Chapter 79
When Lou Mi arrived home, Peng Ziyuan and Lou Lixing had just returned from the hospital. Lou Lixing’s burned hand was bandaged.
Lou Mi looked around. There was still uncleaned soup and broken glass on the floor. Confused, she asked, “What happened here?”
Peng Ziyuan recounted the incident in detail.
Lou Mi remained silent. Lou Lixing sighed and said:
“I shouldn’t have hit her. I lost control.”
Peng Ziyuan sighed: “You were just trying to protect me. I don’t know why Little Lin was so angry today. She’s been much better tempered recently, I thought she didn’t care about us anymore, why today…”
The three fell into a similar silence. Lou Mi was the first to speak again:
“So where did she run off to?”
“I’m worried about her too. I went out to look for her earlier, but she ran too fast and I lost her.”
“The system shows she drove out.”
“She’s in a bad mood right now, what if she does something stupid…” Peng Ziyuan reached for her coat. “No, I have to go out and find her again.”
“Auntie, you stay here and take care of my dad, I’ll go.” Lou Mi hadn’t even taken off her coat yet. “Wait for my news at home.”
Peng Ziyuan wanted to say something, but Lou Mi had already disappeared into the elevator.
Lou Mi called Chi Lin’s phone, but no one answered.
She called again, and the call was rejected.
Lou Mi could only send a WeChat message: “Little Lin, where are you? Tell me what happened today, I’m very worried about you.”
After sending the message, Lou Mi clutched her warm phone, her hands icy cold.
Why the sudden change in personality?
The Chi Lin she saw today felt familiar yet unfamiliar, with a sense of awkwardness and irritability.
It was as if…
Lou Mi forced herself to calm down, not to be distracted by her wild thoughts. She needed to find Chi Lin and make sure she was safe before analyzing her suspicions.
Coastal No. 1 Villa.
The doorbell rang. Tan Luo wrapped her bathrobe tighter and hurried towards the door.
Her little cutie had arrived.
Passing by the large full-length mirror, she paused to admire herself, playfully tossing her head. Her long, brown curls cascaded down like a waterfall, and her lips were the perfect shade of red.
The door opened, and the first thing the original Chi Lin saw was the glimpse of skin revealed by the loose bathrobe.
She whistled inwardly.
The idiot who transmigrated into her body wasn’t completely useless after all.
If she could spend a night with Senior Tan Luo, it would all be worth it.
The original Chi Lin considered herself a face connoisseur. She liked anyone who was beautiful, regardless of gender.
Seeing her staring, Tan Luo happily welcomed her in, and the door automatically locked.
“Why did Shifu contact me so late? I was almost asleep.”
Tan Luo had the original Chi Lin sit on the sofa while she languidly leaned on the other end, her long, smooth legs peeking out from under her bathrobe. Paired with her beautiful and alluring face, the scene looked like something straight out of a movie.
And not a very wholesome one.
“I’m here to deliver the antidote…” The original Chi Lin said, taking a small box out of her pocket and handing it to Tan Luo.
“Shifu is in such a hurry? Can’t you wait until tomorrow?” Tan Luo took the box with a smile, her fingers brushing against the original Chi Lin’s as their hands met.
A jolt of electricity ran through the original Chi Lin, her gaze fixated on Tan Luo.
Tan Luo observed her expression for a moment, then said, “Your phone is ringing.”
The original Chi Lin: “It’s nothing important, I don’t want to answer.”
Tan Luo: “Oh?”
As she spoke, the phone rang again. She hung up, and a WeChat message immediately popped up.
Tan Luo chuckled: “Are you really not going to answer? What if it’s something urgent?”
Annoyed, the original Chi Lin opened her phone and saw that it was indeed Lou Mi looking for her.
Were she and Lou Mi really dating? What a joke, how disgusting.
The thought of being intimate with Lou Lixing’s daughter made her want to vomit.
But Lou Mi’s voice did sound genuinely worried.
The original Chi Lin looked at Tan Luo and suddenly thought of a perfect way to get revenge on the Lou family.
She gleefully typed a reply:
“I’m here, come pick me up.”
Then she sent her location to Lou Mi.
Lou Mi, receiving the reply, felt a surge of relief and immediately set the navigation, heading towards the destination.
“Who are you chatting with?” Tan Luo opened the small box and found a few gray pills inside, which she fiddled with.
“The Lou woman.” The original Chi Lin shifted closer to Tan Luo. “She’s coming here to pick me up later.”
Tan Luo raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”
“But I’m not going back with her.”
“Oh.” Tan Luo’s voice lowered, seemingly losing interest. Just as the original Chi Lin was about to say something else, Tan Luo changed the subject: “Why is the antidote gray?”
The original Chi Lin thought, what, were they cosplaying some fantasy drama now, and even the props had to match?
Tan Luo: “It’s not actually antidote, is it? It’s poison.”
The original Chi Lin inched closer: “If it’s poison, are you afraid?”
Tan Luo raised her hand, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, as if she had just heard a hilarious joke.
Lou Mi arrived much faster than the original Chi Lin had expected.
She practically broke the doorbell, ringing it repeatedly before the previous ring had even finished, her anxiety evident.
“Coming, coming, someone’s eager.” Tan Luo adjusted her bathrobe again and walked barefoot across the carpet to the door.
The original Chi Lin guessed it was Lou Mi and followed Tan Luo to the door.
Weren’t they dating? Weren’t they all lovey-dovey?
For Lou Mi to be so obedient to her, the person who transmigrated into her body must have had some skills. They must have been very much in love.
In that case, how devastated would she be seeing her girlfriend cheating?
The door opened. Upon seeing the original Chi Lin, Lou Mi smiled:
“Why are you here? Whose house is this…”
As the door opened wider, revealing Tan Luo leaning against the doorframe in her loose bathrobe, Lou Mi’s smile vanished almost instantly.
She recognized Tan Luo. She hadn’t dared to look too closely at the photos circulating online before, but she had memorized Tan Luo’s face the moment she saw it.
“Do you understand now?” The original Chi Lin said. “Does this situation require further explanation? I didn’t ask you to come here to go back to that disgusting house with you. I want to tell you, stop calling me, stop texting me, stop bothering me. Can you do that?”
Lou Mi looked at her and shook her head almost imperceptibly, her eyes already reddening.
She didn’t understand why Chi Lin was treating her like this, and she knew something was wrong.
But seeing that familiar face, hearing that familiar voice speak words of disgust, the heartache was overwhelming.
Tan Luo quietly watched them, silently observing the scene unfolding at her doorstep.
Not wanting anyone to see her vulnerability, Lou Mi quickly turned away:
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you. Calm down, and remember to go home early.”
“I said I’m not going back, didn’t you hear me?”
Lou Mi didn’t say anything more and quickly left.
Seeing that she had actually made Lou Mi cry, the original Chi Lin was both apprehensive and incredulous.
Who would have thought that the formidable HighTowerMiyuki could be brought to tears by her! The original Chi Lin was ecstatic.
Revenge was sweet, but there were even sweeter things awaiting her tonight.
“Senior…” The original Chi Lin turned to Tan Luo with a smile, but noticed that her expression was different from before.
Tan Luo had adjusted her bathrobe, the belt tied securely. It wouldn’t come loose even if she rolled around on the floor.
The original Chi Lin: “?”
“It’s late.” Tan Luo placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her out. “Shifu should go home now.”
“What? Senior, didn’t you invite me? Huh? Hey, hey!”
Tan Luo actually closed the door.
The original Chi Lin was left outside, dumbfounded.
Just as she was about to ring the doorbell, the door opened by itself.
She immediately stepped forward with a smile: “I…”
Tan Luo responded with an even wider smile and tossed her backpack outside.
The original Chi Lin: “?!”
Tan Luo said gently, “Goodnight.”
Then the door slammed shut unceremoniously and didn’t open again.
By the time Lou Mi finally composed herself, she realized she had already driven across the sea highway twice.
Not wanting to go home at all, Lou Mi set the navigation for the club.
Whenever she was upset, Lou Mi would play games.
As long as she entered the game world, she could temporarily forget everything.
When Lou Mi arrived at the club, Fu Tu and Zhuo Jinglan were watching videos of the trainees’ practice matches. Xie Buyu, feeling sleepy, had gone home.
“Eh? Sister Mi? Why are you here?” Fu Tu, always oblivious, then asked, “Did you find your little sister?”
Lou Mi’s face was dark: “I found her.” She then walked into her office without looking at them.
Fu Tu looked at Zhuo Jinglan, confused: “Did she find her or not?”
Zhuo Jinglan: “Your brain is only good for gaming.”
Fu Tu: “?”
Zhuo Jinglan: “It’s obvious she found her, otherwise she wouldn’t be so upset.”
While Fu Tu was trying to process this logic, Zhuo Jinglan took her tablet and knocked on Lou Mi’s door.
“What?” Lou Mi asked from inside.
“I have something interesting to show you.”
“I don’t want to see it.”
“I guarantee you’ll be happy after seeing this.”
“…”
Lou Mi didn’t respond. Zhuo Jinglan opened the door and walked in.
Lou Mi was sitting in her gaming chair, fiddling with the cable of her Return to Jianghu access crystal.
Zhuo Jinglan sat down in front of her, discreetly glancing at her face.
Her eyes were a little red and swollen. Had she been crying?
Zhuo Jinglan cursed inwardly.
She had practically watched Lou Mi grow up. This child always had a strong mentality, never shedding a tear even when faced with the biggest challenges or setbacks.
What on earth had her little sister done to upset her so much…
Lou Mi’s eyes were downcast. Zhuo Jinglan opened her tablet and held the screen in front of Lou Mi.
Lou Mi glanced up and saw a series of photos of young girls.
“What, are you already eager to find me a replacement?”
“You broke up?” Zhuo Jinglan was shocked. “You broke up before even getting together properly?”
“Can you not jinx me?”
“Alright, alright, I’m trying to talk to you about something serious. There are photos of young men below the girls, all new trainees. It’s time to form Nine Heavens’ second team. There are also recordings of today’s training sessions. Would Your Highness like to take a look?”
“I’m really tired and annoyed. Can you let me rest?”
“I’m trying to give you something to distract yourself.”
“Distract myself, fine.” Lou Mi held up the access crystal. “Just accompany me in slaughtering some people.”
Zhuo Jinglan could only agree: “Fine, but only for an hour, no more. You have to be in the game all day tomorrow. I’m afraid your fragile mind will break down if you overuse it.”
Lou Mi and Zhuo Jinglan entered the game together and chose a few high-difficulty dungeons to rampage through.
Lou Mi fought everything and everyone, leaving rivers of blood in her wake, but she avoided the Snowy Peak Dungeon, even steering clear of its entrance.
That place was cursed, with terrible feng shui.
While wielding her flame spear, Lou Mi thought about Chi Lin.
Her thoughts drifted from today, to last night, all the way back to several months ago…
“Watch out!” Zhuo Jinglan’s voice startled her. She snapped back to reality and found a Blood Crane hovering above her, about to peck at her head.
Zhuo Jinglan was too far away to save her. Lou Mi tried to activate her skills, but they were on cooldown.
She had no memory of using them before.
Lou Mi braced herself for the impact, but the crane’s sharp beak was suddenly blocked by a thick layer of ice.
The ice shattered under the crane’s attack, sending shards flying everywhere. Instinctively, Lou Mi swung her spear, hitting the crane’s neck.
The crane tried to attack again, but a white blur flashed past, striking the wound on its neck.
Lou Mi’s attack had already injured it, and this follow-up blow, expertly executed, deepened the wound.
The crane shrieked in pain and flew away, injured.
Lou Mi turned around and saw a woman in white standing nearby.
The woman’s character name was “Jin Yi,” which sounded like a real name.
Her black hair was neatly tied back, and she wore simple clothes. Her outfit was the most basic novice set, and Lou Mi saw that she was only level 34, wielding an ice staff that could be found anywhere.
She was the one who had just saved Lou Mi.
Not with equipment, but purely with skill, quick reflexes, and ingenuity.
“Thank you for your help.”
Lou Mi didn’t recognize her, but out of courtesy, she thanked her.
Jin Yi bowed: “You’re welcome, HighTowerMiyuki. If I hadn’t acted so hastily, you would have slain that Blood Crane yourself.”
Jin Yi’s voice was slightly deep but pleasant, her tone and words archaic, matching her heroic appearance.
In the world of Return to Jianghu, almost everyone knew HighTowerMiyuki. Lou Mi thought the other player might want to chat, but after smiling, Jin Yi simply left.
After logging out, Lou Mi was flushed from the intense fighting. She felt somewhat better, but remembering the mess in real life, her mood quickly plummeted again.
“I’ll sleep at the company tonight,” Lou Mi told Zhuo Jinglan. “Remember to lock up when you leave.”
Zhuo Jinglan: “I’ll stay with you. I’ll be in the next room, I promise not to disturb you. Just call if you need anything.”
“Really, no need. You think I’m going to do something drastic? It’s not that serious.”
“I’m not afraid of you doing something drastic, I’m afraid you’ll demolish our club in a fit of rage. I still need it to support me for the rest of my life.”
“What, am I some kind of wild animal to be so destructive?”
“Is there any wild animal as wild as you?”
Lou Mi: “…”
Zhuo Jinglan insisted on staying with Lou Mi. Lou Mi knew she was worried, but they were the same kind of people.
When criticizing, they were like machine guns, firing non-stop.
But when comforting, they were incredibly clumsy, circling around the same “look on the bright side” phrases until they bored themselves to death.
Lou Mi wanted to stay at the club mainly because she didn’t want to go home, didn’t want to run into Chi Lin again.
She was afraid of losing control of her emotions if she saw Chi Lin face to face.
She needed to stay clear-headed and carefully recall everything that happened today, recording every detail.
Including every word, every expression of Chi Lin’s.
The original Chi Lin spent the night at a five-star hotel and went straight to school the next day.
Senior Tan Luo’s thoughts were too difficult to decipher.
Sitting in the taxi on her way to school, the original Chi Lin was still lamenting the missed opportunity from last night.
But it didn’t matter. Even without Senior Tan Luo, she still had a large harem at school. She wasn’t worried.
Like the school heartthrob, and Sha Xinyu.
This time, she would perform well.
Analyzing the reason for last night’s failure, she realized she had been too hasty and had forgotten one thing—
Senior Tan Luo liked the person who had occupied her body before.
Thinking of this, the original Chi Lin took out her phone and searched for content related to “Chi Lin.”
“…The beauty still lingers in my dreams, but was she real? No, I firmly believe she was. It’s a hazy feeling, tinged with loneliness and confusion…”
It was an interview. The original Chi Lin found the sight of her own face in the video unsettling.
That serious, pretentious demeanor made her cringe.
That’s it? They all liked a deadpan face?
The original Chi Lin felt greatly relieved—that was too easy, she just had to keep a straight face and not smile!
She flipped down the mirror on the car’s ceiling, styled her hair into the same bun as in the video, put on a serious expression, and voila, a perfect imitation.
Arriving at school, she saw Gao Xiang and the others approaching from the other side.
Both groups had spotted each other. Just as Gao Xiang was about to greet her, the original Chi Lin walked away with a cold expression, without a word.
Gao Xiang: “What the hell? What’s going on?”
Classmate A: “Did she just glare at you?”
Gao Xiang: “Did I offend her? I don’t think so?”
Classmate B: “I’ve felt like something was off with her lately.”
The original Chi Lin felt very pleased with her performance. She ignored everyone along the way and sat down at her desk.
Too easy, she gave herself a perfect score. She could keep up this pretense for a hundred years without being exposed.
The first class was Chinese. As soon as Mr. Xia entered, he announced a surprise recitation test.
“No way! A test on last semester’s texts? Who remembers any of that?!”
The whole class groaned.
Mr. Xia said: “You can’t slack off during the holidays, or you’ll lose your momentum. Remember, you’re in your senior year now.”
Dong Xiangwen: “Mr. Xia, even if it’s senior year, you should give us some time to adjust. Can’t we do this tomorrow?”
Mr. Xia chuckled: “You think everyone is as lax as you? I know there’s someone who definitely wouldn’t lower her standards, no matter how long the break. Chi Lin.”
Mr. Xia suddenly called her name, and the original Chi Lin froze.
What? Why was Old Man Xia calling her?
“Recite Xiaoyaoyou.”
Mr. Xia was full of confidence, knowing that Chi Lin would, as always, recite it flawlessly.
He had witnessed Chi Lin’s hard work last semester. She was diligent and competitive. She would never allow herself to fall behind again.
The whole class looked at Chi Lin. Mr. Xia gazed at her with a smile. Everyone was waiting.
The original Chi Lin could only stand up reluctantly.
“In the Northern Darkness, in the Northern Darkness there is…”
She was stuck. Studying was a distant memory. She couldn’t even remember the first line.
Standing there, she started to sweat.
What came after “In the Northern Darkness there is”?
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