Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
There is one such place…
This place was filled with countless hungry young boys and girls. They were pushy and slightly unruly, their faces anxious. They were vying for food—something that they could never get enough of and also churned out surprises for them. They squeezed in front of every small window. This scene was just like a shelter for survivors after a huge calamity had descended.
That’s right. This place was the legendary… canteen!
Qianqian, Pandora, and I were seated at a corner with not many people. In front of us, a rather huge amount of dishes were laid out. Looking around me and seeing my fellow students still jostling about, I felt a certain sense of calm and relaxation.
“Lili, you are really my lucky star!” I exasperated as I praised. At the same time, I stretched my hand to caress the Lolita’s hair. The latter’s face was still icy-cold. However, as I was getting more familiar with her, I could see that this little girl was rather pleased with herself. For a Xyrin Apostle, nothing could make her happier than receiving the praise from her higher-ups.
Qianqian snorted as her voice was full of venom, and she said, “I can’t believe you still have the face to say something like that. You actually asked your blind sister to go and squeeze and get food. She can’t see anything, and if no one helped her… weren’t you afraid that something might happen to her?”
“If we didn’t gain sympathy points because of Lili, do you think we could have gotten our food so smoothly?”
“… In any case, the person being called a bad big brother behind his backs is you; I just conveniently took advantage of the situation,” Qianqian said directly as she took the remaining few pieces of meat in my bowl and gave them to Pandora.
“… Are the two pieces of pork ribs in your rice box accessories? Also, aren’t you afraid you would grow fat at the rate you are eating?”
“It’s not like you don’t know that Lili doesn’t like to eat pork ribs. As for growing fat—since no matter what I become, you will still want me, I have nothing to worry about.”
… Was my judgment of beauty actually as bad as Zhao Hang’s?
“Speaking of which, Qianqian,”—I suddenly became serious—”are we really considered a couple?”
Qianqian blushed as she answered, “I thought we had confirmed this? Or perhaps there is something about me you are not happy about?”
“Of course not!” I hurriedly denied, “Just that, why do I feel that this is rather strange; everything seems a little ridiculous. I don’t even know when on earth we started…”
Qianqian looked at me directly as a warm feeling that I had never seen before appeared on her face. She responded, “I don’t know either. Or perhaps… right from the start, it had already been like this. Hey, Ah Jun, you know what? Sometimes, I will suddenly get a funny feeling that in this world, if I, Xu Qianqian, am destined to be with one man for the rest of my life; that man could only be you. Even if, before this, we were just innocent young kids that didn’t know anything; I would also take that as the truth. Isn’t that strange?”
“Perhaps this is called fate; who is to blame that the two of us have rather peculiar characters in this aspect?”
Pandora’s calm analytical voice traveled over: “Fate… something that has no basis or rationale at all. As much as it is related to occult and divination, you chose the most baseless explanation…”
“Ah…” Qianqian’s face reddened, “Lili is still around; we are teaching the wrong thing to kids!”
“Then, why did you choose to talk about this in public?”
“Didn’t you raise the topic?!” Qianqian said angrily.
“Oh, yes, this person is indeed a rascal.” A somewhat familiar voice rang out behind us. I turned as a beautiful figure dressed in golden yellow appeared.
“Lin Xue?” I asked, surprised.
“Yo!” Lin Xue gestured at me as a form of greeting. She then unceremoniously sat down next to me and placed an unopened package in front of me. She then took the bread that I intended to keep for the afternoon and said, “I haven’t eaten yet!”
Qianqian looked suspiciously at the two of us at this.
No matter how one put it, Lin Xue and my relationship looked overtly intimate for two people who had only known each other for a few days. No matter how open Qianqian might be, she couldn’t possibly ignore what was happening now.
“Ah Jun, I am really a little suspicious if this Lin Xue and you have something going on… give me a proper explanation!”
I couldn’t help it but smile bitterly. This Lin Xue was obviously purposely trying to stir trouble. If not, why would she—of all times—choose to come over when Qianqian was around? Furthermore, she looked so casual and at ease. It seemed as if Pandora’s punishment of this person with special abilities had resulted in a rather strong enmity towards me.
“I’d say, young lady, could you give me a break… you have a good private school to go to; why are you here now?” I said in despair as I looked at Lin Xue. At this time, some students have looked over. Qianqian was already a rather cute girl and had caught many people’s attention; now, another beautiful lady Lin Xue—who was equivalent to Qianqian—had come as well. Furthermore, the two beautiful ladies seemed to be about to go to war in the name of love for a rather ordinary-looking boy? (What do you mean by ordinary-looking?)
As such, gossip started to spread among the students. Some who were more attentive also noticed that between Qianqian and I sat a very cute Lolita that had an extremely weak sense of presence. These people’s imagination started to run wild. Could this adorable Lolita had also fallen to this boy’s schemes? Could this boy be the legendary human scum?
As she probably felt that there was no point in causing further trouble for me, Lin Xue swiftly finished the bread by stuffing it into her mouth and said, “I did not enter that school full of imbeciles to study. I had come looking for you because of something important. Xu Qianqian, right? Don’t worry that I would steal your boyfriend. I do not have that sort of relationship with him. En, Lili can be my witness.”
“I can guarantee.” Pandora nodded as she quietly finished her food and stood up as she said.
“If you are still not convinced,”—Lin Xue used her hand and pointed at her forehead—”you can come along with us.”
Qianqian looked curiously at me and Lin Xue as she said, “Go along with you guys… hey, where are you guys going?”
“Just follow along; I can’t possibly harm you, right?”
…
Ten minutes later, we were seated in a black sedan headed to the outskirts.
Sitting in the sedan, Qianqian said somewhat uneasily, “Hey, Lin Xue. Where are you bringing us? We still have class in the afternoon!”
“I have already helped you guys to apply for leave from the afternoon classes; I have applied for extended leave as well.”
“You… what do you want?” Qianqian finally became a little scared. Although she was normally quite loud and noisy, she was still an ordinary girl. Under these circumstances, how could she match up to Lin Xue—who probably lived her life full of danger every day as she carried out her missions? As Qianqian asked worriedly, she held onto my hand tightly as if trying to make herself feel more at ease.
“Rest assured that I am not a bad person. It is just that the place we are going to later is rather special. En, why do I always have a feeling that someone is spying on us? Little Feng, drive faster.”
Hearing Lin Xue’s words, I looked outside the car window curiously as the figure of a square-faced uncle completely clad in black sat in the street corner selling pirated CDs flashed by.
Come to think of it, I had met quite a few familiar faces along this road.
“Ever since we left school, our people have been following behind this vehicle.” Pandora used her spiritual connection to inform me. “We have been careful to hide our intentions and have also consistently been swapping members. Keos has even activated a basic mind-interference to conceal our trackers’ mental waves.
“However, this carbon-based being called Lin Xue seems to still be able to sense our surveillance through her intuition; this is beyond our expectations. If my analysis is right, this Lin Xue’s special abilities are being able to rely on her powerful intuition to carry out her work. Her ability is of support and information-gathering nature.”
“Lin Xue, now can you tell me what you are planning to do?” Although Pandora was here and there were Xyrin Commanders all about protecting us, I still asked Lin Xue this. I wanted to let Qianqian feel reassured so she wouldn’t hurt my arm every few seconds.
“Remember what you promised me a few days ago?” Lin Xue did not answer directly but asked me a question instead.
A few days ago? That was when Lin Xue had come uninvited under the pretext of apologizing to persuade me and Pandora to join her organization, right? En, I remembered. At that point, I had also rescued the world from a small, battle-crazed maniac.
“Didn’t you say then, that if we got into any trouble, you and Pandora would help?”
“That meant you guys have encountered some trouble… wait, are you going to drag Qianqian into this?!” I suddenly reacted. Lin Xue had come today most likely to ask for Pandora and my ‘special abilities’ assistance to help her and her organization with something. However, she actually brought Qianqian along as well?
“How can I put this? It’s not considered dragging her in,” Lin Xue answered, “This matter actually concerns Xu Qianqian; in fact, in order to resolve this issue, we have to rely on Xu Qianqian’s help.”