Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 202: Sudden

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Sudden

In a very atmospheric restaurant, Du Jun took Qin Jia there, pulled the chair out politely for her, and had the waiter change the music to a beautiful melody.

Looking around at the lavish decorations, Qin Jia was slightly puzzled, but then noticed Du Jun gazing at her, which caused an odd feeling to arise in her heart.

Du Jun opened a bottle of champagne and said with a bitter smile, "In Gu Fan’s heart, and in everyone else’s as well, you must still hold a grudge against me, right? I did betray you all, thus you have all the right to hate me."

After hearing this, Qin Jia’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, "What I want to know is, do our twelve classmates’ lives mean nothing to you?"

In response, Du Jun shook his head, "Some things are out of my control. When I found out about my task, I too was terrified, afraid, guilt-ridden, even considered refusing to do it. I don’t want a guilty conscience for the rest of my life."

"But you did it in the end, why? You knew it was wrong, it was sinful." Qin Jia stared at Du Jun, who gave a self-deprecating smile, "Why, you ask? I, too, wish to know why I was given such a birth, from childhood subjected to that kind of indoctrination. For the cause of eternal youth, for my people, any sacrifice was justified."

After hearing this, Qin Jia’s heart sank. She understood. Some people turned out that way because of their childhood experiences. In simpler terms, a child is a blank slate, what they encounter, what they are taught, none of this is in their control.

"But you’re grown up, you can choose your own path now," Qin Jia’s words seemed reasonable, but when they reached Du Jun’s ears, they sounded naïve, which made him laugh, "What, you want me to abandon years of cultivation by my elders? Abandon my family and friends when they need me the most? Should our generations of dedication be destroyed because of me, the unfilial descendant?"

Hearing this, Qin Jia couldn’t help but sigh, "Yes, your birth shaped who you are today, but that doesn’t mean it can be used as an excuse to justify your actions."

Du Jun nodded, "Everyone must be responsible for their own actions. I know seeking your forgiveness is a tall order. I’m not making excuses for my actions. If you forgive me, I’ll be happy. If you don’t, I won’t blame you."

"The one I blame is Lin Xi. I neither blame you, nor forgive you. But I want to know, why are our twelve classmates still alive? We originally thought they would be buried with the collapse of the Qianye Mausoleum." After saying this, Qin Jia looked at Du Jun with anticipation, wanting to know the answer.

Du Jun shrugged, "According to the plan, none of those twelve were supposed to survive. But why, at the critical juncture, were they able to miraculously escape? That, you’ll have to figure out for yourself. I can’t say, but I trust that you’re smart enough to figure it out."

"You’re not being honest, playing riddles with me. I regret coming with you," Qin Jia feigned anger, making Du Jun feel a bit awkward. So, finally, Du Jun relented, "I promised to keep a secret for someone, I cannot go back on my word. Don’t put me in a tough spot. But I can give you a hint.

"What hint?" Qin Jia’s eyes widened in curiosity, listening intently.

No miracles. Those twelve classmates survived because someone didn’t have the heart to let anything happen to them; someone went soft at a crucial moment," answered Du Jun solemnly.

"Who? It couldn’t be Lin Xi, could it? Hasn’t she changed? Or is it that she hasn’t?" The barrage of questions from Qin Jia forced Du Jun to raise his finger in a ’silence’ gesture, insinuating that she shouldn’t ask further.

Du Jun glanced around briefly, making sure no one was around, then whispered, "I can assure you, Lin Xi has changed. To what extent, and how much of the old her remains, I can’t tell. She’s hid it well."

"Oh?" Qin Jia became interested, and asked another question, "Is there a chance that she didn’t change at all?"

To this, Du Jun shook his head, "Impossible. She regained her past memories. You’ve felt the imposing aura of the Queen Qianye yourself."

"Indeed," Qin Jia ruminated, "but when she told me we were still best friends, she still felt like the old Lin Xi to me."

Du Jun barely smiled, "The Lin Xi now is simply inscrutable. Sometimes, she seems like the old Lin Xi; sometimes, she’s as dominant as an empress. Which one is her true self, I have pondered for a long time without a clue. Perhaps, her acting skills are just too good."

Qin Jia furrowed her brow, "So, you mean Lin Xi was acting when she called me her best friend, or maybe she was acting when she played the role of the Empress."

"Such a possibility exists." After saying this, Du Jun shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I’m quite conflicted right now. I fear Lin Xi, the Queen - it’s truly hard living under the constant threat of danger as she asserts her authority. I do miss the old Lin Xi, but then again, what we are doing now will be rendered meaningless."

Qin Jia thought hard, then asked another question, "When did Lin Xi change into who she is now? If she had already changed before entering the Mausoleum, it means her acting skills are impeccable."

Du Jun shook his head, "On this point, we don’t know. Lin Xi didn’t say and we didn’t dare to ask."

"Let’s not discuss Lin Xi for now. What are you guys really up to? Are you really pursuing eternal life?" Qin Jia asked, curiosity-filled eyes landing on Du Jun, awaiting an answer.

"If it wasn’t for this purpose, we wouldn’t have persisted until now. And when I was born, I had no other paths to take. Once I started following my father’s plan, there was no turning back. Hence, I have no choice but to steadfastly walk down this path." Du Jun was quite animated as he watched Qin Jia until she felt a little embarrassed and had to look away.

Du Jun continued, "I deeply appreciate Gu Fan and the rest of you for not revealing the truth to the twelve classmates. To be honest, I still don’t know how to face them."

"You should thank Gu Fan; it was his idea. Or maybe he thought things were already complicated enough, he didn’t want to add more to it." Qin Jia’s words were reasonable, but Du Jun raised a different point, "I think Gu Fan was worried that once the twelve classmates knew the truth, they would not only settle accounts with me, but also demand answers from Lin Xi. After all, she was still officially his girlfriend back then."

Qin Jia nodded, "That’s possible, but after all, Gu Fan has done a good deed for you. I just don’t understand why you’ve always been hostile towards Gu Fan."

Hearing this, Du Jun shook his head with a bitter smile, "Maybe it’s a mixture of envy, jealousy, and resentment. Born as a rich second-generation, getting the best education, never lacking anything materially - I had always felt superior. But ever since I met Gu Fan, who came from a common family but was better than me in everything, I began to feel irrelevant. He could easily unite everyone, they all preferred to listen to him, to follow him. I extremely dislike this feeling."

Qin Jia looked at Du Jun, noting his bitter expression. She realized something: those who are most welcomed are often also the most easily ostracised.

"I’ve understood, there will always be someone better than me, let it be." Du Jun shrugged, visibly relieved.

"Yes, there will always be someone better, more outstanding, more..." Qin Jia thought back to when she first met Lin Xi and Su Hui, how she was dazzled by them. Her celebrated beauty felt like it had lost its luster in comparison. She understood Du Jun’s feelings because she’d tasted the same bitterness herself.

Then, a question popped into Qin Jia’s head, "If you could go back, would you do it again?"

With a thoughtful look, Du Jun asked her in return, "If on one hand, you had your family, your friends, layers and layers of earnest effort and hard work; and on the other hand, you had twelve unrelated classmates; if you were in my shoes, which would you choose?"

"This..." Qin Jia didn’t know how to answer. She slowly began to understand Du Jun’s actions: they seemed selfish and unjust, but most people would have chosen the same.

"Alright, it’s getting late. I’ll walk you home." Du Jun stood up, his face expressionless. The conversation hadn’t been very pleasant.

The mood had changed from relaxed to heavy. Qin Jia also stood up, and together with Du Jun, they made their way to the restaurant’s entrance and then to the car park.

"You don’t have to, I can go back on my own." Qin Jia’s passive words sounded chilling to Du Jun’s ears. And he knew what it meant.

"Alright, be careful on your way." Du Jun turned around, his back facing Qin Jia who could only see a mix of helplessness and ironic amusement. He walked away, heavy-hearted.

After the long conversation, Qin Jia hadn’t come to accept Du Jun, so she chose not to continue their interactions and go home alone. Such a choice was hard for her to digest, especially when watching Du Jun’s desolate figure receding into the distance, a pang of remorse ran through her.

"Du Jun, you’re not bad, it’s just..." Qin Jia was interrupted mid-sentence. A van drove up suddenly, coming to a halt next to Du Jun. The doors opened and several muscular men with masked faces hopped out, forcibly dragged Du Jun into the van.

"No way!" Qin Jia hurried over, but it was too late.