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  • Come, Let Me Take You Home 25

    Come, Let Me Take You Home 25

    No. 25 A Lullaby for the Restless

    Under a gray sky, the air in the Upper Capital City was filled with the fresh scent of rain-washed greenery. As I unlocked my bike downstairs, I glanced at the rooftop of the building across the street.

    043 was still perched there…

    What a lonely existence that must be.

    No fixed abode, barely any rest, nerves constantly on edge for hours on end, all freedom and will caged until the employer gave the all-clear.

    Even the right to be called by his name was stripped away, leaving only the cold, impersonal designation “043.”

    Was the Huang Yingdie incident not truly over?

    I mounted my bike, put on my headphones and the baseball cap, and headed towards a destination I would never normally visit.

    I was going to pick up the recovering, tsundere princess for school.

    I couldn’t fathom what her father was thinking.

    If I remembered correctly, Huang Yingdie had only been discharged from the hospital three days ago. And today was Friday. Was it really necessary to send her back to school so soon?

    Following the address Ouyang Dati had given me, I arrived at a luxurious residential complex and showed the security guard my special pass.

    At the designated meeting point, I saw Huang Yingdie, dressed in her school uniform, and her boyfriend.

    “Xiaodie can come with me to school.”

    Huang Qinghao dismissed me with a wave of his hand. “You can leave.”

    I parked my bike beside them and held out my hand. “Proof.”

    He looked confused. “Proof of what?”

    “Proof from her father or Ouyang Dati.”

    I was here on behalf of her father. He couldn’t just brush me off with a few words. I had to report back to them.

    My current job was to escort the mayor’s daughter to and from school, for a daily wage of 1,000 yuan. A month-long contract.

    “Are you a dog? I need proof to take my girlfriend to school? Go lick the boots of those officials somewhere else. Don’t pollute our air.”

    He scowled at me.

    “Qinghao, don’t be like that. She…”

    Huang Yingdie tried to defend me, but he cut her off. “It’s fine, Xiaodie. Let’s go.”

    He grabbed her hand and was about to drag her away, but I jumped off my bike and blocked his path.

    “You’re asking for trouble!”

    He swung his fist at my face.

    I dodged it effortlessly, grabbed his arm, and with a swift motion, threw him over my shoulder.

    “Thud!”

    He landed hard on the cobblestone path outside the complex.

    “You call yourself her boyfriend?” I adjusted my cap, which had been knocked askew, and looked down at him. “Where were you when she was kidnapped? Where were you when she was shot and bleeding in that cave? Where were you when she was lying in the hospital, needing comfort and support?”

    “I…”

    “Even her father, the mayor of Nanjing, rushed to her side before her surgery was over. Are you, a middle school student, busier than the mayor? And you have the audacity to call yourself her boyfriend?”

    His face flushed, then paled. He avoided my gaze. “I really had something to do…”

    “Enough.” I grabbed Huang Yingdie’s hand. “If you’re a man, get up. If you can’t, admit it. Making excuses only makes you look childish. Until you’re capable of protecting her, I will.”

    I took a few steps forward, then turned back to him. “I apologize for what happened at the hospital. I misunderstood you.”

    Initially, I hadn’t wanted to accept this job. I wasn’t good at taking care of people, and I had no interest in Huang Yingdie’s personal life. But the pay was good, and Ouyang Dati had said the mayor wanted to repay me for saving his daughter’s life.

    When darkness fell, happiness required a certain level of material security.

    Words granted everyone the freedom to complain, but all those who lamented the unfairness of society and the system were essentially saying the same thing: “Give me money, women, and status.”

    “Hmph, fake compassion.”

    He scrambled to his feet, his face contorted with anger. “Don’t leave school early tonight. I’ll be waiting for you at the gate.”

    “You can wait wherever you want.”

    I turned my back on him and walked away, pulling Huang Yingdie along.

    People in this world could be divided into two types: those who turned their struggles and criticisms into motivation, and those who drifted aimlessly through life, relying on luck.

    The first type had clear goals, while the second type’s lives were dictated by chance. If they were lucky, they might even surpass the first type.

    Being beaten up and having his girlfriend taken away in front of his own eyes, then being challenged—it was a humiliation no man could easily forget.

    I hoped Huang Qinghao was the type who could turn humiliation into motivation. But even if he wasn’t, it was none of my business.

    “Yi Yao…”

    As we left the complex and I gestured for her to get on the back of my bike, she hesitated. “How much did my parents pay you?”

    I looked at her calmly. “Do you want to cry in a BMW?”

    “That’s not what I meant. I’m saying…”

    She glanced towards Huang Qinghao. “I’m saying… I can pay you double. You…”

    “Can you let Qinghao and me go to school together?”

    I didn’t answer. I stared into her eyes, then asked, “Do you like him?”

    She blushed and looked down. “He’s my friend.”

    “I thought you said he was your sworn brother.”

    “…”

    She remained silent. I turned the bike around. “I refuse. Get on.”

    We would be late if we didn’t hurry.

    “Yi Yao… I’m grateful that you saved my life, but I still hope you can agree…”

    “Agree to what?” I adjusted my cap. “Let you hang out with that guy? Then he’ll take you to a hotel and promise to just lie beside you and play on his phone, without touching you?”

    She looked up sharply. “Qinghao would never do that!”

    “I don’t know what kind of person he is, and I don’t care. My job is to take you to school. What you do after that is none of my business.”

    “You… you’re hopeless.”

    “Perhaps.”

    Under my stern gaze, she reluctantly got on the bike.

    “Hold on tight.”

    We rode in silence.

    “Alright, be here at six this afternoon.”

    I watched her walk into Nurturing Talent Middle School, her back straight and proud, her expression unreadable. For some reason, I couldn’t help but call out to her. “No one in this world is guaranteed a happy ending. Remember, even fairy tales come with a price.”

    She paused briefly, then hurried into the building.

    Why did I care? Her life was none of my business. I had enough problems of my own.

    I turned my bike around and pedaled faster, arriving at my own school just before the bell rang.

    As I entered the classroom, several students were gathered around Lan Zhuoyue’s empty desk. They all gasped dramatically when they saw me.

    “Look who’s back! Our hero has returned!”

    “Good job, Yi Yao! You actually escaped from those vicious criminals.”

    “I heard they were foreign terrorists.”

    “No, they were drug dealers from the Golden Triangle.”

    “What the hell do you know?”

    As usual, they quickly got sidetracked.

    Ignoring their stares, I sat down at my desk.

    My desk was piled high with homework and test papers.

    “Yi Yao, where’s your precious Lan Zhuoyue?”

    A sarcastic voice came from behind me.

    “I don’t know.”

    I remembered Lan Zhuoyue’s plea at the hospital, begging me not to tell anyone about his illness. I took off my cap and placed it on his desk, then looked up at Tan Lijiang. “Class is about to start. Go back to your seat.”

    “Come on, I’m still waiting for him to come back and apologize. A man keeps his word, right?”

    He sat down beside me, grinning, and picked up my cap. “Ooh, little hearts. A gift from your boyfriend?”

    I ignored him and continued sorting through my papers.

    There were many students like him in school. The more you reacted, the more they would provoke you.

    But there was a strange phenomenon: the classmates you hated the most in middle school often became the ones who contacted you the most after graduation, asking for favors.

    “We were just kids back then.”

    A simple phrase that excused countless transgressions.

    “You’re quite calm, Yi Yao.”

    Perhaps bored by my indifference, he put down my cap. “Let’s get to the point. Our class has a basketball game against Class 12 this afternoon. Lan Zhuoyue is our forward. We haven’t been able to reach him, so we thought you might have another way to contact him.”

    He added, “Of course, if you don’t want him to play, it’s fine. We’ll just forfeit.”

  • Mistaken Era 68

    Chapter 68

    Xiao Xiao thought about it. If the manual was truly lost in that deserted valley, it was better than falling into the wrong hands. Besides, her master’s writing was always long-winded and without focus. Even if someone found it, they’d probably think it was just the ramblings of some scholar obsessed with weaving fantastical tales of immortals and heroes.

    After comforting herself with this thought, Xiao Xiao felt slightly better but still couldn’t help looking around.

    Noticing her searching, Yu Ling’er asked what she was looking for. Xiao Xiao vaguely mentioned losing her package, which contained her change of clothes.

    Yu Ling’er generously offered Xiao Xiao one of her own dresses. She had been quite envious when she saw the beautiful dresses Wei Jie bought for Xiao Xiao, so she had pestered Tang Youshu into buying her two.

    Although not as exquisite as Xiao Xiao’s, the dress was charming and cute, its fabric light and flowing.

    However, the scales on Xiao Xiao’s arms had turned gold, making it difficult to match with any color!

    The two girls shared a rare moment of understanding, sighing in unison as they stared at Xiao Xiao’s gleaming arm.

    Xiao Xiao then found a pool in the back mountain and decided to soak and wash off the soot and ash covering her body.

    As dawn broke, the stream’s surface reflected her face, and Xiao Xiao was stunned by her own reflection. She seemed to have become even more beautiful…

    It wasn’t that her features had changed, but her eyes now held a hint of aloofness and allure. Her eyelids were slightly upturned, giving her a proud, almost fierce aura.

    The red mole at the corner of her eye appeared even redder, like a drop of blood. Even she found her own reflection unfamiliar, as if… as if she possessed the same chilling gaze as the five phoenixes.

    Could it be that she had adopted some of the phoenixes’ mannerisms after harboring them? Buddha above, Heavenly Gods bless her! She wasn’t particularly fond of snakes. She hoped she wouldn’t be completely assimilated by these phoenixes!

    Still, her current appearance did exude a certain majesty, the kind befitting a powerful sect master. Xiao Xiao felt that if she remained silent, she would appear even more imposing than Ling Zhishan from two hundred years in the future!

    She examined the colorful phoenix mark on her neck. Even after scrubbing with water, it showed no signs of fading.

    She could only hope they would behave themselves and not cause her as much trouble as the demonic bead.

    Speaking of the demonic bead… Xiao Xiao closed her eyes, trying to sense its presence. The bead was as silent as a cicada, afraid to even slumber.

    When Xiao Xiao tried talking to it, it finally spoke, its voice trembling, “You wretched girl! You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Bringing five phoenixes into your body! If you want me gone, I’ll gladly leave. But they’re attached to your very being! How am I supposed to get away from that?!”

    Xiao Xiao kept her eyes closed. “Then do you know why they attached themselves to me? And how to get rid of them?”

    The demonic bead’s voice still shook. “If I knew, I would have told you already! Do you think I’d wait until now? They’ve just been reborn and are currently in deep sleep, which is why I dare speak. He only managed to take one black phoenix, yet you brought out five? What are you, to possess such power?”

    Xiao Xiao knew this demonic bead was formed from the demonic energy within Demon Lord Wei Jie. It had experienced all the tribulations of his original path.

    Hearing it mention the black phoenix, Xiao Xiao knew her guess was correct. The crow Demon Lord Wei Jie took away back then truly was a black phoenix.

    “Where is that black phoenix now?” she asked.

    The demonic bead let out a cold laugh. “What fate awaits something that defies the natural order? He took it with his own selfish desires, and in the end…”

    Before the demonic bead could finish, Yu Ling’er’s voice rang out, asking if Xiao Xiao was done washing up. Wei Jie had roasted rabbit meat, and it was time to eat.

    Xiao Xiao didn’t respond, wanting the demonic bead to finish its story. However, it seemed to have exhausted its energy and fell silent again.

    Sighing, Xiao Xiao decided to forgo admiring her reflection. She wrung the water from her hair, quickly dressed, and joined the others for their belated supper.

    Wei Jie’s culinary skills were undeniable. Even in the wilderness, with just wild onions and the salt and pepper he carried, he could roast rabbit meat to perfection.

    He handed a rabbit leg to Xiao Xiao, then took out a handkerchief and gently began drying her hair.

    Xiao Xiao had reached a point where she no longer cared about maintaining appearances and simply let him do as he pleased. She was starving and needed to eat.

    Yu Ling’er observed Wei Jie’s attentiveness with envy. This Wei Jie, usually cold and distant, was so kind to Xiao Xiao.

    It seemed Cui Xiao Xiao had truly captured this disciple’s heart…

    As they sat around the bonfire, everyone chatted amongst themselves. After drying Xiao Xiao’s hair, Wei Jie pulled her to a corner to eat and talk.

    Halfway through her rabbit leg, Xiao Xiao finally remembered to ask about the fragmented page. It had been riddled with holes when they found it. She wondered if Wei Jie had successfully returned it to the underworld.

    Wei Jie paused before answering, “I did, but Grandmother said whether it would work or not is up to fate.”

    Thinking of the Wei family’s tragic fate in the original timeline, Xiao Xiao couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Could this damaged page really lessen their suffering, perhaps even prevent their annihilation?

    She then told Wei Jie about meeting Princess Yongning, the new owner of the Guishi Cliff Manor.

    For Prince Can to gift this place to Princess Yongning before his death… there had to be a hidden agenda.

    Unfortunately, Xiao Xiao wasn’t from this time and knew little about Princess Yongning.

    Wei Jie, however, had thoroughly investigated Prince Can and knew a thing or two about this favored niece.

    The princess was the daughter of Prince Changshan, supposedly Prince Can’s half-brother. Rumor had it that Prince Changshan was the son of the late Emperor and a Taoist nun, raised under the name of a concubine in the palace.

    Despite his questionable birth, Prince Changshan was deeply loved by the late Emperor. Although he had been granted his own territory early on, he continued to receive the Emperor’s favor and rewards every year. One of his younger sons had even been adopted by Prince Can.

    Xiao Xiao suddenly realized that in the original timeline, Prince Can had supported this adopted son to ascend the throne, becoming the regent behind the scenes.

    So, the little princess’s father and Prince Can were quite close, close enough to exchange sons.

    But if Prince Can was Xia Yuansong, then the adopted son would be his own grandson. He had essentially placed his own bloodline on the throne.

    Could it be… that Xia Yuansong had abandoned the identity of Prince Can and set his sights on Prince Changshan, which was why he gifted such an important place as Guishi Cliff to his daughter?

    Wei Jie shook his head slowly after hearing Xiao Xiao’s analysis. “Prince Changshan is different from Prince Can. He enjoys indulging in feasts and banquets, spending his days in revelry. Even if Xia Yuansong could regain his youth, it would be difficult for him to completely transform himself into someone like that, let alone fool those who know Prince Changshan well…”

    Xiao Xiao thought for a moment. “Prince Can has always been a cunning schemer. If he truly wanted to replace Prince Changshan, he would find a way.”

    If she had the chance to meet Prince Changshan, she might be able to see through any disguise. If they knew Prince Can’s whereabouts, at least the Crown Prince could be prepared.

    Otherwise, if that treacherous prince were to plot something again, it could spell disaster for the entire world…

    After their late-night meal, it was time for everyone to rest.

    No matter how advanced her cultivation became, Xiao Xiao still needed sleep after a long day and meditation.

    Especially after her brush with death, all she wanted was a good night’s sleep.

    Her most devoted disciple understood her best. While she was bathing, he had silently gathered dry grass and prepared a soft bed, even laying clothes on top.

    This way, Xiao Xiao could enjoy a comfortable sleep on a dry and cool bed.

    As she lay down, Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but take Wei Jie’s hand, wanting to check on his wound.

    Wei Jie misunderstood, thinking she didn’t want him to leave. He gently stroked her hair. “Sleep well. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here with you.”

    He then sat beside her and began meditating.

    He hadn’t told Xiao Xiao the whole truth. Although the wound on his wrist was easily healed, the heartache he had cried out earlier was far more damaging.

    He possessed half the blood of the Mei people, which meant he shared their weakness – they couldn’t afford to be consumed by sadness. Crying would damage their very being. But Wei Jie didn’t regret shedding those tears.

    He knew those tears, born from his heart, were what pulled Xiao Xiao back from death’s embrace.

    But he needed to meditate and recover his strength. He couldn’t use his energy for the next few days, lest he disrupt the balance within his dantian…

    As Xiao Xiao watched his profile, a wave of sweetness washed over her.

    With his eyes closed, she could freely admire him.

    Even though he wouldn’t admit it, Xiao Xiao knew he must have cried those bloody tears thinking he was going to die…

    Growing up, it seemed only her mother had ever cried for her. And her mother was long gone.

    She had thought that besides her mother and master, no one else would ever shed tears for her.

    Wei Jie—this name, once synonymous with terror, now filled her with an inexplicable sweetness.

    A smile touched her lips as she drifted off to sleep.

    Suddenly, Wei Jie opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the Phoenix Viewing Platform on the front mountain.

    There seemed to be a figure moving there, also looking towards the back mountain…

    On that platform, Princess Yongning continued gazing into the distance, muttering, “There’s nothing there. Where’s this legendary phoenix?”

    Last night, she had heard the workers and guards whispering about a phoenix and an immortal flying across the sky. She had rushed over by carriage, eager to witness it for herself. But after finally reaching the platform, all she found was silence, broken only by the occasional bird song. There wasn’t a single phoenix feather in sight!

    Just then, a cold voice spoke behind her. “The appearance of a phoenix is a once-in-a-thousand-year event. It’s not something you can just stumble upon. If it’s meant to be, you will see it in due time.”

    Princess Yongning turned to face her father, her voice laced with disappointment. “They say praying to the phoenix is most effective. I wanted to see it so I could pray for you, Father. Your injuries… what are we going to do?”

    She gazed at the bandages covering his face with heartache.

    Her father had been attacked by bandits while boating on the lake during a night banquet. Thankfully, his guards had saved him in time.

    However, the bandits had thrown oil and set the boat on fire. Her father had suffered severe burns to his face. Although he was treated by a skilled physician, it would still take months for him to recover.

    Princess Yongning loved her father dearly. That was why she had wanted to pray to the phoenix, hoping to bring him good fortune and speed up his healing.

    Hearing his daughter’s filial words, Prince Changshan, his voice raspy from the smoke inhalation, whispered, “These injuries… do you think prayers can heal them? The physician said I just need time to recover. You, on the other hand, are about to be married. Stop running around and return to the manor tomorrow to prepare for the wedding.”

    For once, the usually willful Princess Yongning obediently agreed.

    Ever since the fire, her father had changed. He no longer indulged in all-night banquets and avoided seeing anyone.

    It was unimaginable before, but people changed after experiencing trauma. There was nothing strange about it.

    After her father mentioned wanting to enjoy the breeze on the platform for a while longer, Princess Yongning excused herself and returned to the manor to rest.

    Prince Changshan stood alone on the platform, his gaze fixed on the dense forest of the back mountain.

    He had been here much earlier and had witnessed Xiao Xiao’s battle with the five phoenixes.

    Someone who defied fate… truly impressive. She had actually managed to fight back and incinerate five phoenixes!

    It seemed that girl had shouldered Wei Jie’s trial by fire!

    Her life force was truly resilient. To withstand such a tribulation without being completely consumed by demonic energy… He was curious to see whether this Cui Xiao Xiao would walk the path of a demon or an immortal!

    A smile seemed to flicker across Prince Changshan’s bandaged face.

    After a while, he turned and left the platform. His steps were slow and heavy, betraying his relatively young age.

    But soon, he straightened his back, loosened his grip, and walked down the mountain path with the steady gait of a healthy, middle-aged man.

    Meanwhile, back in the valley, everyone except Xiao Xiao was awake.

    Xiao Xiao had mentioned that it was the anniversary of the Lingshan Talisman Sect’s founder. Tang Youshu had prepared incense, paper money, and other offerings in his precious bamboo basket.

    They were all waiting for their Sect Master to wake up so they could pay their respects at the grave.

    However, their Sect Master, exhausted from her battle with the phoenixes, showed no signs of waking. Even after Wei Jie called out to her several times, Xiao Xiao remained fast asleep.

    Yu Ling’er began to worry. “Xiao Xiao… is she sick? I’ve never seen her sleep in this late!”

    Wei Jie reached out to touch Xiao Xiao’s forehead and neck. He found the area where the phoenix mark lay burning hot!

    Even in her sleep, Xiao Xiao seemed restless. Her eyelids twitched, as if trapped in a vivid nightmare…

    And indeed, she was dreaming.

    She knew she was trapped in a dream she couldn’t wake from. She was back in the phoenix valley.

    But the five phoenixes perched on the branches seemed much larger than before. They preened their feathers, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

    Suddenly, Xiao Xiao noticed a lone, grayish egg lying abandoned in the grass beneath the trees. Its shell was intact.

    She remembered Wei Jie saying it was the egg of a black phoenix, a symbol of misfortune, cast out of the nest.

    Without a mother’s warmth, it would slowly turn cold, eventually turning to stone.

    Pitying the lonely egg, Xiao Xiao approached, wanting to pick it up.

    Just then, the leading Vermillion Bird let out a sharp cry. The other phoenixes, startled, spread their wings and flew towards the valley entrance.

    Xiao Xiao followed their gaze and saw a figure descend from the sky, landing in the valley with a gust of wind. Its arrival was met with a chorus of alarmed cries from the phoenixes.

    As the figure came into focus, Xiao Xiao, despite knowing this was a dream, couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

    Because that strange man… looked exactly like Wei Jie!

    But unlike Wei Jie’s carefree demeanor, this man, with the same familiar eyes and brows, had half his face covered in iridescent scales. The same scales adorned his strong arms, clutching the Heaven-Defying Sword. His entire being radiated a chilling aura. His purple eyes blazed with unyielding murderous intent, a terrifying demonic energy emanating from him.

    He couldn’t see her, yet Xiao Xiao felt paralyzed by his aura, unable to move.

    The five phoenixes, clearly drawn to the demonic energy radiating from this scaled man, began their pre-meal dance. Then, just as they had done to Xiao Xiao, they attacked, hoping to tear him apart.

    Unlike Xiao Xiao, who had dodged and weaved, this man fought back with ruthless precision. Each move targeted the phoenixes’ throats. He lunged, sharp teeth bared, drawing blood and eliciting shrieks of pain.

    He even managed to tear off a few of their beautiful tail feathers, causing the birds to cry out in fury.

    Xiao Xiao watched silently, a sense of enlightenment dawning upon her. So that was how you dealt with these ferocious birds! Compared to this man’s ruthlessness, she had been far too gentle!

    Unfortunately, even this valiant warrior was no match for five birds. When the phoenixes unleashed their flames, the man was engulfed.

    But with his last ounce of strength, he struck, his sword cleaving through the air, snapping their necks.

    The five phoenixes, their bodies engulfed in flames, crashed to the ground alongside the man.

    Even though she knew he wasn’t her disciple, Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but want to call out to him. But something seemed to be stuck in her throat, preventing her from making a sound.

    She could only watch helplessly as he collapsed onto the grass, flames still licking at his body…

    Xiao Xiao knew that burning pain all too well. It was excruciating!

    But the man remained silent, gritting his teeth against the agony before letting out a tortured roar that echoed through the valley. “Heavens! How much longer must you torment me?!”

    His voice was filled with the desolate despair of someone who had seen too much suffering.

    Xiao Xiao’s heart clenched. Tears streamed down her face. She wanted to reach out, to embrace this wounded man, but she remained frozen in place.

    His body burning, the man dragged himself towards the stream, desperate to extinguish the flames consuming him.

    But he was too weak. He collapsed halfway there.

    Just then, as if drawn by the heat, the grayish egg beneath the tree rolled towards him, pushed by a gust of wind.

    The man’s body still blazed with fire, his skin scorching hot.

    But the egg, as if sensing the warmth of its mother, nestled against him, its shell bumping against his arm. The man, his skin raw and blistered, groaned in pain.

    The egg, fearing abandonment, settled in the crook of his arm, greedily absorbing his heat.

    As the egg pressed against him, the man felt the burning ease.

    Finally catching his breath, he reached out a charred hand and picked up the egg. He examined it for a moment before placing it against his chest.

    The egg, delighted, burrowed closer, its shell turning a faint shade of red.

    The five phoenixes, reborn from their ashes, were now much smaller. They stared at the man with lifeless eyes, too afraid to approach. Perching themselves on a branch, they watched the egg nestled against his chest with tilted heads.

    Xiao Xiao didn’t know how long she watched. The light in the valley shifted and changed. Finally, the man sat up, and the egg in his arms began to crack.

    A wet, black creature emerged from the shattered shell. The man, his body covered in soot, frowned and tossed it aside.

    The hatchling, seemingly hurt by the rough treatment, let out a soft “caw,” a sound that resembled… a crow.

    Driven by instinct, the hatchling, despite being flung away, flapped its tiny wings and stubbornly crawled back to the man. It nuzzled against his chest, its beak pecking at the cracked, charred skin, and let out another two “caws.”

    Clearly, it thought the man, with his blackened skin, was its mother. And surely, a mother as dark as night had no right to find fault with her child’s appearance?

    Unfortunately, the man’s heart was colder than his scaled exterior. He pushed the hatchling away and rose to his feet, ready to leave this place.

  • The Delicate Female Lead Only Wants to be Loved by the Villainous Young Ladies 30

    Chapter 30: That Little Mouse

    “Name?”

    “Adele.”

    “Class and contact information?”

    “Class E, Year One. My contact information is…”

    Adele dutifully provided the necessary information to the woman in the white coat, her gaze flitting around the small, cluttered office.

    Once the formalities were out of the way, the nurse, her face adorned with a cheerful smile, turned to Adele, her voice brimming with a disconcerting enthusiasm.

    “So, Miss Adele, what brings you to the infirmary today? What seems to be the trouble?”

    Adele couldn’t help but wonder why the nurse seemed so happy to see a patient. Shouldn’t she be hoping for… fewer patients?

    She hesitated, unsure how to answer.

    “I have a slight fever,” she finally said.

    “Oh, that’s wonderful!” the nurse exclaimed, her smile widening.

    “?”

    Adele’s suspicions grew. There was something… off about this nurse.

    As if realizing her gaffe, the nurse quickly added, “I mean… that’s… something we can easily treat here at the infirmary.”

    It was true. Besides colds, flus, and the occasional sprained ankle, the infirmary wasn’t equipped to handle much else. And vampires, being naturally resilient, rarely got sick. To have a patient like Adele, a vampire who had actually caught a cold… it was a rare occurrence.

    And more importantly, it meant that the infirmary wasn’t completely useless after all. She could finally put her medical training to good use.

    “…Thank you,” Adele said, relieved that the nurse hadn’t revealed herself to be some kind of… medical sadist.

    “Don’t mention it, dear,” the nurse said, her voice warm and soothing. “I’ll prepare a tonic for you. Once you’ve finished it, you can rest in the next room until you’re feeling better. I’ll write you a note for your professors.”

    “Just relax and take it easy for the rest of the morning,” she added, her generosity stemming from the novelty of having a patient who actually required treatment.

    Adele’s eyes brightened. This auntie… she was alright!

    Of course, if the nurse knew that Adele was mentally referring to her as “auntie,” she probably wouldn’t be so generous.

    “And you, dear?” she asked, turning to Linlang, who was standing awkwardly beside Adele. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

    Linlang blinked, her cheeks flushing as she shook her head.

    “N-No, I’m just… accompanying her,” she stammered.

    “I see.”

    Linlang nodded quickly, eager to escape the nurse’s scrutiny.

    The nurse bustled around the office, preparing a concoction for Adele. It was probably just a mixture of common cold medicine and some… unique ingredients from the world of the arcane.

    Hopefully, it didn’t involve toad eggs or beetle scales…

    But then again, those were often the key ingredients in arcane remedies, their properties and uses discovered through trial and error, often at great personal risk to the pioneers of arcane medicine and alchemy.

    Adele watched nervously as the nurse stirred the tonic, the steam rising from the cup carrying a faint, herbal scent.

    The nurse handed her the cup, her smile encouraging.

    Adele took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and downed the tonic in one gulp, resisting the urge to pinch her nose. It was lukewarm, thankfully, so she didn’t have to worry about burning her tongue.

    The taste… well, it was surprisingly pleasant. Sweeter than regular cold medicine, with a complex, almost fruity flavor. But it left a slightly bitter aftertaste, like… persimmons.

    Overall, it wasn’t bad. And it seemed to be working. She already felt a warmth spreading through her stomach, easing the cramps.

    She handed the empty cup back to the nurse, her gratitude evident in her voice.

    “Thank you, nurse,” she said. “May I… go rest now?”

    “Of course, dear,” the nurse said. “But there’s another patient in the next room. Please try to be quiet.”

    “O-Okay.”

    Adele’s heart skipped a beat. Someone else is here?

    She suddenly felt a little… nervous.

    She rose from her chair, and together, she and Linlang walked towards the door that led to the resting room.

    They exchanged hushed whispers as they pushed the door open, their gazes drawn to the drawn curtain, separating the second and third beds.

    It was an unspoken rule, a matter of personal space, like leaving an empty seat between yourself and a stranger in a movie theater or a cafeteria.

    Adele chose the first bed, the one furthest from the mysterious occupant behind the curtain.

    Linlang, her task completed, lingered for a moment, her gaze lingering on Adele’s face, a flicker of sadness in her eyes.

    Adele, sensing her reluctance to leave, pulled her into a quick hug. Linlang’s body was soft and warm, and for a moment, they simply stood there, their embrace a silent expression of their… friendship?

    And then… a sound, a muffled thump, came from behind the curtain, as if someone had punched the mattress.

    They exchanged confused glances, but Linlang, her heart heavy with unspoken emotions, finally turned and left, her steps slow and hesitant.

    Adele settled onto the bed, the soft mattress and crisp white sheets a welcome respite from the hard, uncomfortable chairs in the classroom. She closed her eyes, a sigh of contentment escaping her lips.

    The last time she had felt this relaxed, this at ease… was in Hermione’s bed.

    That big, soft bed… the memories were still vivid. And Hermione… well, she was… something else entirely.

    Adele had thoughts, desires, that she wouldn’t dare voice aloud. For now, her interactions with the Ice Queen remained strictly… professional.

    But Hermione wasn’t as unapproachable as she had initially seemed. Maybe…

    Her thoughts drifted, time melting away as she surrendered to the comforting embrace of the soft mattress.

    She appeared to be asleep, her breathing slow and even.

    And that… was Celeste’s cue.

    She had been waiting for this moment, her heart pounding with a mixture of anxiety and guilt. She had to leave, to escape before Adele woke up.

    After yesterday’s… incident, and in her current state, her pride shattered, her confidence in tatters… she couldn’t bear to face Adele. Not now.

    She had lost the right to be near her, to breathe the same air.

    The mere thought of facing Adele, pure and innocent Adele, filled her with a shame so profound that she could barely breathe.

    But that… that was nothing compared to the shame she had felt when she had wrapped her hands around Adele’s throat, her fingers tightening, her mind consumed by a jealous rage.

    I was a fool… a monster…

    If she could go back, she would change everything. She would never make that mistake again.

    She would even… kneel at Adele’s feet, beg for forgiveness, lick her shoes… anything to atone for her sins.

    But she didn’t dare. She couldn’t even bring herself to hope for forgiveness.

    She was a rat, scurrying through the shadows, seeking refuge in the darkness, unworthy of Adele’s light.

    Adele deserved a cat, a dog… not a filthy, disgusting rat like her.

    Her heart sank, her spirit withered.

    The silence in the room was broken only by Adele’s steady breathing and the frantic beating of her own heart, a rhythm that echoed her pain, her despair.

    It was a reminder that she was still alive, that she hadn’t yet become a walking corpse.

    But once she left this room, this space she shared with Adele… would her heart still beat? Would it still ache?

    She had heard stories of vampires whose hearts had stopped beating, yet they lived on. She had never tested that theory, never wanted to.

    But even if her heart continued to beat… without Adele… it would be no different from being dead.

    An empty shell, a withered soul.

    But even so, she couldn’t face Adele. Not now.

    She had to escape while Adele was asleep, like a rat fleeing the sewers, seeking refuge in the shadows, no matter the cost.

    She would rather be crushed beneath the wheels of a car, or stoned to death by an angry mob… than let Adele see her in this state, broken and defeated.

    Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

    She reached out, her hand, scarred and trembling, slowly pulling the curtain open just enough to slip through.

    She tried to be quiet, to avoid making any noise. If she woke Adele… she would flee barefoot, her shame outweighing her need for shoes.

    She slipped on her shoes, her gaze fixed on the floor, her reflection a pale, ghostly image.

    And then… a voice, soft yet clear, stopped her in her tracks.

    Adele hadn’t been asleep. She had been watching her, her pink eyes, clear and unwavering, following her every move.

    “Celeste…” she whispered, her voice a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and… something else. Something that sounded suspiciously like… concern?

    Celeste forgot why she was running. She looked up, and there was Adele, sitting up in bed, her face pale but flushed with a faint blush as their eyes met.

    Her lips moved, as if she were searching for the right words, the right expression. Then, she smiled, a shy, tentative smile that sent a jolt of warmth through Celeste’s heart.

    It was a smile that had captivated her long ago, back when the world had seemed full of promise, back when she had believed in happy endings.

    But time had passed, things had changed. She had accepted her fate, her humiliation, her unrequited love. She had given up hope.

    And yet… her heart, which should have been frozen solid, ached with a longing so intense that it felt like it might burst.

  • The Delicate Female Lead Only Wants to be Loved by the Villainous Young Ladies 29

    Chapter 29: She, in the Infirmary

    Adele hadn’t expected Tang Linlang to suddenly suggest a trip to the infirmary during class… but she was eternally grateful. It had spared her from enduring another twenty minutes of agonizing discomfort.

    It also meant that Linlang had been paying attention, had noticed her struggle, and had cared enough to do something about it.

    Thank you, Linlang.

    Adele’s fondness for the other girl grew.

    She really was a good person: kind, compassionate, hardworking, and determined. Whoever ended up with her would be a lucky girl indeed.

    Besides, a trip to the infirmary meant a legitimate excuse to skip the rest of class!

    Adele’s eyes brightened. It was a win-win situation!

    A small smile touched her lips, and her gaze, as she looked at Linlang, softened with gratitude.

    Linlang carefully helped Adele navigate the hallways towards the infirmary, her movements gentle and attentive, a clear indication of her concern. She felt Adele’s gaze on her, and her heart skipped a beat, her cheeks warming.

    Was it the gentle breeze blowing through the open windows, or something else entirely?

    “Linlang,” Adele said, her voice soft and hesitant. “Could we… stop by the restroom first?”

    Linlang’s eyes widened slightly, then dropped, a flicker of sadness crossing her face. She didn’t dare ask Adele what she needed to do in the restroom. She didn’t dare ask if… if Dorothy had done something to her… something inappropriate.

    Even if she had, Linlang knew she would have to pretend she didn’t know. Otherwise… Adele would be mortified.

    Adele… was her friend. Her inspiration. The light that had guided her through the darkness.

    Even if that light had been tainted, stained with the shadows of the vampire world… in Linlang’s heart, it still shone brightly.

    Her gaze hardened with resolve, and she nodded firmly.

    Was she agreeing to Adele’s request? Or was she reaffirming her own determination?

    The restroom was just around the corner. Adele, practically dragging Linlang along, quickened her pace, her relief palpable.

    Wait… Is that the right analogy?

    It didn’t matter. Nothing was more important at this moment than finding relief.

    They parted ways at the entrance to the restroom, Adele practically diving into the stall marked with the universal symbol for “women.”

    Linlang waited outside, her cheeks burning, her mind conjuring up all sorts of… interesting scenarios. She imagined Adele, inside the stall, taking out Dorothy’s…

    Time seemed to stretch on, each passing second an eternity. Or maybe it was just Linlang’s overactive imagination playing tricks on her.

    She didn’t even notice when Adele emerged from the restroom, her relief evident in her relaxed posture and the cheerful lilt in her voice.

    Adele, oblivious to Linlang’s internal turmoil, patted her shoulder, leaving a damp spot on her shirt. She had washed her hands, after all. A little bit of water was to be expected.

    Besides, she was a tactile person, comfortable with physical contact.

    Linlang, startled by the sudden touch, jumped slightly, her eyes widening as she noticed the damp spot on her shirt. Her gaze darted to Adele’s lower body, her breath catching in her throat.

    “What’s wrong? Is there something on me?” Adele asked, completely oblivious to her own allure. She leaned in closer, her face almost touching Linlang’s hair, her breath warm and sweet.

    “Linlang, take me to the infirmary~” she said, her voice soft and coaxing, a natural charmer.

    It was a request that was hard to resist.

    Adele had never been one to pay attention to maps in novels. She was a lore enthusiast, not a cartographer. She had no idea where the infirmary was located. Even finding her classroom that morning had required Hermione’s assistance.

    So, she needed Linlang, a native of this world, to guide her.

    “…O-Okay,” Linlang stammered, her cheeks burning even brighter as Adele leaned in close. Her heart was racing so fast that she wondered if she was the one who needed medical attention.

    They walked in silence, their earlier intimacy replaced by a strange awkwardness. Linlang couldn’t shake off the feeling that something had changed, that the closeness they had shared earlier had vanished.

    It left a bitter taste in her mouth, a sense of… loss.

    She tried to distract herself by focusing on Adele’s well-being.

    “Are you feeling better now, Adele?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

    Adele almost blurted out, “Much better!” It was an automatic response, a desire to reassure the person who cared about her, even if it meant stretching the truth.

    And to be fair, she was feeling much better.

    But if she said she was completely fine… then she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the free bed and air conditioning in the infirmary, would she?

    So, she bit her lip, her gaze darting away as she said, “I’m still a little uncomfortable. I think… I just need to rest for a bit.”

    “Thank you, Linlang,” she added, her voice softening. “You’re the only one in the entire class who cares about me.”

    She leaned in close, her touch lingering on Linlang’s arm.

    Linlang, of course, didn’t pull away. She couldn’t. But the closer Adele got, the harder it was to hide her blush, the frantic beating of her heart.

    They were both girls… but something within Linlang whispered that… it had to be Adele. No one else would do.

    “I’m the one who should be thanking you, Adele,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

    “Before I met you… I was lost, adrift, powerless to change my fate.”

    “You… you made me realize that I couldn’t just… give up.”

    “You… you gave me a reason to keep going.”

    Or perhaps… Adele had become her reason to keep going.

    “So… Adele… don’t give up!” she said, her voice gaining strength. “Don’t let Dorothy… or anyone else… break you!”

    She clenched her fists, her words a silent vow to stand by Adele’s side, to support her in any way she could.

    Adele blinked, surprised by Linlang’s sudden outburst of encouragement. But she smiled, a genuine smile that lit up her face, and nodded.

    “I won’t,” she said. “And you… Linlang… you’ll become an amazing vampire hunter! I believe in you.”

    “You… you believe in me?” If anyone else had said those words, Linlang would have dismissed them as mockery, as a cruel joke. But coming from Adele… it made her wonder… Could it be true?

    “Of course I do!” Adele said, her smile widening. There was no hesitation in her voice, no hint of doubt.

    Linlang stared at her, mesmerized by her smile, her warmth, her unwavering belief. It filled a void within her, a void that had been carved out by years of self-doubt and insecurity.

    Even if she was weak, even if she didn’t believe in herself… someone did. Someone as beautiful and radiant as Adele.

    “I… I won’t let you down,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

    She quickly averted her gaze, afraid that Adele might see the depth of her feelings, the intensity of her… longing.

    Adele, unaware of the turmoil within Linlang’s heart, simply nodded, assuming it was just a casual statement of support. She had no idea the kind of determination she had just ignited within the other girl, the desire to become… an amazing vampire hunter.

    ………………

    The infirmary consisted of two rooms: a small office where the school nurse held her consultations, and a larger room, separated by a thin curtain, that housed three beds, each equipped with an IV stand.

    It was a cramped space, designed for efficiency rather than comfort.

    The infirmary was primarily used for treating minor ailments: colds, flus, sprains, and the occasional paper cut. It was a place for band-aids and over-the-counter medications, a haven for those seeking a temporary escape from the rigors of academy life.

    They had recently added a vaccination service, though it hadn’t been very popular. Vampires, after all, were naturally resistant to most diseases, and the human elites often had access to healing magic.

    For anything more serious, the infirmary was ill-equipped. Besides, Cromwell Academy was located right next to the city’s central hospital. If a student needed specialized care, they knew where to go.

    So, the infirmary was, for the most part, a quiet place, a refuge for those seeking a legitimate excuse to skip class.

    And the school nurse, a kind, middle-aged woman who enjoyed her quiet days, didn’t mind the occasional malingerer. A steady paycheck, a comfortable job, and the occasional amusing encounter… it was a rare find in today’s competitive job market.

    If the infirmary were to be shut down due to lack of use… well, that would be a shame.

    Today, however, was a busy day. Two patients in quick succession. It was a welcome change of pace, a chance for the nurse to feel useful, to dust off her medical skills. Even someone who enjoyed slacking off occasionally craved a sense of purpose.

    The first patient was a beautiful young woman with long, flowing golden hair, her body covered in wounds. But she wasn’t seeking treatment for her injuries. She simply wanted to rest, to be alone.

    The nurse, her heart filled with sympathy, had initially been outraged. Who could be so cruel as to harm such a lovely girl? They should be…

    But then, she noticed the wound on the girl’s cheek, the one that pulsed with an icy blue energy, a telltale sign of the Ice Queen’s magic.

    Oh… never mind.

    Even the staff knew better than to question the actions of certain individuals within the academy.

    The Ice Queen’s magic was unmistakable, its chilling aura a warning to all who crossed her path. But as far as the nurse knew, she wasn’t the type to abuse her power. So, what had transpired between her and this golden-haired girl?

    It wasn’t that the nurse was prejudiced, or that she was trying to curry favor with the powerful… but was it possible that… the golden-haired girl had been the one at fault?

    But it didn’t matter. Whatever had happened, the girl had clearly paid the price.

    Celeste, ignoring the nurse’s curious gaze, walked towards the last bed, her shoulders slumped, her eyes dull and lifeless. She was on the verge of a breakdown, her usual confidence and pride replaced by a crushing despair.

    She couldn’t bear to face the whispers, the mockery, the pitying looks from her classmates. She needed to escape, to hide, even if it was just for a little while.

    She pulled the curtain closed, shutting out the world, seeking solace in the darkness.

    Time seemed to stand still, each passing second an eternity, until the sound of the door opening, followed by the murmur of voices, startled her out of her reverie.

    She flinched, her body instinctively curling up into a defensive ball.

    And then… a voice, familiar yet unexpected, reached her ears, its melody as sweet and soothing as the sound of morning dew dripping from a peach blossom, its ripples echoing through her heart.

  • Come, Let Me Take You Home 24

    No. 24 Igniting the Spark of Love

    “Huff… huff… huff…”

    My ragged breaths echoed through the quiet basement of the entertainment complex.

    I straightened up, took a deep breath, and assumed the offensive stance Luo Wei had just taught me, holding two playing cards between my fingers.

    “You’re exceeding my expectations. I thought you would be exhausted after half an hour.”

    Luo Wei, dressed in his black suit and top hat, stood five meters away, a playing card in his hand. His face was devoid of sweat. He exuded confidence and a cheerful energy.

    He had been sparring with me for an hour, showing no signs of fatigue. Was it because men naturally had more stamina than women, or was he simply that strong?

    “Is there something you’re protecting? Or someone you want to save?”

    He raised an eyebrow, a cryptic smile on his face. “If there is, tell us. We’re all friends here, right, Xiao Bing Bing?”

    He reached for Lu Yibing’s lollipop, but she kicked him away effortlessly.

    “Haha, Pai Ge, aren’t you afraid her brother will come after you if you keep teasing her?”

    “I heard he treats her like a precious treasure. You’re doomed, Pai Ge. Start preparing your funeral money.”

    The other members, who were smoking and playing cards, chimed in.

    “It’s fine. Bing Bing wouldn’t snitch on me.”

    Luo Wei returned to his position. “Yi Yao, how about we call it a day?”

    I glanced at the clock on the wall. “It hasn’t even been an hour.”

    You promised to teach me the Pai family’s secrets, and now you’re ending the session after a few minutes of playing around?

    My answer seemed to surprise him. “Aren’t you tired?”

    “Being tired has nothing to do with how much I need to learn.”

    When you worked for someone, your boss didn’t care if you were tired, if you had family problems, or if your friends were sick. They paid you to work because you were profitable. No one cared about you for no reason.

    Just like now, Luo Wei was willing to teach me these fighting techniques because he needed my talent.

    “Yi Yao.”

    He noticed the exhaustion on my face, sheathed his card, and walked over to me.

    “We know what you’re going through.”

    “There are many things in this world that we can’t change. All we can do is adapt and move forward. Dwelling on the past or worrying about the distant future will only destroy you.”

    “When Bing Bing was young, her father abandoned her in the mountains because she was a girl. Her current master found her and raised her. I was also abandoned by my parents when I was sick. Only my uncle refused to give up on me. He stayed by my side in the hospital for three months. And then a miracle happened. See? Reality isn’t always so cruel.”

    He patted my shoulder. “You’re the fastest learner and the most talented girl I’ve ever seen. I was only planning to teach you the basic stance and hand gestures today, but you’ve already mastered the fundamentals in just one hour.”

    “But…”

    “But you haven’t grasped the mindset, the spirit of the Pai family. Or perhaps, in your current state, you’re incapable of learning it.”

    I thought for a moment, then lowered my head. “A friend of mine is dying.”

    “Yes, Lan Zhuoyue. He’s your good friend.”

    He held out a few playing cards. “Pick one.”

    I randomly chose a card and flipped it over. Two of diamonds.

    “And?”

    “See? I asked you to pick a card, and you did, without hesitation. But you didn’t even question why I asked you to do it.”

    “I thought you were going to perform a magic trick.”

    “Exactly. Humans are creatures of habit, bound by their assumptions. That’s why so many people live mediocre lives. You assumed I wanted to perform a magic trick. But I’m not a magician. If someone who’s not a magician acts like they want to perform a magic trick, you automatically assume they’re going to do it. It’s a simple concept, but when you’re caught up in your own thoughts, it’s hard to see.”

    I looked up at him, confused.

    “Your friend, Lan Zhuoyue, is sick, and you’re heartbroken.”

    “I…”

    “We did some research. Lan Zhuoyue doesn’t have many friends. You’re practically his only friend at school. He’s seriously ill, yet you’re the one who’s burdened by his illness. Have you ever wondered why it’s not you who’s sick?”

    His words struck a chord within me.

    It was like wandering through a vast desert, searching for an oasis, only to realize that the oasis had been following me all along.

    “Yi Yao, you’re his friend. It’s up to you to decide what to do. We won’t interfere. But I hope you can learn to let go, for your sake and his.”

    He walked back to his position, drew a card, and assumed a fighting stance, tossing his top hat onto a nearby table.

    “Since you’re so eager to learn, let’s get serious. I’ll show you the true spirit of the Pai family.”

    “Okay.”

    I wiped the sweat from my forehead, gripped the cards in my hands, and went through the motions of the Pai family’s offensive stance, ending with the signature Z-shaped hand gesture.

    I understood now.

    It was like me and my sister.

    She was gone, but she had left me with a wealth of knowledge and a future.

    That was her wish, her happiness.

    Under the harsh fluorescent lights, I adjusted the baseball cap Lan Zhuoyue had given me.

    Luo Wei blurred into motion, charging towards me.

    “Queen of spades!”

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Although I knew he wouldn’t actually hurt me, the speed and precision of his movements sent a shiver down my spine.

    “Joker!”

    Two more cards whizzed past my ears. His attacks were swift and stylish, overwhelming my defenses.

    “King of clubs!”

    He leaped into the air and swung the card at my neck. I barely dodged it. He crouched low, his eyes, as sharp as an eagle’s, glinting with amusement.

    “Hahaha…”

    He moved so fast, he was just a blur of motion. His laughter echoed through the room as he landed a series of blows, leaving white marks on my clothes.

    “Hahahahaha…”

    I had never encountered such a fighting style before. His movements were both elegant and deadly, fueled by an almost arrogant confidence.

    His laughter shattered my composure.

    I retreated, blocking his attacks, but more marks appeared on my clothes.

    If he had been using real knives, or if he had unleashed the full power of his cards, I would be dead.

    “Hahahahaha…”

    Cards danced through the air, a mesmerizing display of skill and speed. His aura was so powerful that even I, a black belt Taekwondo instructor, was forced to retreat. He cornered me against the wall.

    “Check.”

    He stopped, drew the two of diamonds from behind my ear, and flipped it over, a faint smile on his face. “The magic trick you requested.”

    Seriously?

    “Haha, sorry, I got carried away.”

    He turned to me, noticing my sweat-drenched clothes. “Feeling better?”

    I nodded and stood up. “Much better.”

    “Then I take back what I said earlier. Yi Yao, you’re a strong girl… no, you’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. We believe you’ll achieve great things, far beyond any of us.”

    He tossed me the king of hearts. “Practice the basics I taught you today. I’ll send someone to contact you when the time is right.”

    I caught the card and nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”

    …

    I stopped by the bank and, using my newly acquired ID, opened an account and deposited the 100,000 yuan Luo Wei had given me.

    I couldn’t forget the looks the bank staff gave me.

    The Upper Capital City wasn’t a wealthy city. 100,000 yuan was a significant sum for most people, let alone a sixteen-year-old middle school girl.

    “What are you going to do with the money?”

    Ouyang Dati, who had somehow appeared out of nowhere, handed me a can of Sprite as I stepped out of the bank.

    “Don’t worry, it’s not alcohol.”

    “Oh.”

    I opened the can and took a sip. “Heartbroken?”

    He didn’t answer, just glanced at the building across the street. “What do you think of 043?”

    I shrugged. “We’ve exchanged maybe five sentences in the past two days.”

    “Haha, fair enough.”

    He produced a can of beer from thin air and sat down on a bench outside the bank, patting the space beside him.

    I sat down, humoring him.

    He was a large man, built like a tank. Unlike Luo Wei’s carefree demeanor, his every move exuded strength and power. Just sitting beside him, I felt a sense of intimidation. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could punch a hole through a wall.

    “To be honest, I’m from the military.”

    The setting sun cast long shadows through the trees.

    “My family sent me to a training camp when I was young. I only came home recently. And when I did, I learned that my parents had passed away.”

    I took another sip of Sprite and looked towards the setting sun. “You people always seem eager to share your sob stories with me.”

    Long Fei, Luo Wei, and now Ouyang Dati.

    “No, Yi Yao, it’s not that I want to. It’s just… you seem so lost, so lonely. I’ve never met a girl like you. You used to be more fragile, more feminine. Don’t you feel lonely like this?”

    “I’d rather be lonely than mediocre.”

    “…”

    “So, what’s your purpose in coming here today?”

    “I need your help. Huang Zhiqiang asked me to look after his daughter, Huang Yingdie. You remember her, right?”

    “Yes.”

    “I don’t think I’m the right person for this job. I just came back to Upper Capital City. I don’t have any close friends who are familiar with that little devil…”

    “You want me to babysit ‘A-Pian’?”

    “Don’t call her that. Have some respect. Your task is to pick her up from school and make sure she gets home safely every day.”

  • Come, Let Me Take You Home 23

    No. 23 Entrusting the Blade with Blood

    As I stepped out of the hospital, the sky had cleared.

    The sun, like a cheerful girl after a shower, chased away the chill, bringing light and rainbows to the world.

    But my heart remained heavy.

    Lan Zhuoyue’s father’s words, spoken in the hallway outside the ward, echoed in my mind.

    “He was diagnosed with thalassemia when he was young, but it was mild. It only worsened in recent years.”

    “He always wanted to see the world, but I wanted him to have a normal life, to go to school, to get into a good university, to make our family proud.”

    “Now I realize only a useless parent would try to live vicariously through their child.”

    “He has internal bleeding. He can’t eat solid food. The daily treatment costs thousands of yuan. We’ve borrowed from everyone we know, but…”

    “The doctor said he only has two weeks left…”

    I walked towards the meeting point I had arranged with 043, wearing the baseball cap Lan Zhuoyue had insisted I take.

    It was a high-quality cap, stylish and cool, with two red hearts embroidered on it, similar to the ones worn by hip-hop dancers.

    It was a gift from a boy who, despite his terminal illness, had bravely pursued his dream. It was more precious to me than any other gift.

    “043, what do you think is the purpose of life?”

    I asked as we walked home.

    I saw him flinch slightly.

    “Just say what you want. I’m not some delicate princess. Dati and the others are just putting on a show.”

    Compared to me, an ordinary person with some skills in the computer world, I was sure this professional sniper had a far more interesting story to tell.

    He shook his head. “Luo Wei wants me to take you to the entertainment complex.”

    “Luo Wei?” The image of the carefree young man, dressed in a suit even for a casual card game, flashed through my mind. “What does he want?”

    I didn’t know how to gamble.

    “He said it’s just an invitation. You can refuse if you want.”

    His voice was as flat as ever.

    “Hmm…” I considered it briefly. “I’ll go.”

    I had nothing better to do.

    I needed to re-evaluate my understanding of this world.

    I was confident in my abilities, but I needed to learn how to navigate the complexities of human relationships from those who lived on the fringes of society.

    People first, tasks second.

    That was a universal truth.

    I arrived at the entertainment complex with 043. Unlike last time, the place was bustling with activity.

    Perhaps out of respect for his superior, Luo Wei, 043 discreetly excused himself.

    It was strange. It wasn’t even a holiday. Where did all these people come from?

    The first floor was filled with arcade games and sports equipment. Young men were racing on motorcycle simulators, playing fighting games, and testing their strength on punching bags.

    As one of the few girls present, my arrival attracted a lot of attention. And since I wasn’t accompanied by a boyfriend or anyone else, some of the gazes were filled with a predatory gleam.

    “Hey, little girl, all alone?”

    “Want to play with us? It’s free!”

    A group of young men surrounded me. I waved them away. “Sorry, I’m looking for someone.”

    This was the downside of being a girl.

    In a place like this, if you were a boy, as long as you didn’t act too provocatively, no one would bother you. But if you were a girl, and not particularly unattractive, you were easy prey for these types.

    “Don’t be like that. You can find your friend later. We’re only here today.”

    One of them, a cigarette dangling from his lips, blocked my path. “I’m friends with the owner. We can play whatever you want.”

    Did I look like I was here for fun?

    I glanced at my androgynous outfit and shook my head. “I really have something to do. Maybe another time.”

    “Hey, hey, hey!”

    He wasn’t giving up. “Who are you looking for? Is he more handsome than me?”

    “Yeah, little sister, don’t you know our boss is the most handsome guy in the Black Dragon Society?”

    “Be smart and play with us. No one will dare touch you in this area.”

    Why were there always a few idiots who couldn’t take a hint?

    I suppressed my annoyance and tried to walk past them again. “Thank you for the offer, but I really don’t have time.”

    I’ll let you off the hook this time, considering you’re the owner’s friend.

    “Stop right there.”

    I ignored him and continued walking.

    Footsteps pounded behind me. Just as I felt a hand grab my shoulder, I spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick.

    “Thud!”

    My foot connected with his chest, sending the man, who was at least two heads taller than me, crashing to the ground.

    “Don’t make me say it again. I don’t have time.”

    My sudden attack stunned everyone, even those who were engrossed in their games.

    No one expected a middle school girl to take down a grown man.

    “Little sister, didn’t your parents teach you to show some respect?”

    The man who had first approached me recovered from his shock and, after checking on his fallen comrade, walked towards me, taking off his shirt as he did so. His muscular arms were covered in black dragon tattoos.

    “Looks like I need to teach you little flowers how to bloom.”

    The Black Dragon Society?

    I couldn’t help but laugh.

    Long Fei had mentioned that the Black Dragon Society wasn’t just Hua She’s small group. There were other members scattered throughout the city. But since I was busy with school, I rarely attended their gatherings and didn’t recognize most of them.

    “You can still apologize, girl.”

    He stood before me, shirtless, a challenging smirk on his face.

    I didn’t answer. I assumed a fighting stance.

    “Good! I like a woman with spirit. Straightforward, no nonsense.”

    He stretched briefly and beckoned me forward.

    I advanced, feinted a punch, then spun around, appearing behind him in a blur of motion. I delivered two swift kicks to his waist.

    “Wha…”

    Despite his quick reaction, he was sent flying, landing two meters away.

    The onlookers were stunned again.

    Although it looked impressive, I knew I hadn’t inflicted much damage. His stance and muscular build were formidable. He had probably lost his balance due to the sudden force of my kicks.

    As I walked past him, I saw him struggling to get up. “You’re… Yi Yao, right? The girl who single-handedly took down seven or eight Jiang Nan Gang members.”

    I nodded.

    “Of course! Haha, my bad, my bad. We’re on the same side.”

    He scrambled to his feet, his tone completely different from before. “Yi Yao Jie, are you here to see the boss?”

    “Yes.” Seeing that he was about to follow me, I added, “I can go alone.”

    As I entered the elevator, swiped the card, and pressed the button for the basement level, I could hear them whispering behind me.

    People were like that.

    Self-preservation was a primal instinct, and we had simply complicated it.

    “Yo, Yi Yao.”

    The elevator doors opened, and I saw Luo Wei sitting at a card table, smoking a cigarette.

    “Pai Ge.”

    I walked over and sat down beside him, grabbing a bottle of soda. “What did you want to see me about?”

    “How are you getting along with those knives?”

    “I’m getting there.”

    At least I could peel an apple without cutting myself now.

    “Hmm…” He pondered for a moment. “Come here every night around nine. I’ll teach you the Pai family’s techniques. What do you say?”

    “Pai family?” I was confused. “Is that a martial arts school?”

    “Hahaha, you could say that.” He chuckled and flicked his cigarette into the ashtray. “Actually, my uncle was supposed to be the head of the Pai family. But after… well… that incident, he disappeared. To avoid those people, we’ve been using the Black Dragon Society as a cover. We’ll reveal our true identity when the time is right.”

    This was getting more complicated by the minute.

    “The Pai family’s techniques must be passed down, even if there’s no heir. Bing Bing recognized your S-rank potential. Personally, I hope you’ll join the Pai family. But even if you don’t, I want you to learn our fighting style. It’s very important to us.”

    “What kind of fighting style is it?”

    “The art of being cool.”

    He spread out a deck of cards on the table and, with dazzling speed, drew two cards. He jumped off his chair, twirled the cards between his fingers, and struck a pose.

    “This is the basic stance. You can modify it slightly to make it more feminine. The key is the use of the cards. Remember, the Pai family always maintains its elegance, even in death. We die standing tall.”

    He flicked the ace of hearts. A gust of wind swept through the room, and before I could even blink, the card split in two.

    “This is a card that can cut through a beer bottle. Imagine what it would do to a human body.”

    He held the ace of spades between his fingers and smiled faintly. “Now imagine it’s a knife.”

  • Come, Let Me Take You Home 22

    Come, Let Me Take You Home 22

    No. 22 Fleeting Fireworks

    Dark clouds gathered, and heavy rain poured from the sky as I changed into my clothes, ready to leave the apartment.

    Ouyang Dati had initially planned to keep me indoors for three days, but he eventually relented.

    Although I had to bring the sniper with me.

    “How are you feeling?”

    I asked the man in black who was trailing behind me like a loyal dog, my hand tucked in my pocket.

    He was nondescript, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, carrying a violin case on his back. He was thin and easily blended into a crowd. But I knew he was far from harmless. The violin case contained a disassembled sniper rifle and two smoke grenades. I had also seen him stash two pistols and four military knives somewhere on his person.

    “What?”

    Ouyang Dati hadn’t told me his name, just instructed me to call him “043.”

    “I’m saying, maybe you should stay home in this weather. Won’t your gun get wet?”

    I held the umbrella over him, trying to persuade him to turn back. His shoulder was already soaked.

    “No.”

    He was the most taciturn person I had ever met. Perhaps it was an occupational hazard. Just being near him, I could sense an aura of death and violence. I couldn’t imagine what kind of childhood he must have had.

    I was going to check on Lan Zhuoyue.

    Through my hacker network, I had tracked him down to a hospital last night.

    My gut feeling told me something was wrong.

    “Vehicle starting. Please hold on tight. Next stop…”

    The bus lurched forward in the pouring rain.

    Despite the weather, the bus was packed with commuters. It wasn’t quite sardine-can level yet, but it was difficult to move around.

    043 escorted me to a less crowded area and stood protectively in front of me.

    Suddenly, a shrill voice shattered the silence. “Thief! Driver, don’t open the doors! Stop the bus!”

    A middle-aged woman in her thirties pushed her way to the back door, her arms outstretched. “Someone stole my wallet! There was over three thousand yuan in it!”

    The passengers started murmuring.

    Three thousand yuan was a significant sum, especially for most residents of the Upper Capital City.

    But it was rush hour, and it was pouring outside. Few passengers had the patience to deal with a lost wallet.

    Someone else’s lost wallet, even if it contained a million yuan, was none of my business.

    As the bus pulled over, a few passengers protested. “Come on, I’m going to be late for work.”

    “Yeah, if I’m ten minutes late, they’ll deduct three days’ worth of wages. That’s over two hundred yuan!”

    “I’m still on probation. I’ll get fired if I’m late…”

    No company cared about your excuses for being late. Most workplaces had time clocks. If you clocked in late, the finance department would deduct your wages accordingly.

    Like a cold, heartless machine, the system was efficient, precise, and unforgiving.

    “It won’t take long. There are only forty of us here. A quick search will take less than five minutes!”

    The woman stood her ground, her expression indignant. The passengers, realizing they had no choice, reluctantly agreed.

    This wasn’t the first time I had encountered this situation. But last time, the victim was a man. When he demanded a search, most of the women on the bus refused. After a heated argument, the driver had let those who had already been searched off the bus and taken the rest, along with the victim, to the police station.

    The passengers cooperated, and soon, the woman reached 043 and me.

    “Sorry, little sister, I have no choice. That money was for my grandmother’s medicine.”

    She reached towards me, but before she could touch me, two military knives appeared at her throat.

    “Clang!”

    043 stepped in front of me, his eyes cold and sharp.

    “Hey, hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

    Several passengers who had witnessed the scene jumped to their feet.

    “Think carefully! Stealing only gets you jail time. Murder is a capital offense!”

    “Yeah, you’re still young. Don’t do anything stupid!”

    The woman, realizing she had stumbled into a life-or-death situation, stammered, “You… you don’t have to… I won’t search her…”

    Her eyes, however, seemed to accuse us of being the thieves.

    “043, put the knives away.”

    I reached out and gently pulled his hands back.

    “Tell her who stole her wallet.”

    As a professional sniper and bodyguard, I was sure he had seen what happened.

    My words were law to him. He nodded curtly, sheathed the knives, and walked towards a man in black standing near the door.

    “What are you looking at? You think I stole it?”

    The man glared at him defiantly. “She already searched me. I’m warning you, don’t start trouble.”

    043 looked at me.

    I nodded.

    With a flash of steel, he sliced through the man’s belt. A small women’s handbag fell out of his pants, along with his pants themselves, revealing a pair of floral underwear.

    After a moment of stunned silence, the bus erupted in applause.

    …

    “Is Lan Zhuoyue a patient here?”

    I rushed into the hospital, dripping wet, and asked the nurse at the reception desk.

    I had instructed 043 to take position in the building across the street.

    “One moment, please.”

    The nurse typed something into her computer.

    “Fifth floor, hematology department.”

    I took the elevator to the fifth floor and, after inquiring at the nurse’s station, found Lan Zhuoyue’s ward.

    I pushed the door open and saw three elderly patients lying in their beds. Lan Zhuoyue, the only teenager in the ward, was chatting with a man who looked like his father. He turned his head when he heard the door open.

    “Yi Yao? What are you doing here?”

    His eyes were a mixture of surprise, panic, and sadness.

    I clutched my jacket tighter, my hands tucked in my pockets, and walked over to him.

    “What happened?”

    I glanced at the information card on his bed. Besides his name and age, it also had a note: “Liquid diet only.”

    “It’s nothing serious. Just a minor illness. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”

    He was still his usual cheerful self, but I could see the exhaustion etched on his face.

    “This is the hematology department.”

    I was all too familiar with this department. You wouldn’t be hospitalized here unless it was something serious.

    Realizing he couldn’t hide it any longer, he scratched his head sheepishly. “Thalassemia. It’s nothing serious.”

    Those words sent a shiver down my spine.

    Thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder. The severity varied, and the life expectancy depended on the type. Like leukemia, it was incurable.

    I knew this because, in my previous life, while taking care of my mother at the hospital, a little girl in the next bed had suffered from thalassemia. She was a strong and cheerful girl, never complaining or crying, even when she had to endure countless injections and medications. But in the end, she had passed away before my mother.

    I forced myself to remain calm. “Mild?” I asked.

    Mild thalassemia, if managed properly, had minimal impact on daily life and rarely posed a life-threatening risk.

    He didn’t answer, just chuckled nervously and avoided my gaze.

    “And who is this?”

    The man beside him, sensing the shift in atmosphere, quickly changed the subject.

    “She’s my classmate…”

    “I’m his friend. My name is Yi Yao.”

    I bowed politely to the middle-aged man.

    “Yi Yao… um, could you please not tell anyone in class about my illness?”

    Despite the IV drip in his arm, he spoke in his usual carefree tone.

    He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Please, I don’t want to burden them with bad memories.”

    It was as if he had already accepted his fate.

    Like an old man, nearing the end of his life, choosing to leave his family behind, not wanting to be a burden.

    I finally understood why I had lost contact with Lan Zhuoyue in high school in my previous life. Whenever I asked about him, my classmates would give me vague answers.

    It wasn’t because he was a delinquent who had run away. It was because he wouldn’t live long enough to attend high school.

    He had pretended to be a troublemaker, skipping class and neglecting his homework, when in reality, he had been battling a life-threatening illness, spending his time in hospitals instead of classrooms.

    No one would care if a delinquent suddenly disappeared.

    No one would be affected if a loner left.

    I had always thought that my perfect grades in junior high made me the center of the world. But now, I realized that my world, compared to Lan Zhuoyue’s, was insignificant.

    “Anyway, enough about that. Yi Yao, I did it!”

    He struggled to sit up and pulled out a newspaper from his bedside table. He pointed at an article titled “16-Year-Old Boy Sneaks into Luggage Compartment, Flies to Paris for Eiffel Tower.” “Look, I even made the news.”

    He looked like a child eager for praise.

    “Heh, you know, Yi Yao, when I got off the plane, I realized they speak French in France. My English was useless. And since I didn’t have any documents, they took me to the embassy. But the French people there were impressed by my courage. They even took me to see the Eiffel Tower.”

    He opened his phone’s photo gallery.

    Hundreds of photos of him posing with foreigners in front of the Eiffel Tower filled the screen. His face was pale, his lips colorless, but he was beaming in every photo.

    “See? Traveling isn’t that complicated. I went to Paris with 308 yuan and came back with over 200!”

    “And this, this is a gift from the French ambassador. A genuine French souvenir.”

    He weakly picked up a black baseball cap from his pillow and handed it to me. “I promised to bring you back a gift, right? Your bro always keeps his word.”

  • Come, Let Me Take You Home 21

    Come, Let Me Take You Home 21

    No. 21 A Trivial Pride

    After the kidnapping incident, to deal with any potential future threats, Ouyang Dati stationed a sniper in a building across from my apartment and, posing as an official, instructed my father to keep me indoors.

    Only then did I realize that Dati and Luo Wei weren’t joking.

    Their backgrounds were truly shrouded in mystery, far beyond the reach of my previous life’s knowledge.

    Yi Yao’s fate in this world had been altered.

    If I hadn’t intervened on Liang Zhenyi’s behalf, if I hadn’t injured Huang Qinghao, I wouldn’t have crossed paths with Huang Yingdie, the mayor’s daughter. I wouldn’t have met Huang Tianhai, and Ouyang Dati wouldn’t have taken me to meet Luo Wei.

    And most importantly… Huang Yingdie’s fate had changed because of me.

    In the other world, the kidnapping of the mayor’s daughter had been a major news story. Unlike the current outcome, where we had outsmarted the kidnappers and escaped unharmed, in that world, she had been killed.

    It made sense. Those men were ruthless enough to fire their guns. Without my intervention, Xiaodie’s death would have been inevitable.

    But this also meant that my ability to foresee the future, my advantage as a transmigrator, was slowly fading.

    “This is so frustrating…”

    I sighed, staring at the junior high textbooks I had already reviewed.

    The computer in the living room hummed softly.

    Since the kidnappers had taken my phone, I could only rely on QQ to stay informed about the outside world.

    The news of “Handsome Girl Outwits Kidnappers, Rescues Mayor’s Daughter” had spread throughout Upper Capital City, reaching even my school and classmates. Almost everyone I knew had sent me messages of concern and support.

    But Lan Zhuoyue’s avatar remained grayed out.

    I was all too familiar with the symptom of vomiting blood. My mother had been diagnosed with leukemia after experiencing the same thing. So, Tan Lijiang’s words had been weighing heavily on my mind. Lan Zhuoyue was one of Yi Yao’s few close friends, and now, he was mine too.

    With nothing else to do, I opened the Heavenly Fire Forum.

    As usual, I was greeted by 99+ notifications.

    But this time, there was a “1” next to the system notifications.

    I clicked on it and found a message from the administrator: “Dear Mr. bee, due to unforeseen circumstances, we would like to contact you. We hope you can spare some time to reply to us. – Long Teng.”

    They were in trouble again? I thought Heavenly Fire was supposed to be smooth sailing this month.

    I effortlessly bypassed their firewall and connected to their computer. “What’s the matter?” I asked directly.

    It took a while for them to reply. “So, you really are the ‘bee’ from the forum.”

    “I told you, I don’t deny it.”

    “Your reputation on the forum has surpassed most of the veterans. You’re almost as famous as BRS, the current top hacker. Your insights on programming and coding have revolutionized our understanding. We’ve learned a lot from you.”

    “Reputation means nothing to me.”

    “Then, Mr. bee, as the CEO of Heavenly Fire, I have a personal matter I’d like to discuss with you. Would that be possible?”

    “Try to keep it under thirty minutes.”

    “Thank you. What I wanted to ask is, was your request for my son to leave Upper Capital City your own idea?”

    “I told you, it was a distant relative who asked me to do it.”

    “Would you be willing to tell us the name of this relative?”

    His next words stunned me.

    “What’s wrong?”

    “To be honest, we trust you because you helped us during our crisis. My son, Long Fei, had a close female friend in Upper Capital City. The day after he left, she was attacked. You must have heard about it.”

    I couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you suggesting I colluded with the kidnappers?”

    Seriously? I tricked Long Fei into leaving, then orchestrated my own kidnapping?

    But I understood their suspicion. I had asked Long Teng to transfer his son out of the city, and the next day, his “girlfriend” was kidnapped. It was natural for them to connect the dots.

    “We have no choice but to be suspicious.”

    “And I have no obligation to prove my innocence.”

    “For your own safety, we advise you to cooperate. This case has political implications. If the higher-ups get involved, we can’t guarantee your secret will be safe.”

    From persuasion to threats?

    “I can’t prove anything, but I assure you, I have no reason to do such a thing.”

    “Please, Mr. bee, don’t make this difficult for us.”

    “Fine.”

    I sighed and typed my QQ number into the chat window. “This is my personal account. If you don’t trust me, we can add each other as friends.”

    Among hackers, exchanging QQ numbers was akin to revealing your real identity. Of course, this only applied to hackers in this era. Ten years from now, I would have countless ways to hide my information.

    But this was my only option. Until I was ready to reveal everything, I had to build trust through trust.

    I had already given them half of my identity. If anything happened, they could easily track me down. Wasn’t that enough to prove my sincerity?

    Long Teng was in the Upper Capital City, and Long Fei was in the Heavenly Capital City. I wasn’t worried about them figuring out my QQ number.

    Thirty seconds later, Long Teng added me as a friend.

    “The legendary ‘bee,’ the all-knowing computer expert, is a sixteen-year-old middle school girl?”

    That was his first message.

    “You’re free to believe whatever you want about my online persona.”

    “Haha, you’re quite humorous, Mr. bee.”

    “Have you reached a decision?”

    His avatar remained silent for thirty seconds.

    “We’re businessmen.”

    “…Go on.”

    So, it came down to this.

    All the persuasion, all the threats, were just a prelude to their real request.

    “We’re businessmen.” The implication was clear. Businessmen valued profit. They were offering to keep my secret in exchange for a favor.

    “We’re having trouble with our website’s JQuery effects. They’re not compatible with IE10.”

    “That’s a front-end development issue.”

    “We believe the all-powerful ‘bee’ can solve it.”

    For the first time, I felt the urge to strangle someone.

    “Send me the code.”

    …

    Ten minutes later, I sent them the modified code.

    “Thank you for your help. We’ve discussed it internally and decided to trust you. We hope to continue our mutually beneficial partnership.”

    “The pleasure is all mine.”

    Talking to businessmen was exhausting.

    As I closed the chat window, another message popped up.

    BigIronPillar: “Yo, bro, it’s rare to see you online on a Wednesday. What’s up? Did your girlfriend dump you?”

    I had met BigIronPillar while playing League of Legends. Since my in-game name was androgynous, and I didn’t bother with acting cute, he had always assumed I was a boy.

    “Get lost. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

    I typed, then added, remembering something, “Are you free to play today?”

    In my previous life, I had only started playing League of Legends in my freshman year of university, in 2019. Although I wasn’t interested in games during high school, by then, it had become a social necessity in university. I had reluctantly joined the bandwagon and ended up playing for four years.

    From a clueless noob, I had climbed the ranks, eventually reaching the highest tier. I had shed my “good student” image and become obsessed with the game, until I finally realized the truth.

    Games were just games.

    When you woke up from the dream, reality awaited.

    But things were different now. 2015 and 2016 were the golden years of live streaming, and League of Legends was the most popular game on streaming platforms. I wouldn’t mind exploring this avenue. It could help alleviate my family’s financial situation.

    “Wow, this is the first time you’ve invited me to play.”

    “Cut the crap. Are you in or out?”

    “I’m in, I’m in. Geez, you’re so impatient.”

    We logged into the game, and I sent him a ranked game invitation.

    He hesitated for a moment before accepting. “Are you sure about this? Ranked games are serious business.”

    Being a girl, Yi Yao usually played against bots at home. She only played normal matches when BigIronPillar dragged her along. This would be her first ranked game.

    He was only in Bronze, the lowest tier, stuck in the infamous “Elo hell.”

    I clicked “Start” and replied, “Not really.”

    As if. I might be three years behind, but I still had the basics down.

    He sounded panicked. “If I lose again, I’ll drop to Bronze IV. Maybe we should use voice chat? For better coordination.”

    I agreed.

    “Hello, hello, bro, can you hear me?”

    A gruff voice with a thick northern accent came through my headphones.

    “Yes.”

    “L-little sister? Let your brother talk.”

    I couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t have a brother. I’m Yi Yao.”

    “What?! You’re Yi Yao?!”

    He clearly didn’t believe me. “But you’re a guy, right?”

    “Did you check my QQ profile? Does it say I’m a guy?”

    “I… but isn’t that your sister’s QQ?”

    He reminded me that “my sister” often posted stories about her brother on her QQ space. And those stories were the ones I had told her in my dreams. He had obviously mistaken me for her brother.

    “I told you, I’m an only child. No siblings. Hurry up and choose your position.”

    “But you don’t sound like a girl.”

    “What do you think girls sound like? All cutesy and whiny? Times have changed, old man.”

    Well… in this era, boys talked like this

    ∑(っ °Д °;)っ How could you do this? QAQ *sobs*

    And girls talked like this

    “What the fuck, are you stupid?”

    “You little shit, how dare you talk to me like that?”

    So, it was understandable that he had gotten the wrong idea.

    Perhaps because I was a girl, he was even more worried. He kept urging me to choose a support champion, so even if we lost, it wouldn’t be my fault.

    I glanced at the few champions available on Yi Yao’s account and chose a mid laner. Then, I typed in the chat:

    “Mid lane smurf. No refunds. No guaranteed win.”

  • They All Want to Be My Female Lead v2 c88

    Chapter 88: I’m No Longer Pure

    In other words, the key to successfully acting out this duel lay in Yan Zhen’s ability to achieve a breakthrough to the initial stage of Body Tempering and launch a counterattack at the opportune moment.

    However, in reality, he had already reached the initial stage. If not for the script’s requirements, he could have easily defeated Xiao Mie before he even had a chance to achieve a breakthrough.

    So… he won.

    It wasn’t easy, but he emerged victorious.

    During the fourth stage, their strength was nearly equal, but Yan Zhen’s endurance and resilience proved superior. As Xiao Mie collapsed, exhausted, Yan Zhen remained standing, securing his victory.

    The outcome stunned both the students and the instructors.

    Yan Zhen, a mere Seventh Star Mystic One, had defeated Xiao Mie, who had achieved a breakthrough to the Mystic Scholar realm, claiming the top spot on the Nine Star Rank. If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, they wouldn’t have believed it.

    Admiration, awe, respect, resentment, envy… The reactions were varied, but they all agreed on one thing:

    It had been an incredible battle.

    Perhaps it wouldn’t have been considered particularly “fierce” in a real life-or-death struggle, but within the sheltered walls of the academy, it had pushed the students’ perceptions of combat to their limits.

    Both Yan Zhen and Xiao Mie had pushed themselves to their absolute limits, one achieving a breakthrough, the other matching his strength blow for blow, their ferocity escalating until they were both utterly spent. They had shown their seniors and juniors what true combat entailed.

    It wasn’t just a clash of Mystic Power and Mystic Techniques, but a battle of wills and unwavering determination.

    After declaring Yan Zhen the victor, the Dean announced that this duel would be recorded in the academy’s textbooks, serving as a valuable lesson for future generations of students.

    As the words “victory is yours” echoed in his ears, Yan Zhen’s vision blurred, and he collapsed, losing consciousness. He landed in a soft, fragrant embrace.

    His last thought before succumbing to darkness was, *Damn you, script!*

    …

    He woke to the familiar sight of his bedframe.

    He blinked, trying to sit up, but his limbs felt heavy, his body aching, as if he had been thoroughly… *trained* by Instructor Yu Xuan.

    As if summoned by his thoughts, her voice, filled with relief, reached him. “Yan Zhen! How are you feeling?”

    It took him a moment to respond. “Instructor Yu Xuan… when did I get back?”

    “You’ve been asleep for a day and a night.” She chuckled, her eyes filled with concern. She brushed a stray strand of hair from his forehead. “Fortunately, your injuries weren’t too serious. I treated you with my Water Mystic Power. You’re practically good as new. Don’t worry.”

    “I see…” He licked his dry lips, forcing a smile. “Thank you, Instructor.”

    “Are you thirsty? I’ll get you some water.”

    She rose from her seat beside his bed, poured him a glass of water, and returned to his side. She helped him sit up, supporting him against her chest as she held the glass to his lips. “I told you not to push yourself so hard! You never listen! You nearly scared me to death!”

    Knowing the outcome only made her worry more.

    In his previous life, he had been severely injured, bedridden for three days. Who knew how much worse it could have been this time?

    Thankfully, the worst-case scenario hadn’t come to pass.

    He sighed contentedly as the cool water soothed his parched throat. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I didn’t expect the duel to be so intense. We both got a little carried away.”

    “Don’t do that again. You have a long journey ahead of you. Don’t jeopardize your future.”

    Despite her words, she knew she couldn’t stop him.

    He would continue to be reckless, even risking his life to save her.

    The thought filled her with a tender warmth. She gently wiped a stray drop of water from his lips.

    “Do you want more?”

    “I want to sleep.”

    “Alright. Your body still needs to recover. Get some more rest, and you’ll be fine.”

    “You don’t have to stay here, Instructor. You should rest too.”

    “I’ll leave after you fall asleep.”

    “…”

    He drifted back to sleep.

    …

    When he woke again, he wasn’t greeted by the familiar sight of his bedframe. Instead, two majestic peaks filled his vision, blocking his view of his Beautiful Sect Master’s face.

    His mind was still hazy, but the memory of the healing “medicine” he had received last time resurfaced, stirring a deep longing within him.

    “Awake, Zhen’er?”

    “Master.”

    His voice sounded weak and childlike, a hint of a whine clinging to his words, as if pleading with her to fulfill his unspoken request.

    Chen Xi instantly understood. A blush warmed her cheeks, but her heart fluttered with a secret delight. Her eyes, usually cool and distant, softened with a maternal warmth.

    “Don’t speak. Close your eyes. Master will feed you your medicine.”

    He obediently closed his eyes. A soft, plump object, like a peeled grape, was placed between his lips. He instinctively sucked on it, drawing out the potent liquid that would speed up his recovery.

    The sweet liquid flowed down his throat, a pleasant warmth spreading through his stomach before radiating outwards, revitalizing his aching muscles.

    His body responding instinctively, he grasped the soft pouch containing the precious liquid, his tongue lapping eagerly at the opening, greedily consuming its contents.

    …

    He woke again, this time back in his own bed, surrounded by the five girls. As he sat up, five pairs of eyes stared at him intently.

    “Cousin, are you alright?”

    “Are you feeling any discomfort, Little Brother Yan Zhen?”

    “You’ve been asleep for two days! Tell us if you’re still feeling unwell.”

    The three girls peppered him with concerned questions.

    He shook his head, assuring them he was fine. He stretched, his joints popping satisfyingly.

    “Good to hear.”

    The words came from Xiao Xinyan. He turned to her. “Senior Sister Xinyan, how’s your brother doing?”

    She was surprised he would ask about Xiao Mie. Her surprise quickly morphed into a secret delight. “I just visited him. He’s still asleep. Instructor Mo said he’ll probably sleep for another half day or so.”

    “Is he alright?”

    “Yes, he’s fine.”

    He nodded, gesturing for them to move aside so he could get out of bed.

    However, as he pulled back the covers, he realized something was wrong.

    His body was… bare!

    — *Oh, shit!*

    He quickly pulled the covers back up, hiding his “dragon” from view. He glanced at the four girls, his expression carefully neutral. “Did you… see anything?”

    Their cheeks were flushed, their eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint. Yan Ruyu and Xiao Xinyan even covered their eyes, though their fingers were spread wide apart.

    They all shook their heads in unison, feigning innocence.

    “N-no.”

    Yan Zhen’s face darkened. *I’m no longer pure!*

     

  • They All Want to Be My Female Lead v2 c87

    Chapter 87

    Yan Zhen’s mood was a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.

    According to the script, the girls should be worried about him. After all, his cultivation was two stars lower than Xiao Mie’s, and he hadn’t been cultivating for as long. They were supposed to express their doubts, creating a sense of tension before his inevitable victory.

    Why were they so confident in him? More confident than he was in himself?

    Every time he reached a crucial battle scene, he felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach. This duel, in particular, was one he could only win by a hair’s breadth. Whether he could successfully act it out was still uncertain.

    “Ahem.” He cleared his throat, drawing their attention before sitting down. “There’s no need to worry about me. Xiao Mie might be strong, but I won’t lose to him.”

    “We’re not worried~” Yan Meng’er chirped, her eyes wide and innocent. “You’ll definitely win, Cousin! I’ve bet all my allowance on your victory!”

    “Me too, me too! We always win big whenever you have a duel, Little Brother Yan Zhen! We love you so much~”

    Seriously? He couldn’t believe them. Not only were they ignoring the script’s instructions to express concern, but they were actually planning to profit from his duel! Is this really okay?

    He rolled his eyes at them.

    “Don’t be careless, Yan Zhen,” Instructor Yu Xuan cautioned. “Xiao Mie has been suppressing his cultivation for nearly a year. He’s mastered many powerful Mystic Techniques and has a lot of combat experience. Even an average One Star Mystic Scholar wouldn’t be a match for him… And, as you’re probably aware, he might even achieve a breakthrough to the Mystic Scholar realm during the duel. That will make things even more difficult.”

    Yan Ruyu nodded in agreement. “It’s always best to be cautious when facing a strong opponent.”

    Yan Zhen smiled gratefully at them. Finally, some sensible advice! He nodded, assuring them he would be careful. As he turned back, his gaze met Xiao Xinyan’s.

    She quickly averted her eyes, her usual arrogance replaced by a meek demeanor. “Brother Xiao Mie is very strong,” she mumbled. “You should be careful.”

    Yan Zhen simply grunted in response.

    …

    Arriving at the academy, he realized the hype surrounding this duel was even greater than for his previous match against Lan Ke. From morning to afternoon, students were buzzing with excitement, discussing the duel, speculating on the outcome, analyzing each fighter’s strengths, and gossiping about their romantic entanglements.

    Most of the gossip, of course, revolved around Yan Zhen. After all, he lived with the four academy flowers and had publicly declared his intention to marry both Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu, even going so far as to duel Lan Ke over them. He was a true legend.

    As classes ended, more than half the academy’s students flocked towards the dueling arena, as if anticipating a grand spectacle.

    Even the Dean and Vice Dean were present, prepared to officiate the duel themselves. This demonstrated the importance they placed on this match.

    Each year, the various Mystic Academies had to send a certain number of talented students to the Sacred Land Academy. Currently, the Silver Moon City Mystic Academy only had two students on the verge of graduating. Xiao Mie, with his imminent breakthrough, was a prime candidate.

    Yan Zhen, too, possessed immense potential, his future achievements likely surpassing even Xiao Mie’s.

    A rivalry between these two, pushing each other to greater heights, was exactly what they hoped to see.

    [Ding! Key plot point commencing.]

    [Current plot progress – Chapter 130: Dueling Xiao Mie, Battling for First Place.]

    [Acting Requirements: Defeat Xiao Mie and claim the top spot on the Nine Star Rank.]

    [Completion rate: 0%.]

    [Note: You can do it, Host! Mua~]

    As all eyes converged upon the arena, Yan Zhen and Xiao Mie stepped onto the platform, facing each other from a distance of about ten meters.

    “Yan Zhen,” Xiao Mie said, his voice calm and steady, “are you certain you’re ready? I can wait a little longer.”

    “Seventh Star Mystic One is enough.”

    Xiao Mie shook his head. “A Seventh Star Mystic One can only help me achieve a breakthrough, not defeat me. You’re being too hasty, Yan Zhen.”

    Yan Zhen shook his head in return. “You’re being too cautious. This isn’t a game. Playing defensively won’t guarantee you a victory… Too much of anything is never good. You need to know when to adapt and change, when to advance and when to retreat. It all depends on your judgment and luck. Stagnation will only lead to ruin. Time is a monster that will slowly strip away everything you hold dear.”

    “Let’s not waste time on words.”

    “Then let our fists do the talking!”

    Mystic Power flared around them, their auras clashing, drawing the gazes of the spectators.

    Both their auras showed signs of forming a protective barrier.

    Yan Zhen’s aura flickered with the intensity of his Gold and Silver Fire, while Xiao Mie’s pulsed with the power of his imminent breakthrough!

    At the Dean’s signal, they charged towards each other, fists colliding. One fist blazing with Fire Mystic Power, the other crackling with Lightning Mystic Power.

    Bang! Fire and lightning exploded, and a fierce exchange of blows commenced.

    They traded punches, their movements blurring, the air filled with the crackle of energy.

    Yan Zhen’s fists burned, while Xiao Mie’s delivered jolts of electricity. By the end of the exchange, both their fists were stained with blood.

    One felt a searing pain, the other a numbing weakness.

    They separated, creating distance, but their movements didn’t cease. They used the opportunity to gather their strength.

    Xiao Mie channeled his Lightning Mystic Power into his fist, forming a spiky, electrified aura resembling a hedgehog’s spines.

    Earth Mystic Technique – “Lightning Thorn Fury”!

    Yan Zhen, in turn, focused his Mystic Power, coordinating the joints of his arm to create a spiraling, double-layered force.

    Double Burst “Eight Extremes Explosion”!

    Lightning spikes clashed with a fiery vortex, the energy exploding outward.

    Although Yan Zhen was only using the Double Burst, “Eight Extremes Explosion,” being a Heaven Mystic Technique, was more refined than the Earth Mystic Technique “Lightning Thorn Fury.” Its layered force could trigger multiple bursts of damage.

    Unable to withstand the onslaught, Xiao Mie was sent flying backward, skidding nearly ten meters before coming to a halt.

    Yan Zhen pressed his advantage, pursuing him relentlessly.

    “Good!”

    Xiao Mie roared, swiftly regaining his balance. Without even pausing to catch his breath, he charged towards Yan Zhen, his movements amplified by his Lightning Mystic Power, his attack heavy and powerful. His kick sent Yan Zhen stumbling backward.

    Yan Zhen’s eyes narrowed. If not for his Spiritual Power, he wouldn’t have been able to react in time to block that attack.

    Xiao Mie had been holding back, baiting him into attacking before launching a surprise counterattack. He was a seasoned fighter.

    His arms ached from the impact, a tingling numbness spreading through them. He channeled the Gold and Silver Fire through his meridians, purging the lingering effects of the Lightning Mystic Power.

    His duel with Xiao Mie would unfold in four stages.

    This was merely the first stage. He was holding his own against Xiao Mie, relying on the power of his Extreme Flame and the Double Burst “Eight Extremes Explosion.”

    The second stage would arrive soon. With each passing moment, Xiao Mie’s aura intensified, building towards his breakthrough. Once he achieved the Mystic Scholar realm, his attacks would become even more ferocious.

    In the third stage, under immense pressure, Yan Zhen would cross the threshold into Body Tempering, unleashing the Triple Burst “Eight Extremes Explosion” repeatedly, shattering Xiao Mie’s Mystic Power barrier and forcing him to cough up blood.

    The final stage would be a battle of endurance, a test of their willpower and resilience. Xiao Mie cultivated the King Rank cultivation technique “Lightning Shadowless,” while Yan Zhen practiced the Emperor Rank “Imperial Blaze Art.” Furthermore, Yan Zhen had entered the initial stage of Body Tempering, his blood and Qi radiating a faint glow, while Xiao Mie only possessed a strong physique. The outcome was inevitable.