Chapter 11: The Art of the Chase

Upon returning home that evening, Mo Qiu’s first order of business was to take a shower.

Having run two laps with Bai Chen, she had worked up a sweat, and the sticky sensation all over her body had made her uncomfortable throughout the entire afternoon.

Emerging from the bathroom after her shower, Mo Qiu couldn’t help but pause as she passed the full-length mirror, gazing at her reflection.

She wore only a white shirt, which barely covered her thighs, and her skin, flushed from the hot water, was fair with a delicate pink hue.

Her wet, long hair fanned out behind her, with a few playful strands clinging to her cheeks.

The young girl’s dull eyes stared intently at her dark hair in the mirror.

She tried to lift it with an arm, muttering,

“It’s a bit in the way.”

She now understood why some girls constantly complained about their long hair in summer, wishing to cut it short.

This cascade of long hair covered her neck, offering no ventilation.

When she exercised, it whipped around, which was maddening.

It felt as if someone was tugging at her hair from behind, leaving her with no sense of security.

‘Should I cut it?’

Mo Qiu pinched a strand of her hair, and Bai Chen’s radiant smile flashed in her mind.

‘What if he doesn’t like short hair? Wouldn’t that be a loss?’

Mo Qiu always felt that her physical appeal wasn’t quite enough to captivate him.

After a quick towel-dry of her hair, Mo Qiu set about her real task.

The ‘secret bento’ plan hadn’t been entirely successful.

However, she had still managed to obtain Bai Chen’s clothes.

‘And he even gave them to me himself. My capture progress isn’t without advancement.’

Living alone and aiming to save money, Mo Qiu’s home lacked both a washing machine and a dryer; all her clothes were hand-washed.

She specifically singled out Bai Chen’s clothes, giving them special individual attention, and even adding extra laundry detergent.

“According to the latest news from the Demon Hunting Organization, they have made new progress in their investigation of the case. We hope all residents will wait patiently and reduce their frequency of going out at night.”

The evening news played from the computer in her room, its sound, reaching the bathroom, was almost entirely drowned out by the splashing water and the friction of clothes.

Mo Qiu washed the clothes repeatedly, until the yellowish-brown stains no longer reflected in her dull eyes.

****

The following day, Mo Qiu went to school as usual, remaining her usual inconspicuous self in the classroom, secretly observing Bai Chen’s every move.

He was as sunny and cheerful as ever, having forged good relationships with all his classmates, appearing quite busy.

Having spent a long time contemplating in bed last night, she now had the next step of her plan firmly in mind.

If Bai Chen were to approach her about his clothes, she would simply claim to have forgotten them.

Given the way she had handled his clothes in front of him yesterday, Bai Chen, with his not-so-clever mind, would surely be anxious to retrieve them.

This would provide Mo Qiu with a legitimate reason to invite him to her home, creating an environment where they would be alone.

At that point, with just a little teasing, she wouldn’t fear failing to capture this young virgin.

Mo Qiu had no intention of luring him into bed so quickly; that would only transform their friendship into a casual fling.

Based on her experience from her previous life, such relationships rarely lasted.

The most beautiful things were those desired but just out of reach.

Mo Qiu had even prepared several different contingency plans.

Whether Bai Chen was shy or proactive, or even if he was so overcome by lust (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘mǐjīngchóng shàng nǎo,’ literally ‘sperm worms rush to the brain,’ referring to being consumed by sexual desire) that he tried to force himself upon her, she would be able to handle it perfectly.

The image of the future hero, unable to obtain what he craved, kneeling before her, just thinking about it made Mo Qiu’s lips curl into a smile, her plump thighs clench, and her black stockings rub together.

Meanwhile, Bai Chen, who had been chatting happily, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

‘I just felt like someone was staring at me with a perverted gaze.’

After glancing around and finding no one, he dismissed it as his imagination.

The first class passed.

‘Bai Chen, come find me now.’

The second class passed.

‘I know you’re eager to get your clothes back, there’s no need to be shy.’

The third class passed.

‘Why aren’t you here yet? Are you trying to act composed?’

The fourth class passed.

‘…He still didn’t come.’

Whenever Mo Qiu secretly glanced towards Bai Chen, he was either chatting animatedly with his friends or heading to the office with his textbooks.

Each time he left his seat, Bai Chen never walked towards her, not even sparing her a glance.

‘This isn’t how I imagined it.’

Not until the last class of the morning concluded and students began their mad dash to the cafeteria did Mo Qiu finally lose her composure.

Bai Chen was also about to leave, but fortunately, Old Zhu approached him first, engaging him in conversation and affording Mo Qiu a precious moment.

“You’re busy again tonight? What a busy man you are.”

“I can’t skip work.”

“You haven’t even graduated yet, why do you act like an old man desperate to make a living?”

Hearing this, Bai Chen merely smiled.

‘My work isn’t just about making a living,’ he thought.

Just as he was about to stand up, he suddenly saw a figure appear behind Old Zhu.

“Excuse me, could you move aside?”

“Of course, no questio—”

Hearing a girl’s voice, Old Zhu turned, intending to display his gentlemanly manners, only to meet her gaze.

The young girl’s eyes were like abysses; as Old Zhu gazed into the abyss, the abyss gazed back into him.

Old Zhu instantly broke out in goosebumps, and he quickly let out an awkward chuckle.

“Uh, Lily from the next class was looking for me to study together, so I’ll be off now!”

With that, he bolted, leaving Bai Chen, who hadn’t even had a chance to speak, behind.

‘Take me with you!’

Realizing he couldn’t escape, Bai Chen turned back to Mo Qiu, a little awkward.

“Mo Qiu, you didn’t bring another bento, did you?”

Hearing this, Mo Qiu tilted her head.

“Do you want one? I can bring it for you tomorrow.”

“No, no, no, you don’t have to trouble yourself. I’ll just eat in the cafeteria for a while.”

Bai Chen, having narrowly escaped, breathed a sigh of relief.

He sat back down, unable to resist studying her eyes; no matter how many times he looked, he found them incredibly beautiful.

“About the clothes you gave me yesterday…”

“Oh, those? No rush. Just return them to me when you’ve washed them.”

Faced with such a delicate young girl, Bai Chen believed he was being considerate enough.

Mo Qiu, however, thought otherwise.

‘No rush? Are you kidding me?’

Bai Chen was just about to bid her farewell and head to the cafeteria, when Mo Qiu, suddenly bracing herself with both hands on two desks, startled him into sitting back down.

If he hadn’t recoiled in time, Mo Qiu’s nose would have collided with his face.

“Wh-what now?”

“Tonight, I’ll return your clothes to you.”

“But I still have work. I really don’t have time after school.”

Bai Chen gave a wry smile.

‘So that’s how it is. You think this will stop me?’

“I’ll wait for you.”

Mo Qiu’s words left Bai Chen stunned.

“Tonight, come find me when you’re no longer busy.”

“Does it have to be this way?”

“It must be this way.”

“Alright, alright then.”

Bai Chen placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s add each other on WeChat (TL Note: ‘v’ refers to WeChat, a popular Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app). I can set a time and place for tonight, right?”

After receiving her agreement, Bai Chen tore a page from his scratchpad, quickly jotted down his contact information, and handed it to her.

Initially, Mo Qiu didn’t notice anything amiss; getting Bai Chen’s contact information was an unexpected bonus.

As the young girl clutched the slip of paper and returned to her seat, it suddenly struck her what was wrong.

‘Shouldn’t I be inviting him to my home? Why did it turn into him inviting me?’

Her ominous premonition had become reality; Bai Chen had indeed set the meeting point on a public street, completely contrary to her expectations.

‘Cunning. Utterly cunning.’

Upon returning home, Mo Qiu hugged her knees and stared intently at Bai Chen’s WeChat (TL Note: ‘vx’ is a common abbreviation for WeChat) profile picture for a long time.

‘He’s clearly a man, yet he’s using a beautiful girl’s avatar. He must have a cross-dressing alt account, luring unsuspecting guys everywhere.’

‘But don’t think this means I have no way to deal with you. Just wait obediently for my punishment.’

If she were to forcefully change the location now, it would surely arouse Bai Chen’s suspicion.

Mo Qiu had no choice but to take the clothes and arrive at the agreed meeting point fifteen minutes early.

As night descended, the streetlights on both sides of the road flickered to life, one after another, and the buildings of Fengling City (TL Note: ‘Fengling’ means ‘Wind Chime’) also lit up.

Mo Qiu sat alone in front of the street-side green belt, the bustling traffic reflecting in her eyes.

“Little girl, are you alright?”

A passerby struck up a conversation with her.

“Are you lost or did you run away from home?”

“Neither, I’m waiting for someone.”

“I see. You should go home quickly. The nights in Fengling City haven’t been peaceful lately, and it’s easy for you to encounter danger alone.”

Mo Qiu nodded, bidding farewell to the passerby.

‘She dismissed his words with disdain in her heart.’

‘Of course I can see that. The streets should be bustling at this hour, but recent serial murders have left everyone on edge.’

Although the number of vehicles on the road hadn’t significantly decreased, there were noticeably fewer pedestrians, most of whom were traveling in groups.

Mo Qiu, all by herself, seemed conspicuously out of place.

The spot she had chosen also lacked sufficient lighting, making it difficult for anyone to notice someone was lurking in this corner.

She often favored such dim, secluded corners, but her mood was far from good at the moment.

‘Bai Chen, he’s so slow.’

Several minutes had already passed since the agreed-upon time, yet there was still no sign of Bai Chen.

Mo Qiu had only received one message from him, stating that the shop was busy and he might be late.

‘Late is fine, as long as he comes.’

Mo Qiu continued to wait.

Each time a new face appeared in the distance, she would overlay it with Bai Chen’s face, only to avert her gaze when it didn’t match.

Bored from waiting, she even plucked a small yellow flower, tearing off its petals one by one, muttering to herself,

“‘He’ll come, he won’t come, he’ll come, he won’t come…'”

When the last petal landed on “he won’t come,” Mo Qiu’s lips tightened slightly.

She then sent a message to Bai Chen, who was half an hour late.

–Sorry, I just got free. I’m on my way.

–Wait for me where you are, and please be careful.

–I’ll be there very soon, really quickly!

‘He sent so many messages. Is he really worried about me?’

Mo Qiu put down her phone; her legs had gone numb from sitting for so long, so she stood up and walked a few steps.

“Little sister, why aren’t you home yet?”

Another passerby showed concern.

“I…”

Mo Qiu was about to dismiss him when she suddenly noticed a suspicious figure stop behind the man.

‘This aura…!’

The suspicious individual’s body rapidly swelled, growing sharp claws and fangs, their eyes glowing crimson.

They rushed forward with extreme speed, and in their wake, the petals of the small yellow flower scattered and fell.

Claws sliced through the air, fragments of white uniform fabric drifted, and blood splattered, staining the freshly washed clothes.