Lower District, Small Rental House.
The sound of soft breathing echoed in his ear, like a kitten licking at a stream of water.
A tingling sensation brushed against his cheek.
Lin Lue frowned and opened his eyes.
Lin Xue’er entered his field of vision.
She was tickling his cheek with a strand of her hair.
Her pink pupils were as clear as gemstones, reflecting his own image back at him.
She was lying on her stomach, swinging her small feet back and forth.
A lock of snow-white hair had fallen between her toes.
“Good morning, Brother~”
“Morning, Xue’er. Sorry, I woke up late.”
‘Top-tier auditory bliss,’ Lin Lue thought.
‘Being woken up every morning by such a soft and sweet voice… I’m living the good life.’
“It’s okay. I just woke up too.”
“Then, Brother, I’ll go make breakfast for you.”
Lin Xue’er flipped over and got up.
Barefoot and lively, she prepared to run toward the kitchen.
Lin Lue immediately stood up to stop her.
“Wait.”
“Huh?”
Lin Xue’er stopped in her tracks.
She watched as Lin Lue walked over and crouched down before her, gently lifting one of her small, cool feet.
He pulled out a pair of white cotton socks and put them on her.
Lin Xue’er wobbled slightly, reaching out to grab Lin Lue’s head to steady herself.
“The floor is cold.”
“Wear your socks.”
“Oh~ okay. They’re warm and comfortable.”
She blinked and smiled.
“Brother, if I get sick, would your heart ache for me?”
Lin Lue was a bit confused.
“Xue’er, are you sick?”
“No.”
She shook her head, her soft little hands cupping his face.
She leaned in, carefully examining the person she cared about most.
“Brother, hurry up and answer my question.”
“Yes, of course it would ache.”
Satisfied with the answer, Lin Xue’er skipped into the kitchen and slid the small glass door shut.
Lin Lue touched his cheek, where her warmth still lingered.
He was a bit puzzled; he felt like his sister was… a little different this morning.
She was overly cheerful and radiating confidence.
It was as if she were enveloped by an invisible power, and even her eyes were brighter than usual.
The original Lin Xue’er was like a gemstone.
Now, she had been polished, making her even more adorable and beautiful.
Unable to figure out the reason, he picked up a water cup from the table and took a sip.
It was sweet.
The glass door to the kitchen opened just a crack.
Lin Xue’er hid behind the door, secretly watching Lin Lue’s back.
She stared at the cup in his hand, her fingers subconsciously curling as if she were holding it with him.
“Don’t be lazy.”
She whispered softly.
In the middle of the small kitchen, two pale, slender arms appeared out of thin air, moving with lightning speed.
Chopping vegetables, turning on the stove… the movements were fluid yet eerie.
They quickly helped Lin Xue’er finish preparing breakfast.
Lin Xue’er knew very well that she had become a Fallen Witch.
But it didn’t matter.
She was clear-headed and rational.
A moment later, Lin Xue’er brought the breakfast out, grinning and revealing her cute little canine teeth.
“Brother, I’ve finished making breakfast.”
“So fast?”
“Mmh, it smells great. You’re really good at this, Xue’er.”
Lin Xue’er cupped her cheeks with both hands, watching with a smile as Lin Lue wolfed down the food while praising her cooking.
She accepted the praise without hesitation.
After all, those arms were also a part of her.
Technically, she had made it herself.
“Aren’t you eating, Xue’er?”
Lin Xue’er blinked and opened her small mouth, revealing her tender tongue and white teeth.
“Feed me~”
Lin Lue froze for a moment.
He felt like his sister was particularly clingy today.
—
After breakfast, Lin Lue led Lin Xue’er out of the house, only to hear the neighbors gossiping.
“The Landlord is dead!”
“Yeah, it was a gruesome death. Every bone in her body was crushed… gasp! This must be the work of a Fallen Witch!”
“Not necessarily… either way, the Law Enforcement Officers are here!”
Lin Lue processed the information.
That fat Landlord… was gone?
“Brother, is it a good thing?”
His fingers were wrapped in something warm and soft.
He felt a tug and looked down at Lin Xue’er, who was holding his hand.
Seeing the expectant look in her eyes, Lin Lue nodded.
“Yes, it’s a good thing.”
Expectant?
She probably just wanted him to agree with her.
Lin Lue led Lin Xue’er downstairs, looking at the yellow police tape and the arriving Law Enforcement Officers.
‘Now… my personal safety is finally guaranteed.’
Lin Lue understood the Landlord’s intentions all too well.
Her sheer mass was terrifying; he wouldn’t have been able to handle it.
Hearing those words, a flash of morbid satisfaction flickered deep within Lin Xue’er’s eyes.
She lifted Lin Lue’s hand like a docile kitten, rubbing her soft cheek against the back of his hand.
“Brother, are you happy today?”
“I’m very happy.”
“To celebrate, how about I go buy you some—”
Before Lin Lue could finish, Lin Xue’er stood on her tiptoes and covered his mouth.
Her small face tightened as she said seriously, “Brother, save your money.”
Lin Lue gently moved her hand away.
Feeling that his sister’s aura was unusually powerful, he shrunk back slightly.
“Okay, I get it. I’ll save money.”
Lin Lue glanced at the Enforcers again.
Every one of them looked incredibly lazy.
They were even huddling in groups of two or three, puffing out clouds of smoke.
They didn’t seem to care about this “murder case” at all.
Then again, the Lower District was just like that.
This kind of thing happened almost every two or three days.
For the meager pay they got, why would they risk their lives?
“Who are you people? You’re acting suspicious!”
One of the Law Enforcement Officers noticed Lin Lue.
A flash of amazement crossed her eyes as she walked over quickly, her gaze fixed on Lin Lue with undisguised… desire.
Lin Lue felt a bit numb.
Lin Lue had experienced this kind of look many times, so he knew exactly what she was thinking.
With the gender ratio so skewed, the women in the Lower District were exceptionally… repressed.
He should have known better than to look.
“Um, Officer, we live here. We were just passing by…”
“Oh? You live here? Then how come I’ve never seen you before? Since a crime occurred, all residents need to give a statement… tell you what, I’ll head over to your place and take your statement properly~”
Lin Lue listened to her drawn-out voice, filled with flirtation and suggestion.
He knew this “statement” would be anything but professional.
Her gaze was scorching, lingering shamelessly on his waist and legs.
Lin Lue was used to it.
The Law Enforcement Officer before him wasn’t a target for his System.
Raising her Affection Level would yield no value and drop no items.
To him, she was meaningless.
“No, thank you,” Lin Lue refused.
Besides, his sister was watching.
The female Enforcer’s brow furrowed.
This was the first time a man had ever rejected her.
It made her feel incredibly displeased, and her tone immediately turned threatening and oppressive.
“Are you sure you want to refuse me? I now seriously suspect that you are involved in this case!”
“You’d better think this through!”
Lin Lue clicked his tongue inwardly.
He knew this would happen.
He had seen many decent men forced into losing their purity by people like this.
He hadn’t expected that one day, this would happen to him.
As long as Lin Lue revealed the power of a Witch, he could easily make her kneel and kowtow in terror.
But he couldn’t.
If he revealed his power, it might feel good for a moment, but it would lead to endless trouble later.
He didn’t want to spend his life running and hiding with his sister.
She was still young; it was time for her to get an education.
However, Lin Xue’er didn’t think that way.
Her beautiful pink pupils turned dull and hollow as she stared unblinkingly at the female Enforcer, as if she were memorizing every inch of her.
Before she had awakened as a Witch, whenever she encountered someone who lusted after her brother or tried to force him into something disgusting—like that Landlord—Lin Xue’er would pounce like a rabid dog and bite them.
Now that she had become a Witch and possessed power, if she still did nothing, wouldn’t she be even worse than before? Wouldn’t her Awakening have been for nothing?
Of course, she wouldn’t act immediately.
There were too many people around.
Everyone had to walk home in the dark eventually.
A clever venomous snake would wait patiently for its prey, lurking for the right moment.
At the target’s most vulnerable second, it would sink its fangs into their neck for a lethal strike.
“Officer…”
Lin Lue forced a smile.
The female Enforcer sneered and interrupted, “Just say whether you’re willing or not!”
“…You’re just abusing your power.”
“I’m bullying you, so what?”
“If you’ve got the guts, then try bullying me back!”
Lin Lue looked at her smug expression and narrowed his eyes slightly.
He reached into his robe, pulled out a Witch’s Badge, and tossed it.
The female Enforcer caught it instinctively.
“What is this… What?!”