After the seminar ended, Xue Ji found Wang Zhi.
“So, was that person from the publicity department a spy or something else?”
Wang Zhi said with a hint of regret, “What a shame. The guy’s background is completely clean; he’s just simply stupid.”
“This is the kind of public pressure our research institute has been facing. Even now, some people still think we’re just crying wolf.” Wang Zhi rubbed his furrowed brow.
Xue Ji recalled those short videos she had scrolled past on a certain app. They would just talk nonsense right into the camera, or simply type a few words over a single image, but using these cheap tricks, they could vent their emotions and stir up people who didn’t know the truth.
“This will get resolved, don’t worry.”
Xue Ji planned to report this matter to the higher-ups in the publicity department when she got back. It was about time they faced reality.
The you walking towards me makes me…
Xue Ji’s phone rang. It was Sha Ya.
“Hello? What’s up?”
Sha Ya’s voice was filled with panic, along with some clattering noises in the background.
“Ah Ji, you need to come back quickly! That person you brought home yesterday has disappeared! We can’t find her! She vanished right in front of us!”
Upon hearing this, Xue Ji thought of the high-speed world the alchemist had mentioned. It seemed Eva was also from that high-speed world, and apparently one of those who could enter and leave at will.
“Don’t panic, she’ll be fine. I’ll go out and find her.”
Xue Ji hung up the phone and used a long-range teleport to return to Cloud City.
She amplified her senses, scanning every area of Cloud City like a radar.
“Not here. Where else could she go?” Xue Ji was puzzled. Eva wasn’t the type to be reckless; leaving must have served some purpose.
Could it be because of that phone call last night? Had she gone to find Ling Xiaoxiao?
Speak of the devil. Ling Xiaoxiao called.
“Xiaoxiao, is Eva with you?” Xue Ji’s voice was a bit flustered. She was somewhat afraid that Ling Xiaoxiao’s current state might affect Eva. Neither of those two was easy to worry about right now.
“How did you know? She suddenly showed up at my villa’s gate today. If it weren’t for Xia Jin, who knows how long she would have stood there.”
Ling Xiaoxiao’s tone was very calm, with no hint of displeasure whatsoever.
“That’s good, that’s good. Don’t get worked up. I’ll come over right away and take her away.”
“Xiao Ji, am I some kind of monster? Are you that afraid I’ll bully her?” Ling Xiaoxiao’s tone was teasing. “This little one is way cuter than you. Let her hang out here for a while. Alright, I’m hanging up.”
Xue Ji held the already-disconnected phone and wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her.
So, Eva had gone out today specifically to see Ling Xiaoxiao?
No way. She had to go see what was going on.
——-
Present-day A City was already a ruin. Because the Shino Demon Flower had died here, the entire land was tainted with a cursed aura. It could no longer be rebuilt as a city. The plan from above was to use it as a training base for warriors.
A streak of blue light traced across the sky, heading straight for the mountain peak shrouded in clouds.
“Looks like Ling Xiaoxiao really knows how to enjoy herself, huh. Took over a whole mountain to build a villa.” Xue Ji returned to this land and couldn’t help but feel emotional again.
Then she slammed into an invisible barrier.
“Oww! That hurts!” Xue Ji clutched her head, nearly falling from the sky.
“Ling Xiaoxiao, did you put up a whole barrier just to keep me out?!” Xue Ji was furious now and kicked the barrier several times.
After she vented for ten minutes, Ling Xiaoxiao finally floated over slowly from the villa.
“Oh, Sage, what’s wrong? Why are you crashing into my barrier?” Ling Xiaoxiao tried to keep a calm expression, but the corners of her mouth kept twitching upward, giving her away.
“You’re laughing! This is all your fault!” Xue Ji clenched her teeth, staring at Ling Xiaoxiao with puffed cheeks.
“Alright, alright, don’t be so angry. Once the Demon God Seed issue is resolved, I’ll make it up to you my way.” As Ling Xiaoxiao spoke, her smile looked a bit lecherous to Xue Ji.
“Eww～ Could you not smile like that? It’s kind of gross.”
They hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Even this opportunity to meet across the barrier was precious, and Xue Ji didn’t want it to end.
“Huh? Where did that quiet little one run off to? I clearly remember carrying her over here.” Ling Xiaoxiao then realized her right hand was empty.
Seeing this, Xue Ji called out loudly.
“Eva, come here! Time to go home!”
Eva instantly appeared next to Xue Ji, startling her.
“Ling Xiaoxiao, why did she come to you in the first place?” Xue Ji asked, confused.
“She’s a very magical existence. Her ability can help me eliminate the emotions that have built up over those thousand years.” Ling Xiaoxiao smiled at Eva, who kept waving goodbye to her.
“Is that so? Then Eva’s ability consumes emotions.”
Xue Ji hadn’t been sure before, after all, using emotions as fuel was really bizarre.
“I’ll take her home now. Goodbye.”
“Bye-bye. I’ll come to your school’s anniversary celebration. Don’t forget our agreement, okay～”
Only when Xue Ji was reminded did she remember the anniversary was coming up. The college entrance exams were almost here too.
“I, I know.”
Xue Ji took Eva, who was clinging to her, and flew back toward Cloud City.
Back home, after Xue Ji explained everything, everyone felt relieved. However, Lilith and Sha Ya both seemed a bit gloomy.
Sha Ya was unusually silent today because she had lost all of Xue Ji’s millions of “Joy Beans” playing a card game.
Lilith, playing League of Legends, had tanked Xue Ji’s rank in reverse and got reported for feeding. Her account was already banned for two days, which had also made her behave.
In the large living room, only Xue Ji and Eva were left interacting.
Eva was hugging the shark plushie that Xue Ji often held, swinging her little legs on the sofa, seeming to be in a good mood.
“Eva, did you have fun today?” Xue Ji asked, holding Eva.
Eva just nodded again without speaking.
Her ability activated once more, dressing Xue Ji in a Gothic-style maid outfit.
Seeing this, Lilith and Sha Ya’s eyes lit up, and they both gave Eva a thumbs up.
Sha Ya even went directly for it, hugging Xue Ji’s leg in white stockings and refusing to let go.
“Sha Ya, what are you doing?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just testing the quality of the stockings Eva made. Don’t mind me.”
As she spoke, Sha Ya even rubbed her face against Xue Ji’s thigh. The ticklish sensation nearly made Xue Ji lose her balance.
Lilith looked at Sha Ya disdainfully, condemning her shameless behavior.
“Some people, even after becoming human, just can’t break the habit of rubbing all over the place.”
Sha Ya couldn’t care less about what Lilith said. Just to annoy her, she deliberately licked Xue Ji’s thigh.
Seeing this, Lilith pointed at her angrily, but words failed her.
Then she noticed something. Xue Ji conveniently had two legs. Sha Ya had taken the right one. The left leg was still free. What a coincidence!
“Then, then I’m coming too!”
Lilith hugged Xue Ji’s left leg and, not wanting to be outdone, gave it a firm, noisy kiss.
“You, you two…” Xue Ji was stunned by their actions, her brain freezing.
Spiritual threads covered Xue Ji again, this time in a sexy, “landmine” type outfit.
Seeing Xue Ji like this, Sha Ya and Lilith couldn’t help but drool.
“Got anything even more risqué? Bring it on.” Sha Ya suggested.
Eva nodded and transformed Xue Ji’s clothes again into those of a Western Region dancer.
Lilith and Sha Ya exchanged a glance.
“To the room?”
“Deal!”
While Xue Ji was still dazed, the two of them dragged her into her own room. The bells on her dancer’s outfit jingled with their movements, making a crisp sound.
“What do you two think you’re doing!” Xue Ji snapped back to reality and shouted.
“Ah Ji, we haven’t bonded in so long,” Sha Ya whispered close to Xue Ji’s neck. “Sniff, sniff.”
“Don’t be scared, you clumsy big sister. We just want to play a game with you, to bond,” Lilith said as she covered Xue Ji’s eyes with a black silk ribbon.
“It’s over…”
