The three of them sat on the trunk of the tree, looking at each other.
"So..." Shen Jianxi glanced at the distance below, swallowed, "...what do we do next?"
Xia Er jerked his chin at Qin Lang and said carelessly, "Throw him down, and I'll jump down carrying you."
Qin Lang, too lazy to argue with him, just sneered and stood up.
"This cliff isn't particularly smooth, there are plenty of places to put our feet." As he spoke, he roughly measured the remaining distance with his eyes. "My strength is enough to take you down with me, of course..."
He let out a cold snort and glanced sideways at Xia Er. "But adding one more burden won't do."
Hearing this, Xia Er shot up and was immediately ready to compete with him.
Shen Jianxi squatted on the tree trunk, looking at the two men like door gods on either side, and pressed her temples in frustration, reaching out to pull them down.
"Alright, you two, stop fooling around." After pressing them back down to sit, she mustered her courage and glanced down again, finally deciding to discard both of their plans.
She only had one life, and she didn't want to take risks for now.
The three of them sat on the tree trunk, feeling wronged. The two men were now exceptionally childish, and the narrow space easily led to their arguments.
"Damn it, you're doing it on purpose, aren't you!"
"Yes, want to fight?"
"Fight then! Who's afraid of who!"
As they bickered, the two were about to get up and fight again.
After pushing them down time and time again, Shen Jianxi deeply felt that she couldn't let this continue. If they stayed any longer, let alone the tree, the cliff itself would be torn apart by the two of them.
With a long sigh, she decided to activate the pendant, and at the same time, verify her guess—the pendant wouldn't let the three of them get into trouble.
At least it wouldn't let Qin Lang get into trouble.
This fact had been verified that day.
Although she didn't know what this pendant was, why it would protect Qin Lang, what its relationship with Qin Lang was, or why it appeared with her, it was undoubtedly the best option right now.
Shen Jianxi hesitated no longer, pulled Xia Er and Qin Lang closer, and whispered, "I want to go home."
Under Qin Lang's bewildered gaze and her anxious mood, the pendant finally resumed its function.
Qin Lang looked in surprise at the soft white light around him. The light caused no discomfort, instead making his old and new injuries feel warm, followed by a fine, itchy sensation.
Before he could figure things out, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
...
When Qin Lang woke up again, he found himself in a strange room, surrounded by peculiar objects, while Shen Jianxi and Xia Er were nowhere to be seen.
He sat up and, surprised, pulled at his clothes, only to find that not only had his clothes been changed, but all his old and new injuries had disappeared.
Just then, the door to the room was opened. Qin Lang casually grabbed something sharp and got into a defensive posture.
The next second, Xia Er walked in and saw him like that. He let out a scoff and placed the bowl in his hand heavily on the table, "Eat!"
Even though he was someone he knew, Qin Lang still didn't let down his guard, remaining ready to counterattack if Xia Er attacked him.
"Tch!" Xia Er crossed his arms, a look of disdain on his face. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it just now. Why would I wait until now?"
Then he nudged the bowl with his hand and continued, "Stop mumbling, are you a man or not! Eat quickly, and after you're done, remember to wash the dishes."
After saying that, he turned and left, not wanting to see this annoying person any longer.
Only when he was sure the person had truly left did Qin Lang walk to the table and stare expressionlessly at the bowl of noodles.
It looked and smelled delicious. A moment later, he picked up his chopsticks and tentatively took a bite.
Outside the door, Xia Er was stopped by Shen Jianxi. "He's awake?"
Xia Er glanced at the closed door and nodded impatiently, "He's awake, and he's probably eating right now. So, why did you bring him back?"
Xia Er had wanted to ask this question since they returned.
In his opinion, only he could enter this house among people from another world. Now, there was Qin Lang too, and that special feeling was gone.
Moreover, that man had watched him like a prisoner in the other world, and even when they met, he was accompanied by people.
All these things made Xia Er extremely unhappy.
If it weren't for Shen Jianxi's instructions, he would have killed that dog Qin Lang long ago.
Instead of that, he could only grind his teeth and do nothing else!
As if sensing Xia Er's anger, Shen Jianxi could only coax him to ensure a short period of peace, "It was to bring you back and accidentally picked up one more person."
"Really?" Xia Er's ears twitched slightly. Although comforted, he put on a proud demeanor.
Shen Jianxi chuckled, "Really!"
"Then why didn't you send him back?"
"I tried." Shen Jianxi said helplessly. She had tried when Qin Lang was still unconscious, but there was no reaction at all. "Alright, alright, get along well for now. I'll figure something out." I'll figure out a way to send both of you away!
"Fine..."
The voices outside gradually quieted down. Qin Lang lowered his gaze to the tabletop, thinking about something.
Just then, he heard a dull knock on the door.
Shen Jianxi walked over and habitually looked through the peephole. The moment she saw who it was, she turned and leaned against the door, a guilty look on her face.