Ah Li giggled as she handed over her treasure, a magenta outfit made of very little fabric. The two pieces of light-colored cloth for the top were connected by chains, barely covering the most essential areas. The skirt for the lower half was even shorter than a miniskirt, with slits up the sides. It came with matching tall boots, a collar, and a pair of bat-wing decorations.
“…What exactly is this, Li-Li-Li?”
“It’s a **[Succubus Set]**. It suits you perfectly. You’ll definitely be cute enough to die in it.”
“I wouldn’t wear that if I were dead! You shameless creature!”
“I seem to recall I have an artifact that has the effect of heightening sensory sensitivity—”
“I’ll wear it, Sister Li.”
Ah Li turned around with a beaming smile. Wei Yang bit her lip, her hands trembling as she picked up those two thin pieces of fabric.
‘Shame is like a song of parting…’
Wei Yang cursed inwardly, wondering why this outfit didn’t come with an instruction manual. After studying it for a long time, she still had to lean against the wall to steady herself as she put it on.
Several straps wrapped around her chest, crossed over her back, and then… and then…
“Are you ready, darling?”
Wei Yang’s soul was already hanging by a noodle.
Those two pieces of fabric would shift with the slightest movement. The side slits reached all the way to her waist, held together only by pink, heart-shaped ribbons. The fishnet stockings beneath her tall boots pressed into the flesh of her legs, the lace at the tops sinking into her skin.
After she finished changing, Ah Li spent a full two minutes doting on her before finally letting her go.
“Be careful on the road~ See you tomorrow, darling.”
Wei Yang didn’t know what state of mind she was in when she left that house. she was simply contemplating the meaning of life.
It was night, and Mozart’s moonlight was clear and cold, casting her shadow onto the road.
Fortunately, the recent chaos had turned the night into a completely deserted realm. She didn’t have to worry about being seen by anyone.
However, it was still too cold. Wei Yang broke into a light jog.
As she crossed the stone bridge over the river, she accidentally glanced down and noticed a figure in the hollow beneath the bridge.
Their eyes met.
It was Lulu.
Wei Yang was stunned. The other girl was squatting inside a large cardboard box, arms wrapped around her knees and chin resting on her arms, staring blankly at her. She looked exactly like a homeless kitten.
Lulu scanned Wei Yang from top to bottom. After seeing her outfit clearly, the light faded from her eyes.
“Are you an exhibitionist?”
“I am not! More importantly, why are you hiding under a bridge? Are you a stray cat!”
“Yes, I am a stray cat.”
Wei Yang hadn’t expected that response.
“Huh?”
“This is my punishment for myself. I did something wrong today, and only this place can help me calm down. So, I came here to be a stray cat.”
Wei Yang looked speechless. Although the black outfit Lulu wore did make her look like a black cat, what kind of foolish cat would refuse to go back to a warm home and choose to suffer under a bridge instead?
“You… forget it.”
She bent down and crawled under the bridge, squatting next to Lulu. The stray black cat turned her head to look at her, tilting it slightly.
“Are you a stray cat too?”
“I’m not!” Wei Yang rolled her eyes at her. “Lu Ran is at home waiting for me.”
Lulu buried her face in her knees, leaving only her eyes visible as she watched her.
“That’s good. Someone is waiting for you, someone expects things from you, and someone can’t live without you.”
Wei Yang didn’t understand at all. ‘Is this girl wallowing in self-pity?’
“Is there something wrong with your head? Don’t you have Namei and Galio waiting for you at home as well?”
“It’s not like that. I’m different from them. I’ve killed many people; I’m a wicked murderer. The person they should be waiting for isn’t me.”
“Don’t tell me—you’re the Jiuzhou Chainsaw Masochist!?”
Lulu pouted, casting a sad, “why are you saying such mean things” look at Wei Yang.
“I’m not. Why would you think that?”
“Because you brought it up so suddenly. It turns out it wasn’t a cold joke.”
“I wasn’t joking,” Lulu puffed out her cheeks. “And it wasn’t a chainsaw. It was a spell that went out of control.”
Wei Yang rubbed her neck, still not understanding.
“Don’t be a riddle-master. Explain the context of the killing clearly so I can see how to judge you.”
Lulu lowered her head, looking at the calm river.
“My spell is innate. Once activated, another soul occupies my body and treats everyone around me like monsters, killing them one by one.”
After saying this, Lulu bit her lip, nearly drawing blood. Wei Yang rested her chin on her hand. Her habits as a nun made her offer some comfort.
“I see. So you had no intention of killing anyone. Your mind was taken over while you were unconscious—”
“But I was the one who killed those people,” Lulu interrupted her. “Because I was too weak to take back control of my body.”
Wei Yang thought about it. That logic seemed sound.
‘So it’s an innate spell. That situation is usually quite troublesome. Those children are often regarded as ominous, aren’t they?’
“In that case, go save more people. I can’t say it’s atonement, but at least there are still things within your power that you can do.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Wei Yang realized something was wrong.
Lulu wanted to use force to conquer Huyin Town and seize the Zhuji specifically to resolve the plague in Jiuzhou.
It was a contradiction.
She didn’t care about the foxes of Huyin Town; she only wanted to help the people of Jiuzhou. This was in fundamental conflict with Wei Yang’s own mission.
Lulu clearly realized this too. She buried her face back into her knees and stopped talking.
The night wind blew through the bridge hollow. Wei Yang couldn’t help but shiver. That shameful **[Succubus Set]** provided no warmth at all.
Noticing her reaction, Lulu crawled out of the cardboard box.
“Here.”
Wei Yang looked at the offered cardboard box, her lips twitching.
“What use is giving this to me? This stupid box doesn’t generate heat.”
Lulu pouted, then crawled back into the box and lay down. Her legs dangled over the edge of the box, her arms were spread wide, and she faced the sky.
“Come.”
Wei Yang: “?”
“I’ll be the cushion. That way you won’t be cold.”
Wei Yang looked at Lulu lying in the box. Because of her posture, her clothes were bunched up, revealing her flat stomach.
“Are you serious?”
Lulu nodded.
Wei Yang then crawled into the box without hesitation and sat down with a thud.
“Ugh!”
Wei Yang sat on her stomach and intentionally wiggled her body.
“I’m very heavy. Should I continue?”
“…You can.”
Wei Yang was out of options. She had originally intended to make Lulu give up by being difficult, but the girl was incredibly stubborn.
She stood up, looking at the black cat lying in the box.
“This is boring. Get up. I don’t like doing things that would get me called a perverted lolicon.”
Lulu blinked.
“Come on, go home,” Wei Yang reached out her hand. “You’re not an adult yet. Children should go to sleep early.”
Lulu looked at the hand reached out toward her. After a long silence, she finally took it and was pulled to her feet.
Wei Yang noticed Lulu’s gaze falling on her again.
“What are you looking at!”
She instinctively covered her chest. Lulu retracted her gaze without a word and took off her jacket.
“Here. You’re wearing too little.”
It was a pale green jacket, carrying the warmth of Lulu’s body and a faint scent. Before Wei Yang could refuse, the jacket was already draped over her shoulders.
“Wear it on your way back.”
Lulu turned and walked out of the bridge hollow before Wei Yang could respond.
Wei Yang watched her figure, knowing that this was her way of showing kindness.
‘Is this girl not as difficult to communicate with as I imagined?’
“Lulu.”
The black cat stopped and turned her face.
“Namei and Galio must be very worried waiting for you. They are both looking forward to you coming home, so don’t overthink things. People who keep cats hate it most when the cat doesn’t come home and chooses to wander outside alone.”
There was no response. The black cat waved her hand with her back turned and disappeared on the other side of the bridge.
Wei Yang wrapped the jacket tightly around her and looked down at herself. The **[Succubus Set]** given by Ah Li was mostly covered, leaving only a small section of the skirt and the tall boots visible.
‘Fine, let it be.’
She sighed and walked toward home.
Lu Ran was still waiting for her.
The twenty-four bridges under the bright moonlight—where might the jade lady be teaching the flute?
Tomorrow, she would have to continue working hard to complete the mission.
However…
“Yu Tu, where are you now? I’ve been waiting for you.”
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