Xu Xiaoyou: "How is it?"
....
Bai Youyou stood outside the door. Just as her fingertips brushed the door, her eyes flickered, and she pulled back.
She leaned her forehead against the door, her palm flat against the wood. With just a gentle push, this slightly ajar door would open.
Then she could catch that wicked, detestable criminal.
But she seemed to have suddenly lost her courage.
Countless experiences with the girl flashed through her mind—the companionship every night, that tranquil beach. Every word the other girl had said now felt like sharp, deep spears being pulled from her heart.
In the midst of this internal ache, the girl’s image gradually became illusory, eventually shattering.
"Liar.....:" Bai Youyou bit her lip tightly.
She looked up and wiped her eyes, and a magnificent light, like rubies, glowed within them.
To prevent the criminal from employing any mental abilities, she activated her Mind's Eye.
All illusions below her rank would fail.
Once her vision cleared, she pushed the door open.
The sound of washing hands came from the bathroom.
Bai Youyou froze for a moment. She saw a young girl patting her hands dry as she walked out of the bathroom. Beneath her lustrous black hair was a pair of emerald eyes.
"Yuzu?"
The girl dried her wet hands with a handkerchief. Seeing the stunned Bai Youyou, she first looked slightly surprised, then nodded to her:
"You're late. The criminal... my partner has already caught her."
"Partner?" Bai Youyou asked, confused.
She followed the girl to the window. Below, she saw a figure escorting a blonde girl toward a parked police car.
Bai Youyou felt a sense of emptiness rise in her heart.
Yuzu....
The girl smiled. "Yes, I'm a Wing investigator sent by the association not long ago. However, I'm responsible for another case called 'Slaughterhouse.' I was interested in this case, so I handled it on the way."
Bai Youyou thought about it carefully.
It seemed an egregious case had indeed occurred recently, and the association had sent a two-winged investigator.
The girl continued:
"Sorry, I need to verify your identity first. Can I see your ID?"
"Of course."
Bai Youyou handed over her ID.
The girl took it, glanced at it, and nodded.
Then, the girl handed her own wallet over to her.
"My credentials are in here. You should verify them too."
"I'll head downstairs first to hand things over to my partner. If you have any questions, come down and ask me in a bit."
With that, the girl brushed past her, heading for the door.
Just as she was about to reach the doorframe, a blazing ball of fire flew past her ear, nearly collapsing the entire wall.
Xu Xiaoyou looked helpless and silently raised her hands.
"Did you think you could lie to me again?" Bai Youyou said coldly, the empty wallet in her hand burning to ashes. "You lying, cunning criminal!"
"Youyou."
"Don't call me that!"
"Investigator Bai, then?"
Xu Xiaoyou turned around and looked at Bai Youyou with an expressionless face.
The other girl’s gaze was colder than ever. Within it, she saw intense hatred, as well as deeper, more complex emotions.
Underneath her pure white investigator uniform, Bai Youyou’s entire body was trembling. She clenched her hands so tightly she nearly tore the decorative trim of her gloves.
It was as if she was the one full of openings in this confrontation.
"Why? Yuzu, tell me, why?" She practically forced the words out through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry, Youyou," Xu Xiaoyou said softly. "I didn't have a choice."
"Do you know?"
Bai Youyou smiled slightly, trying her best to restrain her emotions.
Even though that smile looked shattered.
"Actually, I guessed it was you long ago....
"That night you had a fever. When I was wiping your body down, I saw the unhealed burn marks on your arm."
"But I kept trying so hard to lie to myself, to convince myself that it was just a coincidence."
"I kept lying to myself, telling myself you weren't that criminal."
"You're my friend. How could that understanding, considerate Yuzu be a criminal?"
"Do you know? Since last night, I've been tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, my head is filled with things about you."
"I also said that perhaps when you truly got to know me, you would hate me," Xu Xiaoyou said.
A long silence followed.
Bai Youyou's gaze turned completely cold as a pair of handcuffs appeared in her hand.
Xu Xiaoyou also sighed softly and pulled a long sword from her tool card:
"It seems there's no room for negotiation."
"Even a cornered rabbit will bite back."
【Mind's Eye (Mastery): Your comprehension of the way of the sword has deepened, breaking through limitations to resonate with the 'sword maiden' class.
Permanently gain 'Killing Intent Blade' and 'Mind's Eye Blade' effects.】
【Killing Intent Blade: Every strike you land will carry true damage equal to 2% of the target's vitality.】
【Mind's Eye Blade: You can see through enemy weaknesses. During combat, a flaw will refresh on the enemy every 12 seconds; hitting a weakness will deal heavy damage.】
After these days of practice, her sword maiden resonance proficiency had already reached 【Mastery】.
"Youyou, don't blame me for what's next!" Xu Xiaoyou said.
She held the long sword and took a step forward.
One round later.
She was picked up, sword and all, and tossed onto the large bed.
Bai Youyou threw a pair of handcuffs in front of her. "Get up yourself."
Xu Xiaoyou sat on the bed, her teeth slightly clenched, a seductive flush appearing on her face.
"For the sake of our old friendship, can't you really let me go?"
"I'll do anything."
Bai Youyou's lips curled playfully. "Fine."
Her leg pressed against the edge of the bed as she leaned in close.
Just as Xu Xiaoyou closed her eyes, the girl's soft voice drifted into her ear:
"I want you... to cuff yourself."
Xu Xiaoyou: "...."
....
Her body was slowly pushed back, falling onto the bed covered in rose petals. The scattered petals were like raindrops falling from the sky, occupying her dark-red field of vision as they slowly drifted down.
The girl's hand tightly gripped her neck, and moist trails appeared on her face along with those magnificent petals.
The lit candle illuminated the dark curtains but failed to light the girl's face.
Under the flickering candlelight, the world grew so quiet that only the two of them remained.
"I'm sorry."
"Mm," Bai Youyou responded softly.
"Yuzu, once you're inside, behave yourself. I'll come to see you every month," Bai Youyou said.
Her eyes seemed to suddenly light up.
"I'll wait for you to come out."
She embraced the person before her, saying her final goodbye.
Xu Xiaoyou was amused by the other girl's naivety. She said, "But I won't live for hundreds of years."
"Mm—"
"Alright, Youyou."
"It's almost time."
"What?" Bai Youyou was startled.
That sense of emptiness suddenly surged from her heart again, accompanied by a strong sense of crisis.
Even though she was holding the girl in front of her tightly, it felt as if the girl would disappear from her sight and slip from her embrace in the next moment.
Xu Xiaoyou's next words made her go cold all over.
"There's a bomb on this floor. After it explodes..."
"Perhaps some people will die."
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