Sucker No. 002 [Revised]

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While Luo Mingxi and Qiu Jinyou were still wondering what exactly Wen Que had awakened, Wen Que had already tidied herself up and stood before them looking like a whole new person.

No one knew where she had found the red felt hat. Its bright red color looked wonderfully festive, and a ring of snow-white fur trimmed the brim, making the whole thing fluffy and adorable.

A white pom-pom sat on top. Red ribbons hung from either side of the brim, each ending in a matching white pom-pom.

The whole look was designed to be so cute it could kill without paying the price.

Luo Mingxi's expression turned a little strange. Honestly, she had been at Endless Peak for years and had known Wen Que for just as long. They had spent plenty of time together, so why had she never noticed Wen Que could be this cute?

Cute was cute, of course, but Wen Que was nothing like the bright, openhearted Luo Mingxi or the gentle-as-water Qiu Jinyou. She was not Luo Mingxi's type, either. It was just that seeing such an adorable creature made her soften a tiny bit.

Oh, come on! However softhearted I get, I'm not forgetting all that nonsense Wen Que was spouting!

The thought had barely crossed her mind when Wen Que's unmistakable voice rang out again:

[I trust my little junior sister's taste. I want to see just how pretty that prince is to have gained the special buff where she believes anything he says—and later even makes her give up an entire forest for him!]

Luo Mingxi opened her mouth, desperate to retort: Give up an entire forest? Impossible! Not in this lifetime!

Qiu Jinyou tilted her head and wondered: What's a buff?

Of course, Wen Que had not opened her mouth. What they heard was only the chatter of her inner voice, and however many mountains' worth of questions they had, they could not ask them to her face.

Given Wen Que's peculiar talent and the peculiar information it had leaked, the two reached an understanding the instant their eyes met, without exchanging a word.

Until they found a reasonable explanation, they probably did not need to tell Wen Que that her innermost thoughts were being laid bare to her fellow disciples.

They were also curious what else Wen Que's chaotic thoughts might reveal.

Luo Mingxi: I never said she was right!

Qiu Jinyou: I know, I know. Shall we take a look first?

Luo Mingxi: Look at what? He's right under our noses!

Wen Yan, who was right under their noses, felt that something was off, though he could not say what.

Wen Que had already bounced over to Luo Mingxi.

Her curiosity about the gossip made her forget her pain for the moment, along with the sorry state of her bald head. Hat on, the world could get lost—she was still the best-looking kid on Endless Peak.

"Who's this, little junior sister? A new disciple on our peak? He doesn't look too well. Now that he's here, you won't be the youngest anymore! You won't have to argue with Chunhe every day over which of you is the youngest on Endless Peak!"

Wen Que's little mouth rattled away. Only when she spoke did Luo Mingxi and Qiu Jinyou clearly sense that the voice they had heard earlier did belong to her, though it differed slightly from the voice that came out of her mouth.

Her real voice was crisp and a little sweet. The other voice sounded somewhat shrill—though that might have been because Wen Que was so excited—and carried a hollow quality, as if it were just short of an echo.

If Wen Que had known what Luo Mingxi and Qiu Jinyou were thinking, she would have told them it was like an inner monologue or a voice-over.

"What's your name, pretty boy? I'm Wen Que, the third-ranked disciple of Endless Peak. If you join us someday, you'll have to call me Third Senior Sister!"

[I have to admit, little junior sister's taste is on point. With looks like that, the Demon Prince is a bona fide top-tier heartthrob. He looks good enough to eat! Such a tender little face, those watery eyes, the way he looks over like he has something to say but holds back—who could resist?]

[I don't know if I could, but little junior sister certainly couldn't.]

Luo Mingxi: "..."

Wen Que's sudden, rather excessive enthusiasm seemed to have frightened Wen Yan.

The beautiful young man frowned, his face pale, and hid behind Luo Mingxi. "Greetings, Third Senior Sister," he said cautiously.

He had no intention of joining Endless Peak. Still, to win Luo Mingxi's trust and get closer to her, he had followed her forms of address. First he had called her Second Senior Sister, and now he was calling Wen Que Third Senior Sister.

This feels like a bit of a loss. A sharp glint flashed beneath Wen Yan's lowered brows.

[Ahhh, there it is, there it is! The classic shot! Out of the other person's sight, so-and-so reveals a sinister expression! A perfectly natural setup for the plot to come, guaranteed to keep everyone on the edge of their seats! But in some unnoticed corner, there's always a third-person perspective that sees it all! Mine, for example!]

Luo Mingxi: What?

She really hadn't seen anything. All she could see was Wen Yan before her, harmless and full of trust.

He caught the loose end of Luo Mingxi's sleeve and gave it a gentle tug. "Sister Ming Xi, I'm tired..."

Luo Mingxi instinctively wanted to turn and comfort the frail, pitiful boy, but Wen Que's explosive voice rang in her ears again.

[Ahhh, so this is the legendary little white flower technique! The mighty Demon Prince has lowered himself to act meek and pitiful just to trick that poor sucker, little junior sister, into trusting him. So delicate, so helpless, so impossible to resist!]

[This drama! I could watch it for another five hundred years!]

[More, give me more! So this is what it looks like when the little white flower technique activates!]

Luo Mingxi: It would take every last ounce of my primordial strength to say another word.

And when she looked at Wen Que, the voice in her head was practically exploding, shrieks filling every corner of it, yet her round, adorable face showed nothing but pure innocence and curiosity.

She looked innocently at everyone, wondering why they had all gone quiet, curious to see how they would react next. Her whole expression seemed to say that whatever ideas her mind had were none of her face's business.

Luo Mingxi took a devastating blow.

Whether or not Wen Que's remarks about Wen Yan were true, that expression paired with that barrage of shrieks had already drained Luo Mingxi of all enthusiasm.

She felt the condition could not be cured without eight or ten gorgeous men.

The pretty boy in front of her, though? Better not. The fewer complications, the better. Even if the thoughts in Wen Que's head were just stray noise from who knew where and had nothing to do with reality, Luo Mingxi had lost all interest in Wen Yan.

Watching Luo Mingxi's expression change, Wen Yan felt a jolt of alarm. He did not even know what had happened, yet in an instant her expression had become like this.

Just moments ago, she had looked at him with such pity and affection that she would have plucked the moon from the sky to earn a smile from him. It had not been obvious, but Wen Yan was confident he had sensed it.