Chapter 722: Overture (3.5k)
The inn was lit by faint yellow lights. It was a single room, with a clean white bed placed by the window. The toilet was directly opposite the bed, its frosted glass emitting a hazy mist, through which one could vaguely discern moving figures inside.
“Zi Yi didn’t renew our room, so we had to find a new place. I thought we’d have to go somewhere far, but I didn’t expect there to be a private room like this.”
Leaning against the headboard, Su Jiu fiddled with her phone but couldn’t help but glance towards the bathroom, her curiosity about the person inside growing. Despite the obscuring mist, she could see the graceful curves of the figure, long hair cascading down like a waterfall to her small hips, which seemed rather alluring.
“If I go in, I’ll know the other person’s true identity.”
Looking at the silhouette, Su Jiu knew she just had to step forward and open the door, but… what if it wasn’t who she thought? She’d lose all face. After all, Dean Zi had asked her to bring his granddaughter, not to sneak around and act like a pervert. If it turned out not to be her, she’d be in deep trouble…
“Right, I should smell her clothes, then I’ll know. Miss Weir’s clothes had a scent like a cold spring, so the inner garments must be similar.”
Suddenly remembering something, Su Jiu turned her gaze from the bathroom and walked towards the sofa in the corner, a smile on her face. Why hadn’t she thought of this earlier? On the road earlier, trash cans along the street were filled with a peculiar flower, filling the entire street with its scent, so she dared not make a hasty judgment.
Lost in thought, Su Jiu reached the sofa and looked down slightly… The other person’s clothing was simple, not even wearing inner linings. A plain priest’s robe was draped over a black lace bra, creating a stark contrast. Lower down was a flash of white, with a light-colored iris flower at the front, adding a touch of purity.
“I can’t believe this little thing looks so demure, yet dresses so whimsically.”
The young lady’s face blushed slightly as she muttered, forcing herself not to look at the inner garments. Instead, she grabbed the outermost priest’s robe, fanned it a few times, and sniffed, releasing a scent like laundry detergent not fully rinsed out, with a hint of lavender.
“The darkest valley.”
“The highest mountain.”
“We walk in the name of our brave.”
Suddenly, the sound of water stopped, and a humming voice emerged from the bathroom. It seemed the person, much like the Silly Duke, enjoyed humming English songs while bathing, and had a rather melodious tune, with a touch of medieval flair.
“Am I being too suspicious?”
Su Jiu’s heart leaped, and her eyes quickly darted towards the bathroom. Seeing that the person seemed to be just applying body wash, she breathed a sigh of relief. However, she clearly remembered the lingering scent when she had leaned on the person, constantly entering her nostrils. Her gaze then fell upon the two-piece set that had been pressed down earlier.
“The rushing river.”
“The blooming flower.”
…
“Given the Young Lady’s cautious nature, it’s very likely she did something to conceal herself, such as altering her scent. Only close-fitting garments can reveal the truth…”
Hesitating whether to pick them up and smell them, Su Jiu couldn’t help but glance at the bathroom as she listened to the sounds. The sound of running water started again. The young lady’s eyes gently closed, then suddenly snapped open. She whispered, “This is all for the sake of truth.”
“Hoo…”
Su Jiu let out a light breath, her expression turning serious. She reached for the black lace bra. The moment she touched it, she felt its softness. Before she could savor it, she brought the bra to her nose.
Again, the lavender scent filled her nostrils, faint, accompanied by a hint of youthful innocence.
“This is the scent of Zi Yi. It seems I misunderstood…”
After a moment of silence, Su Jiu’s face flushed. She quickly put the bra down, a wave of awkwardness and shame washing over her. To sniff a girl’s intimate clothing who trusted her so much was simply too perverted. The thought that this girl still viewed her as a teacher made the shame even worse. If she were discovered by a trusted junior, that she, as a senior, would secretly sniff her – the level of shame was enough to make Su Jiu’s feet curl.
Shaking her head, Su Jiu tried to calm herself. Since she already knew… Wait.
Just as she was about to withdraw her gaze, a pure white color caught the young lady’s attention. To be precise, with nothing pressing it down, a crisp scent wafted from it. It seemed to be the same as the scent on the street! Her pupils widened slightly, and Su Jiu glanced at the bathroom again. The breathing sounds had become heavier. She felt she was on the verge of discovering the truth, and her hand reached for the pure white item…
The texture was soft. The inside was entirely white, suggesting the owner was very clean and not a careless girl. If one felt it carefully, there seemed to be a faint warmth remaining. As soon as she picked it up, Su Jiu smelled the sharp fragrance, her heart beating a little faster. She brought it gently to her nose, and the fresh scent of turquoise rushed into her senses. Everything indicated one conclusion – the person was very likely the Young Lady in disguise.
“Click…”
Just as Su Jiu was holding the pure white item to her nose, the bathroom door opened with extreme speed. Hot steam billowed out, and a figure with a stunned gaze looked over. Su Jiu realized something was wrong and turned to look at the girl with the complex gaze. As their eyes met, she hurriedly waved her hands, trying to explain, and the pure white item fluttered along with them, “N-no… it’s not what you think.”
She wanted to explain, but didn’t know how. She couldn’t possibly say, “I’ve already figured you out…”
The young lady avoided Su Jiu’s gaze, simply picked up a bath towel and walked in another direction, her lips pursed with a hint of amusement. Then, a gentle voice suddenly sounded, “If classmate Su Jiu likes it, you can have it as a souvenir.”
Had she found out?
“N-no, classmate Zi Yi, I really don’t have that kind of idea.”
Su Jiu quickly put down the pure white item and followed the young lady. Her gaze fell on the green silk behind the girl, and she noticed that the green silk was still dry, as if she hadn’t truly bathed.
“Don’t like it? Does classmate Su Jiu despise me?”
The young lady suddenly turned around, leaning slightly towards her, closing the distance. This series of actions caused Su Jiu, who was following closely, to stop abruptly. Her head was only a few centimeters from the other’s face. She could even feel the warmth of the other’s breath, which, instead of the orchid fragrance described in novels, carried a mint-like scent.
“I didn’t mean that…”
After the series of actions, Su Jiu was certain that this was definitely not Zi Yi, but rather Lucas Yu Ling Ba Wu Ling Jiusan?Liu9 Lin Meng~ Weir, whom she had met on the Ferris wheel, that mysterious Young Lady. Looking at a face identical to Zi Yi’s, Su Jiu closed her eyes to calm herself slightly. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, “I mean… you’re not Zi Yi, are you?”
“If I’m not Zi Yi, then who am I? Classmate Su Jiu, your face is so hot and red, could something have happened?”
The young lady’s body moved closer, a cold hand touching Su Jiu’s forehead. The latter could almost feel the steam from her body, and the scent of the hotel’s shower gel still lingered.
“The scent is different, your scents are different.”
At this moment, Su Jiu suddenly opened her eyes, looking at the girl in front of her. Her face was still flushed, but she felt much more rational.
“Scent?”
This time, it was Weir who was stunned. Hadn’t she sprayed the same synthesized liquid as Zi Yi? … But soon, she suddenly realized what the other person was talking about. The face beneath the human skin mask suddenly flushed red, and after a moment of silence, her voice seemed to lower, “Isn’t it good to pretend to be ignorant? Just treat me as your cute classmate Zi Yi, and sleep until dawn…”
Saying this, Weir smiled faintly but no longer intended to pretend. She tore at her face, and her golden curly hair scattered, revealing a delicate face beneath the human skin mask. Her entire demeanor suddenly became much colder.
“It is you indeed.”
Even Su Jiu, who was accustomed to seeing beauties, couldn’t help but marvel at the girl’s exotic charm, like a half-elf. Although she also had a youthful appearance, she was still pitiable.
“Miss Su, this should be the first time you are being honest with me.”
“Snap!”
Smiling, Weir raised her arm and snapped her fingers lightly. The lights dimmed, and the curtains were drawn shut with a “swoosh!” Faint ghost fires flickered around them, and a dim white candle was lit by the window.
Su Jiu looked at the beautiful girl before her, watching as she slowly removed her colored contact lenses, revealing her blue-green eyes. Finally, she asked, “Where is Zi Yi? Why did you impersonate her and lurk by my side?”
She had so many things she wanted to say, but didn’t know where to start. She only knew that the other person intended no harm to her.
“The Little Priest is sleeping in another inn and is in no danger.”
Rolling her eyes, Weir casually sat down on the clean big bed. She then produced several French breads of different flavors from somewhere and tossed them to Su Jiu, saying softly, “As for why I’m lurking by your side, it’s not really by your side, but because this girl named Zi Yi is suitable for approaching. I need to approach that Elf, and then impersonate the Elf to stay by the Mayor’s Daughter’s side to perform the contract-cutting ritual.”
Taking the bread, Su Jiu didn’t move to eat it. Instead, she looked directly at the girl opposite her and said word by word, “You are a dark mage, aren’t you? The poaching you’ve been carrying out these days is just to cover up your subsequent actions.”
She still remembered what the boy at school had said. Ever since she was drugged on the Ferris wheel, she had been using her phone to investigate the common characteristics of those hunted poachers. Apart from those she couldn’t find, there were three cases with varying degrees of animal abuse, all clearly recorded in the Law Enforcement Hall.
“Clap clap!!”
“Brilliant deduction.”
Weir clapped softly, a genuine smile on her face, as if she had found a mature partner. But then she changed the subject, her gaze meeting Su Jiu’s, her smile unwavering, “Then promise me, even if fireworks explode like thunder, you’ll still have a good dream.”
“What do you mean…”
Su Jiu frowned. Just as she was about to question the situation, the bread beside her suddenly emitted purple smoke with a “sizzle.” The mist filled Su Jiu’s nostrils, carrying a faint wine aroma. Her heart leaped in alarm, but she knew this was a tactic from the Ferris wheel. She raised her hand and forcefully pushed off the ground, intending to break through the window and escape… As long as she got outside, into an unsealed space, she definitely wouldn’t faint.
But the moment she exerted force, she collided with something soft. Weir hadn’t used much strength, relying solely on her top-tier mid-level War God aura. With a push, she pinned Su Jiu onto the clean bed beside her.
Su Jiu fell silent. If she were to resist, she would surely hurt the girl in front of her, but she didn’t dislike the girl. Weir looked down at Su Jiu from a superior position, her right palm placed next to Su Jiu’s head. She tilted her head slightly and gently touched the green silk in front of Su Jiu’s forehead with her other hand, softly saying, “Promise me, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt, just sleep well.”
“You… why do you care about me so much?”
Su Jiu felt the other’s breath, her vision starting to blur, her head feeling dizzy. She could sense that the hallucinogenic effect had already begun.
The other person remained silent for a long time before uttering a single word: “Loneliness.”
“Loneliness? Aren’t you a Young Lady?”
Su Jiu felt her head grow heavy. This time, she didn’t rush to act but quietly experienced the hallucinogenic effect. Suddenly, she saw white doves flying in the dark night…
“Being a Young Lady and loneliness are not mutually exclusive. Your appearance gives me a sense of wonder, a primal stirring, a feeling that arises from our respective identities.”
The other person’s voice grew increasingly ethereal, but she continued to gently stroke Su Jiu’s cheek, even humming that somewhat medieval song:
“The steps we take.”
“And the pain from journey.”
“Could never ever bring us down.”
…
The song ended, and white doves wandered with crows in the starry night sky. In an unintentional corner, Weir’s serious voice sounded, “All of you, watch your Master closely. The prelude needs its protagonist.”
