At the temporary residence of the Jiuzhou princesses, Lulu was in her bedroom reading a book.
Even though she recognized every word on the page, they didn’t make any sense when put together. Her thoughts drifted aimlessly, unable to focus.
‘How boring.’
Lulu closed the book and leaned against the back of her chair, staring blankly into space.
For some reason, she really wanted to find someone to talk to.
It was a strange feeling. Ever since she was a child, she had been someone who was perfectly fine being alone; she never needed anyone else.
But today, for some reason, she felt a sudden urge to speak her mind.
She stood up and pushed open the bedroom door. Galio was still wearing that plain black orchid gauze, sitting on the sofa in the living room and fiddling with a handmade unicorn doll. Hearing the door open, Galio turned her head.
“Princess Lulu, good afternoon.”
“Mm. Where is Big Sister?”
“Princess Namei went to find Miss Lilith. She said she wanted to talk about the matter regarding Zhuji again.”
Lulu nodded. It was exactly as she expected.
She had gone there herself a few days ago, and the talk with Lilith had ended in failure. Lilith’s attitude was decent enough, but she absolutely refused to budge when it came to the matter of Zhuji. If her sister went, it would likely end the same way.
“What a nuisance.”
Lulu muttered under her breath, and Galio looked up at her.
“Princess Lulu, is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
Lulu actually wanted to chat with Galio, but she felt that Galio wasn’t the right person to confide in.
“… So annoying. I’m going out for a bit.”
“Princess Lulu, where are you going?”
Lulu didn’t answer and simply walked out the door.
Walking through the streets of Huyin Town, she deliberately avoided crowded places. After turning a few corners, she arrived at the riverbank she knew so well.
Further ahead was a bridge. The space under it was a secret base she had discovered after arriving in Huyin Town; it was a perfect place to be alone. Only there could she truly calm down.
After her conversation with that fox girl named Wei Yang last night, she felt a bit lost. She understood everything Wei Yang had said, but even with that understanding, her heart hadn’t wavered. She simply felt, ‘That’s true, but so what?’
It was supposed to stay that way. Her belief that ‘I am a sinner’ shouldn’t have changed just because of a few words.
But Wei Yang possessed a strange charm that left her feeling dazed and confused.
‘Maybe I was wrong?’
Lulu shook her head. She decided not to think about it for now. She was just a stubborn, awkward person anyway, so it didn’t matter.
She bypassed the bridgehead and walked down along the riverbank, preparing to duck into the space under the bridge —
But there was already someone there.
The fox ears atop that person’s head were drooping listlessly, looking utterly soul-crushed.
It was Wei Yang?
“Why are you here?”
“Whoa, Miss Stray Cat, why are you here too?”
Lulu stared at Wei Yang for a moment. She noticed that the girl’s eyes were different than before.
Her pupils, originally cyan, were now a yellow-orange. Moreover, those pupils were trembling slightly, like liquid mercury, and they even changed shape. Just a moment ago, they were crescents, but now they had shifted into the shape of slit pupils.
She was curious.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Ah, I’m wearing colored contacts… probably.”
“Do colored contacts change shape on their own?”
“They do. They’re high-tech contacts from a new era. They can even be used as thermometers.”
Lulu narrowed her eyes.
This little Snow Fox was lying through her teeth.
But whatever. It was a private matter, and there was no need for Lulu to press the issue.
“Isn’t your home over that way? Why did you run over here?”
Wei Yang let out a sigh.
“I accidentally punched two big holes in my house. One on the top and one on the bottom. If I get one more, I’ll have a match-three.”
“…? Are you some kind of brute?”
“I’m not. It’s a bit hard to explain. Anyway, Ah Li came to help, haha, she mostly fixed it, but I still feel a bit bad for Lu Ran.”
Lulu wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but anyone would be furious if two big holes were punched in their house.
“Is Lu Ran mad at you?”
“Not really. She went out to buy groceries this morning, thinking about making a big feast for me for lunch. When she came back, she was shocked to find two big holes in the house. She was stunned; all the fruits and vegetables she was holding fell and bit the dust. Even so, her first reaction was to check if I was hurt. I felt a bit guilty, so I came here to clear my head.”
Lulu puffed out her cheeks.
That little girl Lu Ran was truly good to Wei Yang.
“You’re in my spot,” Lulu said, turning her face away to avoid looking at Wei Yang. “Where is my cardboard box?”
“That cardboard box? An old lady walked by and picked it up earlier. By now, it’s probably turned into a wisp of smoke at the trash incinerator.”
Lulu’s soul seemed to drift out of her mouth.
“Then what’s the point of living…”
Wei Yang’s lip twitched.
“Hey, is your life really supported by a single cardboard box?”
“That box has been with me for four years,” Lulu’s voice was airy and faint. “It was my second home.”
“Are you a hermit crab?” Wei Yang teased. “Even a hermit crab has to change shells occasionally.”
Lulu didn’t respond. she simply maintained her despondent posture, her entire being losing its color.
Seeing her like this, Wei Yang couldn’t help but laugh. Her yellow-orange pupils melted and reorganized, turning into diamond shapes. In the next second, a cardboard box dropped out of thin air onto the empty ground nearby.
*Thud.*
Lulu looked at the suddenly appearing cardboard box, her face filled with shock.
“H-how did you do that?”
Wei Yang spread her hands.
“Just consider it a divine tool. My eyes can currently put objects into a space of about 10 square meters. I was just testing the ability and put your box in there.”
Lulu stared at Wei Yang’s constantly shifting pupils and pouted.
There was something fishy going on.
She could tell that Wei Yang was hiding something difficult. Moreover, the girl’s complexion wasn’t great; though she was smiling, it looked more like a forced, bitter smile.
Lulu didn’t pry. This was the silent understanding between them.
“Um, if you feel bad for Lu Ran, why don’t you move out and live with me?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Lulu herself was stunned.
What did she mean, ‘move out and live together’? Why would she say something like that?
She shouldn’t want to be with others, but her words had acted on their own, betraying her true heart.
Wei Yang looked at her with some surprise.
“Are you inviting me to move in?”
“I don’t know,” Lulu’s face heated up slightly. “I just know the bed in my bedroom is quite large…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller. ‘What on earth am I doing?’
But Wei Yang shook her head.
“I can’t. I have to stay with Lu Ran. I can’t leave her alone.”
Lulu felt a bit sour.
Why did that girl get to have Wei Yang’s care? Was it just because she met her first? If the one Wei Yang had met first was her, would the current situation be different?
“Fine. Whatever. I’m going back.”
“Mm. See you later.”
Lulu turned and walked out from under the bridge.
Even though they hadn’t known each other for long, even though they had only met a few times, she simply didn’t like hearing those words.
Lulu shook her head and quickened her pace. She would just go home and sleep it off. It must be because the weather was so bad today; it was affecting her mood.
It had to be.
She crossed the bridgehead and disappeared into the shadows.
Under the bridge, Wei Yang watched her retreating back, her expression twisting slightly.
She felt like she had forgotten something since a moment ago. What could it be…
Suddenly, a flash of realization hit her.
She remembered!
“Fu Ping is still waiting for me outside the barrier! Dammit!”
She had completely forgotten her!