Chapter 37
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Chapter 37: Invitation
“Here.”
Early in the morning, Heli came into Mi Xiaoliu’s classroom, handed over her backpack, and straightened her collar. “Next time something like this happens, let me know. I’ll drive you.”
It was fine staying at a girl’s place this time. But if it had been a boy’s house—who knows what might have happened. Heli had absolutely no trust in those hot-blooded teenage boys.
“Have you had breakfast?”
“I have.”
Heli passed her a lunchbox. “Save this for lunch. Otherwise, you’ll be starving by afternoon class.”
At least it wasn’t served in a beaker this time.
“If anything comes up, find me in the infirmary. Unless I’m busy, I’m usually free.” With that, she turned and walked away.
“Whose place did you stay last night?” Yiwen leaned over, curious.
“Her’s.” Mi Xiaoliu, unable to recall Lu Mingxue’s name, just pointed directly at her, earning a disapproving glare in return.
“I see…” Yiwen frowned. “Guys really shouldn’t stay overnight at unfamiliar girls’ homes… What are you looking at?”
She noticed Mi Xiaoliu playing on her phone—something quite rare. In the week or so she’d known her, Mi Xiaoliu had barely touched her phone, even though she’d somehow gotten her hands on a Durian 14.
For today’s youth, not using a smartphone was nothing short of miraculous.
Mi Xiaoliu had just downloaded a music app that morning, at Lu Mingxue’s suggestion. She’d also learned that internet access cost money each month.
She added the song Lu Mingxue played yesterday to her favorites—mainly because she hadn’t heard any other songs.
Mi Xiaoliu turned to look at Yiwen’s face.
She looked just like the girl in the MV… though not quite the same.
Yiwen’s expression twisted ever so slightly when she saw the only song in Mi Xiaoliu’s playlist. Her red lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, she stayed quiet.
She smiled faintly, a look that said she wanted to laugh but didn’t want it to show.
As usual, Yiwen spent most of the morning classes asleep. Who knew what she was doing at night?
That afternoon, members of the student council came by to issue certificates to the self-healers who’d participated in the blood donation.
It wasn’t just a token of honor. Holders of the certificate—and even their families—were entitled to top-tier medical benefits and various healthcare privileges.
The same student council boy from before—the one with the parted hair—seemed like he wanted to say something to Mi Xiaoliu, but Yiwen had already woken up by then. So he had no choice but to leave, frustrated.
“This weekend, wanna go see a movie? You know, one of those sci-fi ones.”
Oddly enough, Yiwen—who’d initially decided to keep her distance once Mi Xiaoliu was cleared of suspicion—was the one to initiate the invite.
Of course, it wasn’t a date or anything. Just one guy inviting another to hang out. Yeah… guys probably did that. At the very least, girls did it with each other.
It was just a rare bit of entertainment. Aside from that one time they’d gone out on official business, she realized it had been ages since she’d done anything for fun.
She admitted that maybe she and Mi Xiaoliu could be considered friends now.
“Movie?”
“Master, it’s a kind of entertainment…” Sasha hesitated. Ever since Mi Xiaoliu lost her memory, she hadn’t watched any shows or movies.
“But it’s cheaper to watch at home. Movie tickets are kinda expensive… Wait, why is he taking Master to see a movie? Does he have… intentions? But the Master does look like a boy right now… Could he be gay!?”
Sasha was rambling in ways Mi Xiaoliu didn’t quite understand.
Meanwhile, the girl seated in front of them visibly panicked after overhearing their conversation—her imagination clearly spiraling.
“I’m not going,” Mi Xiaoliu said. She had no money.
“My treat. I’ll buy you food, too,” Yiwen added.
“I’m in,” said Mi Xiaoliu.
Talk about easy to read.
Yiwen was clearly in a great mood today.
—
Meanwhile—
“Be good now. If you’re willing to tell big sis everything nicely, I’ll take you for a ride in my passenger seat.”
In a rundown warehouse, a tall woman with sleek, icy-blue hair leaned down slightly. Her crimson lips came dangerously close to the face of a young man in his early twenties, close enough for him to catch the seductive peony scent in her hair.
Her face was framed by high-tech holographic glasses, and her tight leather outfit clung to her devilish curves. The top, however, wasn’t zipped properly. The slight opening exposed the valley between two pale, heaving peaks—her chest constrained by the too-tight zipper, leaving just enough to stir the imagination.
Her playful tongue circled her lips, a thin thread of saliva stretching from tongue to lip before snapping.
What hot-blooded young man could resist such temptation?
The young man before her could.
His brain might’ve been flooded with blood, but now wasn’t the time. If not for the sudden nosebleed, he might’ve actually given in.
Grinning, he replied, “I ride billion-credit subways every day. Why would I care about your million-Mira sports car?”
“Well, that’s a pity.”
Her delicate fingers brushed against his cheek. His pupils unfocused—and in an instant, he collapsed lifelessly to the floor, his head hitting with a sickening thud.
He looked unmistakably dead.
Terrifying, yet infuriating. Somewhere in the crowd, someone muttered words like bitch and slut, but not a single person dared step forward.
“So… who’s next?” the woman asked, turning to the group of immobilized youths in front of her.
“Please, let me go! I really don’t know anything! They tricked me into coming here!”
A girl burst into sobs, drawing glares from her peers.
“Then I’ll just have to use more… persuasive methods.”
Shen strolled toward them at a catlike pace. The sound of her heels against the concrete sent waves of pressure with each step.
“Old Wang, I think we’re screwed this time. Not sure I’ll make it through,” muttered a high-school-aged boy with a bitter smile.
“If we die, we die during the honey trap,” said Old Wang, stone-faced.
Then her phone rang—saving them for the moment.
“Three here. Report.”
“Don’t rush me. I’m having fun,” the leather-clad woman said, tilting up a boy’s chin and teasing his face. “These kids are surprisingly tight-lipped. No matter what I do, they just keep saying they don’t know.”
“Is it possible… they really don’t know?”
The group of youths all nodded furiously.
“Aww~ But if you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to find out?” Shen patted the boy’s face gently.
The voice on the phone: “Stop playing. Secure Mi. Don’t attract attention from Night Hawk or Foboler.”
“Alright, alright.”
She blew the kids a kiss. “Bye-bye. Next time, make it more fun for me.”
As she passed the corpse of the young man, her delicate hand brushed across his cheek again.
His body twitched—and then, impossibly, he stood.
Reanimated.
His eyes were blank, devoid of life, his gait zombie-like as he stumbled back toward his peers…
The woman, unmoved by the rising panic behind her, stepped into her sleek sports car and drove off.
The phone mounted in the car was broadcasting footage from the recent uproar: the clash between black-clad figures and LV4 Ability User Police. On the passenger seat lay a few scattered photographs—
A young black-haired girl in a white hospital gown, blindfolded, her arm held down as a pink-haired woman injected something into her vein.
Another image of that same girl, now older, sitting obediently atop a corpse in a white lab coat.
Who knew why anyone would photograph moments like that?
“Your ability counters hers, but don’t get cocky. We just upgraded her threat level to A last month… Dropping her from 10,000 meters should be enough to kill her once. She doesn’t have the ability to fly.”
“If I find her, can I fuck her before I kill her?” Shen asked.
“If you can manage it, I don’t care. But you’re not combat personnel—don’t attract attention in this city.”
“Sure, sure~”
