As a swordsman, Yunli believed this wasn't her imagination. But after observing for a long while and finding no clues, she could only give up helplessly for now. Just as she was about to warn Mo Xin to wait, Mo Xin had already reached the entrance of the residential complex.
Looking back, she noticed Yunli was still dazed in place. Mo Xin waved her hand and said, "Don't just stand there, we're almost there. Once we finish up early, we can go..."
Then, her words abruptly cut off mid-sentence, and Mo Xin vanished at the entrance of the complex.
Witnessing this, Yunli's expression turned to shock. Her half-raised hand froze in mid-air, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of self-reproach. She had been too focused on the anomalies of the complex; she was a step too late after all.
However, Yunli didn't lose her cool.
'There really is something wrong with this complex. Is it... an illusion? Doesn't seem like it.'
After a brief analysis of the current situation, Yunli thought about how this girl had treated her to a meal and bought her candied hawthorn not long ago...
Yunli: (;o_o)
"Sigh, being your friend is such a hassle. I guess it's just my bad luck to have met you."
Yunli shook her head and then took a few steps into the complex. As expected, her figure also disappeared. Looking in from the outside, the silent complex was shrouded in a mysterious veil, showing no signs of abnormality. It was like a forgotten corner, with no way for anyone to know if someone had ever been there...
"Let's go, this way!"
Seeing that Yunli had finally followed, Mo Xin continued to lead the way. It seemed she was completely unaware of the situation she had fallen into. Yunli didn't leave immediately; instead, she stayed where she was. She tried to leave the complex directly through the entrance, but to her surprise, the moment she stepped out, she inexplicably found herself back inside the complex.
'As I thought, it's not that simple. So, this is an isolated space.'
Yunli looked thoughtful, considering their current predicament. She didn't mind for herself, but the problem was the person behind her.
'Ugh, not knowing anything is so frustrating! If I'd known, I wouldn't have been so impulsive. I should have just called Acheron over to use her ultimate... No, if she actually slashed down, there'd be nothing left to come for. Besides... there isn't a single reliable person around, so I'll just have to take it one step at a time!'
Yunli scratched her head in annoyance, eventually letting out a helpless sigh. Seeing the girl's distressed expression, Mo Xin thought she just disliked the environment here. She could only chuckle softly and say, "Don't worry, this will be quick. I've already made an appointment with the landlord to check the place! We should be able to leave in no time."
Mo Xin: ヾ(＾.^*)
Yunli 눈_눈:' ...Leave quickly? In your dreams! If you weren't such a decent person, I wouldn't bother with you, let alone get dragged into this kind of mess! But things have already come to this; complaining is useless. I'll just blame it on my own sense of justice. It'll be much easier to just be a villain or something in the future.'
Yunli shook her head, pushing aside those strange thoughts. Seeing Mo Xin about to head off again while she wasn't looking, Yunli hurriedly pulled her back. This sudden development made Mo Xin both pleasantly surprised and curious.
"Why the sudden urge to hold hands? Don't worry, I..."
"Don't talk. From now on, just stay quiet and wait until I'm finished before asking any questions."
Not wanting to hear Mo Xin's nonsense, Yunli decisively stood on her tiptoes and covered her mouth. Feeling the delicate touch on her lips, Mo Xin froze for a moment and nodded subconsciously. Seeing this, Yunli released her hand and spoke with a serious expression.
"Listen carefully. There's something wrong with this complex, but I haven't found the source yet. So, no matter what happens next, you must not stray too far from my side. Alright, do you understand?"
Mo Xin: ✪ω✪
Yunli stood with her hands on her hips, her delicate face wearing a forced, authoritative seriousness. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and there was a hint of stubbornness in her eyes. However, her small frame and youthful expression made it truly difficult to take her "powerful" aura seriously.
'Could this be the legendary tsundere? Is Yunli trying to get closer to me in her own way?'
Feeling like she had seen through everything, Mo Xin's eyes sparkled, and she instinctively wanted to pat the other's head.
Yunli: ♦ฺ(◣д◢)♦ฺ
A flush appeared on Yunli's cheeks, but it wasn't from shyness—she was starting to boil with anger. How could she not see that the other person hadn't taken her words to heart at all? Especially since Mo Xin was now inexplicably reaching out to pat her head. She was seething, truly seething. Yunli felt a rare surge of irritation.
'...Whew~ forget it. Mo Xin doesn't understand the other side of the world, so why should I get worked up over this with her?'
Yunli quickly suppressed the agitation in her heart. But when Mo Xin noticed that Yunli didn't pull away, she immediately assumed she was right, and her hand movements became even more bold.
Yunli: （╯‵□′）╯︵┴─┴
After pushing the restless hand away, Mo Xin thought she had been too hasty. She immediately apologized sincerely, "Sorry, Yunli. It felt so nice that I just did it without thinking... I'll be more careful next time."
To this, Yunli couldn't even be bothered to retort.
"Mo Xin! I'm not joking with you, something is very wrong here!"
This time, Yunli intentionally emphasized her tone, and even Mo Xin realized something was off. 'Yunli seems... like she's not joking?' Seeing her repeat it once more with extreme seriousness, Mo Xin immediately took a careful look around. Usually, she wouldn't pay much attention to the details of the complex, and she truly couldn't see anything unusual. It was silent all around them, with not a single person in sight.
'What's wrong? It's not like someone is spying on us with binoculars, right?'
Finding nothing, Mo Xin looked down at Yunli and asked in confusion, "There's nothing wrong. Yunli, are you mistaken?"
Having found no issues, Mo Xin even began to wonder if Yunli was having a bout of chuunibyou. After all, with that cosplay outfit of hers... yeah, it certainly fit the profile.
"Forget it, I'm too lazy to explain. Why don't you try walking out of the complex entrance yourself?"
Having said that, Yunli crossed her arms, wearing a look as if she were waiting for a show to start. (¬‿¬) After all, facts were much more powerful than any explanation, and she didn't feel like hiding it from her anyway. Or should she bear everything alone like in an anime? Forget it. Not only would she have to constantly worry about being found out, but she'd also have to come up with excuses. In the end, she'd be the one exhausted and racking her brains.
Mo Xin looked suspiciously back toward the direction they came from, then at Yunli. Her gaze seemed to say, 'That's it?' (´･ω･) She suddenly felt like laughing, her shoulders trembling slightly. But she still forced a serious tone and said, "Alright, alright, I'll go, okay? Or maybe you should just wait for me here; I'll be done very quickly upstairs."
Mo Xin spoke as she turned toward the entrance, fearing she wouldn't be able to hold back her laughter otherwise. Now, she was even more certain—though she hadn't pegged Yunli as a "chuuni" loli along the way, she simply assumed she didn't like the environment.
By this time, Mo Xin had reached the complex entrance, just one step away from leaving. However, before taking that final step, she suddenly looked back and smiled. "Watch closely, Yunli. I'm about to fulfill your request."
Mo Xin chuckled softly, then calmly prepared to take the step.
Yunli 눈_눈: Yeah, yeah, sure. Let's see how you handle the aftermath in a moment.
The smile on Mo Xin's face was uncontrollable as she leisurely lifted her foot and took that final step. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Yunli. You..."
Her words cut off halfway. The smile she had been struggling to hold back suddenly froze, like an animation hit with a pause button. That smile was stuck on her face as if time itself had stopped. Because having just stepped out, Mo Xin, who hadn't even had time to turn around, was stunned in place.
At this moment, she was staring in shock and disbelief at the extremely familiar, pretty face before her.
Yunli (¬‿¬): "Mm, I'm waiting."