“Is… it you?!”
Chloe tilted her little head, her eyes wide in shock, mouth agape. This expression froze on her bruised and battered little face, making her look particularly comical.
Ashley watched with great interest from up close.
“You nearly got me killed! And I got beaten because of you! I swear I’ll never forgive you!”
Snapping back to reality, Chloe shrieked hysterically.
She lay sprawled in the puddle, grinding her little teeth. Humiliation, pain, resentment, grief— a torrent of intense and complex emotions surged through her heart.
Whether from soaking in the icy muddy water or from the shock, her small body trembled nonstop. It was a wretched shiver, like a drenched cat pulled from the water, tail tucked between its legs, shaking violently.
“You know, right now you’re at your cutest. You’re not cute at all other times.”
Ashley reached out and pinched her cheek.
“Don’t touch me! Remember this—I won’t let you off easy! The moment I get back, I’ll report on your twisted, perverted relationship with that girl! The little princess of a criminal family and a murderous loli ghost—hee hee, what a perfect match!”
“You didn’t seriously think that would hurt us, did you?” Ashley spread her hands.
“We’ll see about that!”
At that moment, the parrot transformed into a scurrying chicken, clucking loudly as it dashed over. It snatched the black cloth bag from the reporter loli’s pocket in its beak, gripped the plump rat with its claws, deftly undid the slipknot, and prepared to enjoy its little snack.
“No,” Ashley stopped Sasha. “It’s had enough bad luck. Let it get lucky this once. I’ll buy you a roast chicken later.”
The kindhearted loli released the rat.
Today, Ashley’s compassion was overflowing. She bent down to scoop up the reporter loli and carry her away.
“What are you doing?! Put me down!” Chloe screamed, utterly ungrateful.
This act of condescending pity delivered the final blow to her already crumbling pride. She could almost hear the sound of glass shattering all around her.
“You can’t stand up anymore. Soaking in cold water like this, after three hours your body temperature will drop too low, leading to heart and lung failure and death. If something happens to you, I’ll be responsible.” Ashley said seriously.
“I don’t need your pity! Who are you pretending to be, a good person?! You’re an accomplice to a murderer! A born villain with evil blood running through your veins! Your life’s over! You’ll be a bad person forever! Hmph!”
She ended with an arrogant huff to preserve her dignity, then twisted desperately, shoving at Ashley’s chest with all her might to break free.
“Hmm…”
Ashley thought for a moment, walked to a larger puddle, and with a splash—tossed her in.
She got what she wished for.
“What are you doing?!” Chloe was utterly confused, unable to comprehend her actions.
“I’m prettier than you, and talking to a prettier loli like that is unforgivable. You must be jealous of me.” Ashley glanced aside and said wistfully.
“Aaaahhh!”
Chloe flailed in the puddle, limbs thrashing. She was on the verge of madness.
Fortunately, Ashley didn’t go too far. She called the newspaper’s coachman, who took the drenched Chloe back in the carriage.
–
The two Arland Gang members supported each other, hugging the wall as they shuffled forward slowly.
“This isn’t over…”
“The Arland Gang has never feared anyone…”
“Blood debt must be paid in blood…”
“I’ll use a saw to slowly cut off her little legs, so she has to walk with wooden ones afterward. She can hollow out the wooden leg and fill it with candy…”
As they spat their vicious threats, at the mouth of the alley ahead, a lanky young man leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
He wore a black beaver felt duckbill cap. His frock coat and fitted trousers accentuated his slender frame. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing large patches of bruised pores on his arms and a bizarre tattoo of worms devouring a skull.
“Do you think showing up empty-handed to see my cousin would be too rude?”
The young man turned to look at them.
The two Arland Gang members exchanged glances. Is he talking to us?
“Though as gifts, you’re not quite up to par, you can at least serve as stickers on the wrapping.”
The young man’s eyes were coldly profound, his pupils two eerie white crosses. Staring too long, his entire face seemed to blur, the pupils merging into the deep, soft backdrop of the night sky, becoming two unremarkable stars among the myriad.
“The spirituality scattered across the human world will ultimately return to the celestial canopy.”
His voice was clear and distant, as if he were immersed in his own vast yet lonely world, reciting poetry.
His five fingers spread forward as if to seize something, then suddenly clenched back!
“‘Lost Paradise’!”
The two Arland Gang members watched in horror as the shadows beneath their feet came alive, exploding outward several times larger, writhing wildly. From the edges slithered black shadow snakes, which swam a short distance before dissipating.
Though they sensed something vital slipping away irretrievably, the more they tried to grasp it, the more bewildered they became. In the end, their minds went blank.
The world before them turned familiar yet alien. They couldn’t remember who they were or where they were—their long-formed sense of self had collapsed, leaving only the primal ‘ego’ standing lost amid the ruins.
Finally, they even forgot how to walk upright. Like monkeys, they squatted and shuffled forward, swinging their arms, curiously touching anything that caught their interest.
The snakes converged, carrying flecks of white soft light. The white crosses in the young man’s pupils shone even brighter.
–
Today, Ashley was dressed very formally. Her top was a silver-red riding jacket with white lace lapels, paired with a long black skirt below, and soft, comfortable lambskin shoes. She looked elegant and charming, like an independent little princess.
This outfit had cost her a full 40 pounds—quite painful. But once she grew taller, she could sell it and recoup half the money, provided it stayed in good condition.
She had also spent 5 pounds on a set of high-end stationery.
For a bookish girl like Amber, fancy stationery was always a safe gift.
But unexpectedly, Amber didn’t accept it. She looked at the blue-haired loli with extremely complex eyes.
Having recovered from the initial discomfort of the first few days, she had gradually accepted that Ashley was a lying little trickster loli. But she desperately wanted to know what lay beneath the layers of lies—what kind of person Ashley really was, and how she truly saw her. No matter what, she had to know.
Every day brought endless irritation and anxiety, constant torment, sleepless nights with tear-soaked pillows. She wanted to scream at her—Just give it to me straight! Don’t make me suffer anymore. Let me give up, or let me go wild like I hit the jackpot!
“What’s wrong, don’t you like it? Sorry, I assumed you’d like it and picked your hobby for you. I wanted to surprise you, so I didn’t ask… It’s fine, I can return it at full price. Don’t feel any pressure, or I’ll be sad.” Ashley switched to the demeanor of a well-bred young lady.
“Ashley, are you approaching me because you want to get into the Tribunal, or because you want to be friends?” Amber mustered her courage and asked, forcing herself to meet the other’s eyes.
No way? She’s grown a brain? Ashley was startled.
“I want to walk in openly, not through backdoor connections. Even if you pulled strings for me, I’d refuse. That question doesn’t even exist.” Ashley declared righteously.
Amber fell back into doubt. That was true—Ashley had asked about official channels and hadn’t avoided the teachers. Calling that exploitation would be an insult.
“Amber, the reason I turned good is because that day, your courage overwhelmed my evil. You grabbed me, and in doing so, saved me—a soul on the brink of the abyss. Even if you distance yourself, I’ll always remember this kindness and humbly wait for a chance to repay it, like the little fox’s gratitude. How about I turn good for you?”
Ashley’s tone was soft, brimming with heartfelt sincerity.
“No, no… That’s not what I meant… Sorry…”
Amber’s heart trembled. She waved her hands frantically, beginning to doubt herself.
Ashley pursed her lips in a sneaky smile. Hmph, useless dummy loli. You deserve to be toyed with.
