Chapter 46: A Child’s Palate and a Dangerous Plan

Rewinding two days, while the Magic Supervision Department and the magical girls were still relentlessly scouring for any leads on Liu Tianze, Black Mirror and Rainbow had already set their own plans in motion.

As evening settled, Black Mirror awaited Rainbow in a private room at a coffee shop.

The elegantly dressed lady, guided by a waiter, entered the room, her gaze immediately falling upon Black Mirror, who was once again clad in an unfamiliar school uniform, and the empty teacup before her.

Rainbow offered a soft smile, gave a few instructions to the person beside her, then walked directly to Black Mirror and settled into the seat next to her.

“Could you bring me a cup just like hers?”

“Certainly, please wait a moment.”

As the door softly clicked shut, only the two of them remained in the private room.

Typically, Rainbow would be the first to speak in such situations, but this time, she sensed something amiss—Black Mirror’s brow had been subtly furrowed since she sat down, clearly indicating discomfort.

Rainbow didn’t rush to ask, instead leaning closer to Black Mirror, just as she usually would.

This time, however, Black Mirror simply stood up, moved to the adjacent seat, and decisively put some distance between them.

Noticing Rainbow seemed poised to follow, Black Mirror finally spoke: “Your perfume… it’s too strong. I’m not accustomed to it.”

“Oh? Is it unpleasant? This is this season’s new release, you know.” Rainbow chuckled casually, pulling a miniature pink perfume bottle from her handbag and rattling off its brand and price.

Black Mirror knew nothing about perfumes, yet the fact that its price was roughly equivalent to four months of her salary rendered her momentarily speechless.

“Little Mirror, you still don’t understand the ‘scent of adulthood,’ do you? Would you like Auntie to spray a little on you? Get used to it; perhaps you’ll even grow to like it.”

“Keep such fine things for yourself; I can’t quite appreciate them,” Black Mirror retorted flatly. “Let’s get to the point. Any new leads?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. I’ve checked all the places you mentioned, and even similar ones I could think of, but there’s no trace of that child.”

Black Mirror simply nodded silently, clearly unsurprised. “Is that so? Well… with the existing clues, we can only try our luck with those few places. It’s a pity; I can’t think of a better approach.”

The locations Black Mirror had provided were several well-known hospitals in Jingping City, as well as various charitable organizations and volunteer groups.

Her reasons for directing Rainbow to search such places for clues about Liu Tianze were intrinsically linked to her deductions regarding his situation.

“If only there were clearer leads,” Rainbow sighed, shaking her head. “This boy’s case must be in the hands of the Magic Supervision Department, so even for me, obtaining specific information about him quickly is quite difficult, especially since most of his records are likely in Jihai City.”

She then turned to Black Mirror, her tone laced with a hint of admiration. “Still, Little Mirror, you truly are remarkable. To see through this boy’s lie with just a glance at a few photos—are you perhaps a famous detective?”

“I merely felt a sense of incongruity in those pictures.”

“Did you? So, what did those photos tell you, Little Mirror?”

“You must have guessed it yourself by now.”

“But I still want to hear it from Little Mirror’s own lips.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Black Mirror pulled several photos from her pocket and laid them on the table.

These were the very pictures related to Liu Tianze that she had extracted from Ji Lanxin’s phone.

Pointing to one of the four-person family photos, she asked, “Rainbow, what do you see in this picture?”

“Hmm… a harmonious and warm family. A father slightly hunched, a mother with rough hands—they probably don’t take many photos, so they appear a bit stiff before the camera. Beside them are the shy older brother and the innocent younger brother. That’s my initial impression, of course. I could elaborate further, but I doubt that’s what you want to hear, Little Mirror.”

Black Mirror nodded. “Yes, a harmonious, complete, and happy family of four. Yet, if that truly were the case, it would be all the more peculiar.”

“Ji Lanxin and Wen Qiusheng have always described him as reliable and mature, like an elder brother. It stands to reason that within his own family, he would also be a good brother who looks after his younger sibling, and a dutiful son to his parents.”

“Given that, why would such a person take the immense risk of running away from home with two others, traveling all the way to Jingping City? Why would such a person lead his cherished friends to use an incense that might transform humans into monsters? None of it makes sense.”

She pushed the family photo towards Rainbow, then picked up the three-person photo of Liu Tianze with Ji Lanxin and Wen Qiusheng.

“Wen Qiusheng and Ji Lanxin both carried heavy family pressures, which became the emotional catalyst for their transformation into Corroded Beings (TL Note: A type of monster or corrupted human).

Liu Tianze also inhaled that incense, and I don’t believe nothing happened to him.

Perhaps he was well aware of its effects and used it intentionally.”

“Look, in that family photo, Liu Tianze appears so bashful, yet in the photo with his friends, he smiles so brightly.”

“Because… one’s attitude is more natural and relaxed when with friends?”

“That might be one reason. But I rather believe he dared not smile too naturally in front of his family, or perhaps, he dared not smile at all.”

Black Mirror extended her index finger, tapping Liu Tianze’s face in the group photo.

“Dimples.”

“Dimples?” Rainbow leaned in for a closer look, confirming that the smile indeed revealed a pair of small dimples.

Black Mirror continued, “Children are the product of their parents’ genetic combination; they inherit certain traits from their parents. This is a fundamental biological rule.

Dimples, specifically, are one of those hereditary traits controlled by genes.

Look at that family photo: neither the father, the mother, nor the younger brother have dimples when they smile.

Genetically speaking, it’s impossible for parents without dimples to produce offspring with them.”

“Earlobe attachment is the same.

If both parents have attached earlobes, how could they possibly have a child with free earlobes?

Liu Tianze was a high school student when he dropped out, meaning he should have already covered topics related to genetics and traits in his curriculum.

Therefore, Liu Tianze dared not smile at all when photographed with his family; he must have already known.”

The next sentence was likely a reality Liu Tianze had confirmed countless times in his own heart.

“He is not his parents’ biological child. His younger brother is.”

“…”

As children, many probably questioned whether they were truly their parents’ own, but such doubts were usually just a manifestation of rebellious thoughts.

Yet, when that suspicion solidified into an unspoken truth, how heavy would the feeling of isolation become?

Rainbow rose, gathering the photos from the table one by one.

Once Liu Tianze’s secret was revealed, his motives gained the most logical explanation.

“He came here to search for his biological parents.”

“Most likely. That’s the only conclusion I can draw.

He probably came to Jingping City because he had some leads.

And if he truly suspected he wasn’t biologically related, seeking help from charitable organizations or medical institutions would be perfectly reasonable.

It’s just that he couldn’t possibly approach the police—he ran away from home and brought others with him, so their families have most likely already reported them missing.”

“With so many online avenues available now, it’s impossible to fully predict how he might be operating.”

Even if they had deduced why Liu Tianze came to Jingping City, it would be useless if they couldn’t locate him.

Furthermore, their methods and resources were vastly inferior to those of the Magic Supervision Department in this regard.

If Liu Tianze were found by the Magic Supervision Department first, the “incense” lead mentioned by Ji Lanxin would likely be completely cut off.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Rainbow turned and acknowledged the knock.

The waiter pushed the door open, greeted the two, and placed a hot drink before Rainbow.

“Thank you.”

“Enjoy your drink.”

After the waiter departed, Rainbow finally lowered her gaze to the pale hot drink before her. “A latte? No, the color is lighter, and the aroma isn’t quite right…”

Puzzled, she lifted the cup and took a delicate sip.

The taste was cloyingly sweet.

“What… what is this? The overwhelming sweetness completely masks the coffee’s aroma; I can’t taste any coffee at all.”

“It’s coffee milk. Haven’t you had it before?”

Black Mirror replied with an air of complete obviousness.

“Hmm… Little Mirror, you really do… have a child’s palate.

But I don’t recall this drink being on the menu here.”

“Because the menu the waiter handed me only had a bunch of coffees that looked terribly expensive and bitter, I asked them to mix milk and coffee in a 2:1 ratio and bring it over, adding a bit more sugar for good measure.”

Black Mirror mimed the act of adding sugar, and Rainbow could guarantee that the amount added was certainly more than just a few spoonfuls.

The typical coffee-to-milk ratio is 1:1, but hot milk and coffee at 2:1… wasn’t that almost the opposite of a latte?

Even Rainbow found herself momentarily stumped by the sweet explosion before her, the lingering sweetness clinging to her taste buds like a persistent specter, making a second sip utterly unpalatable.

“Speaking of which, how have those two been these past few days?”

“Ah, you mean Ji Lanxin and Wen Qiusheng, right? They’re still at home, being more obedient than I expected.”

Rainbow seized the opportunity to set down her coffee cup, quickly taking up the subject Black Mirror had introduced. “But I must say, young people truly are full of vitality.

They seem even more curious than anticipated about their abilities as Corroded Beings, constantly trying to explore their powers recently.”

“…”

Although Black Mirror harbored some concern and wanted to advise Rainbow to pay closer attention to their actions, for no one could guarantee their state would remain stable.

However, given the circumstances, with both them and the Magic Supervision Department focused on Liu Tianze, the value Ji Lanxin and Wen Qiusheng could provide was now negligible.

They would eventually realize that the words spoken to Wen Qiusheng earlier were true: no one could truly help them.

“Don’t look so downcast, Little Mirror.

In fact, I do have some good news for you today.”

“Good news?”

Rainbow nodded, a triumphant smile curving her lips. “Actually, when you asked me to investigate those places, something occurred to me.

Just as you possess a keen perception for details, I also have my own strategy.”

She deliberately paused for a moment, her body leaning slightly closer.

Black Mirror subtly frowned, enduring the overpowering scent of the other woman’s perfume, and asked patiently, “So, what did you realize?”

“Hmph, indeed, we are at a disadvantage when it comes to speed and efficiency compared to the Magic Supervision Department, and we don’t know their exact movements.

However… Little Mirror, you’re thinking a bit too complexly.

We can also have clear and specific goals.”

She casually picked up a spoon, slowly placed it into the cooling drink, and stirred gently, causing sweet ripples to spread across the surface.

“We don’t need to be the first to find him, Black Mirror. We only need to be the first to *acquire* him.”

Even though Rainbow, on the surface, appeared to be merely a middle-aged woman preoccupied with appearances, in Black Mirror’s eyes, these words revealed the inherent danger and mystery at Rainbow’s core.

“Ever since we acquired Ji Lanxin, I’ve been observing the magical girls’ activities.

In fact, since that night, their movements have become significantly more frequent than before; one can tell just by the magic traces they leave in the sky that they’ve been operating in groups recently.”

“Although Ji Lanxin and Wen Qiusheng haven’t provided us with the ideal feedback, our actions themselves have already had a clear impact on the Magic Supervision Department.

They are wary of your interference and my harassment, so we can infer certain situations just from their general modus operandi.”

“Even tonight, I—or rather, many ‘me’s—can still see them buzzing around above the city like headless flies.

If they had truly found Liu Tianze, they wouldn’t still be making such a spectacle, haphazardly searching everywhere.”

“We needn’t rush.

Let those diligent little bees keep busy for a while longer.

They will eventually find what we desire.”