Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 10: Lava [Complete]

1232: Otherwise, Incompatible

No wonder Gong Daoyi left. Lin Sanjiu understood now.

Regardless of who was stronger between him and Puppeteer, if it really came to a fight, it would just be a higher-level physical confrontation. For Gong Daoyi, who wins or loses, who lives or dies in the end, probably seemed both straightforward and uninteresting.

But now it was different.

She could even feel a piece of charcoal burning in her throat, so hot that she couldn't spit it out or swallow it. Every time the thought of "should I tell him" came up, she felt like she was sinking deeper into an abyss. Conflicting thoughts and ideas were pulling at her like undercurrents, almost tearing her apart. With her limited understanding of Gong Daoyi, he would definitely appreciate this struggle of the human heart more.

"What is this place?" Puppeteer asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

Lin Sanjiu was startled and hurriedly looked up again—there was a moment when she thought she had heard a drowsy Ah Yun. Due to the backlight, a dark shadow that seemed to be formed by several strokes of thick ink entwined together stood tall on a path that seemed to lead all the way to the sky, making it impossible for her to see the other person's face clearly.

"Don't make me ask again."

This time, the dryness in the voice, long untouched by moisture, was very clear, and she could even hear the sound of his lips and teeth lightly touching.

Great, all he cared about now was where he was. Lin Sanjiu sighed in relief inwardly. Puppeteer had been unconscious for too long, he didn't even know about the existence of the hospital. Even if she left a pass and a simple note by the bed in advance, when he came out, he wouldn't think that Gong Daoyi, whom he had been eagerly waiting for, was right under his feet at that time.

"It's a long story, let's go inside and talk slowly," she said, her voice a bit unsteady. She hurriedly turned her back to block Puppeteer's gaze, bent down, and picked up Ya Jiang.

This embrace surprised her; she couldn't understand why she hadn't noticed sooner that a different consciousness had taken over Ya Jiang's body. Once Gong Daoyi left, Ya Jiang felt different; she couldn't quite put her finger on it, it was like... like something cold and hard thawing gradually in the warm waters of a summer lake.

Gong Daoyi really hadn't lied to her.

Puppeteer stood still, watching Lin Sanjiu approach while carrying the person. Lin Sanjiu, with secrets in her heart, dared not look at him more and pretended not to notice the weight of his gaze, walking past him with her head down. Although the temperature hadn't actually changed, it felt as if she was wading barefoot and bare-legged through a bone-chilling river with floating ice. The thick fragrance that always lingered around him was now but a faint whiff swirling in the air, suffocating her like a hand covering her mouth and nose.

"You're hiding something from me," he said calmly as they brushed past each other.

Lin Sanjiu shivered. "Gong Daoyi came," slipped out of her lips before she could react, dissipating all her previous struggles in that moment, and the following words naturally followed—"But he left again."

Bohemia had already stood far away by this time, and at these words, the shadow visibly stiffened, like a piece of air-dried modeling clay.

Lin Sanjiu dared not turn her head to look.

Holding Ya Jiang, she stopped and her gaze wandered only over the texture of the wall at her feet. Puppeteer stood to her right, and she felt all her consciousness concentrated on the right side of her body.

Puppeteer remained silent for a long time.

"When did he leave?" he asked, his voice soft, indiscernible whether he was angry or pondering.