Unexpected Visitors and a Golden-Haired Dilemma

A sigh of relief escaped their lips; they were alive.

Having finally returned to Li Yue’s home, the two women huddled together in front of the air conditioner, their sweat-dampened bodies pressing against each other without a second thought, their sole focus on the wisps of frosty white coolness emanating from the standing unit.

Though they hadn’t managed to apprehend anyone, they had at least pinpointed the general location of two otherworldly souls, a decidedly good piece of news for the pair who had spent the previous two days toiling in vain.

At the very least, the future now held promise, and they finally had a clear objective.

After finishing their lunch, the two decided to retreat to Li Yue’s home for a rest, seeking refuge from the scorching midday sun and, incidentally, preparing for a live stream.

“…So, if you don’t leave, how am I supposed to stream?”

Even with Li Yue’s complaints, Mo Linyu was adamant about not stepping out during the sun’s most intense period.

“It’s nearly forty degrees Celsius outside, you know?

If I were to go out now, before this old scar even had a chance to kill me, I’d be fried by the high-energy electromagnetic radiation projected from distant space.”

“It’s quite a challenge to die from sun exposure these days, isn’t it?”

“And don’t worry about the live stream; ‘Little Sister’ will continue to host for you today, guaranteeing an engaging broadcast.”

Li Yue’s brow furrowed slightly; she certainly had no intention of being the Demon Lord’s brother.

“Before all that, though, could I borrow your bathroom?”

“Fine…”

Li Yue instinctively agreed, then slowly lifted her head, eyeing Mo Linyu with suspicion.

“Wait, you’re going to shower at my place?”

“Why not? You soaked in my hot spring just last night.”

“What clothes will you wear? My washing machine doesn’t have a forty-minute drying cycle.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already bought clothes.”

Mo Linyu produced a paper bag from behind her back.

“…When did you buy them?”

“Just now, on the pedestrian street.”

Li Yue, still wearing a skeptical expression, retorted, “…But I didn’t see you buy anything?”

“You were chasing the thief at the time.”

“You bought clothes in such a short amount of time?”

“That’s right~”

While Li Yue found it hard to believe, the change of clothes in Mo Linyu’s hand was undeniably real.

“…Go on and wash up.”

“I’ll go in then, but don’t you dare peek.”

“Who would want to peek at you!”

Li Yue realized that Mo Linyu possessed a unique talent for provoking her emotions.

She herself was quite sweaty and would naturally have wanted to bathe if she could, but her home possessed only a single bathroom…

“Sigh, I’ll just wait until she’s finished.”

Retrieving a chilled drink from the refrigerator, she began to prepare for her live stream.

Just then, the doorbell chimed from the entryway.

“Hmm?”

Slightly taken aback, Li Yue couldn’t imagine who would be calling at this hour.

Since returning from the otherworld, she had largely kept to herself, no longer associating even with the ‘brothers’ from her days as a delinquent.

After all, brawling held no appeal for her anymore.

Moreover, she was now a major streamer, a fact that created a regrettable, thick barrier between her and her former hangers-on, placing them on entirely different social strata.

So, who could possibly be looking for her?

Li Yue tiptoed to the entryway, peering through the peephole, only to discover two men in police uniforms.

“…P-police?”

This sent a cold sweat running down her spine, as she was currently an unregistered individual.

Damn it, she absolutely couldn’t open the door now.

With her striking golden hair, any identity check would surely spell disaster!

She needed Mo Linyu to help deal with them.

The patter of water echoed from the bathroom, a sound the two police officers would surely hear if they came close enough.

Therefore, she decided to remain silent, waiting for Mo Linyu to emerge and handle the situation.

If these officers were merely community police from the neighborhood, they would only know that a mother and son of the same surname resided here: the mother, Li Changli, currently missing and unaccounted for, and the remaining resident, a young man named Li Longkang.

As for Li Yue… who exactly was this Li Yue?

They’d never heard of her; she was an unknown quantity.

Li Yue, an unregistered resident in her own home, crouched behind the door, lost in thought.

Why were the police here now? Could they have news about her mother?

The officers at the door knocked twice more, but naturally, no one answered.

Yet, they could still hear the sound of the shower, and to Li Yue’s surprise, they simply stood there, waiting.

Tsk, were public servants truly so persistent?

Mo Linyu, being a young lady from a prominent family, was accustomed to long baths at home.

Though Li Yue’s house lacked a bathtub, this did not prevent her from enjoying her shower for a duration far exceeding that of an average person.

While Li Yue fretted outside, Mo Linyu was luxuriating in her bath…

This, too, irritated Li Yue.

Unable to speak aloud, she could only tap lightly on the bathroom door from the outside.

From inside the bathroom, however, came a voice…

“Huh? Didn’t I tell you not to even think about peeking?”

‘It wasn’t about peeking! ‘Just get out here and save me!’ Li Yue mentally screamed. ‘Why is she so convinced I’d peek?!’

Given the layout of Li Yue’s home, the bathroom was not far from the entryway, meaning Li Yue still couldn’t speak aloud…

This was truly dreadful!

Ever since encountering the Demon Lord’s reincarnation, it seemed nothing good had come her way.

She had been plagued by terrible luck these past few days, despite the fact that this whole ordeal had little to do with her.

Just as Li Yue was grumbling internally, the bathroom door finally opened.

“Hmm, what are you doing crouching by the door? Were you really peeking?”

Mo Linyu hadn’t even dried her hair; her damp, dark purple locks cascaded down her back, dripping steadily.

She then asked, “Where’s your hairdryer?”

Li Yue quickly shushed her with a finger to her lips, then pointed towards the entryway.

Then, as if on cue, the two police officers knocked on the apartment door again.

“Oh, I see.”

Mo Linyu narrowed her eyes, her voice dropping to a low whisper.

Yet, the dialogue box floating before her chest displayed:

[So, you need me to deal with the people outside for you?]

Li Yue nodded.

[Are they troublesome individuals out there?]

Li Yue nodded again.

Mo Linyu slipped on a jacket and headed towards the entryway.

She, too, glanced through the peephole, and upon seeing the two ‘Hat Uncles’ (TL Note: A common colloquial term for police officers in China, referring to their uniformed caps.) outside, her brows instantly furrowed.

When she turned back, Li Yue had already retreated to her bedroom.

“Hmm, alright.”

Mo Linyu quickly formulated a plausible explanation, then finally pulled open the apartment door.

“I apologize for the long wait.”

Mo Linyu stated quite naturally, “I was just showering and didn’t hear the knocking.”

“Uh, no problem.”

The two ‘Hat Uncles’ seemed slightly surprised but quickly regained their composure, asking formally, “Hello, we are officers from the local police station. Is this Mr. Li Longkang’s residence?”

One of the officers presented his police ID.

Mo Linyu merely glanced at the identification before replying, “Yes, it is.”

“Excuse me, miss, what is your surname? And what is your relationship with Mr. Li?”

Mo Linyu replied without a change in expression, “Oh, my surname is Mo, and my name is Mo Linyu. I’m a friend of Li Longkang’s, here as a guest today… However, he’s currently out. You could come back later, or…”

“Could you tell me what happened, and I can relay the message?”

The two officers exchanged glances. Mo Linyu’s fluent answers seemed perfectly normal.

After a moment of thought, they produced a blurry photograph that appeared to be a still from surveillance footage.

“Then, Miss Mo, have you seen this young girl?”

The photo depicted a golden-haired girl riding a motorcycle…

It was unmistakably Li Yue herself.

“Oh, well.”