Chapter 106: Are You Afraid of Me?

She had only ever seen Jiang Mohe display overwhelming combat prowess; she had no idea what other special abilities he might possess.

Generally, "outliers" do not easily reveal their own characteristics or those of their kind to ordinary people. But Xianyu Qing was no ordinary person. Even though she lacked the specific traits of the Nangong family, she carried their bloodline, and she would inevitably become a target for many other outliers in the future. Madam Nangong and Nangong Ao’s persistent attempts to keep her in the dark would only leave her defenseless in the face of danger.

Therefore, Jiang Mohe gave her a brief explanation: "Every family of outliers possesses different characteristics. Some can unleash ice, others manipulate fire; some are naturally toxic, while others possess the ability to heal or control the minds of others. Aside from the traits Madam Nangong has told you about, the leaders of the Nangong family throughout history have possessed the power to manipulate ice."

Xianyu Qing found it incredible. She had no idea that so many outliers existed in the world.

"What about your Jiang family?" Xianyu Qing asked. What she wanted to know most, of course, was what special ability Jiang Mohe possessed.

Jiang Mohe moved his limbs, which were slowly regaining sensation, and spoke slowly: "The characteristics of the Jiang family are more complex. Originally, the Jiang people only possessed superior combat abilities. Over the past few hundred years, due to intermarriage with other outlier families, not only have our combat power and speed increased, but we have also gained the ability to self-heal. Only..."

Jiang Mohe paused, and Xianyu Qing waited for him to continue.

"Only, when we occasionally lose control, we become cold-blooded killing machines."

This was the drawback brought about by intermarriage among outlier families. In truth, there was another downside: their lives were all very short. No one from the Jiang family lived past the age of fifty. The stronger the ability, the greater the strain on the body, and the earlier they passed away.

Xianyu Qing recalled the time Jiang Mohe had returned from a mission poisoned, and she had seen his eyes change color. Was that what he meant by losing control? No wonder he had tried to stab himself back then!

Jiang Mohe propped himself up against the wall and looked at her. "Do you find outliers terrifying?"

Xianyu Qing thought for a moment before saying, "It is the human heart that is terrifying, not the ability. Those with impure motives who use these powers to commit evil—they are the ones who are truly frightening."

Jiang Mohe asked again, "Then are you afraid of me?"

Xianyu Qing tilted her head slightly, looking into the depths of his eyes, and said softly, "You have always used your abilities to protect me. Why would I be afraid of you?"

What she feared was him getting hurt for her sake. Remembering how he had bled uncontrollably and clung to life by a thread the night before, she still felt a lingering sense of dread.

Jiang Mohe also remembered that when he was on the brink of death, Xianyu Qing had refused to give up, feeding him her own blood as medicine, and even...

Jiang Mohe’s gaze fell upon a trace of blood on Xianyu Qing’s lips. His eyes shimmered with a faint light, and he reached out to wipe it away, but stopped halfway and pulled his hand back. He turned his head, privately frustrated: She was only saving his life; how could he harbor such improper thoughts toward her!

Xianyu Qing noticed his discomfort and, thinking his body was failing him again, said nervously, "Can you still hold on? I’ll go to the entrance and see if anyone is coming to help us."

Jiang Mohe pulled her back. "This is an abandoned construction site; no one will pass by here."

"Then what do we do?" Xianyu Qing was deeply worried about his condition.

Jiang Mohe took out his broken phone from his jacket pocket, removed the casing, and pulled out the tracker inside, examining it carefully. It looked completely destroyed.

He said, "Wait until I recover a bit more, and we’ll figure out a way to leave."

***

A full day and night had passed, and the search and rescue teams sent out had yet to report back.

Nangong Ao’s expression grew increasingly grim. Cui Hao stood to the side, trembling, not daring to utter a word. Suddenly, a frantic ringtone broke the silence. Cui Hao quickly answered.

It was Ning Wenyan. That morning, Mao Wandou and Lu Yansen had gone to the Nangong mansion and, finding Xianyu Qing missing, learned that something had gone wrong. That afternoon, Ning Wenyan had also seen the news on television. When she couldn’t get through to Xianyu Qing, she went to ask Mao Wandou. Realizing it could no longer be hidden, Mao Wandou had told her the truth.

Cui Hao didn't know how to respond and had to leave it to Nangong Ao.

Nangong Ao took the phone and reassured her: "Please don't worry. Qingqing is being protected; she will be fine."

In truth, Nangong Ao had no confidence, but holding onto this belief was the only way he could maintain his composure. Even with the guarantee, Ning Wenyan remained unsettled. Her voice choked as she said, "Young Master, Qingqing’s life is in your hands now. Please, you must not give up on her!"

Nangong Ao stared at the computer screen, fixed on the last frame of the security footage where Xianyu Qing had been seen, and gripped the phone tightly.

"Qingqing is a member of the Nangong family; we will never give up on her!"

As soon as Ning Wenyan hung up, Ah Ren, from the next room, ran over to report: "Boss, our satellite picked up some abnormal signals in the eastern suburbs."

"Is it Jiang Mohe?" Nangong Ao asked.

"No," Ah Ren replied. "It’s the other side’s signal! But they must be looking for Brother He and the others just like we are."

"Very well!"

Nangong Ao stood up immediately. As he walked out, he told Cui Hao, "Prepare the helicopter!"

Meanwhile, after Zhai Muli returned from the company, he entered the mansion and asked the butler, "Is she still refusing to eat?"

The butler nodded, looking troubled: "Miss Bai says she will not eat the Zhai family’s food."

Zhai Muli’s face darkened at these words: "Let her be!"

The butler hesitated, then said cautiously, "Eldest Young Master, women need to be coaxed..."

Coaxed? Hadn't he tried? That woman was completely stubborn... No, wait—since when did he, Zhai Muli, need to coax a woman?

"She is nothing more than a prisoner. Who told you to coax her!"

Just as Zhai Muli finished speaking, Zhai Yan'er’s voice drifted in from the stairs: "Brother, who are you going to coax?"

Zhai Muli gave the butler a look, and the butler wisely closed his mouth and retreated.

Zhai Yan'er skipped down the stairs and fawned over her brother: "Brother, were you going to coax Yan'er? In this whole world, I’m the easiest to coax, aren't I?"

Seeing her act this way, Zhai Muli knew exactly what she was up to: "What do you need your brother for this time?"

"Oh, Brother, how can you say that?" Zhai Yan'er pouted, acting spoiled. "When have I ever asked for anything? It’s because you care about me!"

Zhai Muli wasn't buying it: "What is it?"

Zhai Yan'er giggled: "I just wanted you to invest some funds into our research project."

"What research project? That one by Bai Liyao?"

"Yes, yes, that’s the one!"

Zhai Muli raised an eyebrow. How could he have forgotten that she still had a brother!

"We’ll talk about that in a couple of days."

"Brother, you agreed!" Zhai Yan'er misinterpreted him on purpose and joyfully threw herself at him for a hug. "Thank you, Brother, you’re the best!"

Zhai Muli: "..."