Murong Xue's Invitation

In the night, the tram traveled smoothly through the Jiangcheng, and the neon lights outside the window appeared somewhat bizarre and surreal under the filtering of the Blood-Erosion Clouds.

Castorice leaned on Luo Li's shoulder, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the thick red envelope in her pocket. Her purple eyes were slightly closed, as if she was still immersed in the warm afterglow of the family gathering just now.

Luo Li held her with one arm, savoring the rare Tranquility, but his gaze fell on the message that had just popped up on his personal terminal.

[Murong].

Let's talk.

The sender's number was unfamiliar, but the surname, along with the concise, direct, and even somewhat authoritative tone, almost instantly identified him as Murong Xue.

She went back to Jiangcheng? And... she contacted him on her own initiative?

Luo Li's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He had witnessed Murong Xue's changes during his three months on the front lines.

From the arrogant and domineering young lady who wanted nothing more than to get rid of him, to the later silence and low profile, and even that embarrassing encounter at the radar station... the hatred in her eyes seemed to remain, but it also seemed to be mixed with something else, some complex emotions that even she herself might not be clear about.

Luo Li didn't have any good feelings towards her, nor did she have much ill feelings, provided that she didn't bother her anymore.

This sudden "talk" made him instinctively wary.

What is this woman up to now?

Was she still harboring resentment and seeking revenge? Or had those less-than-pleasant encounters at the front lines led her to some unrealistic misunderstanding?

Regardless of the method, Luo Li found it troublesome.

He twitched his finger, wanting to delete and block him immediately, but hesitated for a moment and didn't act right away.

Although the Murong Family seemed to have suffered a setback at the front and their power was shrinking, they had been operating in Jiangcheng for many years, and even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse.

A complete falling out would not do him and Castorice any good for their peaceful life.

Moreover, he was also somewhat curious.

I'm curious about Murong Xue's current state and what she actually wants to "talk" about.

"What's wrong?"

Castorice keenly noticed Luo Li's body tense up instantly, raised her head, and looked at her with a questioning look in her purple eyes.

Luo Li handed the terminal screen to her, making no attempt to hide anything. "Murong Xue is looking for me."

Castorice saw that name, a faint hint of coldness flashed in her purple eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

She had absolutely no liking for this malicious woman who had repeatedly targeted Luo Li.

"What... does she want to do?" Her voice remained ethereal, yet carried a hint of barely perceptible wariness.

"I don't know, they said they wanted to 'talk'." Luo Li put away her terminal, her tone a little impatient.

I can't be bothered with her.

Seeing the undisguised annoyance on his face, Castorice remained silent for a moment before softly saying, "If she insists on pestering me, avoiding her might not be a good solution."

Luo Li glanced at her with some surprise. His Castorice seemed to be getting more and more savvy about the intricacies of human relationships.

He squeezed her hand and chuckled, "What? Afraid I'll be snatched away by her?"

Castorice glared at him gently, her cheeks slightly flushed. "What nonsense are you talking about! I just... don't want her to disturb our lives anymore."

Seeing her earnestly protecting her "territory," Luo Li felt a warmth in her heart and hugged her even tighter. "Don't worry, she doesn't have that ability."

But you're right, hiding all the time isn't a good idea. We should see what she's up to."

He thought for a moment and replied to the message:

[Time, Location.]

The other party replied almost instantly, as if they had been waiting:

[Tomorrow at 3 PM, 'Cloud Retreat' Cafe, third-floor private room.]

Deep Clouds Café? That's a well-known place in Jiangcheng, with an elegant environment and good privacy. It's usually a place where people of status discuss business.

Murong Xue's choice of location didn't seem like she was about to make a move.

[Can.]

Luo Li replied with two words and then ignored him.

"I'm going out tomorrow afternoon, I'll be back soon," he said to Castorice.

"Mm." Castorice nodded, not asking any further questions, but simply leaning back on his shoulder and whispering, "Be careful."

The next afternoon, Luo Li arrived at the "Cloud Depth" café on time.

The waiter, clearly instructed, led him directly to a secluded private room on the third floor.

Murong Xue was already waiting there.

She sat by the window, wearing a well-tailored beige suit, no longer the combat uniform she wore on the front lines. She had delicate light makeup on her face, and her long hair was tied up, revealing her slender neck.

She seemed to have returned to her former pampered young lady self.

But Luo Li keenly noticed that her hands, which were resting on her knees, were slightly clenched, and a fleeting, almost imperceptible panic flashed in her eyes when he appeared. She quickly regained her composure, but her chin was habitually slightly raised, carrying a trace of lingering pride that seemed to be etched into her bones.

"Sit." She gestured to the seat opposite her, trying to keep her voice steady.

Luo Li sat down opposite her, ordered a glass of water, and didn't speak, just calmly looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Murong Xue seemed a little uncomfortable under his frank yet scrutinizing gaze. She picked up her coffee cup, took a sip, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

"I..." She took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and raised her head to meet Luo Li's gaze. "I asked you to come out because I wanted to... apologize for what happened before."

Apologize?

Luo Li raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised.

This doesn't sound like something Murong Xue would say.

He remained calm and waited for what would happen next.

"Before... I was too willful and immature, and I did many... excessive things."

Murong Xue's voice was somewhat hoarse, and she clearly didn't speak fluently.

"Especially in Jiangcheng, regarding you and your parents... I'm very sorry."

After she finished speaking, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, lowered her head, and dared not look at Luo Li again.

Luo Li looked at her like this, but felt little emotion.

If apologies were enough, what would be the point of having police?

He didn't care whether Murong Xue apologized or not, as long as she didn't appear in front of him again and cause him trouble.

"Are you done talking?" Luo Li asked calmly.

Murong Xue suddenly raised her head, seemingly not expecting his reaction.

There was none of the sarcastic remarks she had anticipated, nor even a simple "I accept."

"You... you don't believe me?" Her voice carried a hint of grievance and... urgency.

"Whether I believe it or not is not important." Luo Li looked at her.

"The important thing is whether you truly recognize your mistake and ensure you won't repeat it."

Murong Xue opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back, looking at Luo Li with a complicated expression.

The man before me seemed the same as before, yet also completely different.

He saved her twice on the front lines: once in the Rotting Swamp and once at the radar station.

He was powerful, calm, and even... possessed a kind of mystery that both instilled fear in her and made her want to explore him.

She realized that she had never really understood him.

Previously, she only saw his arrogant, rude, and hateful side.

But now, she saw his strength, his responsibility, and even... his tenderness towards that woman named Castorice.

That kind of gentleness was something she had never received from anyone else.

A mixture of resentment, Envy, curiosity, and a morbid attraction that she herself was unaware of was growing wildly within her.

How sincere was her apology this time? Perhaps even she herself couldn't tell.

More than anything, it was an excuse, an excuse to get close to him again and have some interaction with him.

"I... I won't be like that again," Murong Xue said softly, her fingers tightly twisting the hem of her clothes.

I hope so.

Luo Li stood up, ready to leave. He couldn't be bothered to discern the truth in her words; as long as she knew what was good for her, he was happy to have some peace and quiet.

"Wait!" Murong Xue stood up hastily when she saw that he was really about to leave.

"Is there anything else?" Luo Li turned around, her eyes indifferent.

Murong Xue felt flustered under his gaze. She gritted her teeth, took out a rather old-looking sheepskin scroll from her designer handbag, and handed it over.

"This... is for you."

Luo Li didn't take it, she just looked at her.

Murong Xue explained, "This is a copy of an ancient record about 'spatial energy anomalies' that my family used to keep. It's said to involve some... very secret things. My father and the others have been researching this for a while, but haven't made much progress. I thought... it might be useful to you."

Spatial energy anomaly?

Luo Li's heart stirred, recalling the "Harvester" that Lu Jingheng had mentioned, as well as the anomaly that Castorice had sensed in the underground of the research institute.

The Murong Family is also researching this?

He took the scroll; it felt cool to the touch, its material neither leather nor paper, carrying the weight of time. Intricate patterns and illegible characters were drawn on it with some ancient pigment.

"Why give it to me?" Luo Li looked at Murong Xue with sharp eyes.

Murong Xue avoided his gaze and whispered, "Consider it... an apology."

Besides, this thing is useless to me... You... you're strong enough, maybe you can figure something out."

Her reasoning sounded reasonable, but Luo Li always felt it wasn't that simple.

However, he was indeed somewhat interested in this thing.

"Thanks." He put the scroll away, said no more, and turned to leave.

Watching his departing figure without hesitation, Murong Xue slumped back into her chair, as if all her strength had been drained away.

She watched Luo Li's figure disappear around the street corner outside the window, her eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression.

There was disappointment, resentment, and a trace of something else... a flame called "obsession" that she herself was unaware of, burning quietly in her eyes.

Luo Li...

We're not done yet...

Stepping out of the coffee shop, Luo Li frowned slightly as she looked at the ancient scroll in her hand.

Murong Xue's sudden "kindness" always felt to him like a cannonball coated in sugar.

However, he really wanted to see what the "filling" inside the shell was.

After carefully putting the scroll away, Luo Li stopped thinking about it and walked towards the warm little nest where Castorice was waiting.

Compared to Murong Xue's inexplicable thoughts, going home to hug his Castorice was more important.