Su Mu understood clearly that she no longer had that thing.
But precisely because of that, she remembered vividly the anniversary of her brother’s death.
It was the morning of April 9th.
Before that day, it had always obediently stayed where it was supposed to be.
It just hadn’t completed its mission before turning to ashes!
“So, Irina, do you have any leads?”
“Uh, don’t ask me. I don’t know either. Maybe you’re actually a woman with gender dysphoria…”
A steady knocking came from the door.
Luo Jialan was already standing there.
Not bothering to retort Irina’s words, Su Mu had no choice but to leave the illusion in front of the computer and roll back under the bed.
“That kind of thing is impossible, right? Then how do you explain this?”
Using Su Mu’s senses, Irina detected some soft thing at the foot of the bed.
Her face instantly flushed bright red.
She lowered her head, hiding her face beneath her collar and the brim of her hood, wishing she could take over Su Mu’s consciousness and toss that thing out the window.
No, that wouldn’t do—if it got seen, it would be even more embarrassing.
“Forget all that nonsense for now. Hurry and hide it. What if Luo Jialan sees it later?”
“If she really looks down, what difference does hiding make?” Su Mu frowned deeply.
There was no suitable place around here.
Wait, it seemed there was just a small gap that might fit.
“Why aren’t you answering me, Su Mu? I know you’re in there. Open the door.” Luo Jialan’s knocking stopped, replaced by a gentle voice.
Of course, in truth, it was a yandere tone.
Usually, yandere types had their special ways of breaking in—some stabbed with knives, others produced house keys from who-knows-where.
But Luo Jialan—
Su Mu knew well she would just smash the door down.
“I’ll count to four. One, two, three…”
Counting didn’t matter to Su Mu anyway.
She definitely wasn’t opening the door.
So all she could do was cover her ears and quietly wait for everything to happen.
“Four.”
“Bang!”
The door flew open again, splinters and dust scattering everywhere, filling the entire rental apartment with a flurry.
Without hesitation, Luo Jialan stepped on the shattered remains of the door and strode straight into the bedroom, roughly pushing the door fully open.
“Found you, Su Mu. What are you doing? Why won’t you listen to me?”
By now, the “Su Mu” illusion had awareness.
It stared blankly at the intruder who had broken in, falling into utter panic.
Though it hadn’t done anything illegal, “Su Mu” knew there was only one reason someone would come looking for her: to take her down.
The identity of the person who found her was obvious, especially paired with the straightforward, no-nonsense style.
“Who are you? How did you get into my room?”
Still, “Su Mu” instinctively asked the question, hoping to bluff her way out.
Hmph, could this end peacefully?
“Trying to fool me again.”
With just one look, Luo Jialan saw through that “Su Mu” was a fabricated illusion.
She narrowed her eyes, her sharp gaze almost piercing through the figure under the bed and into Su Mu herself.
“Su Mu” had no idea what Luo Jialan was thinking, but she understood she was about to get into big trouble.
Her whole body trembled, every hair standing on end.
“I-I didn’t—No, wait, you’re the one trespassing. I’m calling the police!”
Before the words could finish, Luo Jialan pressed forward, grabbing “Su Mu’s” wrist and pinning her to the armchair.
She shamelessly admired the sweet panic on her face.
Almost indistinguishable from the real thing…
No, rather, indistinguishable between real and fake.
She nearly doubted her own judgment.
“Su Mu’s” reaction was flawless—surely the real one wouldn’t fake it?
—Well, only one way to find out.
Luo Jialan’s playful mood surged.
Real or fake, she’d know with a touch.
Even if it was fake, so what?
Didn’t plenty of people indulge in fantasies about two-dimensional characters all the time?
Under the bed, Su Mu felt utterly powerless at this moment.
But she could only tightly cover her mouth, restraining her breath and movements to avoid being discovered by Luo Jialan.
Like… a powerless husband.
However, the husband was Luo Jalen’s real target. Â
So Su Mu had to hide herself very, very well.
Damn it, how did things end up like this?
If only she hadn’t worried about those other matters.
This person, blinded by desire, wouldn’t consider anything else at all!
“Wait, let me take a good look at you.”
Just as Luo Jialan’s hand was about to slide down along the curve, her eyes suddenly sharpened.
She grabbed “Su Mu’s” chin and gently forced her face upward.
At last, she noticed something different.
“You look a little tired. Did you not sleep well last night?”
Hearing this, “Su Mu” nodded timidly.
During the days in the rental apartment, how could she ever sleep soundly at night?
Just as she was about to fall asleep, speeding motorcycles would roar past on the night road, the piercing buzzing drilling directly into her ears.
She wished she could grow some new organ to close her ears.
That’s why there was always a faint shadow hanging over her eyes.
Add to that the long-term life in a sunless cramped room, her skin looked paler than Su Mu’s usual healthy flush.
“Let me guess, you didn’t eat breakfast, went to bed after one a.m., and barely exercised, right?”
Bingo.
“Su Mu” couldn’t understand how the girl in front of her could easily sum up her situation with just a few words.
Could this be another Magical Girl ability?
But it seemed like she wouldn’t get scolded for now, so she breathed a little easier.
Luo Jialan’s hand gently stroked “Su Mu’s” cheek, feeling the softness that lacked some elasticity.
A hint of pity flickered in her eyes.
She had already seen it—this was Su Mu before becoming a Magical Girl.
Living alone, just like herself, in a cramped little room facing the street.
Staring at a computer screen all day, an irregular lifestyle, and completely unable to take care of herself.
Luo Jialan shifted her gaze to the computer screen, intending to see what this person was typing.
Was she arguing with someone again?
Or editing those embarrassing, heart-fluttering fanfics?
Seeing this, “Su Mu” suddenly stretched out her foot and quietly pressed the power button with her toe.
The computer immediately blacked out, reflecting Luo Jialan’s face.
This displeased Luo Jialan somewhat.
But thanks to the Magical Girl’s quick reflexes, she had already memorized what was on the screen.
‘She was actually writing about me…? Too little, though. Better let me write it myself.’
But not on this fake computer.
Luo Jialan looked back at “Su Mu,” cupping her own flushed, heated face with excitement.
The affection in her eyes was almost overflowing.
At this moment, there were still 27 minutes left before Irina finished gathering her power.