In a certain homestay complex near Baiyuan University, under the evening sunlight, a blonde loli was scribbling away with all her might.
[……In summary, former gangsters and thugs were among the participants. Considering their inherently bad nature, their greed over principles, and limited understanding of the Circle of Mysteries, there’s a high probability they would cause negative impact on society, and an even higher chance they’d expose the circle. Therefore, I apply for the use of ‘Black Swan’s Kiss.’]
Su Qingyu was writing a work report.
The reasons were sufficient.
Those people from Xinglong International used to be gangsters—bad ones.
After coming into contact with items from the Circle of Mysteries, they might use them to do more evil, or even expose the secrets to society.
So they needed to be dealt with decisively.
Black Swan’s Kiss was a type of functional item—not high-level—but capable of erasing at least several years of memory.
However, its effect wasn’t precise.
Sometimes it would erase a few extra years.
Sometimes it would turn someone into a vegetable.
No matter what, brain damage was guaranteed, which was also one reason it was rated low.
This was Su Qingyu’s purpose.
The people from Xinglong International had to be handled thoroughly to prevent the family from tracing anything back to Bai Xiaoya.
“Guess it counts as eliminating evil for the people.”
Su Qingyu’s little head bobbed suddenly.
“Achoo!”
Who’s talking bad about me behind my back?
Whatever.
First, submit the report.
If things go quickly, the item will arrive in a couple of days.
Su Qingyu stood up and walked to the window, staring at the gray sky outside.
So it was going to rain.
No wonder it got dark so fast.
“Achoo!”
Who’s talking behind my back!
***
It was Bai Xiaoya.
“You’re not much better than Su Qingyu, you know.”
Bai Xiaoya lay on the bed like a pillow princess, critiquing Bai Xia’s handiwork, but her voice was soft and muffled.
Since there was no response, the busty girl grumbled quietly as she enjoyed herself:
“At this level, you’re just like Su Qingyu, and yet you act all fierce every day.”
“If you think you’re better, go ahead, but even if you do, it’s the same.”
“I’ll just drink green tea—after we get back to school, I’ll drink more.”
She didn’t really intend to drink more green tea—it was just something to annoy Bai Xia with.
But at that moment, slender fingers gave a sharp tug.
Bai Xiaoya’s cute face instantly tensed.
W-what’s happening, why…
Before she could figure it out, the busty girl’s body went limp, shivering weakly.
What was this feeling?
Like a thirty-minute massage had completely relaxed her body, then suddenly someone pressed a sensitive spot.
“Despicable,”
Bai Xiaoya’s beautiful eyes brimmed with tears,
“You’re too despicable, you pervert.”
Even using tactics like this.
“It just means the warm-up is over. Didn’t I notify you?”
Bai Xia paused, then realized,
“Oh right, I forgot to remind you.”
She lowered her head, leaning close to Bai Xiaoya’s ear, and whispered,
“Now, I’m officially notifying you—the warm-up is over. Are you ready?”
“No… Uwah!”
Bai Xiaoya trembled violently, her teary eyes full of grievance.
Didn’t I say I wasn’t ready? Why did you still move?
“I said notify, not ask for your opinion,”
Bai Xia said calmly.
Did you really think I was asking if you were ready?
Bai Xiaoya’s delicate body convulsed.
She suddenly understood how that pen felt, spinning in Bai Xia’s hand, fluttering like a butterfly’s wings.
It was like magic!
“Yaya, actually, your voice was too quiet just now. I could hardly hear a thing,”
Bai Xia kissed the busty girl’s ear and ‘gently’ said,
“Can you say it again?”
“Uuu, I said, I said, from now on, I’ll never drink green tea again.”
I won’t drink it voluntarily—just admit my mistake first, or I’ll never get out of the bedroom today.
But Bai Xia knew her too well.
“Really? Why do I find it hard to believe? Besides, you’ll definitely come up with all kinds of reasons by then, like… Huangegu Effect?”
Yesterday, at home, Bai Xiaoya used all those words and professional terms—Bai Xia repeated them one by one, and each time she spoke, she tugged again.
This is a Stress Response, this is a Compensation Effect, this is a Grand Fasting Effect…
“Ugh… unnn… uwaaah!”
After the final surge, Bai Xiaoya was completely exhausted, her eyes dazed as she stared out the window, her clever little head full of philosophical questions.
Why does the sun rise?
Why do stars fall?
“It’s raining.”
She murmured suddenly.
Bai Xia wiped the rainwater from her body and nodded.
“It really is raining.”
It soaked her completely.
“No, I mean,”
Bai Xiaoya breathed softly,
“It’s really raining.”
Outside the window, the rain poured down.
Early June’s rain—just like in those ancient-style lyrics—fell drop by drop, endless and continuous, as if soaking into one’s heart.
A blanket covered Bai Xiaoya’s body.
The busty girl lifted her gaze in confusion.
“Mm?”
She saw Bai Xia tuck her in, then turn toward the rain outside the window, red eyes reflecting another rainy night.
“Rest well. I’ll message Mom and Dad later and say we’re at the school dorm.”
“…Oh.”
She didn’t really know what had happened, but Bai Xiaoya was sleepy.
Her little head tilted, and she drifted into dreamland.
Zzzz
Bai Xia left the bedroom and went to the room from before.
It was basically a living room, though small, with just a passage and a desk.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
A message arrived on her phone.
[Li Butler: Second Young Miss, I’ve found it!]
Bai Xia didn’t rush to read the rest.
She placed the phone on the desk and touched her parents’ portraits with both hands.
[Congratulations, Host, for perfectly resembling a villainous Miss! Drawing Reward. Reward Category: Mystery obtained! Please select one existing mystery item to increase your mastery. As Host currently owns only one, default selection: Edwins’s Pocket Watch.]
The task Reward prompt appeared.
But Bai Xia’s gaze passed through the window, seeing another rainy night.
Her father walked back from the rain, covered in blood.
He entered the house, ignoring his wounds, and grabbed her hand.
‘A Xia, don’t be sad. This was my choice.’
‘They told me to throw it away, and I could have left all this trouble behind and lived my life, but this time, I didn’t obey.’
‘In these recent days, the family’s troubles piled up endlessly—I didn’t want to leave you with a mountain of debt, so I brought it back, and gave it to you.’
Bai Xia reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the pocket watch—the thing her father had placed in her palm that rainy night.
‘One of the world’s most dangerous powers—the thing that controls fate. That’s what they call it.’
She gently stroked the pocket watch’s chain, slowly opening the case.
‘They use this power to threaten and intimidate. We know so little, and can do nothing—unless we hold it ourselves.’
‘They say no one can do it, but from now on, A Xia——’
Bai Xia gripped the pocket watch.
Her right thumb pressed on the unmoving minute hand.
‘You will possess it.’
The back of her hand and arm tensed.
She focused all her strength into her thumb.
‘Master it.’
The Knife-shaped Minute Hand cut into her fingertip, streaks of blood dyeing the dial red.
Bai Xia didn’t let go.
She pressed even harder.
Veins rose on the back of her hand.
Below the dial, the spring gears clicked and groaned, like rusted machinery being pulled by human hands.
‘Ride it!’
Click!
The sound of gears locking was crisp and clear.
The minute hand loosened and, with the girl’s movement, pointed to the next mark.
[People always have many thoughts at once, but after a little calm consideration, most are cut away one by one——Cutting Minute Hand.]