Chapter 224

Seventy-ninth page, Second set of scenes.

—

[November 24th, Sunday, 12:50 PM]

[Peace City Old Street]

We had to finish our preparation before Xiao Kai and the others arrived. Time was tight, so Lǐn Huā called for a ride-sharing van that took us five directly to the video hall on Peace City Old Street.

“Wow! What’s going on?”

Lǐn Huā, who had rushed in excitedly, saw only empty shelves.

“There are actually guests… Oh? Isn’t this Lingmeng, the little girl?”

The teenage girl sitting at the counter greeted me with an old-fashioned tone. Although she mistook me for someone else, I recognized her. I didn’t expect to meet this carefree chief engineer here.

“Professor Shi, hello. But I’m not Chang Lingmeng; I’m her sister, Chang Ying. I’ve heard about you from her.”

Explaining was a bit complicated, but I went along with it.

The professor waved his hand and said, “Oh, I know. You two are twins, right? Your story, I’ve heard it from Bifang.”

The professor mentioned siblings…

If he knew Xiao Kai’s gender, why did he act so casually before?

“It seems your relationship with Boss is really close. Our secrets, even the witches in the research institute don’t know, but you do.”

“Haha, I’m also very familiar with your grandfather!”

This could be seen from his modest tone.

The professor then asked Lǐn Huā, “That smiling girl over there, are you from the Huangfu family too?”

Lǐn Huā hesitated for a moment and nodded, “Professor, hello, I’m Huangfu Lǐn Huā. My mother is Huangfu Zhen.”

“Zhen’s child? Heh, indeed, you look a bit alike. Actually, I held her when she was young. I never thought her child would grow up so big.”

It was incredible for a seventeen-year-old girl to say such things.

I asked again, “Professor, let’s talk about nostalgia later. Can you tell us why you’re here? And is this video hall still open?”

“Oh, it’s like this…”

Although he had been single all his life, he had many friends. The professor knew the old owner of this place. When the owner and his family went on a trip together, the professor was entrusted to manage the shop as his granddaughter…

It sounded rather pitiful.

Though they said it was to manage the shop, it mainly involved dealing with moving companies. Most of the tapes were moved yesterday, leaving only some unimportant leftovers.

“Oh, so this place is closing down…”

Lǐn Huā looked around the video hall, looking somewhat despondent.

“…Although we knew about the demolition, it still feels sad when it’s time to say goodbye.”

Xiǎo Lěi asked, “Isn’t the old man planning to reopen somewhere else?”

The professor shook his head and sighed, “No, Lín is old and confused. Unless Bifang pays another ‘price,’ there’s no way to keep the business running… Cough, in the end, video halls like these should have retired long ago. Now, movie theaters are cheaper, better equipped, and there are private cinemas nearby. Video halls don’t stand a chance anymore.”

She mentioned the price, which piqued my curiosity.

What exactly did Lubifang pay to make the elderly Professor Shí look like a beautiful young woman? I knew she weakened after using spells, but she recovered afterward. This couldn’t be considered a price.

“So, you came to watch old movies?”

The professor’s question interrupted my thoughts.

Lǐn Huā replied, “No, we came to set up a trap. We might need your help, Professor!”

—

Playing myself?

—

I carried two 500ml bottles of cola back to the dim projection room. The tape was rewound, and the zombie battle had just begun.

“Sister Zǐ, here.”

“Oh, thanks… Wait?”

As soon as she took the cola, Lù Zǐ emitted a puzzled sound.

I felt nervous. Could a genius with an IQ of 140 see through my disguise so quickly?

“This cola is cold? Where did you get it?”

He asked this?

I answered, “From the refrigerator in the lobby.”

Though uncertain, there seemed to be a horizontal refrigerator by the counter.

“Huh? That refrigerator isn’t even plugged in. How can it still cool?”

Should I say this is typical of a genius with an IQ of 140?

Most people wouldn’t notice something like whether the plug was in or not.

I explained, “Today is quite cold, and the temperature difference from the heater makes the cola feel cold. Once your hands adjust to the temperature… See, it’s just normal now.”

I took the cola from her and secretly lowered its temperature.

“…It does seem cold… Strange… Huh?!”

Still confused, she took the cola again. I feared she might notice something, so I sat next to her and took her hand.

Our fingers intertwined, and she looked at me in surprise.

I was thinking how to start, but she laughed first, “Lingmeng, your hands are soft. Are you really a boy?”

“Of course…”

…No.

My hands were softer than Xiao Kai’s, lacking calluses.

Imagining Xiao Kai’s reaction, I patted my chest and said, “Since birth, I’ve been a man. Dressing up as a girl was just out of necessity. Don’t mistake me for a transvestite, Sister Zǐ.”

“I never mistook you for one. I just treat you as a girl.”

“That’s even worse!”

“Without getting into other things, even if you have to dress as a girl, there’s no need to wear such large silicone implants.”

She reached out playfully, and I jumped, shrinking back.

“Huh? Even fake ones make you nervous?”

This is real!

But admitting it would expose me.

“…Even if they’re fake, it still feels strange, doesn’t it?”

“It’s fine. It won’t hurt, I just want to feel the texture. Look, my chest is small, so I’m curious about larger ones!”

Just go touch her yourself!

Didn’t you add a breast enhancement spell when transforming her?

We were already close, and Lù Zǐ persisted relentlessly. Refusing outright would raise suspicion, so I let her have her way.

“Just three squeezes—ouch! Don’t squeeze so hard!”

Lù Zǐ squeezed hard, causing me pain and making tears well up.

“Ah, sorry!”

In her eyes, they were artificial breasts, so rough handling was understandable.

Apologizing, Lù Zǐ looked at her palm, savoring the sensation.

“It has warmth and hurts… Is this… real?”

I wiped away tears and clarified, “These are fake breasts, but they change with body temperature and have tactile feedback… All thanks to that troublemaker Ying, who insisted on making them indistinguishable from real ones.”

Her explanation seemed reasonable, and Lù Zǐ didn’t suspect anything. She reached out and patted my chest again.

“So they’re no different from real ones. Can you… give me a pair too…”

She seemed very concerned about her cup size, even though she still had male characteristics.

“That’s not possible. It consumes notebook material. Just this pair would waste a lot.”

If I prepared artificial breasts for her, Xiǎo Lěi and Lǐn Huā would surely demand them too. Absolutely!

Ultimately, I wasn’t replacing Xiao Kai just to discuss breasts.

Alright, time to get serious.

“Sister Zǐ, I really like you.”

My gaze was sincere and clear, and Lù Zǐ blushed slightly.

“Hey, why bring this up suddenly?”

No matter how smart she was, she was still a novice in matters of the heart. Any initiative from me would make her emotional, clouding her judgment.

With both hands on her shoulders, I continued pushing forward.

“I’ve realized that, whether it’s you, Lǐn Huā, or Xiǎo Lěi, I won’t run away anymore.”

Though my tone was firm, I felt a tinge of regret. How much I wished Xiao Kai could say those words herself.

Lù Zǐ showed unexpected joy at my change, but then smiled bitterly.

“So, you plan to accept all three of us?”

I advised, “I know it’s not easy, and you might have reservations, but dragging it out won’t solve anything. Even if it’s just trying, we should take a step forward… I won’t force you to accept me, but I hope you’ll consider it, Sister Zǐ.”

“You’re so sneaky. You leave me no choice, don’t you?”

“Sorry, because I like each of you, I don’t want any of you to be disappointed… I mean it.”

Sister Zǐ blocked my mouth with her finger, her eyes seductive.

“I understand your intentions even without you saying it. What surprises me is your courage… I believe in you, so just do what you think is right.”

Unfortunately, because Xiao Kai hasn’t shown courage, I had to take her place.

“Thank you. I’ll work hard to make everyone happy!”

“Fine, I’ll trust you this once. I can’t help it; I like you.”

Though not entirely satisfied, Sister Zǐ agreed to my proposal.

I asked again, “Sister Zǐ, what would you do in this situation if it were you?”

Lù Zǐ closed her eyes in thought but shook her head quickly.

“I don’t know. Besides you, I can’t think of anyone else I’d like.”

“…Do we need to lift Cupid’s curse?”

She opened her eyes urgently, “Of course not! That would be cruel. Then I’d have no one to like!”

This feeling born from the curse had blossomed into genuine emotion within her.

I turned back to the screen, realizing ketchup was inappropriate for the mood.

I suggested, “After the movie ends, come home with me.”

“…Lǐn Huā and that idiot are already at your place?”

“Yeah, everyone is. They’ve been staying at my place for days.”

Lù Zǐ said sarcastically, “…So they’re already living together. I guess I can’t compete with them.”

She was actually jealous.

Unlike Xiao Kai, I wasn’t good at noticing others’ strengths, so I hadn’t liked Lù Zǐ much before.

But after interacting, I found she wasn’t heartless. She kept her emotions hidden, caring for her sister and looking after former subordinates like Long Tao and AJ. With Xiao Kai, she showed a different kind of tenderness.

This must be what they call masculine gentleness.

Now, I appreciated her more and tried to incorporate this into my words.

“Sister Zǐ, you don’t need to compare with them. To me, each of you is unique…”

To soothe her feelings, I decided to leave her a reward before falling asleep.

“…So, accept me.”

“Suddenly saying this, I won’t be happy!”

She was clearly happy.

I supported her head, drawing closer.

“What are you doing?”

Her sudden action made her nervous. She tried to push me away, but her strength wasn’t strong, hinting at a mix of resistance and acceptance.

Noses nearly touching, lips almost touching, she realized what I intended. Her breathing quickened, eyes becoming more distant.

“Sister Zǐ, this is my response… and my promise.”

Lips met.

The reward was a light kiss with hypnotic effects.

For anything deeper, Xiao Kai should do it herself.

“Have a good dream.”