Chapter 71: Reunion~

[Private Chat – Kang Jie: Bai Xiaozhi! Where are you going? The mission isn’t finished yet!]

[Private Chat to Kang Jie: Got something to deal with, Butler, you handle it.]

Out of the Butler’s sight, Bai Xiaozhi slipped away from her hiding place.

Her cloak fluttered as she climbed onto the rooftop.

Running in a straight line, leaping across the tops of buildings—that was the fastest way to reach the light source.

Xiaomi… Xiaomi…

Seeing the light grow brighter and more intense, Bai Xiaozhi flapped her wings and soared over the crowd, heading straight for the glowing orb.

She couldn’t see the girl’s face, nor detect any scent; any smell was masked by the medicinal odor.

Bai Xiaozhi didn’t know who was inside the light, but she refused to let go of any hope.

She reached out to touch the girl…

“Stop!”

A snowy-white shadow leapt up from the feet of the crowd, sinking its teeth into Bai Xiaozhi’s hand, halting her motion.

“Xiao… Luobo?”

Xiao Luobo! This little one was linked to Wu Xiaomi. If she was here, that meant…

“You got here pretty fast,” Xiao Luobo said, looking dejected and in a foul mood. “But don’t touch her for now. She’s poisoned.”

“Poisoned?”

“My fault, my fault. I wasn’t here just now. She probably took the wrong medicine and went crazy. Her mind’s all mixed up, so she took even more wrong medicine… anyway, she’s a poison bomb right now. Whoever touches her gets in trouble.”

“……”

Bai Xiaozhi rubbed her forehead.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

After so long apart, she had expected a joyous reunion—embracing wildly, celebrating survival, maybe even opening up in emotion.

But instead, the girl just lay there on the ground, hiccupping rhythmically and sparkling faintly.

True to form, she never failed to surprise people with the unexpected.

“Don’t be in such a hurry to touch her,” Xiao Luobo said, sensing Bai Xiaozhi’s chaotic thoughts, hurriedly warning, “You’ve still got a long adventure ahead. If you get all mushy now, how are you gonna get along later?”

“Don’t worry, I trust you.” Xiao Luobo crawled up Bai Xiaozhi’s arm and onto her shoulder, patting her with an air of worldly wisdom. “You’ve got a chance.”

Bai Xiaozhi’s delicate face instantly flushed with nervousness. “W-what do you mean?”

“Whether it’s acting or the real deal, even a pig can tell. Of course, Wu Xiaomi’s worse than a pig in that regard.” Xiao Luobo smirked, settling on Bai Xiaozhi’s shoulder. “I’m on your side. Anything you need help with, just ask. I’ll help you—provided Wu Xiaomi doesn’t get poisoned to death.”

Poisoned to death…

Bai Xiaozhi sat beside Wu Xiaomi.

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to feel glad that “she survived the King’s Dance of Sai” or sad that “she’s about to be poisoned to death again.”

And this poisoning reason…

She rubbed her forehead.

What kind of hellish joke was this? It was impossible to feel sad about it!

“There’s a lot of noise here. The homeowner should be back soon. When she arrives, don’t be so quick to draw your sword.”

Xiao Luobo jumped down from Bai Xiaozhi’s shoulder, holding the Red Ribbon, pulling it out as a warning line.

“Mm…” Bai Xiaozhi nodded. “Thank you, thank you for taking care of Xiaomi.”

Me? Taking care?

Xiao Luobo shook her head and sighed. If she hadn’t run off, Wu Xiaomi wouldn’t have gotten poisoned in the first place.

“Little Chive isn’t my responsibility. Be sure to thank the Witch properly. Although her temper’s a bit rough, she’s been helping all along. You two… try to get along.”

Xiao Luobo thought to herself that she must be crazy to say anything good about that awful Witch.

Well, whatever… just consider it making up for her own mistake.

……

The Witch flew back to Feisi City on her broomstick.

From a distance, she already saw the dazzling spectacle.

Her first thought was… Who’s holding a concert outside my house?

As she drew closer, her vision began to darken.

“…”

Obviously, the glowing figure was a person.

Someone who should have been quietly lying in a sickbed.

“Who did this?”

She descended gracefully; silver teeth clicked beneath her parasol.

Upon seeing the empty medicine cabinet, she covered her face with a pale hand, her body trembling slightly.

So angry she couldn’t speak.

In all her life, this was the first time she’d been so furious that blood rushed to her head and her ears buzzed.

“She did it herself!” Sensing the terrifying low-pressure atmosphere, Xiao Luobo quickly pointed at Wu Xiaomi to clear herself: “Not my fault!”

“Not your fault? She wanted to die? Opened the medicine cabinet and ate to her fill?”

“I… I wasn’t there!”

“Why weren’t you there? How did your chains get undone?”

“She told me to go find someone…”

“Enough!”

The Vine lifted Wu Xiaomi and carried her inside.

Before closing the door, the Witch looked at Bai Xiaozhi.

“Come if you want, just don’t get in the way.”

“Thank you.”

The room was a mess.

Much of it was caused by the Private Troops crashing around, but scattered medicine bottles and empty syringes lay near the medicine cabinet as well.

A note left by Wu Xiaomi rested by the cabinet.

It was crooked and slanted— clearly, not even a normal person could write such san-disordered handwriting.

[ You hid my sugar ball and I found it~]

“…”

Most of the medicine in the cabinet were psychiatric drugs that could make a person do anything once taken.

She really treated medicine like candy.

How badly did this silly non-vegetable want candy…

“From now on, no one makes a sound. I need to concentrate.”

The Witch’s fingertips glowed faintly.

Vines sprouted delicate root-like tendrils that pierced the girl’s frail body, infiltrating along blood vessels and cellular gaps.

Colorful liquids were drawn up by the tendrils, flowing through the hollow vine stems, disappearing deep underground.

The process of expelling poison was slow.

Until Wu Xiaomi’s skin returned to a normal hue, and her pale, innocent face reappeared.

She licked her lips with a look of lingering craving.

“…”

Obviously, she had no idea what she had done or what she had experienced.

……

Ah! I’m awake!

No more moving little people!

Such a pity— I wanted to watch the lantern show a few more times.

Maybe if I watched it more, I could recognize those people’s faces.

Just as she felt regret, a fierce scolding suddenly pierced the darkness.

“Are you a three-year-old?! Even a three-year-old knows not to eat things at random!”

“Medicine isn’t something to eat recklessly! You almost died! If someone hadn’t broken in, triggering the door alarm and alerting me to come back… you’d be dead! Luckily, I came back early!”

“Are you stupid?!”

Blink.

Though unseen, she blinked.

She reached out, shaking, searching for paper and pen.

[ I can’t see… ]

“Can’t see? Isn’t Luobo here?”

[ Xiao Luobo went out. I told her to. Don’t blame her.]

Having finished writing, she looked at the Witch with big, wrong-eyed innocence.

Because she couldn’t see, her gaze was askew—looking at air.

“You…”

Though burning with anger, she gradually lost the battle in the girl’s innocent gaze.

“Fool…”

She sank down tiredly, speechless.

Elsewhere, Bai Xiaozhi quietly loosened her grip on the sword.

She now believed Xiao Luobo’s words.

The Witch hadn’t harmed Wu Xiaomi, nor taken her away—she had always been kind.

She didn’t have to treat her as an enemy.

But then, why…

Why did she have such a dream?

Why did the Vine—

Take her brother away?