Chapter 52: At Least Ten

Meng Bai’s mind conjured up ten faces, each one marked with a question except for Zhang Gou.

Catching Zhang Gou would be simple enough, but rounding up all the others? That was a whole different story.

“So what do we do?” Meng Bai was genuinely stumped now.

She knew that on her own, nabbing those people would be next to impossible.

Miao Bai spoke up. “The former head of GM Engineering—a man surnamed Yue. He’s the real instigator behind all this.”

“Surnamed Yue? Do we know him?”

Miao Bai shook her head. “Never shown his face. He’s retired now, but he was up to no good for years before that.”

They’d never even laid eyes on him? How the hell were they supposed to catch him? This was way too hard!

Silence fell over the group.

They still had school, mountains of practice tests to grind through. If luck was on their side, they could land a spot at a good university and leave this place behind forever. They could just look the other way and let the whole mess fade into the background.

But what about down the line? Those future girls would be the ones suffering. It was a tough spot.

Meng Bai was the first to stand. “We know these guys exist now. We can’t just pretend they don’t.”

Zhou An jumped in. “They love gambling—big money, too. Take my deadbeat dad: he’s already deep in gambling debts, which is a crime on its own. But reporting that alone won’t cut it. Even if he ends up in prison, he won’t stay locked up long.”

Xu Zhou added, “What if we pile on the charges? Zhang Gou’s not just a gambler. Indecent assault on girls is bad enough, but he might even have blood on his hands—a murder case.”

The implications hung unspoken in the air. Tack on a murder rap to the rest, and it could mean life in prison… or the death penalty.

The four of them didn’t say another word, but a silent agreement passed between them.

The real hurdle? Evidence.

“What now?” Meng Bai asked again.

“Letting you all go for those tutoring sessions has to be part of some plan,” Miao Bai mused. “We’ll wait and see what they’re really after. In the meantime, I’ll gather what evidence I can.”

For a god, collecting evidence was child’s play compared to mortals.

She could turn invisible, slip through walls, hover right beside suspects without a hint of detection.

Who knew what secrets she might overhear?

But even gods had their limits.

The real world refused to acknowledge gods; they were formless nothings, lacking any official identity. All her “evidence” boiled down to “I heard this” or “I saw that”—nothing admissible in court.

Worse, thanks to those limits, any photos or videos Miao Bai took came out completely blank, though she had no idea why.

And video, photos—those were often the smoking gun.

That’s where humans came in.

So who would that human be?

“First, let’s run a test on the four of us.” Miao Bai pointed to Zhou An and Xu Zhou. “You two, come here.”

No one had a clue what she was planning, but they stepped forward without protest.

“I’ll see if I can make one of you go invisible.” Miao Bai raised her hand, fingertip aimed downward. Her slender fingers drew every eye.

“Invisible?” Zhou An’s eyes sparkled like she’d hit the jackpot. Could something this cool actually happen?

Miao Bai, though, said, “Xu Zhou, you first.”

Xu Zhou got into position and walked up to Miao Bai, only then realizing how tall she was—she had to crane her neck to meet her gaze. “How’s it work?”

“Hand out.”

Xu Zhou extended her palm obediently, and Miao Bai laid hers on top.

The simple touch made Meng Bai, standing nearby, press her lips together.

She watched them without blinking, hanging on every little detail.

All the while, a thought bubbled up: So Miao Bai holds other girls’ hands too. And so damn naturally.

Why did that leave such a sour taste in her chest?

The bitterness lingered when a sudden gust whipped up around them.

Leaves rustled across the ground in a rhythmic scrape, spiraling into a mini tornado that swirled through the air, on the verge of engulfing Xu Zhou.

“My God—” Xu Zhou’s voice tangled in the wind. “Miao—Miao Bai, your hand—it’s burning hot!”

Hotter and hotter, until Xu Zhou’s head swam.

At the last second, Miao Bai cut it off. “Doesn’t seem to work. I can’t hide you.” She turned to Zhou An. “Your turn, Zhou An.”

Hearing her full name made Zhou An perk up obediently. She shuffled forward and even offered her hand first.

Meng Bai’s heart plummeted.

What was this weird feeling? Why test them before her?

Miao Bai wasted no time, repeating the motion. Zhou An’s body heated up, leaves whirled a few times… and nothing else.

Miao Bai pulled back, deflated. “You don’t work either, Zhou An.”

Now it was Meng Bai’s turn to itch for it. She didn’t wait for an invitation, stepping right up. “Me next?”

Miao Bai nodded.

Meng Bai held out her hand, palm up, waiting.

Seconds ticked by. Nothing.

Puzzled, Meng Bai glanced up—and locked eyes with Miao Bai’s deep, fathomless gaze.

Meng Bai: “?”

Miao Bai: “……”

Meng Bai: “What’s up?”

Did she not want to? Was Meng Bai the exception? If so, just say it!

She started to draw back, but Miao Bai’s fingers brushed hers. In a flash, Meng Bai flipped her grip, lacing their fingers tight.

Like snagging a slippery fish before it could dart away.

The whole thing took maybe two seconds.

Zhou An and Xu Zhou stared, dumbfounded.

Wasn’t it supposed to be palm-to-palm? How’d Meng Bai turn it into full-on hand-holding?

This wasn’t looking like an invisibility test anymore. More like something straight out of a romance flick.

And the vibe between them…

It was totally different!!!!!

“I’m starting,” Miao Bai said. Her fingertip traced lightly over Meng Bai’s hand.

Leaves took flight once more. Wind howled, blades spinning wildly until they nearly buried the pair.

The world dissolved into roaring gusts, vision plunging into darkness.

Miao Bai vanished first. Then Meng Bai.

Zhou An’s face twisted in shock. “Holy shit!!! They’re both invisible!!!!!”

Xu Zhou gaped. “They’re gone for real. What the hell?”

Zhou An spun in a circle. “Why couldn’t it be me? I wanna go invisible too!”

Before this, Xu Zhou had still harbored a sliver of doubt, but the scene unfolding before her eyes completely shattered her worldview.

It was beyond imagination—frankly, so fantastical that it bordered on terrifying…

~~~

Meng Bai, now in the invisible world, stood right in front of Zhou An and waved her hand.

“Zhou An? Zhou An?”

Zhou An’s expression was utterly lifelike, but her eyes were vacant, sightless, as she mumbled under her breath, “Xu Zhou, where did those two go? When are they coming back?”

“I’m right here in front of you.” Meng Bai reached out to poke Zhou An, only for her finger to pass straight through Zhou An’s body.

!!!!!

The sensation was utterly magical.

Disbelieving, Meng Bai reached out and poked Miao Bai next.

“Huh? But I can poke you!”

Miao Bai looked at her in bewilderment. “Silly, we’re in the same world. Those two are in a different one.”

“Oh, got it. But why can’t they go invisible, while I can enter your world?”

Miao Bai didn’t reply—the answer seemed obvious enough, and she had no idea why Meng Bai was even asking.

Meng Bai pressed on. “Why, though?”

“Because you like me, so you can enter my world. This is my world.”

In a flash, Meng Bai’s face turned beet red. “Uh—does that actually work?”

Liking her came with way too many privileges.

Their eyes met, and Meng Bai was so flustered she had no idea how to respond.

“Alright.” Miao Bai looked away first. “Let’s head back.”

Back to Zhou An’s world, that is.

“Wait.”

“What is it?”

“Um.” Meng Bai’s throat tickled with nerves. “I want to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Why was I last just now?”

Miao Bai blinked in confusion. “Last how?”

“When invisibility picked me, and you were holding hands with the others—why was I the last one? Shouldn’t I have been first?”

Her unspoken gripe: Why did you touch the other girls’ hands before mine?

Only after the words left her mouth did she realize how ridiculous they sounded. And to think she was even jealous of Zhou An.

Why on earth did she feel such fierce possessiveness toward Miao Bai?

“Never mind, it’s nothing.” Meng Bai backpedaled. “Okay, let’s go back.”

Miao Bai’s lips curved upward almost imperceptibly. “Didn’t expect you to care so much about that.”

“A little.” Meng Bai shifted awkwardly. “Eh, not really. It’s fine. Come on, let’s go.”

“Close your eyes. I’ll figure out how to get us back.”

Meng Bai obediently shut her eyes.

The moment she did, Miao Bai naturally leaned down to gaze at her.

They were already standing close, and this nearness felt even more peculiar. Miao Bai couldn’t resist stealing a longer look.

Up close, Meng Bai’s lashes were beautifully curled, her cheeks flushed with a shy, youthful pink.

She stared for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, Miao Bai found her utterly adorable.

“Alright, taking you back.”

She took Meng Bai’s hand, the warmth of her palm quickly seeping through. Wind rustled the leaves around them, and before long, Zhou An’s voice rang out:

“She really went invisible? What if she can’t come back? How much longer?”

“Hey, hey, hey—they’re back!” Zhou An clutched her chest. “Holy shit! For real?”

Meng Bai slipped her hand free from Miao Bai’s grasp. “We were right next to you the whole time, but you couldn’t see us or hear me talk.”

“That gave me a scare! Way cooler than any magic trick! So why can you go invisible and we can’t?”

True to form as best friends, they asked the exact same first question.

Meng Bai cringed in embarrassment for the second time.

Why? She sure as hell couldn’t tell Zhou An that!

She deftly changed the subject. “Anyway, now you know I can go invisible.” Turning to Miao Bai, she asked, “So what’s the ultimate goal here? Why let me go invisible?”

“To gather evidence.” Miao Bai explained, “I can go invisible, but I can’t collect proof on my own. Any photos or videos I take with the camera in my hands come out blank. That’s why I need someone with me to handle the shooting.”

“Shooting what?”

“No idea yet.” Miao Bai frowned faintly. “It’s a new experiment—we’ll find out as we go. Starting today, we’ll tail them more often and watch their daily routines.”

Meng Bai’s heart pounded faster.

If that was the plan, did it mean more time spent alone with Miao Bai?

But in the next breath, Miao Bai dashed her hopes. “That said, you’re a student. School comes first. For now, we’ll limit it to one weekend day of tracking. The rest of the time, I’ll handle it solo.”

“No, I want to go with you.”

There was an oddly wheedling lilt to Meng Bai’s voice.

Almost like… she was whining?

Zhou An shot Meng Bai a knowing look but held her tongue, though the glee in her eyes was barely contained.

Miao Bai refused point-blank. “No. Focus on your classes.”

“I’ll come find you after school. I blast through homework faster than anyone—no one’s quicker.”

“Ew~~~” Zhou An couldn’t hold back. “Little Meng, if you wanna tag along with her, just say so. No need to beat around the bush.”

“As if!” Meng Bai shot Zhou An a glare, silently telling her to zip it, then turned back to Miao Bai. “Don’t let senior year 3 fool you—I can make time. Not just weekends. I can come every single day.”

Miao Bai said nothing, just watched her, one eyebrow arched in that half-smile that seemed to say: What’s next?

Meng Bai’s stomach twisted. What did that look even mean?

She poked Miao Bai’s arm. “Say something! Yes or no?”

Miao Bai finally relented. “Fine.”

“You mean it?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Meng Bai exhaled in relief and glanced back at Zhou An and Xu Zhou.

Only to find them wearing those intriguing expressions again.

“What!! Why are you two staring at me like that?”

Zhou An shrugged. “Dunno how to put it, uh… it’s tricky.”

Meng Bai turned to Xu Zhou. “You say it then, Xu Zhou.”

Xu Zhou’s eyes flickered evasively before dropping to the ground. She stammered, “Uh, I-I-I don’t really know how to say it either.”

Meng Bai: “?”

Xu Zhou: “Anyway, we’ve hashed this out enough. Can we get going now?”

Meng Bai: “No rush. Stay a little longer—just a bit.”

Zhou An looked up at the sky, her eyes rolling back in her head so hard they nearly vanished into her skull. Lowering her voice, she whispered to Xu Zhou, “Xu Zhou, just look at her cheap, worthless appearance!”