The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 19

When Qin Xiao slowly regained consciousness, she was awakened by the jolting underneath her. Every bump made her feel as if her organs, already displaced by the sea monster’s impact, were being tossed around even more. She felt nauseous, but her stomach was empty. There was nothing to throw up, only an overwhelming discomfort.

Beside her, voices chattered nonstop. Though noisy, the speaker’s voice somehow carried a calming tone, magically soothing the irritation and restlessness she felt upon waking.

“Wow, Brother Li, I see so many food stalls. What are those signs posted outside? No wonder this is Capital Star. Everything looks so exquisite. I just wonder how it all tastes.”

“Of course, Little Jingjing. I’m not bragging, but the food on Aige Street, the most bustling street on Capital Star, is even better. Once you try it, you’ll keep coming back. As for this area, it is expensive, with small portions, and naturally, the taste doesn’t compare. If we get the chance, I’ll take you there sometime. It truly lives up to the hype.”

“Thank you, Brother Li.”

“No need to thank me. Brother Kun told me to look after you. So, Jingjing, why are you here on Capital Star? And what’s this thing you’re dragging behind you?”

Qin Xiao felt herself get jolted again. Every movement made her body ache. Her dantian throbbed painfully, making her grit her teeth.

Jingjing laughed sweetly. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just some luggage I brought from home. It’s a bit heavy. Maybe I should drag it myself, Brother Li.”

Brother Li quickly changed his tone, showing off by lifting the ‘item’ with one hand. “Heavy? This? No way. Just a bit of luggage. So, Jingjing, planning to settle on Capital Star with all this stuff?”

Qin Xiao, referred to as ‘luggage,’ lay motionless inside the suitcase. If not for the constant mention of ‘Capital Star’ stabbing at her nerves, she might have leapt out and pummeled the two outside.

She never imagined she would black out for a moment and somehow travel from Lion Star to Capital Star. How she got here no longer mattered. At least the trouble of traveling was spared. It was a blessing in disguise.

She dozed off again, listening to their chatter until her head slammed into something with a sharp thud, waking her completely.

“Ah! Brother Li, be careful! The item inside is quite… valuable.”

“Right, right.”

After that, Brother Li handled her with the utmost care, afraid to damage what was inside. “Jingjing, this is your temporary residence. It’s rented for six months. Brother Kun said you wouldn’t be staying on Capital Star too long. If you need to renew after six months, come find me.”

Yu Jing looked around her future home and nodded enthusiastically. “Got it. Thanks, Brother Li.”

He registered her as the primary tenant, handed over a fake ID, and reminded her as he left, “There are many of our hometown folks here on Capital Star. If anything happens, go to West Street and find me. Just give them my name.”

Once Yu Jing saw him off, she let out a breath of relief and hurried to open the suitcase. She was immediately met with Qin Xiao’s icy stare, followed by an earth-shattering scream.

Qin Xiao: …

Crammed into the suitcase with bent limbs, she glared at the girl with fury, then slowly stretched her aching body and crawled out bit by bit.

The girl shrank back, teary-eyed and terrified, as if she had just encountered a bully.

Qin Xiao licked her lips unconsciously as her mouth still tasted of rusted iron, which was likely the result of internal bleeding from the sea monster’s strike. Her body ached all over. Even standing was a struggle.

She stared curiously at the girl, noticing something odd. Behind the girl was an enormous fishtail, shimmering in ocean blue. Each scale gleamed. Qin Xiao blinked twice, and the tail vanished.

Yu Jing, flustered by the intense gaze, spoke timidly. “Are you… feeling better?”

Qin Xiao examined her carefully, unsure whether the girl was a guide or not. But seeing her pitiful expression, she decided to act fierce. Her tone turned harsh. “Did you save me?”

Yu Jing smiled apologetically. “Well, I saw you lying unconscious on the ground while I was on my way. Since I was in a hurry, I brought you along. Are your injuries any better now?”

Qin Xiao had suffered internal wounds. How would this girl know that? Was she nearby when the sea monster attacked? Or…

She recalled the vivid image of the fish tail and squinted at Yu Jing with suspicion. She circled her slowly. “How do you know I’m injured? Was that sea monster in the water with the blue strap that trapped me yours?”

Yu Jing waved her hands frantically, her blue eyes filled with fear. “It wasn’t me. Really, it wasn’t me.”

Qin Xiao leaned in threateningly. “Maybe not you, but someone you know. Otherwise, what are the odds? Tell the truth, or I’ll start using methods even I’m afraid of.”

She was bluffing. In her current condition, she could barely squash an ant, let alone handle a live fish.

But Qin Xiao had lived her life being betrayed. Gratitude was not something she gave lightly.

Yu Jing was on the verge of tears. Her eyes turned red. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk.”

Qin Xiao limped over to the bed, the most comfortable spot in the room. The bruise on her ankle still ached. With a commanding air, she sat down. “Speak.”

Yu Jing crouched low and muttered, “The Sea King didn’t mean to. He’s been in a bad mood lately. He accidentally tripped you. There was no ill intent… and… and…” She glanced at Qin Xiao. “You hurt him too. One of his whiskers broke.”

Qin Xiao picked her ear lazily. “So it’s my fault now? Is that monster yours?”

Yu Jing shook her head, looking crestfallen.

Qin Xiao took in the room. It was small, maybe ten square meters, but fully equipped. A small robot stood in the corner. From what she had overheard in the suitcase, this girl planned to live here for six months. Qin Xiao had nothing. If she left now, she might starve.

“Since you know that creature and it injured me, you should compensate me.”

Yu Jing looked shocked. “What?”

Qin Xiao slammed the bed with force, putting on her fiercest face. “What do you mean ‘what’? I was injured by that beast. Shouldn’t you take care of me? That’s just basic human decency.”

She deliberately emphasized the word ‘human.’

“Otherwise, I’ll find that creature and pull out every one of its whiskers.”

“No, no, please don’t hurt the Sea King. I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”

With a victorious grin, Qin Xiao claimed the only bed. Yu Jing, now her unpaid helper, had to handle all meals and sleep on the floor.

But late at night, Qin Xiao would hear water splashing from the bathroom.

Lying in bed, she listened as something slapped against the tub. The noise was loud. Every so often, water leaked into the room.

The room’s robot would alert, “Master, water overflow detected.”

The sounds inside would stop. Then Yu Jing would mop up the mess barefoot, her pale toes visible under the lights.

The next day, Qin Xiao lay in bed eating fruit Yu Jing brought her. “You don’t seem like you’re from this planet. Why did you come to Capital Star?”

Yu Jing paused, then spoke cautiously. “I came… to find someone.”

Qin Xiao, also looking for someone, widened her eyes.

She stared at the fishtail that appeared again, swaying because of Yu Jing’s happy mood. Without showing emotion, she chewed her fruit. It looked sour, but it was juicy and even carried a hint of spiritual energy.

After a few days of watching, she noticed that the fishtail appeared whenever Yu Jing’s emotions fluctuated.

Given that she could see sentinels’ and guides’ Quantum beasts in higher dimensions, Qin Xiao wasn’t sure if others could see Yu Jing’s transformation too. So she played dumb and asked, “I also need to find someone. My identity is a bit special. I can’t use my real ID. I need a fake one. Can you help me?”

Yu Jing hesitated. Then, surprisingly quick-witted, she asked in shock, “You’re a stowaway too?”

Qin Xiao, who had always been an undocumented resident: …