Chapter 50: Ah Fu

It felt like there was an indescribable, inexplicable bond tying herself and the masked woman before her together.

Wu Xiaomi walked dazedly up to the woman.

The woman’s hair was just like hers, with pink at the tips, and her eyes were as clear as pomegranate seeds… This color was rare.

Suddenly, she was very nervous.

Wu Xiaomi didn’t even know what she was expecting.

Maybe, after hearing so much tonight about “that person,” she had developed an unrealistic hope.

“You…” Wu Xiaomi hesitated, wavering, afraid she would be too rude. “Are you…”

“Heh.”

The woman broke the silence first.

She suddenly leapt down from the mound, gave her head a gentle toss, and brushed aside the bangs at her forehead.

At the same time, she pinned Wu Xiaomi against the tree with a thud.

“Forgive my rudeness, beautiful lady,” the woman gently cupped Wu Xiaomi’s cheek.

Those alluring pupils, though not as soft and clear as Wu Xiaomi’s, and lacking a bit of her captivating charm, were instead filled with a commanding force, as if she wanted to pour all her emotions into Wu Xiaomi’s mind through her gaze.

In terms of pure charm, she truly couldn’t compare to Wu Xiaomi— the difference was vast.

But her distinct aura had a flavor all its own.

Wu Xiaomi stared at her in a daze.

—This development wasn’t quite what she had imagined.

“How could there be such a perfect girl in this world,” the woman sighed deeply, “Forgive me, I really can’t restrain myself. May I have breakfast with you— pfft—”

A knee strike.

Wu Xiaomi used all her strength, almost knocking the wind out of the woman’s stomach.

The woman bent over in pain, clutching at an imaginary limb between her legs, rolling on the ground.

“Scumbag, ptooey.”

Wu Xiaomi spat at her, turned, and left.

Yes, admit it, she had indeed entertained some unrealistic fantasies tonight.

She fantasized that maybe she was a poor soul who had drifted to Earth, that her real parents were still in this world, and had no choice but to send her to another world to grow up.

Maybe they weren’t as terrible as she imagined, maybe a shattered mirror could be made whole again.

Just like… Nanalia and Nanania now.

So, no matter how much she denied it, that knot in her heart was still there.

So, when she heard about a woman named “Ah Fu” who looked like her, hope began to sprout in her heart.

That hope had colored her mood all night.

Could she be her mother?

Such a question lingered in her mind.

Until this moment.

Even if the woman before her really was Ah Fu, even if she truly was her mother, she wasn’t curious anymore.

A bastard who even tried to flirt with her own daughter—what was there to look forward to?!

I have Xiaozhi. Having Xiaozhi is enough.

The woman curled up on the ground, staring at Wu Xiaomi’s departing back, groaning in pain between her legs.

Suddenly, she stopped struggling, frozen as if struck by lightning.

“Wait, damn… could she be Xiaomi?!”

“Hiss—judging by her age, it’s about right…”

[Strategy complete. Your identity: Guardian of the Forest.]

[You have achieved the perfect ending without knowing your true identity—

1. Completely ended Mirror Night.
2. No casualties among the friendly forces in the Manggu Mountains.
3. Released the Child of the Wild back to the mountains and forests.

Identity match reward: ‘Shaman Sequence 78: Siren’s Dance Practice Manual’ (can be fully mastered after cultivation)

Perfect strategy reward without knowing your identity: Badge of the Ranger]

Badge of the Ranger?

Wu Xiaomi pressed the little badge in her palm to her chest.

“Ah~”

It felt so good.

A warm, gentle white light spread from the badge, slowly enveloping her body.

Her body became more slender and petite within the white light, a green cloak draped over her shoulders, her feet wrapped in smooth, soft white silk.

Her clothes took on the main color of forest leaves, looking fresh and clean, a lucky four-leaf clover hairpin clipped to the side of her hair, and the gradient of cherry pink at her hair tips faded a bit, replaced by pure white.

Most importantly…

Everything in the world seemed to have grown taller.

No, she had gotten smaller.

Her eyes fluttered as she blinked.

Her legs dangled in the air as her body was lifted up.

She was… picked up by Lulutina!

Her body was even younger than Lulutina’s!

“Let… let go…” Even her voice sounded like a milky child’s.

Lulutina seized the chance and, naturally unwilling to let go, used her “older body” advantage to tickle Wu Xiaomi relentlessly.

“No… stop… I can’t take it…”

She hurriedly took off the Badge of the Ranger.

Seeing Wu Xiaomi’s body return to normal, Lulutina turned tail and ran~

She’s really mastered the art of guerrilla warfare.

“Just wait till we get back! I’ll… settle this with you!”

Panting from being tickled, Wu Xiaomi couldn’t catch up to that thieving crow, so she let go of revenge for now.

She went back to browsing the settlement page.

[During the process, you defeated 102 ordinary Mirror Demons, 2 Beast-faced Mirror Demons, for a total reward of 12,200 points. Also, for surviving Mirror Night (main quest), you receive a reward of 4,000 points.]

[Total: 16,200]

That’s it.

But with her small savings at home, she could finally exchange for some proper spells and combat technique sequences!

Nice~

[Begin return]

Crossing the starry sky, she returned to the milky white world.

Luckily, this time she hadn’t returned too far.

—She hadn’t been teleported to a dangerous place.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she hopped back to her little house.

Now that she’d sorted out the knot in her heart, she felt much lighter all over.

But… accidents always happen when you’re feeling the most pleased with yourself.

She had just stepped inside when she suddenly felt her collar tighten.

Bai Xiaozhi suddenly sprang out from behind the door, pushing Wu Xiaomi against the wall.

?!

Her thigh was pinned firmly by Bai Xiaozhi’s knee, leaving her no room to move.

It was as if she wanted to squeeze every inch of struggle out of her prey. Wu Xiaomi tried to push her away but had her wrists pinned above her head instead.

Caught off guard, Wu Xiaomi looked up at Bai Xiaozhi in embarrassment and anger.

“You… what… what are you doing?”

After more than ten years together, she had never seen Bai Xiaozhi like this.

Right now, she was like a lion king whose dominance had been challenged, her whole body radiating dangerous, low pressure.

“Why did you come back to save Kang Jie? Why… risk your life to come back?”

…Just that?

“I already explained…” Wu Xiaomi pouted in dissatisfaction, “He’s pretty interesting…”

That’s all there was to it.

If it weren’t for him, the surrounding blocks would probably have turned into a zombie apocalypse scene.

…

But such a willful reason obviously couldn’t convince the lion king in a fit of anger.

Bai Xiaozhi’s gaze shifted away from Wu Xiaomi’s pouting lips.

—This fool had no idea how dangerous it was to pout in this situation.

“That’s just not realistic, that reason.”

Fueled by frustration at being brushed off, Bai Xiaozhi’s breathing grew even more rapid.

“?”

But it was the truth.

Quality of life was as important as survival. Even in the apocalypse, no one wanted to live miserably in a grim, oppressive world, right?

Of course, in terms of survival ability…

If disaster was like water for the Syndicate,

Then Kang Jie was a land duck thrown into a pool of acid.

“But he always has these weird ideas. They sound unrealistic, but they’re interesting,” Wu Xiaomi said.

“……”

Another compliment.

You really admire him that much.

Bai Xiaozhi’s face turned pale.

“It hurts…”

Overcome with emotion, Bai Xiaozhi tightened her grip, making the little Milk Mud under the lion’s jaws tremble slightly.

But it seemed the lion king was struggling internally, forgetting her fangs were still sunk into her prey’s neck.

“You.”

Bai Xiaozhi took a few deep breaths.

At last, she gritted her teeth and decided to ask that question.

Even though she knew, once this question was spoken, their relationship would never be the same.

The bond held together by mutual exchange would completely collapse.

But Bai Xiaozhi still decided to ask, unwilling to let the stone remain lodged in her heart.

“Do you… is it…”

The lion king stared hard into her prey’s eyes, as if if the answer was wrong, she would bite down and tear out her prey’s throat.

“Do you… like Kang Jie?” She finally asked.

What 0v0

Pfft—

What on earth!

So this was what had been bothering Xiaozhi? Such a ridiculous worry?

“Ha, how could I possibly like a man?”

Wu Xiaomi blurted out.

But as soon as she said it, she realized something was off.

If she didn’t like men, then didn’t that mean…