Ling Shaomiao slowly opened her eyes.
Her head still felt heavy, and her vision was a little blurred. For a few seconds she didn't move—she just lay there silently, trying to steady her breathing.
Then she gradually realized—she was still lying on the sofa.
The room was as quiet as before. The pale afternoon light streamed through the windows, and a few lamps glowed softly in the room.
Ling Shaomiao quickly collected herself, but she did not sit up. Instead, keeping her eyes half-open, she remained lying down as before, as if she had not fully regained consciousness.
Just then, a calm voice floated to her ears.
"Miss Nightshade," Mrs. Wilson—or rather, Aman in the guise of Mrs. Wilson—said softly,
"It's not good for you to drink beer." She stood by the table, gazing at the glass.
A faint smile appeared on her lips. "You lose control very easily."
"You were just saying I wanted to go home… oh… what exactly do you want from me?"
Ling Shaomiao pondered inwardly, "Have I accidentally revealed anything important?" A soft wave of fear crept into her mind.
At that moment, Ling Shaomiao asked in a quiet voice, "What time is it now?"
Aman, disguised as Mrs. Wilson, answered slowly, "It's ten o'clock."
Ling Shaomiao hurried to leave.
"Sit down and have some dinner, Miss Nightshade," Aman in disguise said.
Ling Shaomiao realized she could refuse—if the parasite Aman had wanted to harm her, it could have done so while she was asleep.
The darkness of night was gradually deepening. As Ling Shaomiao entered the room, Aman in the guise of Mrs. Wilson took her hand and led her to the table. The table was arranged perfectly—the soft light from the lamp flickered gently, and the scattered rose petals on the table released a faint fragrance.
"Please sit, Miss Nightshade," Aman in disguise said. "I've prepared some light food for you today."
Ling Shaomiao sat in the chair and spoke softly, "Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. Did you really go to so much trouble?"
Mrs. Wilson laughed and said, "It's nothing grand. I just thought a new neighbor like you deserved a little welcome."
Ling Shaomiao's eyes flickered with a slight surprise as she looked at the food arranged on the table.
In the center of the table was a small bowl of creamy mushroom soup, beside it a juicy roasted chicken fillet with a light lemon sauce. On one side were grilled vegetables—broccoli, bell peppers, and clams—shimmering with fresh color. On the other side was a plate of small rolls and crispy bread.
Ling Shaomiao took a sip of the soup and said, "Oh, this is really delicious. Your cooking seems very skilled." In her mind she added, Did she work as a chef at a restaurant, or did she steal this skill from someone?
"Thank you," Mrs. Wilson said. "If you like, I can share the recipe."
Ling Shaomiao smiled and said, "I just want to taste it. I won't steal any secret recipes."
"Do you usually stay up so late by yourself?" Ling Shaomiao asked softly.
"Yes," Mrs. Wilson answered slowly, a faint smile glinting in her eyes.
Ling Shaomiao smiled gently, "Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Wilson. I truly enjoyed it."
Then she got up from the table and slowly walked toward the door.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Wilson. I hope we meet again," Ling Shaomiao said politely.
Mrs. Wilson waved in reply, "Goodbye, Miss Nightshade. Remember, never stay out alone too late."
Ling Shaomiao closed the door and stepped outside, a gentle breeze playing with her hair. She thought to herself that tonight had been strangely pleasant and peaceful.
"But no matter how much you feed me, I will have to kill you with deception, parasite Aman," Ling Shaomiao whispered silently to herself.
---
She opened the door and entered the house. Ling Shaomiao planned to go to the jewelry store tomorrow, and also to fix her camera. She also thought about subscribing to the Backlund Morning Post.
But a worry gnawed at her—she didn't know exactly what had happened after drinking the beer. Well, maybe the system can help me, she told herself, and picked up her phone. Instantly, the blue-skinned girl appeared before her.
Ling Shaomiao looked at the girl and said, "I want to know what happened to me after I drank the beer."
The girl said calmly, "You must accept the next task from the system."
"Yes, I will accept it. Tell me what I need to do," Ling Shaomiao said bravely.
"Attend the Tarot meeting," the girl instructed.
Ling Shaomiao told herself, If I attend the Tarot meeting, the novel will not be distorted. Then she smiled and said, "Yes, I will accept it."
The blue-skinned girl played a video. Ling Shaomiao clicked on it and saw—she was speaking in a drunken state in the middle of the video, saying, "I want to go home."
At that moment, the parasite Aman asked, "Where is your home?"
Ling Shaomiao laughed and replied, "You wouldn't recognize it… oh… what do you want?"
"Who wants what?" the parasite Aman asked, curious.
"I want…" Ling Shaomiao laughed and stopped. Then she began singing a song in the Ruwen language, and within moments fell asleep.
At the same time, a crow flew to the parasite Aman.
"Who is that?" the crow asked.
"A new neighbor," Aman said in a slow voice.
The parasite Aman and the crow slowly moved to another room.
Ling Shaomiao breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, Finally, everything is peaceful…
But her mind kept turning with another thought—this time she would have to pray to Klein. Yet she wondered what excuse she could give for the prayer.
She asked the blue-skinned girl, "What can I call you?"
"You can call me any Ms. Assistant," the little girl said.
Ling Shaomiao smiled faintly, "Alright, then I will call you Ms. Assistant."
The little girl answered in a calm voice, "Alright."
Ling Shaomiao woke up. The soft light of the morning sun came through the window and fell on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up in bed, yawning for a long time.
Then she looked at the clock next to her. It was exactly eight in the morning. It seemed like she had slept so well after a long time.
After a while, she went out and went to the small garden. She carefully watered the flowers there. The scent of flowers wafted through the cool morning air, which made her feel a little lighter.
Then she went back home, took a shower, and had a simple breakfast.
After breakfast, she sat in front of the work table. A white and yellow gown was placed in front of her. Ling Shaomiao patiently put small beads on the gown for more than two hours. The dress gradually became more and more dazzling.
When the clock struck eleven, she stopped working.
Ling Shaomiao picked up the old camera from the table and took a few pearls from the box. They had to be verified to be genuine.
Putting everything in her bag, she closed the door and walked to a jewelry store in Cherwood Borough.
She pushed the door open and entered the jewelry store. The small brass bell hanging on the door made a faint sound—ting.
The inside of the store was quite tidy and bright. Inside large glass display cases, various types of jewelry were arranged—gold rings, silver bracelets, pearl necklaces, and small jeweled pendants. Under each piece of jewelry, small cards were written with the price and a brief description.
On dark wooden shelves along the wall, velvet boxes were placed, which seemed to hide even more expensive jewelry. The warm yellow light hanging overhead cast a shimmering reflection on the glass, as if the entire room was filled with a soft golden glow.
A middle-aged shopkeeper stood behind the counter. He was wearing a crisp white shirt and black vest, thin-framed glasses. He was examining a ring with a small loupe.
Hearing the doorbell ring, he looked up. "Welcome, miss. Can I help you in any way?"
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