Chapter 39: The Art of Observation

Warm, gentle sunlight bathed the streets, where laughter and joyful chatter drifted through the air. Lu Chen, however, felt a cold sweat break out as his gaze landed on his lover, who was covertly peeking from the shadows.

To him, Xia Shi’s gaze in that moment was far more terrifying, more unnerving, than a thousand monsters combined!

As if sensing the young man’s stare, the girl soundlessly retreated into the alley, her figure vanishing without a trace.

Lu Chen startled once more, stiffly turning his head back to its original position before speaking:

“Miss Lily of the Valley, please wait a moment. I—I need to send a message first.”

Lily of the Valley nodded.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Thank you!”

Lu Chen hastily swiped his phone screen, sending a message to Xia Shi:

[Xiaxia, please don’t misunderstand. Stay in that alleyway and don’t move; I’m coming to explain everything to you right now!]

A pale pink message bubble instantly appeared on the screen—Xia Shi had replied.

However, she didn’t seem angry at all; her tone was somewhat perplexed.

[? Baby, what are you talking about? Which alley? I’m on vacation today; I’m at home right now.]

‘B-Baby…!’

Lu Chen’s old face flushed crimson. Even online, Xia Shi only teased him with such an endearment when she was feeling utterly relaxed.

So, it must have been his imagination just now, right…?

Perhaps it was just someone who looked remarkably like Xia Shi? Or some strange individual trying to imitate her?

Just as the young man felt a slight easing of his worries, another pink message bubble surfaced on his screen: a link sent by Xia Shi.

Lu Chen tapped the link, revealing an advertisement posted by the Shinguang Group for Valentine’s Day.

The ad was beautifully laid out with appealing images and text, its title boldly proclaiming, ‘Your Ultimate Wingman to Find Love! Come to the Shinguang Branch Building with Your Beloved—It’s Impossible *not* to End Up Together!’ The implications were certainly profound.

Lu Chen nearly fumbled his phone, almost throwing the device in exasperation.

‘That was definitely Xia Shi peeking just now! And she’s refusing to show herself!’

He frantically typed, solemnly reiterating:

[Xiaxia, I told you yesterday, didn’t I? I’m only here today to discuss promotional photos with Lily of the Valley; there’s absolutely no other meaning behind it!

Don’t misunderstand, please! Come over! I’ll explain everything clearly with her!]

The message traveled along the invisible network, reaching the other end of the screen. Ling Wei, tucked away in the damp alley, savored the panicked message while pounding the wall with laughter.

Wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes, she casually replied, operating her phone with one hand:

[…Is that so. Wait a moment, I’m really at home, so it’ll take some time for me to fly over.]

No sooner had she pressed send than the girl switched back to her contacts, found Lily of the Valley’s profile picture, and tapped it.

She typed a few keys, sending a message to Lily of the Valley:

[You’ve met Lu Chen already, haven’t you? Remember to give him the welcome gift you bought at the right time~]

The message traversed the intricate network, arriving in Lily of the Valley’s hands this time.

[Okay, thanks for the reminder.]

The emerald-clad girl quickly responded, then rummaged through her women’s fanny pack for a moment, producing a small box of white chocolate cookies co-branded with Shinguang Group.

When she had consulted Xia Shi yesterday, the latter had specifically instructed her to prepare a box of this particular brand of cookies, claiming Lu Chen adored them.

Lily of the Valley didn’t often give gifts, so she was inevitably a little nervous, a deeper blush coloring her cheeks. She walked over to the young man’s side, extending both hands to offer him the cookie box.

“This is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it.”

As the girl’s face flushed with shyness, Lu Chen’s hair stood on end.

He hastily turned his head, searching for his girlfriend in the alley. She had initially poked out half her body, but now, with a dark expression, she retreated back into the shadows.

Immediately afterward, a pink message bubble appeared on Lu Chen’s phone screen.

This was also a Shinguang advertisement, titled, ‘Want Him to Understand Your Feelings? This Box of Magical White Chocolate Cookies Is All You Need!’

More and more sweat beaded on Lu Chen’s forehead. He hesitated no longer, intending to apologize to Lily of the Valley and go find Xia Shi first.

However, his lover seemed to anticipate his actions, sending another message to interrupt him.

[It’s fine, I trust you, important matters come first. Go discuss the promotional photos.

We can talk in detail tonight. Love you.]

Xia Shi’s words were remarkably frank, and Lu Chen reluctantly let out a breath of relief.

‘…Right, I need to focus on the task at hand first.’

Regardless of Lily of the Valley’s true intentions, she was the magical girl under his charge. It was his responsibility to produce high-quality promotional photos for her.

The young man temporarily suppressed his worries. He offered a smile, accepting the cookies from Lily of the Valley, and then handed her a bag of small cakes he had brought.

“Thank you very much. Xia Shi also loves white chocolate; perhaps we can eat them together another day. These are the cakes I promised.”

“Thank you, I look forward to it.”

Lily of the Valley accepted the cakes, her reserved expression gradually softening. Lu Chen, now in work mode, spoke earnestly:

“I’ll get straight to the point. Since you’re a magical girl who favors combat, your promotional photos should ideally highlight your reliability and strength.

To match your style, I’ve selected a few rugged locations.”

“Rugged?”

Lu Chen nodded, pulling up a photo of a landmark on his phone and turning the screen towards Lily of the Valley.

A massive, silver-grey rolling shutter door, heavy as a mountain, stretched across the image, emblazoned with striking yellow warning paint.

Several dark green ammunition boxes were stacked before the gate, while blood-red warning signs hung on the walls flanking it. Though lush green grass had sprouted in the open space before the door, the solemn atmosphere remained undiminished.

Lu Chen pointed at the photo, explaining:

“Yes, for instance, this place: the abandoned Third Armory. Since you frequently use firearms in combat, this location is quite suitable.

Please come with me to take a look.”

Lily of the Valley gazed at the cold, rolling shutter door, the blush on her face receding as her usual serious expression returned.

“Understood.”

She replied concisely, tucked the cake bag back into her fanny pack, and walked alongside Lu Chen towards the armory. Their figures gradually receded into the distance, vanishing around a corner.

****

Ling Wei emerged from the alley’s shadows, striding briskly through the crowd, following the path they had taken. Having experimented with Lu Chen’s phone and computer yesterday, she was aware of the several landmarks he had designated.

Black feathers drifted down from the sky as Zero flapped his wings, landing on a power line strung alongside the street, sending a telepathic message to his mistress.

“Well? After that little test just now, have you confirmed the trigger mechanism for Lu Chen’s magic?”

The girl’s lips curved upward, her smile deepening further.

“Of course, it was a piece of cake.

The moment he met Lily of the Valley, I was already nearby, circling them several times like Jerry stealing cheese.

However, it was only after I ‘observed’ him intently for several seconds that he sensed my presence and reacted in a panic.

The trigger condition for this magic is ‘being observed.’

As long as we’re protected when observing the Eye of Peeping, we remain invulnerable.”

Zero happily flapped his wings.

“Your observations are as keen as ever, almost rivaling Lu Chen’s antique camera from the last century. Since our objective has been achieved, may we return?”

The girl tilted her head, dismissing her familiar’s suggestion.

“No, that was only one test; it’s not enough for full confirmation.

It’s a rare chance to legitimately track and spy on him; let’s conduct a few more tests.”

“…You’re not just trying to tease him for amusement, are you?”

The girl’s eyes widened incredulously, as if she had been gravely wronged. She gazed at the corner where Lu Chen had vanished, offering a pure smile as she candidly stated:

“Why else?”