The heavy rain of the Plum Rain Season was violently relentless.
The underground street’s rain shelters were far from adequate; there was no space to stand under the eaves.
The downpour had driven away nearly all the nightlife crowds, turning this place into a poor yet simple little town.
Everything was exactly as remembered.
[Cutting Minute Hand: Can erase the target’s thoughts, ideas, emotions, and other brain activities, taking effect one minute after one minute of operation. Trait 1 · Scar: The erased thought cannot be revisited for a full day. Trait 2 · Psychic Vacuum: After cutting certain emotions, the remaining emotions are automatically amplified.]
[No longer requires physical contact between the pocket watch itself and the target; only the owner’s body or any personal item touching the target is sufficient to take effect. (Valid within one minute after the item leaves the owner’s possession)]
In other words, if one takes a box of cash out from the bank and scatters it on the street, anyone who picks it up within a minute can become a target of the pocket watch.
— Bai Xia immediately thought of a way to use this.
This was the essence of a mysterious item; as its owner, the method of use and description appeared as text before her eyes.
No wonder Su Qingyu believed Bai Xiaoya was also a mysterious item.
After retracting the pocket watch unlocked to the second phase back into her pocket, Bai Xia picked up her phone and checked the message from Li Butler.
The two founders of Xinglong International were temporarily absent, and the person currently holding power was Zhang Cheng, who managed the finances.
He was cautious by nature and was always accompanied by a team of bodyguards wherever he went.
Li Butler also discovered that Zhang Cheng had a past association with Hei Shehui and warned the Second Young Miss to be extremely careful.
“Bodyguards, huh.”
Bai Xia sneered disdainfully.
In front of brute strength, magic hands, and a second-phase pocket watch, whether bodyguards or Hei Shehui thugs, they all seemed laughably insignificant.
She opened her contacts and sent Su Qingyu a message:
[Found the target.]
***
Bai Xiaoya had a dream.
In the dream, she attended a reunion at the largest Prince Grand Hotel next to the school.
High school classmates, long unseen, gathered together to eat, drink, and chat about their recent lives.
Some had started businesses successfully, jingling a set of BMW keys while sharing their stories. Some had achieved fame and settled into the comfort of a permanent position.
Others had made a name in abstract art—often criticized but earning a fortune nonetheless.
Don’t ask why everyone was successful; the failures simply didn’t show up.
Then Bai Xiaoya was asked what she had been doing all these years.
Good question.
Looking back on her tumultuous life: living independently at eight, striving at twelve, studying hard with the others at fourteen, getting into a decent university at seventeen, graduating at twenty-one to join a promising company, earning praise from her boss at twenty-three, then at twenty-four involved in a car accident… and ending up as a busty girl who was constantly teased to near death.
If you ask where the turbulence was, it was obviously in the chest.
Damn it, why did my life turn out like this?
As she spoke, Bai Xiaoya began to cry, sniffling softly.
Others came over to comfort her, patting her head.
“Stop crying, why are you crying now… you didn’t cry last night.”
The touch on her head felt so real.
Bai Xiaoya opened her blurry, tear-filled eyes and realized the one comforting her wasn’t a classmate from the dream but a beautiful girl with long black hair.
Bai Xia sat at the bedside, gently stroking the white-haired girl’s head.
Before her mother’s mental health deteriorated, this was how she used to soothe her to sleep.
Bai Xiaoya nuzzled into the touch, feeling comforted, but her cherry lips muttered, “What are you doing? I’m not a child.”
Bai Xia tugged at the corner of her mouth, “If you’re not a child, then why are you crying?”
She had just returned from buying breakfast and, upon entering, saw Bai Xiaoya tear-streaked and so saddened that if she didn’t know better, she would think something terrible had happened in the dream.
Bai Xiaoya blushed and mumbled, “You wouldn’t understand. When you reach my age, you’ll get it.”
Reunions were like that—easily shattering an adult’s heart.
“So should I stop?”
Bai Xia pretended to pull her hand back, but Bai Xiaoya quickly grabbed her wrist.
No, don’t fall for the fake retreat!
Meeting the girl’s playful gaze, Bai Xiaoya tightened her face and feigned indifference, “If you want to touch, go ahead. You’re such a big pervert. Even if I don’t let you, you would anyway… hey, where are you touching?!”
The White Rabbit also enjoyed the soothing, being a common prop in magicians’ performances, skillfully handled and very comforting.
Bai Xiaoya tentatively wriggled a bit but didn’t pull away, letting it be.
Consider it a reward—rewarding Bai Xia for saving her in the trading district last time.
Besides, it felt pretty nice.
“By the way, Bai Xia, where did you sleep last night? The bed is so small.”
“Next to you. If you lie on your side, there’s just enough space.”
“Oh, true. After all, you… hey! Don’t pinch!”
Ten minutes later…
“Alright, alright, that’s enough. I haven’t even checked my unread messages since I woke up.”
Bai Xiaoya forcefully pushed away Bai Xia’s nimble magic hands, grabbed her phone, and at first glance saw a message from Zhang Butler.
[Old Zhang: Young Miss, found him. Right now, this is the only guy in charge at Xinglong International!]
It was the same Zhang Cheng’s message.
“Found him, found him! We have a target!”
Bai Xiaoya looked up, only to see Bai Xia calm and expressionless.
“You knew already?”
“Li Butler found out too,” the girl replied succinctly, “Sent the message last night.”
Bai Xiaoya glanced at Zhang Butler’s message timestamp—it was sent only this morning, and she couldn’t help but puff her cheeks.
[Young Miss: Old Zhang, why so slow?]
Far away at the Bai Family estate, Zhang Butler scratched his head in confusion.
Actually, he had found out last night but waited until daytime to avoid disturbing the Young Miss’s sleep.
“In any case, since the target is found, we’re ready to move,” Bai Xiaoya said eagerly.
“No rush. You can rest a little more,” Bai Xia said, “It’s still early.”
It had rained during the magic hand incident last night.
“No need, I’m fine,” Bai Xiaoya said energetically, “I could even go for a run now.”
Does she not understand the concept of fatigue reset?
Oh, speaking of which, the reward for the “damage” Bai Xiaoya dealt last night—ah no, the “injury”—hadn’t been claimed yet. She’d find a chance to take it later.
Bai Xia carefully observed and found Bai Xiaoya indeed looked very spirited.
“Alright then. I’ve already contacted Su Qingyu, waiting for her reply.”
At the same time, Bai Xia wondered if it was her technique that wasn’t up to par, or… busty girls were more formidable than expected?
While waiting for the message, Bai Xiaoya went to the living room and ate the breakfast Bai Xia had brought on the only table there.
Two memorial portraits stood on the table, which initially felt strange, but thinking they were her biological parents made it less uncomfortable.
Bai Xia had already eaten and stood at the bedroom doorway watching Bai Xiaoya eat, seeing her first set the White Rabbit on the table to relieve the small shoulder’s burden, then hold the breakfast cake with both hands, nibbling contentedly.
In the black-and-white portraits, her parents’ smiling faces looked just like when they were alive.
A strangely warm feeling arose.
No, no, that’s too weird, the girl shook her head and pushed that strange thought away.
Buzz buzz buzz—the phone received a new message.
[Su Qingyu: Meet here! (Location shared)]