“Hehe. Our vice leader looks busy, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah, same as always.”
Enas was processing documents at a speed so fast her hands were barely visible. Then she suddenly looked at Li Xiang, as if remembering something.
“Li Xiang, a letter came from your family.”
“What does it say?”
“The usual—asking us to hand over the one who left the family without permission. The wording is polite, but every line is barbed.”
Li Xiang sighed helplessly. When would they finally give up?
“Li Xiang, can I ask you something?”
“Hm? Our vice leader asking me a question? That’s rare. What is it?”
“Li Xiang... why did you leave your family?”
A shadow passed through Li Xiang’s eyes at Enas’s question. Enas didn’t miss that moment.
“I never asked when you joined the mercenary corps. I knew your character, and there was no reason to oppose a doctor joining.”
“Then why the sudden curiosity?”
“Because your family keeps searching for you. I figured you must have been highly regarded in the family. That got me wondering—why did you leave?”
“The reason’s simple. I’d had enough of them.”
“I know you’re not the kind of person who runs from things like that.”
“You sure put a lot of faith in me.”
Hearing Enas’s words, Li Xiang gave a faint, bitter smile.
“I used to be an idiot who blindly followed my family’s orders. Whatever they told me to do, I did without question. Until one day, I realized just how awful those things were.”
“So that’s why you left?”
“No, I was just stupidly conflicted. Leaving wasn’t something I even considered.”
Then, as if recalling something happy, Li Xiang smiled gently.
“Later, another idiot gave me a push. That’s when I finally made up my mind to leave.”
Enas, quietly listening to her, smiled bitterly.
“Didn’t expect we’d have so much in common.”
“Looks like neither of us has had it easy in life—whether it’s you or me.”