From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!

Chapter 388 - 373: A Different Matter

To be honest, Gu Xi didn’t care about her own origins. She wasn’t interested in the Gu Family’s affairs, either.

’But a question suddenly occurred to me—did the "Gu" in my name have anything to do with the Gu Family?’

When she was little, she had asked Li Ming about it. Li Ming told her that someone at the Institute had given her the name, but he had no idea who it was specifically.

It was as if after Chen had brought them back to the Abnormal Ability Research Institute, someone had casually given a name to the baby girl in Li Ming’s arms. After that, everyone just started calling her Gu Xiaoxi.

Gu Xi had always assumed it was just a coincidence.

But now, with the Gu Family desperately forcing their presence on her, she couldn’t help but entertain a few conspiracy theories.

Gu Xi had never been the type to complain about her fate. Even with how things were in the past... she had only ever chalked it up to bad luck. She just happened to be born on the day the apocalypse broke out, becoming a "doomsday baby" at the pinnacle of combat strength. That was why she was chosen to be a human weapon; there was no one to blame.

’But what if all of this... has been a conspiracy since before I was even born?’

She couldn’t help but wonder: why had the Chen sisters picked her, of all the doomsday babies back then?

’And my name—Gu Xi. Why was I given the surname Gu?’

’If it’s a coincidence, then so be it. I’ll accept it. Who could I blame but my own bad luck?’

’But if this was all a deliberate scheme, then... that’s another matter entirely.’

Gu Xi’s thoughts then turned to Gu Yumin. How had he been able to find her so easily?

After the initial chaos of the apocalypse, countless people had lost their families and homes. Some might spend their entire lives without ever finding their lost relatives...

But Gu Yumin, or rather, the Gu Family, had been quite lucky. They had found her just as she was starting to make a name for herself? Wasn’t that a bit too much of a coincidence?

’Could it be because they always knew I existed and where I was?’

’Is that why they gave me the surname Gu when I was named?’

At the thought that she might have been manipulated—her entire destiny arranged—while still in the womb, Gu Xi suddenly laughed.

Xidao appeared in her hand out of thin air. Her slender, pale fingers slowly traced the cold, sharp edge of the blade. A thin line of blood welled up, only to vanish on the blade’s surface a moment later. Gu Xi sighed softly.

’I’ve heard that to forge a peerless divine weapon, you must first find good material. After careful smelting and refinement, it must be sent out to be hammered repeatedly, tempered a thousand times over.’

’That forging process... when compared to my own upbringing, it isn’t just similar—it’s identical.’

’Thinking of it that way...’ Gu Xi let out a faint sneer. ’Those people certainly took great pains with me. They really did polish me as if I were a peerless divine weapon...’

’I’m suddenly a little curious about my parents’ identities. After all, even a peerless divine weapon has to start as good material, doesn’t it?’

Gu Xi wanted to figure out what happened back then, but the clues from Li Ming were few.

After all, he was just a child when he was found with her. No matter how smart or mature he was for his age, he couldn’t have paid much attention to details amidst the utter chaos of the sudden outbreak. It was a miracle they even survived.

’I should start with my name,’ Gu Xi thought. ’Who exactly gave me the surname Gu?’

Whether or not she would seek revenge was a separate issue. At the very least, she had the right to know the truth.

To get to the bottom of this, she would have to start her investigation at the Institute.

The best way would be to ask Chen who gave her the name, though Chen might not tell the truth.

But Zhou Jing had suddenly become unreachable. Without this go-between, Chen was now hiding from her and refusing to appear. She could, of course, use her own blood to lure them out, but inconveniently, she had just established a persona of being weak...

This was not the time to be sending her blood out. The moment she did, her cover would be blown.

This made things rather difficult.

Gu Xi was originally wondering if she should notify Ye Xin and have her figure out a way to force Chen out.

She hadn’t expected Qi Xiang to deliver this invitation just then.

It was quite an unexpected turn of events.

Didn’t Qi Xiang say that woman claimed to be an old friend of Dr. Qi’s, someone he had known for many years?

’Just how many years is "many years"?’

This made Gu Xi suddenly realize something—perhaps the relationship between Dr. Qi and the Gu Family was much deeper than she had seen?

Dr. Qi wasn’t actually much older than Li Ming and the others. Before the apocalypse, he was a renowned child prodigy studying in a special program for gifted youth at a research academy. He was the most prized and final disciple of the leading scientific authority, Mr. Fang.

At the beginning of the apocalypse, he and Mr. Fang were brought back to the Abnormal Ability Research Institute for protection.

When Gu Xi and Li Ming were brought back by Chen, Mr. Fang was already working at the Abnormal Ability Research Institute. Later, he even became the ability research instructor for the Doomsday Squad.

A few years later, Mr. Fang passed away due to illness. After that, Dr. Qi took over his work...

You could say that Dr. Qi was the person who understood their entire Doomsday Squad best.

He later adopted Qi Xiang, and Qi Xiang was very likely a child abandoned by the Gu Family for some reason...

Looked at this way, the relationship between Dr. Qi and the Gu Family was terrifying when you really thought about it.

’Could my surname, Gu, have come from Dr. Qi? Could he have been in on it from the start—someone sent by the Gu Family to watch me grow up?’

But she quickly dismissed this speculation.

Back then, Qi Xiao wasn’t the Dr. Qi of today. He was just a fresh-faced youth following his teacher around and held no real power in the newly established Abnormal Ability Research Institute. He couldn’t have been involved in something so significant.

But even if it wasn’t him, he must have known something.

Gu Xi toyed with the small green sprout on her fingertip, her gaze falling once more on the bright red invitation beside her.

’If Dr. Qi shows up at Gu Garden tonight, maybe I can test him...’

Just then, Qi Xiang returned with news: Dr. Qi would indeed be attending the banquet at Gu Garden tonight.

But...

"Gu Xi," Qi Xiang hesitated, letting go of the strand of hair wrapped around her finger. She looked up at Gu Xi. "If it’s possible, could you maybe not..."

"Not what?" Gu Xi looked up, confused.

She truly didn’t understand what Qi Xiang was trying to say.

Qi Xiang was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and stood up. "It’s nothing. You should rest. I’m going to check on Wei Heng."

Qi Xiang had known for a long time that Dr. Qi had adopted her with the intention of using her. But no matter his motives, the fact remained that he had raised her. She owed him a debt of gratitude.

So even after she learned the truth, all Qi Xiang ever thought about was how to escape Dr. Qi’s control and get away from him. She never once thought of getting revenge.

She, Qi Xiang, was not capable of such ingratitude.

Qi Xiang walked to the door, then suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Gu Xi. "Gu Xi, you’re not going to kill him, are you?"

Gu Xi looked up at Qi Xiang and instantly understood the reason for her earlier hesitation.

Qi Xiang was a very smart girl. The things Gu Xi could piece together from the clues, Qi Xiang could surely figure out as well.

Gu Xi thought for a moment and said, "Probably not for now."

"I see..." Qi Xiang said slowly, her gaze lowered. She pushed open the door and walked out.