Traffic, Truths, and Touch

In Wangdu, traffic congestion was an everyday reality.

It became a particularly excruciating ordeal during peak commuting hours, rendering movement almost impossible and roads utterly gridlocked.

Should a torrential downpour coincide with the afternoon rush hour, further compounded by site investigations and road repairs stemming from a magical girl’s clash with a monster, the misery intensified exponentially.

Trapped within the dense flow of vehicles, Bai Muxue’s car remained remarkably quiet, save for the muffled din of the crowd outside, the occasional blare of horns, and the incessant patter of raindrops against the windowpane.

In contrast to Bai Muxue’s subtle irritation, Shen Jingyi displayed no hint of impatience, leaning against the window, her small hand gently cradling her chin as she gazed out at the drizzling rain.

With the air conditioning running inside the car, a healthy flush gradually bloomed on Shen Jingyi’s previously somewhat pale face.

Bai Muxue silently observed Shen Jingyi’s profile, noting how the recent downpour had washed away what little makeup she had been wearing, leaving almost nothing behind.

Yet, the inexpensive cosmetics had never significantly enhanced the young woman’s appearance; instead, this blend of half-makeup and natural face softened her usual aloofness, accentuating her pure and gentle demeanor.

This was especially true as she leaned by the window, lost in thought while staring outside.

“Tsk, these monsters, causing such a ruckus first thing in the morning.

Are they even going to let people live in peace?”

Perhaps unable to bear the stagnant traffic any longer, the usually composed female driver from the Bai family couldn’t help but voice her complaints.

The driver’s grumbling shattered the quiet, and though Shen Jingyi remained silent upon hearing it, her subtly clenched right hand betrayed the swirl of complex emotions within her.

Noticing Shen Jingyi’s small gesture, Bai Muxue’s heart stirred, and following the other woman’s gaze, she too looked out the window.

A short distance away, a tall building teetered precariously, dust billowing around it, while strange purplish-black smoke emanated from its periphery.

The road directly ahead to the right bore a fissure several meters wide, forcing passing vehicles to alter their routes and detour around it.

Workers in hard hats were busily documenting something at the scene, simultaneously directing laborers behind them to load all the rocks and glass shards into trucks.

On another front, personnel clad in dark green hazmat suits diligently dispersed the lingering strange smoke while meticulously searching around the building.

Bai Muxue knew well that this was an operation to retrieve the remains of monsters, preventing any overlooked fragments from causing secondary harm.

After all, with these monstrous calamity beasts defying all conventional reasoning, no one could guarantee that their bodily remnants were entirely harmless.

‘Heh… I never expected to see colleagues from the Disaster Management Bureau here…’

Observing their familiar emblems and their bustling figures, Bai Muxue felt a pang of emotion.

‘Had it not been for that car accident, he might still be one of them, roused early by the Bureau, enduring his little girl’s complaints while bustling about the scene, his precious weekend mercilessly snatched away…’

‘Yet, perhaps this was merely a microcosm of the lives of millions across the world; after all, even with monsters appearing and calamity beasts rampaging from time to time, life still had to go on, didn’t it?’

‘Indeed, the reason people could still live their ordinary lives, following the usual routines, was precisely because there were…’

Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Bai Muxue shifted her gaze back to Shen Jingyi and spoke softly.

“Teacher Shen, what drives you to do such things?”

Given the presence of an outsider, Bai Muxue dared not speak too explicitly, yet she trusted Shen Jingyi would understand.

‘—They were at an age meant for vibrancy and cheer, so why must they bear such a cruel destiny, battling those terrifying calamity beasts and monsters?’

‘Surely, studying diligently, catching up on comics and dramas, and simply reveling in the beauty and joy of youth with family and friends—that was what they ought to be doing, wasn’t it?’

‘Not to mention Shen Jingyi’s impoverished background and unfortunate experiences… she, of all people, had the least reason to undertake such a burden.’

Shen Jingyi paused, clearly taken aback, seemingly having never expected the infamous Young Miss Bai to pose such a question.

After a moment of silence, she did not turn her head, but instead, gazing at the busy workers outside the window, she slowly replied.

“…There’s no particular reason.”

Hesitating briefly, she continued.

“It’s simply that I happen to possess such abilities, and there are people before me who need help.

That is all.”

“I see.”

Upon hearing Shen Jingyi’s response, Bai Muxue nodded thoughtfully, offering no further words.

For a time, an unsettling quiet descended upon the car’s interior.

After a prolonged silence, Bai Muxue let out a soft sigh, speaking again as if casually.

“Everyone is different, possessing unique abilities.”

“What one can do, what one wishes to do… perhaps, one day, you will confront these questions and discover your own answers.”

Hearing this, Shen Jingyi slowly turned her head, a flicker of surprise passing through the depths of her eyes.

‘Confront the questions… find the answers…’ The words echoed repeatedly in Shen Jingyi’s mind, making her feel as though Bai Muxue had illuminated something hazy within her heart.

What astonished her even more was that when Bai Muxue spoke these words, she shed her usual carefree buoyancy, her tone so heavy it bore no resemblance to the Young Miss Bai who typically acted with such reckless abandon, relying on her family’s influence.

She sounded more like… a middle-aged person who had experienced much hardship and helplessness.

“You…”

Shen Jingyi opened her mouth, about to speak, when she saw the young woman before her scratch her head, then pout in annoyance as she complained to the driver in the front seat.

“Ugh, this is so annoying!

How much longer is this traffic going to last?

I can’t stand it a moment longer!”

In mere seconds, Bai Muxue reverted to her usual capricious self, as if that fleeting moment of profoundness had been nothing more than Shen Jingyi’s imagination.

‘Eh?’

Before Shen Jingyi could fully process what had happened, she felt a small hand, at some unknown moment, glide along her waist and quietly settle on her smooth, fair thigh.

The smoothness and delicate texture of Shen Jingyi’s thigh were instantly captured by Bai Muxue’s warm hand.

The young woman’s fingertips roamed across that jade-like skin, occasionally brushing lightly, and with each fleeting touch, Shen Jingyi’s delicate body trembled slightly.

“Hey… you!”

That tantalizing, unfamiliar sensation sent a jolt of panic through Shen Jingyi’s heart, her breathing growing heavier.

‘No, how could this person utter such philosophical words one moment and then do something like this to me the next?!’

Cautiously, she pressed down on the restless hand, glancing uneasily at the driver in the front, fearing any hint of abnormality might be noticed.

But Young Miss Bai paid no mind; she giggled, then shuffled closer to Shen Jingyi.

“It’s so boring; you’ve got to let me pass the time somehow.”

“Don’t forget about the contract, Teacher Shen…”

Bai Muxue leaned in close to Shen Jingyi’s ear and whispered with a soft chuckle.

‘This girl!’

With her earlobes flushed crimson, Shen Jingyi shot a fierce glare at Bai Muxue.

‘To think I had just started to see her in a new light… she really is…!’

However… the mere thought of that damned contract, coupled with the expensive long dress she was wearing, caused Shen Jingyi’s resistance to steadily wane.

“Hehe, that’s right.

Just be quiet, and no one will notice~”

Bai Muxue nodded in satisfaction, chuckling softly as her small hand lightly traced Shen Jingyi’s slender waist.

“…”

Shen Jingyi said nothing more, merely lowering her head in silence.

What she failed to notice, however, was that Bai Muxue’s gaze was not on her at all, but had returned to the precarious building and the busy personnel of the Disaster Management Bureau.

‘A world that needs a bunch of kids to save it… perhaps such a world would be better off destroyed.’

The young woman let out a faint sigh, the light in her eyes dimming slightly.