Chapter 703: My Brother is Leaving?

"Shen Long...?"

Everyone turned to look at Auntie, not understanding what she meant.

"It's a person with a dragon head, standing outside the park on the west side!" Auntie said with a smile. "When I passed by him today, I suddenly felt his aura was different from others, so I quickly knelt down to worship him, and he really blessed me!"

"What...?"

Some people clearly didn't believe Auntie's words, and their scents twisted with doubt.

"It's true!" Auntie said earnestly to everyone. "I could clearly feel the power from that 'Shen Long'! How else could I have obtained 'Qing Xiang'?"

At that moment, Wan Bobo was stunned, as this place seemed to exceed his expectations more and more.

"Shen Long...?" Wan Bobo scratched his cheek, as if thinking of something. "Whether it works or not, since we're family, let's go worship him every morning from now on!"

"From now on...?" Someone raised an objection. "Wan Ge... isn't this place about to..."

"Be destroyed?" Wan Bobo shook his head. "Honestly, there's nothing scary about so-called 'Yan Mie'. We've all experienced it once before; you just forgot."

Wan Bobo explained in detail to everyone about that previous 'Yan Mie', where everyone turned into powder and returned to the real world. Then, each of us stayed in the real world for about a day and a half before coming back here. Among us, only the 'Qing Xiang' holders could retain their memories, while others couldn't.

"Wan Ge..." One of the aunties asked excitedly, "Is that why you're doing everything you can to help us gain 'Qing Xiang'? You want us to retain our memories?"

"Yes." Wan Bobo nodded with a somber expression. "Originally, I just wanted to be a 'Wusi Zhe', but since many people don't trust me, I have to tell you my ultimate goal here. I just want everyone to gain 'Qing Xiang' so that one day we can all escape this place together."

After saying that, he told everyone that if we could return next time, we must come back to this supermarket—it's our home for all of us.

In that moment, I thought Wan Bobo was truly wonderful. I had never known what "family" was before, but now I do.

"Family" is when we're all together, helping each other, discussing problems as they arise, and sharing food. We encourage one another and cheer each other on.

So that's what "family" is.

On the tenth day, we each went to our favorite places to accept "Yan Mie", and this trip came to an end.

I held Gu Yu Gege's hand with my left and Siwei Jiejie's with my right, as the three of us walked along the empty street. I felt both happy and sad in my heart.

Happy because I seemed to have found my real family, and sad because we were about to part ways again.

"Siwei, do you think Wan Ge is doing the right thing?" Gu Yu Gege asked.

Siwei Jiejie shook her head after hearing that. "I don't know."

"By gathering people together... can we really escape?" Gu Yu Gege turned his head coldly. "In the end, all the 'wealth' is in Wan Ge's hands alone, and he's the one who escapes, not us."

"I've thought about that too, but do we have a better option?" Siwei Jiejie sighed, and her palm started to sweat as she held my hand. "The situation is even more terrifying than I imagined. Those people are on the verge of being brainwashed, and even if we leave, we can't take the little hero brother with us. Wan Ge won't let him go."

"Then leave him behind." Gu Yu Gege said. "Siwei, I'm planning to leave this organization. Do you want to come with me?"

Gu Yu Gege's words left Siwei Jiejie and me both stunned.

Did I hear that right?

What does he mean by leaving me behind?

"No... the little hero brother is with me." Siwei Jiejie said in a flustered voice. "I can't abandon him. Without me, I can't imagine how he would survive here."

Gu Yu Gege slowly furrowed his brow. He looked down at me, then up at Siwei Jiejie, and finally sighed.

"Siwei, we've been here for twenty days now. Don't you understand yet? This place doesn't need 'emotions' or 'family'." Gu Yu Gege's scent was full of sadness as he glanced at me and continued, "This child isn't some savior, and Wan Ge isn't the 'king' here. We need to find another way."

"But we're safe." Siwei Jiejie said. "Gu Yu, I agree with you on other things, but we've been safe for these twenty days. Have you forgotten? When the little hero and I first met you, we were being robbed. Even though this organization is clearly a 'chain sales' scheme, we don't have anything left to lose—we've always been penniless."

Gu Yu Gege turned his head and pointed to his temple. "We still have you."

"Me?"

"We still have 'Siwei'." Gu Yu Gege said. "If we stay in Wan Ge's organization, even if you can keep your 'Siwei', not everyone will stay as clear-headed as you. You know what they say about 'three people making a tiger'? I already have a bad feeling about this."

Siwei Jiejie lowered her head silently after hearing that, her scent hesitant.

I could feel she really wanted to go with Gu Yu Gege, but she couldn't bear to leave me.

I wanted so badly to say, "Jiejie, you go ahead," but I couldn't. I didn't want to, and I wouldn't.

If Jiejie wasn't in this "family," I really wouldn't know what to do.

But I couldn't say, "Jiejie, stay," either. I'm just a kid, and kids shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking. I'm afraid Jiejie might suddenly dislike me.

So I just held her hand tightly, until my palm was full of sweat, but I didn't say a word.

"I can't go." Siwei Jiejie said. "Gu Yu... truthfully, I have a clear understanding of myself. Even if I went wandering with you, we might not escape this place. I'd rather help this child build the right worldview."

Jiejie's words made Gu Yu Gege's scent of doubt even stronger.

"Help him build a worldview...?" He frowned at Siwei Jiejie. "Forgive me for being blunt, but you two are just acquaintances. Is this something you absolutely have to do?"

"It is, but I just feel it's necessary." Siwei Jiejie smiled. "Gu Yu, you know, that's how I am in life. I care for everyone I see; I can't just ignore them."

Gu Yu Gege gave a bitter smile. "So, does that mean you're the real 'Wusi Zhe'?"

"I've never called myself that." Siwei Jiejie shook her head. "I only do what I can."

In that moment, a "Qing Xiang" appeared on Siwei Jiejie, and its scent was called "healing."

That day, the three of us held hands, and I watched as the two of them faded away.

But I never imagined that the next time I saw Gu Yu Gege, it would be four years later.