The tournament resumed. Ren Wei and Li Mei, walking side-by-side, were a picture.
He was the "Tenacious Genius," the "Man of Words." She was his "Shy, Devoted Partner."
He could feel the... whispers... about them. After Sun Xiao had stormed off, after Zhang had
forfeited... and after Hu Long had been seen, quietly apologizing to Ren Wei, his face pale and
terrified... (Ren Wei didn't even want to know what Li Mei had done, or "said," to him in the
night)... a reputation had formed.
Ren Wei was... "the one you don't mess with." Not because he was strong. But because... bad
luck... seemed to befall anyone who crossed him.
Ren Wei leaned into it. It was his shield.
His next match. A disciple named Wang. A fast, arrogant boy.
Wang stepped onto the platform. "So," he sneered. "The 'Rat' who talks. Let's see you talk your
way out of this—"
"Wait," Ren Wei said, his voice calm.
Wang paused, confused.
Ren Wei just... looked. He looked past Wang... into the crowd... and he smiled. A small, gentle,
knowing smile.
He was... he was smiling at Li Mei. She was standing on the sidelines, her hands clasped,
"watching" him.
But... they both knew... she was watching Wang.
Wang... saw the smile. He... he saw where Ren Wei was looking. He saw the... the girl.
He... he remembered the rumors.
...Zhang's "food poisoning." ...Sun Xiao's "shattered" sword. ...Jiao's "accident."
Wang's sneer... faltered.
"Are... are you...?" Wang started, his voice less confident.
"I just... I just want this to be... clean," Ren Wei said, his voice full of "reasonable concern." "You
know? No... accidents."
Wang's face went from pale... to white.
He... he looked at Ren Wei. He looked at Li Mei. He looked at the bored proctor.
He... he held up his hand. "I... I... my... my stomach! I... I forfeit!"
He ran off the platform.
Ren Wei stood there. He hadn't... moved. He hadn't... said... anything. Not really.
He had just... implied. He had used her... her reputation... her terror... as a weapon.
He... he felt... powerful. And... disgusted.
He stepped off the platform. Li Mei ran to him, her face a perfect mask of "shocked, happy,
pride." "Ren Wei! You... you won! He... he just... gave up!"
"I know," he said, his voice flat. He looked at her. "See? 'No... accidents.'"
Her eyes... shone. He... he had used... their... "secret." He... he was... in on it. He... he was...
like her.
She didn't just hug him. She... she kissed him. Right there. In front of everyone. A deep,
passionate, possessive kiss.
It... it wasn't a "shy mouse" kiss. It was... staking a claim.
Ren Wei, shocked, kissed her back. He... he had to. This... this was... their "contract."
They won the tournament.
Ren Wei... "talked"... or... "implied"... his way through two more matches. Li Mei... her
opponents... they all... "mysteriously"... came down with... "food poisoning." No one... dared... to
question it.
They were in the "Top Twenty." They... were going to the Inner Sect.
That night, they sat in their hovel. Their names... their names... had been called. They... were leaving this... this dump.
"We... we did it," Ren Wei whispered. He... he was stunned. He had... he had survived.
"No," Li Mei said. She was... she was sitting... in his lap. She... she had... never... been this...
bold.
"No?" he said, his voice thick.
"You... you... led," she whispered, her hands tracing the line of his jaw. "You... you guided us.
You... you used... me... as your... sword. And... you... used... you... as... our... shield."
She leaned her forehead against his. "We... we are... one, Ren Wei."
He looked at her. At this... this beautiful... terrifying... broken... insane... girl.
He... he wasn't "trapped." Not... not really.
He... he was... her. And... she... she was... him.
He... he had survived. He had won. He had done it... by becoming a monster.
"Yes," he whispered, his hands coming up to grip her waist. "One."
Their "contract"... was sealed. It... it wasn't "truce." It... it was... symbiosis.
He... he was the "Head." She... she was the "Hands."
And... he realized... with a... a chilling... thrill...
He... he didn't... mind.