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  • Friend(GL) 122

    Chapter 122: Scoundrel

    Yu Qiao’s eyes instantly reddened. She understood what Zhou Tianzui meant, her hand falling powerlessly. She said, “Scoundrel.” All her insistence crumbled, her stubbornness shattered. Filled with despair and helplessness, she pounded on Zhou Tianzui’s shoulder, “Zhou Tianzui, you scoundrel! You scoundrel!”

    A scoundrel?

    Yes, she was a scoundrel. She had been cruel to You Ruxu before, and now, to Yu Qiao. She knew she shouldn’t have fallen for You Ruxu, yet she had, head over heels. She knew Yu Qiao would be angry, yet she still hurt her, deceiving her, lying to her, and even now, she couldn’t accept anyone else, she couldn’t even bring herself to go on those blind dates.

    She had broken her promises again.

    Broken her promise to You Ruxu.

    She had said they would try again, work things out, but she gave up, she let go, she was a scoundrel.

    Broken her promise to Yu Qiao.

    She had promised to make Yu Qiao happy, to try dating, to try marriage, but she couldn’t control herself, every touch feeling like insects crawling on her skin, a numb ache accompanied by a deep unease, she just wanted to wash it away, to desperately scrub herself clean.

    She was a scoundrel.

    A true scoundrel.

    Zhou Tianzui took half a step back and said, “Mom, I’m sorry.”

    Yu Qiao had heard these words too many times, more apologies in the past few days than in her entire life. She looked at Zhou Tianzui, her eyes filled with despair and helplessness, she didn’t even have the energy to ask again.

    Was no one good enough?

    Was it only You Ruxu?

    She couldn’t bring herself to ask.

    Because she already knew the answer. Yu Qiao didn’t speak, just walked towards the door and left the room.

    Zhou Tianzui heard her apologizing to Lin Luo, then silence. She walked out. Yu Qiao was sitting on the sofa, silently, the room deathly quiet.

    An oppressive silence.

    After that, Yu Qiao never mentioned blind dates again, dismissing any aunties who tried to set her up. Zhou Tianzui didn’t know what she had said, but things became much quieter around her. Lin Luo tried to talk to her a few times, but seeing her expression, hesitated, not daring to speak. Zhou Tianzui became even more serious and aloof, her temper worsening. Unlike before, she no longer scolded anyone, just gave the erring interns a cold stare, her disapproval so sharp and intense that it made them uncomfortable, more and more people became afraid of her. Even the male colleagues who had been interested in her before now kept their distance.

    Zhou Tianzui reverted to her old self, her life once again revolving around work and home, no longer the shared apartment. Yu Qiao’s mood seemed to have improved recently, although Zhou Tianzui wasn’t sure if “improved” was the right word, at least she wasn’t hysterical anymore, didn’t fly into a rage at the slightest provocation, didn’t try to set her up on blind dates, didn’t even mention the topic.

    It was as if they had gone back in time.

    Back to when they first arrived in Jindu, before You Ruxu.

    You Ruxu’s name—she never mentioned it, and Yu Qiao never asked, just brought her lunch to the hospital every day, a gesture that made her colleagues envious, “Your mother is so good to you.”

    “Your mother’s such a good cook, I can smell the food from miles away.” They rarely went to the cafeteria, usually bringing their own lunch, which wasn’t as fresh by noon. Only Zhou Tianzui had freshly cooked meals every day, delivered by her mother. Once, seeing that there was too much food, wanting to share it with her colleagues, she suddenly remembered You Ruxu’s words.

    “You should eat more too.” She held her chopsticks, sitting at her desk, and ate everything, every last bite. Perhaps because of all the food, she had gained some weight, no longer looking as thin and frail as before.

    “What do you want for dinner?” Yu Qiao sat opposite her and asked, “We have some pork ribs left, want some braised pork ribs?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Anything is fine.”

    Yu Qiao said, “Then I’ll go home and start cooking.”

    Zhou Tianzui watched her go, then continued eating, her head lowered. A colleague said, “Dr. Zhou, did your mother go to culinary school?”

    Yu Qiao would now bring an extra portion for her colleagues. At first, they were hesitant to accept, but now, they were addicted to her cooking. Zhou Tianzui said, “No.”

    Her tone was cold and indifferent, but she had been like this recently, so no one paid much attention, their conversation shifting to the latest gossip. Zhou Tianzui glanced at the TV, the live reporter from Jindu TV was someone else, it had been a while since she last saw You Ruxu.

    He Wei explained to everyone, “She’s on leave, went home, I heard her injuries were quite serious, she went back to her hometown to recover.”

    Even she knew more than He Wei.

    He Wei continued, “She’ll be back soon, I heard, can’t wait to see my goddess on TV again.”

    “Teacher You?” A colleague looked at Zhou Tianzui, “Ask Dr. Zhou, she would know.”

    Zhou Tianzui swallowed her soup, her throat tightening. He Wei, seeing her indifferent expression, decided not to ask. She used to be slightly afraid of Zhou Tianzui, but after working with her, she realized she had a warm heart beneath her cold exterior, but now, her moods were so unpredictable, she didn’t dare ask.

    The others chuckled, “Even you’re afraid of someone.”

    “Aren’t you?” He Wei said, “Then you ask.”

    The other person quickly waved their hand dismissively, “No, thank you.”

    Lin Luo, listening to their conversation, glanced at Zhou Tianzui. After that day, Zhou Tianzui’s attitude towards her hadn’t changed at all, as if that awkward blind date was just a dream, but she knew it wasn’t, and despite knowing this, she didn’t dare mention it.

    Because Zhou Tianzui had clearly rejected her.

    The day after the blind date, she had brought Zhou Tianzui a hot drink, and afraid of being misunderstood, bought one for everyone in the office. The others thanked her with a smile, but Zhou Tianzui hadn’t accepted it, just looked at her, her gaze unwavering. Lin Luo’s face flushed, “Dr. Zhou, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted to treat everyone.”

    “Thank you, but no.” Zhou Tianzui lowered her voice, just loud enough for Lin Luo to hear, “You can interpret this as, I’m not interested.”

    Lin Luo, embarrassed, understood her rejection.

    After that, Zhou Tianzui treated her like any other colleague, and she also gradually accepted her place, her silent, unrequited love gently put to rest by Zhou Tianzui.

    She thought, she was actually quite lucky.

    At least their relationship wasn’t awkward now.

    Lin Luo looked away, listening to her colleagues gossip, when the head nurse walked in, “Dr. Zhou, the patient in bed twenty-three is asking for you.”

    Zhou Tianzui closed the container, went to the bathroom to wash up, and then left.

    Her colleagues started gossiping, “What’s wrong with Dr. Zhou?”

    “I don’t know! Don’t you think she’s become a workaholic lately?”

    “Seriously, she was on duty last night, and she’s on duty again tonight, and she volunteered for both shifts.”

    “She was on blind dates just a while ago…”

    “Hey, didn’t you hear? She had a partner, but her mother didn’t approve, they had a huge fight…”

    “What?! Really? When did she have a partner?”

    “Who is it? Someone from our hospital?”

    “Is it Dr. Li? I saw them having dinner together once.”

    Lin Luo couldn’t help but say, “Stop spreading rumors.”

    They all turned to her, “Lin Luo, do you know something?”

    Lin Luo shrugged, “I don’t know anything.”

    They pouted and changed the subject. Zhou Tianzui entered the ward. The patient was having contractions, she put on her gloves and examined her, drawing the curtains. The nurse and He Wei soon arrived. Zhou Tianzui told He Wei to keep a close watch on the patient, then looked up, and at the doorway.

    She saw a figure standing there.

    Bathed in sunlight, smiling at her, a gentle and warm smile, like the first day of spring. Zhou Tianzui stood there for a moment, then heard He Wei call out, “Dr. Zhou, should we take her to the delivery room now?”

    He Wei called out again, “Dr. Zhou?”

    Zhou Tianzui returned to her senses, the doorway empty, “Let’s observe for a bit longer.”

    He Wei agreed.

    Zhou Tianzui left the ward, removed her gloves, and went back to her office. She took out her phone. Yu Qiao hadn’t forbidden her from contacting You Ruxu, but there was a silent agreement between them, to avoid mentioning her.

    This person whose name was pinned at the top of her WeChat contacts, the first person in her chat list.

    Their last conversation was on New Year’s Eve, they hadn’t exchanged a single word since. You Ruxu rarely updated her Moments, so she had to rely on others for news.

    Zhou Tianzui put away her phone.

    “Dr. Zhou, are you on duty tonight?” Fu Shushu walked in, holding a form, Zhou Tianzui looked up, “Yes.”

    “Fill this out.” Fu Shushu said, “You’ve been on duty a lot recently, are you sure you can handle it?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “I’m fine.”

    Fu Shushu, watching her sign the form, couldn’t help but say, “Let me know if you need any help.”

    “I’m fine, really.” Zhou Tianzui looked up, “I almost forgot, I wanted to thank you for arranging the lawyer’s letter when I was hospitalized.”

    “It’s nothing.” Fu Shushu said, “If you want to thank someone, thank You Ruxu, we didn’t do anything, it was all her.”

    Zhou Tianzui knew this, but hearing it from Fu Shushu was different, You Ruxu’s name now a taut string in her heart, a string she didn’t dare touch, the slightest mention of her name like a pluck, sending vibrations through her, her blood rushing, her emotions stirred.

    She paused for a few seconds, “I still want to thank you all.”

    Her voice, if one listened closely, was trembling slightly.

    Fu Shushu clearly didn’t notice, she just waved the form and left the office. Zhou Tianzui sat at her desk, her computer on, taking deep breaths, spending the entire afternoon trying to calm her racing heart, a reaction to hearing You Ruxu’s name.

    Until Yu Qiao arrived.

    Yu Qiao, carrying a thermos of dinner, greeted the other doctors as she entered. Zhou Tianzui watched her, her expression calm. Her colleagues gradually left for the day, bidding Yu Qiao farewell with a smile. Yu Qiao nodded and sat opposite Zhou Tianzui, handing her the thermos, “Still on duty tomorrow?”

    Her voice was tense.

    Zhou Tianzui opened the thermos, her tone indifferent, “No, not tomorrow.”

    Yu Qiao seemed to relax slightly and nodded. Two doctors entered, greeting Yu Qiao, then removing their white coats, chatting as they tidied up, “We just had someone admitted to the ER.”

    “I know, that TV reporter.” The other doctor said, “The one who’s been coming to our hospital a lot recently, right?”

    “Yes, yes, that’s her, seems like she was targeted…”

    Before she could finish, the sound of chopsticks clattering to the floor, everyone turned around, Zhou Tianzui’s jaw tightened, her face expressionless, seeing everyone looking at her, she said hoarsely, “Sorry.”

    She bent down to pick up the chopsticks. Yu Qiao also looked down, the chopsticks right beside Zhou Tianzui’s hand, but she seemed not to see them, her hand trembling slightly.

  • The Saintess Has A Showdown 191-192

    Chapter 191: Spirit Beast IQ

    In the world of spirit beasts, speed often determined the outcome of a battle.

    The legendary White Moon Lord, a single leap tearing through the skies of ten realms, her movements too fast even for fellow legendary beings to track, a power beyond human comprehension.

    Countless legends and stories about her were passed down through generations.

    Even a legendary spirit beast had once remarked, “The White Moon Lord is the most terrifying legendary being I’ve ever encountered.”

    This indicated that even among legendary beings, the White Moon Lord stood at the apex.

    The Sea Region Ranking Battle: Second Round.

    First Test: Speed.

    Amidst the cheers of the audience, ten spirit beasts, each carrying their Spirit Master, stood at the starting line.

    Of the five tests, Intelligence and Beauty were too unpredictable. Speed, Strength, and Spirit Energy Capacity were more reliable sources of points.

    For the Speed test, the Snow Fairy Mansion sent out their Pure Saintess.

    Her spirit beast was a high-rank White Ice Antelope, its graceful, streamlined body like that of a holy maiden among beasts.

    A mere kilometer? The White Ice Antelope could cover that distance in less than ten seconds!

    Its combat abilities might be average, but its speed was unmatched!

    The Pure Saintess smugly surveyed her competition, her disdainful gaze suddenly pausing at the white-haired woman’s… chest.

    Those terrifying weapons… what were they…?

    Bai He of the Sea Concubine Palace stood calmly, a snow-white full moon disc floating beside her, flitting about like a playful sprite.

    Her appearance drew eighty percent of the gazes in the arena, everyone’s eyes widening, their mouths suddenly dry.

    This woman… was simply too… endowed!

    After the Ranking Battle, the Sea Concubine Palace would likely be flooded with love letters from eager young women.

    This wasn’t lust, but a desire to improve their family’s bloodline, to ensure their children’s healthy development!

    As the Speed test was about to begin, Bai He grasped the floating moon disc, assuming a throwing stance, her… assets… jiggling enticingly, causing many in the audience to blush.

    Boom!

    As the referee signaled the start of the race with a burst of spirit energy, the ten spirit beasts, confident in their speed, shot forward, creating a cloud of dust.

    Almost instantly, the White Ice Antelope took the lead, leaving the other spirit beasts far behind.

    Dead Sea Stage spirit beasts couldn’t stray too far from their masters, so the Spirit Masters were carried by their spirit beasts. There was only one exception.

    As everyone watched in shock, Bai He stood motionless, not moving a single step.

    Four seconds passed. Just as the White Ice Antelope was about to cross the finish line, a white blur, a rapidly spinning full moon disc, zipped past, overtaking it by a hair’s breadth.

    Swish!

    Crossing the finish line in second place, the Pure Saintess’s face darkened.

    Being defeated by an unknown Spirit Master from a lower-ranked faction wasn’t uncommon, but it was still incredibly humiliating.

    And what was with that… vulgar white-haired woman? How could her spirit beast be so far away from her…?

    Weapon-type spirit beasts did have techniques to increase their control range, but those were usually considered useless, niche skills. And yet, it had actually been useful here!

    [Sea Concubine Palace: 3]
    [Snow Fairy Mansion: 2]
    [Pool of Hidden Secrets: 1]

    Under the audience’s intense scrutiny, Bai He returned to her seat beside the Sorrowful Saintess, her expression calm.

    Many in the audience sighed inwardly.

    Seeing… that… swaying before her every day, the Sorrowful Saintess couldn’t possibly resist. This Bai He must have already been… taken.

    Who would dare touch the Sorrowful Saintess’s woman? The consequences would be dire.

    The others now looked at Bai He with a mixture of envy and… something else, a look she couldn’t quite decipher.

    Soon, it was time for the second test: Intelligence!

    The rules were simple. Ten spirit beasts would be shown a series of numbers and then have to write them down using their spirit energy. A single mistake meant failure.

    And yet, the first number, 0, was enough to eliminate all the low-rank spirit beasts from the bottom-tier factions.

    The remaining spirit beasts, from the Pool of Hidden Secrets, the Sea Concubine Palace, the Cold Court, the Winter Floating Sky, and the Ice Shield Palace, continued the test.

    This test, easily solved by a child, had them sweating.

    After much deliberation, the Sea Concubine Palace’s mid-rank, elemental spirit beast drew a large banana on the ground, eliciting laughter from the audience.

    The Cold Court’s spirit beast drew two carrots, barely passing.

    The Ice Shield Palace’s spirit beast drew two cucumbers, barely passing.

    The Winter Floating Sky’s spirit beast drew two eggplants, barely passing.

    The Pool of Hidden Secrets’ spirit beast wrote the number 69, drawing envious and incredulous stares from the other spirit beasts.

    The next round, with three-digit numbers, quickly determined the winner.

    [Pool of Hidden Secrets: 3]
    [Winter Floating Sky: 2]
    [Cold Court: 1]

    The third test, Strength. The Fearful Saintess of the Tide Pavilion confidently entered the arena, then proceeded to score a resounding 0.

    Her supposedly powerful spirit beast’s punch against the testing artifact had no effect, while the Winter Floating Sky’s spirit beast punched a hole right through it.

    The bandaged, gloomy woman stared at the Spirit Masters from the Winter Floating Sky, the Cold Court, and the Ice Shield Palace, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

    So this was the power of the top factions… She had been utterly crushed.

    [Winter Floating Sky: 3]
    [Ice Shield Palace: 2]
    [Cold Court: 1]

    Even the unknown Spirit Masters from the Sea Concubine Palace and the Pool of Hidden Secrets had performed better than her, a Saintess.

    Just how powerful were the Saintesses of the top factions?

    The Fearful Saintess had dreamt of becoming a dark horse, rising to the top, defeating all the high-ranking Saintesses, but reality had dealt her a harsh blow.

    She recalled angrily confronting her faction’s higher-ups, complaining about not being chosen for the Final Battle, denied the opportunity to gain fame and recognition.

    How utterly foolish she had been…

    The Spirit Masters from the lower-ranked factions felt a sense of shame and frustration.

    Their Saintesses, representing their peak combat power, renowned within their own factions, were no match for even unknown Spirit Masters from other factions.

    And so far, not a single Saint-rank spirit beast had appeared in the Ranking Battle…

    Chapter 192: The Final Battle

    The fourth test: Spirit Energy Capacity!

    This test didn’t measure the amount of spirit energy, but the maximum amount a Spirit Master could unleash in an instant.

    Even novice Spirit Masters understood the difference between potential spirit energy and manifested spirit energy.

    Only through diligent daily cultivation or constant battle could one increase their burst potential. This was a straightforward test with clear results.

    This was also likely the area where the gap between the higher and lower-ranked factions was most pronounced.

    However, unexpectedly, the Spirit Masters from the top factions were utterly crushed.

    The Hateful Saintess of the Azure Stream Palace.

    Her soft, water-blue hair flowing gently, she unleashed a torrent of spirit energy that almost filled the kilometer-wide Water Heart Stage, eliciting gasps of surprise.

    She far surpassed the Spirit Masters from the Sea Concubine Palace, the Ice Shield Palace, and even the Pool of Hidden Secrets.

    The Azure Heart of Water, a top-tier spirit technique of the water lineage…

    The amount of spirit energy she unleashed in that instant was almost equal to the combined total of the other nine factions.

    The Hateful Saintess, her face pale with exhaustion, a triumphant smile on her lips, had achieved her goal.

    By surprising everyone and surpassing the higher-ranked factions, she would gain more attention and followers. A little hardship in the Azure Stream Palace was a small price to pay.

    She was famous!

    [Azure Stream Palace: 3]
    [Sea Concubine Palace: 2]
    [Ice Shield Palace: 1]

    Finally, the fifth and final test of the second round.

    This time, it was Beauty.

    Of course, this wasn’t about the Spirit Masters’ physical appearance, but their attractiveness to wild spirit beasts.

    Ten graceful, voluptuous young women lined up, their beauty to be judged by a spirit beast.

    A high-rank spirit beast, the Water Lotus Colored Cherry Blossom, kept by the Winter Floating Sky, was released into the arena, acting as the judge.

    No one worried about it being biased towards the Winter Floating Sky. After all, it was notoriously fickle and obsessed with beauty.

    In the center of the Water Heart Stage, a colorful, humanoid flower strutted back and forth before the girls, like an emperor choosing concubines.

    A few seconds later, it opened its petals and spat a glob of phlegm onto the Jade Pot Palace Spirit Master’s face.

    The Jade Pot Palace girl stared blankly, then her face lit up with joy. Had she been chosen?

    Seeing her ecstatic expression, the audience was surprised. Another dark horse?

    However, to their amusement, the Water Lotus Colored Cherry Blossom continued spitting at the girls, drenching them all.

    Jade Pot Palace, 98 spits, eliminated.

    Snow Fairy Mansion, 71 spits, eliminated.

    Azure Stream Palace, 65 spits, eliminated.

    …

    …

    Sea Concubine Palace, 9 spits, 1 point.

    Winter Floating Sky, 8 spits, 2 points.

    Pool of Hidden Secrets, 6 spits, 3 points.

    The Water Lotus Colored Cherry Blossom spat at anything it found ugly or repulsive.

    The fewer the spits, the higher the score.

    Learning the rules, the Jade Pot Palace girl’s face fell, her spirit crushed.

    She was so ugly, she disgusted everyone…

    With that, the second round concluded.

    [Winter Floating Sky: 8]
    [Sea Concubine Palace: 7]
    [Pool of Hidden Secrets: 6]
    [Ice Shield Palace: 4]
    [Cold Court: 3]
    [Water Wish Pavilion: 3]
    [Tide Pavilion: 3]
    [Azure Stream Palace: 0]
    [Snow Fairy Mansion: -2]
    [Jade Pot Palace: -2]

    Seeing the scores, the spectators were surprised.

    The Water Wish Pavilion and the Tide Pavilion, which had held the lead, hadn’t scored any points in this round, falling back to their previous positions.

    However, the Tide Pavilion’s loss was due to the Fearful Saintess’s… embarrassing performance, while the Blissful Saintess of the Water Wish Pavilion hadn’t even participated yet.

    The second round concluded, and it was finally time for the final, decisive round of the Ranking Battle…

    The true leader of the Sea Region would be decided here.

    Under the watchful eyes of all, Gong Lianyue rose from her seat and walked towards the center of the Water Heart Stage.

    At the same time, the Desireless Saintess of the Winter Floating Sky, the Grieving Saintess of the Cold Court, the Wrathful Saintess of the Ice Shield Palace, the Blissful Saintess of the Water Wish Pavilion, and the Saintess of Salvation from the Pool of Hidden Secrets, all emerged with their teams.

    The auras of the four Spirit Masters behind the Sorrowful Saintess were incredibly weak, even less than those who had participated in the previous rounds, increasing the sense of anticipation and dread.

    The Sea Concubine Palace was confident in their Sorrowful Saintess’s victory!

    The Saint-rank battle… was it finally about to begin…?

    The spectators, their hearts pounding with excitement, watched, their scalps tingling, their blood boiling. After all, ninety-nine percent of them had never seen a Saint-rank spirit beast before.

    The final round of every Ranking Battle always featured a spectacular clash of Saint-ranks, like watching a superhero battle.

    Saint-rank spirit beasts, beings from another dimension.

    The Final Battle began!!!

    Fifty Spirit Masters stood in the center of the Water Heart Stage as a powerful wave of spirit energy, like a swirling waterspout, enveloped them, pulling them into a secret realm.

    This was the Winter Floating Sky’s battle secret realm, the White Velvet Snow Forest!!

    Since Saint-rank spirit beasts would inevitably destroy the arena, even endangering the audience, the final round had to be held within a secret realm.

    Of course, it would be broadcast live via spirit energy, the scene split into countless different perspectives, displayed on a massive crystal screen in the sky.

    Just as all the Spirit Masters entered the secret realm, the Nether Empress, seated high above, tossed a mysterious spirit artifact.

    The massive, lock-shaped artifact, like a cage, sealed the entrance to the secret realm. It was a strange artifact, obtained from an unknown source, capable of suppressing all beings within to the Dead Sea Stage.

    Her suggestion had been unanimously approved by the other four Emperors. A thousand years ago, there had been a cheating scandal where a Spirit Master had smuggled in a Samsara Stage spirit beast after the secret realm had been sealed.

    That Spirit Master had been from the Pool of Hidden Secrets, so the Nether Empress’s insistence on reinforcing the seal seemed fair and impartial.

    “…”
    “…”

    After a moment of silence, a subtle smile appeared on the Nether Empress’s lips.

    Beneath her beautiful facade, her heart raced, a dark, almost manic glee, as if tainted by a corrupting, black, watery spirit energy.

    Her body trembled as she whispered, her voice barely audible,

    “The Snow Monarch… is coming—”

     

  • As a villain, I just want them to behave 257

    Chapter 257: The Past

    Fate exuded a casual confidence, as if she wasn’t concerned about confronting him directly. Kailun glanced at his remaining attributes and noticed a significant decrease. He was barely on par with Fate now, perhaps slightly stronger than a single Pope. Suppressing her completely was impossible.

    However, his lost attributes hadn’t simply vanished. After checking, he discovered they had been transferred to Carol, or rather, they had always belonged to her.

    Adding Afra’s portion, Kailun finally understood why Carol had been able to destroy the world.

    Quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes, and Carol’s power had reached a qualitative leap.

    Normally, Carol wouldn’t possess such power at this stage, but the magic formation Kailun had set up had altered the original course of events.

    Coupled with Afra and the others’ influence on one of the magic formations, it had led to this outcome.

    This was the best result for Kailun. He had underestimated Fate’s capabilities, and the sheer amount of resources she had expended was staggering.

    The world was now in a peculiar state. Kailun felt it rejecting him, his attributes constantly decreasing.

    He had a bad feeling. If he couldn’t change the current situation, something terrible would happen once they were out of this special state.

    He looked at his status panel, only to see the vague message: [Status Abnormal].

    “Can I ask where we are?” Kailun looked at the three golden beams of light standing between heaven and earth.

    “Hmm… You seem to think I’m easy to talk to. But it doesn’t matter.”

    Fate leaped lightly and landed in front of Kailun. She bent down and leaned closer. “You’re the first person to see my body. Don’t you want to comment on the beauty you just witnessed? This doesn’t seem like you. Are you afraid of me?”

    Her eyes sparkled with golden light. Observing this man who had “devoured” her “fruit” up close was quite amusing.

    A man who had transcended the rules, a man who had almost succeeded in doing so.

    This wasn’t just because of Carol and the others’ actions, but also because of his unique nature.

    Although some unexpected events had occurred, the overall situation was still under her control.

    Even if things went beyond her control, it didn’t matter. After being dormant for so long, she craved excitement.

    If it weren’t for the Unlucky Entity, Ottovia, still being alive, she would be even more lonely.

    Unlike the others, Fate had recovered all her memories. She knew what had happened in the previous life and why she had failed.

    The good news was that she had achieved her initial goal. The bad news was that Carol’s problem hadn’t been solved. The biggest threat still remained.

    Kailun withdrew his gaze from the distance. “It looks good, but I can’t give a more accurate assessment without touching it.”

    “Heh, you pervert. I hate you even more now. If you leave Bella here with me, I might spare your life. Not only that, but I’ll also let those thieves around you live. What do you think?”

    Fate crossed her arms, her expression composed.

    “I can stay here with you, but I can’t leave Bella behind. Want to try fighting me?”

    Kailun looked down at the unconscious Bella in his arms.

    “What good would that do? You can’t be the trigger to change the world.”

    Fate sighed and took out a thread of fate from her sleeve, showing it to Kailun. “This is the fate of your death in your previous life. The location is right here. Give me Bella, and I’ll give you this. Changing this fate line will allow you to exist rightfully. Otherwise, you’ll be rejected by the entire world in a moment~”

    Kailun shrugged nonchalantly. “This kind of temptation is meaningless. Make your move. I’ll handle it.”

    Fate: “Sigh, you’re such a boring person. Since you’ve said so, I’ll grant your wish. Now, enjoy the crushing weight of fate. Hee hee~”

    She snapped the thread of fate in her hand and tossed it into the valley. A blinding golden light erupted from the broken end, engulfing the entire valley.

    Kailun narrowed his eyes. When he could see clearly again, he was standing in the center of the valley.

    He looked down at his feet. Bella was gone from his arms, her figure abruptly disappearing.

    However, he didn’t panic. He could still feel the warmth and softness in his arms. It seemed he was now in a dreamlike state.

    As for why Fate couldn’t take Bella during this opportunity, Kailun had several guesses.

    In a way, the concept of Fate itself was more like an observer. Even she, who held the title of Fate, could only exert indirect influence.

    She had pulled Kailun into her domain, intending to use his past to crush his will and make him despair.

    But she had miscalculated one thing. Although Kailun’s power had reverted to its previous level, certain individuals hadn’t.

    Two armies were clashing fiercely in the valley. Princess Hilna, standing on high ground, looked bewildered. Paul, wielding a longsword, seemed to have awakened from a dream. Afra, standing beside Kailun, had tears in her eyes.

    Everyone whose consciousness had been pulled into this scene by Fate remembered their past lives. Princess Hilna finally understood why Kailun had targeted her, and Paul’s heart burned with hatred.

    Afra embraced Kailun, sobbing softly. “I’m sorry. I never knew. I let you bear it all alone. I…”

    The fragments of memories connected, and Afra’s emotions were almost uncontrollable.

    But the most crazed one was Paul. Like a vicious dog unleashed, he charged towards Kailun. In this scene, he was stronger than Kailun.

    “Die! Aaaah!!!”

    He screamed like a madman, his face contorted in a ferocious grin.

    He didn’t care how this situation had come about. He just wanted to kill Kailun and vent his anger.

    Paul ran swiftly, charging like the wind. But he stopped halfway.

    The world spun around him, and he found his head rolling on the ground.

    Paul: “Uh…”

    He looked up at Kailun, who was embracing Afra, her right hand still in the position of throwing a sword.

    He couldn’t understand!

    Both he and Kailun had become weaker, but why was Afra still so strong?

    He couldn’t accept it!

    That damn Kailun didn’t even spare him a glance. His rage could only be vented through the gushing blood from his severed neck.

    [Paul’s goodwill -10, Total Goodwill -177]

    Hilna, standing on high ground, looked at Kailun with a complex expression. Fate, observing from outside the scene, scratched her head in confusion.

    What had gone wrong? Why did Afra still retain such power?

    She examined the fate lines of Carol and the others and realized they were all beyond her control.

  • A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life 170

    Chapter 170: The Imperial Daughter Disappears, A Diversionary Tactic

    Near the Snow Palace.

    A man dressed as an ordinary guard sat cross-legged in a small pavilion, his eyes closed, seemingly meditating.

    Although this man looked no different from other guards in appearance and attire, the surrounding people looked at him with reverence.

    If Luo Xue were here, she would recognize him.

    He was the palace guard who had taken her to the imperial study, the Immortal Emperor’s personal guard, the legendary Sea Crossing Realm expert.

    No one knew his real name, and he called himself “Wei.”

    Normally, the strength of a Sea Crossing Realm cultivator was enough to carve out a territory in the Great Thousand Worlds. For example, the Grand Elders of the southern barbarian tribes were all at the Sea Crossing Realm or above.

    Even the Immortal Emperor had to treat experts of this level as equals when forming alliances.

    But Wei served the Immortal Emperor loyally.

    What was even more puzzling was that when interacting with members of the imperial family, Wei didn’t put on airs as a Sea Crossing Realm expert, but acted like an ordinary palace guard.

    Some said it was because the Immortal Emperor had once saved Wei’s life, others said that the Immortal Emperor held some leverage over him, and there were even rumors of an unspeakable relationship between them.

    But Wei never explained. He simply stayed loyally by the Immortal Emperor’s side, unchanged for tens of thousands of years.

    Because of this, no one knew the truth.

    “Master Wei, the maids delivering food to the Snow Palace have arrived.” A guard beside him said respectfully. “The guards at the gate have stopped them. Please go and inspect them.”

    Wei opened his eyes and nodded slightly.

    He stood up and walked towards the group of maids.

    Although Wei didn’t sense any killing intent from them, he still intended to carefully inspect them, just in case.

    “That Sea Crossing Realm expert… he’s coming!”

    Dugu Xue quickly transmitted her voice to Luo Xue.

    If Wei used his Divine Sense, he would see through Luo Xue’s current cultivation level and discover her presence.

    With a bit more careful sensing, even Dugu Xue and Xue Ling’s presence would be exposed.

    “…Understood,” Luo Xue’s eyes narrowed, and she secretly formed hand seals. “Now!”

    At this critical moment, Luo Xue activated her backup plan.

    “Boom!”

    A loud explosion suddenly rang out, echoing through the surroundings.

    The loud bang instantly startled the already tense guards, who looked towards the source of the sound in shock.

    “The Imperial Daughter’s palace!”

    Indeed, at this juncture, an explosion had occurred in the Imperial Daughter’s palace.

    The scale of the explosion wasn’t large, just shattering some of the glazed tiles on the palace roof.

    However, an explosion occurring in the Imperial Daughter’s palace at this time was very strange.

    Wei looked towards the Imperial Daughter’s palace, frowned slightly, then relaxed, as he sensed the scale of the explosion.

    “Just some noise, nothing serious.”

    Wei summoned a few of his personal guards, intending to send them to investigate.

    But just then, a guard rushed over and told Wei something even more shocking than the explosion.

    “The little princess… is missing!”

    “What!”

    Wei immediately stood up.

    “The moment the explosion happened, the guards immediately entered the palace to check, but the little princess was gone.” The guard quickly explained.

    The explosion itself wasn’t a problem. After all, these important imperial palaces had a level of protection that could withstand an attack from a Sea Crossing Realm cultivator. What kind of explosion could damage the palace walls?

    But the little princess was His Majesty’s most beloved daughter. If anything happened to her, when His Majesty returned from his southern tour…

    His wrath would be unimaginable!

    Moreover, the little princess had just been assassinated not long ago…

    “Zhao Qing, Shi Handong, you come with me to investigate.” Wei quickly made arrangements, there was no time to waste. “The rest of you, stay here and guard, don’t make any mistakes.”

    “Yes, but these maids…”

    The guard hesitated.

    Wei briefly sensed their auras, still not detecting any killing intent or hostility, and waved his hand.

    “Let them in, don’t waste any more time.”

    Then, he paused and added,

    “Remember, don’t let them gossip. Imperial Concubine Min shouldn’t be worried about the little princess.”

    “Yes.”

    The guards immediately bowed in acknowledgement.

    Then, Wei, along with two other powerful guards, rushed towards the Imperial Daughter’s palace, afraid of any irreversible accidents happening to the little princess.

    The other guards, after checking the food, signaled for Luo Xue and the others to enter the Snow Palace.

    With Xue Ling’s help, dealing with these guards, whose strength was around the Soul Transformation Realm, wasn’t a problem.

    “Wow, Big Sister Luo, how did you do that?”

    Dugu Xue asked in surprise, patting her chest, still a bit scared.

    She hadn’t seen Luo Xue do anything, yet Wei was forced to leave.

    “Just… a little trick.”

    Luo Xue said concisely, not daring to elaborate.

    They were still near the Snow Palace, with many guards watching them closely.

    Compared to the Imperial Daughter’s palace, the security here was even tighter and more blatant.

    When Luo Xue was in the Imperial Daughter’s palace, to avoid disturbing her rest, the guards weren’t allowed to enter.

    But within the Snow Palace…

    There were Soul Transformation guards everywhere.

    Even within the imperial palace, most Soul Transformation guards were high-ranking commanders, but here, they were treated as ordinary guards. This showed Imperial Concubine Min’s importance.

    “That explosion just now? But…”

    Dugu Xue frowned slightly, still puzzled.

    The reason Luo Xue didn’t explain was… because this was originally intended for Dugu Xue.

    When she left the Imperial Daughter’s palace, she had already set up both an explosive formation and a teleportation formation.

    When activated, the teleportation formation would randomly send the maid disguised as Princess Xue to a distant location, while also undoing the effects of the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art.

    The purpose of the explosive formation was to destroy the traces of the teleportation and slumber formations, and more importantly, to create a diversion.

    To prevent Wei from investigating the explosion site too quickly, Luo Xue had taken the risk of activating her backup plan just as the maids were about to enter the Snow Palace.

    As for how this backup plan would be used against Dugu Xue…

    If the negotiation with Dugu Xue failed, Luo Xue would also activate the formations, making Princess Xue disappear from everyone’s sight, forcing Dugu Xue to continue as Princess Xue.

    Then, she would hide as a maid for a while, and finally, use the exit formation to leave the imperial palace.

    As for where the poor maid chosen as a stand-in would be teleported to, Luo Xue couldn’t guarantee.

    She had chosen a distant location, a place they couldn’t return from easily.

    This plan wasn’t perfect, but it was the best Luo Xue could do under the circumstances.

    She had even been considerate enough to try and talk to the real Princess Xue first, instead of directly using her backup plan.

    It was fortunate that she had done so. Otherwise, she would have truly harmed this innocent and pitiful girl.

    Dugu Xue looked at Luo Xue’s serious expression curiously, unable to understand, then gave up and started looking forward to seeing her mother.

    As they went deeper into the Snow Palace, the number of guards decreased.

    By the time they reached Concubine Min’s room, there were no other guards.

    Security was tight, but they had already passed through so many checks. If an enemy could reach this point, more guards wouldn’t make a difference.

    Next, there was no need for Luo Xue to act.

    Xue Ling appeared, simply and crudely using a large-scale hypnosis technique (physical) on all the maids.

    The maids didn’t even react, their eyes rolling back as they collapsed.

    But before their bodies hit the ground, Xue Ling moved them to an inconspicuous location, piling them together.

    Luo Xue couldn’t help but feel sorry for the palace maids.

    Those she had exiled before were fine, after all, there weren’t many dangers within the Imperial Capital.

    But these… if they were discovered…

    Luo Xue pushed these thoughts aside and looked at the door to Concubine Min’s room.

    Dugu Xue was still apologizing to the maids until Xue Ling pushed open the door, and she nervously approached.

    “Creak…”

    Perhaps because the Snow Palace had been unoccupied for many years, the hinges were rusty.

    The first thing she saw was a head of snow-white hair, but it looked withered and yellow due to lack of care.

    Concubine Min sat on the bed, her back to the door, staring blankly at something.

    Perhaps to her, even the Snow Palace was no different from the Cold Palace.

    “Mother…”

    Seeing this, Dugu Xue burst into tears.

    Hearing this voice, the white-haired figure trembled slightly, and Concubine Min turned around in disbelief, seeing Dugu Xue.

    A deep, bloodline resonance surged within her, and Concubine Min’s lips trembled.

    “Is that you, Xue’er…”

    “It’s me, Mother Concubine.” Dugu Xue slowly walked over and gently leaned into Concubine Min’s arms. “I’m… your daughter…”

    “Xue’er…”

    Concubine Min subconsciously stroked Dugu Xue’s hair, but the next moment, as if remembering something, she pushed Dugu Xue away and said in a low voice,

    “Why are you still here! Xue’er, why haven’t you escaped yet!”

    “Mo-, Mother Concubine?”

    Dugu Xue was at a loss, tears still lingering in her eyes.

    “Go quickly!” Concubine Min said anxiously. “Go find Luo Xue, only she can save you…”

    “Luo Xue?” Dugu Xue looked up blankly in Luo Xue’s direction. “…Big Sister Luo?”

    What was Mother Concubine talking about…

    How did she know Big Sister Luo? Did she recognize her during their previous meeting?

    But if that was the case…

    What was going on now?

    Dugu Xue was confused.

    “You’ve seen her?” A look of excitement flashed across Concubine Min’s face, then quickly turned to anxiety. “Is she… in the imperial palace now?”

    Dugu Xue opened her mouth, about to reveal Luo Xue’s presence, but Luo Xue quickly transmitted her voice, stopping her.

    “Don’t say anything, this is a misunderstanding, I’ll explain later.”

    Luo Xue hadn’t expected Concubine Min’s obsession to be so strong, wanting her daughter to escape the imperial palace no matter what…

    What exactly had happened in the imperial palace, to make Concubine Min so terrified?

    “She… I don’t know.” Dugu Xue’s gaze flickered, and she lowered her head slightly. She wasn’t good at lying, her face flushing slightly. “I’ve… only met her.”

    “I see.”

    A melancholic expression appeared on Concubine Min’s face.

    “Cough…”

    Just then, Dugu Xue suddenly started coughing, her face turning pale.

    Xue Ling immediately stepped forward, skillfully holding Dugu Xue, and gently channeled spiritual power, activating the restriction the Immortal Emperor had placed on her.

    After a while, an unhealthy flush returned to Dugu Xue’s face, and she recovered slightly.

    “Xue’er, your illness… it hasn’t been cured?”

    Concubine Min’s hands trembled as she cupped Dugu Xue’s face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

    Hearing this, Dugu Xue panicked.

    “Mother Concubine, I’m sorry…”

    She was truly sorry. Her mother was so worried about her, yet she was thinking of giving up…

    In Luo Xue’s vision, Dugu Xue wouldn’t be able to withstand the withering for much longer.

    But with the Immortal Emperor and Xue Ling desperately trying to prolong her life, it could still be delayed for a while, although the process would be very painful.

    Dugu Xue had come here prepared to die. She had planned to find a secluded place to die alone after seeing her mother.

    But after meeting Luo Xue and seeing her mother again, Dugu Xue suddenly didn’t want to die anymore.

    In this world…

    There was still her mother, who cared about her, and Big Sister Luo, who was trying her best to help her. How could she betray their hopes?

    Dugu Xue couldn’t make that choice.

    “Silly child, it’s Mother Concubine who’s sorry.”

    Concubine Min suddenly calmed down, reaching out to wipe away Dugu Xue’s tears. “Perhaps from the very beginning, I shouldn’t have…”

    She suddenly paused, looked up at Luo Xue, her smile fading.

    “Who are you?”

    Luo Xue had been standing there silently, watching this reunion, without saying a word.

    “I was… sent by Luo Xue.” Luo Xue said softly, a strange feeling in her heart.

    She was the real Luo Xue, yet she had to say she was sent by… Luo Xue.

    This feeling was truly bizarre.

    “Really?”

    A sharp glint appeared in Concubine Min’s eyes, and finally, she showed the demeanor of an imperial concubine.

    She looked at Luo Xue scrutinizingly, and Luo Xue realized that Concubine Min wasn’t weak, at least at Nascent Soul or above.

    Such strength might be unremarkable in the imperial palace, but it was enough to crush the current Luo Xue.

    “Of course.”

    Luo Xue nodded, her appearance shifting, revealing her true form.

    “This is what she looks like.”

  • The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated 514

    Chapter 514: “Why Do I Feel Like Hitting Someone?”

    “You…what are you doing?”

    Seeing Shien playing so happily with a group of fairies, Carol finally spoke.

    Only then did Shien notice Carol’s arrival.

    “Oh, it’s you.” Shien said, his tone a little dismissive, but he didn’t stop playing with the fairies.

    Hearing Shien’s seemingly indifferent tone, Carol almost got angry.

    But she quickly calmed herself down, suppressed her irritation, and walked towards Shien with a serious expression.

    “Children, go and play on your own for a while.”

    Carol said gently to the numerous fairies around Shien.

    “—”

    The fairies stirred, seemingly reluctant.

    This made Carol look at Shien with a complicated expression.

    “Don’t look at me like that,” Shien said, clarifying immediately, “They came here to play on their own. I didn’t kidnap them.”

    “…I know.” Carol said, a little exasperated. “I didn’t say you kidnapped them.”

    “Really?” Shien wasn’t reassured and asked, “With your Elven Race’s usual behavior, shouldn’t you be suspecting that I, a man from another race, did something?”

    “You…” Carol really found this man infuriating. She had been deliberately controlling herself, but he was still provoking her.

    Carol said stiffly,

    “I’ve already said that the magic power and aura you emanate are very attractive to our Elven Race and these fairies. Therefore, I guessed their arrival, and even Her Majesty has also guessed it.”

    In other words, they weren’t surprised by this.

    Of course, Carol didn’t mention that although she had guessed the fairies would be attracted to Shien, she hadn’t expected these naturally timid and shy fairies to gather around Shien so unrestrainedly and play with him.

    Surely, the Elven Queen hadn’t expected this either.

    This was the reason why Carol was so shocked when she arrived and saw this scene.

    Also…

    “I want to know, did you do anything to them?”

    Carol couldn’t help but ask.

    Now it was Shien’s turn to be speechless.

    “You just said you weren’t suspecting me, and now you’re asking if I did something to them?”

    Did this vice-commander of the Elven Corps have some misunderstanding of the word “suspicion”?

    “No, I’m not questioning you, just surprised.” Carol shook her head, looked directly at Shien, and said, “I can sense that these children’s reincarnation cycle seems to have shortened.”

    “Reincarnation cycle?” Shien didn’t understand.

    “The time it takes for a fairy to be reborn as an elf.” Carol explained, “All fairies born from nature have a period of growth before becoming elves. We call this the reincarnation cycle.”

    When they arrived at the Elven Homeland, Melika had also said that fairies born from nature would play in the world while absorbing the magic power of nature. After decades, centuries, or even millennia, they would develop intelligence and wisdom, and then, using the absorbed magic power, transform into human form, becoming elves.

    This period of growth from fairy to elf was the so-called reincarnation cycle.

    And depending on the individual, the fairies’ reincarnation cycles were also completely different, some taking only decades, some centuries, and some even requiring thousands of years.

    The shorter the time, the greater the individual’s talent and the closer they were to nature, possessing astonishing magic power and pure elven blood.

    “Do you know why the elven royalty is different from ordinary elves?” Carol said, “It’s because their reincarnation cycles are very short, so short that they not only develop human-like emotions, but also absorb a trace of divinity from the nature that nurtured them, giving them immense magic power and pure bloodlines.”

    Because the world was created by Omniis, the Supreme God, and nature was created by Nadue, the Goddess of Nature, some exceptionally talented fairies, during their transformation into elves, could absorb a trace of divine power and divinity from nature, becoming beings close to gods, similar to demigods.

    Such beings were the elven royalty.

    That’s why the elven royalty had such a high and special status among the elves.

    In a sense, they were the children, or even avatars, of Nadue, the Goddess of Nature, their magic power and bloodline pure, extremely close to the goddesses of the Divine Race.

    Unfortunately…

    “The conditions for the birth of elven royalty are very harsh.” Carol sighed. “According to records, since the birth of the Elven Race, only three members of the royal family have appeared.”

    This number was incredibly small.

    Shockingly small.

    But perhaps this was normal.

    “Queen Sophie has lived for thousands of years, and the two Elven royals before her must have lived even longer.” Shien shrugged. “And how long is the history of the Elven Race? Isn’t it normal for only three royals to have been born?”

    That was the case.

    Long-lived races had a different concept of time compared to humans.

    Even if each of the three elven royals only lived for five thousand years, that would be fifteen thousand years in total.

    Fifteen thousand years of history could probably cover the entire lifespan of Omnipotence, right?

    After all, Airi had said that she had lived for almost ten thousand years since her birth, and Lilith had also existed for about the same time. And these two, one a Demon Lord second only to the Demon King, the other a Superior God second only to the Supreme God and the Three Goddesses, could be considered among the earliest lifeforms in this world.

    Even if the birth of the Elven Race predated them, it probably wasn’t by much, at most a few tens of thousands of years, right?

    Tens of thousands of years, three royals born, accounting for at least fifteen thousand years of the Elven Race’s history. Considering the elves’ lifespans, although not many, it wasn’t too few either.

    “Perhaps.” Carol didn’t deny it, but looked directly at Shien and said, “But that’s not what I want to talk about. What I want to know is what you did that caused the fairies’ reincarnation cycles to shorten.”

    What did this mean?

    It meant that Shien had a way to make fairies transform into elves quickly.

    This was no small matter for the Elven Race.

    “If there’s a way to shorten the fairies’ reincarnation cycles, then the birth rate of elves will also increase, our small population will grow, and the Elven Race will become stronger and more prosperous.”

    “Moreover, shortening the reincarnation cycle will also greatly enhance the talent and magic power of the newborn elves.”

    “And even more so, if we can use this to facilitate the birth of elven royalty, the benefits for the Elven Race would be immense.”

    Carol stared intently at Shien, making him feel uneasy.

    But Shien also understood why this usually rigid vice-commander was now so calm.

    It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Shien’s provocation, but her mind was completely occupied by this astonishing matter.

    If it were anyone else, they would probably be too excited to jump up and down. Only elves, with their naturally kind, pure, and indifferent nature, could restrain themselves.

    “This…”

    Shien was a bit dumbfounded.

    What was going on?

    He had only given these fairies some magic power, and it caused such a huge impact?

    Was he truly the chosen one?

    …That’s ridiculous, right?

    Shien could only turn his gaze to the fairies around him.

    The fairies, noticing Shien’s gaze, thought he wanted to give them more magic power and play with them, immediately flew over and surrounded him again, looking excited and happy.

    Shien subconsciously wanted to release his magic power.

    But Carol was still staring at him vigilantly, making Shien a bit worried.

    (If she finds out that my magic power is the reason for the shortening of the fairies’ reincarnation cycles, will I be treated like a magic power juicer, drained dry every day, and forced to contribute to the reproduction of the Elven Race?)

    Thinking of this, Shien was afraid.

    Of course, he wasn’t afraid of the Elven Race harming him.

    With his strength, he wasn’t completely helpless against them.

    He was afraid that they wouldn’t use force, but seduction.

    Could he resist that?

    Shien had no confidence.

    He wasn’t some protagonist with unshakeable willpower.

    If a race full of beautiful girls like the Elven Race used a honey trap on him, Shien was certain that he would instantly fall.

    He was a normal man and couldn’t resist the temptation of beautiful women.

    If they didn’t actively seduce him, he could still avoid them because of his dislike of trouble, like when he first encountered Vivian’s squad and Lucy.

    But what if they actively seduced him?

    Then he had to mention a certain unusually proactive girl, Diere, who had already completely captivated him.

    So, please forgive him, he was just a normal, and pathetic, man.

    If the elves used this tactic, Shien felt that the probability of him falling into their gentle trap and living a life of debauchery was 99.99%.

    (See? I told you I’m not protagonist material!)

    Shien knew himself very well.

    Expecting him to be like those protagonists in novels from his past life, seeing through worldly temptations and achieving enlightenment, was just ridiculous.

    Therefore…

    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

    Shien looked at Carol with a serious expression.

    “You don’t know?”

    Carol was stunned.

    “That’s right.” Shien said righteously, “Do I look like someone capable of such a thing?”

    Carol stared at Shien.

    After a while, Carol sighed.

    “Indeed, you don’t.”

    Carol muttered in disappointment.

    “…”

    Shien was silent.

    Although this was the result he wanted…

    Why did he feel like hitting someone?

  • Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 126

    Chapter 126: Where Are You Kissing?!

    The Dengjia Village where they were filming Reality Online was a small village. After spending a day there, most of them could tell that something was… off. Building an entire village just for a twelve-day reality show was quite extravagant.

    And why build a new village instead of using an existing one? That was the question they had. But with their living standards reduced to plain rice and pickled cucumbers, they no longer cared.

    Perhaps because it was built specifically for the show, the village, as they had seen, was quite small, only a dozen or so houses.

    Dengjia Village was surrounded by mountains on one side and open fields on the other three. They had arrived at an open space near the village entrance the day before. The tiled houses and thatched huts provided by the show were near the back of the village. Beyond the village, there was a small hill.

    The area to the right of the village was cordoned off with warning tape. Before letting them explore, the crew had warned them not to cross the line, the penalty being 200 coins. Although curious about the structures visible in the distance, they looked at their meager pouches and suppressed their curiosity.

    The team challenge today was held on the open space to the left of the village, with the platform, the haystacks, and the boards. Since they hadn’t been there yesterday, it must have been set up overnight. But regardless, this elaborate setup had ultimately benefited Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou.

    The challenge location being outside the village, if they returned to the bathroom to check Ji Junxin’s knee, they would have to walk a long way, which could worsen the injury.

    Was she really hurt, or just pretending… was it a real injury, or just an act? Mi Hongdou couldn’t figure out Ji Junxin’s intentions.

    “It’s too far to go back, let me check it first,” she said, squatting down to examine Ji Junxin’s leg.

    Ji Junxin, her eyes still teary, took two steps back.

    Mi Hongdou: “…” Doesn’t want the wound to be seen?

    A crew member ran over and handed them a first-aid kit.

    Mi Hongdou took it and beckoned Ji Junxin. “Let’s go back.”

    Ji Junxin reluctantly followed.

    “Um… need any help?” Jiang Lingling, feeling like a third wheel, finally found a chance to speak.

    Mi Hongdou, looking at Ji Junxin, who was limping slightly, hesitated.

    Ji Junxin glared at Mi Hongdou and then politely declined Jiang Lingling’s offer to carry, piggyback, or even lift her back.

    The online viewers mentally high-fived Ji Junxin for rejecting the unwanted help.

    Mi Hongdou, frowning and sneezing, caught up and supported Ji Junxin, holding the first-aid kit.

    “Should we have a doctor check on Ji Junxin?” a concerned staff member asked.

    The director turned off his loudspeaker. “It was just a fall on flat ground, it can’t be that serious, probably just a bruise. We can have a doctor check later if there’s a problem.”

    “But…” the staff member started.

    Another staff member showed her his phone, refreshing the live stream page.

    The screen was flooded with comments like, “Xiaomi, don’t be a coward, don’t let anyone else carry your wife!” “Xinxin, don’t cry, Mi Hongdou will kiss it better!” “What good is kissing? Licking makes it better!” “That’s dirty, but I like it!” “Plus one!” “Plus two!” “Plus three!” … “We demand bathroom cameras!” “Cameras plus one!” “Plus two!” “Plus three!” …

    Okay… the staff member thought, a doctor is probably unnecessary. Love cures all, it seems.

    The second staff member, a secret member of the “Sweet Red Bean Soup” group, put away her phone, satisfied, and went to tell the doctor to check on Ji Junxin later.

    For CP fans, love can indeed cure all. But… a doctor is still needed.

    As they walked back, Ji Junxin’s tears stopped, and her limp gradually disappeared. Mi Hongdou, relieved, figured it wasn’t a serious injury.

    But while Ji Junxin’s leg seemed fine, Mi Hongdou’s problems were just beginning.

    On the way back, she kept asking, “How are you feeling?” “Does it still hurt?” “Can you walk?” “Should I get a doctor?”

    Ji Junxin just kept walking, answering with nods or shakes of her head.

    At first, Mi Hongdou thought she was just in pain and didn’t want to talk. But when they reached their house, and Mi Hongdou eagerly went towards the bathroom with the first-aid kit, Ji Junxin stopped.

    “What’s wrong?” Mi Hongdou pulled her hand. “Let’s go to the bathroom.”

    Ji Junxin pouted and didn’t move.

    Mi Hongdou froze, then felt a jolt.

    Isn’t this the classic start of a tantrum? Unhappy, stubborn, pouting, just missing a “hmph”!

    Mi Hongdou glanced at the cameras, then at the cameramen… This was stressful!

    Why is she throwing a tantrum? No, the question now isn’t ‘why,’ but ‘what to do’…

    Ji Junxin wasn’t exactly throwing a tantrum, she was just unhappy and didn’t want to go to the bathroom. Her leg wasn’t hurting much anymore, she could walk fine, hmph!

    Just as she was sulking, about to return to her own room, she felt something brush against her palm, a ticklish sensation.

    She looked at her hand, which was being held by Mi Hongdou, then realized that it wasn’t “something,” it was Mi Hongdou’s finger.

    “Don’t worry, there won’t be any cockroaches in the bathroom in broad daylight, and I’m here,” Mi Hongdou said, looking at her with a gentle smile, her finger tracing patterns on Ji Junxin’s palm.

    Ji Junxin could tell the difference between an unintentional touch and a deliberate caress, just like she understood the hidden meaning in Mi Hongdou’s words… a clear invitation…

    And because she understood, she felt…

    A warmth spread through her, and she bit her lip, suppressing the rising desire, mentally cursing Mi Hongdou, then obediently let herself be led into the bathroom.

    Click, the lock turned, a private, soundproof space.

    Mi Hongdou reached for her pants leg, Ji Junxin pulled back and turned away.

    Mi Hongdou looked confused, Ji Junxin turned her head further, a haughty expression on her face.

    Mi Hongdou pointed at her leg, making a gesture of rolling up her pants, Ji Junxin continued to look away, still haughty.

    Mi Hongdou sighed and offered the first-aid kit. Ji Junxin took another step back, still looking away.

    Mi Hongdou: “…”

    “Put on some medicine…” Mi Hongdou, still being filmed, could only say appropriate things.

    Ji Junxin turned her head slightly, a silent accusation in her eyes.

    Mi Hongdou surrendered.

    “What did I do? Are you angry?” she mouthed silently.

    “You were willing to let Jiang Lingling carry me!” Ji Junxin mouthed back.

    Mi Hongdou was shocked and silently protested, “I wasn’t!”

    “You hesitated! You almost agreed!” Ji Junxin’s silent accusation was clear.

    It was because I was worried about your leg! I only hesitated, I didn’t agree! Mi Hongdou wanted to argue, but looking at Ji Junxin’s slightly red eyes, her heart softened.

    What was the point of arguing? What was there to gain from winning against the person she liked? And besides… she really shouldn’t have hesitated!

    “I was wrong…” Mi Hongdou mouthed sincerely and gently pulled Ji Junxin’s arm.

    Ji Junxin fell into her arms.

    Mi Hongdou, who had just wanted to get her attention, looked at Ji Junxin, who nestled against her, seemingly finding a comfortable position. “…”

    “Let me see your knee,” she said, gently pushing Ji Junxin away.

    Ji Junxin, still pouting, stood up straight and let Mi Hongdou roll up her pants leg.

    Both legs rolled up, Mi Hongdou was relieved. One knee was slightly red, the other had a small bruise, nothing serious. To be safe, she gently pressed on Ji Junxin’s kneecaps. Ji Junxin said they didn’t hurt, and Mi Hongdou was relieved.

    “There’s some bruising, do you want ice, or some ointment? There’s safflower oil, I can rub it on for you,” Mi Hongdou said, rummaging through the first-aid kit.

    Ji Junxin sniffed the safflower oil and firmly refused.

    “Does it still hurt?” Mi Hongdou put it away.

    Ji Junxin moved her leg, shook her head, then, her eyes darting around, nodded.

    “Does it hurt or not?” Mi Hongdou was confused.

    “It hurts…” Ji Junxin said softly, then mouthed silently, “Then… what should we do?”

    Mi Hongdou: “…” Why mouth “what should we do” silently! It makes it sound… suggestive!

    After last night, the bathroom had become a place of… memories. And Ji Junxin, repeatedly bringing her here… And now, that silent, suggestive question… Mi Hongdou thought she understood.

    Bending down, amused and exasperated, she gently touched Ji Junxin’s bruised knee, then softly kissed it.

    Ji Junxin, as if electrocuted, jumped back.

    Mi Hongdou, straightening up, her teeth almost chattering from the sudden movement, looked at Ji Junxin, who was clutching her knee, her face flushed, as if she had just been… molested.

    What the…

    They looked at each other, the same thought in their minds.

    “Why did you kiss…” Ji Junxin started, then stopped, her face burning, her lips pressed together, pointing at her knee.

    “Didn’t you just ask ‘what should we do,’ meaning ‘kiss it and make it better’?” Mi Hongdou mouthed, also shocked. She had thought she was finally on the same wavelength as Ji Junxin, but…

    That was indeed what she meant… Ji Junxin’s face turned even redder. “But I meant…” She mouthed the words, pointing at her lips.

    So kissing your knee is more embarrassing than kissing your lips? Mi Hongdou couldn’t understand Ji Junxin’s logic.

    When Mi Hongdou kissed her knee, she had been reminded of the birthing scene, the strange sensations, she couldn’t tell Mi Hongdou even if they were now a couple! Ji Junxin’s face was burning.

    Ji Junxin’s blushing face, her lowered head… Mi Hongdou’s mouth felt dry. She had no resistance to Ji Junxin’s subtle (or not so subtle) advances.

    But… she didn’t need any resistance, did she?

    She leaned closer, Ji Junxin’s scent, familiar and alluring…

    Ji Junxin, embarrassed by the memories of the birthing scene, had closed her eyes. Now, her flushed face, her long lashes fluttering slightly, she looked incredibly tempting.

    The microphones are still on, I have to control my breathing, I’ll just give her a quick kiss, I have to be rational… Mi Hongdou didn’t dare to put her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist, afraid of losing control, she just gently held her clothes and leaned closer.

    Their lips touched, a chaste kiss, even more so than their first.

    “Mmm~”

    A soft moan escaped Ji Junxin’s lips, and their eyes met.

    Ji Junxin quickly covered her mouth.

  • Malicious Female Lead’s Guide to Causing Trouble [Quick Transmigration] 63p1

    Chapter Sixty-Three p1

    Times were tough. The girl selling herself to bury her father knelt on the street for a long time, from day to nightfall, with the evening breeze blowing, but no one paid her any attention.

    When Bo Chi walked up to her, she saw that the girl was hanging her head, with water droplets on the ground in front of her knees. Bo Chi squatted down, lifted the girl’s face by her chin, and looked at her.

    The girl’s eyes were filled with tears, her face a mixture of confusion and helplessness, her mind seemingly muddled, instinctively repeating the pleas she had been uttering for a long time: “I am selling myself to bury my father, I don’t ask for money, I only ask that my father be buried properly, so that he doesn’t suffer the indignity of being left exposed in the wilderness. Kind sirs, please help me.“

    Bo Chi tilted her head: “Does it have to be a sir? Can’t I buy you?“

    The girl didn’t react for a moment, but after realizing what Bo Chi meant, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she sobbed: “Yes, yes, thank you, miss! Thank you, benefactor!“

    Bo Chi took out some broken silver from her bosom, put the money in her hand, and said: “Go and bury your father. When you’re done, come to this inn and look for me.”

    The girl subconsciously clutched the silver, and seeing Bo Chi stand up and want to leave, she suddenly raised her voice in astonishment: “Aren’t you coming with me? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll take your money and run away?“

    Bo Chi said gently: “Although we’ve only met once, I can see that you are a good girl who values relationships.“

    The girl stood there in a daze, and after a while, she stammered: “Benefactor, miss, m-my name is Fu Shuang, frost’s frost!“

    Bo Chi had already taken two steps. Hearing the voice, she looked back and smiled, her eyes bright like the begonia flowers in the mountains: “My name is Bo Chi, wings’ wings.”

    Bo Chi was very fast. After quickly completing the transaction, she lifted her skirt and returned to the inn, and told the waiter to bring new water.

    When she returned to the room, she saw Yu Zhao, who was supposed to be studying the compass, standing by the open window, her back to her, silent.

    Bo Chi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    If she remembered correctly, standing in Yu Zhao’s position, it seemed that she could clearly see Fu Shuang’s… stall?

    Then, her hasty purchase of a person just now, couldn’t Yu Zhao have seen it from beginning to end?!

    Bo Chi was panicked and scared, she swallowed nervously, and carefully pulled the opened door back little by little. Just as she was about to close it, Yu Zhao’s cold voice came: “Where else do you want to go? Personally help someone bury their father?“

    “…”

    As expected, she had been discovered.

    Bo Chi gritted her teeth, suppressed the panic in her heart, pretended to be calm and stepped into the room, and teased as usual: “Speaking so sourly, Master, are you jealous?“

    Yu Zhao turned around, and didn’t avoid the topic or scold her as before, but instead, with a gloomy face, admitted for the first time: “So what if I am?“

    Bo Chi was immediately speechless.

    How was she supposed to respond to this?

    And this scene was also different from what she had imagined!

    Shouldn’t ordinary people confess directly when they were jealous?

    Yu Zhao said she was jealous so calmly… where did she look jealous at all!

    Bo Chi was a little confused. Seeing Yu Zhao staring at her, seemingly waiting for her to give a reasonable explanation, she calmed down and deliberately said: “Oh? Then in what capacity are you jealous? Master Yu took my body, and the next day you turned your back on me, refusing to take responsibility. Now that I’ve seen through it, and want to be with someone else, how can Master Yu have the face to question me?“

    Yu Zhao’s expression froze. It was indeed her fault. Her jealousy subsided a little, and she pursed her lips and explained: “I’m not unwilling to take responsibility. If I’m lucky enough to kill that ghost in the future, I will definitely marry you with a grand wedding.“

    Bo Chi turned her face away, and said sadly: “I’m not afraid of ghosts, and I don’t want to think about the future, I just want to know your heart. If we have mutual feelings, then even if we’re only husband and wife for a day, I’m willing.“

    Yu Zhao’s heart throbbed: “But I can’t bear to make you sad, to make you face danger…“

    Bo Chi was silent for a while, and then said with a cold face: “Okay, then please don’t meddle in my business in the future, Master Yu. Even if I take in seven or eight women and spend every night with them, it has nothing to do with you!“

    Yu Zhao’s face tightened, and she grabbed her hand faster than her thoughts, full of jealousy: “No! I won’t allow it!“

    Bo Chi didn’t struggle, and just looked up at her quietly.

    The air was silent for a while. After a long time, Yu Zhao sighed deeply, pulled Bo Chi’s arm, hugged her, and said resignedly: “I was wrong, I was too self-righteous, ignoring your thoughts, and imposing my own ideas on you. I know I’m despicable, wanting you to live a peaceful life on the one hand, but unable to let go and hindering your choices everywhere on the other hand.“

    “I’m sorry, Chi Niang.” Yu Zhao apologized softly, and then said seriously: “I already know I was wrong, I just hope… you can give me another chance.“

    Bo Chi blinked: “What chance?“

    Yu Zhao looked at her intently, and said seriously: “The chance to be with me, to marry me.“

    Bo Chi’s almond eyes lit up, and as if to confirm something, she asked persistently: “Are you with me because you love me, or just because you want to take responsibility?“

    Yu Zhao answered without hesitation: “Naturally, it’s because I love you, Chi Niang, I like you.“

    Bo Chi couldn’t help but curl her lips, her smile like a pool of spring wine, intoxicating: “I like you too, Ah Zhao.“

    The two of them had mutual feelings, their eyes met, and they leaned closer and closer.

    Just as their lips were about to touch, the waiter knocked on the door outside: “Guest officer, the new water is here!“

    Yu Zhao froze, still wanting to ignore him and continue kissing Bo Chi, but Bo Chi pushed her away with a red face, gathered her hair, and said: “Come in.“

    After the water was changed, Bo Chi also calmed down, smiled at Yu Zhao, and said: “You go take a bath quickly, don’t wait until the water gets cold, you’ll catch a cold.“

    Yu Zhao, who had just confirmed their relationship, couldn’t help but touch her, playing with and kneading her soft fingers, and whispered: “After I finish washing, I want to see that you haven’t gone anywhere, and are waiting for me in the room.“

    Bo Chi knew that she was afraid that she would go buy another girl, and said with a wry smile: “Okay.”

    Yu Zhao stared at her, her deep gaze gradually becoming heated: “Not only in the room, but also on the bed.“

    Bo Chi immediately understood what she meant, and nodded with a red face.

    After Yu Zhao went behind the screen, Bo Chi thought for a while, and took out her thin red dress again.

    That night, Yu Zhao was indeed very excited, and tore the already thin red dress to pieces. The bright red strips of cloth wrapped around Bo Chi’s snow-white body, making Yu Zhao’s fingers itch, and she kept tasting until dawn.

    When the sky turned slightly white, Fu Shuang also buried her father overnight. She still had some of the silver Bo Chi gave her left. Clutching the small amount of broken silver, she came to the inn nervously and with some anticipation.

    The waiter was about to take her to Bo Chi when he looked up and saw Jin Xi and the others coming downstairs for breakfast. He casually pointed: “There, the person you’re looking for is with them, you can just go over and ask.“

    There weren’t many people in the inn in the morning. Jin Xi and the others heard the movement and turned their heads to look.

    After learning that Fu Shuang was the girl Bo Chi bought, Jin Xi couldn’t help but have a subtle expression: “What is Chi Niang trying to do? Even if she wants to stimulate Master Yu, there’s no need to keep taking in girls…“

    Liu Qinger comforted the uneasy Fu Shuang, and said with a light smile when she heard this: “Perhaps Chi Niang is just kind-hearted, and can’t bear to see the girls suffer, so she found an excuse to take us in.“

    Jin Xi was stunned: “Is that so? Then I misunderstood Chi Niang.“

    She blamed herself a little embarrassedly, and Fu Shuang listened quietly on the side, and felt inexplicably disappointed when she learned that Bo Chi had taken in more than just her.

    The few of them sat down at the table and ordered a few small dishes. When the porridge was served, Yu Zhao and Bo Chi still hadn’t come down.

    They felt strange, and since Hua Ci insisted on going to find Bo Chi, they had to go upstairs and take a look.

    When they arrived at Yu Zhao’s door, Jin Xi was about to knock when the door was suddenly opened from inside. Bo Chi, wrapped in Yu Zhao’s clothes, bumped out and straight into Jin Xi’s arms.

    Jin Xi: “Pfft— Cough, cough, cough.“

    She was almost knocked out, and after coughing for a while, she keenly noticed something was wrong, and said with a trembling voice: “W-Why do I feel like my voice has become rougher again?“

    Bo Chi, who had been having fun all night and almost forgot to maintain her physical body, looked innocent, secretly absorbed the yin energy she had just obtained, and pretended to be deaf and dumb: “Really? Hasn’t your voice always been this rough?“

    Liu Qinger also nodded: “Yes, it doesn’t seem to be any different.“

    Fu Shuang was shocked: “So your voice isn’t natural?“

    Jin Xi was dumbfounded: “Of course not! And I clearly felt that it had been getting better recently!… Could it be that it was just an illusion?“

    Bo Chi patted her head with a smile, then patted the shoulders of the other snacks one by one, and then asked: “Why did you all come to my door instead of eating breakfast? By the way, this is Miss Fu Shuang, and also your future sister. It seems that you’ve already talked to her.“

    Jin Xi was still in a daze, so Liu Qinger could only nod: “Yes, we’ve already learned about Miss Fu Shuang’s identity. We were originally planning to wait for Chi Niang and the others to come down for breakfast, but we didn’t see you for a long time, and Hua Ci is very clingy to you, refusing to eat without seeing you, so we came up to see if something had delayed you.“

    Bo Chi smiled and pinched Hua Ci’s thin face, and shook her head: “We’re fine, we were just about to go down. Don’t make a fuss, Xiao Hua Ci, go and eat with your sisters obediently.“

    Hua Ci kept looking at her without saying a word. When Bo Chi was about to withdraw her hand, she hugged Bo Chi’s arm, pointed at Bo Chi’s neck, and said seriously: “You were bitten by a poisonous insect!“

    The others were startled, and gathered around Bo Chi to look closely: “Being bitten by a poisonous insect is not a small matter, Chi Niang, do you want to see a doctor?“

    “Has the bite mark spread? Why is it so red?“

    “Oh! It’s not just your neck, there seems to be more below, don’t cover it, Chi Niang, this is not a trivial matter!“

    Bo Chi didn’t know how to explain, and awkwardly covered her collar.

    A voice came from behind her, still carrying a bit of laziness: “It wasn’t a poisonous insect, it was me.“

    The anxious Jin Xi, Liu Qinger, and the others froze, looked at Bo Chi, who was chuckling, and then at Yu Zhao, who came out and hugged Bo Chi. Finally, they stared at the ambiguous mark for a while, and said with twitching mouths: “So, so that’s it, we misunderstood…“

    The atmosphere was a little awkward, and Hua Ci was still confused.

    Seeing that the little girl was about to ask, Jin Xi covered her mouth, picked her up, and coughed lightly: “Since it’s nothing, let’s go downstairs and eat.“

  • Transformed into a Female Villain, But Captured by My Beautiful Girl Disciples v2c33

    33. Who Am I Supposed to Spar With?

     

    The news of the Flame Python’s death quickly spread throughout the capital with Emperor Shangguan Long’s tacit approval.

    Many in the city had heard the python’s dying words, thus speculating that the one who killed it was a cultivator from the Great One Engineering Sect, whose cultivation was at least at the Immortal Mansion realm.

    When Gong Yiling and the two girls returned to Shangguan Lingyue’s manor, the general, who shouldn’t have been there at this time, greeted them and asked, “Was it really your master who did it?”

    Qiu Shui was confused. “Ah… what is it?”

    “The Flame Python!” Shangguan Lingyue, ignoring the inconspicuous Gong Yiling, asked excitedly, “Did your master kill it?”

    “Kill it?”

    “You didn’t know?” Shangguan Lingyue stroked her chin, puzzled. “I thought you would. The Flame Python is dead, and it seems to have been killed by a cultivator from the Great One Engineering Sect. Besides your master, who else could it be around here?”

    “Dead!?”

    Qiu Shui covered her mouth in disbelief.

    Heavens!

    That Flame Python was a Heavenly Venerable demonic beast, but her master… ahem.

    She glanced at Gong Yiling…

    Wait, where was she?

    Master was just here.

    “And your master wasn’t even in the city today. She was either at the manor or in the palace—ah.”

    Strong martial artists often admired and sought to challenge those stronger than themselves.

    Gong Yiling had just changed her outfit and returned when Shangguan Lingyue approached, thumping her own chest.

    “Immortal Master, you are now my goal!”

    “Because of the Flame Python?”

    “Yes!”

    “Ah… haha, haha.” Gong Yiling scratched the back of her head. “Actually… you could have done it too.”

    It was true. Anyone could have done it. Wear a Flame King Soft Hedgehog Armor, grab an Immortal Artifact, absorb some venom, get launched by a bouncy net, hit the python’s vital point, then chop off its head.

    It didn’t even require any skill!

    “Immortal Master, you’re too modest.” Shangguan Lingyue shook her head. “I once tried to drive it away with Brother Yan, but we were defeated and almost died.”

    “To single-handedly kill the Flame Python is no easy feat.”

    Gong Yiling felt a bit smug from her praise. “Was I really that amazing? Haha, haha, hahaha.”

    “So—”

    Shangguan Lingyue suddenly bowed, cupping her fists. “I’m bored staying in the city, and there’s no action on the front lines. Please enlighten me, Immortal Master. Let us spar!”

    “Haha… huh?” Gong Yiling almost bit her tongue. “What did you say?”

    Shangguan Lingyue said seriously, “I wish to spar with you, to learn and improve myself.”

    —*I’m not the one you want to spar with!*

    What level was Shangguan Lingyue again? If she remembered correctly, she was around Earthly Nether realm. Before his corruption, even Shangguan Qingyun wouldn’t dare offend her, and even Shangguan Long had to show her respect.

    In the entire Heartflame Empire, Shangguan Lingyue was undoubtedly among the top ten strongest.

    And such a powerful figure wanted to spar with her for guidance?

    She would be beaten into a pulp.

    “Um…” Gong Yiling cleared her throat. “I’ve suffered some poison injuries and need to recuperate. I’m not fit for combat today.”

    “Then tomorrow.”

    “Tomorrow is also not suitable.”

    “Then the day after tomorrow.”

    “The day after tomorrow is also not suitable.”

    “Then when will you be available, Immortal Master?”

    “A certain immortal told me I shouldn’t engage in combat for at least a hundred days.”

    This was a blatant refusal, but Shangguan Lingyue wasn’t discouraged. “It’s fine. Whenever you’re free, Immortal Master. I’m not in a hurry.”

    —*You’re not in a hurry, but I am!*

    Gong Yiling twitched her lips. “So, you just want to improve your cultivation?”

    “Yes.”

    “The Shangguan family’s martial arts technique is called the Supreme Martial Brilliance Dust Technique. It combines inner cultivation and martial skills. Although it’s quite comprehensive, two lines are missing from the ancestral oral tradition, limiting martial cultivators to the Earthly Nether realm.”

    Her words stunned Shangguan Lingyue.

    If before she had simply been eager for a challenge, now it was different.

    “How… how did you know that?”

    “How I know is not important.” Gong Yiling said, “The important thing is, I know the missing lines.”

    “They are…?”

    “Even if odds remain unchanged, signs determine quadrants.”

    After casually dropping this line, the almost laughably nonsensical cultivation mantra, Miss Gong turned and left with Qiu Shui and Lu Xinyao, leaving Shangguan Lingyue standing there, dumbfounded.

    A single sentence awakened the dreamer.

    —

    —

    “So…” Qiu Shui looked back at the stunned Shangguan Lingyue and asked, “Did Master really kill the Flame Python?”

    “In the end, yes,” Gong Yiling admitted, sticking out her tongue. “But the process was… a bit metaphysical.”

    “Metaphysical?”

    “You wouldn’t understand if you’ve never played gacha games.” Gong Yiling waved her hand. “It was as lucky as me pulling you three from the vast crowd.”

    One was the destined one of the Cloud Rainbow Sect, one was a Divine Phoenix Fox Demon, and one was the inheritor of the Seven Treasures Universe Talisman Secret Art.

    She was a professional at gacha games!

    “Metaphysics can allow someone to kill a Heavenly Venerable Flame Python across several realms?” Qiu Shui still couldn’t comprehend it.

    No one could. If such a thing was possible, the entire power system of this world would collapse.

    “It was actually quite logical,” Gong Yiling mumbled. “My mother’s preparations, a sword hilt I don’t even remember putting in my ring, plus a bit of luck and skill, and it was done.”

    “A bit of luck?”

    “Yes, a lot of luck.”

    Seeing Gong Yiling’s confident expression, Qiu Shui bit her lip and suddenly hugged her tightly.

    This was the first time Miss Gong had been hugged by a beautiful girl so proactively. She froze. “Qiu Shui?”

    “Mmm…”

    “What’s wrong?”

    “Nothing. Just hugging you for a bit.”

    Looking at the girl’s trembling eyelashes, Gong Yiling chuckled. “I worried you, didn’t I?”

     

  • The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v2c71

    Chapter 71: A Lose-Lose Situation, A Part of the White Witch 

    Victoria.

    In a remote corner of a bustling market stood a dilapidated shop that looked like it had seen better days. Sparsely arranged on the shelves were various jars of spices.

    No one would have guessed that the old man who had run this shop for decades was a Company director.

    The Old Man who appeared here looked different from the one Luo Ling had seen in the cabin, appearing much older. The image in the cabin was like him from ten or twenty years ago.

    “Cough, cough…“

    Another bout of violent coughing wracked his body. The Old Man tossed the blood-soaked handkerchief into a nearby wastebasket, which was filled with similar handkerchiefs, not just from today, but stained with long-dried blood.

    “…Your injuries are much worse than before.”

    The Woman’s avatar stood beside him, her clear voice betraying no emotion. Even though the Old Man was on the verge of death, her expression remained unconcerned, as if it were nothing serious.

    “Somewhat,” the Old Man said, his frail body hunched over, hands tucked into his sleeves. “Otherwise… I wouldn’t have called you for help.”

    Like Philosopher, the Old Man carried lingering injuries, stemming from a battle with Philosopher years ago that had decimated the Harbingers.

    Despite their victory, the Old Man hadn’t had time to recover, as he had to constantly maintain the barrier enveloping Victoria.

    Whether it was monitoring Victoria or activating countermeasures against the Harbingers at critical moments, the Old Man had no choice, even as his injuries worsened.

    “But… I couldn’t help much,” the Woman said, her expression darkening as she recalled the power she had encountered, seemingly lost in thought.

    A power capable of completely annihilating abilities, not just the Destined Death they had inflicted upon Fiona, but even more terrifying… the Old Man and the Woman had temporarily lost the ability to use Destined Death.

    Although they could likely regain this sure-kill move through trial and error, for the time being, it would be difficult for the three of them to fully control the situation in Victoria.

    This power that could erase concepts reminded them of the Realm of Nothingness. There seemed to be some similarities, but they couldn’t be certain.

    “If the Harbingers have obtained the power of the Seventh Path, the ‘Origin Point of Change’ will surely face a catastrophe,” Philosopher whispered. “Moreover, Fiona’s life has been saved by them. It’s only a matter of time before she reveals that secret. We’ve unknowingly… fallen behind, Woman.”

    Everything had started with Fiona entrusting Luo Ling, a member of the Company’s Wellington branch, to enter the Realm of Nothingness. Victoria, which had been maintaining a delicate balance, was like a pond disturbed by a thrown stone, the ripples spreading and expanding, until a storm surged forth.

    “We must admit, this time… we’ve failed.” The Old Man raised his head. The golden eye hadn’t faded, the ritualistic pattern within still faintly visible. This was the Old Man’s Authority Sacred Tool.

    But unlike other Authority Sacred Tool wielders, the Old Man had embedded this Sacred Tool into his body, making it a part of him, the ritualistic pattern constantly active, completely fused with the Sacred Tool.

    Therefore, this Authority Sacred Tool not only granted the Old Man its Authority in a unique way, but had also become a part of him.

    The Grotesquery from which this complete Authority Sacred Tool originated had fallen into Silent Demise, leaving only its Sacred Relic, which was forged into this Sacred Tool, the foundation of the Old Man’s decades-long struggle against Philosopher.

    Hearing the Old Man’s dejected voice, the Woman remained silent for a long time before slowly asking, “So, what… do you plan to do next?”

    The Old Man didn’t immediately answer, instead closing his eyes and leaning back on the shop’s only recliner, gently rocking as if lost in thought.

    The Woman wasn’t anxious, simply waiting quietly in the shop for the Old Man’s answer.

    Customers entered the shop to buy spices, but the Old Man remained motionless, as if he hadn’t heard them.

    Instead, the Woman skillfully introduced the shop’s few remaining products, even making a few sales, neatly stacking the coins and banknotes by the counter.

    Perhaps due to the Woman’s old-fashioned attire and the Old Man’s idleness, this odd couple seemed to be mistaken for something else by passersby, curious and strange gazes occasionally peering through the shop window.

    It wasn’t until late at night, when a blood-soaked young man pushed open the door and entered the shop, that the seemingly sleeping Old Man finally opened his eyes and softly asked,

    “Boy, what’s the situation?”

    The Old Man had been waiting for another crucial reply, a reply that would directly influence his final decision.

    “…It’s bad.”

    The Boy’s deep, heavy voice echoed as he walked over and grabbed the water pitcher from the counter, gulping it down.

    Only after he exhaled heavily did the intense bloodlust emanating from him subside, revealing an unconcealed killing intent.

    The Woman looked up at the Boy, waiting for his report.

    She knew nothing about the task the Old Man had assigned to the Boy.

    But… this wasn’t the first time. Since they weren’t sure who among the three was the Historian, they often kept important matters hidden from each other.

    This was true between the Old Man and the Boy, the Old Man and the Woman, and even between the Boy and the Woman, each having secret backup plans to prevent the worst-case scenario.

    Even though the Old Man and Philosopher had been fighting for years, both severely injured, they still couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that the Old Man was the Historian.

    The famous Eastern stratagem, “the empty fort strategy,” illustrated the danger of such schemes. They couldn’t let their guard down.

    “Cheng Jianming is indeed dead. The cause of death is unknown, but I’ve retrieved a fragment of his soul.” The Boy took out a small cross pendant. A faint, male figure could be seen trapped within, its expression filled with pain.

    This was a Sacred Tool for collecting souls. The more complete the body and the shorter the time since death, the more complete the collected soul and the more information it contained.

    If the death was recent and only the physical body had ceased functioning, even the complete soul could be preserved. This was what Cheng Jianming had intended to do to Luo Ling.

    Of course, the soul and consciousness were separate. Even if a dead person’s soul was revived, it would only give birth to a new consciousness. Even if it could recall the memories within the soul, it would still be a completely different person.

    Judging from Cheng Jianming’s fragmented and mangled soul, his death… wasn’t peaceful.

    The memories within were also fragmented, but they clearly showed him slaughtering the Twintails team, Luo Ling and Elsa turning into blood mist under his sword.

    All the memories matched the scene they had found, with no signs of alteration, but that was all. The rest were just fragmented images.

    The most striking image among them was a deep, heavy whiteness and a pair of terrifying grey eyes.

    “It’s the White Witch. She actually took action herself…”

    But… to kill Cheng Jianming, who possessed an Authority Sacred Tool, without even giving him a chance to escape, this didn’t seem like something the White Witch could do.

    The Company directors had, of course, conducted a thorough analysis of this rare, active High-Risk Grotesquery, along with their investigation of Jiangcheng County.

    Their conclusion was that the White Witch’s weakness was direct combat, but her infiltration abilities were top-tier, able to replace someone’s flesh and blood with fungal threads and control their actions unnoticed.

    The Boy’s next words shocked both the Old Man and the Woman. “I found this fragment of Cheng Jianming’s soul in the Realm of Nothingness.”

    Although the Boy didn’t specify which Realm of Nothingness, his serious and solemn tone implied only one answer.

    The Realm of Nothingness where a Grotesquery capable of annihilating Boundaries was suspected to exist, a very real possibility.

    “Where’s Time?”

    The Old Man asked gravely.

    More important than Cheng Jianming’s life was the Authority Sacred Tool he wielded. If it could be recovered and a suitable wielder found, the Order side’s strength wouldn’t be significantly weakened.

    Among all the Boundaries originating from Victoria, Ninth-Order Awakened Ones weren’t common, but they were definitely more numerous than Authority Sacred Tools.

    “…It’s lost, most likely taken,” the Boy sighed.

    The loss was severe. Even the Company couldn’t easily produce Sacred Tools of this level.

    The only one acquired in the last ten years was forged by Fiona, “Andromeda,” from the Sacred Relic obtained by Lu Fangling, director of the Wellington branch, after she killed a High-Risk Grotesquery.

    Now… forget about finding a suitable High-Risk Grotesquery, even if they had a Sacred Relic, without Fiona, it would be difficult for the Company to produce another P9.

    “Who do you think… is behind this?” The Old Man stared intently at the Boy. The Woman also watched him, awaiting his answer.

    Although they all knew the answer…

    “The Harbingers of Calamity.”

    The three said in unison.

    The collaboration with the White Witch, the disposal of Cheng Jianming’s body in that Realm of Nothingness, and the methods used to rescue Fiona, all clues pointed to the Harbingers.

    This series of actions demonstrated the Harbingers’ continued strength, no weaker than their past glory.

    “We have indeed failed,” the Woman sighed this time.

    All their plans, from the very beginning, had fallen apart, an unprecedented defeat.

    Finally, the Old Man made a difficult decision.

    “I propose initiating a Boundary collapse to stop the Harbingers’ next move.”

    The Woman and the Boy remained silent. The Harbingers now likely possessed the power to annihilate Boundaries. Initiating a collapse at this time seemed too dangerous.

    Was the Old Man truly the Historian? Was he intentionally doing this to let the Harbingers succeed, achieving their goal of burying Victoria?

    Was this risky decision because the Historian had finally chosen their side?

    After a long silence, the Woman raised her hand first.

    “Second.”

    The Boy’s eyes flickered, looking at the struggling remnant of Cheng Jianming’s soul within the cross. He finally sighed and said, “…Second.”

    No matter what, the Company and Victoria… were now at a dead end, teetering on the edge of a cliff.

    But after making this difficult decision, the three seemed to relax slightly.

    “Boy, you personally handle containing the Harbingers,” the Old Man quickly made arrangements. “Woman, you’re in charge of the Boundary collapse. The Gypsy Girl should be back by now. She’ll be very interested in this.”

    The Gypsy Girl was the Harbinger of Disaster, never refusing any disaster, let alone one that could cause Victoria’s collapse.

    Collaborating with the Company was a long-term business proposition that the Gypsy Girl couldn’t refuse.

    That’s why she hadn’t leaked any information, even Fiona’s valuable favor and her skills as a Sacred Tool crafter couldn’t sway her.

    If the Gypsy Girl wasn’t interested, even the Harbinger of Auspicious Timing couldn’t repay the favor.

    The Boy, receiving his instructions, didn’t hesitate, nodding slightly at the Old Man before turning and leaving, taking the bloody aura with him.

    The Woman looked deeply at the Old Man, as if trying to discern his true intentions, before her figure slowly dissipated.

    Now, only the lonely Old Man remained in the spice shop. He sat quietly for a while before standing up shakily and walking towards the counter.

    Like any ordinary shopkeeper, he meticulously organized the counter, rearranging the spices the Woman had disturbed, then collecting the neatly stacked money.

    After tidying up the shop, the Old Man slowly walked back to the recliner and sat down.

    At the same time, the ritualistic pattern on his right eye suddenly activated, the barrier enveloping Victoria showing signs of fracturing.

    “Since I have no hope of success now,” the Old Man murmured, tears of blood flowing from his right eye, “But brother, I won’t let you succeed either.

    “The path to godhood? Nothing but… a joke.”

    ……..

    Under a sky full of stars.

    Strange whispers and murmurs filled her ears as her consciousness fell endlessly, fleeting images and beautiful illusions flashing past, leaving no trace in her memory.

    Finally, a heart-wrenching sob echoed. Before a dark, nameless tombstone, a small figure knelt despairingly on the desolate ground.

    Fragmented memories quickly buried themselves deep within her heart. Her falling consciousness finally reached the bottom, but it wasn’t as hard as she imagined, but surprisingly soft.

    As the whispers and sobs faded, she finally realized she was on the verge of awakening, between the real world and a dream.

    Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes.

    “Was it a nightmare?”

    A gentle, familiar voice sounded. Luo Ling looked up, a familiar golden hue filling her vision, along with a pair of eyes filled with tenderness.

    “Linna? No, wait, you’re… Aunt Fiona.”

    Luo Ling raised her hand, her consciousness returning only when her fingertips gently touched Fiona’s cheek, confirming she was back in the real world.

    Fiona took Luo Ling’s cold, clawed fingers in her warm hands, rubbing them against her cheek and smiling gently.

    “This isn’t a dream anymore.”

    “…I know.”

    Luo Ling blinked. She could distinguish between dreams and reality. Only now did she realize she was resting her head on Aunt Fiona’s lap, no wonder her consciousness felt so soft.

    Luo Ling tried to sit up, but Fiona gently pressed her back down. “Rest a little longer, Luo Ling. You’re exhausted.”

    Fiona gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Luo Ling’s eyes, carefully avoiding the grotesque teal-black scales on her cheeks.

    Even though Luo Ling appeared calm, her struggles and turmoil in her dream hadn’t escaped Fiona’s notice as she watched her sleep.

    What had Miss Luo Ling gone through?

    Fiona didn’t know, but all she could offer now was this safe haven.

    Worried that Luo Ling was still trapped in her dream, she used this physical contact to awaken her.

    “I’m glad you’re alright, Aunt Fiona. Don’t worry about me,” Luo Ling said calmly, her eyes still glowing with their unyielding dark gold vertical pupils. “Did you feel any discomfort while I was unconscious? I might have accidentally hurt you.”

    Luo Ling wasn’t sure if her Devour had harmed Fiona. This was her greatest concern. It was an Authority from Doomsday, a terrifying power capable of annihilating Boundaries.

    Luo Ling could clearly feel how dire her own condition was. Devour seemed to have consumed something extraordinary, causing her Grotesquification to worsen unprecedentedly.

    She could imagine how terrifying and monstrous she looked in the mirror.

    But… the situation had been too critical. If she couldn’t counter the directors’ Destined Death when her inspiration was depleted, Aunt Fiona would surely die.

    Therefore, at the last moment, Luo Ling had been forced to use Grotesquification, completely devouring Destined Death. Even now, she could still faintly sense its presence.

    Unlike before, Destined Death hadn’t transformed into a new form, nor had it become nourishment for her Naraku form. Instead, it had become a special ability she possessed.

    Of course, the actual Destined Death was a combination of three Paths: Sin and Thorn, Present, and Chaos. Luo Ling, currently only possessing the Chaos Path, couldn’t use it.

    And the price she paid… was her current terrifying, monstrous appearance. She was one step closer to Doomsday and one step further from Transcendence.

    “I’m fine, I’m completely fine…”

    Fiona said softly, shaking her head.

    “Mother,” a muffled voice sounded from the doorway. Before Fiona could speak, the voice continued, “It’s me, Linna, not Miss Luo Ling.”

    “Of course I know, Linna,” Fiona said, raising her head with a gentle smile. “How could I not recognize my own daughter’s voice?”

    “You misheard last time,” the muffled voice said, a hint of resentment in its tone.

    “You remembered wrong, Linna,” Fiona said calmly, her voice unwavering.

    “It seems you’ve already met,” Luo Ling said, sitting up abruptly, a strange panic rising in her heart.

    It felt like being caught red-handed while sneaking a snack?

    No, no, she hadn’t stolen anything…

    Seeing Luo Ling escape from her embrace, a flicker of regret crossed Fiona’s face. She composed herself and said,

    “We’ve met, and we haven’t. Linna refused to remove her armor and meet me face-to-face. She wouldn’t let me leave this room either, refusing to tell me anything, saying she would wait for you to wake up.”

    Since it was her daughter’s arrangement, Fiona didn’t question it further, but she vaguely knew she wasn’t in Victoria anymore.

    Even though this room was almost identical to her room in the Victoria Opera House, Fiona could still discern subtle differences.

    She had many guesses, but she was willing to wait for her daughters’ answers.

    “So Linna, you didn’t dare tell Aunt Fiona the truth directly?”

    Luo Ling looked at Linna, who was hiding in her armor, and suddenly wanted to laugh.

    “I just thought it would be better for you to tell her, Miss Luo Ling,” Linna said, much more subdued in front of her mother, like a dog with its tail between its legs.

    “Isn’t it the same?” Luo Ling said.

    “It’s not,” Linna insisted.

    Fiona simply smiled at their bickering, tears welling up in her eyes, but they were tears of warmth.

    She hadn’t expected to witness this scene alive…

    All the hardships, the pain, the struggles—

    It was all worth it.

    “Alright, I’ll tell her.”

    Luo Ling turned to Fiona, took a deep breath, and said gravely, “Aunt Fiona, I hope you can remain calm when you hear what I’m about to tell you.”

    “Hmm?”

    Fiona paused, a puzzled look appearing on her face.

    Under her confused yet expectant gaze, Luo Ling touched her forehead.

    Instantly, the girl’s black hair grew wildly, turning a grotesque white, her body shrinking significantly, even smaller than Elsa.

    A pair of emotionless grey eyes stared coldly ahead, set within a beauty that defied description, giving her a distinctly inhuman appearance.

    Her flowing white hair swayed without a breeze, filling the room. A childish, indifferent voice echoed,

    “Aunt Fiona, you might have seen me like this before, but I still have to reintroduce myself.

    “I am the White Witch. That’s right, Sequence 49 of the Grotesqueries, the White Witch of Silent Demise.”

    Before the shock could register on Fiona’s face, Luo Ling reached out and removed Linna’s helmet, revealing her face covered in grotesque fungal threads. She continued,

    “Your daughter, Linna, is now a part of me. Or, in terms you might understand better, she… is the White Witch, my agent.”

  • Captivating Beauty 71

    Chapter 71

    Xu Jinnan had gone to bed late, but she woke up early, her mind strangely alert, despite the restless sleep.

    The curtains in the guest room were a pale blue and gray, her favorite colors.

    Unlike Shen Shu, who was a light sleeper, sensitive to light, yet always left a gap in the curtains, allowing a sliver of sunlight to stream into the room each morning, illuminating the floor, Xu Jinnan preferred complete darkness, drawing the curtains closed before going to sleep and opening them only after waking up.

    Now, the faint light filtering through the curtains suggested a cloudy day.

    Otherwise, the room would be brighter, allowing her to see more clearly, even just a silhouette.

    Shen Shu lay on her side, her back to Xu Jinnan, her dark hair spread out on the pillow, some of it tucked beneath her shoulder, her posture relaxed.

    Like the aftermath of their lovemaking last night.

    Having changed into a camisole before going to sleep, her back, smooth and pale, was exposed, the bruises on her neck, like dark purple scars, a stark contrast against her skin.

    The sight made Xu Jinnan’s heart ache, and she instinctively reached out, then stopped, afraid of waking Shen Shu.

    She carefully slipped out of bed, put on her slippers, and walked around to Shen Shu’s side of the bed. Shen Shu’s eyes were still slightly puffy from crying last night.

    The blanket was tucked under her arm. It was the pink set, the one Xu Jinnan had used for Cai Ying before.

    Xu Jinnan’s gaze drifted upwards, lingering on the red marks on Shen Shu’s collarbone, similar to the ones on her pajamas last night.

    Did I go too far? she wondered.

    She wasn’t experienced with this, just like with the roses; it had all been trial and error.

    Feeling a sudden warmth spreading through her, she looked away, glancing down at her own pajamas, then went to the closet and quickly grabbed a robe.

    She went to the kitchen, filled the kettle, and started the rice cooker, planning to make beef and egg porridge.

    After washing up, feeling more alert, she finally messaged Viola.

    She had left everything to Viola after bringing Shen Shu home last night.

    But things weren’t over yet; there were still too many unanswered questions.

    “The access card is real, but the ID is fake, and it wasn’t recently registered,” Viola reported, confirming Xu Jinnan’s suspicions. “Like it was prepared in advance.”

    All employees had access cards that could be used to enter the building.

    These cards were issued by the property management team.

    Meaning everyone in the building, including the film crew, had one. But security at Xu Jinnan’s building was tight, and every time a card was used, a record was sent to both the company’s system and the individual’s app.

    If a card was lost or stolen, it could be deactivated immediately.

    Viola had checked the building’s surveillance footage and found the access records, confirming the card wasn’t stolen.

    It was a legitimate card.

    And based on Viola’s investigation, yesterday hadn’t been the first time the woman had used it. Others had seen her, but she had cleverly avoided all the security cameras.

    Meaning…

    “Someone was helping her,” Xu Jinnan said.

    “Yes, it will be difficult to trace the origin of the card. We have a large property management team, and our security has always focused on external threats, neglecting internal security,” Viola explained. “This person is likely one of our employees.”

    After all, access was restricted.

    “Yes,” Viola agreed.

    “That woman isn’t mentally stable. She has a history of stalking Miss Shen near the university. Someone saw her and called the police. But she was released after a few days, her family claiming she was mentally ill…”

    Xu Jinnan glanced towards the guest room, then went to the balcony. “So, they just let her go?”

    “As far as I know, she was only detained for a month. I checked her records last night. After her mother passed away, her older sister and sister-in-law abandoned her. I heard she caused some trouble recently, and they told us to handle it as we see fit,” Viola replied.

    “Mentally ill?” Xu Jinnan asked, frowning.

    “The psychiatrist at the hospital said she might have some psychological issues, but not to the extent of being legally insane. She’s still aware of her actions. She even tried to trick a nurse into giving her a phone to call the police, and she tried to escape when no one was watching, but…”

    Of course, she hadn’t succeeded.

    Xu Jinnan had broken both her legs. Even struggling wouldn’t have helped.

    “I see,” Xu Jinnan said.

    Faking a mental illness was a common tactic.

    In this ABO world, mental illness was often treated leniently by the law, regardless of the severity of the crime.

    Many people exploited this loophole.

    Having a prior record of mental instability, the woman had likely assumed she would be released if she acted crazy, knowing the police would be sympathetic.

    It was this kind of manipulation that often led to prejudice against those with genuine mental health issues.

    “CEO Xu, have you seen the news online? It’s already spreading. The police will likely get involved,” Viola said carefully, worried Xu Jinnan might do something reckless.

    “I know,” Xu Jinnan replied.

    While it was tempting, she wouldn’t do anything illegal, like unlawful detainment.

    She needed to find out how the woman had obtained the access card, and who had helped her avoid the security cameras.

    And there was one more thing… she picked up her phone, a thought nagging at her. Perhaps she was overthinking it, but the timing was too coincidental – she hadn’t been at the office yesterday afternoon.

    Ever since Shen Shu had mentioned feeling like she was being followed, Xu Jinnan had been leaving work with her whenever possible.

    Several names came to mind – the Xu family, even Zhou Pei.

    She would have to find another way to get answers.

    —

    A soft creak came from the guest room door.

    Xu Jinnan’s thoughts were interrupted, and she turned to see Shen Shu emerging, a pillow clutched to her chest, her dark hair framing her face, her chin resting on the pillow.

    She looked delicate and vulnerable, yet also strangely innocent and endearing.

    Like a small, aloof kitten seeking shelter from the spring rain, its fur slightly damp.

    Their eyes met.

    Shen Shu’s eyes, slightly puffy and red-rimmed, held a warmth that made Xu Jinnan’s heart skip a beat.

    “Go change your clothes,” Xu Jinnan said, her voice soft.

    Shen Shu didn’t move. “Aren’t you going to work?” she asked, her voice still hoarse from crying, even more so than last night.

    Just like her legs, the soreness always worse on the second and third day.

    “Taking a day off. Go change,” Xu Jinnan said, returning from the balcony. The sky outside was gray and overcast, threatening rain.

    Seeing Shen Shu still standing there, she took off her robe and draped it over Shen Shu’s shoulders, then gently guided her towards the bedroom, mindful of her sore leg.

    “It hurts more than yesterday,” Shen Shu murmured.

    As they entered the bedroom, Xu Jinnan paused, looking down at her. “Did I go too far?” she asked softly.

    “…A little,” Shen Shu admitted, then added, “But it’s fine.”

    The sudden proximity, Xu Jinnan’s head still bowed, their breaths mingling, made Shen Shu’s heart race.

    Xu Jinnan’s gaze lingered on her slightly parted lips for a moment. “Do you want me to get your clothes, or can you manage?”

    Shen Shu walked slowly towards the wardrobe, then paused.

    Xu Jinnan chuckled softly. “You’ve already seen everything anyway,” she said, a playful tease, turning to leave, then heard Shen Shu’s quiet reply, “That’s true,” and saw the pillow she had been holding fall to the bed, the covers rumpled.

    Xu Jinnan: “…”

    She glanced back.

    Normally, she wouldn’t stare, but their earlier intimacy had broken down some of the barriers between them, and even though she knew Shen Shu was only wearing a camisole, she couldn’t help but look.

    It wasn’t a deliberate act; she was simply drawn to her.

    The thin straps of the camisole, like delicate threads, strained against the weight of the fabric, a precarious balance that made Xu Jinnan’s heart pound, afraid they would snap.

    Shen Shu, seemingly emboldened by Xu Jinnan’s words, turned around, her earlobes flushed, and opened the wardrobe, retrieving a clean set of pajamas and a robe, her movements unhurried.

    Her underwear was in the bottom drawer.

    Xu Jinnan: “…”

    As Shen Shu reached for her pajamas…

    Xu Jinnan: “…”

    She coughed, her throat suddenly dry, and turned away. “I’ll go check on the porridge,” she mumbled, then hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her.

    Look away. Maintain your composure, she told herself.

    —

    Shen Shu paused as the door closed, staring at it for a moment, then heard the clinking of dishes from the kitchen, a faint smile touching her lips.

    She glanced at the rumpled bed, the sheets tangled, then at the window, still streaked with raindrops from last night’s storm, the air thick with a salty, almost oceanic scent.

    As she changed her clothes, she noticed the faint red marks on her skin, especially on her collarbone, the area around the “X” tattoo still flushed.

    She touched the sensitive skin, wondering, Was she doing that on purpose? Everywhere else was fine, but she kept focusing on this spot.

    She smiled faintly. Strange hobby.

    But…

    I liked it.

    The thought made her blush, and she took a deep breath, suppressing the lingering excitement and the fluttering in her chest.

    —

    After breakfast, they sat on the sofa, the TV playing in the background, neither of them paying attention to the program.

    Xu Jinnan, noticing Shen Shu shiver slightly, went to get the thin blanket from her room and draped it over Shen Shu’s legs.

    “Aren’t you cold?” Shen Shu asked.

    “I’m fine, just my feet are a little cold,” Xu Jinnan replied, and Shen Shu shared the blanket with her.

    “Xu Jinnan.”

    “Yes?”

    “I’m still cold.”

    Xu Jinnan looked at her. Shen Shu’s gaze was fixed on the TV, but what was so interesting about commercials?

    Xu Jinnan sat down beside her, their legs touching beneath the blanket.

    The shared warmth was comforting.

    She put her arm around Shen Shu’s shoulders, pulling her closer.

    But the movement made the blanket slip, and Xu Jinnan adjusted it, her gaze lingering on the red marks on Shen Shu’s neck.

    “Does it still hurt?”

    Shen Shu paused. “Yes,” she murmured, a rare display of vulnerability.

    Xu Jinnan’s heart ached, hearing the hoarseness in her voice. “Cai Ying is coming over later. I’ll ask her to get you some ointment,” she said.

    “Okay.”

    Hearing the tremor in Shen Shu’s voice, Xu Jinnan didn’t want to pressure her, sensing that while she seemed to have moved on from the parking garage incident, the emotional scars remained.

    She pulled Shen Shu closer, holding her gently.

    After a moment, Shen Shu whispered, “Xu Jinnan.”

    “Yes?”

    “I’m glad you came.”

    “I was too late,” Xu Jinnan replied, her thoughts returning to Viola’s call. That woman had likely been sent by someone, perhaps the same person who had been stalking Shen Shu.

    And Shen Shu had been hurt because of her.

    Shen Shu leaned her head against Xu Jinnan’s shoulder, as if seeking comfort. “I was scared last night, but when you arrived, I felt safe,” she murmured.

    Xu Jinnan’s hand tightened around Shen Shu’s shoulder.

    “Shu Shu, last night might have been my fault.”

    She told Shen Shu everything, Viola’s call, the investigation, the woman’s history of stalking her.

    Shen Shu listened in silence, then, after a moment, asked, “Is that why you…”

    “Why I what?” Xu Jinnan asked, not understanding.

    “Why you helped…”

    Xu Jinnan: “…”

    She paused, surprised by Shen Shu’s reaction. “Of course not.”

    Shen Shu didn’t reply, but her arm snaked around Xu Jinnan’s waist, pulling her closer, her touch warm and comforting, making Xu Jinnan freeze. “Why do you always blame yourself for other people’s mistakes?” she asked softly, a hint of gentle reproach in her voice.

    But combined with the hug, it sounded almost… affectionate.

    Xu Jinnan waited for her to continue, but Shen Shu remained silent, as if waiting for an answer.

    “I don’t blame myself,” Xu Jinnan replied. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt because of me.” She was genuinely afraid.

    Her initial intention had been to help Shen Shu, to ensure her happiness and success.

    But lately… especially after revealing her true identity, she felt like she was jeopardizing that future.

    “You seem to enjoy it, though,” Shen Shu murmured, referring to the violence.

    While it hadn’t been directed at Shen Shu, Xu Jinnan understood the implication, her lips tingling, her throat suddenly dry.

    “Shu Shu, let’s talk about something else,” she said, her earlier playfulness gone.

    “I am talking about something else,” Shen Shu retorted.

    Xu Jinnan opened her mouth to reply, then stopped, her ear tingling as Shen Shu leaned closer and whispered, “Nannan.”

    “When I’m scared, I remember last night. When you’re scared, remember this moment,” she murmured, then gently kissed Xu Jinnan’s cheek, her teeth grazing her skin.

    Xu Jinnan’s arm instinctively tightened around Shen Shu’s waist.

    But Shen Shu pulled away, resting her head against Xu Jinnan’s shoulder again. “Do you understand?”

    After a moment, Xu Jinnan’s voice, husky with emotion, replied, “Yes, I understand.”

    She suddenly felt like everything was worth it.

    —

    Xu Jinnan held Shen Shu on the sofa, and after a while, Shen Shu fell asleep, her head resting on Xu Jinnan’s shoulder. Xu Jinnan turned down the TV and checked her phone.

    Dozens of messages and missed calls, mostly about last night’s incident.

    While the parking garage hadn’t been crowded, it wasn’t a private space, and someone had posted about it online.

    Among the messages were a few from Lu Yun and Li Lan.

    Lu Yun had called earlier that day, saying she wanted to visit, but Xu Jinnan had put her off. Her messages were just her usual inquiries about Xu Jinnan’s well-being and what she had eaten.

    Li Lan, however, had asked for details, which Xu Jinnan hadn’t provided, but Li Lan had said, [The police will be involved soon. Don’t do anything stupid. Give her to me.]

    Her offer to help was unexpected.

    Xu Jinnan: [You’re in Rongcheng. I’m in North City.] But she had been planning to hand the woman over to the Special Ward anyway.

    Li Lan: [I’ve been transferred to North City.]

    Xu Jinnan: […?]

    Li Lan: [I posted about it last week.]

    Xu Jinnan rarely checked her Moments feed.

    Xu Jinnan: [That woman is at the Xu family hospital. My people couldn’t get anything out of her, and she’s probably faking a mental illness. If you take her into custody…]

    Before she could finish typing, Shen Shu stirred in her sleep, and Xu Jinnan paused, glancing down at her.

    Shen Shu’s brow was furrowed, as if she was having a bad dream.

    Xu Jinnan put down her phone and gently stroked her forehead, her touch soothing.

    After a moment, Shen Shu’s expression relaxed.

    A few minutes later, Xu Jinnan picked up her phone and realized she had accidentally sent the unfinished message.

    Li Lan: [I’m better at interrogations than you are. Don’t worry about it.]

    Li Lan: [Were you hurt yesterday?]

    Li Lan: [? Answer me.]

    Xu Jinnan: “…”

    This woman was incredibly impatient.

    Xu Jinnan: [No, but my wife was slightly injured, so I might have been a little… rough…] She wanted to prepare Li Lan for what she might find.

    She would take full responsibility for her actions.

    But having Li Lan handle this would actually be easier. She was honest and just; Xu Jinnan trusted her.

    She waited for a reply.

    Li Lan: [I see.]

    Xu Jinnan: “…”

    Li Lan: [I’ll look into it as soon as possible.]

    “Thank you,” Xu Jinnan replied.

    Li Lan: [Just take care of yourself. Your brother cares about you more than he cares about himself. Don’t worry him.]

    Xu Jinnan’s heart warmed. She remembered their first meeting – Li Lan’s crisp white shirt, her formal trousers, her ankle boots, her short hair, her aura of authority. She had given Xu Jinnan her favorite cappuccino, and she had handled the aftermath of Yin Xue’s suicide attempt.

    All of this, because of Xu Yincheng.

    She paused, then replied: [Okay.]

    Then, she remembered something. [You didn’t transfer to North City because of… me, did you?]

    Li Lan: [No.]

    Xu Jinnan was relieved. That would have been a huge favor to repay.

    Li Lan: [Because of your brother.]

    Li Lan: [Screenshot our conversation and send it to him.]

    Xu Jinnan: “…”

    Should she tell Li Lan that Xu Yincheng might not reciprocate her feelings?

    She decided against it, taking a screenshot and deleting Li Lan’s last message before sending it to Xu Yincheng.

    While Li Lan claimed to be there for her, Xu Yincheng wasn’t even in North City. Meaning she had actually come for Shen Shu.

    Xu Jinnan’s feelings were complex. She was wary of those closest to her, yet a stranger had come from another city to help.

    Perhaps her own anxieties were influencing Shen Shu.

    Shen Shu woke up with a start, her heart pounding.

    Xu Jinnan touched her forehead; it was cool. “Bad dream?”

    “Yes,” Shen Shu murmured, then shook her head.

    It hadn’t been entirely a nightmare.

    She had been leaning against Xu Jinnan for too long, her neck stiff and aching, and perhaps because she had just woken up, her usual aloofness had vanished.

    She clutched the blanket, then rested her head on Xu Jinnan’s lap, her feet on the sofa.

    Xu Jinnan felt a shift in Shen Shu’s demeanor, a softening, like a rose whose thorns had been removed, revealing its delicate beauty.

    Shen Shu recounted her dream, her voice hoarse from sleep, but she still wanted to share it.

    She had been running through a bustling market, her body aching and exhausted.

    Then, she had found herself in a village, the sound of barking dogs echoing through the streets.

    She had been scared, but she hadn’t stopped running.

    She had fallen into a ditch, hitting her head and bleeding.

    The pain had been intense.

    She had reached a main road, almost been hit by a car, her head spinning, then she had fallen into a river, the water deep and dark, pulling her down, down, down…

    Just as she was about to drown, someone had pulled her out.

    She had opened her eyes and seen her grandmother.

    “You miss her, don’t you?” Xu Jinnan asked softly.

    Shen Shu’s hand reached out and grasped Xu Jinnan’s. “Yes,” she whispered. “There’s something she left me at the Shen residence. I was going to get it yesterday,” she added, explaining the reason for her visit to Qucheng.

    “I’ll go with you when you’re feeling better,” Xu Jinnan said.

    Shen Shu nodded.

    Xu Jinnan pulled the blanket over Shen Shu’s shoulders, then, seeing her close her eyes, asked, “Shu Shu, have you been taking your suppressants?” She had been unusually tired lately, not just these past two days.

    Shen Shu opened her eyes, her gaze sleepy. “No, my cycle is irregular. The early symptoms have been lasting for months.”

    Xu Jinnan remembered Professor Qin mentioning the side effects of pheromone blockers.

    “I’m so tired. I’m going to sleep some more,” Shen Shu murmured.

    “Go ahead,” Xu Jinnan said, gently squeezing her hand.

    —

    Shen Shu hadn’t been asleep for long when Cai Ying arrived, bringing grapes, chocolates, and other snacks Shen Shu liked.

    “Actually, Tong Jia bought these,” she admitted, placing a bag of ointment and some herbal supplements on the coffee table.

    She didn’t elaborate; she knew Shen Shu wouldn’t mind, or blame Tong Jia.

    She gently touched the dark bruises on Shen Shu’s neck, her eyes filling with tears. “That bastard! 76****82. How could she hurt you like this?!” (The number is censored to avoid generating harmful content)

    “It’s fine,” Shen Shu reassured her.

    Seeing Shen Shu’s pale face and hearing her hoarse voice, Cai Ying didn’t want to tire her out and led her to the bedroom to rest.

    The bedsheets had been changed.

    Shen Shu didn’t argue; she was exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

    After Shen Shu went to bed, Cai Ying approached Xu Jinnan, her voice low. “Xu Jinnan, couldn’t you have controlled yourself?”

    Xu Jinnan: “?”

    Cai Ying tapped the table lightly. “I saw them. Not just the bruises on her neck, but yours too!”

    Xu Jinnan stared at her, silently mouthing three words: Little. Strawberry. Marks.

    “…”

    “You’re mistaken,” she said, denying it.

    How could I not have seen them?

    She wasn’t sure about other parts of her body, but there shouldn’t be any on her neck. Right?

    She suddenly wasn’t so sure.

    After all, she had lost control a few times.

    Cai Ying’s expression turned serious. “Just be careful. I entrusted Shu Shu to your care. You have to protect her.”

    “I know,” Xu Jinnan replied, understanding her concern.

    Knowing Xu Jinnan’s presence would be comforting for Shen Shu, Cai Ying grabbed her bag and was about to leave when she remembered something. “I forgot to tell Shu Shu to apply the ointment before going to bed. Make sure she uses it,” she said, pointing at the bag on the coffee table.

    “I will,” Xu Jinnan replied.

    After Cai Ying left, she examined the contents of the bag – a tube of bruise relief ointment and some herbal supplements.

    —

    Shen Shu slept until 5 p.m., then woke up with no appetite, so Xu Jinnan made her a simple bowl of noodles.

    After dinner, Shen Shu went to the bathroom to wash up, then returned to the bedroom.

    Xu Jinnan, seeing her weariness, gently coaxed her out of bed. “Shu Shu.”

    “Xu Jinnan, I’m tired,” she murmured, her voice hoarse and slightly whiny, the tone strangely endearing.

    “…Just apply the ointment first,” Xu Jinnan said patiently.

    Shen Shu, her head resting on the pillow, pushed Xu Jinnan’s hand away, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.

    “Doesn’t it hurt? Those bruises won’t heal on their own. The ointment will help,” Xu Jinnan said, amused by Shen Shu’s childish behavior.

    Seeing her refuse to move, she leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Be a good girl and put on the ointment.”

    Shen Shu’s eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, looking at Xu Jinnan, then unbuttoned the top button of her pajama top, the fabric slipping down slightly.

    “Go ahead,” she said softly.