Jingliu stood at the gate of the small courtyard, holding her Erhu, her figure straight as a lone pine.
The black eye patch did not seem to obstruct her vision; that icy perception swept over the white frost clinging to Cipher, past the face of Baiheng who was struggling to remain calm, then over System, who was sitting quietly drinking tea nearby, and finally settled back on Cipher.
The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze, with only the unmelted ice crystals on Cipher slightly reflecting the morning light, and her occasional slight shiver from the cold.
Baiheng's heart was pounding in her throat; her mind was racing but utterly chaotic.
Why did Jingliu suddenly show up?
Cipher's astonishing speed must have been noticed!
She only hoped that Cipher would be clever, not say anything foolish, and not reveal any information.
Just then, Cipher moved.
She stopped hugging her arms and complaining about the cold. Instead, she straightened up, deliberately wore a displeased expression, and preemptively spoke, glaring at Jingliu with her blue cat eyes.
"Of course I know you! You almost froze me into an ice sculpture just now!"
She pointed at the white frost on her hair and shoulders, then pointed at Jingliu. "I was standing properly at the gate, and you suddenly did that! Why did you attack me?"
She slightly puffed out her cheeks, appearing both angry and innocent, perfectly adopting the posture of a "victim" questioning the "perpetrator."
Cipher knew very well that she didn't know this icy woman in front of her at all.
But the fact that her ghostly speed was detected and precisely intercepted by the other party made her secretly alarmed by the display of power.
The atmosphere was clearly wrong now. Baiheng was so nervous she was practically smoking, and this woman meant trouble.
The best defense was offense. Placing herself in the position of "innocently attacked" would confuse the situation for now.
Jingliu was silent for two seconds.
The girl's reaction was quick, her emotions were genuine, and her accusation was reasonable—if one ignored her inhuman speed and the fact that Jingliu's initial intent in releasing the cold air was to intercept, not attack.
"My apologies."
Jingliu's voice was calm and flat, devoid of any apparent remorse, sounding more like a statement of fact.
She offered no further explanation, turning her gaze to Baiheng, who was clearly the hostess and her original target. "And who is this?"
The pressure instantly shifted to Baiheng.
"Uh, this is..."
Baiheng choked.
She had been so preoccupied with nervousness and praying that Cipher wouldn't expose them that she hadn't had time to concoct a plausible "Cipher identity" that could withstand Jingliu's scrutiny!
Right in this critical moment, System, who had been quietly drinking tea, put down her cup. Her purple pupils calmly looked at Jingliu, and with her steady, flat tone, she naturally took over the conversation:
"The new tenant."
Three words: concise, direct, and blocking most avenues for further questioning—she's just a tenant, why ask for more?
Feeling as though she had been granted a general pardon, Baiheng quickly nodded like a pounding mortar. "Yes, yes, yes! She is the new tenant! Miss Ci-Cipher! She just arrived today!"
She tried hard to make her smile look natural, though the corners of her mouth were stiff.
"The new tenant... Miss Cipher."
Jingliu repeated the words, her gaze lingering for a moment on Cipher's cat ears and clothing, which clearly did not belong to the common Xianzhou races. "I was rude just now. My apologies."
While speaking apologies, she took a step forward, closing the distance between herself and Cipher.
This step made the already uneasy atmosphere in the courtyard even more stagnant.
She didn't walk fully into the center of the courtyard but stopped at a position where she could observe the entire scene without appearing overly aggressive. However, the invisible pressure increased with her proximity.
"Speaking of which,"
Jingliu spoke again, her question now directed at the core issue. "Miss Cipher's speed just now... was very fast."
She paused, as if weighing her words. Her expression was obscured by the black veil, but the probing intent in her tone was clearly discernible. "May I ask where you studied? Do you hail from which Grotto-Heaven, or perhaps... another Xianzhou?"
Here it comes! Baiheng's heart tightened.
Jingliu really didn't let that point go!
She's inquiring about Cipher's background!
Any person of unknown origin possessing unique skills appearing on the Luofu would be enough to arouse this person's vigilance, let alone appearing in the home of "Bai Xing," whom she already suspected.
Cipher's reaction, however, was unexpectedly smooth.
She blinked her blue eyes, showed a hint of helplessness on her face, and spread her hands:
"Studied where? Nowhere, really. I just... wander around, making the four seas my home."
Her tone carried a hint of carefree acceptance. "I don't know what happened, but the starship I was on had a little problem, and I somehow drifted over to the Luofu. My travel funds were almost used up, and I happened to see the rental notice posted by Miss System. She's beautiful and kind-hearted, so she took me in temporarily."
As she spoke, she cast a grateful smile toward System, executing the performance flawlessly.
Jingliu slightly tilted her head and looked at System by the stone table.
System met Jingliu's gaze and nodded, confirming Cipher's statement. Her expression remained flat and calm, as if sheltering an unknown cat-eared girl was a trivial matter.
"...I see."
Jingliu's voice gave no indication whether she believed it or not.
She was silent for a moment, seemingly processing the information, or perhaps assessing the truthfulness of "Cipher's" words.
Baiheng seized this brief lull in silence, quickly trying to change the subject and break the suffocating atmosphere of interrogation. "Um... Miss Jingliu, how did you suddenly find time to visit my humble abode today? Are you... looking for me for something?"
Jingliu turned her head to Baiheng, her tone returning to its previous flatness. "I did not see Miss Baiheng setting up her stall today. Fearing that you might be experiencing some inconvenience, I stopped by to check on you."
(Stopped by? What a lie! Your residence, your stall, and this place are in three different directions!)
Baiheng complained internally, but on the surface, she could only muster a grateful smile. "Thank you for your concern! Nothing is wrong, I just... I was a little tired and wanted to rest for a couple of days."
"Oh?"
Jingliu's tone slightly rose. "Why the sudden closure? Did you encounter some difficulty?"
Her follow-up question seemed caring, but was actually still probing.
"Not exactly a difficulty..."
Baiheng's mind raced, trying hard to make the excuse sound plausible. "It's just... business hasn't been great recently, and I was a bit frustrated. I thought I'd just take a few days off to adjust, and also to..."
Her gaze swept over Cipher, "...settle in the new tenant."
Jingliu listened quietly, not responding immediately.
The small courtyard fell silent again, with only the faint rustling of the wind through the leaves.
After a few seconds, she slowly spoke: "I see."
Her tone was unreadable.
She seemed to accept the explanation for the time being, or at least wasn't going to press the issue openly.
Her gaze swept over the three people in the courtyard again, finally resting on Cipher.
"Since I was abrupt and startled Miss Cipher,"
Jingliu's voice came steady. "I should offer some compensation. Tomorrow afternoon, at the Exalting Sanctum Teahouse, I will prepare some simple tea to help Miss Cipher recover from the shock, and also as an apology. Would Miss Cipher do me the honor of attending?"
Her invitation sounded polite, but combined with her earlier probing, this compensation felt more like a pretext for closer interaction.
Baiheng's heart sank, realizing the situation was bad.
Jingliu was still suspicious and wanted to meet Cipher alone!
Given Cipher's erratic personality and lack of local knowledge, wouldn't a private meeting expose everything instantly?
Just as she was about to politely decline on Cipher's behalf, Cipher's cheerful voice rang out:
"Tea? Sounds great!"
Cipher seemed completely oblivious to the risks, her eyes lighting up with interest, as if all her previous grievances had vanished. "Perfect! I'm still unfamiliar with the Luofu! Having a local take me out for tea and a stroll would be wonderful! It's settled then, I'll definitely be there tomorrow afternoon!"
Jingliu nodded slightly. "I shall await you."
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