Chapter 17 - Private Chats Lead to Trouble

Chapter 17: Private Chats Lead to Trouble

“See? I knew nothing was wrong. Did you really think Yuze would be as unreliable as you guys?” Teacher Zeng sat back, watching the others with amusement. They were worrying over nothing. Though they hadn’t known Chen Yuze for long, they’d already gotten a sense of his personality, he was dependable, cautious, and probably the least troublesome person in the Love Apartment.

The group rolled their eyes at Teacher Zeng but were relieved that Yuze had things under control. Otherwise, things could’ve gotten messy. And Yifei—she couldn’t even be bothered to send a text before disappearing? Were they supposed to just not worry? Luckily, Yuze had anticipated this and left a letter.

“Hey, since they went tomb exploring, do you think they’ll bring back souvenirs? Probably something valuable, right?” Lü Ziqiao’s mind immediately went to money. They hadn’t been living here long, and most of his cash had gone toward rent. He and Meijia were running low, if they didn’t figure something out soon, next month would be a problem.

Wan Yu’s interest was piqued too. She was tight on cash herself but didn’t want to ask for help. She’d planned to earn next month’s rent on her own. When Yuze had invited them earlier, she’d worried about being a burden and declined. Who knew Yifei would just run off with him without a word?

Wan Yu glanced at Ziqiao. “You’re that broke? You should’ve said something earlier. Yuze invited us before—said we’d even get paid. But we didn’t want to cause trouble, so we turned him down. Who knew Yifei would sneak off with him? I would’ve gone if I’d known.”

“What? He told you guys? That’s not cool! And here I was, thinking we’d be wingmen in the dating scene. He gets a sweet gig like this and doesn’t even invite me?” Lü Ziqiao angrily tossed a pillow from Yuze’s room. He genuinely hadn’t known, and Yuze had forgotten to mention it to him.

Not that Yuze was entirely to blame. When he’d been screening potential teammates, very few made the cut. Teacher Zeng? Out—he had his late-night radio show. Zhanbo? Eliminated instantly—no way he could handle the risks.

At the time, only Hu Yifei had shown real interest. As for Lü Ziqiao? Yuze hadn’t even considered him, most guys were disqualified anyway. If Guanguan had been around, maybe things would’ve been different. But since he wasn’t, Yuze hadn’t had many options.

“Chen Meijia, why didn’t you tell me?” Ziqiao turned to Meijia, who was idly playing with a small trinket. How could she keep something this important to herself? That wasn’t like her.

Meijia shrugged. “I thought he was joking! I didn’t take it seriously. Besides, what would you do there? No offense, but that’s life-or-death stuff. You’d either get yourself killed or slow everyone down.”

“If Yifei and Yuze can go, why can’t I?”

Teacher Zeng patted Ziqiao’s shoulder. “Be honest… can you really compare yourself to Yifei? We’re just regular guys. Yifei is… well, you know.”

Ziqiao thought for a second, then sighed. “Fine, I take it back. Yifei’s like two men combined. I can’t compete.”

After some more banter, the group dispersed. Ziqiao pocketed a small item from Yuze’s room—probably something to impress girls. Nobody minded; it was just a decorative piece, and Ziqiao wouldn’t actually lose it. At worst, he’d use it to show off.

Meanwhile, Chen Yuze and Hu Yifei were feasting on roasted wild boar and singing with their new companions. The burly man’s deep, rugged voice was a stark contrast to the overly polished pop stars of modern times—this was real, raw, masculine singing. Even Yifei hummed along between bites of meat and swigs of homemade Northeastern liquor.

Under the hazy moonlight, surrounded by the glow of the campfire, the group bonded quickly, their initial wariness fading as they took in the beauty of the untouched forest.

Yuze and Old Hu exchanged a glance before clinking cups, careful not to drink too much. Tomorrow, they’d need clear heads to locate the tomb’s entrance. And with wild animals potentially lurking, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

“Hmm… this place…” Yuze studied the moonlight and the terrain, his borrowed tomb-raiding memories hinting that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. Still, it confirmed they were in the right area—though he wasn’t sure how reliable those memories were.

“Old Hu, something feels off here. Care to take a look with me?” Yuze suggested. Their current vantage point wasn’t ideal—they needed a better spot to observe. Star-guided tomb location was one method, but Yuze wasn’t well-versed in it. Hence, he wanted Old Hu’s expertise.

“Good call. The moonlight’s been bothering me too.” Old Hu set down his cup and stood. “Let’s make sure we’re not way off track. At least we should confirm the position first.”

“Private chats lead to trouble! What shady business are you two scheming behind our backs?” Yifei, never one to back down, had been itching for action all day. Feeling useless only made her more determined to prove herself—usually by challenging others until they admitted defeat, then rubbing it in.

“Ha. If you want to come, just say so. No need for the theatrics. Not like you’d understand anyway.” Yuze’s mistake? Implying Yifei couldn’t keep up, and throwing in a casual insult.

Yifei dropped her meat. “Who says I can’t?! It’s just finding a damn grave. Watch me do it better than both of you!”