Chapter 359 Two Worlds, One Lie
It seemed Joseph could no longer hold back.
Now he was deliberately revealing bits of information to see just how much Lucian actually knew.
But if Joseph had any real information, then he should have known that Lucian had gone to the other world with Zara last time.
In other words, he already knew Lucian knew everything.
So bringing it up now was clearly a way to test Lucian's attitude.
And to see whether Lucian suspected him.
Dylan was, of course, the first one to short-circuit. "No... That's impossible..."
His values, his education, and his entire worldview did not allow him to accept something this absurd.
"What other world? Isn't that all science fiction? Stuff people write in novels? Joseph, how can you believe something so ridiculous?"
Joseph lowered his eyes. His long, narrow lashes cast a faint shadow over his eyelids. "Because there's evidence, of course. But my rank isn't high enough, so I don't know much."
Dylan was so shocked that, for once, his intelligence seemed to spike. "Then this must be important information. Are you sure it's okay to just tell us?"
Everyone knew how strict confidentiality was in official forces.
Joseph paused for a second.
Then he said, "For now, it shouldn't be a problem. The fact that I can reveal this much means it probably won't stay hidden for long. If another world really exists, then more and more people will start noticing abnormalities."
This part, at least, was true.
Noctilion's appearance alone had nearly caused a huge mess.
If another international incident happened next time, the whole thing would basically be half-public already.
Right now, the priority was to give ordinary people time to accept the idea, so that when everything eventually broke open, it would not cause total chaos.
Dylan still could not believe it. He looked completely stunned.
If this had not come from a friend he had known for years, he would have absolutely thought Joseph had lost his mind.
But precisely because it was Joseph saying it, Dylan did not know what to say.
Joseph turned to Lucian. "Lucian, what do you think?"
Lucian was silent.
In truth, he already knew everything.
But what good would admitting that do?
After a brief pause, he said, "I understand what you mean. You suddenly brought this up because you wanted to warn us."
He thought for a moment, then sat up a little straighter. "But as for the idea of two worlds existing, from my personal perspective, I find it hard to believe."
Zara controlled her character and killed an enemy on-screen, then shouted, "Nice!"
[You can say that with a straight face? Next time, I should ask Vivian if the entertainment industry needs fresh talent. I'll recommend you.]
Lucian, "..."
That intelligence of hers...
Joseph and Dylan both looked at Zara.
Joseph's gaze carried some deeper meaning, while Dylan suddenly realized that maybe it was not very appropriate for Zara to hear something this important.
But Lucian had not said anything, so Dylan could not exactly object.
The other team surrendered. The game ended.
Zara looked at Joseph and said, "I think you people have studied so much that your brains broke.
How could there possibly be something as ridiculous as two worlds?
Joseph, you received higher education and were raised under the influence of science.
The fact that you can believe something like this is honestly unbelievable. "
She shook her head and clicked her tongue, looking utterly amazed.
Joseph, "..."
The corner of his mouth twitched. Then he quickly recovered and smiled faintly. "So, Zara, you don't believe it?"
"Oh, this isn't about believing or not believing." Zara waved her hand. "This is complete nonsense. Trusting science is the only proper path."
Lucian, "..."
That acting skill of hers could practically ascend to heaven.
If she had not looked so terrifyingly powerful when beating Noctilion, and if she had not been so majestic when she went to the other world, perhaps he would have been willing to believe her.
Joseph pressed his lips together and smiled faintly. "It's fine if you don't believe it. It's an absurd thing to begin with. If I hear any news, I'll let you know in advance."
Lucian nodded. Then he pinched his brows slightly, as if he were a little displeased. "Joseph, you don't need to come to the hospital so often to see me. You know my health. It's just an old problem acting up. Take care of yourself first."
His words sounded so sincere that, for a moment, it was almost impossible to tell what he was truly thinking.
Saying something that heartfelt to a possible impostor who might no longer be his friend...
In a certain sense, Zara felt Lucian was truly frightening.
After all, the scariest kind of person was the one who hid a knife behind a smile.
Although Lucian usually wore a cold expression, when it came to pretending, he was no worse than Joseph.
Either way, they were both acting.
Zara only acted on the surface. In reality, her behavior rarely matched what she said, so she was easy to read.
People like Lucian and Joseph, however, were each more calculating than the other.
Zara shrugged.
Seeing that Lucian needed to rest, Dylan said, "Then, Lucian, Joseph and I will head back first. Let us know if anything happens."
He was genuinely worried about Lucian's health. Problems had been appearing every few days, and with that one-year prediction hanging over him, it felt like a curse shadowing Lucian's life.
Lucian nodded. Then he suddenly said, "Zara, see them out."
Dylan quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no."
Lucian really was thoughtless sometimes. He never seemed to care about things like this and kept letting Dylan be alone with Zara.
Dylan immediately pulled Joseph away and left.
Zara watched their backs as they walked away and could not help saying, "Am I that scary? They don't even want me to see them out?"
Lucian said, "You should've figured that out about yourself a long time ago."
Zara fell silent.
[This idiot probably wants spirits keeping him company tonight.]
She could not help saying, "Do you believe I'll let Nicola and the others come in later to sing and dance for you?"
Lucian was silent for a moment.
Then he turned and walked into the inner bedroom to rest. "I'm going to sleep. You can make do on the hospital bed outside tonight."
Because Great-Grandma was here, Zara had to stay at the hospital for the night.
Zara said, "Don't you know how to be considerate toward women? In this situation, I think it would be better for me to sleep in the big bed while you sleep on the hospital bed. That would suit your identity as a patient too."
Lucian said, "No. I'm a heartless man. If I say you're sleeping on the hospital bed, then you're sleeping on the hospital bed. This is your problem. Solve it yourself."
Zara fell silent.
[What an idiot.]
After Lucian went into the bedroom, Zara did not bother being picky. She planned to sleep on Lucian's hospital bed instead.
But the moment she lay down, she could still feel the warmth Lucian had left behind.
She immediately sprang upright. "Hostile living conditions!"
Lucian, who had not yet closed the door, fell silent.
The hospital bed was already bigger than the one at her house. What more did she want?
The moment he closed the door, he gave a cold laugh and said to Zara, "Good night, darling. Sweet dreams."
Zara replied, "Good night, darling. Have nightmares."
Lucian was silent.
As expected, one could not demand a conscience from something that was not human.