Chapter 41 – You’ve Already Cried Yourself into a Panic

“The scent ends around here…”

White Li had been searching her room for a long time, and finally caught a strange smell near the closet.

Although she wasn’t yet proficient in controlling her abilities, the fox clan’s sense of smell was innate.

Following that faint scent, she crossed three streets and finally arrived at a remote alley.

Outside the alley was a farmer’s market.

The shouts of vendors, haggling voices, and the cries of chickens and ducks all mixed together, like another world.

It was already evening. White Li hadn’t eaten a single meal or drunk a single sip of water.

Swallowing saliva was difficult, and her lips were chapped.

She watched the pedestrians carrying shopping bags, seeing the fragrant roast chickens and red apples in their hands. Her stomach let out an unseemly growl.

“Grr—”

She rubbed her stomach, ignoring it.

She had finally tracked it this far, but the trail ended here.

The air in the alley was a mix of dirt and car exhaust, completely washing away that faint trace.

She took a deep breath. Nothing.

‘Is it because of the wristband?’

White Li bit her finger and looked around.

When the wristband activated, a cognitive obstruction barrier enveloped the user, completely blocking their scent at that moment.

It was like putting something in a sealed bag—nothing could be smelled from outside.

The trail ended here. What should she do next?

‘Asking around isn’t realistic. If someone reports me, I’m doomed. I can’t exactly go to the police…’

White Li sighed and squatted down against the wall.

“Grr—”

Her stomach growled again.

She pressed her hand against her stomach, pushing hard. Hunger climbed up from her gut, turning all her thoughts into mush.

‘Maybe I should just give up.’

She lost the wristband, maybe Madam has a spare.

She could confess to Madam, but of course she couldn’t say she lost it. She needed to come up with a good excuse.

Like “It was damaged in battle,” or “The Blazing Knight shattered it.”

Plus, the information that the Blazing Knight has other forms should earn her some sympathy points.

No matter how angry Madam gets, she wouldn’t do anything too harsh to her.

But…

White Li buried her head in her arms.

If she went back, the mission would end. The “White Li” who was a normal high school student would cease to exist.

No more waking up at six every morning, getting dressed with eyes half-closed.

No more rushing to school while munching on steamed buns, worrying about being scolded by the teacher for being late.

No more walking side by side with someone on the way home, chatting aimlessly.

Those trivial daily routines were like a thin layer of sugar coating wrapped around her originally gray life.

She thought she was just tasting it, never seriously considering what would happen if that sugar coating disappeared.

But now, it really was about to disappear.

White Li looked up at the mouth of the alley, where the sky was dyed orange by the setting sun.

That guy named Lin Du would wait for her downstairs every morning, carrying hot steamed buns.

He would shield her when she was about to be swatted by a Strange Person.

He would calmly say “I believe you” when she said something incomprehensible.

White Li always thought they were just a bit more familiar than ordinary classmates.

Familiar enough to joke with each other, familiar enough to chase and tease.

Just that, just that.

But now, the thought of never seeing him again made her heart suddenly clench, as if someone had pinched it with their fingers.

White Li blinked, and her vision suddenly blurred.

She reached up to rub her eyes, and her fingertips touched the corners—they were wet.

“No…”

She blinked hard, forcing the heat back.

‘It’s no big deal. So I lost a wristband. So I can’t go to school anymore. So I can’t see that person anymore. What’s there to cry about?’

She wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, but the more she wiped, the more tears came.

“No, no, no…”

White Li buried her face in her knees, and her shoulders began to tremble.

‘I can’t be like this. I’m supposed to be a man. How can I cry?’

‘This is cowardice. It’s no big deal. Crying like a girl—what kind of nonsense is that?’

She thought of those mornings, those dusks, those roads they walked side by side.

In this past month or so, she had learned to walk again in this world that didn’t belong to her.

Not as a Strange Person, but just as an ordinary human high school student, walking in the sunlight.

She didn’t want it to end like this…

“Waaah—!”

Unable to contain herself any longer, the sobs burst from her throat. The grievances she had held in all day exploded at that moment.

White Li hugged her knees, crying so hard her whole body trembled, tears soaking a large patch of her pants.

…

At the mouth of the alley.

Lin Du came out of the farmer’s market carrying the groceries he had just bought.

In his plastic bag were a discounted roast chicken, some drinks, and some braised snacks.

He had gotten out of school early today and thought he would buy some food on the way home.

As he passed the alley entrance, he stopped.

There was a crying sound, very soft and distant.

Lin Du frowned and listened.

A Knight’s hearing became exceptionally sharp at times. The sobbing sounded muffled, like a child crying while holding their breath.

“…”

He hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked into the alley.

The walls on both sides were mottled, moss grew at the base, and the air had a damp, moldy smell.

He lightened his steps and walked along the wall.

Then, he saw a familiar figure.

The figure was curled up against the wall, hugging her knees, face buried in her arms, shoulders shaking.

Silver-white hair hung down from her shoulders. Her furry ears and tail were drooping, lacking their usual sprightliness.

Lin Du’s steps faltered.

It was her—the Strange Person named Li Ya.

The fox clan Strange Person who had crossed paths with him many times and always managed to escape from him.

What was she doing here? Could there be a new scheme?

His hand instinctively reached for the wristband in his sleeve.

“Lin Du, you need to minimize the number of transformations.”

The Director’s voice rang in his mind.

“The corruption level isn’t high yet, but continuing to use the power might accelerate the process.”

His hand stopped in midair.

Lin Du looked more carefully at the back curled up in the corner, at her trembling body, at her tail stained with dust.

She was crying, and crying very sadly.

Like a child who had lost their most beloved toy and could never get it back.

He had seen this kind of scene before. When he was little, his mother cried like that when she received news of his father’s death.

Locking herself in her room, hugging her knees and crying until her whole body trembled, but refusing to let anyone see.

Lin Du stood there, silent for a long time.

Killing more Strange Persons meant nothing—this was something he had always known.

Not all Strange Persons were enemies. Some just wanted to live, some had just taken the wrong path.

The ones who truly deserved to die were those who refused to give anyone else a way to live.

Whether they were Strange Persons or humans.

He took a deep breath, moved his hand away from the wristband, then walked over and pulled a tissue from his bag.

White Li was still crying, tears streaming down endlessly.

Lin Du stood in front of her, slowly crouched down, and said softly:

“Here, wipe your face.”