Esper X Family – Chapter 416 – Lou Wei: I’m Such a Failure (6/11)

A week had passed.

Lou Wei still couldn’t find Ye Tong anywhere. It was as if she was hiding in some unknown corner, throwing a tantrum.

No one would ever expect that the being the world knew as a deity could have such a childish side.

During that week, not only had Lou Wei failed to find Ye Tong, but his relationship with Ye Yao had also hit rock bottom.

Although Ye Yao didn’t show any signs of dislike, her evasiveness and attempts to avoid him were obvious.

The post-dinner living room gaming sessions were gone.

Ye Yao never invited him to play games again.

Even when Lou Wei took the initiative to greet her, the girl’s reaction was one of being startled.

That momentary flash of “fear” felt like countless needles piercing Lou Wei’s head.

【I’m such a failure】

Those words kept echoing through Lou Wei’s mind.

Not only had he failed to make Ye Yao feel safe, but he had actually made her afraid.

Was there any father more of a failure than him?

Now, Ye Tong was also hiding, showing no desire to meet him.

No one knew whether this had left her with a lasting trauma.

If that trauma continued to affect Ye Yao, it would undoubtedly be a dead end.

After a week, Lou Wei’s body had recovered to about sixty percent of its baseline, and his base mental power had even improved slightly.

Yet, even this mundane life still made him feel like he couldn’t breathe.

Not even Xiao Jing could dissolve the fear in Ye Yao’s heart.

He was utterly alone and helpless.

Lou Wei lay gloomily on the rooftop, staring at the glaring sun, his inner bitterness unprecedented.

Just then, Fu Qi called.

“Haven’t sorted it out yet?”

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“No…

Ye Tong keeps avoiding me, and Ye Yao keeps distancing herself.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. If I were you, I’d probably jump straight off the building from the pressure.”

Just hearing about it made Fu Qi feel a suffocating pressure, let alone having to face it himself.

If it had only been Ye Tong targeting him at first, that would’ve been tolerable. It was just a harmless bit of hissing you could endure.

But what did Ye Yao distancing herself mean?

For a child as well-behaved and understanding as her to distance herself meant that things were truly serious.

Fu Qi couldn’t even imagine how uneasy he would feel if Ye Yao cut ties with him.

Fortunately, it was Lou Wei who had accidentally killed Ye Tong. He himself probably wasn’t that guilty.

“Lou Wei, you’ve got it tough.”

Fu Qi couldn’t help but sigh.

He certainly wasn’t going to gloat too much.

After all, Lou Wei’s original intention had been good. It was just that uncontrollable factors had arisen during the execution.

It made perfect sense for Ye Tong to hide, and Ye Yao’s distancing was equally understandable.

What mattered most now was undoubtedly mending the relationship between Lou Wei and Ye Yao.

Otherwise, their father-daughter bond might not last much longer.

This wasn’t just about Lou Wei, nor just about the Countermeasures Bureau. It was about the safety of the world.

The child needs a complete family.

Fu Qi thought for a moment.

He decided that it was time to unleash his extraordinary wisdom.

“I’ve got an idea for you. If you can accept it, there should still be a chance to salvage things.”

Lou Wei sat up, his expression turning deadly serious.

“Say it. If it’s something I can do, I’ll try anything.”

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“You’ve got resolve, I’ll give you that.”

Fu Qi chuckled.

“I’ll be blunt then. To solve the problem, the main breakthrough point is still Ye Tong.

If you want Ye Tong to show herself, you can go talk to those people in Sequence Zero.

People like Mu Luo, Gu Wenxin, Jiang Huashen, and Yu Jin.”

Lou Wei: “…?”

What did that mean?

The breakthrough point was indeed Ye Tong. Lou Wei understood that perfectly.

After all, Ye Yao and Ye Tong shared a mental link.

Even if the latter hadn’t told the former about the duel, certain emotions would inevitably and uncontrollably transmit to Ye Yao.

Back then, Ye Tong had been deeply wary of Lou Wei, so Ye Yao would subconsciously fear him as well.

As long as the issue with Ye Tong remained unresolved, no amount of comforting Ye Yao would help.

Thus, he had to find a way to make Ye Tong voluntarily come forward.

Lou Wei’s thought was to show Ye Tong enough sincerity.

Going to meet her companions would surely be better than the current stalemate.

An Qi and Xia Lian weren’t suitable candidates.

After all, Ye Yao went to them every day to escape the oppressive atmosphere at home.

That left only the male group, who had been keeping a low profile for quite a while.

“Let’s go see them. I’m almost done with my busy work anyway, and I have an ability that lets me return to headquarters anytime. I’ll go with you.”

“Alright.”

Lou Wei agreed.

In a way, this was a desperate attempt.

Since nothing else had worked, he had to try this.

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At the same time.

Mu Luo, Gu Wenxin, Jiang Huashen, and Yu Jin all received a message from the Countermeasures Bureau.

The Director of the Countermeasures Bureau wanted to personally invite them to a meal, with Lou Wei tagging along.

Mu Luo quickly gathered the other three to discuss the matter.

“What’s this supposed to mean? A Hongmen Banquet ¹ Also known as “Feast at Swan Goose Gate”, from a famous historical event in ancient China. It basically means an event that sounds joyous but is actually a treacherous trap. ? Has the Bureau finally decided to settle the score with us?”

Jiang Huashen stroked his chin, startled by the Bureau’s sudden move.

What was the opposing lineup?

Lou Wei and Fu Qi!

The Strongest of the Current Era and the Strongest in History!

Either one alone could easily thrash all four of them in a fight.

Even though Mu Luo and Gu Wenxin were both S-rank Espers, they stood no chance against those two.

Gu Wenxin shook his head: “Probably not.”

He had dealt with the Bureau before. The last time he went alone to clear up a misunderstanding, their style had been very magnanimous.

It was unlikely that they would resort to “settling the score”.

As for Mu Luo, he was even more direct.

“They wouldn’t dare.”

That wasn’t Mu Luo being overly confident in his own strength.

Although he had long become an S-rank Esper, he would still have to wriggle before those two strongest fighters.

Mu Luo’s confidence came from Ye Tong.

As long as Ye Tong hadn’t abandoned Sequence Zero, there was no way they would be purged.

Yu Jin offered no opinion.

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After all, he was just an old player whose left fist was strong and right fist was also strong, and who had joined the team later, having little dealings with the Bureau.

He might as well go along with the flow.

“Then why do they want to treat us to a meal? Surely they’re not asking me to paint them a picture?”

Jiang Huashen began to guess wildly.

“If they wanted you to paint, why call the rest of us?” Yu Jin asked, striking at the heart of the matter.

“None of your business. Go lift your iron. Can’t it be that they’re saving face for me?”

Gu Wenxin took a deep breath and said, “We’ll know when we get there.”

“Are we really going? That’s Lou Wei and Fu Qi.”

Jiang Huashen’s voice was full of apprehension.

After all, Ye Tong wasn’t with them. Having stayed hidden for so long, they still retained some residual wariness toward the Countermeasures Bureau.

Especially toward its public face.

Yet, Mu Luo remained calm.

“Let’s go and see. No one’s going to do anything to us.”

Mu Luo and the others decided to set out for the appointment.

Before leaving, Mu Luo also informed the rest of Sequence Zero, which naturally included Ye Tong.

When Ye Yao learned of this news, she was immediately shocked.

Holy crap!

What kind of trick is the Dayun Truck trying to pull!?

Author Note

I’ll probably be under strict containment for the next few days during the Qingming Festival, but I should still be able to manage three updates a day. Wait for me to get back from containment!