Chapter 31 Chapter Thirty-One

The lights came on, and I stood alone in the concrete-walled empty room, shivering.My legs went limp, and I knelt on the ground, clasping my chest tightly with both hands.I didn't feel cold when I came in just now, but now it's terribly cold. I rubbed my arms vigorously, trying to get rid of those goosebumps. I've never felt so relaxed before.The tense muscles all over my body immediately relaxed, and I could breathe freely again.I really can't imagine walking through the "space of fear" again when I have nothing to do like Tobias.Before, in my opinion, "re-walking the 'fear space'" is an extremely heroic act, but now it seems that it is almost masochistic.

The door opened and I stood up.Max, Eric, Tobias, and a few unknown people walked in in a line.A small group of people stood in front of me.Tobias smiled at me. "Triss, congratulations," Eric said, "You have successfully passed the final test." I want to laugh, but I can't laugh - I can't shake off the memory of being pointed at by the snatcher, and I can still feel the coldness of the gun between my brows. "Thank you." I said. "Before going to the welcome banquet, there is one more thing." He waved to one of the strangers behind him, and a blue-haired woman handed over a small black box.Eric opened the box and took out a syringe and a long needle.

As soon as I saw it, I tensed up.The yellow-brown liquid in the needle reminded me of what they injected me with before the simulation.I should have finished playing that thing. "At least you're not afraid of needles," he said. "It's just injecting a tracking device into you, and of course it's only activated in the case of 'declared missing.'" "Do people go missing often?" I frowned and asked suspiciously. "Not often." Eric said with a half-smile, "It's a new invention, a kind gift from the Mombo School, and we've been busy all day injecting all the Dreadnoughts, and I guess other factions It will soon follow our example."

I felt a churning in my stomach, and I couldn't let him inject me with anything, especially inventions from the Erudite School--and maybe from Janening.But I can't say no.If I refuse, he will doubt my loyalty. "Okay." My throat tightened uncomfortably. Eric came over with a syringe and a needle in his hand, and I brushed my hair and tilted my head to one side.Eric wiped the cotton pad on my neck, then gently pushed the needle into the skin, and I turned my face away.A sharp pain spread across the neck, painful, but short-lived.He put the used needle back into the case and put another layer of tape on the injection site.

"The induction dinner will start in two hours." He said, "Your ranking among the freshmen, including Ben, will be announced later. Good luck." Then a small group of people filed out of the room, but Tobias lingered for a while.He paused by the door and beckoned me to follow him, which I did.The glass chamber above the base pit is packed with Dauntless.Some of them were walking on the overhead ropes, some were talking and laughing in groups.He smiled at me. Judging by the situation, he must have not watched my simulation. "It's almost unheard of to hear that you only have seven obstacles to deal with," he said.

"You...you didn't watch the situational simulation?" "Watched it on the screen. Only the Dauntless leader can watch it in its entirety. You can tell they're impressed." "Well, seven is more impressive than four," I replied, "but it's enough." "I'd be surprised if you weren't number one," he said. We walked into the glass room, where the crowd was still gathered, but since the last freshman—me—had just finished the test and left, the crowd was much thinner now. It didn't take long for everyone to notice me, and some people pointed at me.I clung close to Tobias, but I couldn't walk too fast without receiving a round of cheers, kind pats on the shoulder, and a few congratulations.Looking around at these people, I realized how weird they looked to my father and brother, and how normal they seemed to me, despite all the metal rings on their faces, arms, necks, and chests. It's a tattoo.Thinking of this, I responded to them with a smile.

We went all the way down the stairs to the base pit.I bit my lip and said, "I have a question, how much did they tell you about my 'fear space'?" "Nothing, really. What's up?" he said. "Nothing." I kicked a pebble to the side of the road. "Do you have to go back to your dorm?" he asked. "If you want some quiet time, come with me and go to dinner later." My stomach twisted. "How?" he asked. I didn't want to go back to the dormitory, and I didn't want to make myself afraid of him. "Let's go." I said.

He closed the door behind him and took off his shoes. "Drink water?" he asked. "No thanks." I clasped my hands in front of me. "Are you okay?" He said as he touched my face, holding my side face with his hand, his slender fingers gently gliding through my hair.He smiled, cupped my face, and kissed me.A wave of heat slowly spread through my body, and panic buzzed in my chest like an alarm bell. His lips were still kissing me, but his hand pulled my jacket off.I flinched when I heard the clothes fall on the ground, and pushed him out, my eyes burning.I don't know why I feel this way, I didn't feel that way when he kissed me on the train that day.I put my hands over my face and covered my eyes.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong?" I shake my head. "Don't say you're fine." His voice was cold, and he grabbed my arm, "Hey, look at me." I took my hands away from my face and looked up at him.The look of hurt in his eyes, and the clenched teeth in anger, took me by surprise. "Sometimes I wonder," I said, as calmly as I could, "what's in it for you. What is the good . . . " "What's in it for me?" he repeated, taking a few steps back and shaking his head. "You're such an idiot, Triss." "I'm not stupid," I said, "and that's why I think it's kind of strange that there are so many girls to choose from in this world, and you choose me. So you're just looking for...well, you know... That's the one."

"What? Looking for someone to sleep with?" He glared at me. "You know, if I just wanted to do that, I might not be the first to think about you." His words were like punching me hard in the stomach.I certainly wouldn't be the first person he considered—not the first, not the prettiest, not the most alluring.Thinking of this, I put my hands on my abdomen, turned my head away, and held back my tears.I'm not the crying type, and I'm not the yelling type.I blinked a few times, lowered my hands, and looked up at him. "I'd better go." I said softly, turned and walked towards the door.

"Don't go, Triss." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.I pushed him away and he grabbed my other wrist and our arms were crossed between us. "I'm sorry for saying that," he said. "I mean, you're not a casual girl. I knew it the first time I saw you." "You are a fear in my 'fear space'." My lower lip quivered. "Did you know that?" "What did you say?" He let go of my wrist, the hurt look in his eyes came back, "Are you afraid of me?" "I'm not afraid of you." I bit my lower lip to stop it from trembling, "It's with you...with any boy...I've never dated anyone before...you're older than me, I don't Know what your expectations are, and…” "Tracey," he said firmly, "I don't know if you have some delusions, but this is brand new to me." "Illusion?" I repeated these two words word by word, "You mean you don't have..." I raised my eyebrows, "Oh, like this, I just assumed..." It was because I was deeply impressed by him. Deeply attracted, I always feel that everyone must be infatuated with him, "Well, you understand." "Well, you're wrong." He looked away, his face glowing, as if a little embarrassed, "You can tell me anything you want, you can say anything, really." He stretched out his hands Holding my face, the fingers are cold, but the palm is warm. "I'm softer than I was in training, I promise." I trust him, it's just that it has nothing to do with his tenderness. He kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then carefully kissed my lips.I was extremely nervous, as if what was flowing in my body was not blood, but electric current.I want him to kiss me, I want him to; but I'm afraid of what will happen next. His hand moved to my shoulder, fingers lightly stroking the edge of the bandage, then he frowned and stepped back. "Are you hurt?" he asked concerned. "No, it's another tattoo of the thorn, which has healed. I just...wanted to cover it up." "Can I see it?" I nodded, throat tightened.I pulled down my sleeves, exposing my shoulders.He stared down at my shoulder for a moment, then ran his fingers over it.The fingers rise and fall with my bones, which protrude much more than I would like.When he touched me, I felt something change in every skin he touched.There is a feeling of electric shock going straight to the abdomen.Not just fear, but something else.It's like a longing. He lifted a corner of the bandage, his eyes roamed over the altruism symbol, and he smiled. "I have the exact same one," he said with a laugh, "on the back." "Really? Can I see it?" He pressed the bandage over the tattoo and pulled my shirt back over my shoulder. "Are you asking me to undress, Tris?" A nervous laugh came out of my throat: "It's just... not all off." He nodded, and the smile faded suddenly.He looked up into my eyes and unzipped his sweatshirt.The clothes slipped off his shoulders and he threw it onto the desk chair.Now I don't want to laugh, and all I can do is keep my eyes on him. He frowned, grabbed the hem of the T-shirt, and yanked it off his head. A piece of Dauntless flames covered the upper right side of his body, but other than that, there were no other tattoos on his chest.His eyes hurriedly looked away. "What's wrong?" I asked, frowning.He looked a little disturbed. "I don't offer to let people see my body," he said. "Actually, no one does." "I can't figure out why," I said softly, "I mean, look at you." I walked around him slowly.On his back, there are more tattoos than no tattoos.Each faction's symbol is on top - the Dauntless's is on top of the spine, the Altruism's is just below it, and the remaining three are smaller and below them.For a moment, I gazed at the scales for Honesty, the eyes for Erudite, and the tree for Friendly.The symbolism of the Fearless faction on his text makes sense, that is his refuge; the same is true of the selfless text on his text, that is his birthplace-and I do the same.But what about the other three sects? "I think you've made a mistake," he said softly, "in the process of strengthening the virtues of your own faction and starting to devalue the virtues of other factions. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, selfless, smart, kind, honest, and Tool." He cleared his throat, "I keep trying to be kind." "Nobody's perfect," I whispered, "and it's not possible that when one bad thing disappears, another takes its place." I have replaced cowardice with cruelty, and weakness with cruelty. I run my fingertips over the altruism pie. "We have to warn them, the sooner the better." "I know," he said, "we're going to do it." He turned to me, and I wanted to touch him, but I was afraid of his naked body, afraid that he would want me to do the same. "Scares you, Tris?" "No," I said hoarsely, then cleared my throat, "nor. I'm just...afraid of what I want." "What do you want?" His face tightened. "Me?" I nodded slowly. He nodded too, took my hand gently, and led me to place it on his belly.His brow droops, and he pushes my hand up, over his stomach, over his chest, and stops at his neck.I felt the warmth and smoothness of his skin intensely in my palm.My face was hot and I was shivering.He looks at me. "One day in the future," he said, "if you still want me, we can..." He paused and coughed lightly, "We can..." I smiled slightly, and before he finished speaking, I put my arms around him and pressed my face against his chest.His heartbeat shook my face, his heart was beating as fast as mine. "Are you afraid of me too, Tobias?" "I'm afraid to die." I turned my head and kissed the hollow under his Adam's apple. "Maybe you will never appear in my 'fear space' again." I murmured. He lowered his head and kissed me slowly. "Then everyone will call you 'Xiao Liu'." "The fourth child and the sixth child." I said. We kissed again, and this time, it started to feel familiar—we knew how to hug each other better.His arms wrapped around my waist, my hands rested on his chest, his lips pressed against mine.We must remember each other well.