For a moment, time seemed to quietly stand still. Li Yue's thoughts also halted for an instant, to the point that she didn't see clearly how Clo had run over; she only felt a lithe body fall into her embrace the very next second.
“Finally...” A soft murmur came from Li Yue's arms. Her arms trembled slightly, held out behind Clo as if she were at a loss. After a moment of hesitation, she applied a bit of strength and pulled the girl into a tight hug.
Her body gradually relaxed from its tense state, pressing closer to the girl in her arms.
Clo's outfit was predominantly white, with black pauldrons and cuffs, and golden embossed decorations. It seemed to be a modified gown, leaving her legs exposed from the thighs down to the middle of her calves. It looked holy and beautiful, creating a stark contrast with Li Yue's black and red attire.
“There, there... haven't we met again? Actually, it's only been about half a year... right?” Li Yue tried to recall, but while her memories of just starting as a demon hunter half a year ago were clear, everything before that—even the moment before they parted—felt so distant she could hardly remember it.
“Let's hug a little longer.” Clo had no intention of letting go. Li Yue simply held her. At this moment, almost all the lights in the hall were extinguished, and the statue of the principal standing in the center appeared dim and lackluster.
“You have the scent of another woman on you,” Clo said with a hint of a pout. “Is it the perfume of the person who brought you here?”
“I didn't even notice... I don't usually care about such things.” Li Yue felt a flicker of panic, but Clo didn't seem to truly mind the minor detail.
“It's getting late. Let me take you to the residential area first.” Clo reluctantly let go, rubbing her face against Li Yue's modest chest before pulling away with a slightly flushed face. “Many areas are closed at night, and there are students patrolling the academy.”
“Then let's go. I don't have much luggage, just some clothes and a few small items.” Li Yue felt shy. She avoided looking into Clo's aqua-blue eyes, her gaze darting away as she walked beside her, feeling a slight flutter in her heart.
A fleeting sensation brushed against the back of her hand, as if the other girl's hand had bumped into hers. She reached out slightly and touched the hand that had just retracted. A pinky finger poked the back of her hand, and she gently offered her own hand. Their pinkies intertwined, and as if they had seen into each other's hearts, Clo gently took Li Yue's hand in hers.
The two walked side by side without saying a word. Only the warmth in their palms remained, their hearts beating fast. They could even hear each other's heartbeats clearly.
They remained silent the whole way. Both seemed to want to find a topic, but in the end, neither spoke, wanting only to enjoy the moment. Though there was no grand drama, it was just two people walking hand-in-hand through the academy's open-air corridors at night.
One looked at the ground while the other looked up slightly; neither paid any attention to the scenery along the way. Li Yue didn't bother to observe the environment or the relief-carved pillars at the ends of the corridor. She simply stared at the path beneath her feet, feeling the other's body heat and heartbeat.
There seemed to be a fast-travel device here as well. Clo activated the runes on the ground. She glanced at Li Yue standing beside her; the girl seemed to have no reaction, only gripping her hand very tightly.
“Let's go then.”
Their figures blurred and reappeared in a complex of buildings by a lake. The size of this area was much larger than a typical community, yet smaller than a town, consisting of buildings about seven to nine stories high.
“According to the regulations, you can stay here for free for over two weeks. The academy will reimburse the accommodation costs for the first two weeks.” Clo fumbled in her pocket for a moment. “Here are 5 magic silver. Take them for now.”
Li Yue reached out to stop her, seemingly refusing to take this handouts.
“The academy was going to issue them anyway; I'm just giving them to you in advance.” Clo grabbed Li Yue's hand and pressed the silver coins, warmed by her own palm, into Li Yue's hand.
“I'm an assistant professor now, so I have a bit of a salary.” Clo smiled. Most of her income actually came from her seat as one of the Five Staves. She didn't even know how much she had in savings. If she could turn back time to when Li Yue had first started her job, she could have taken Li Yue away, but she couldn't do it then, nor was she able to.
In that timeline, she had to return to the academy as quickly as possible, and she had to be alone...
“Actually, if you're in financial trouble, don't force yourself... Once the academy's funding is issued, I'll pay back this magic silver.” Li Yue maintained her stubbornness, and Clo didn't push further.
“We're here.” Clo used a key to open the door. Inside was a room of about 50 square meters, with a bed, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a dining table.
Though it looked a bit cramped, the conditions weren't bad, especially since she was living alone.
“I've prepared some daily necessities for you, as well as some makeup and perfume. Remember to use them. You can't be disheveled just because you're incredibly beautiful.” Clo patiently instructed Li Yue on how to use various items, and Li Yue listened intently.
However... I am a Calamity class magic user after all. Secular filth can hardly affect me anymore.
“Do you need help making the bed or organizing the wardrobe?” Clo watched as Li Yue took out her luggage. Although her duty as a guide should have ended by now, she didn't seem to want to leave so early.
“Then I'll trouble you.” Li Yue handed one end of the bedsheet to Clo. Though they both knew magic, they chose the most time-consuming method that could bring them closer: making the bed by hand.
“A Yue... roughly what level is your mana at now?” Clo smoothed out the wrinkles in the sheet and spoke casually.
“Stronger than a Great Mage, I suppose...”
“In another week, this area will be filled with students. They're almost all apprentices; you could glare a whole crowd of them to death with a single look...” Clo walked around the room. She read a bit of unease on Li Yue's face, as if the girl were afraid this newfound happiness would be fleeting.
“Seal your excess mana.” Clo searched around and took out several golden rings. They were of various designs, some thick and some thin. “It's not mandatory; you can use it whenever you want. It's just like water—put a lid on it, and if you want to drink, just unscrew it.”
“Wear them on my hands?” Li Yue wasn't very resistant and held out her left hand. The ring embedded with a blood crystal on her ring finger was very striking.
If it was the left hand, so many rings would overshadow the main one. If it was the right hand, wearing four or five rings would feel strange, like the Lord of the Rings. Having a few on each hand wouldn't be very aesthetic either and would be quite eye-catching.
“Are they all in the form of rings?”
“The length can be adjusted, but there are limits. There are also handcuffs.” Clo felt a bit helpless, wondering if she should fashion a bracelet instead, but she didn't have a bracelet style. Li Yue sat on the bed, took off her boots, and hugged her legs to her chest, resting her feet on the sheets. Her pitch-black nails looked strangely alluring.
“How about... wearing them on my toes?” Clo swallowed hard, looking at Li Yue's fair feet.
“Okay.” Li Yue thought for a moment, moved to the edge of the bed, and stretched out her feet. For some reason, she felt a little embarrassed. Seeing Clo's face turn slightly red, she thought the other girl looked beautiful and shyly looked away.
“Then... excuse me.” Clo picked up one foot. With a hint of playfulness, she gently rubbed the sole. Li Yue let out a soft hum, not quite understanding Clo's intention.
The next moment, a faint coolness spread from her toes. The temperature difference between her body and the metal rings was likely too great. Simultaneously, she felt the activity of the God's remains within her body subside significantly. She turned her face back and saw Clo's face was also slightly red; she gradually began to accept this scene.
After a day of travel, she still smells sweet. A body free of impurities is truly powerful... Clo marveled inwardly. Right now, she held all the initiative. However, she wouldn't use it to make trouble; she only engaged in slight teasing and didn't want to cross too many boundaries.
From these reactions, however, Li Yue's feedback seemed quite good, though she appeared to be trying very hard to stifle any sounds.
So cute... How much does she remember... of the past? If it's only a little, and I pin her to the bed now, she'd definitely resist and refuse... Would that cause a crack in our relationship?
Clo had decided from the beginning to take things one step at a time, even though this unexpected scene made her blood pump... Calm down.
I'll wait until the time is right.
Thinking this, her eyes met Li Yue's slightly annoyed gaze. She felt a sense of mischievous delight and took the opportunity to scratch the other girl's sole with her light blue fingernails.
“Wah...” Li Yue let out a low moan and quickly retracted her foot, her eyes filled with resentment. Clo laughed and stuck out her tongue. Seeing that it was nearly midnight, the time for farewell had to come. However, there would be plenty of chances to meet again, and the intervals would be very short. Perhaps tomorrow morning, she would appear uninvited at Li Yue's bedside.
Perhaps now that she lacked the active ability and perception of the God's remains, her remaining mana and combat experience wouldn't be enough to detect a Calamity Warlock like her, who specialized in concealment.
Thinking of this, Clo's mood improved significantly. She gave a mischievous grin and her figure slowly dissipated, turning into streaks of light. This seemed to be some kind of fun farewell magic.
“It's just a seal, yet she has to pull these little stunts... That girl still hasn't changed her bad habits.” Li Yue was a bit huffy. She looked at the five rings with different patterns on her toes. Although she didn't know what these objects were, they really did seem to suppress the God's remains inside her.
But if I use force...
Li Yue opened her blood-red vertical pupils.
The impact didn't seem that great; it had just changed from active to passive... Do I need to review the most basic magic now, like Fireball?
Li Yue felt a bit troubled. She kicked the blanket, found the long edge, and wrapped herself in it. Although her academy life hadn't started yet, it didn't seem like it would be very easy.
It seems the currency used in the academy can't be exchanged for the money I brought... I'll have to earn it again. Maybe I need to take on some missions or find a job in this massive and incredibly prosperous city. Since I've actively sealed the God's remains... I don't want to do any more work involving killing.
Li Yue lay on the bed, shifting from her side to her back. Her mind was filled with Clo's quirky expression. Although she was a bit annoyed, she couldn't bring herself to be truly angry. It was more a feeling of helplessness or perhaps something like endearment.
She raised her hand in front of her face; it seemed to still carry the other girl's warmth. She stared for a while, her heart unsettled. Once the fluttering in her chest subsided, she pulled up the blanket and fell into a deep sleep. It had been a long time since she had slept so peacefully on such a quiet night...
On the other side, in a lit residence, Clo locked the main door. She walked through the first-floor living room and went up to the master bedroom on the second floor. This bedroom was massive, even comparable in size to the small apartment Li Yue had just rented.
There was a huge double bed with curtains, a square table for tea and snacks, a sofa, and plenty of other furniture. The overall color scheme was blue and red.
Wearing her pajamas, she ran up to the attic on the third floor. There seemed to be many items left over from before.
This three-story house had very few guest rooms. The master bedroom on the second floor seemed to have been created by merging three bedrooms after removing two guest rooms, making it enormous. In the end, only one guest room remained on the first floor, though the sofa by the fireplace could also serve as a bed.
It seemed Clo hadn't prepared this master bedroom for just one person. More precisely, the amount of furniture exactly matched two people.
Take it slow, she constantly reminded herself. This time, she had to be patient.
Rate on N.U.
