Chapter 17: Wednesday of a Mercury Retrograde Samsara (5)
Lanhua must have been very uneasy being thrown into this world alone.
I was able to adapt because I met Juncheng the moment I arrived and quickly understood the cause and effect.
But Lanhua was alone. In a familiar yet unfamiliar environment, everyone changed. Anyone would have doubts, would they suspect their own memory was wrong?
“No, it’s not your memory having a problem. I’ll explain everything that happened next to you properly.”
I took Lanhua’s hand and gave her a reassuring smile.
In short, I had to guide her and make her understand what had happened so far.
It seemed she had calmed down a bit.
So, where should I start? This is troublesome…
*Buzz buzz…*
Just then, my phone rang. After charging it, I immediately turned it on.
I didn’t expect to receive a call at this time.
I looked at the caller ID. It was Yu Hui. I couldn’t ignore this. I gestured to Lanhua that I needed to take the call. Seeing her nod, I answered.
“Lady Zi’ai! Lanhua-senpai is near you right now!”
That was the first sentence… It seemed they had also found Lanhua’s trace with other abnormal items. I just didn’t expect to encounter her first.
“I know, she’s right here with me.”
“Eh?! Really! Then have you found the Yata no Kagami yet?”
“Not yet, there was a situation. This Lanhua isn’t the Lanhua we’re looking for.”
“What do you mean by that? I don’t quite understand, Lady Zi’ai, can you explain in detail?”
“It means, she might be like me.”
“Like you, meaning…? But the Lanhua-senpai by your side is undoubtedly the Lanhua-senpai we’re looking for! I’m calling to tell you this. Through my and Xue Qing’s investigations, and with the help of others, we’ve reconstructed what happened. A few days ago, Lanhua-senpai suddenly left home and disappeared. She hasn’t contacted the members of Sky Net since, which is why we couldn’t find any trace of her. In reality, she wasn’t employing any counter-surveillance tactics; she simply left home and hasn’t contacted anyone since.”
I looked at Lanhua in surprise, and Lanhua tilted her head and looked back at me.
This Lanhua is actually the Lanhua we were looking for!
But her memory is completely off!
“I don’t know what exactly happened, but there is undoubtedly only one Lanhua-senpai. Since she is with Lady Zi’ai now, please bring her to Black Street. There’s only one entrance to Black Street in that area.”
“Okay, I under—”
“Great, we’ll be waiting for you in Class 6.”
The call ended. I put down my phone and looked at Lanhua in front of me with a frown, my voice cold.
“What are you talking about…”
Yu Hui wouldn’t lie to me. She said there was only one Lanhua, so the Lanhua in front of me must be the one we were looking for!
“Stop playing dumb! Hand over the mirror quickly!”
I had been holding back since earlier… but I couldn’t anymore!
At such a critical juncture, Lanhua, you dare to play tricks and deceive me!
What a joke!
I grabbed Lanhua by her collar, stared into her eyes expressionlessly, and said.
“I don’t have time for psychological warfare with you. If you don’t speak obediently, I’m sure the organization has many ways to make you talk. Before things get to that point, you’d better honestly tell me where you hid the mirror?”
This urge was already uncontrollable.
The Yata no Kagami must be obtained. With that, I could…
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
It seems she doesn’t plan to confess obediently…
Then don’t blame me, Lanhua. If I compare you and Juncheng on a scale, Juncheng is undoubtedly more important.
I’ll give you one last chance. If you don’t grasp it, don’t blame me for being heartless…
I released Lanhua’s collar, grabbed her wrist forcefully, lowered my head, turned around, hid my expression, and was about to lead her out of the staff room.
“Ow… What’s wrong with you, Ai?! I really don’t know where that mirror you’re talking about is… You’ve become so strange. The you from before never had such… a terrifying expression…”
I gritted my teeth, spun around abruptly, and was about to glare at Lanhua when I heard the young store manager say indifferently.
“Hey, you’re getting a little too agitated now, aren’t you? That young lady really doesn’t seem to know.”
“What? How do you know?”
The young store manager raised his eyebrows and said dismissively.
“You must have sensed it too, right? I have mind-reading abilities. When you asked her just now, the thought of being completely unaware of the mirror you mentioned appeared in her mind. Her inner thoughts can’t possibly be faked, can they?”
“An ordinary person might not be able to do it, but she, Lanhua, can.”
With Lanhua’s obsession, it’s possible for her to conceal information about the Yata no Kagami through self-suggestion.
Moreover, the Ariadne’s Thread is pointing to this Lanhua. No matter how I look at it, she knows something, but now she’s acting like she’s from another world and knows nothing about everything. How can I accept this!
“But she really doesn’t know. My ability won’t make a mistake. There’s no point in blaming someone who doesn’t know, is there? Don’t let your desperate feelings swallow your reason.”
… He’s right.
I really am too anxious right now.
Lanhua might have become like this for another reason. What I need to do now is find a way to restore her, not to interrogate her based on assumptions… It’s meaningless.
Damn it, what am I in such a hurry for?
It seems I’ve been unusually anxious since I learned the Yata no Kagami was lost.
…I’m sorry.
“No, it’s alright… Ai being this anxious means the situation must be very serious. And I might have some clues, is that right?”
She’s analyzed it to this extent already…
As expected, even if she’s Lanhua from another world, her observation and analysis skills are similar.
It’s good that she understands the importance of the matter herself; it saves me from explaining so much.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m looking for a mirror, and you probably hid it somewhere… You might not remember it, but you definitely did it.”
“I did it, but I don’t remember… Could it be that I have somnambulism?”
“…Something like that.”
“In that case, why don’t we retrace our steps?”
“Retrace our steps?”
“Meaning, I’ll take you to all the places I’ve been to these past few days. Maybe we’ll find some clues… Maybe I’ll remember something.”
…Let’s do that!
@JP SF Light Novel
And so, we decided to visit all the places Lanhua had been to in the past few days.
Hopefully, we’ll find new clues.
AM 06:00
At exactly 6 AM, I left the supermarket with Lanhua.
The young store manager watched us leave from the shop entrance with his arms crossed, wearing a displeased expression and muttering about “another loss.” Maybe next time, I’ll sell some abnormal items here as repayment.
To prevent Lanhua from escaping, I decided to hold her hand at all times. The young store manager also provided an item that would make our hands stick together.
Holding hands between good friends is one thing, but being so close… Although it might look a bit like yuri to outsiders, I can’t worry about that right now.
“Then let’s go.”
Lanhua nodded with a flushed face. I don’t know why she’s so shy.
Since she didn’t move, I had to take the first step and lead her.
The moment I took a step, a sudden sense of stagnation made me shudder.
It was as if I had instantly entered another space, and I was completely frozen.
What’s going on? This strange feeling…
It feels like something is about to begin!
What awaits us ahead?
