Suotuo City.
The Black Hand Gang's hideout.
In a private room on the second floor.
"I didn't know you read this too?"
"Oh, what a coincidence! I have the next volume in this series. We can read it together..."
The two little girls on the bed were on all fours, their butts sticking up as they read a pink book together. A big "18+" was plainly marked in the corner of the cover.
Clearly, it wasn't exactly wholesome reading.
"Sister Xiao Wu, do you read books like this every day?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously, lying beside her with her face flushed.
After all, when she'd first come across this kind of book, she'd only glanced at it and hadn't read the contents closely.
It wasn't until today that a whole new world had opened up to her.
"Oh, come on~"
"Why pretend to be so demure? We're already reading this kind of book, and we're best friends. Look at this part—this is my favorite!" The little lecherous rabbit pointed excitedly to the passage she'd marked and scooted closer.
Zhu Zhuqing, who was rather innocent, shifted uncomfortably. She felt as though she'd been led down some unspeakable path.
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, thought she'd found a kindred spirit and excitedly shared her collection. She even started giving her a hands-on lesson.
"Look, there are pictures too!"
"This is my favorite page. The drawing is so lifelike! The two younger sisters bully..."
Xiao Wu was being extremely proactive!
She had no idea that the person beside her had never read the book before. She was simply sharing her hobby with gusto.
"Mm-hmm..."
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but her eyes followed Xiao Wu's finger as it moved across the page, loading all kinds of forbidden knowledge into her mind.
It was like a rabbit inviting a cat over to watch TV, only to put on a nature documentary~
It was hard to watch...
[--⊙ω⊙--]
[Um, I know this is going to ruin the mood, but I still have to remind you.]
[Reading this kind of book too much can be bad for your health...]
"Shut up. What would you know, Magic Mirror?"
"I'm sharing my hobby. Aren't you enjoying it?"
A pair of rabbit eyes glared viciously at the Magic Mirror.
She looked ready to destroy the evidence at the slightest provocation.
[--૮₍ɵ̷﹏ɵ̷̥̥᷅₎ა--]
[Where are my rights? You little girl over there, you brought me out here, and now you won't take responsibility?]
[My master was doing just fine in the secret chamber...]
Seeing the Magic Mirror's aggrieved expression, Zhu Zhuqing felt a little guilty.
She hurriedly sat up and placed herself between the mirror and the rabbit.
"Okay, Sister Xiao Wu."
"I'm the one who brought the Magic Mirror out. There's no need to take it out on her. Let's keep reading."
She pushed the rabbit back down.
Xiao Wu wasn't unreasonable. She'd only lost her temper because she was embarrassed, like a man being told he had kidney problems.
Now that Zhu Zhuqing had soothed her, her anger had faded.
Thinking about it, why get mad at a Magic Mirror? It was only a mirror; it couldn't understand that kind of feeling.
"Hmph! Sister Xiao Wu can't be bothered to argue with you!"
"Besides, you're just a mirror. What do you know about feelings? You don't know carrots from cabbages!"
[--ദ്ദി˶>𖥦<)✧--]
[Who says I don't understand? I'll show you what feelings are—"Creating film..."]
Xiao Wu had only said it offhandedly, but when she saw the emoji vanish from the Magic Mirror's surface and a spinning circle appear in its place, she grew curious.
Zhu Zhuqing was just as intrigued. She immediately stopped herself from trying to dissuade Xiao Wu.
Both girls turned their gazes to the mirror.
[--Now playing--]
[Title: The Rabbit and Cat's Life as Maids
Cast: Du Bei / Xiao Wu / Zhu Zhuqing.
Movie rating: Shoot-on-sight level!]
As the film began to play on the mirror's surface,
the Magic Mirror helpfully tilted itself downward, giving the two girls a more comfortable viewing angle.
The opening showed two maids in maid outfits cleaning an old-fashioned castle...
The two girls on the bed were instantly drawn in.
Gradually, their attention became absorbed by the story.
On the street.
Du Bei, who was out surveying the market, suddenly sneezed.
"Who's thinking about me?"
He rubbed his nose and looked around.
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he put the baffling feeling out of his mind.
Whatever. If he'd forgotten what it was, it couldn't have been important.
"Forget it. Better keep looking for a target."
"If I let that kid Tang San get any stronger, I'm done for. I have to snatch that Hair Crystal before he does."
His gaze swept over the stalls and shops one by one.
He still couldn't find the shabby little grocery shop owned by Flender in the original story.
He'd already been wandering around here for quite a while.
He went to a fruit stall.
He pulled a gold... Silver Soul Coin from his pocket, handed it to the vendor, and took an apple.
He wiped it carelessly on his clothes and took a bite.
"Old man, can I ask you something? Is there a grocery shop around here that sells Soul Tools?"
At Du Bei's question,
the old man silently tucked the silver coin into his clothes, his wrinkled face breaking into an extremely obsequious grin.
He stretched out a withered hand and pointed into the distance.
"That shop's just around the corner. Head toward the most secluded part of town, keep going straight, and you'll see it!"
After getting the information he wanted,
Du Bei finished the fruit in his hand and waved to the old man.
"Thanks, old man."
Then he headed in the direction he'd been given.
As Du Bei's figure gradually receded, the other fruit vendors looked at the old man with envy.
"Old Li, you've struck it rich!"
"Can't believe you ran into such a sucker. One apple and a bit of information got you a whole Silver Soul Coin."
In response to the other vendors' envy and jealousy,
the old man merely waved his hand humbly, acting as if he'd won a big prize but didn't want to show off.
"Small change, just small change..."
But as he spoke with the others, his eyes darted sharply from one vendor to the next, as if studying their expressions.
At last, the old man's gaze settled on a man selling melons with his head down. The two exchanged a glance.
Then they gave each other a slight, knowing nod.
The other vendors noticed nothing. They carried on as before, making jokes whenever the mood struck them.
Not far away,
several people watched them in silence.
"Wasn't that the boss selling fruit to the team leader just now? Boss, what are you doing here so late?"
"The boss can do whatever he wants. What's it to you? Keep watch over your own stall and keep gathering intel!"
Then one of them, who was clearly the leader, sternly reminded the others:
"Everyone, stay at your assigned posts!"
"Yes!" xN!
Before you continue