“Uh, do you mind if I interrupt for a moment? Or do you need more time to, say, celebrate?”
Just then, a jarring voice sounded.
Irina didn’t even need to turn her head to know who it was.
Of course, she also knew why the other person had come.
“Go ahead.”
Unlike Irina’s composure, Lando’s eyes were filled with vigilance as she looked at Tang Nai.
Whenever this person appeared unexpectedly and spoke in this tone, it never led to anything good.
“Lando, I have one good news and one bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?”
Lando curled her lips, not bothering to choose.
“I’m guessing they’re really the same news.”
Tang Nai snapped her fingers lightly at those words.
“Bingo~ You’re sharp, but I doubt you’ll like it.”
“Just say it already, what’s with all the suspense.”
Lando tugged at the corner of her mouth, not reacting as exaggeratedly as she used to when seeing Tang Nai.
It seemed her growth wasn’t limited to just her abilities.
“Alright, I’ll get straight to the point then. Lando, you have to leave here and head to S City. Your place to stay and everything else has already been arranged. If you want to find a Snow King job over there, that’s not a problem either…”
“I refuse.”
Without hesitation, Lando cut Tang Nai off, not even bothering to listen to the rest.
Leaving B City meant leaving Su Mu—there was no need to hear more.
“Really? That’s unfortunate. Even though you just got the Power of Rebellion, this time you don’t get to choose.”
“That damn Power of Rebellion. That’s not why I’m refusing.”
As she spoke, icy blue motes of light surged around Lando, a sign she was gathering her power to increase her Magic Index.
Her stance was clear—if Tang Nai tried to force her, she would resist.
Irina, who had been quietly listening all along, remained silent.
That didn’t mean she was happy to see Lando forced to leave.
If Su Mu were here, she’d definitely clash with Tang Nai, but Irina just watched quietly.
Irina understood the situation.
Some things simply couldn’t be changed.
What Tang Nai was asking for was something even she herself couldn’t control, and the reason she was playing the villain here was nothing more than one of her own twisted amusements.
Just as Lando was about to take action, she noticed Irina’s hesitation.
For a moment, she was stunned, then asked in disbelief, “Su Mu, you want me to stay too… don’t you…?”
It was a terrible question—a hard one to answer.
Irina took a deep breath and spoke slowly: “We can meet in the Dream World, every night if you want.”
“That’s not the same.”
Hearing this answer, Lando felt a chill all over, her lips parted but no words came out.
But she could hear the turmoil in Irina’s heavy tone.
Irina wasn’t the kind to be selfish or to ignore others’ feelings for her own sake (Tang Nai didn’t count); she was just afraid.
Afraid she didn’t matter enough in Su Mu’s heart.
Irina didn’t explain anything.
She just quietly apologized to Su Mu in her heart, then stepped forward and pulled Lando into her arms.
‘Little Su Mu, forgive me.’
Wrapped in the familiar warmth, Lando no longer felt shy as she had before.
Instead, she wrapped her arms around Irina, pulling them even closer, so she could clearly hear the other’s heartbeat.
“I understand.”
“Do you want an explanation?”
Stuffed full with dog food, Tang Nai interrupted at the worst possible time, breaking the intimate moment between the two.
Lando impatiently pulled her face away and shot Tang Nai a look of disdain.
“Isn’t it just to prevent me from losing control? I can guess. That’s why Motes and Lemon went to S City, isn’t it?”
Motes had been a teacher in S City before Lando joined.
Lemon was transferred there halfway through.
The thing they had in common was that they’d all reached B-rank.
“Sharp as ever. Well, let me wish you a happy move in advance?”
“Happy your head!”
Though the hostility on Lando had faded a lot, she still kept a suitable amount of annoyance toward Tang Nai.
There was no point beating up the thing drawn on paper—better to save her complaints for the real person.
“So… that’s that. Your flight is tomorrow. You still have one night left.”
“Should I be grateful you specially left me the night?”
Honestly, Lando didn’t have the energy to say more now.
“If you want to think of me that way, I’m happy. I’ll leave you two alone.”
Watching Tang Nai’s departing figure, Lando sighed and turned to Irina.
Irina rubbed her nose, a little embarrassed to hide inside her hat.
“It’s alright. Even if we’re not together, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in the Three-layer Dream. Like taking you on a trip—um, what’s the word… a honeymoon?”
As she said the last word, her face obviously flushed red.
“No problem. By the way, are you really that familiar with the Dream World?”
Irina nodded.
“Then when I get there, you’ll have to treat me well. You know, I’m easy to please, I don’t care about food or clothes, only have a tiny obsession with money, so all you need to do is…”
Hearing that, Irina coughed lightly, cutting Lando off.
The two fell silent again, but the atmosphere quickly heated up.
“Alright, there’s just one night left. Don’t waste it. Let’s go.”
Tang Nai’s voice rang out again, right next to Su Mu in the real world.
“Hey, I just happen to need to go out today. There’s a room on the second floor of the café, fully equipped. I think you might use it.”
Su Mu, still clueless about the situation below, felt at a loss but could basically guess what facilities Tang Nai was referring to.
Instinctively, she retorted: “You’re not talking about your own room, are you?”
“Of course not. And you’d better not touch my door. Best not to touch anything else on the second floor either. Also, don’t keep going upstairs—there’s a stubborn old man living up there.”
“Got it, got it. So when are you leaving? I’m not even dressed yet.”
Su Mu was still wrapped in her comforter, a hint of her fair skin visible from the edge.
“Don’t be nervous. There’s nothing there that’s not been seen before. Not interested in that anyway.”
“Then dare to give me your photo album so I can delete it?”
“No.”
***
When Su Mu returned to the shared apartment with Ye Wanqing again, it was already noon the next day.
‘Eh, did I miss something? That kind of thing isn’t important. If it was skipped, there’s probably nothing worth knowing.’
Back to the point—Su Mu put the key in the lock and twisted it.
No familiar sounds came from inside the room, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit down.
Until a certain red-haired girl stood before her, hands on hips.
“Hey, who are you? What are you doing in my house?”
Su Mu looked at the doorplate, then at Ye Wanqing’s face.
‘Is there something wrong with the way I’m opening things?’