Organizing the notes and music scores took Wang Yue a significant amount of time.
However, she enjoyed the work. It gave her a chance to leaf through the romantic “dog food” Joanna and Maxine had left behind in their diaries.
The rest of the story was simple.
Maxine had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
To ensure she could remain by Joanna’s side even after death and help her lover realize her dreams, Maxine had selected a portion of her vital memories. She encoded them onto punched tapes and stored them within the Clockwork Heart.
The Clockwork Heart would click and whir, its mechanical sounds serving as the tender, melodic whispers of a lover to accompany the aging musician.
Hundreds of complex mechanical arms acted as Maxine’s hands, building puppets to house the Transcendent Melody, gathering resources, and managing the Demon Realm. It was only after Joanna passed away that the device fell into chaos, attempting to maintain its own internal logic.
Wang Yue followed the trail of mechanical arms until she stood before the Clockwork Heart. She couldn’t help but admire the sheer, exquisite complexity of the machine.
Maxine was undoubtedly a genius.
However, it was no longer the original Clockwork Heart. To satisfy Joanna’s abnormal obsession with the Transcendent Melody, the machine had used “Deduction” to derive new melodic combinations, turning itself into a terrifying monster.
The vast body of research Joanna had left behind was a scarlet melody built upon the screams, blood, and tears of young girls.
Wang Yue pulled the blueprints for the Clockwork Heart from the old leather suitcase. The ink had faded with time, so she used witchcraft to re-ink the lines. Once they were dry, she began the process of repairing the device.
First, she reached into the heart’s chamber and pulled out a thick reel of old, perforated paper tape. These were Maxine’s memories.
After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Yue consigned them to the flames of her magic.
With that, the Clockwork Heart became a mindless machine. It could no longer operate autonomously; it could only be controlled through the Control Console.
At that moment, the mist stirred. Medeili entered directly from the town, carrying a tray. On it sat a bowl of hot porridge and a small jar of her specially made pickled plums.
Wang Yue immediately hopped down from the high platform.
“Thank you. I love it.”
The porridge was made from wild rice and had a mild, clean flavor.
This world didn’t have cultivated rice, only wild grains that grew in marshes and lakes.
The pickles, however, were handmade by Little Plum, and they were delicious.
Wang Yue scooped a spoonful of pickles into her mouth. She paused mid-chew when she noticed Medeili stealing glances at her.
The two were barely a meter apart, yet Medeili kept her lashes low, only lifting her eyes occasionally to peek at Wang Yue before quickly looking away, as if she had a guilty conscience.
Wang Yue found it amusing.
Though Little Plum’s feelings were complex and awkward—torn between fear and longing—Wang Yue was patient. She was willing to wait a day, two days, or even years. She wanted to smooth out the rough edges of their relationship slowly, ensuring the entire process was filled with pleasure and warmth.
As Wang Yue ate, a bit of moisture from the pickles glistened on her thin lips. Medeili’s gaze seemed drawn to them like a magnet, fixating on her mouth.
Noticing the reaction, Wang Yue’s eyes twinkled with mischief. She extended her small, pink tongue and lightly swept it across her upper lip.
At the sight, Medeili trembled. She bowed her head even lower, her expression hidden, though the tips of her ears turned a bright, vivid crimson amidst her hair.
The corners of Wang Yue’s mouth curled upward. Mmm.
She seemed to understand something now.
Finishing her porridge, Wang Yue set down the spoon and spoke. “Little Plum, I’ve found a way to counter the Summoning.”
She then explained everything she had discovered within the Demon Realm.
“That’s wonderful! How do we take the Demon Realm back with us?” Medeili asked, her voice filled with pleasant surprise.
“The Demon Realm can move through spatial layers. It’s slow—about ten kilometers per hour. It’ll take about two days to reach the Academy from here. We can keep the Chameleon vehicle inside and bring it along.”
“Shall we leave now?” Medeili asked.
“There’s no rush. Let’s rest for half a day first. I just had surgery,” Wang Yue suggested after a moment’s thought. “Let’s head into town. We haven’t seen all of Full Moon Town yet. It would be a pity to leave like this.”
“Alright!” Medeili agreed readily.
Medeili needed the rest as well. Her nerves had been stretched thin over the past few days, her emotions swinging wildly. Right now, she didn’t want to do anything complicated; she just wanted to perform simple, rehabilitative actions—walking, drinking water, swinging her arms…
What warmed her heart was that ever since her “protest,” Wang Yue hadn’t made any more “aggressive” moves.
Though Medeili knew she would have endured and even played along if Wang Yue had insisted—she wouldn’t run away anymore; she would try her best to meet her halfway—Wang Yue hadn’t forced the issue.
Medeili’s face flushed. She felt a bit devious for thinking that way.
***
On the town streets.
Medeili stole another glance at Wang Yue. They walked neither too close nor too far apart.
A distance of half a meter to a full meter was the most comfortable. It didn’t look overly intimate, but it didn’t seem distant either.
It had just finished raining. The Stone Path of the town was glazed with water, and a few icy droplets still danced on the wind, sending a chill against their skin.
The two chatted idly, enjoying the beauty of each other’s company.
When they passed a clothing boutique, Wang Yue stopped and pointed. “Let’s buy some clothes.”
They had left the school in such a hurry that they were only wearing their everyday uniforms. Buying some new outfits seemed like a great idea.
They entered the shop, and the glass doors shut out the cold wind.
Medeili chose a blue refined-cotton dress. The hem was lined with white “cloud-edges,” making the skirt look like fluffy clouds drifting in the sunlight.
She also picked out a pair of white stockings, though her expression betrayed a brief struggle as she wondered if she should wear them in town. Such things got dirty easily; even a few drops of mud would leave annoying stains that were hard to wash out perfectly.
But Wang Yue seems to like clean, cute things… I’ll wear them.
Finally, she chose a pair of soft, gray suede shoes with delicate, pointed toes.
After changing, Medeili stepped out of the fitting room. Her eyes immediately landed on Wang Yue, who was leaning against the counter, looking entirely transformed.
The black-haired girl had applied subtle smoky eye makeup. Her dark eyes appeared cold and detached, yet the way her eyeliner swept upward added a touch of thickness and allure.
With her hair styled in a sharp, textured bob, two completely different temperaments—apathy and seduction—blended together with striking intensity.
Further down, the contours of her nose and lips were exquisitely defined. The gloss on her lips highlighted their shape, which, combined with her slender neck and prominent collarbones against her pale skin, created a look that was both aloof and desperately in need of love.
Wang Yue hadn’t chosen a frilly dress. Instead, she wore a striped shirt under a small jacket, paired with dark hot pants that revealed her elastic, energetic legs. She finished the look with gray wool socks and Martin boots.
Medeili’s mouth hung open. She stood frozen for a full ten seconds. This image—simultaneously cold and alluring—shattered her mental defenses instantly. Her Pounding Heart lived up to its name, thudding so hard against her ribs that it actually hurt.
Ahhh…
Her internal monologue was reduced to a series of endless screams.
Wang Yue took her change from the clerk, her expression calm. Acting as if she had “just thrown something on,” she began to walk toward the exit.
After a few steps, she stopped and looked back at Medeili. “What’s wrong?”
The orange-haired girl snapped out of her daze and hurried to catch up.
Neither of them spoke as they strolled down the ancient Stone Path. The breeze brought with it the fresh scent of the world after a rain.
Wang Yue silently counted the number of times Medeili peeked at her. One, two, three… Ah, she lost count.
By the end, Medeili didn’t even bother to hide it. She just stared blankly, mesmerized.
Wang Yue was laughing hysterically on the inside. Exactly. She wanted to tempt her cute Little Plum, to make her suffer the sweet torment of desire until she couldn’t eat or sleep. Eventually, Medeili would have no choice but to slowly peel away her shell of shyness and offer up her sweet, tender fruit for Wang Yue to taste.
