The sky gradually darkened, and every household lit up their lamps, dispersing the dimness in the Qian family's living room with the long tube lights.
One meat dish and two vegetables with soup, the Qian family's living standard was still quite nice. Although the ingredients weren't precious, they had a delicious taste.
Le Yu used chopsticks to pick a small piece of plum vegetable meat pie, the salty aroma of plum vegetables and the fresh fragrance of mushrooms completely permeated the meat pie, making it very appetizing.
The fried tofu and boiled cabbage were also good, the cabbage was refreshing and slightly sweet, and the fried tofu was rich in sauce flavor.
The soup was seaweed and egg drop soup; since Star Engraving County was near the seaport, seaweed was considered cheap here. Although the soup was lightly salted and tasted bland, it matched perfectly after eating the saucy fried tofu and plum vegetable meat pie, and the stomach seemed to feel comfortable.
Le Yu enjoyed this meal very much.
The only problem was that Qian Yuya kept staring at him.
Having been stared at by Qian Yuya to the point of discomfort, Le Yu said helplessly, "Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Your friend was probably scared away by my reputation."
Le Yu had a bit of an idea why Li Ying suddenly fled, but it wasn't his fault. He had done his best, but who could carry the infamous reputation of Qian Yu Lu?
Le Yu sighed, "People outside really misunderstand me too much."
Qian Yuya stared at Le Yu for a while, then said after a moment, "You seem to have changed lately."
"Yeah, something happened recently, and people always change." Le Yu responded smoothly, "Is Li Ying your good friend? I hope your relationship won't be strained because of me... Hmm, you can invite her to come to our house more often, as everyone becomes familiar with spending time together, she naturally won't be afraid of me."
Le Yu's words were sincere. He knew that childhood friends were precious to youngsters, and he didn't wish to disrupt their relationships.
Li Ying now knows that Qian Yu Lu and Qian Yuya are family living under the same roof, so she might develop a different viewpoint on Qian Yuya. It's common for friends to become estranged due to family circumstances.
In Le Yu's childhood, he had gradually distanced himself from a friend after learning that the friend's mother was overly strict and fiery. This was partly due to the mother's excessive control and partly due to his own fear.
Friendship isn't extraordinarily strong, and it can be as beautiful and fragile as glass. Some friendships may withstand challenges, but before the real test arrives, it's better not to test the friendships further; repair and cherish them when possible.
Some might consider such friendship 'fake,' deeming it unnecessary to cherish, but most things in this world are enjoyed for fun; who can guarantee that their emotional relationships will be eternally unbreakable? It's part of daily life for most people to enjoy the good parts of a relationship before it ends.
Moreover, Le Yu isn't Qian Yuya; who knows if Qian Yuya regards Li Ying as a sister from a different parent? To avoid Qian Yuya resenting him and refusing to eat with him, Le Yu offered his solution, essentially shifting the blame.
"It's a temporary fix," Qian Yuya calmly said, "Li Ying fears you not because of your appearance or speech, but because of what you've done. As long as what you've done doesn't change, Li Ying will always fear you."
"As long as you are a bad person, you will be disliked."
The air suddenly became quiet.
After a moment, Le Yu chuckled, "Maybe I can become a charming villain?"
His awkward humor didn't move Qian Yuya. Suddenly, Qian Yuya opened her palm towards Le Yu, retracting one finger after each statement:
"Did you, without trial, directly execute Backlight Particle on command alone?"
"Did you kill your former teacher Lin Jinyao?"
"Did you capture many old classmates back to the Statistical Department?"
"Did you carry out unreasonable slaughter orders from the Statistical Department?"
After pulling back the last finger, Qian Yuya clenched her right hand into a fist, gripping it tightly.
She took a deep breath and asked the last question, "Are the rumors outside about you true, or is there another hidden truth?"
Ah, so that's it...
Le Yu then realized why Qian Yuya was acting so oddly today: she had heard the rumors about Qian Yu Lu, and he hadn't warned her beforehand!
Not only did he fail to inform his family that he was starting a 'from zero traitor life,' but he didn't even say once, 'Sis, don't believe the rumors; your brother is a good person'!
To now have Qian Yuya suddenly explode into questioning showed how well Qian Yu Lu had hidden things.
However, Le Yu is not like Qian Yu Lu, keeping secrets hidden away. He's been tormented by this secret, having shot Lin Jinyao to death without anyone to confide in. Now that Qian Yuya has directly asked, he decided to graciously reveal some shocking truth to her!
Yet, as soon as Le Yu opened his mouth, memories hit him violently:
Lin Jinyao: "Yu Lu, you need to think carefully. Becoming a spy for White Night within the Statistical Department is a dangerous task; don't impulsively decide. Remember, this isn't just about you; it concerns your family."
Qian Yu Lu: "My parents passed away early; my only family now is Yuya. Teacher, can you arrange for Yuya to live somewhere safe?"
Lin Jinyao: "Won't your sister be of the age to enroll in the National Academy in a couple of years? I can notify the organization to arrange for her to continue her studies at the Royal Academy in Yanjing."
Qian Yu Lu: "If so, then I don't have any issues."
Lin Jinyao: "Yu Lu, you can reconsider, and as for your task as a spy, you must tell no one—not even your family. 'Star Engraving' and I can ensure we take the secret to the grave, but others may not have our resolve. The more your sister knows and cares about you, the more danger she faces."
Qian Yu Lu: "So, as long as I don't speak the secret and become distant from Yuya, I can protect her?"
Lin Jinyao: "That's right, but if your sister doesn't know the background, she might be influenced by external information, turn away from you, reject you, or even see you as an enemy... Yu Lu, even if you don't accept this job, we can understand. Many can embrace dying as heroes but can't accept becoming despised cowards."
Qian Yu Lu: "No problem."
"Anyway, Yuya doesn't like me."
...
Le Yu rubbed his temple, sighed deeply, and swallowed the words back down.
Seeing Le Yu hesitate, Qian Yuya couldn't help but get anxious, slamming her fist on the table. The dishware jumped, and she suppressed her tone, trembling with anger as she questioned, "Why don't you answer me?"
Le Yu gazed into Qian Yuya's eyes.
He saw those clear bright eyes filled with worry, unease, and anger.
Finally, Le Yu realized he had an advantage over Qian Yu Lu—at least his emotional intelligence was higher.
Qian Yu Lu, oh Qian Yu Lu, your sister doesn't dislike you; she obviously cares about you.
But why did you become a villain and leave me to clean up your mess? I'm not ①...
Despite his grudges against Qian Yu Lu, meeting with Qian Yuya's expectant and even pleading gaze, Le Yu smiled and nodded, saying:
"Everything you said is true."
"The one sitting before you is Backlight Particle's nemesis, Star Engraving's teacher assassin, fellow crusher at the Statistical Department, and butcher Qian Yu Lu."