Everyone else on the island had already been brought back to the ship by the Wen family before the danger arrived.
Some people were unwilling and wanted to cause trouble, but after witnessing half a mountain being blown up with their own eyes, everyone quieted down.
When it was time to leave the treasure site, Bai Yuqi was reluctant.
With so much gold and silver, shouldn't they take something before leaving?
But he also knew that this belonged to the Lu, Miao, and Tang families, and it wasn't appropriate for someone surnamed Bai to touch it. He kept looking at Lu Yaoyang, hoping he would be more dependable and greedy, so he could tag along.
To his surprise, not only Lu Yaoyang but everyone else seemed indifferent.
Di San and Shi Guanzhu carried Xiang Xueyuan's corpse, walking at the front with Wen Jiu. Miao Tong and Er Ya bickered incessantly, unable to stand each other.
Lu Yaoyang and Xia Qingtian walked hand in hand, lost in their own thoughts, only exchanging smiles when their gazes met.
Bai Yuqi stared at Lu Yaoyang with a hint of resentment, following behind reluctantly and with a dejected air.
Walking at the very back were Xia Qingyu and Nie Qingkong. They walked side by side in silence. When Xia Qingyu stumbled, Nie Qingkong naturally took her hand. Seeing that Xia Qingyu didn't pull away, he tightened his grip, never wanting to let go.
Wen Jiu led the way back, finding a more convenient shortcut. Soon, they emerged from a half-collapsed cave.
The moment they stepped out, they saw lightning and thunder flashing across the sky.
"No way, even now, you want to cause trouble for me?" Wen Jiu looked up at the sky. "Is a storm coming?"
A severe storm at sea was no joke.
The others also looked up at the sky.
Xia Qingtian squinted her eyes, watching a cluster of blue currents moving through the heavily clouded sky. Shortly after, it was struck by lightning. Accompanied by the thunderous roar, it was struck three consecutive times before the blue current fell from the sky, then darted away and disappeared.
"Failed again..." Xia Qingtian watched the fleeing blue current and shook her head helplessly.
She wondered if she would ever have the chance to see that problematic system again in this lifetime.
However, she feared that every flash of lightning and thunder in the future would remind her of a very unreliable system that gave her a second chance at life and helped her a lot.
Following that, the dark clouds parted, and the sound of thunder gradually receded.
"Not even a drop of rain? That's absurd? Just thunder, no rain?" Miao Tong also found the weather extremely strange.
"Isn't it good that it's not raining?" Lu Yaoyang seemed to have realized something. He curved his lips and said, "Let's head back to the ship first."
Everyone then immediately rushed back to the ship.
Many people on the ship were waiting for the members of the Lu, Miao, and Tang families to return, eager to see what they had found.
To their astonishment, under everyone's expectant gaze, they returned with... a corpse???
Seriously?
However, this made them feel much more balanced. Seeing the Lu, Miao, and Tang families return disheveled and empty-handed, they felt it was better than being the only ones who had suffered a major loss.
The crowd then dispersed from the deck, and everyone returned to their rooms.
Seeing this, Bai Yuqi sidled up to Lu Yaoyang and whispered, "My dear, is this why you didn't take those treasures?"
"No." Lu Yaoyang shook his head, unwilling to elaborate. "I'm going to take a shower. Have someone prepare some food; everyone must be hungry."
"No, I'm especially curious right now! My dear, don't be like this! Can we still come back?" Bai Yuqi clung to Lu Yaoyang, lowering his voice. "So many treasures, you really don't want them? My dear? Don't! My dear!"
Lu Yaoyang ignored him, simply greeting Xia Qingtian and the others before returning to his room.
Xia Qingtian and the others also returned to their rooms to rest.
That night, everyone slept very soundly, as if it were all a dream.
When they woke up, the wind and waves were calm.
Upon returning to Z City, Xia Qingtian first sent Gaia to the Miao family.
Uncle Miao, who had been tortured by pain to the point of being unrecognizable, immediately agreed to have the蠱 removed in exchange for relief, and thus agreed to help Gaia with the removal.
With the Miao family keeping an eye on him, Xia Qingtian was not afraid of Uncle Miao causing trouble, so she informed Dr. Li and his wife about Gaia's situation.
Upon learning that it was a conspiracy all those years ago and that their beloved daughter was still alive, the couple wept and hugged each other for a long time. They decided to visit and accompany Gaia often before she woke up. They also asked Li Xiaoxiao and Li Xiaozhong to redecorate the guest room at home, waiting for Gaia to come home at any time.
Li Xiaoxiao was ecstatic about having a biological sister.
Li Xiaozhong's face also always wore a smile.
His parents no longer had to live in hiding, his second sister was safe, and his elder sister, who had been resurrected, was about to return. The days ahead were full of hope.
Li Xiaozhong, who had always worn a somber and indifferent expression, began to smile more often these days, which surprisingly made him even more handsome, attracting more admiring glances from girls.
Li Xiaozhong was quite content with his current life, until...
"I am the new transfer student," Lei Xirui said, standing on the podium and smiling sweetly at everyone. "Please take care of me from now on."
Master Lei had finally agreed to let Lei Xirui transfer to school with her good friends.
Although Young Master Lei had his reservations, he had to comply. However, whenever he couldn't see his sister, he felt increasingly sad.
Lei Xirui's transfer brought the most joy to Xia Qingyu and Shi Xingwu. Shi Xingwu sat at his seat, clapping enthusiastically, his gums showing in a wide grin.
"She's a little beauty~" a boy whispered excitedly. "Score!"
"How about I treat you to a stewed pork meal! To make you score even more!" Shi Xingwu immediately waved his fist as a warning.
"..." The latter immediately cowered, not daring to make such a joke again.
When the entire room quieted down, another transfer student began to speak.
"I am Nie Qingkong. Hello everyone, it's been a long time." Nie Qingkong, standing beside Lei Xirui, looked at Xia Qingyu in the audience and smiled. "I'm back."
At this moment, the applause in the classroom was even more enthusiastic, with many girls clapping as if their hands might break.
However, Li Xiaozhong couldn't muster even a hint of a smile.
Li Xiaozhong knew better than anyone why Nie Qingkong had returned at this time and what his intentions were.
After school that day, Li Xiaozhong walked alongside Nie Qingkong. "Have you made up your mind?"
"Mmm," Nie Qingkong replied, looking in Xia Qingyu's direction.
This time, he wanted to stand in the light, approach her anew, get to know her, and no longer shy away.
"Fair competition," Li Xiaozhong said in a low voice, glancing in Xia Qingyu's direction.
Nie Qingkong shot Li Xiaozhong a look, his lips twitching slightly.