The Reluctant Bait

The outdoor pedestrian street remained sparsely populated with tourists, much like the day before, confirming that old walking streets like Runzefang were indeed on the verge of being phased out by time.

The fountain was not running, resembling a large, stagnant pot, and the uncovered paving stones at the entrance, scorched by the intense heat, caused the very air above them to shimmer and distort.

‘…Ugh.’

Han Xiaoyu squinted, her skin feeling hot and flushed.

Mo Linyu had called her out to catch a thief, only for Han Xiaoyu to discover she was meant to be the bait. She cradled Mo Linyu’s tri-fold phone in her hands, her small hands requiring both to hold it securely.

Though Mo Linyu had offered to buy her one as well, Han Xiaoyu believed in the principle of ‘no merit, no reward.’ Simply catching a petty thief hardly seemed worthy of such an expensive, luxurious phone.

Thus, terrified of dropping it, Han Xiaoyu gingerly held the phone with both trembling hands as she walked along the pedestrian street.

“…And this is supposed to fool him? If a thief falls for this, I’ll eat the phone myself!”

Inside the tea house, Li Yue expressed her utter disbelief in Mo Linyu’s plan.

Han Xiaoyu’s acting could only be described as utterly disastrous; her posture while holding the phone immediately gave away that it wasn’t her own, let alone that she was trying to show it off.

[Don’t rush, let’s observe the situation first.]

So read the dialogue box displayed over Mo Linyu’s chest.

With the back of her hand propping up her chin, Mo Linyu leaned gracefully and languidly against the window, her gaze sweeping over the pedestrians below. She wore large-framed sunglasses to prevent the thief, wherever they might be hiding, from detecting her stare.

She then called Han Xiaoyu through her Bluetooth earpiece.

– Xiaoyu, listen to me, that phone is actually just a cheap knock-off.

– I don’t believe you!

Han Xiaoyu retorted.

Li Yue, standing nearby, spread her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

“See? She’s still not falling for it.”

She and Mo Linyu were sharing the same pair of Bluetooth earphones, each wearing one side, though only Mo Linyu was currently speaking to Han Xiaoyu.

But what else could Mo Linyu do?

With all hope of catching the thief resting squarely on Han Xiaoyu, she could only speak in a gentle tone that even Han Xiaoyu found unsettling. – Xiaoyu, don’t be so nervous. Just relax a little~

– Y-you talking like that gives me the creeps!

Han Xiaoyu exclaimed.

– …Xiaoyu, what kind of person do you actually think I am?

– An arrogant and lazy young mistress? Someone who shamelessly enjoys privileges at school because of her popularity, completely disregarding me, the student council president!!

Perhaps due to the immense pressure, Han Xiaoyu blurted out everything she usually kept to herself.

[Oh my? It seems I’m disliked.]

“Aren’t you just hated?” Li Yue quipped.

Mo Linyu, however, showed no signs of dejection. After all, it was the past Mo Linyu who had incurred Han Xiaoyu’s dislike; what did that have to do with the current Mo Linyu, who had awakened her Demon Lord memories?

She continued to persuade, – Xiaoyu, I actually quite like you, you know? Otherwise, why would I have thought of you first for this task…?

– Eh?

Through the tea house window, both Li Yue and Mo Linyu could see Han Xiaoyu standing dumbfounded on the pedestrian street.

Mo Linyu continued, – Here’s the deal: as long as you help me catch that thief, afterward, in the student council, I’ll do whatever you ask, even if it’s just serving tea or pouring water~

– …N-no need to go that far. Just acting like a normal student council member would be fine.

– Alright~ Then for now, you need to listen to me.

Mo Linyu quickly agreed, then added, – First, take out the phone and look at it, then put it back in your bag. You need to act like a regular tourist.

– O-okay.

Though Han Xiaoyu complied, her movements remained stiff, like those of a clumsy robot.

“Absolutely not. Let me handle this!”

Li Yue shook her head, then took the phone from Mo Linyu’s hand.

– Hey, Han Xiaoyu.

– …Classmate Li Yue?

– Alright, listen to me now. Forget what Mo Linyu said. You’re going to try to act like a wealthy young lady… Hmm, what I mean is, for now, just pretend you are Mo Linyu.

– Huh?

– Imagine this: you’re an incredibly rich socialite, with nothing better to do than leisurely stroll through this retro pedestrian street by yourself.

– …I-I’m a rich socialite.

– Exactly! The kind of rich woman who throws money around like dirt, Li Yue enthused, getting increasingly animated. – The latest tri-fold phone you’re holding right now is worth over twenty thousand yuan!

– Over twenty thousand?!

Even from a distance, Han Xiaoyu’s hands could be seen trembling.

– Steady now! That amount of money is like twenty yuan to you! It’s utterly insignificant! Would you tremble in fear over a mere twenty yuan?

– N-no, I wouldn’t!

Han Xiaoyu took a deep breath, and indeed, she puffed out her chest.

– Yes, just like that! You are Mo Linyu now, the young mistress of a wealthy family. You live in an estate in the suburbs, and your home even has a private hot spring!

Han Xiaoyu lifted her head, placed one hand on her slender waist, and as she walked, her hips swayed gently in rhythm. Alas, her flat bottom, clad in oversized camouflage pants, offered absolutely no visual appeal.

“…Xiaoyu, you’re overdoing the act,” Li Yue couldn’t help but remark.

Mo Linyu merely covered her face, watching from the side.

[Is this how Xiaoyu sees me? Do I really walk like this?]

“Well, you actually do seem to walk like that.”

[Eh?]

However, Mo Linyu’s figure was entirely different from Han Xiaoyu’s; even with the same gait, the impression given was vastly distinct.

Mo Linyu walked with an air of elegance and poise.

Han Xiaoyu rubbed her flushed cheeks, then conspicuously held up the tri-fold phone in her hand and declared loudly in the middle of the street:

“Ohohoho, you commoners! Gaze upon this young mistress’s wealth!”

The few pedestrians present cast strange glances her way, causing Han Xiaoyu to immediately clutch her phone and retract her neck, her petite frame appearing as though she wished to vanish into her own shadow.

She had chickened out.

“You’re acting like a nouveau riche, not a refined lady!”

Director Li Yue promptly called “Cut!”

After all, Han Xiaoyu wasn’t a true young mistress; she could only conjure lines based on her own imagination, resulting in a performance that resembled an exaggerated play script.

“Just stop talking. Simply walk naturally along the street.”

Though it was a bumpy start, Han Xiaoyu’s demeanor finally became much more natural. She began to wander and observe the pedestrian street below the tea house, occasionally peering into shop windows.

– Excellent, keep it up. I’ll buy you ice cream later.

Treated like a child, Han Xiaoyu indignantly stomped her foot on the street.

Meanwhile, Li Yue and Mo Linyu’s attention gradually shifted to the other pedestrians on the street.

While not numerous, there were always a few tourists here and there, but none matched the thief’s age and physique.

[They will definitely wear a hat to avoid surveillance. Last time, it was that hooded sweatshirt.]

Li Yue glanced at Mo Linyu’s dialogue box and asked, “Should I go downstairs first, then?”

“No, it would be troublesome if you went down now and were spotted.”

“So, are we still going to play cat and mouse with her later?”

“Of course not. I brought a weapon from home.”

Mo Linyu rummaged through her bag and pulled out some kind of contraption, which resembled a small, box-like device with a handle.

“…What in the world is that thing?”

“It’s a Taser. Its range is about five to seven meters. It’s yours.”

Li Yue paused for a moment, then eagerly rubbed her hands together as she took the uniquely shaped weapon from Mo Linyu.

She clearly adored it, for what big boy wouldn’t love a gun?