Sudden Change

"To fulfill this ideal, the coordinates of the Oasis are vital. Only by obtaining those coordinates can we uncover what that pioneer left behind in that space for future generations, and how we should continue his path to complete the final mission."

"If you have a reason for which you must obtain the Sovereign Key, then on the stage of the finals, we will be enemies."

Xu Xiaoyou fell silent.

After a long while, she gave a soft laugh and spoke the words she had held in her heart for a long time.

"In moments of occasional peace, I have wondered if I should stop, just living a flat and stable life like this, no longer having to face an unknown tomorrow, and without the risk of being smashed to pieces."

"People say a gambler's desires are infinite, but that isn't actually true. At the gambling table, when a gambler's gains have already reached her expectations and she no longer has to worry about chips, gambling itself becomes a high-risk, low-reward endeavor."

"Whenever that happens, even the most obsessed gambler will lay down their chips and leave the table; those who keep gambling aren't called gamblers, they are madmen."

"But I have a reason I cannot stop."

"It is no longer just for myself."

"There are always things in the world that transcend the self and outweigh profit."

Ivy closed his eyes, thinking deeply for a moment. He opened them and looked at Xu Xiaoyou.

"I understand your thoughts. I hope that in the future, we will have a common starting point regarding the Sovereign Key, rather than just conflict."

"Until the finals arrive, our previous promise remains valid, and you are always welcome to join us."

With that, Ivy stood up and gave a wink to Tiger Tail Orchid. The latter gave a knowing "heh" and a smile, standing up to follow him up the stairs to the second floor, soon vanishing from Xu Xiaoyou's sight.

She sighed softly, her heart unusually restless.

She felt some unease regarding Angelina's situation.

She wondered if Akabane Tsubaki was awake yet; she suddenly wanted to hear her voice, perhaps hear some silly jokes, or even just be a bit willful.

Xu Xiaoyou felt bored by her own thoughts and eventually gave up on the idea of going upstairs to wake her by patting her face.

A newly hired little green leaf walked past. Seeing the blonde girl, his eyes were full of admiration as he stepped forward.

"Hello, Sister Rose."

"How did you recognize me?"

Xu Xiaoyou was somewhat surprised. She had used many disguises for her appearance; an ordinary person shouldn't be able to tell.

"One's aura doesn't lie. My intuition has always been very sharp!"

Clearly, the deeds of the Dark Gold Rose had long since spread among these little green leaves. Who could have imagined that the top salesperson in their shop would be the famous Dark Gold Rose herself?

After the Starry Singer incident, the Mint Green Leaf Shop had become a popular spot for influencers, and countless young people in Red Heaven had come there, drawn by its reputation.

Some just wanted to learn about the deeds of the Dark Gold Rose, while others chose to join as employees of the Mint Green Leaf Shop. Clearly, the little green leaf before her was one of the latter.

After a brief exchange, the little green leaf suddenly broached the main topic with a mysterious expression.

"Lately, there's been a customer who comes in and asks for you by name every single time, Sister Rose. We told her you weren't here and that we didn't know when you'd return, so she would just stay in the shop, sitting in that spot, without saying a word, for the entire day..."

The little green leaf tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of his mouth still curled into an unreadable arc from time to time.

His intuition told him that the great Dark Gold Rose must have some kind of complicated relationship with that girl.

In his mind, he had already composed an epic drama of love and hate.

Looking toward the bar counter indicated by the little green leaf, Xu Xiaoyou's heart stirred, and she immediately asked, "What does she look like?"

The little green leaf blinked, not expecting Xu Xiaoyou to actually care about the customer he mentioned.

Could his suspicions be true?

Faced with the girl's serious expression, the little green leaf scratched his head and answered honestly, "She has black hair, wears a white military uniform, and is about 1.7 meters tall?"

As expected.

Xu Xiaoyou's eyes darkened. That spot at the bar was where Bai Youyou had sat when she first sought her out. The girl had sat there several times afterward, until the last time they met, when she had vaguely said she wouldn't bother her anymore and then truly vanished.

Since then, Xu Xiaoyou had only seen her in news reports about cracking down on moon sugar smuggling gangs and punishing criminals.

To be honest, after learning the truth about Bai Youyou, her feelings toward this 'Bai Youyou' were quite strange.

Should she take advantage of this free time to approach her indirectly and learn more details?

At least this Bai Youyou was much easier to deal with than the one in the Oasis.

Xu Xiaoyou thought to herself.

Having made up her mind, she began to act. She changed into a bartender's uniform, tied her floral collar in front of the mirror, and sprayed on some perfume—a scent of hyacinth mixed with faint honey, fresh and not overpowering.

The little green leaf watched the blonde girl's hurrying departure with a dazed expression, opening his mouth but failing to say the final words.

That girl had stopped coming to the Mint Green Leaf Shop two days ago.

Xu Xiaoyou took a winding route to shake off all the eyes the association had sent to tail her. She then went to a flower shop and meticulously selected a bouquet of pure white roses. Today was the Flower Town Festival in Dragonfly Town; young people all over the streets were holding flowers to give to relatives or close friends, or perhaps to confess to a girl they liked. A wind fragrant with flowers blew from one end of the street to the other.

There was much to consider when giving flowers: red roses for passionate love, tulips for elegant blessings, carnations for mothers, lilacs for friends. "One flower means you're the only one, three means I love you, and ninety-nine means forever, that we'll be together for a lifetime."

The sense of ceremony had to be sufficient; romanticism was paramount.

Xu Xiaoyou held the bouquet of white roses, arrived at the apartment, rang the doorbell, and took a few steps back.

She knew the place where the girl was staying temporarily. She had intended to visit her when she first returned to Dragonfly Town, but in the blink of an eye, time had passed until now.

The wait felt somewhat long, and Xu Xiaoyou's thoughts began to wander involuntarily.

Did the girl have something she wanted to say to her? Why had she been coming to the Mint Green Leaf Shop every day to look for her?

The scene of the black-haired girl sitting alone at the bar waiting surfaced in her mind. Walking alone in the world, facing so many unknowns, she must be very lonely, right?

As the minutes passed and no one came to open the door, Xu Xiaoyou stepped forward in confusion.

Just as she was about to press the doorbell again, she gave the door a light push, and it opened.

The apartment door was not locked.

Had she been in such a hurry to leave that she forgot to lock it?

As soon as she entered the room, Xu Xiaoyou's brow furrowed tightly.

The room was in shambles. Countless books related to the law were shredded, glassware lay shattered across the marble table, and everyday items, including clothes, were scattered everywhere. More importantly, a stark, eye-catching trail of blood stained the floor.

The heavy scent of blood made Xu Xiaoyou's expression turn grim, and the faint sense of unease in her heart grew stronger.

Following the blood, she came to the study and slowly pushed open the door. The scene before her caused her pupils to shrink abruptly. The bouquet of white roses fell to the ground, its petals scattering and peeling away, a startlingly vivid red.

She saw the black-haired girl collapsed in a pool of blood, and the large words written on the wall in bright red blood.

—Who am I?