In the days Bai Wu dealt with various affairs, he did not handle Yan Jiu’s ssages.
The conch shell is a communication device, or rather, a specialized communication tool, whose main feature is the ability to contact Yan Jiu outside the Tower.
But there were no call records, no incoming call display.
Otherwise, Bai Wu would probably receive a video call request from Yan Jiu every one to two hours.
Most of the ti, Bai Wu just threw the conch shell into his backpack; without direct physical contact, the device would lose its response.
The main reason he thought of Yan Jiu was that, after returning, Bai Wu discovered the level of Spirit Possession on his cara had increased; it changed from two photos a week to three photos in five days.
He planned to have Liu Chengzi take pictures of the day the two pals went missing, but since he only rembered the date and not the exact ti, the chances of Liu Chengzi finding any clues were slim.
But it was worth a shot.
When he arrived at the scavengers’ port, he found Liu Chengzi was not in the Chengzi Store, leading Bai Wu to guess that she had gone to the third layer.
The only thing that would make Sea Queen give up her small business was a bigger deal.
And upon inquiring, it turned out she had closed the shop two days ago. With mbers from the Investigation Corps in charge of surveillance at the ntal hospital, Bai Wu was not worried about Liu Chengzi’s safety.
However, he was curious; in the span of two days, one expressionless, one Sea Queen, with such a vast gap in their personalities, what could they have talked about?
Especially since a few hours ago, a mber of the Vanguard Group ca to see him, and Wu Jiu had said:
"You should go see Yan Jiu."
This statent did not co with any other explanation, but Bai Wu had an uneasy premonition.
The scavengers’ port was still crowded, the stalls still filled with a large amount of fake goods alongside a few strangely functional genuine products.
After wandering around for a while, Bai Wu saw a Spirit Possession wallet, planning to give it to Liu Chengzi as a gift.
"n with money beco bad, won beco rich when they turn bad, money, money, money, the root of all evils! This wallet is very practical. It has a strong sense of justice, turning any money put into it into sand! Or randomly sending it into a friend’s pocket, let’s eliminate money together and bring happiness to others! Spirit Possession level, 2.4h."
This really is a perfect item for a prank, Bai Wu thought of the expression Liu Chengzi would have, brimming with joy as she put the Tower Currency into the wallet—
So naughty, he imdiately bought one.
...
...
Even though human society entered The Era of the High Tower, without skies, no seasons, or wind or snow, the seven-day week system did not change.
Today is Sunday, and during the two o’clock hour in the afternoon, most people have started their rest. Of course, this does not include the working class from the lower layers who serve the nobility. Not only do they not rest, but they are also busier than usual.
There were virtually no seats left in the afternoon tea establishnts, and even so bars had started to operate earlier.
So were idle and so busy; in the residential area, those who had married finally had ti to spend with their children, but they were also worried—if their children had certain defects, would they be assigned to a lower level in the future?
Most noble children can inherit the family business, but those with apparent defects are compelled to go down to the lower layers.
Of course, if those from the lower layers have apparent strengths—they won’t be arranged to join the nobility. To change their social status, they can only do so through military achievents.
So, what Ming Che said to Bai Wu that day, being able to remove the ’lesser’ tag, was actually a great favor.
But for Bai Wu, the inside of the Tower was just a place to sleep. Outside, in Evil Fallen, things were cute and fun, the scenes were filled with joy—he really liked the outside.
...
Even on the weekend, the Noble Spirit Rehabilitation Center was still quiet and deserted.
Bai Wu ca to the Asylum again; outside the high walls, in the dical building, the doctors were leisurely playing Landlord, sipping on cappuccinos.
Inside the high walls, the two old n playing chess finally synchronized their moves, each playing the sa type of chess, and no longer each playing a different ga on the sa board.
Zheng Duoxi was solemnly analyzing a condition with a nurse, his hands constantly writing sothing, while asking so very professional questions.
Bai Wu paused for a mont, thinking Zheng Duoxi had recovered and finally realized he used to be a doctor here.
Then he saw the nurse slap him.
"Did I ask you to inquire about that? Ask again! Little Zheng, you want to be a doctor, and there’s still a lot for you to learn!" the crazed nurse said earnestly to the real doctor.
Bai Wu didn’t continue to watch; he headed straight for the sixth floor. On the elevator, a woman with disheveled hair said to Bai Wu:
"This elevator is broken; it used to be able to ascend nine hundred ters."
From the notes, Bai Wu discovered that this woman actually ca from the fourth floor.
There are too many secrets in the asylum; most of the people are thoroughly mad.
Bai Wu, on the other hand, felt that there was a kind of unusual peace here.
When he ca to Room 6-18 again, Bai Wu didn’t enter directly because he heard Liu Chengzi and Yan Jiu’s conversation through the door.
He decided to listen in to find out what exactly Liu Chengzi was teaching Yan Jiu.
"When you find a boyfriend in the future, you must pay attention to five points. First, find a man who can make you laugh. Second, he must have a stable job. Third, he should be a man who likes to do household chores. Fourth, he must possess honest and upright noble characteristics. And the most important point is to never let these four n et each other."
...
...
Two days ago.
It was Liu Chengzi’s first encounter with Yan Jiu, and she was truly dazzled by Yan Jiu’s beauty.
This made the Sea Queen feel ordinary, unworthy of possessing so many wings.
When Liu Chengzi ntioned becoming friends with Yan Jiu, Yan Jiu sent her a drawing and so Tower Currency.
"If you like it, I can give you everything I have in the future, as long as you are willing to be my friend," Yan Jiu said earnestly, looking at Liu Chengzi.
Liu Chengzi didn’t doubt the sincerity of these words at all—a generous friend was certainly soone she was happy to make.
Yan Jiu’s status in her heart soared rapidly.
However, Liu Chengzi was very asured in her actions; she always felt that Yan Jiu was acting too humbly.
Soon the two girls shifted from the topic of friends to the topic of people they liked, and Liu Chengzi listed a whole bunch.
For instance, Boyfriend One’s hair, Boyfriend Two’s personality, Boyfriend Three’s nose and job, Boyfriend Four’s height and physique, and Boyfriend Five’s humor.
This scared Yan Jiu; for a mont, she didn’t know how to respond. Only when she saw Liu Chengzi’s rather calm expression did she timidly say:
"I...I don’t have so many people to like, I only like Bai Wu."
"Uh, that’s quite difficult, I suggest you find soone else."
Liu Chengzi was surprised; although Bai Wu was indeed handso, soone actually liked this iron-straight man? Especially when Bai Wu’s attitude towards won was even worse than his captain’s!
As she and Yan Jiu talked about Bai Wu, she quickly realized that Yan Jiu really had so issues.
If she liked soone, whether as a friend or a lover, she seed to give herself away without any reservations.
"Shouldn’t one devote themselves completely to soone they like? Being liked by soone is sothing fortunate and elusive for . If it happens... and I still hold back, I always feel like I would be guilty..."
Yan Jiu’s words were probably very touching.
But Liu Chengzi didn’t feel touched; she finally understood why such a girl with exceptional artistic talent and beauty had to be confined in the asylum and why Bai Wu asked her to keep her company.
She also noticed that Yan Jiu had no response to joy; the jokes she told couldn’t make her laugh, and she mostly wore an indifferent expression.
Instead, what Liu Chengzi saw as the real issue was that Yan Jiu simply didn’t know how to respond to soone else’s affection.
Certainly, there are feelings of loving others more than oneself in this world, but they must also be based on the foundation that the other person also loves oneself deeply.
If a man doesn’t love a woman at all, yet the woman goes to great lengths for the man, Liu Chengzi deed it an act of madness. The reverse is also true; if a woman doesn’t love a man at all, yet the man gives up everything for her, it’s equally mad.
However, most of the ti, the forr would garner a lot of sympathy, while the latter would be called a bootlicker.
Liu Chengzi did not understand why Yan Jiu, who was clearly soone many people would like, was doing such extrely humble things.
She had never been to the fourth floor and had no idea that the buildings there were sharply-defined black pyramids. Such architecture would only make one feel a cold, cutting sensation.
Yan Jiu’s childhood was mostly spent locked up inside the pointed cone tower, without anyone to talk to, her only companion being a woman filled with resentnt from Evil Fallen.
Earlier on, she was on the fifth floor, within the Yan Family manor, and because of her sensitivity to Evil Fallen, the Family Head of the Yan Family ordered that no one be allowed to approach Yan Jiu.
Year after year, the most basic emotions that most people could have were considered luxuries to her.
The more Liu Chengzi understood about Yan Jiu, the more uncomfortable she felt.
She didn’t want such a beautiful girl to be the kind of fool who rushes into the flas like a moth the mont soone shows her kindness.
Therefore, Liu Chengzi decided to play the role of a doctor, to treat this lonely girl in the Asylum.
...
On the first day, Doctor Liu seriously began to share her own experiences with friendships and romantic relationships.
She tried to make Yan Jiu understand that one should respond with equanimity when soone is kind to them or when they feel others’ goodwill—not that I must devote myself to you because you gave a candy.
Liu Chengzi was very experienced in this regard.
A few months ago, she even encountered a "puppy" who did almost the sa thing.
Heartbroken and desperate, the "puppy" experienced love for the first ti, having given almost everything to a certain girl.
After three years of being together, even holding hands was considered a desecration to the girl in his eyes; just one glance would make him blush. This level of purity and even devotion naturally didn’t lead to any further developnt.
In the end, when the girl broke up with him, the "puppy" felt as if his whole world had collapsed. As one of Liu Chengzi’s friends, she took him straight to a nightclub.
The next day, amid aching waist and trembling legs, exhausted to the point of ntal emptiness, he vaguely understood sothing.
The girls in the nightclub were even prettier than his girlfriend, and they were very proactive too.
This made him realize that girls are human too, and there was no need to idolize them as if they were goddesses.
Yan Jiu’s problem wasn’t that, and of course, it would be impossible to take Yan Jiu to flirt with n.
Yan Jiu would passionately reciprocate to n and won alike, whether it was friendship, familial love, or romantic love—this was a lack of love.
She needed to have a small circle, a few friends to learn how other people interact. She could also develop a crush on soone, but as her good sister, Liu Chengzi would vet the guy for her, ensuring that he was worthy of her love.
However, all these things can’t be rushed; they are for later lessons. For now, Liu Chengzi could only slowly share her own experiences and first teach so theories on equality and self-love.
In two days, Yan Jiu indeed changed so of her views.
At least she understood that a person could have many friends, and this wasn’t sothing unattainable.
Liu Chengzi also made Yan Jiu understand another point, that she too had her own brilliance and beauty and was a very likeable girl. There was no need to feel inferior.
Although this was sothing that needed to be confird by enough friends.
The Sea Queen was earnestly helping Yan Jiu. In the two days, she also discovered a problem—
Yan Jiu really liked Bai Wu, in the way that a man likes a woman.
Originally, Liu Chengzi thought that Yan Jiu couldn’t distinguish how to properly respond to friendship and love, so her liking for Bai Wu might just be akin to the affection for a brother or a friend.
But in conversations with Yan Jiu, she would always bring up Bai Wu unconsciously.
She would occasionally get lost in thought, and after a few seconds of dazed silence, she would anxiously utter,
"Is Bai Wu in danger?"
This happened too many tis in two days, leaving Liu Chengzi puzzled about what exactly Bai Wu had done.
Anyway, when it ca to love, Liu Chengzi also decided to help this cute and pitiful young lady get Bai Wu.
And so, Master Liu’s love class began.
...
...
Bai Wu had been standing at the door for more than ten minutes, during which ti Liu Chengzi shared a bunch of techniques for charming n.
This was Liu Chengzi’s mont to shine.
"Sister, falling in love also requires skill, how to make a man like you, how to snatch him away from soone else’s hands, we know all about it!"
"I like Bai Wu, I want him to like too, can I do that?"
"Hmm... Bai Wu is a bit troubleso, but it’s not impossible, you just need to first learn so skills."
"What should I do?"
Liu Chengzi reached her area of expertise with pride on her face:
"For example, just suppose, only suppose, that Bai Wu fell for soone in the team, say Lin Wurou, ah, let’s go with Yin Shuang instead, and you’re eting Bai Wu for the first ti and fall in love at first sight, what would you do?"
"Talk to Bai Wu and tell him I like him..." Yan Jiu answered with innocent wide eyes, looking puzzled.
Liu Chengzi shook her head in disappointnt:
"Then later on, Yin Shuang will find out you’re stealing her boyfriend, then she’ll scold Bai Wu, and he’ll bla everything on you and kick you to the curb."
Yan Jiu gave an ’oh’ and looked at Liu Chengzi with eyes seeking a solution:
"Then what should I do..."
Liu Chengzi blinked, smiled playfully, and said:
"If it were , I would first find a way to beco good friends with Yin Shuang. Then gradually bring up the topic of boyfriends and get Yin Shuang to introduce to soone, so I could invite Yin Shuang and Bai Wu to dinner out of gratitude, which would give a chance to get Bai Wu’s contact information and a bit of conversation."
"Of course, during this ti I would definitely act gently and appropriately, letting the peaceful days pass. I wouldn’t have any excessive contact with Bai Wu, maintaining a proper social distance. Then after Yin Shuang has introduced soone to , I would use my shyness as an excuse and invite Bai Wu and Yin Shuang to join on dates with my boyfriend, turning two-person outings into group activities."
"Of course, by that ti I would already know Bai Wu’s interests and hobbies, and I would bring them up subtly to resonate with him and remind him that there’s soone like ."
Yan Jiu still hadn’t realized how advanced Liu Chengzi’s ’tea ceremony’ skills were, but felt a sense of vague admiration and then asked:
"But I still haven’t won over Bai Wu..."
"Don’t be in a hurry. Opportunities need to be created. After so ti, find any excuse to dump the current boyfriend and then go to the bar to drink a little, dressed a bit sexily. When it gets late, call Yin Shuang saying you’re heartbroken, drunk, and have nobody to pick you up. As a good friend, Yin Shuang would definitely ask Bai Wu to co pick up."
"At that mont, I need to ti it right. I would flirt with so random guy at the entrance, and then when Bai Wu is about to arrive, act like a damsel in distress being harassed, allowing him to stand up for or even get into a fight."
"Then I could lean on Bai Wu’s shoulder or in his arms. Once in the car, I could tearfully tell him that I drank too much and didn’t know who else to call, I actually wanted to call him, but I was afraid of misunderstanding with sister Shuang."
"Bai Wu will definitely ask why, and I would reply that the boyfriend introduced by sister Shuang is just like the other guys I’ve known, only Bai Wu stands out in my eyes. A man who can still fight at this age must be an interesting person."
"Plus, Bai Wu is exceptional enough, it’s just a pity that he already has a girlfriend, who is also a good friend of mine, so I couldn’t possibly ruin their relationship, then let him forget tonight’s conversation."
"After that, don’t have any interaction until Bai Wu drops off at my doorstep. Just as I’m about to get out of the car, I give him a tender, watery look, then imdiately call Yin Shuang to reassure her, to dispel her girlfriend’s doubts. Though it doesn’t look like much progress, I’ve remained aboveboard, yet he’s now got a little secret in his heart."
"In the future, whenever he sees , he’ll rember this little secret. Just a simple complint from and he’ll be pleased. A little physical touch, and his imagination will run wild. Over ti, the frequency of appearing in his thoughts will increase, and he will take the initiative to want more from , and I’ll just play hard to get."
Bai Wu couldn’t help wanting to applaud from outside the door. This move, this was like a spring tea that had co to life.
However, Yan Jiu still looked perplexed, and she asked doubtfully:
"But what if his girlfriend finds out about the two of you?"
"Heh, simple. I can stand my ground and say, ’Oh, it’s Bai Wu who likes , what can I do about it? I told him off before, but he wouldn’t listen. Go find him, why are you bothering ? We can still be friends, right? If it weren’t for him, you and I might still be good friends. Sadly, this isn’t sothing I can control alone, wuu wuu wuu.’"
Liu Chengzi concluded:
"Overall, there are many tricks to make soone like you, my sister, don’t be afraid. Slowly I’ll teach you, and I guarantee that one day Bai Wu will obey you wholeheartedly. All those little foxes around him will turn into losers!"
Bai Wu didn’t knock, he just brought out the conch.
Yan Jiu suddenly trembled as if caught with a little secret, looking at the door with a mix of shyness and unease.
Liu Chengzi paused for a few seconds, then quickly realized—could Bai Wu have been right outside the door?
The door of Room 6-18 suddenly opened, and with a smile, Bai Wu said to the Sea Queen:
"I’ll convey your words to Yin Shuang today, in case she gets a boyfriend in the future."
(I’m not sure if there will be a Chapter tonight, but if I feel better, I’ll definitely write and release it as soon as possible. The next Chapter will go straight into the new instance, which I’m still brainstorming. My head is aching terribly. I’ll have a rest and try to push through it today.)
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