Chapter 61

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Chapter 61: Then, Listen To Her Cry And Beg For Mercy!

“I’m here. It’s so crowded… Can you describe exactly what you’re wearing so I can find you?”

The city plaza was bustling with people, so much so that even electric scooters couldn’t get through. It was packed and lively.

Yiwen stood on tiptoe with her phone in one hand, craning her neck and trying to pick out an inconspicuous figure from the crowd.

On the other side of the street, Mi Xiaoliu glanced down to check her own outfit. “Black top, black shorts, black glasses… white underwear.”

Yiwen: “???”

Who asked about your underwear?! And why, as a guy, are you wearing white ones?!

Still, with the rest of those obvious details, Yiwen managed to spot Mi Xiaoliu across the street… Though, of course, that last item didn’t help at all.

Ever since Yiwen had been put on leave, weekends had more or less become their default hangout time. Although, back when she was still working, she wouldn’t have had this kind of free time.

Mi Xiaoliu was passive in just about everything, but at least when she was around, Yiwen didn’t have to worry about accidentally exposing the fact that she was mute in public. That alone was comforting.

“Where were you last night?” Yiwen cut straight to the point when they met.

She’d wasted so much time looking for Mi Xiaoliu, almost believing that something really had happened to him like Zhang Zikun had suggested.

“Doctor,” Mi Xiaoliu replied, quietly licking an ice cream cone.

“Doctor?” Yiwen’s eyes widened. “Are you not feeling well again?”

This would be the third time he’d shown signs of some physical issue. Coupled with some of the cryptic things Zhang Zikun had said, it was hard not to start speculating.

“Psychologist,” Mi Xiaoliu clarified.

Yeah… Mi Xiaoliu definitely had some psychological issues. To put it simply—he felt… empty.

Thinking back to how her mother, who was a psychologist herself, had worked late into the night yesterday, Yiwen’s eye twitched slightly.

Could it be that much of a coincidence?

Then again, it wasn’t that big a deal. They all lived in the southern part of Fanzui City. Running into each other was bound to happen. Saying a few words didn’t mean they were all suddenly part of some adult world conspiracy.

“You’re sure you’re not having any health problems?” Yiwen asked again.

“Mmm.”

“I’m serious. How about we go to the hospital just to be sure?”

“No.” Mi Xiaoliu disliked places full of white lab coats.

Because of this, even Heli had stopped wearing hers at home when she was doing experiments.

“Alright then… how about this—come shopping with me this morning, and then we can hang out at your place in the afternoon?” Yiwen suggested.

Truthfully, there wasn’t much to do at Mi Xiaoliu’s home. It was practically empty. But at least it was safe. Of course, if a super villain fight broke out and someone accidentally got hurled into his apartment, well, that would just be bad luck.

Still, the way he worded things was always so vague. It made everything seem awkward no matter what they were trying to do.

Mi Xiaoliu shook his head. “I’m seeing Mingxue this afternoon.”

Yiwen’s smile froze. “Fine. Then we’ll go find her together this afternoon.”

“Mingxue said no.” Mi Xiaoliu shook his head again.

Then, after a reminder from Sasha, he finally realized this might be impolite.

He tried to imitate Sasha’s tone: “Xiaoliu retracts one message.”

Yiwen: “…”

Lu Mingxue!!

What the hell is this bitch playing at?

Yiwen turned her head, her expression sour, and stopped talking to Mi Xiaoliu altogether.

Mi Xiaoliu, oblivious to the atmosphere, kept walking quietly on his own.

They walked in silence for a long time. Eventually, Mi Xiaoliu tugged gently on Yiwen’s sleeve and pointed at a candied hawthorn stand in the distance.

Then she looked at her quietly, not saying a word.

Gloria had bought that once. Of course, she’d eaten it right in front of Mi Xiaoliu—without giving him even a bite.

“Xiaoliu, normal people buy the things they want with their own money,” Yiwen said.

She wasn’t some rich lady, and Mi Xiaoliu wasn’t her sugar baby. She couldn’t keep spending her money on him like this. This wasn’t how normal friendships worked—it was like the dynamic between a sucker and a freeloader.

Mi Xiaoliu nodded, let go of her sleeve, and ran off to buy two sticks herself. 

She handed one to her. Yiwen felt a little better.

Even so, the day still ended on a sour note—at least, that’s how Yiwen saw it.

Because Mi Xiaoliu insisted on going to see Lu Mingxue that afternoon—and wouldn’t let her come along.

She didn’t get it. What the hell were they up to?

On the way home, Yiwen kept her sour expression as she turned and glared at Barrett, who was holding up two bare branches trying to blend in.

“Why are you following me again?”

“You actually noticed me?” Barrett tossed the leafless twigs away and bounced over to hug her, throwing all her weight against Yiwen. “My bestie has a crush on you, so she made me keep an eye on you.”

“You already know I’m a girl.” Yiwen shrugged her off and quickened her pace.

Barrett hurried to catch up. “Exactly! And I noticed you’ve been hanging out with that transfer student a lot. Didn’t think you liked the younger type. Too bad he’s such a pathetic otaku.”

“Xiaoliu actually looks pretty decent,” Yiwen argued.

She’d only glanced at him quickly, and aside from noting that he looked clean and delicate, nothing really stood out. Maybe it was the haircut? But still, not ugly.

It was like how Yiwen herself looked now compared to her old photos—back then, she had that angelic, fairy-like appearance. Now she looked like she’d been chewed up by a dog. Even so, she was still attractive enough to be her school’s most eligible “guy.”

“That’s your rebuttal? Are you serious?” Barrett covered her mouth in mock shock. “Do you actually like him? With your looks, you should be in a dominant CEO romance, not one of those male-audience rom-coms where you chase after some loser. Have you seen how stingy he is with a damn leftover bun?”

Yiwen scowled and shook her head. “Can you stop badmouthing my friend? We’re just normal friends.”

“Come on, sis. A month ago you were complaining about him. There’s no such thing as pure friendship between a man and a woman. What, are you trying to raise a ‘male bestie’ now? If you’re not into hot guys, can’t you at least go for someone with money? Look at him! You could literally see the pain on his face when he gave you that half-eaten bun. I know I’m being blunt, but you can afford to have standards…”

Yiwen shot straight into the air and flew off.

The more Barrett talked, the more irritated she became.

When a friend trash-talks another friend in your ear, it not only makes you feel worse about the person being criticized—it makes you start resenting the one doing the talking too.

Both of their images were collapsing in her heart.

It sucked.

Yiwen flew to the rooftop of a tall building, sat down, and stared quietly at the city below, her thoughts a mess. The wind at this height was cold.

She didn’t have a friend who could help her work through things right now. Barrett had once barely filled that role. But not anymore.

She lay on the rooftop alone for the entire afternoon. Only when she was at the very top, alone, could her heart feel truly calm—like she had risen above everything, untouchable, free from any worries.

But while she stared into space, Mi Xiaoliu was probably having the time of his life at Lu Mingxue’s place.

Her phone rang.

She didn’t want to pick up at first, but the caller ID showed it was Officer Chen.

“…Hello?” Her voice was weak.

“You’re cleared to come back to work.”

“So fast? You guys are short on people again?”

“Yeah.” Officer Chen admitted it directly. “This city’s turning more and more surreal by the day. We haven’t even cracked one case before another pops up. Most of our manpower’s tied up trying to catch that vigilante.”

“Something else happened? If you haven’t caught that little bitch yet, don’t bother calling me. I’m not in the mood.”

“Being a cop isn’t a job you can flake on just because you’re in a mood,” Officer Chen lectured sternly. “There are even rumors going around that the world’s ending—did you hear?”

“Sounds great,” Yiwen said, sounding far older than her years.

“It’s nonsense. But remember that ghost sighting someone reported the night before your suspension? Probably a prank, but now everyone’s trying to blame their crimes on ghosts.”

“Wait a sec. Don’t talk.”

Yiwen suddenly crouched down, narrowing her eyes at the city now slipping into darkness.

She spotted a black-clad figure darting between buildings, almost perfectly camouflaged in the shadows. A regular person would never notice them.

But Yiwen was standing on high ground—and her eyesight was excellent.

“I see that little bitch. I’m going after her,” Yiwen snarled, teeth clenched, and shot off into the air.

She didn’t care if that “little girl” was a little girl.

She was going to grab her by her skinny ankles and slam her with the heel of her boot—right in the crotch!

And then listen to her cry and beg for mercy.

All of Yiwen’s bottled-up frustration from today? She was going to let it all out on this damn brat.