Go Apologize

At 2 p.m., under Song Ning’s watchful gaze, Ping Chengcheng knocked on Zheng Zhiyi’s door.

Zheng Zhiyi opened it quickly. “Sister Song… wait… why is it you?!”

She leapt back in shock, only to see Song Ning standing behind the girl.

“Wha… what’s going on?”

She was clearly confused, but not especially afraid. As long as Song Ning was around, Ping Chengcheng wouldn’t dare try anything.

The girl pursed her lips, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn’t. Zheng Zhiyi leaned lazily against the doorframe, eyes inquisitive.

Seeing that look on Zheng Zhiyi’s face only made Ping Chengcheng more upset.

But when Song Ning noticed the girl still wasn’t speaking, she gently patted her on the shoulder.

Ping Chengcheng took a deep breath, then obediently lowered her little head, eyes shimmering with tears as she pouted, “Sister Zheng, I was wrong…”

“Will you forgive me?”

Huh?

Zheng Zhiyi was stunned. What was happening?

Why was Ping Chengcheng suddenly apologizing?

No… something’s off! Isn’t she supposed to be this arrogant, violent, twisted girl with some special mutant traits?

“You’re not… I mean, you…”

Zheng Zhiyi turned to look at Song Ning, puzzled.

Just then, a sound came from downstairs—Wu Sheng had just finished training and returned to the villa. Hearing the voices coming from upstairs, he tilted his head in curiosity to listen.

Song Ning shook her head. “Don’t call Ping Chengcheng a mutant anymore. She’s definitely not one.”

“But…”

Zheng Zhiyi wanted to say more, but Ping Chengcheng suddenly began sobbing pitifully. “I’m really not a mutant…”

“I swear, if I were a mutant, I’d never be allowed to be with big sis!”

Cough cough! Pfft—cough!! A sudden, awkward coughing fit erupted from the first-floor living room.

Wu Sheng had just taken a sip of water and ended up choking.

Even though he didn’t quite understand what a “mutant” was, he did know what Ping Chengcheng really was!

And she dared to make that kind of vow?! What did that mean? That she absolutely wasn’t a mutant? Then what exactly was she?

Unconsciously, Wu Sheng wandered over to the base of the stairs, quietly eavesdropping on the conversation.

Ping Chengcheng spotted him and her eyes lit up. “Brother Wu, you tell them—I couldn’t possibly be a mutant, right?”

Wu Sheng blinked. “What’s a mutant?”

Song Ning and Zheng Zhiyi briefly explained.

Wu Sheng paused, thinking for a moment. Hmm… honestly, Ping Chengcheng really did seem kind of like a mutant. But… that vow she just made…

Given how important Song Ning was to Ping Chengcheng—what exactly was this girl?

“…Alright, I believe Sister Cheng isn’t a mutant,” Wu Sheng said with a shrug.

He was firmly on Ping Chengcheng’s side.

“Besides, Sister Cheng saved my life. So what if she was a mutant?”

“This life of mine—it’s hers. I’m alive, standing here in this villa, able to talk to you, only because of her. Even if she wanted my life, I’d give it up without hesitation!”

Wu Sheng’s firm and decisive words caught Song Ning off guard. She hadn’t expected him to feel this way. A pang of guilt rose in her chest as she clenched her fists.

He’s right. We should trust Ping Chengcheng—after all, she saved my life too.

For Wu Sheng, everything good in his life now was thanks to her. Back when they encountered that egg-layer creature on the road to A City, it was only because of Ping Chengcheng that he survived.

Back then, that thing’s claws were this close! Just a little closer and he’d be dead.

Zheng Zhiyi stood frozen. She didn’t believe Wu Sheng was completely unaware of the truth, and yet he still said all that…

Could she really have misunderstood Ping Chengcheng all this time?

But then… why had Ping Chengcheng threatened her that night on the balcony? Why all those murderous glares?

Why?

She didn’t get it. Couldn’t make sense of it. But… maybe she was starting to.

Wu Sheng sighed and slapped his forehead. Actually… this all made sense.

Zheng Zhiyi hadn’t been around them long. She didn’t know about Ping Chengcheng’s… twisted, obsessive feelings for Song Ning. Wu Sheng and Lao Ba had long gotten used to it, but they’d forgotten to mention it to her.

Maybe that’s why she provoked Ping Chengcheng so badly… why things escalated the way they did.

Hopefully it wasn’t too late to explain. Maybe Zheng Zhiyi could apologize and make it right.

In the end, Zheng Zhiyi accepted the apology with a quiet “mm.”

Ping Chengcheng gave a sweet “thank you,” all smiles and innocence—no trace of that murderous intent from before.

Zheng Zhiyi felt a bit dazed. This whole thing… just felt unreal.

She actually apologized?

Was it because of Song Ning?

Could it be that Ping Chengcheng didn’t see Song Ning as food? Then…

At 2:30 p.m., Xiao Lie sent someone to fetch Ping Chengcheng for a meeting.

As the girl climbed into an off-road vehicle bearing the S City emblem, Song Ning called out, “Be careful.”

Before she left, Ping Chengcheng had explained that she and Xiao Lie were attending a meeting together. The mention of Xiao Lie immediately made Song Ning frown. That guy didn’t seem like a good person at all. He’d even mistaken their identities last time and never bothered to apologize.

Yeah, her impression of Xiao Lie couldn’t be worse.

From the second-floor guestroom window, Zheng Zhiyi watched Ping Chengcheng’s vehicle pull away.

So… was her apology real? Or fake?

Zheng Zhiyi felt conflicted. Confused.

If that had been an act… then Ping Chengcheng’s acting skills were flawless. She’d seemed so sincere.

Was it real or fake? It had to be fake… right?

Knock knock.

Someone rapped on the door again.

“Come in,” Zheng Zhiyi said tiredly from where she lay at the windowsill.

Wu Sheng pushed the door open gently and walked in.

“Hehe… this is actually my first time in a girl’s room,” he muttered awkwardly, scratching his head.

“Did you need something?” Zheng Zhiyi’s voice was cool, her gaze angled at him.

“Oh, right. I was wondering… do you know about Ping Chengcheng and Song Ning’s relationship?” Wu Sheng plopped down at the foot of the bed, picking at dirt under his nails while staring at her silhouette by the window.

“They’re… lovers now, I think.”

…Huh?

“Pffft!” Zheng Zhiyi burst out laughing, eyes wide.

“Come on, don’t joke like that. That’s impossible.”

“They’re just sisters. Best friends at most.”

“Besides—how could two girls be together?”

Wu Sheng cleared his throat. “You’re new, so you don’t know. But me and Lao Ba figured it out a long time ago.”

“Think back… didn’t you ever get… too close to Song Ning? Or maybe crossed some invisible line between them?”

Zheng Zhiyi’s laughter faded as she saw how serious Wu Sheng was.

“Wait… you’re serious?”

Wu Sheng nodded.

Zheng Zhiyi fell into thought. When was the first time Ping Chengcheng gave her that chilling, dangerous feeling?

That night…

She’d hugged Song Ning—and gotten pushed away almost immediately.

Huh? Was that the reason Ping Chengcheng started targeting her?!

What the hell?!

“Oh, right—almost forgot,” Wu Sheng added, “Ping Chengcheng kinda reminds me of…”

“How do I put it… like one of those ‘yandere’ characters from anime?”

Yandere?

Zheng Zhiyi chuckled again. What was he even talking about? That sounded like something from another world. No way someone like that could exist in real life.

…

Wait a minute.

If Ping Chengcheng was a yandere… then everything she’d done would make perfect sense, wouldn’t it?!

Zheng Zhiyi finally had her epiphany.

“Find a chance to apologize,” Wu Sheng said, standing up. “See if you can get her to forgive you. She’s… still really scary.”

“But if you don’t cross her lines, honestly, she’s not bad at all.”