The sudden turn of events left everyone momentarily frozen, unsure of what had just happened.

As the crowd stood staring at the thieves kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, confessing, and even calling the police on themselves, Zhou Yaoyun returned with three tickets in hand.

He approached Zhou Leling and asked, “Leling, what’s going on here?”

Zhou Leling, equally baffled, replied, “I don’t know…” She then recounted everything that had transpired to Zhou Yaoyun.

After listening to her explanation, Zhou Yaoyun showed no surprise. Instead, he said simply, “If it’s resolved, let’s go. I’ve already bought the tickets.”

Zhou Leling let out a confused “Ah?” but seeing Zhou Yaoyun already pushing Ji Chenai toward the entrance, she hurried to catch up with them. The onlookers, seeing the main parties leave, began dispersing as well. However, a few curious ones lingered, staying until the police arrived to escort the repentant thieves away.

In the grand scheme of things, this small incident seemed to leave no lasting ripple in the world.

Once inside the park, Zhou Yaoyun continued pushing Ji Chenai along the pathways. Zhou Leling, usually cheerful and talkative, remained unusually quiet, seemingly still absorbed in the surreal scene she had just witnessed.

Zhou Yaoyun broke the silence by asking her what she wanted to do first.

Without hesitation, Zhou Leling picked her favorite ride: the roller coaster. But as she made her choice, she stole a glance at Ji Chenai, her expression betraying a hint of hesitation, as though unsure whether it was appropriate to go.

Ji Chenai noticed and gave her a reassuring nod. “Go ahead. I’ll wait for you both nearby.”

Hearing this, Zhou Leling brightened up, her usual excitement returning. She beamed at Ji Chenai before eagerly heading toward the ride with Zhou Yaoyun.

Zhou Yaoyun shook his head and said, “I’m not a fan of that ride. I’ll wait with my brother while you go ahead.”

Normally, Zhou Leling would have pouted or begged to get Zhou Yaoyun to join her, but today was different. She glanced at Zhou Yaoyun, then at Ji Chenai, and surprisingly, agreed without complaint.

Zhou Leling didn’t particularly like her cousin Zhou Yaoqin. Compared to Zhou Yaoyun, Zhou Yaoqin was too gloomy. Though he was good-looking, his personality was overly sensitive, and he had a quick temper. Zhou Leling vividly remembered a time when she visited the Zhou family and saw Zhou Yaoqin smash a bowl to the floor in a fit of rage. The shattering porcelain sent shards flying, nearly injuring Zhou Yaoyun’s eyes.

Zhou Yaoqin’s parents, indulgent because of his leg condition, merely stood by in silence, letting him vent his sharp, piercing anger. Even Zhou Yaoyun, whom she always admired, remained quiet, his usual warm smile replaced by indifference, his gaze cold and detached.

Someone like that was hard for Zhou Leling to like but today, Zhou Yaoqin seemed different. He had stood up for her when someone bullied her. Even though the incident had ended in a ridiculously absurd way, it didn’t diminish her newfound perception of him. She had to admit that when Zhou Yaoqin gently patted her back and reassured her, she had an almost overwhelming urge to throw herself into his arms and cry.

The roller coaster was popular, so the line was long. The atmosphere among the three was somewhat stiff, but Zhou Yaoyun, in an unusual shift, rested a hand on Ji Chenai’s shoulder—something he rarely did at home, where he often ignored him.

Ji Chenai noticed the change in Zhou Yaoyun’s attitude but dared not question it. Since he had only extracted part of Zhou Yaoqin’s memories, probing too much risked revealing inconsistencies.

Using “The Thief’s Regret” earlier in front of so many people had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Ji Chenai couldn’t bear to watch Zhou Leling face humiliation for doing the right thing. It reminded him too much of himself.

After saving someone and ending up disabled, Ji Chenai had to endure pity, condescension, and even ridicule. Hearing others turn his story into a joke made him want to lash out, but he couldn’t. Sitting in a wheelchair, unable to even stand, there was no way to fight back.

He didn’t want Zhou Leling to lose the courage to do good deeds in the future, so he had ultimately decided to use the skill.

Xiao Qi, understanding his concerns, chirped reassuringly, “Don’t worry too much. As your skill level increases, its range will expand. Once you reach Level 5 positive energy, the range could even encompass this entire planet!”

Ji Chenai asked, “Is there a skill that can make others not notice me?”

Xiao Qi chuckled. “Of course! To protect the host and encourage continued good deeds, the developers created a concealment system. But your level is still too low. Once you reach around Level 2, you’ll be able to unlock it.”

Hearing this, Ji Chenai felt relieved. His previous uses of skills had been on people like Liu Ziming, a deranged individual, or on young children. Even when he used one in front of Zhou Yaoyun’s classmates, it hadn’t drawn much attention. However, using The Thief’s Regret so openly earlier, under the scrutiny of a crowd, naturally required him to be more cautious to avoid drawing suspicion from anyone observant.

After standing in line for about an hour, it was finally Zhou Leling’s turn to ride the roller coaster. Once she was seated, Zhou Yaoyun began pushing Ji Chenai toward the exit to wait for her.

As they made their way, Zhou Yaoyun suddenly said, “Brother, do you know what happened with those people earlier?”

Ji Chenai instantly realized Zhou Yaoyun was suspicious of him. Keeping his composure, he replied, “How would I know?”

Zhou Yaoyun paused before responding, “I’m worried about you, Brother.”

Ji Chenai hummed in response.

Zhou Yaoyun lowered his head, leaning in close to Ji Chenai’s ear, and whispered, “I really like you, Brother.”

Ji Chenai frowned slightly. He knew Zhou Yaoyun wasn’t lying when he said he liked him because the last time he used the End of the Liar skill, Zhou Yaoyun had clearly stated, “I like you, Brother.”

But according to Zhou Leling, Zhou Yaoqin had developed inappropriate feelings for Zhou Yaoyun, and it was obvious that Zhou Yaoyun knew this too. So, why would he say something so easily misunderstood?

Before Ji Chenai could ponder this further, Zhou Leling approached, her hair slightly messy from the wind, but her face was bright with a smile. “Come on, let’s go play something else.”

The afternoon was enjoyable. Although Ji Chenai only went on the Ferris wheel, Zhou Leling didn’t pick on him anymore, and Zhou Yaoyun returned to being the gentle person he was at school.

However, everything seemed to return to the starting point once they were back home.

At dinner, Zhou Yaoyun didn’t say a word to Ji Chenai. The parents seemed to have gotten used to the odd atmosphere between Zhou Yaoyun and Zhou Yaoqin and didn’t mention it.

That night, Ji Chenai lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Since returning home, he had done everything on his own, even taking his shower. After Zhou Yaoyun asked if he needed help and he declined, Zhou Yaoyun didn’t ask again.

Ji Chenai found it strange at first, but given what Zhou Leling had said about the family knowing his feelings for Zhou Yaoyun, it seemed normal for Zhou Yaoyun to be distant. After all, if they were really siblings, it would be impossible for them to be together.

As Ji Chenai was about to drift off to sleep, Xiao Qi informed him that he had earned over two hundred points of positive energy today. Xiao Qi also mentioned that the police had uncovered a theft ring based on the information from the thieves, and the news would likely make headlines soon. The deeper the investigation went, the more thieves they caught, and the more energy points Ji Chenai would earn.

Ji Chenai suddenly asked, “Why would catching thieves change people’s life trajectories?”

Xiao Qi responded, “Tomorrow, someone is going to take an important exam, but their wallet was stolen, and their ID was inside.”

Ji Chenai asked, “What if they can’t make it to the exam?”

Xiao Qi replied, “If they miss the exam, tomorrow afternoon, they’ll be hit by an out-of-control truck right outside the school.”

Ji Chenai froze, not expecting that a small thing like a wallet could alter so much. He said, “So, could someone’s life get worse because of this?”

Xiao Qi answered, “Naturally not. Otherwise, what do you think the positive energy you collect is for?”

Ji Chenai pondered, “So the positive energy I collect is to change destiny?”

Xiao Qi corrected, “To be precise, it’s to change the destiny affected by negative energy.”

After hearing this, Ji Chenai felt a sudden curiosity about the creator of Xiao Qi. What kind of person would make something like Xiao Qi? Were they full of love for the world, or had they completely given up on it?

However, the answer to this question was still far out of reach for Ji Chenai. After thinking for a while, he drifted off to sleep.

In just a week, Xiao Qi’s prediction came true. About a week after the park incident, Ji Chenai saw on the news that the police had taken down a large-scale theft ring and had already apprehended the main suspects. The reason the gang was uncovered was due to proactive reports from citizens.

Ji Chenai guessed that the police themselves were probably baffled as to why a few small-time thieves had so easily revealed the entire organization. Stealing was a minor crime, but when it was part of a larger network, the punishment would be much harsher.

As Ji Chenai watched the news while having breakfast, Zhou Yaoyun sat across from him in a basketball jersey, bending down to tie his shoes—those shoes were a gift from Ji Chenai.

Though they were back home, Zhou Yaoyun still practiced basketball every day. Wang Zhixiu and Zhou Yumián had gone to work, leaving just the two of them at home.

Noticing that Ji Chenai was watching TV, Zhou Yaoyun said, “Brother, I’m leaving.”

Ji Chenai nodded.

Zhou Yaoyun hesitated for a moment before asking, “Brother, are you going out later?”

Ji Chenai glanced at Zhou Yaoyun and said, “Yeah, I’m fine.” He thought Zhou Yaoyun was worried about him being alone.

Zhou Yaoyun, seeing Ji Chenai’s expression, seemed to understand what he was thinking. He sighed and said, “I’m not worried about you being alone, I’m worried about you being out in the sun.” He glanced out the window at the glaring sunlight.

In mid-July, the temperature here had already reached thirty-seven or thirty-eight degrees Celsius. Although they played basketball indoors, Ji Chenai was the type who couldn’t sit still; if he didn’t get outside to stretch his legs for a day, he’d feel uncomfortable.

Ji Chenai also felt the temperature was a bit high and said, “Alright, I’ll go later in the evening.”

Zhou Yaoyun nodded. “Okay, I’ll come back early today, and I’ll push you out after the sun goes down.”

Ji Chenai agreed. He watched Zhou Yaoyun leave before turning to go into the bedroom, where he took out an umbrella and a pair of sunglasses.

Xiao Qi, sounding helpless, said, “It’s so hot, maybe you should skip it today.”

Ji Chenai replied firmly, “No! I must stick to it!”

Xiao Qi sighed, “This is the first time I’ve met a host so determined to pick up trash. My feelings are quite complicated.”

=^_^=