Chapter 158: Breaking Through

An Yueying didn’t turn her head, merely replying casually:

“Sorry, I didn’t think I’d be noticed.”

The newcomer was dressed in an exquisite moon-white long gown, heavy and lined with fur beneath the hem that occasionally lifted with her steps.

She wore thick thermal stockings and thick-soled boots, yet her footsteps were unexpectedly light.

As a witch, she ought not to fear the cold, yet she wrapped herself so tightly, even hiding her face in a scarf, not allowing the slightest chill to take advantage.

Fortunately, the gown was still ornately decorated, and her wine-red long hair was left uncovered, clustering at the back of her head and nape, the ends naturally curling without need for extra care.

An Yueying’s perfunctory apology did not anger the young girl; her eyes remained hidden beneath thick lashes, like a pair of dim pearls, as if dust had settled on them for a long time.

“Unfortunately, I am extremely sensitive to magic. Even though I try to ignore it, your presence is too conspicuous—it even stings my eyes.”

“Then I’m really sorry about that.”

An Yueying remained indifferent, as if she didn’t care about the girl’s thoughts, or perhaps she knew that talking more with this person would be useless.

The girl was silent for a moment, then adopted a cold tone.

“Speaking of which, you should know that you are an absolutely dangerous person now. Logically, I could even kill you on the spot.”

An Yueying’s expression shifted slightly, then a mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips.

“Are you sure? With the paltry magic you have left? If we really fought to the death, even if you won, you probably wouldn’t live long.”

The girl seemed struck where it hurt, immediately falling silent. After a long while, she silently disappeared from behind An Yueying, leaving only a faint whisper before vanishing completely into the shadows.

“Enjoy the present while you can. I hope you don’t end up worse.”

Surprisingly, An Yueying did not sneer at these almost sarcastic words. Instead, a complex emotion of loss and confusion flickered across her brows.

Even though she could still feel herself growing stronger, An Yueying unconsciously pulled her coat tighter, rarely showing a hint of vulnerability.

She didn’t feel safe, but at the moment she had no ability to protect her, so she could only continue to be strong.

Other than that, all she could do was, as the girl said, enjoy the present and cherish the people around her.

She continued to stare blankly in the direction of Ye Qing, watching the black-haired girl covered in wounds. She also felt a pang of distress, but did not rush to appear; instead, she watched quietly.

Now was not the time to disturb.

***

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, Ye Qing couldn’t help but frown, a faint blush appearing on her pretty face.

Liu Qingruo sniffed, looking puzzled, but soon her attention was drawn to the various exhibits here.

It was brighter than Ye Qing had imagined, but it had the fatiguing atmosphere of a café about to close. The warm yellow lights seemed to mimic the gentle afterglow of the afternoon sun, as if the café was about to shut down.

The staff behind the counter were mostly listlessly tidying up, occasionally yawning.

But now, the place was empty except for some peculiar toys, with no one tending to them. It made one wonder—had the owner hidden themselves?

This was bad news. It meant Wang Bing was likely with Ye Yu in some hard-to-find corner. Ye Qing had no choice but to quickly skip these meaningless scenes and stride deeper into the establishment.

She unconsciously slipped her hand into her pocket, gripping the pistol inside.

Even though she was getting closer to Ye Yu, Ye Qing’s unease grew. If anyone tried to stop her now, she would probably not hesitate to raise her gun and rush to Ye Yu’s side without a moment’s delay.

What filled her heart was not just worry for Ye Yu, but even more guilt—for leaving her to endure alone for so long. She would never let Ye Yu face these difficulties alone again.

Ye Qing still clearly remembered how that little black-haired girl, once shorter than her, had grown up step by step under her care, like a willow sapling stretching out, blossoming into a graceful young woman.

She remembered the frustration and helplessness when she was rejected during the girl’s adolescence, and the joy when the girl rarely cooked a meal herself and awkwardly apologized to her.

But all of that had turned to bubbles—not only because of her own wish, but also because of the three years of neglect.

In the blink of an eye, the girl had transformed from a cub needing her care into a solitary, proud lone wolf.

She had been willing to lend her slender waist for support, yet she left without a word.

In her memory, the so-called brother had become a silhouette without background; as memories were lost, her feelings for the one named Ye Qing had no foundation, gradually collapsing like a broken temple with fallen beams.

‘But even if I can only recover a little, I must go to her side now.’

With her sharp senses, Ye Qing could increasingly feel the strong aroma of incense, and she also heard some faint sounds of water.

It sounded less like bathing and more like splashing, with water occasionally rippling and spilling onto the floor.

Intuition led Ye Qing to follow the sound, but after a few steps, she was blocked by a row of wine racks. Dense with various famous liquors, it looked like a display wall.

But the water sounds clearly came from behind it. After searching left and right, Ye Qing found no other entrance, so she turned her gaze back to the wine rack.

After a moment of silence, instead of looking for a mechanism, she punched the rack hard.

The force of this punch was astonishing, far exceeding what she had been capable of before.

It seemed that due to being caught in the magical collision, while leaving her covered in wounds, it had also grudgingly awakened a bit of magical girl power.

However, Ye Qing’s physical strength was still far from sufficient. As the wine rack was broken through, besides the sound of splintering wood, there was an ominous cracking sound.

Ye Qing’s pupils contracted. Her slender arm was stuck inside the rack. She pulled it out with effort, bringing up wood shavings that cut her skin, but this time the pain wasn’t as bad as she had imagined.

Ye Qing looked down. With just one punch, her knuckles were bloody and the skin split open, but she didn’t feel much. She only wanted to break through this barrier quickly.

After the thin partition was breached, the sound of water became even more pronounced. Ye Qing, imitating Liu Qingruo, licked the back of her hand and then used her heels to continue destroying the wall.

In a sense, Ye Qing was both lucky and unlucky. She hadn’t found the hidden door, but the wall of the secret room was unexpectedly thin.

When the door is stronger than the wall, the wall becomes the door.

Ye Qing gritted her teeth, her amber eyes…

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