Chapter 163

Page Twenty

Lin Zǐyè?

Before Cherry Sauce had finished speaking, Xiàlù suddenly sat up, her hand on her chest as she anxiously said, “It’s gone!!”

I couldn’t help but comment, “Well, your chest isn’t very big to begin with, so it’s not like it disappeared, right?”

“What are you thinking! It’s the school magazine that’s missing!”

That special edition of the school sports festival, featuring the most beautiful school beauty’s photo shoot, valued at a thousand yuan and considered a treasured edition, was lost by Xiàlù… more accurately, it was stolen.

Considering what Cherry Sauce had just mentioned, I roughly knew who the culprit was.

But I still asked, “What happened? Did you not put it in your pocket and drop it somewhere outside?”

With my reminder, Xiàlù ran out.

Thunder Sister commented, “Your photo collection is really popular. No one even noticed you were a guy?”

“I wish someone would notice! Also, this time the culprit is still that mysterious girl.”

“Is it your mother?”

“…I can’t confirm this yet.”

Since it was mentioned yesterday, Aunt Shan and Thunder Sister also knew about the existence of Mysterious Girl A.

Aunt Shan then asked, “Was the little yellow… school magazine sent away by teleportation?”

She meant the little yellow book!

I sighed, “I didn’t expect her to be able to steal from Xiàlù’s pocket so precisely.”

— “If I’m not mistaken, she used your vision to pinpoint it, because you were looking at Xiàlù, she could take the magazine so accurately.” —

“Tea for all the young ladies!”

The short-skirt maid lady pushed the serving cart back, placed coffee and small cookies on the table, but did not leave.

… It seems each table has a fixed maid serving them?

Because of her presence, we couldn’t discuss the topic of Mysterious Girl A.

“I can’t find it at all! It shouldn’t be my fault…”

After circling the shop, Xiàlù returned, flopped onto the soft sofa, and slammed something onto the table.

“… I have something extra in my pocket.”

Looking closely, it was a small gold coin.

Like the one left behind when stealing before, made by alchemy, no longer irregular fragments of gold, but now a more intricate coin, truly the style of Mysterious Girl A.

“Xiàlù-nee, I think… this might be the money the thief paid for the school magazine. It looks much more valuable than the magazine itself.”

Xiàlù tossed the small gold coin, complaining, “I didn’t plan on selling it… And when did it get switched? When I entered the shop, nobody bumped into me, right?”

Because her leather jacket was stiff, she didn’t notice when the magazine disappeared, still believing it was stolen outside.

“What a pity. On the bright side, this gold coin might be quite collectible.”

Xiàlù scratched her head irritably.

“I don’t understand.”

She wouldn’t know about the existence of divine techniques, feeling confused was normal, but neither Aunt Shan nor I would say much more.

Then,

The phone on the table rang.

A short notification sound, not a call.

“Hmm? It’s a message from Zǐyè.”

“Xiàlù-nee’s fiancé?”

“It’s strange to call him a fiancé since none of us are old enough to marry… Tsk.”

After reading the message, she hesitated and said, “I might not be able to accompany you. Zǐyè needs me urgently, though I don’t know why, but I have to go… This three girls’ expenses will be on me, please take care of them.”

The last part was directed at the maid lady.

The short-skirt maid lady gave a proper salute and replied, “Understood! I will treat every guest well!”

Since she was going to Lin Zǐyè’s place, I naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

“Xiàlù-nee, can we go with you?”

She frowned.

“Why are you so interested in Zǐyè? The investigation at the café isn’t continuing?”

… Does she have some hostility towards me?

I explained, “We’ve finished our coffee! We’ve observed this place enough! Xiao Lěi-nee told us to follow you until school ends, right?”

“That’s because I had nothing else to do before, but now…”

Aunt Shan also said, “Xiàlù-nee, we won’t cause trouble, just let us tag along? Maybe we can help!”

“Fine, let’s go together.”

After a few seconds of eye contact with Aunt Shan’s three white eyes, Xiàlù surprisingly agreed.

Her attitude towards Aunt Shan and Thunder Sister was clearly different from mine!

Perhaps because the other is Sister Miāomiāo’s sister, while I am just a distant cousin?

“But I’m not sure what Zǐyè wants me for, so I might throw you out depending on the situation… Is that acceptable?”

“Uh-huh!”

Just as we were about to leave, Xiàlù received another message.

“He says he’s already in the store, come to… the changing room?”

“Does he want you to try on clothes?”

“I don’t know, but we should check it out anyway.”

The changing room was on the other side of the sky bridge. Because of Xiàlù’s status, the maid lady showed no reaction even if she saw us enter.

A row of changing room lockers, three changing stalls with curtains, and a rack full of various maid outfits covered in cloths.

The maid outfits had been searched through.

“Zǐyè?”

No one was in the small changing room. Xiàlù whispered, receiving no response.

I asked, “Is he not here yet?”

“I don’t know, I’ll call him.”

Xiàlù took out her phone and dialed, but Cherry Sauce reminded her,

—”There’s someone in the last changing stall.”—

Then, the phone in that changing stall rang merrily.

Xiàlù was first stunned, then realized.

“What? He’s there?”

She walked to the last changing stall, pulled open the curtain.

“Lu-nee~”

A long-skirt maid girl burst out of the changing stall, unexpectedly knocking Xiàlù down, landing hard on the wooden floor.

“Ouch! What are you doing! This person!”

Xiàlù clumsily supported herself, but the girl lying on top of her hugged her neck, a somewhat ambiguous pose.

“Guess who I am?”

Xiàlù frowned, guessing, “… Is it a new maid?”

“Wrong!”

The maid waved her still-ringing phone and pointed at herself.

Laughing, she said, “You may not believe it, but I am Lin Zǐyè!”

… I vaguely guessed this possibility too, after all, this maid’s facial features resemble Ling Shàojié.

But Xiàlù didn’t believe it. She pushed the maid away, looked around, and irritably asked, “Where’s Zǐyè? Did he set up cameras here to play with me? Is this fun?”

“No, I am Lin Zǐyè! Lu-nee don’t you trust me?”

Xiàlù’s temper wasn’t good to begin with, and being “fooled” like this, her mood plummeted.

“Lin Zǐyè… My fiancé is a man.”

She frowned, pressed her hand against the maid’s chest, and forcefully…

“There’s no way such a thing exists!”

“Oh!”

Hit in a sensitive spot, the maid moaned in pain, a bit suggestive.

Aunt Shan walked to the changing room door and locked it.

The maid said, “Lu-nee, don’t be so rough. I can prove it to you.”

Her eyes still teary, she touched the ring on her finger, emitting white light.

—”That ring is a beacon.”—

Beacon?

—”Used to receive Mysterious Girl A’s magical energy. Lin Zǐyè’s transformation technique is granted by Mysterious Girl A.”—

Did she act ahead of us?

—”No, her intentions might differ. She gave the choice to Lin Zǐyè… Let’s hear what she has to say first.”—

The white light dissipated, and Lin Zǐyè transformed back into a young man with a small beard, still wearing the maid outfit.

He lifted his fiancée’s chin and asked, “Do you believe me now?”

“You’re amazing!”

Xiàlù was stunned for a long time before turning around.

“What’s with this ring?”

“Today, I met a female fortune-teller on the street. Since it was interesting, I told her everything. She gave me this ring.”

The ring itself was unremarkable, just a stainless steel band, likely made by alchemy.

—”This is stainless steel alchemy.”—

Do we need to categorize this so specifically?

Xiàlù stood up, patted her pants, and asked, “Fortune-teller? What did you tell her?”

Lin Zǐyè looked at us, embarrassed, “I said I collected many maid outfits but couldn’t wear them myself, which was a shame.”

“You actually told a stranger you met for the first time such topics?”

“It’s hard to describe, but there’s something reassuring about her. I felt I could talk about anything with her, so I just spilled my worries.”

I suspect it’s some divine technique influence.

Xiàlù said, “Probably due to the atmosphere… How much did this ring cost?”

“It didn’t cost anything. She said I was destined, so she gave it to me for free.”

“Don’t you find that suspicious?”

“Why?”

Lin Zǐyè touched the ring again, a white light passed, and she transformed back into a girl.

“Don’t you think it’s awesome? I’ve always dreamed of wearing maid outfits like this!”

She twirled around, lifting her skirt and teasingly sticking out her tongue.

“You got into character fast…”

Xiàlù held her chin, staring at her fiancé, her frown deepening.

She muttered, “Strange, I feel like I’ve seen this face somewhere.”

“Is it your mother? I noticed too, after transforming, I look very similar to her.”

Lin Zǐyè reminded her, and Xiàlù slapped her forehead, acting enlightened.

“Yes, I’ve seen it in the photo frames on your wall! I haven’t seen Auntie, so I don’t remember.”

Something seemed off.

“Hmm? Xiàlù-nee hasn’t met her future mother-in-law?”

In response to my question, Lin Zǐyè answered, “Because my biological mother passed away when I was very young…”

Wait!

Lin Zǐyè resembles the wife of Lin Yùhuáng. Doesn’t that mean Lin Zǐyè is their child?

What about Shàojié-nee?

Is her birth certificate fake?

—”Twins also have this possibility.”—

I think…

This isn’t simple.