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The corridor’s light spilled past Lily of the Valley’s shoulder into the room, causing the floor to flicker.
Beside the sofa, the small girl rubbed her swollen, tear-filled eyes. She trembled as she stood, much like a newborn fawn, her young face streaked with tears and snot.
In the past, Gu Si had only seen her younger sister cry once, an impression that remained vivid in her memory.
That afternoon, both their parents were working overtime. With most other students having already left and Lu Chen yet to arrive, she and her sister had amused themselves by chasing each other on the slope behind the school.
Her sister, lost in the joy of the chase, had stumbled and fallen. Her soft knees scraped against the uneven asphalt, creating a gash, and she immediately burst into loud sobs.
Lily of the Valley still remembered the evening sky, ablaze with fiery clouds that cast a crimson glow over passersby and the street. Her sister had cried inconsolably, her normally adorable face contorted like a dried plum, as she incoherently called out for ‘Mama’ and ‘Sister.’
Just like now.
“Lily of the Valley! What’s happening?”
The young man’s urgent cry echoed down the corridor, piercing the dim room. The girl’s entire body stiffened. She instinctively dodged the doorknob and flung the door open. Perhaps startled, the girl inside the room also ceased her crying.
The young woman knew precisely why she needed to hide the situation from Lu Chen, yet she couldn’t help but block the doorway with her body, forcing a nonchalant expression onto her face.
Lily of the Valley turned around. Lu Chen had already reached the doorway, his face etched with tension and concern.
She spoke calmly, “It’s nothing. I overreacted. I heard a sound from this room just now and became a little worried about an accident.”
“I see. What kind of sound?”
“Just a projector falling over, nothing to worry about. How was your search?”
Lu Chen nodded wearily, opting not to press further.
His observations, in truth, were as keen as ever, but his mind was entirely consumed by the room behind the artillery poster, leaving him no leisure to ponder other matters.
He sighed, then recounted his findings.
He had searched extensively, yet found not a single trace.
As Lily of the Valley listened to the young man, her knuckles gently pressed against the door, gathering magical energy.
She conjured several mana-draining vines, commanding them to pierce the floor and infiltrate the room behind her. Guided by intuition and memory, she manipulated the vines, using them to gently cover the girl’s mouth.
The young woman let out a soft breath, then addressed the young man:
“We shouldn’t enter the room, lest we destroy any potential traces.”
Lu Chen, of course, understood this, but he insisted on a quick preliminary search. For some inexplicable reason, he felt that even if he returned later, he might not find this small house again.
Furthermore, he had a faint suspicion that a secret lay hidden within that room, a secret no one else should discover before him.
The “Mask Potion” contained the blood of others.
Lu Chen could likely guess the origins of the other potions—they probably came from powerful oddities of the past, or perhaps ordinary individuals convenient for Envy’s schemes.
But what about the potions found in *that* room? Those few bottles that had stained the compass pitch-black?
Who were they from?
Another powerful oddity? A character from a horror film?
Or, hypothetically, what if, by some one-in-ten-thousand chance, they contained a trace of Xia Shi’s blood…?
The moment this thought flickered through his mind, he cursed himself for being foolish and base. He wanted to instantly forget it, to bury it deep within the earth.
Yet, it clung to him like a maggot gnawing at bone, refusing to vanish. Instead, it tightened its grip, suffocating Lu Chen’s heart.
Lu Chen had not yet formulated an answer.
He simply felt that he had to be the first to uncover the truth, ahead of everyone else, to secure enough time for himself.
Concealing his chaotic thoughts, he addressed the young woman:
“I acted impulsively, I apologize. Lily of the Valley, how will those potions be handled? Will a portion be taken for research?”
“Are you referring to the Mask Potions? Customarily, their potential danger is too great. More magical items can be acquired by interrogating Envy; these won’t be used for research.”
“The Group will destroy them directly, keeping only a small amount sealed away.”
The young man pressed his lips together, then said:
“Thank you for the explanation. Miss Lily of the Valley, could you give me one of the potions?”
“…………To you? Why?”
“I can’t explain.”
“But trust me, I absolutely won’t do anything dangerous with it, nor will I bring it into the city. I’ll send it to the Group in a few days.”
“…………I understand. You’ll have to explain everything to me afterward.”
Lily of the Valley, not wanting to dwell on it, tossed a bottle of the pitch-black Mask Potion to Lu Chen. The young man carefully stowed the potion, and the itch in his heart subsided slightly.
Although he couldn’t take it to the Group’s sorcerers for analysis, he had recently met an experienced sorcerer.
If he could just ask them to clearly examine its components, he would finally find peace of mind.
As the young man pondered, Lily of the Valley also used the mana-draining vines to tightly bind the child behind the door. Regardless of the child’s true origins, she could not be allowed to commit mischief while under suspicion.
Yet, the young woman remained consumed by anxiety, the agitation and unease in her chest swelling to unprecedented levels.
Stabilizing her emotions, she spoke to the young man:
“Let’s leave it at that for now. We’ve delayed too long; we need to return quickly.”
The two exchanged no further words, silently departing the small house. They left the ominous red-and-black magic array and the terrifying poster behind, swallowed by the dense fog.
****
Only when they flew out of the woods and ascended into the sky did Lily of the Valley realize they had been in the very heart of the White Barrier Forest. It was perplexing, as they hadn’t traveled far at all.
She didn’t dwell on this peculiar anomaly, quietly noting the cottage’s location. Then, transforming into a jade-green meteor, she swiftly streaked back to the city, arriving at the branch office building as the sun began to set.
In front of the building, numerous reporters and fans had gathered from various places. The young woman ignored them, pushing her way through and rushing directly into the office. There, she returned the collected Mask Potions and bid farewell to Xia Shi.
Having completed these minor tasks, Lily of the Valley once again soared into the air, tearing through it as she raced back to the White Barrier Forest.
She traversed above the forest, following her memory, but after patrolling for a long time, she couldn’t find the spot where they had left.
She then descended into the woods, summoning countless plants to aid her in searching and inspecting. Yet, as far as her eyes could see, there were only motionless clumps of perennial mist and gnarled, withered trees.
****
The child was still waiting alone in the cottage, bound tightly by the mana-draining vines Lily of the Valley had personally secured. She had to find her quickly!
The young woman strode through the swirling mists, weaving through the trees with surging magic, so anxious she was almost driven to madness. The sun had set, and night had fallen, plunging the land and forest into darkness.
Still, Lily of the Valley saw no sign of the cottage.
Unable to continue, she decided to fly back to the city, explain the situation to the New Light Group, and ask Fireworks and Lu Chen for help.
However, just as she ran a few steps outside the forest, the mist nearby suddenly churned and shifted, revealing the vague outline of the wooden cottage before her eyes.
“Found it!”
Lily of the Valley’s eyes lit up, and the heavy stone in her heart plummeted into an abyss. Without a moment’s hesitation, she dashed straight towards the cottage.
You’ve got to see this next! After Refusing to Play the Villain, I Became Their White Moonlight will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : After Refusing to Play the Villain, I Became Their White Moonlight
