Don't Ask. It's Magic

An Youyi's house is quite large.

The three of them sat down in the living room on the first floor. The nanny brought tea and fruit. In the huge house, there was no one else besides her and the nanny.

An Youyi seems very withdrawn.

She went to a nightclub the night before last and met Xie Guangjun. They decided to hang out together, but she never expected it to turn out like this. She witnessed Xie Guangjun going crazy, witnessed Xie Guangjun being hit by a car, the horrific accident, the towering fire, the four people who died instantly, and Xie Guangjun who was burned beyond recognition. Not long ago, her acquaintance was alive and kicking, but in the blink of an eye, he had become like this—and she had witnessed the whole thing.

Anyone would be terrified in that situation.

Although she dresses in a mature and avant-garde style, she is still just a young girl.

Moreover, this girl had been sitting with Xie Guangjun the whole time and was one of the most important witnesses. She was immediately called to the police station for questioning overnight, and it took a long time before she was released to go home. It was only because her wealthy father had to pull strings and even go to the police station himself overnight that she was able to be picked up ahead of time.

Afterwards, her father scolded and berated her—"What are you doing going to such a disgusting and messy place, young lady? Look, you've caused trouble now! You're not allowed to go there again!"

Having witnessed such a horrific event, being questioned by the police in the middle of the night, and with her family not only failing to comfort her but also angrily scolding her, what could An Youyi do? Naturally, she became withdrawn on the spot.

When this happened, her father only spent half a day with her yesterday. Seeing that everything was alright, he went back to work, leaving her alone at home with only the nanny to keep her company.

Autism plus autism.

She didn't dare let her equally busy mother know, afraid that her mother would worry, so she could only isolate herself.

Xiaoman comforted her for a few moments, An Youyi couldn't help but snuggle into Xiaoman's arms and start sobbing.

Upon seeing this, Kang De couldn't help but sigh.

Look at this magnificent villa, look at this life of luxury since childhood. Even the rich second generation from wealthy families have their own joys and sorrows, and are not always happy.

--Sigh, I really wish I could switch lives with this rich kid and let her experience the joys of an ordinary family. As for the troubles of the wealthy, let me bear them.

Looking at the sobbing An Youyi, Kang De truly understood one thing.

Human joys and sorrows are not shared by all.

Brother Xun is awesome.

After crying for a while and venting her emotions, An Youyi gradually calmed down.

She wiped her face with a tissue, gently touching around her eyes with elegant and careful movements, before realizing that Kang De had been watching. She glanced at him subconsciously, then immediately looked away.

But this action was not out of shyness or embarrassment, nor was it out of affection or goodwill.

Rather, it was some kind of subconscious... fear.

Kang De was unaware of this subtle emotional shift; after all, he didn't understand women's hearts.

Xiaoman sat right next to An Youyi, completely unaware, and comforted her, "It's alright, it's alright. If you feel bored or scared these next few days, come find me... come play with us. Look at him."

As she spoke, Xiaoman pointed at Kang De: "This guy almost got into a room with a bunch of big men and played all sorts of games with him. Even though he escaped, it was still terrifying. But look at him, he acted like nothing happened the whole time, so carefree. You should come visit us often, you can get some of his carefree silliness too."

An Youyi lowered her head. "Killing intent..."

Xiaoman nodded and said, "Yeah, so silly..."

"So that was murderous intent..."

"What?"

An Youyi suddenly woke up with a start and waved her hand, saying, "No, no, no, it's nothing! It's nothing!"

She now looks weak, helpless, and pitiful, with tears streaming down her face. She is completely different from the spirited, carefree, and magnanimous woman we remember. You should know that her nickname in the industry is "Queen An".

Kang De, suspicious, slowly asked, "You said before that Xie Liqian came to see you?"

Faced with Kang De's question, An Youyi was clearly nervous. She didn't even dare to look Kang De in the eye, and instinctively shrank into Xiaoman's arms, nodding like a timid young wife. "Mmm..."

Before Kang De could ask her any further questions, she blurted it all out.

"He came to apologize, bringing many gifts. He said he had a disobedient son who had frightened me, and he was extremely sorry... I could only say it was alright, after all, even my father has to be mindful of his feelings."

She thought of what happened yesterday, and her eyes welled up with tears again. This was supposed to be a private family matter that shouldn't be told to others, but for some reason, An Youyi still said it.

"Xie Liqian said he wanted to talk to me privately about his son's personal matters and asked my father to leave. I... I was very scared at the time, but Dad, but I agreed on his behalf..."

Kang De and Xiaoman exchanged a glance, and sighed inwardly.

If Xiaoman's father were in this situation, he certainly wouldn't let his daughter, who had just been frightened, face Xie Liqian alone. Besides his personality, Xiaoman's father's career didn't depend on Xie Liqian. He would usually flatter him and say a few polite words, but he would never wrong his daughter for this reason.

You need to be strong yourself to forge iron.

Xiaoman took her hand and whispered, "Xie Liqian didn't bully you, did he?"

"No... but he asked me a lot of questions, repeatedly, it was scary... very scary..."

An Youyi's body trembled slightly.

She described what happened last night: Xie Liqian didn't hit her, didn't scold her, and even spoke in a calm and apologetic tone... but his attitude was extremely firm.

She asked, asked, asked repeatedly, from her interactions with Xie Guangjun to every little thing that happened last night—what Xie Guangjun said, what he did, and any unusual behavior he exhibited.

They were all very friendly, but the pressure Xie Liqian exerted on her was much greater than that from the police questioning.

After all, he was Xie Liqian, a business legend in the province. With the demeanor and prestige he had cultivated over forty years in the business world, manipulating a frightened young girl with body language and tone of voice was a piece of cake for him.

Especially at home, and especially with the father turning a blind eye to it.

He was facing alone a powerful figure who was on the verge of losing his youngest son.

This kind of fear and unease is probably unimaginable to Xiaoman and Kang De.

She squeezed Xiaoman's hand, shook her head to indicate that she was fine, and then looked at Kang De.

Her eyes held confusion, unease, and a well-hidden hint of shock and fear. As if having made up her mind, she whispered, "Although he asked many questions, hiding his true questions among a multitude... I can still discern what he truly wants to know."

He asked me if I knew you and what our relationship was like.

"He also got the details of my conversation with Xie Guangjun from other people present."

"It's also about you. Xie Guangjun said he wanted you to kneel there, and I had a verbal conflict with him. He used reverse psychology, saying he could notify Wang Xiaoman... Xie Liqian asked me if I did that at the time."

"I wanted to say no... but I was so scared then, I didn't dare to lie."

He also asked me if I had heard... the phone ringing at the time.

Xiaoman's expression changed drastically.

That night, she saw the message from An Youyi and, out of concern, immediately called Kang De. The call was disconnected after two rings, and Kang De was probably in a nightclub at the time.

Not far from An Youyi...

She immediately looked at Kang De, but Kang De showed no sign of panic.

The elven army swept across the city, threatening the lives of all its inhabitants. They had weathered countless battles—open attacks, covert maneuvers, and treacherous schemes—what was this small spectacle compared to that?

He casually muted his phone, then calmly said, "You..."

She had barely uttered a single word when An Youyi screamed, covering her ears and shouting, "You don't need to tell me anything! I don't know anything! I just told Xie Liqian about those things last night, and I was feeling uneasy, so I told you all that I didn't find anything, I don't know anything..."

Xiaoman hurriedly tried to comfort her, but it had little effect. An Youyi's eyes wavered, and she looked extremely frightened. She didn't even dare to look at Kang De... This already said a lot.

Before An Youyi could look over, Kang De reached into the inside pocket of his clothes and gently touched her.

The next moment, Xiaoman, who was trying to signal to Kang De to think of a Xiaoman, suddenly changed her expression.

Because she noticed that Kang De seemed to have changed... but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I just want to thank you. Thank you for speaking up for me after only meeting me twice. You are a brave and kind person, so don't be afraid. Fate won't hurt such a good girl."

He said this.

To Xiaoman, these words were nothing special, but for some reason, An Youyi miraculously quieted down and even dared to look Kang De in the eye timidly.

A look of grievance even appeared on her face.

It's as if you did a good deed but were misunderstood, and finally gained recognition.

Wow, that really works!

Magical techniques are terrifying.

Kang De just used a scroll.

It is one of the torture spells favored by the Knights of Justice, a true legal weapon.

The reason Xie Guangjun felt boundless fear and even spilled his sins like beans from a bamboo tube was because of the addition of a powerful ingredient: three different spells were used in one go.

But don't misunderstand, this so-called torture spell group doesn't only contain negative energy spells that focus on fear—clearly, the otherworldly beings understand that while interrogating prisoners sometimes requires the cruelty of winter, offering a touch of spring-like warmth amidst the cruelty can yield remarkable results.

The spell Kang De just used is called "Regner's Loving Kindness—making you appear generous and dignified; people always hope to have a father who is both great and forgiving of their mistakes."

The name is very long and very strange, but it is the mainstream naming rule in the world of arcane magic today.

The reason is simple: damn it, magic has been developing for countless years, the patent system has been constantly improved, and new inventions and improved spells are emerging one after another. The robust and simple naming methods of ancient times, such as "fireball spell," "lightning spell," and "ice spike spell," are no longer usable because of duplicate names, duplicate names, and duplicate names.

So this unrestrained naming convention gradually emerged.

Kang De even heard Hong San tell an interesting anecdote: a promising young mage once submitted a patent application for a spell with the name, "Super awesome Frost Mark Burst Strike - I fucking wanted to come up with a cooler name, but all the good names have been taken by dogs," but it was rejected because of its overly aggressive language.

As for Kang De's spell, it was very popular among judges. The name itself describes its effect, making the caster appear gentle, wise, and reliable—the most trustworthy person.

It worked perfectly. An Youyi immediately looked at Kang De with pleading eyes, her expression full of grievance.

"So don't worry, it's alright. You were innocent to begin with, and everything that happened has nothing to do with you. Just treat it as an absurd nightmare... a dream that no one would believe."

"But you're already awake, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

As he spoke, Kang De took out a small bottle from his pocket, opened it, and poured some for himself, some for An Youyi, and some for Xiaoman, according to the instructions.

"Have some, it'll be good for your spirits." He raised his glass. "Trust me."

Xiaoman didn't care at all, so she picked it up and drank it.

An Youyi hesitated for a moment, then slowly picked up the cup. Although Kang De's actions and the small bottle were very suspicious... for some reason, she was willing to believe him.

She drank the tea, swallowed it, and slowly, her restless and panicked mind calmed down. She drank a little more, and her panic gradually dissipated. Just as Kang De said, everything was alright.

She had absolutely nothing to do with this matter.

This spell, with its long and subtle name, is popular, but it's not omnipotent.

According to the creator's own paper, the effect of magic is related to many factors, including the recipient's mental state, the recipient's impression of the caster, and the caster's own temperament and appearance. Moreover, the effect does not last very long.

But that was enough for An Youyi to calm down.

After a while, she finished her tea and stared at Kang De with pleading eyes, like a little puppy.

Kang De thought she wanted another drink and was just about to grab the bottle when the girl pounced on him, hugged him tightly, and burst into tears.

But this crying was different from before; it was a cathartic release of pent-up grievances.

--Seriously, this magic is amazing! Do prisoners on trial really hug judges and cry like that?

Kang De was a little embarrassed, so he gently patted her back and then gave Xiaoman an innocent look.

Xiaoman gave him the middle finger.

It took An Youyi a long time to calm down and realize that her behavior just now was somewhat inappropriate.

With red eyes and a flushed face, she apologized.

"You can go and rest, get a good night's sleep, and forget all your troubles. What happened the night before last will have nothing to do with you anymore; it was just a rather bizarre memory."

Kang De laughed and said, "So, there's no need to worry about it."

An Youyi whispered, "Thank you... thank you..."

She slowly returned to her seat, glanced at Xiaoman, and looked somewhat embarrassed.

Xiaoman's expression was like, "The little brat who came over from upstairs took my toy. Although the other child's mother stopped him, I, being a bit older, pretended to be generous and said, 'Take it and play with it,' in order to show my maturity and friendliness. But I didn't receive the praise or recognition I deserved, so I felt a little cheated and was depressed. But I still had to pretend that I didn't care."

It was noon, and the nanny, having finished preparing lunch, invited a few people over to eat. The food was rather light, but tasted good, mainly because the ingredients were of very high quality, and even the water used for cooking was a foreign brand of mineral water.

An Youyi had a good appetite, drinking a whole bowl of porridge. She also chatted and laughed with Xiaoman. It is said that the two had a falling out before, but now they are probably going to become best friends.

After resting for a while after the meal, Kang De and Xiaoman exchanged a glance, then got up to say goodbye.

Although An Youyi was somewhat reluctant to part with him, she did not try to persuade him to stay excessively.

I simply left Kang De's phone number and added him on WeChat.

After getting in the car, we drove away, and in the rearview mirror, I could still see the other person standing there, gazing into the distance.

"Stop looking."

Xiaoman said sarcastically, "If you like her, just ask her out. I think you're very confident you can take advantage of the situation now."

I don't have any feelings for this type.

Kang De shook his head and said, "I'm just starting to realize it... Women are so complicated."

Xiaoman slowly stopped at the gate. After confirming everything was in order, the security guard raised the barrier. She nodded to him, then left the villa area, asking, "Complex?"

"She probably guessed something... Her eyes changed the moment she saw me today, as if she recognized me, even though I didn't show up at all the night before last. Maybe she has a strong intuition, sensing my domineering aura or something, because the woman next to Xie Guangjun seemed a bit uneasy the night before last."

Kang De said calmly, "She told us all this today, certainly to remind us, but perhaps she was terrified by Xie Liqian yesterday, and out of a woman's vengeful nature, she revealed this to me, reminding me that Xie Liqian seems to have discovered something—who knows?"

Xiaoman looked at her with disgust. "Wow, how can you be so dark-hearted?"

Kang De shrugged and chuckled, "It's just a possibility, but it doesn't matter. She's innocent. To be honest, she's only implicated because of me. Even if she had those thoughts, I wouldn't hold it against her. Anyway, I'll be checking things out with Xie Liqian these next few days... Looks like I need to hurry."

As Xiaoman drove, she asked, "Aren't you afraid she'll tell everyone about your affair?"

"Who would believe that? And what good would it do her if they did? It would only do her harm, not benefit her," Kang De shook his head. "Judging from her behavior today, she understands the importance of things."

Xiaoman snorted, "Speaking of which, what did you give her to drink? It tasted pretty good. And why did she suddenly trust you so much?"

Upon hearing this, Kang De smiled wickedly, "Of course it's a magic potion. After drinking it, you'll fall head over heels in love with me—you drank it too, so you're doomed!"

Xiaoman looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Alright, it's a kind of mental potion. Don't ask, it's magic," Kang De said. "As for the previous one, it was a spell that makes the recipient extremely trusting and dependent on the caster—that's all it does."

He glanced at Xiaoman: "But it doesn't seem to be of much use to you. Indeed, people are different. She has stronger intuition, so she was able to recognize me. Your magic resistance seems to be stronger."

Xiaoman rolled her eyes at him after hearing that.

"Idiot," she said softly, turning the steering wheel. "Of course it won't work."

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PS1: Still 5,000 words today -- but I updated at midnight! Although I could write another chapter, considering that the impact drilling will start again at around 8 o'clock tomorrow, I'd better go to bed early. I was disturbed again this morning... But today is a good sign! If I keep this up, I can update twice tomorrow!