Chapter 34: Shameless!

“Luo classmate, can I move now?”

Xu Lin looked down at Luo Qiu Zhu, who was also motionless.

But she shot back an angry glare.

Her mask trembled rapidly, her chest heaving quickly.

It soon calmed, and finally, she spat out words.

“Hurry up…”

“What?”

Her voice was muffled and hard to hear.

“I said move faster, don’t dawdle! If you dare slow down on purpose, I won’t let you off!”

Luo Qiu Zhu raised her voice, somewhat hysterical, her eyes mixing anger with reluctance.

How am I dawdling? If not for your opposition, I’d be out smoothly.

“Fine. Here I go.”

With that, Xu Lin relaxed the pressure on his knees; her thigh naturally dropped.

Then he stepped outward, exiting the crevice.

As soon as he left, his gaze met a sign.

It was the one he couldn’t read earlier—the shop Lin Shen Xue had entered.

“Little Things Handmade”.

Beside it was a brief introduction of what the shop did.

So it was a handmade accessories store; the name was quite simple.

…

“Luo classmate, where should we go next to talk…”

Xu Lin turned, wanting to discuss with Luo Qiu Zhu where to continue their interrupted conversation.

But he saw her still in the crevice.

Inside, she was slightly hunched, head lowered, one hand on the wall, doing who knows what.

You call me dawdling, but you’re the biggest dawdler!

Xu Lin grumbled inwardly.

He was about to say something when Luo Qiu Zhu finally emerged.

She glared at him hatefully, then put her sunglasses back on.

“I have nothing more to say to you. Just you wait!”

With that, Luo Qiu Zhu walked straight past him to leave.

“Kid, don’t let her go; she’s trying to retreat! You must take her down today!”

At that moment, Noxis’s voice came through his mind.

Then his WeChat dinged.

“Use that photo to negotiate with her!”

“What photo?”

Xu Lin was confused and pressed the owl figurine.

“The one just forwarded to you via Sorceress!”

Sorceress?

He soon remembered that was Li Zhi Ran’s WeChat name.

He quickly checked his phone; sure enough, Li Zhi Ran had sent a picture.

He opened the chat and viewed it; his head instantly buzzed.

The photo showed a man and a woman.

Squeezed in a wall crevice.

The woman glaring at the man with resentment and reluctance.

…This, this is me and Luo Qiu Zhu in the crevice?

This pose was indeed quite ambiguous…

No!

“How did you take this photo?”

The angle was definitely from standing in the alley outside the crevice.

But earlier, he hadn’t seen any sign of Li Zhi Ran outside.

“This is magic, kid.”

“Stop spacing out; she’s back.”

Noxis’s voice carried a hint of teasing.

Xu Lin didn’t yet understand her last words when he heard rapid, emotional footsteps approaching.

He looked up; the departing Luo Qiu Zhu had turned back, standing before him, aggressively.

“You shameless bastard!”

“Shameless?”

Scolded head-on, Xu Lin felt puzzled.

“Dare to do but not admit?”

Seeing his expression, Luo Qiu Zhu’s voice burned with more anger.

She raised her phone toward him.

“Don’t say this isn’t what you sent me!”

On the phone was a WeChat chat.

The contact was noted as “Annoying Guy”.

The avatar was identical to Xu Lin’s WeChat.

The latest message was a photo.

The exact same one Xu Lin had just received from Li Zhi Ran.

Wait, I sent it?

“Who told her to photograph Minerva first? This is reciprocity! She thought she had cards? This tears them to shreds!”

Seeming to understand Xu Lin’s confusion, Noxis explained in his mind.

Toward the end, she let out a purrrr growl.

She sent it?

And using my WeChat!

Magic or hacking?

…The how didn’t matter now; the point was Luo Qiu Zhu had received the photo.

Nuclear deterrence…

For some reason, Xu Lin’s mind flashed to that classic image: two powers arm-wrestling on nukes, each holding a remote.

This move—was it really Li Zhi Ran? She’s truly become the “Witch”!

He was sure Li Zhi Ran’s state had changed.

But…

Xu Lin looked at Luo Qiu Zhu before him.

Explaining was useless. And with her impression of him, she was certain he sent it.

What now?

Li Zhi Ran was still rampaging.

Explaining to Luo Qiu Zhu was pointless.

Then…

“Luo classmate, as I said before, on Lin classmate’s matter, we should be in a cooperative relationship.”

He quickly steadied his mindset, avoiding the photo topic.

“This is your attitude toward cooperation?”

She pointed at the photo on the screen.

“Luo classmate, let me be honest. Whether you want me to leave the Witch senior or Lin classmate, I won’t agree today.”

“Shameless!”

Luo Qiu Zhu put away her phone, staring motionless at Xu Lin, her body trembling slightly.

Xu Lin kept his expression steady, speaking unhurriedly.

“I came to meet you today hoping you’d work with me for Lin classmate’s sake.”

“There are many things unclear now. But if you cooperate, you’ll eventually accept and understand.”

If she weren’t ordinary, it might be easier to explain.

Unfortunately, she had no tags, was Lin Shen Xue’s childhood friend, and domineering; telling her about saving Lin Shen Xue or the world—she’d never accept.

“But one thing I’m sure of: I absolutely have no intention of harming Lin classmate.”

With that, Xu Lin gazed at Luo Qiu Zhu, his eyes clear of impurity.

Silence.

Luo Qiu Zhu just stared back.

But Xu Lin felt the gaze beneath her sunglasses.

Her silence lasted a while, but she didn’t turn and storm off.

This made her thoughts hard to read.

Right.

He thought of something, then took out the half-used Florida water and offered it to her.

“Remember this?”

Xu Lin noticed her gaze shift to the bottle in his hand.

It seemed effective.

“The sudden pain you had earlier was resolved with this.”

“You must have many questions about that inexplicable pain and the thing that eased it.”

“I’d love to explain, but even if I did now, you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Because we lack trust.”

“And cooperation can build that trust.”

“So if you decide to cooperate, take this.”

With that, Xu Lin watched her expression.

But she was fully covered again, only eyebrows visible.

They moved constantly, as if her face beneath mask and sunglasses was fluctuating.

After another long silence, she finally took the Florida water.

“I hate you!”

Leaving those words, she turned and left.

“If you feel that pain again like before, use a little; it’ll help. Come find me when it’s gone.”

Xu Lin felt little about her final hatred, instead calling to her departing back.

But Luo Qiu Zhu didn’t look back; this time, she fully left the alley.

Only after her figure vanished did Xu Lin move to leave.

After two steps, he felt a coolness at his knee.

He stopped, looked at his right knee—slightly wet.

Looking around, it seemed a small patch had been wet, now mostly dry, leaving just this.

“Where’s the water from? Not from rubbing the moss, right?”

He recalled the crevice walls seemed damp.

He touched the wetness on his knee.

The feel was odd—like water but not.

Puzzled, he thought no more and left the alley.

***

Late at night.

Luo Qiu Zhu and Lin Shen Xue’s residence.

Luo Qiu Zhu in pajamas lay casually on her bed.

Eyes wide, staring at the dark ceiling.

In an instant, afternoon scenes played like a movie on the ceiling.

Finally freezing on her and Xu Lin in the crevice.

She felt something odd in her body, suddenly irritated.

The bed creaked.

She sat up on the edge.

Her gaze naturally fell on the nearby nightstand.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

Opening it, she took out a bottle.

The Florida water Xu Lin gave her before leaving.

As soon as she held it, her irritation faded, replaced by calm.

Surprise crossed her face.

Just now, she felt a strange power from the liquid, dispelling her irritation.

She recalled her sudden pain, and Xu Lin using it to ease her.

She held the Florida water for a long time, finally stuffing it back.

Though holding it calmed her, Xu Lin’s face kept flashing in her mind.

Thinking of his face irritated her, but the Florida water suppressed it.

His face appeared again, irritation, suppression.

…

This cycle made Xu Lin’s face in her mind increasingly natural.

Realizing something wrong, she quickly put it back.

Luo Qiu Zhu lay down again, eyes shut tight.

But the afternoon scenes with Xu Lin wouldn’t fade.

In the dark room, clear heartbeats echoed.