Chapter 30

The peculiar conversation between the Chinese boy and the Texas killer, which meandered from topic to topic, surprisingly lasted for quite a while. At first, Li Pu just wanted to dig out some information, but as they chatted, the conversation shifted from the killer's life away from normal society. Through Brad's fragmented words, Li Pu got his first glimpse into the dark world. A world filled with danger, yet more appealing to him than the mundane, rule-abiding society. It was a paradise for devils, a city jungle riddled with cunning traps, a battlefield where the strong and weak faced off directly, and a hunting ground for heroes.

"Chineseboy," Brad also felt that this kid was somewhat to his liking. He even decided to give him some advice, "You and the little princess are close, right?"

Li Pu glanced at the girl beside him, who was sleeping with even breaths, "Of course, she's my best friend and my sister..."

"Your sister? Hahahahahaha." Brad laughed mockingly, taking out a flat metal flask from his pocket, took a swig, and said with a satisfied look, "Then aren't you also Boss Bo's son?"

"That's a different matter." Li Pu didn't want to admit it and quickly found a reason, "I don't think Aunt Xin would ever get back with him."

"I believe that too," Brad said, "But no matter what, she is Boss Bo's daughter." He turned his head, looked at the sleeping girl, then turned back to Li Pu, emphasizing, "She is Gail Phoenix's daughter."

And you are just a Chinese orphan. Brad didn't say this out loud.

At this moment, Li Pu was still unaware of the power the name Gail Phoenix held in the dark world.

Before the boy could continue the conversation, the car suddenly stopped. He looked out the window and saw a bustling harbor. The front door of the car opened, and Di Tianxia and Xin Xin got out.

Aunt Xin's right hand was supporting her chin, her head lowered, as if she was thinking about something difficult. She walked to the car with Di Tianxia.

The boy couldn't help but feel nervous.

After opening the car door, Xin Xin saw her daughter sleeping peacefully on the boy's shoulder. Her expression relaxed slightly, but she soon showed a bitter smile.

She gently woke the girl. When Chen Xian and Li Pu got out of the car, she decided, "I... have something to tell you."

Li Pu didn't speak, just looked at his adoptive mother. Chen Xian nodded obediently, but her small hand, like it was in the car, tightly held onto her childhood friend, showing a bit of stubbornness, as if it could decide something.

"Xian, do you remember 'Gold Coast'?" Xin Xin said softly.

"Um." Chen Xian nodded. "Gold Coast" referred to the wealthy areas of Long Island, New York. She vaguely remembered living there for a while when she was about five.

"Are we moving again?" Chen Xian's eyelashes trembled, and she forced a smile, "Ah, A Pu's foreign language is really bad, but I'll teach him."

"..." Xin Xin hesitated, "Sorry, this time d-boy won't be going with us."

"Why? I don't want to!" The girl was upset. Li Pu's lips were tightly pressed, looking at his adoptive mother, hoping for a reason.

Xin Xin took a deep breath, suddenly hugged the boy and the girl, and subtly traced a symbol on the back of their necks. Li Pu and Chen Xian's bodies stiffened slightly, almost simultaneously understanding the reason.

—The symbol was the abstract "War God Armor" symbol.

Xin Xin held her daughter's face, wiping away the tears that were about to spill. Then she turned to the silent white man, looking at him with undisguised hostility, "This person is named Di Tianxia. Because of something very important to me, I have to work with him."

Chen Xian bit her lip and nodded lightly. She had already known this and had even told Li Pu that she would support her mother's decision.

"He is extremely dangerous, but he is also your father," Xin Xin continued, "So, unless absolutely necessary, he won't harm you. But it's different for d-boy."

"Hmm, he's just a kid, and in a certain sense, he should call me Uncle. Why would I harm him?" Di Tianxia raised an eyebrow. He didn't want to make things awkward with his daughter so soon.

"I believe you will take good care of Xian. But if this child goes with you, in a few years, he will either be dead or become a puppet of the 'Vine Snake'," Xin Xin's voice was cold, her eyes like ice, staring at Di Tianxia, "Promise me, don't interfere with this child's life."

"..." Di Tianxia smiled slightly, indirectly agreeing, "He's just an insignificant Chinese kid."

"Aunt Xin, can I come to America to see you in the future?" Li Pu tried to keep his emotions in check, asking as calmly as possible.

"Yes, but there is a minimum condition," Xin Xin looked seriously at the boy, who was trying to suppress his confusion, "Don't come to us until you have the confidence to catch up with, or even surpass me. Because you need at least that kind of strength to have a little... just a little bit of resistance against certain forces."

Catching up with Aunt Xin, it's hard, but not impossible! The boy took a deep breath, his eyes, which had been filled with confusion and helplessness, gradually showed determination, and he nodded firmly.

Xin Xin looked at her adopted son, who was also her only disciple, with satisfaction. She had known this child for almost seven years but had only taught him for two months. It was a pity she didn't have the habit of writing down martial arts notes to leave for him...

But the "secret" this child possessed would surely help him forge a new path.

The chartered ship from China was already docked at the harbor. Once they reached international waters, the superliner "Sea Emperor Palace" would take them to the distant shores. The last moments were given to Chen Xian, whose small hand had been intertwined with the boy's since they got into the car.

Neither wanted to let go first, but there would be a time to say goodbye.

The sea wind howled, the waves crashed against the dock, the gangplank creaked, and the vast ocean, connected to the night sky, was dark and deep, as if it could swallow and carry away everything.

From their first encounter in the summer of 1994, despite occasional quarrels, their precious memories had slowly built a unique friendship, now facing its first farewell. Both the girl and the boy felt an unprecedented unease.

So they tried to talk as much as they could, as if to engrave all the happy, awkward, sweet, and happy, and默契的……乃至一切一切的宝贵回忆铭刻在对方的心中。但二人很快察觉到，这些点滴回忆，早已经成了他们生命的一部分，会伴着他们成长，永不褪色。

“记得去注册雅虎的电子邮箱。就用自己的拼音名字加上今天的年月日，我也一样。一定要记得写信哦！”晨娴第三次嘱咐道。

“嗯。”李谱点头。

“你在这边只有一个人了，”小女孩继续唠叨，“如果寂寞的话，就去奶奶家，或者在学校交几个新朋友吧……”

“在学校交新朋友？”李谱撇了撇嘴角，小小声：“以后我会不会继续上学还两说呢。”

“不可以随便退学！”青梅竹马睁大星眸，晶莹水光中透着认真，“更不要混黑道！”

“呃，嗯、我答应你。”这时候不管小娴说什么，李谱先都会投降吧。

“还有还有……”晨娴似乎要把所有的嘱咐一次说完似的。

“好啦，你怎么突然变得比心姨还能念人了。”李谱叹了口气，他知道女孩只是本能地想拖延最后告别的时间。

对面的轮船前，心姨与那名讨厌的白人男子已经等了颇久。李谱知道，已经到时候了。即使心中如何不舍，但他是男生，应该坚强起来的少年。

他轻轻地将自己的手从女孩手中抽了出来，然后亲昵地揉了揉她小苹果似的粉嫩脸蛋，半开玩笑道：“放心，我没事的。以后一个人生活也挺自由啊，大不了有一段时间不能捏你的脸蛋罢了。”

如果是平日里，女孩可能已经在抱怨“再捏就要变成包子啦！”但现在的她只是微微缩起颈子，露出好像猫儿似的表情。

晨娴的面颊温热，或许是因为海风的吹拂，细密柔滑的如瀑发丝又凉凉的，一缕缕悠悠地扬起，荡在少年的手腕上，感觉痒痒的。而一串轻柔悠扬的，宛如动听音符的话语，从她檀口中唱出。

说完这几句之后，女孩忽然低下头，转身跑向远处在甲板前等待的妈妈，直到登上轮船，一直没有回头。

少年目送着驶离海港的轮船，直到它远远的消失在地平线外。然后，回头，狂奔。

没有目的，没有方向，少年只是拼尽全力地在马路上奔跑，宛如要压榨出每个细胞内能量的狂奔，仿佛要超越一切的飞驰。

纷乱的思绪，火热的情感，再一次失去了支柱的孤独感与彷徨感……却没有压倒还要三个多月才正式到十四岁的少年，反而交织成一股推动他迅速独立、成熟起来的力量。

——犹如将要初次独自觅食的幼狮，犹如头一回向天空展翅的小隼。

而他的脑海中，还盘旋着女孩最后的那段犹如歌谣般的音节。这音节有如无尽的能源，激荡着他懵懂的情感。

这是地球六十多亿人中，此刻唯有他们二人能听懂的语言，也是他们无可取代的羁绊。源至“初级宇宙百科全书第一卷”中介绍诗篇的某小节，由传奇星际猎人“时空漂泊者”所作，却不知对象的长诗开篇：

你是我的星辰。

亿万光辉中，

我只凝望着你。

无论相隔多远，

无论时光变迁……