At Yi Shiyue’s persistent insistence, Ye Xingyao was currently sitting obediently in a chair, allowing the other girl to fuss with her hair from behind.
“Shiyao, tell me, do you think an elf can become a Hunter?”
Ye Xingyao froze for a moment at the question.
“Why do you want to be a Hunter?” she asked reflexively.
“Hmm… I suppose I just don’t want to be left behind by you,” Yi Shiyue said seriously, picking up a strand of her hair and rolling it between her fingers.
Ye Xingyao originally wanted to refuse immediately, but on second thought, there really wasn’t a better way to help her improve herself outside of the Hunter’s Union…
So, she reached for her phone to contact Sister Hong, only to suddenly remember that she had no idea where her phone had been tossed. It had likely been trashed during the high-intensity combat. She had no choice but to reach for Yi Shiyue’s phone instead.
“Eh?”
She couldn’t reach it.
She felt as if her arms were slightly shorter than before, but her body size shouldn’t have changed much. Was it some kind of skeletal difference?
“Xingyao?”
Seeing the girl struggling to reach for her phone, Yi Shiyue found it strangely amusing. Although she didn’t know why Xingyao suddenly wanted it, Shiyue pushed the phone toward her, allowing her to take it.
“I’m going to contact Sister Hong. Maybe it really is feasible.”
As she spoke, Ye Xingyao pressed her finger onto the unlocking sensor.
“Huh? Shiyue, did you delete my fingerprint?”
She was a bit surprised. For the longest time, both her and Shiyue’s phones had each other’s fingerprints saved. However, because of the unconditional trust between childhood friends, and because Xingyao used a spare phone for business with Sister Hong and other related parties, Yi Shiyue had never discovered her job as a Hunter.
Now, the spare phone she had taken out was nowhere to be found, and the regular phone she kept at home had been sent flying by that wretched humanoid monster.
‘Man, that humanoid monster was truly wicked.’
“Xingyao, have you… well, become a bit slower? If your entire body has been swapped, of course your fingerprints will be different. We’ll record a new one in a bit.”
Yi Shiyue gave the girl’s head a playful tap. She reached out to unlock the phone with her own fingerprint and watched as Ye Xingyao opened the dialer, expertly typed in a string of numbers, and pressed the call button. She then went back to stroking the girl’s hair.
“Hello? Sister Hong?”
The call connected quickly, and Ye Xingyao spoke in a sweet, high-pitched voice.
“Hmm? Who is this? Why do you have my number?”
The familiar voice of Hong Yeqiu came from the other end.
“It’s me, Ye Xin.”
Ye Xingyao turned on the speakerphone. Even her strained, sweet voice relaxed a lot. After all, Yi Shiyue was emitting a somewhat ominous aura from behind her. The old her might not have noticed, but she was no longer the same as before. Her perception of other people’s gazes and emotions had become much stronger.
“Oh? You’re awake? How do you feel? Any internal injuries?”
Hearing that it was Ye Xingyao, Hong Yeqiu seemed to relax as well. Her voice became much lazier, and she even let out a yawn.
“Sister Hong, you’re actually worrying about me first instead of making me confess everything I’ve hidden? I’m so touched. You really are my dear sister!”
On the other end of the line, Hong Yeqiu was resting with her eyes closed on a lounge chair at home. Hearing the girl’s teasing, she opened her eyes, looking slightly confused.
However, that confusion vanished quickly, replaced by a smirk.
“Heh, it seems Little Sister Ye Xin is in high spirits. In that case, why don’t you report everything you’ve been hiding from your ‘dear sister’ — ?”
Hearing that tone, Ye Xingyao’s body visibly trembled. Every time Hong Yeqiu spoke like that, she would always find some fancy way to tease her. Over time, Xingyao had become somewhat flippant herself due to the influence. Yes, that must be it.
“Ah… well, that’s not what I’m calling about today. Yue — that is, the Moon Elf who fought alongside me — also wants to be a Hunter. Do you think that’s feasible, Sister Hong?”
Ye Xingyao looked back at Yi Shiyue, and after receiving a nod of confirmation, she spoke.
“…”
There was a rare silence on the other end of the line.
“I don’t think so.”
Now it was Xingyao and Yi Shiyue’s turn to be silent.
“However, you can completely operate together under the identity of Ye Xin. Being a Hunter is just a title anyway. If you aren’t doing it for fame or profit, there’s no need for her to officially become one.”
Hong Yeqiu paused. Seeing that Ye Xingyao didn’t respond, she continued.
“I was planning to go to the safe house in a while to check on your condition, but it seems there’s no need now. Bring her to my place later. There are some things that can’t be discussed over the phone.”
“Oh, okay.”
Seeing Ye Xingyao agree, Hong Yeqiu’s lips curled into a teasing smile.
“So, how did you manage to win over the Moon Elf? Didn’t you say she was your best friend before? To stay by your side through thick and thin in that situation…”
“Alright, alright, we’ll be there! See you in a bit, Sister Hong! Bye!”
Before Hong Yeqiu could finish, Ye Xingyao quickly interrupted her and pressed the end call button.
Her cheeks were heating up again. At this moment, she didn’t quite dare to look back at Yi Shiyue’s expression. Driven by curiosity, she could only steal a glance at her through the corner of her eye.
“Hmm… that’s about done. It suits you well, Xingyao.”
But Yi Shiyue didn’t seem affected by Hong Yeqiu’s words at all. Instead, she looked at her with a gaze meant for admiring a piece of art. Following her gaze, Xingyao looked at herself in the mirror.
It was an eternity in a single glance.
The girl stood up and stared at her reflection, dazed.
She lacked the vocabulary to describe it, but she could summarize it in one thought: it looked quite good.
Looking closely, she could see several small braids woven into her beautiful black hair, acting like hair accessories. They were hidden among the strands, adding layers to the look. Whether from up close or far away, it looked stunning. It brought out Ye Xingyao’s quirky, clever, and slightly seductive aura to the fullest.
“Whoa, that’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it. It seems Xingling managed to secure a Relocation House from the Human Alliance. Since I wasn’t there, she could only apply for a single room. Until the area is rebuilt, we’ll likely have to live together.”
Yi Shiyue took Ye Xingyao’s arm.
“Let’s go for a walk. I’m a bit hungry, and we need to buy some spare clothes today. Didn’t you also accept that invitation from Miss Hong?”
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