Chapter 31
Chi Lin got out of bed without a word.
She turned her back to Lou Mi, put on her slippers, and went to the bathroom.
The room fell silent, and Lou Mi could hear her own heart pounding.
Chi Lin’s few words and icy glare had unnerved her.
Was Chi Lin’s presence that… powerful?
She hadn’t done anything else besides accidentally cuddling her, right?
Images from movies and TV shows, scenes of drunken indiscretions, flashed through her mind.
She peeked under the covers. They were both fully clothed. Not enough alcohol, then.
Chi Lin was taking a long time in the bathroom. Lou Mi, needing to use the restroom, went to the hallway bathroom.
When she returned, Chi Lin had changed into her school uniform and was wearing her backpack.
“Where are you going?” Lou Mi asked. “It’s Sunday.”
Chi Lin was clearly going somewhere.
“I’m meeting some friends. We’re going shopping,” Chi Lin replied.
“Shopping? You didn’t mention anything.”
Lou Mi was surprised. She hadn’t known Chi Lin had friends she went shopping with. The people at the library hadn’t seemed like close friends.
“We just made plans,” Chi Lin said, a slight smile playing on her lips. “I’m leaving now.”
“Where are you going? I’ll drive you.”
Chi Lin hesitated. She hadn’t actually made any plans. She just wanted to escape the awkwardness.
Lou Mi, sensing her lie, said, “The mall? It’s the best place to shop. You can tell your friends to meet you there. If they can’t make it, I can go with you.”
Chi Lin didn’t refuse.
Just like that morning, when she had tried to escape Lou Mi’s embrace but had been pulled back by a single word, “Don’t move.”
Now, she was being drawn in again.
On their way to the mall, Chi Lin, looking at her phone, said, “They can’t make it.”
Lou Mi nodded, not surprised.
“Want to listen to music or watch something?” she asked. “Besides reading, what else do you enjoy? You used to like cartoons, right?”
“Cartoons are fine,” Chi Lin replied.
As Lou Mi browsed the entertainment library, Chi Lin asked, “Aren’t you afraid of running into your fans at the mall?”
“I have my mask and sunglasses. And the mall is huge. Even if they spot me, they’ll have to chase me on those little carts. I have long legs. I can outrun them.”
“Should we go somewhere less crowded?”
“Sure, wherever you want.”
Chi Lin glanced at her, then said softly, “I’m not angry anymore.”
“Oh…” Lou Mi, her eyes still on the screen, the cartoon posters blurring past, said, “I didn’t mean to… you know I’m a restless sleeper. I warned you.”
“I remember.”
“And about what my teammates said last night… don’t take it seriously. They’re always joking, especially about me. They just like to tease. And about the wine glass… I didn’t know you had drunk from it.”
Chi Lin’s chin disappeared into her collar as she mumbled, “Mm.”
Her voice, muffled by the fabric of her uniform, sounded almost… shy.
Lou Mi, relieved, asked, “Want to play some games? Some arcade games to blow off some steam?”
Chi Lin shook her head.
“How about a movie? Holographic movies are even more immersive than games.”
“Something… quieter?”
Lou Mi felt a slight sting. Was Chi Lin calling her noisy?
“A museum? Or a theater performance?”
Chi Lin’s eyes lit up at the mention of “museum.”
Dayuan also had museums, filled with ancient artifacts.
Perhaps she could find something related to Dayuan or the Empress.
“Yes! The museum!”
Seeing her sudden enthusiasm, Lou Mi smiled wryly.
So the museum is her favorite.
“Let me check if the National Museum has any available slots,” she said, pulling out her phone. “Okay, booked. You’re in luck. They have a special exhibition going on.”
A special exhibition? Chi Lin was even more excited now.
“How long will it take to get there?”
“Fifteen minutes via the expressway. Hold on tight.”
“Let’s go!”
Chi Lin was like a caged animal finally released into the wild.
Lou Mi wanted to ruffle her hair, a gesture of affection, but she had just regained her composure and couldn’t risk another awkward moment.
And Chi Lin’s perfectly styled bun, seemingly reinforced with steel, looked untouchable.
Chi Lin, unaware of Lou Mi’s fascination with her hair, was preoccupied with her search for the Empress.
The morning incident had been an accident. Even the Empress would understand…
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
She had no leads on the Empress’s whereabouts.
The Empress could be anyone, but she was exceptional, a once-in-a-century genius. She mastered everything she attempted, surpassing even the most gifted individuals.
Even Chi Lin, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, couldn’t compare.
According to the Preceptor, the Empress’s soul remained unchanged. With her talent, she wouldn’t be an ordinary person in this era. She would be someone remarkable.
Chi Lin looked at Lou Mi.
Lou Mi: “Let’s watch Frozen. Have you seen it? The TV series episodes are only fifteen minutes long. Perfect for the ride.”
“I haven’t seen it,” Chi Lin replied.
“Me neither. Let’s watch it.”
Lou Mi was remarkable. Her fame was far greater than Chi Lin had initially realized.
She was a world champion, a legend in the esports world, admired by millions.
Besides her occasional frivolity and short temper, she seemed almost flawless.
The Empress had also been somewhat frivolous… but only with Chi Lin.
A wild thought crossed Chi Lin’s mind.
Could Lou Mi be the Empress?
She immediately dismissed the idea.
How could it be that simple? The Empress right beside her all along?
The Empress was her wife. They had shared the most intimate moments.
She closed her eyes, imagining…
She quickly opened her eyes, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
What am I thinking? I can’t just… imagine things with other people…
She mentally apologized to the Empress.
These thoughts were dangerous.
“What’s wrong?” Lou Mi asked. “The cartoon started. Are you watching?”
“Yes…”
They watched the cartoon, sitting side by side, the city lights blurring past the car window.
Both of them, unfamiliar with the Frozen franchise, gradually realized something was… off.
The two female leads seemed very… close.
And they were sisters…
Lou Mi, her calm facade masking her inner turmoil, thought, Wait a minute… is this what Frozen is about? This cartoon is thirty years old! Did they have lesbian subtext back then?!
The two sisters held hands, gazing into each other’s eyes.
Chi Lin: “…”
Lou Mi buried her face in her hands. I’m innocent! I didn’t choose this cartoon on purpose!
Fifteen minutes had never felt so long.
She couldn’t turn it off. That would seem even more suspicious.
This is my life now… I must be a math problem in my past life.
They finally reached the National Museum.
They got out of the car in silence, Chi Lin following Lou Mi towards the imposing building.
The museum had free admission, and its numerous exhibition halls were filled with visitors.
It was a popular destination, regardless of the day of the week.
Their reservation allowed them to bypass the long lines. Chi Lin, her mind now focused on the museum, had forgotten about the awkward cartoon.
She saw the large banner announcing the special exhibition.
But…
It was a National Day exhibition, showcasing the country’s achievements over the past ninety years.
The entire museum was filled with patriotic displays.
Chi Lin, hoping to find traces of Dayuan: “…”
.
“I shouldn’t have agreed to this,” Wei Zhuoning complained, gesturing at the red banners and displays. “This is so… serious!”
Lin Xiaozhi hadn’t checked the museum’s schedule before inviting her. She had chosen the National Museum for its… respectability, hoping to lull Wei Zhuoning into a false sense of security.
Once she had Wei Zhuoning alone, anything was possible.
And the museum was large enough to spend an entire afternoon exploring, with plenty of cafes and quiet corners for… conversation.
Or other activities, if Wei Zhuoning was so inclined.
Her carefully laid plans, however, were crumbling. Wei Zhuoning clearly wasn’t impressed.
“What’s wrong with being serious?” Lin Xiaozhi asked, trying to salvage the situation. “You kids these days lack patriotic spirit. Come on, let’s go inside.”
“…You sound like my grandma,” Wei Zhuoning muttered.
“I’m eighteen. A legal adult. I can drink alcohol. Can you?”
Wei Zhuoning, still three months shy of eighteen, remained silent.
“Let’s go,” Lin Xiaozhi said, extending her hand. “I’ll hold your hand so you don’t get lost.”
Wei Zhuoning looked at her slender hand, adorned with a sparkling ring, and hesitated.
Even in her school uniform, Lin Xiaozhi looked more mature than her peers. Today, in her stylish apricot-colored trench coat, cinched at the waist, accentuating her slender figure, her long legs visible beneath the hem, she looked even more sophisticated.
And she was wearing makeup and high heels…
Next to Lin Xiaozhi’s glamorous appearance, Wei Zhuoning, in her hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, looked like a child.
No one would question their age difference.
Seeing Wei Zhuoning’s hesitation, Lin Xiaozhi took her hand.
“Let’s go.”
She smiled to herself, enjoying the feeling of holding Wei Zhuoning’s hand, the younger girl trailing behind her like a shy child.
“Why are you so shy? We’ve hugged before. What’s the big deal about holding hands?”
“Someone might see us,” Wei Zhuoning mumbled.
“Who do you know that comes to the National Museum?” Lin Xiaozhi chuckled. “I chose this location strategically.”
As if on cue, they saw a familiar face.
“Isn’t that Chi Lin?” Wei Zhuoning asked.
Lin Xiaozhi’s heart sank.
“It is her. Who’s that with her?”
“Is that her sister? I only saw her in the car before. She’s tall… and has a nice figure…”
Lou Mi was wearing sunglasses and a jacket zipped up to her chin, partially obscuring her face.
Lin Xiaozhi, annoyed by Wei Zhuoning’s admiration for another woman, said, “You can’t even see her face. How can you tell?”
Wei Zhuoning, ignoring her, waved at Chi Lin.
Lin Xiaozhi: “…”
A double date? Seriously?
Lou Mi shared her concern.
Chi Lin: “Hey, it’s my classmates.”
Lou Mi: “What a coincidence…”
In a museum this large, with so many visitors, they had still managed to run into each other?
As the two groups were about to meet, Lin Xiaozhi tightened her grip on Wei Zhuoning’s hand.
“Are you crazy? They’re on a date. Don’t interrupt them.”
Wei Zhuoning, about to protest, realized she was right.
“Let’s go,” Lin Xiaozhi said, waving at Chi Lin and pulling Wei Zhuoning away.
Chi Lin: “Why did they leave?”
Lou Mi, though not recognizing them, had exchanged a look with Lin Xiaozhi, understanding their mutual desire for privacy.
Chi Lin hadn’t waved back, but Lou Mi had, as if they were close friends.
“They’re on a date,” Lou Mi explained. “They don’t want us to be third wheels.”
Wei Zhuoning and Lin Xiaozhi? Chi Lin had assumed they were just classmates, one a casual acquaintance, the other her deskmate. She hadn’t realized their… special relationship.
No wonder the Empress had often said she was intelligent in every aspect except romance.
“Xiao Lin is clueless when it comes to love.”
“Kids these days start dating early,” Lou Mi said, a hint of envy in her voice. She was in her twenties and still being teased about her nonexistent love life.
She knew Xie Buyu and the others meant well, but she also longed for a relationship.
But the right person hadn’t appeared yet.
Chi Lin: “They used to be deskmates.”
“So it’s a case of ‘familiarity breeds love.’”
“They went to the same junior high school.”
“Junior high?” Lou Mi was shocked. She had only been interested in video games and anime in junior high.
Chi Lin: “One of them is my current deskmate.”
Lou Mi: “Which one?”
“The taller one.”
So it was the glamorous one, the one who looked even more dangerous than the shady girl from the library.
That girl had been openly shady, easy to defend against.
This one, however, preyed on her deskmates, her sweet and innocent appearance masking her manipulative nature.
And she was a high school student, much younger than Chi Lin…
The danger level was high.
Lou Mi, unconsciously comparing herself to Lin Xiaozhi, said, “Stay away from your deskmate.”
Chi Lin: “?”
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