke out the answer. "They will choose the island in the southwest that is a suitable distance away."

"Why not choose the narrowest one in the middle? Don't forget that their destination is Sand City." Song Yu, who had been turning a deaf ear to the question, suddenly asked back.

"Because one of them is injured."

"Can you conclude this based on just this? Isn't that too arbitrary? It seems like you know him very well, Yunqi."

"If it's information, I have read a lot of it."

Shangguan Can saw that the two were about to quarrel and interrupted them in time. "Okay, that's it, but according to the time calculation, are we still in time now?"

"It's still in time. Write a letter to Zhang Dong and ask him to pick us up. We'll set out directly by water." Zhang Dong's ability is very simple. It's easy for him to build a small boat. He, Zhao Yunqi, will never choose to retreat.

As the sun set, they set off.