Chapter Fifty-Six: The Poppy Flower

Qin Yu glanced at the ground, her pupils contracting sharply—for lying there was none other than Xia Cheng!

No wonder Zhao Meng was so furious. Though Zhao Meng never spoke of it, Qin Yu knew well that she liked Xia Cheng—liked him very, very much. Qin Yu looked at Zhao Meng, whose eyes were red with anger, then at the members of the Falcon Squad standing opposite, her gaze sharpening.

Yet Qin Yu did not step out from the crowd. She merely shifted her position, blending in among the people so as not to draw attention, while still keeping a close watch on Zhao Meng and the others.

At this moment, Zhao Meng seemed to sense something and swept her eyes over the crowd, but found nothing unusual. She wondered to herself if she had just felt Xiao Yu’s gaze—was it merely her imagination?

But the situation allowed Zhao Meng no time for further thought. Xia Cheng was unconscious on the ground, and Chen Mo and the others had already helped him up and moved him aside.

Of course, Zhao Meng, preoccupied with worry, failed to notice that Xia Cheng’s fingers were trembling faintly. Qin Yu, however, saw Chen Mo discreetly deliver a punch to Xia Cheng and caught Xia Cheng’s subtle reaction. A faint smile played at her lips—so that’s how it is. Tsk tsk, they truly are of one mind.

It turned out that both Qin Yu and Xia Cheng had wanted Zhao Meng to face this trial alone. Zhao Meng was generous and forthright, but in this post-apocalyptic world, such a disposition made it difficult to rise to power—one misstep and she could fall prey to treachery.

This was the perfect opportunity, facing the two-faced Falcon Squad, for Zhao Meng to learn a hard lesson. Only then would she become more cautious in dealing with others in the future.

Moreover, even if they could not defeat the Falcon Squad, there were still many ways to ensure Zhao Meng’s safety.

Zhao Meng, of course, was unaware of their scheming. She now glared angrily at Feng Meier, clenching her fists tightly, poised to hurl a fireball at her at any moment.

Meanwhile, Feng Meier, seeing the murderous intent in Qin Yu’s eyes, gave a coquettish smile. She tugged gently at Captain Qian Ying’s sleeve and said in a syrupy voice, “Look how she’s staring at me—I’m so scared.”

The captain’s eyes darkened. Others might not know of Feng Meier’s ruthlessness, but he certainly did. This woman was even more merciless than he was. Of course, he was not fool enough to expose her in public; after all, they were a team.

In this world, it did not matter who was right or wrong. Anyone who embarrassed the Falcon Squad had to die. In these times, who would care about a few insignificant lives? Here, might makes right.

With these thoughts, Qian Ying patted Feng Meier reassuringly on the back and said, “Meier, don’t worry. I’ll make sure they give you an explanation for this.”

Feng Meier looked up at him, a trace of emotion in her eyes. Then she turned her gaze to the crowd. The way the onlookers stared at her, it was as if their souls were being drawn away—who among them cared about the truth anymore?

Hidden among the crowd, Qin Yu let out a cold laugh. What a master of seduction! Feng Meier truly lived up to her reputation.

Zhao Meng, observing that most of the people were lost in Feng Meier’s gaze, suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as though she had seen this scene before—someone smiling with upturned lips, a flick of the eyes, and many were bewitched, driven to turn against one another.

She stared blankly at the scene before her, and tears fell suddenly and inexplicably from her eyes.

Xia Cheng, squinting surreptitiously from the sidelines, grew anxious when he saw Zhao Meng’s sudden tears. When he had once been investigating Qin Yu, he had secretly hypnotized Zhao Meng and discovered she had been deeply hypnotized by someone else—a technique so profound he could not break it.

He had later investigated Zhao Meng’s past, but found nothing before the age of ten—either there was nothing at all, or what he found was so ordinary it seemed suspicious.

Now, seeing Zhao Meng weep so suddenly, Xia Cheng guessed that something had touched her sealed memories. Just how powerful must those memories be to break through the barrier and make his beloved Zhao Meng cry?

Watching her like this, Xia Cheng almost couldn’t restrain himself from taking her into his arms.

But just as he was about to move, he caught Qin Yu’s warning gaze—telling him to stay back, or all their previous efforts would be for nothing.

Suppressing his heartache, Xia Cheng continued to observe what would happen next.

Feng Meier, noticing Zhao Meng’s sudden tears, seemed to sense something as well. Her body trembled, and for the first time, she studied Zhao Meng closely. Zhao Meng had short, slightly messy hair, two earrings—one black, one white—wore a white top and thick denim pants. Her eyes, reddened by tears, along with her high nose, rosy lips, and delicate brows, made her a rare beauty in these bleak times.

But that was not the point. Feng Meier stepped forward, tilted her body, and took Zhao Meng’s hand with a radiant smile. The crowd was bewildered—hadn’t these two just been bitter enemies? How had they become friends all of a sudden? Their confusion was plain to see.

Feng Meier ignored their reactions. Instead, she drew Zhao Meng even closer, and then, with blood from an unknown source, wiped behind Zhao Meng’s ear.

The moment Feng Meier’s blood touched the skin behind Zhao Meng’s ear, it was instantly absorbed. A tiny poppy flower appeared for a fleeting second before vanishing.

Feng Meier’s eyes filled with fear at the sight of the ephemeral blossom. She released Zhao Meng’s hand and staggered back a few steps.

None of this escaped the watchful eyes of Xia Cheng and Qin Yu. Because of his vantage point, Xia Cheng caught a glimpse of the little flower—though he couldn’t tell what kind it was, it was enough to fuel his suspicions.

Qin Yu only saw Feng Meier smear something behind Zhao Meng’s ear, then recoil in shock.

Both were deep in thought.

As for Zhao Meng, tears streamed down her face, oblivious to her surroundings, until she suddenly felt a searing heat behind her ear. Something erupted from the depths of her mind—

And then she collapsed.

Seeing Zhao Meng faint, Xia Cheng could no longer hold back. He swept her up into his arms and rushed toward their lodgings, channeling his powers into her as he ran.

Feng Meier, still shaken, told the captain, “Let’s go—it’s over,” and departed. Had anyone looked closely, they would have seen her body trembling uncontrollably.

Qin Yu watched Feng Meier’s retreating figure, feeling as if something was slipping beyond her grasp—something that would lead her into a world even more complicated than she had ever imagined.