Chapter 51: A Shared Nap and Lingering Doubts

Lu Chen smiled knowingly and nodded.

His lover wished for them to take a nap together.

For other couples, such a request might carry a hidden meaning; yet for him and Xia Shi, it was genuinely just a simple embrace and a shared afternoon rest.

“Alright, you go ahead into the bedroom. I’ll warm up some milk.”

“Mm. I’ll wait for you.”

The young woman smiled happily, taking small steps into the bedroom. Lu Chen returned to the kitchen, retrieved a small carton of milk from the fridge, and heated two cups on the stove.

The neighborhood was quiet and bright in the afternoon. Outside the window, the wind rustled through the treetops.

Having poured the milk, the young man carried it towards the bedroom.

When the young man pushed open the door, the bed had already been made. A matching pillow now lay beside the one that had been alone, and the somewhat rumpled sheets were smoothed out, looking neat and inviting.

Xia Shi was sitting on the bed with her legs curled up, a thin blanket casually draped over her, revealing only a sliver of her fair wrist as she held a book.

Upon seeing Lu Chen enter, the young woman immediately offered a soft smile, her eyes curving into crescents as she patted the empty space beside her.

“Welcome. This book is truly interesting; it actually combines zombies with a blizzard-isolated mansion mystery.”

“I bought it a long time ago, but I haven’t read it yet. Was what you just said a spoiler?”

Lu Chen replied casually, placing the milk on the bedside table before sitting down next to his lover. Xia Shi instinctively lifted a corner of the thin blanket, draping half of it over his lap.

The thin blanket was a bit small, so she shifted closer, leaning against Lu Chen’s shoulder and spreading the book open before them both.

“I don’t think so? Look, it’s just a background setting mentioned in the prologue; it has nothing to do with the killer or the victims.”

Bright sunlight illuminated the pages. The young woman’s body warmth was pleasant and comforting.

Lu Chen took a small sip of milk, feeling his mind gradually relax and unwind.

“That’s good. With such a unique premise, the central mystery shouldn’t be mundane either.”

Lu Chen adjusted his posture, allowing the young woman to lean against him more comfortably.

“Shall we read together?”

“Yes, let’s. I read quite fast, so just tell me when you’ve finished a page.”

Nestled beneath the soft blanket, the gentle rustle of turning pages occasionally broke the silence, sometimes interspersed with a few murmured guesses about the killer, or a knowing, shared chuckle.

After reading a dozen or so pages, Xia Shi began to feel tired, her voice gradually softening.

She drank half her milk, then slid down the headboard, wrapping her arm around the young man’s arm. She nuzzled her head against his chest, curling up into a comfortable position like a kitten returning to its nest.

Lu Chen put the book down, his arm circling the young woman’s back and shoulder. His palm gently stroked her long hair, a light, rhythmic touch.

The wind still stirred gently outside the window. As they felt each other’s warmth, their breaths mingled, and they gradually drifted into slumber.

****

The sun began to dip in the west, and the sky gradually darkened. It was only at dusk that the young woman finally emerged from the apartment building, boarding the subway under Lu Chen’s watchful gaze.

It was Saturday, and not yet rush hour, so the subway was sparsely populated. She quickly found a secluded corner, settling into a seat and curling up into a tight ball.

The subway train slowly began to move, whistling as it plunged into the tunnel.

The lights inside the carriage flickered. Taking advantage of the momentary disruption, a crow materialized, sending a telepathic message to its master.

[Master, you are truly punctual, as always. We agreed to meet at 3 o’clock, yet you’re only 1 hour and 46 minutes late—a significant improvement! I’ve already completed all the checks myself.]

[What happened? Did you engage in a three-hundred-round battle with some magical girl or monster in Lu Chen’s apartment?]

Ling Wei leaned against the window, letting out a soft sigh.

“…Zero, I plan to meet with Envy another day.”

[How truly touching for this demon. But if I may be frank, even if you’ve finally decided to get along with a colleague, he probably won’t be pleased to see you.]

“I merely want to beat him up again, just to reconfirm his magic. I suspect the results from my last analysis were flawed.”

With the aid of ‘Omniscience’ and vast experience, Ling Wei could swiftly analyze others’ magic. Moreover, her unparalleled magical power and precision allowed her to easily replicate these abilities.

Ling Wei herself lacked the ability to disguise her appearance.

Therefore, to impersonate Xia Shi, she had first brutally beaten her benefactor and colleague, Envy, for three days and three nights, forcing him to continuously use his magic.

After observing and studying him, she successfully analyzed and acquired his unique magic, ‘Skin-Painted Bones-Hidden,’ which allowed him to freely manipulate his physique and transform into anyone.

Zero asked curiously:

[Flawed? Why would you think that?]

Logically, ‘Skin-Painted Bones-Hidden’ should only alter outward appearance, having no effect on the user’s magical power or physical condition.

However… just now, at Lu Chen’s home, Ling Wei had intended to feign sleep, planning to check his body while he was still drowsy. Yet, unexpectedly, she had genuinely fallen asleep, and even more quickly than he had.

Even if the Heart of the Moon had been at work, it would have been impossible to bypass her mental resistance and hypnotize her.

On the other hand, Ling Wei was absolutely certain, firm in her belief, that she would never have relaxed enough to simply fall asleep.

Since there was nothing wrong with her, and no external enemy could have influenced her, by process of elimination, it could only mean the magic itself was flawed!

‘Though these were her thoughts, Ling Wei felt she couldn’t honestly voice them, otherwise Zero would undoubtedly launch into another one of his nauseatingly strange monologues.’

She stated:

“No particular reason, I just feel a bit more prone to fatigue lately.”

“More importantly, what about the inspection results? My ‘Masking Potion’ isn’t compromised, is it?”

The human body is incredibly complex, making imitation no easy feat.

If one only possessed ‘Skin-Painted Bones-Hidden,’ even with boundless magical power allowing transformation into any monster imaginable, it would still be impossible to perfectly mimic an ordinary person on the street.

To truly become someone else, one first needed at least a drop of the target’s blood, which would then be mixed with Envy’s unique secret potion to create a concoction known as the ‘Masking Potion.’

During her brutalization of Envy, Ling Wei conveniently pilfered a few bottles of his secret potion. She then infiltrated the Corridor of Memories, stealing a blood sample Xia Shi had left behind during her disappearance. Only then was she able to impersonate her.

However, Ling Wei was not referring to the ‘Masking Potion’ used to transform into Xia Shi—after all, that transformation was complete, rendering the potion unnecessary.

Instead, she was referring to the ‘Masking Potion’ needed to revert to her true self. She had no intention of remaining Fireworks indefinitely.

Before embarking on her glorious magical girl career, Ling Wei had drawn some of her own blood. She then concocted several bottles of ‘Masking Potion,’ designed to target her original physique, and instructed Zero to store them in her personal secret vault.

If these potions were all lost or spoiled, the young woman would be unable to ever revert, destined to remain a magical girl for life.

The potions were arguably her sole weakness. Thus, she had not only installed surveillance in the vault but also made it a point to check on them with Zero every few days.

Zero confidently nodded, placing a wing over his chest.

[Of course not. My dear Master, when have you ever been so lacking in confidence? Rest assured.]

[‘Masking Potion’ is already hidden deep within the uninhabited White Shroud Forest, further protected by multiple layers of defenses you personally arranged.]

[Even if the Primordial Witch were to rise from the dead, she wouldn’t easily pinpoint the potion’s location, let alone defile it!]

Ling Wei let out a soft chuckle.

“Heh… My dear Zero, I have always been the embodiment of humility, never underestimating others.”

“However, perhaps you are right this time. Worrying about a bunch of toys causing trouble at my doorstep was overly cautious. There’s no need for such frequent, exhausting checks.”

The subway train emerged from the tunnel, stopping at the platform.

The young woman stretched, then stepped out of the carriage.