Chapter 19: Slander! She’s Slandering Me!! She’s Defaming Me!

Wuming had actually been mentally prepared for Uncle Park’s call, expecting it to come sooner or later.

After all, he’d gotten into too much trouble lately, and there were plenty of loose ends that needed Uncle Park’s help to tie up. 

Although the last two times he’d dealt directly with the Other Race Bureau, Uncle Park clearly knew all about it.

Under the gazes of Crosti and Serena, Wuming answered the phone.

“Hello, Uncle Park.”

He held the phone, got up from his seat, and walked straight to the balcony to talk.

“…”

“…”

At the dining table, the remaining two lolitas exchanged glances, staring at each other with wide eyes, quietly waiting for Wuming to return.

After quite a while, Wuming came back from the balcony to the table. 

As soon as he sat down, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

“Sigh…”

“What’s wrong, Wuming?” Crosti blinked and asked.

“Yeah, why the sigh?” Serena also looked at him curiously.

Wuming’s gaze landed directly on Serena’s face, carrying a bit of helplessness. “It’s all because of you.”

“Hm?” Serena was stunned.

“Come with me to the Other Race Bureau tomorrow, Serena.”

Wuming announced straightforwardly.

“To the Other Race Bureau?!” Serena’s eyes instantly widened, staring at Wuming in disbelief, her voice rising a few pitches.

“Wuming, you… are you selling me out?”

Her face immediately filled with disappointment and a hint of hurt.

“What do you mean selling out?!”

Wuming looked at her exaggerated reaction with some speechlessness. “It’s because you’ve caused such a big commotion lately! I have to go explain things clearly to Uncle Park.”

“Uncle Park?” Serena repeated in confusion.

“He’s an acquaintance of my mom’s,” Wuming explained. “He works at the Other Race Bureau. This time, he helped handle those people at the unfinished building. He wants to know the details, including about you.”

Park Guochang had naturally noticed Serena as a key figure, so he required Wuming to bring her along to explain.

“What about me?” 

Crosti pointed at herself, a hint of nervousness on her small face. “Do I have to go too?”

“You don’t need to go, Crosti.” Wuming waved his hand. “Uncle Park already has all your info—what address and all. You’re not a black household or anything; just relax.”

Although Wuming said it casually, Crosti felt a chill down her back!

She’d been doxxed just like that?!

Completely and utterly exposed?!

What about privacy? Was there any privacy left?!

“So tomorrow, Serena will come with me to see him.” Wuming’s gaze returned to Serena.

He saw her face filled with worry, even showing a bit of fear.

“Will I… get caught by the Other Race Bureau people as soon as I arrive? And then… directly deported back to the demon realm?!”

She voiced her concerns to Wuming.

In her view, going there was no different from walking into a trap, stepping straight into the tiger’s den!

She had… just returned to Wuming’s side not long ago…

Was she going to be sent back again…

“…What do we do, Doctor Wuming?” 

Hearing Serena’s worry, Crosti’s gaze also turned to Wuming. 

If things really developed that way, what would Wuming plan to do?

“…”

Wuming scratched his head, then let out a long sigh.

It was only natural for this girl to be so scared.

But… did she want to stay by his side that much?

“Don’t worry,” Wuming’s tone carried a bit of reassurance, trying to dispel Serena’s concerns.

“The Other Race Bureau won’t arrest you. I’ll go talk to Uncle Park and tell him not to catch you and send you back.”

“…Really?”

Serena’s voice was full of doubt.

That “Uncle Park”? Just based on Wuming’s word, he could make the Other Race Bureau let her go? Why was he so sure?

“Doctor Wuming,” Crosti looked puzzled. “Who exactly is this Uncle Park you mentioned? He sounds really powerful?”

“If you say powerful…” Wuming thought for a moment, his tone flat and unremarkable. “He’s not that powerful, actually.”

At least in his perception, he definitely wasn’t as powerful as his mom.

“He’s just the director of the Other Race Bureau, that’s all.” Wuming said.

“…”

“…”

The dining table instantly fell into an eerie silence, with only the sound of the TV playing in the living room.

Crosti and Serena were silenced by Wuming’s words, both widening their eyes as if they’d heard some absurd tale!

“”You call that simple—!!?””

The next second, the two lolitas said in unison.

“Why such a big reaction…?”

Wuming was actually startled by them, scratching his head in confusion.

It was just a director; was it worth making such a fuss?

“Anyway, that’s the situation,” Wuming shrugged. “So tomorrow morning, come with me to see Uncle Park.”

“I’ll explain your situation… to him clearly.”

Soon, dinner ended. As Wuming was clearing the table, Serena took the initiative to come over and help. Seeing this, Crosti joined in as well.

Wuming had originally wanted to politely refuse Crosti—after all, she was a guest; how could he let a guest do the work—but she said, “It’s fine.” And still joined in.

In the kitchen, the crisp clinking of dishes, the rustling of wiping water stains, and occasional short exchanges sounded.

Wuming silently felt this busyness; it was the first time in so long that he experienced the word “lively.”

***

After cleaning up and returning to the living room to rest, Crosti was playing on her phone, while Wuming was messaging those patients that he’d have to cancel again tomorrow.

Serena sat on the sofa, watching the anime on TV, but her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes. Several times she wanted to speak, but the words stuck in her throat.

“Wuming…” She finally mustered the courage, calling out to Wuming, carefully choosing her words.

“Hm?” Wuming looked at her puzzled.

“I… um… I want…” Serena’s cheeks flushed slightly, her gaze dodging, words circling on her tongue but not coming out. 

“To ask… a question that’s been bothering me…”

“What’s with you?” Wuming frowned.

Seeing her hesitant, cautious manner, his first reaction was that Serena was going to ask that question.

About whether he truly wanted to let her stay and live with him.

This question…

I haven’t even figured it out myself.

Wuming’s mind was a bit chaotic.

Say he wanted her to stay? 

But getting involved with her meant nothing but trouble. 

Say he didn’t? After she came… this place really was different…

He quickly calculated in his mind how to deflect if Serena really asked this.

However, what Serena wanted to ask wasn’t that.

“I… I want to ask you…!”

Serena took a deep breath, finally throwing out the question that had puzzled her deep inside for so long!

“I want to ask, since you have that kind of ability—”

Her voice suddenly rose a few pitches, carrying a mix of embarrassment and curiosity. 

“Have you ever done that… that unspeakable thing to those figurines!?”

As soon as the words fell, her pale cheeks instantly flushed red, spreading all the way to her earlobes.

She almost didn’t dare look at Wuming’s eyes, fiercely lowering her head.

“Pfft—!!!”

Wuming nearly spat out a mouthful of blood!

He fiercely clutched his chest, coughing violently.

“Whoa—?!”

Crosti’s eyes lit up instantly, as if a new world had opened, her small face filled with amazement and mischief at “so it can be played like that.”

She immediately jumped in seamlessly, adding fuel to the fire, drawing out her words in an extremely exaggerated and meaningful tone.

“Yeah! Doctor Wuming—! Since you have that ability, does that mean when you’re alone and feeling lonely—”

Crosti wore a look of watching a good show, staring at Wuming with great interest, waiting to see how he’d explain.

“No! Absolutely not—!!!”

By the Yellow Emperor above!!!

Wuming wailed inwardly; what weird things were in this girl’s head!

He sprang up from the sofa, pointing at Serena in grief and indignation.

“Slander! This is blatant slander—!! She’s defaming me!!! Listen to this! This is defamation!!!”

What a huge injustice! How could I possibly do something like that!

Although… although the texture of those figurines did feel… cough… infinitely close to real people…

Wuming quickly cut off this dangerous thought, frantically shaking his head in his mind.

I’ve never done anything like that! Who would be so depraved as to use their ability to activate figurines for that!

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

“But…” Serena wasn’t deterred by his intense reaction; instead, she tilted her head, speaking in an unusually serious tone, as if analyzing an academic issue.

“Since you do have this ability… and your collection is all beautiful girls with huge chests…”

She paused, her eyes filled with “this is very reasonable.” 

“…It’s really hard not to suspect.”

“There are male ones, okay!!!”

Wuming grasped at this like a lifeline, immediately retorting loudly, trying to prove his “innocence” and the “diversity” of his collection.

“Oh? So switching tastes, huh~”

Crosti, fearing the world wasn’t chaotic enough, joined the fray, her small face brimming with excitement at discovering new gossip.

Hey hey hey!! You two little brats, how can you discuss this topic without blushing or your hearts racing?!

Wuming roared inwardly, feeling his worldview shattered like never before.

Where were the pure lolis?! This level of maturity was way too outrageous! Had their morals gone offline?!

“I solemnly declare!”

Wuming practically roared, trying to overpower the absurd atmosphere with volume. 

“I collect these figurines purely! For! Lifesaving purposes! To play a role in critical moments!”

“How could I possibly use them for… for that kind of filthy thing!”

“Impossible! Absolutely, impossible!!”

“So… Doctor Wuming, you’ve never done it, right? Right?” 

Serena narrowed her eyes, her crimson pupils full of scrutiny!

In her view, Wuming’s eager denial and flustered appearance were ironclad proof of guilt!

“Look at me, Wuming.”

Her voice sank, carrying an undeniable authority.

“Look into my eyes!”

She imitated some movie tone, full of momentum.

“Look into my eyes—” Serena emphasized each word, with an intangible pressure. “Say: ‘I have never done that kind of thing to the figurines.'”

“Come on, say it now! I want to hear it with my own ears!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The living room fell into silence. Crosti and Serena both stared at him intently.

“…”

Wuming silently, silently turned his head… to the left.

“No.”

Wuming answered in a flat, robotic voice.

“Look at me! Wuming!”

“I didn’t.”

“I didn’t.”

Wuming continued like a broken record, repeating mechanically, his gaze locked dead on the left wall, as if the ultimate answer to the universe was there.

I’m not interested in this kind of thing at all—

He tried to convince himself inwardly, but his thoughts drifted uncontrollably.

Why are there two breasts?

What’s cute about lolis?

What’s the charm of little southern girls…?

These questions he’d never delved into now flashed like barrage comments.

“Alright, alright, Lina-chan.”

Crosti, seeing Wuming’s soul-seeming-to-leave-his-body, pondering-philosophical-ultimate-questions look, couldn’t help but chuckle and mediate.

“Let him off; look, he’s about to burn out his CPU.”

“Hmph! Pervert—!” Serena glared at Wuming with puffed cheeks, temporarily giving up on further questioning.

“…I really haven’t done that kind of thing!” Wuming seemed to recover a bit from the crash, still stubbornly muttering, trying to salvage his crumbling image.

“My blood is very precious! Every drop contains energy! How could I waste it on… that kind of thing!”

To add persuasiveness, he even started “scientifically” arguing.

“Think about it! If I had to use my ability and bleed every day for that kind of thing, how could I?! Even if it was just ‘occasionally fiddling’… uh, I mean sometimes! I’d bleed to death, okay!!”

“See—!!!”

Serena’s ears instantly caught the evidence!

She jerked her head up, her face filled with “irrefutable proof!” and “gotcha!” excitement, pointing at Wuming and shouting.

“Now you admitted it! You just said ‘fiddling’! You did do it, right!!!”

“I…!” Wuming’s eyes bulged, his mouth opening and closing futilely, all defenses blocked in his throat—

Wuming completely petrified.

“Believe what you want! Anyway, I just haven’t done it!”

In the end, Wuming could only awkwardly end this “interrogation” with that sentence, carrying a bit of resigned desperation.