Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

After confirming that there were no more suspicious figures behind her, Linlang deliberately lingered at the alley entrance for a moment.

Using the blurry reflection of the shop window across the street, she repeatedly observed the movements behind her to make sure everything was safe before she darted into a dark, narrow alley filled with old wooden crates and discarded fishing nets, and walked sideways.

The winding alleyways, like those that meander through the capillaries of the port city, only emerge quietly from another inconspicuous alleyway after a short while.

The brightly lit and bustling place before us is the Rock Tea House.

At night, the Yanshang Tea House is a bustling mix of people, pulsating with a unique vitality.

This place is not only a gathering place for tea drinkers, but also a paradise for night owls.

The lobby on the first floor was brightly lit, and a cacophony of noise filled the air.

Old tea drinkers gathered around the stove, savoring fragrant tea, discussing philosophy in hushed tones, or playing chess. On the other side, it resembled a bustling tavern, where richly dressed merchants and gang members clinked glasses, the pungent aroma of strong liquor mingling with the refreshing fragrance of tea in a strange and surging atmosphere.

With a slap of his gavel, the quick-witted storyteller began recounting tales of the martial world, drawing cheers from the audience. On the stage, the performers' sleeves fluttered, their singing sometimes melodious and sometimes passionate, accompanied by the cheers of the crowd.

Beautifully dressed dancers flitted among the guests like butterflies, their smiles captivating. A young woman in a blue dress gracefully carried a tray filled with teacups and wine pots. Several drunken rich kids were loudly playing drinking games, drawing laughter from those around them.

The aroma of tea, wine, cosmetics, and sweat mingled with the scents of food, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere reminiscent of everyday life.

On the terrace, the rosewood armchair with soft cushions that belonged to Uncle Tian was now empty.

Tian Shu Star has clearly already left and will no longer remain in this noisy place.

Linlang stepped into the bustling tea room, her gaze calmly and quickly sweeping across every corner to make sure no one was looking at her before she walked leisurely toward Chu Yi, the smiling receptionist behind the counter.

Upon reaching the counter, Linlang did not speak immediately. She first tapped her fingertips lightly three times on the smooth wooden countertop. Chu Yi's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly before returning to normal.

Linlang then spoke, her voice not loud but exceptionally clear:

"The usual, a pot of Zuiyanchun."

Along with the voice, Linlang handed out Mora.

Chu Yi nodded and reached out to accept the several glittering gold Mora coins.

As Linlang's fingertips handed Mora over, they naturally slipped a neatly folded piece of paper between them. Under Mora's cover, the paper slid precisely into Chu Yi's waiting palm, its movement swift and concealed, like the gesture of a magician.

After confirming that the other party had received what she wanted to deliver, Linlang, like any ordinary customer, found a corner half-hidden behind a gauze curtain and sat down quietly.

The woman tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, her gaze languidly fixed on the stage, as if she were immersed in the joys and sorrows on stage. No one could see the vigilance deep in her eyes, always alert to the slightest movement around her.

Chu Yi's smile remained impeccable, as if she had only accepted ordinary payment for drinks.

She deftly announced the payment and receipt, then casually tucked the thin paper into a specially made hidden pocket inside her sleeve, her movements fluid and natural.

After waiting briefly at the counter, Chu Yi walked briskly through the noisy area filled with the aroma of tea and wine. She deftly avoided a dancer who twirled and bumped into her, nodded to the gang leader who raised his glass to her, and skillfully bypassed several tables of slightly tipsy, increasingly loud drinkers. Her figure disappeared silently behind the heavy curtain leading to the back warehouse.

The warehouse was filled with tea boxes and neatly stacked wine jars, the aroma of old wood mingling with the fragrance of tea and the slightly intoxicating scent of wine.

Chu Yi didn't rush into action. Her gaze quickly swept across the gaps between the mountains of goods and the shadowy corners, confirming that no one else was around. She held her breath, listened intently for a moment, and only when she confirmed that apart from the faint noise from the distant hall, the warehouse was completely silent, did she quickly walk to a corner at the far end of the warehouse. Here, seemingly filled with old boxes, Chu Yi pressed down hard on a few inconspicuous stone bricks in the corner.

With a slight mechanical sound, a heavy stone slab disguised as the ground slowly moved aside, revealing a wooden ladder that stretched vertically into the darkness. Chu Yi climbed down the ladder without hesitation.

The bottom of the stairs leads to a small, cold basement.

The air in the basement carried the damp, chilly scent of earth and rock, along with a faint, almost imperceptible smell of rust.

This place is completely different from the bustling, vibrant scene above. The only source of light is a solitary old-fashioned lantern in the corner, its dim, flickering light barely illuminating a wooden table piled high with notes and books, an old chair, and a few wooden pegboards leaning against the wall covered with densely packed notes, maps, and silhouettes of people.

On the chair, a woman's figure stood with her back to the entrance.

Her short, dark blue hair, like a cold flame in the dark night, cascaded casually over her smooth shoulders and back.

It was Yelan who was being chased by Irina.

The dim lighting was enough to highlight the amazing smoothness and evenness of that skin.

The lines flowed smoothly down her slender neck, the contours of her shoulder blades like meticulously sculpted butterfly wings, slightly protruding yet hidden in the silky texture, extending downwards and converging at her waist in a breathtaking arc, disappearing into the depths of the loosely draped white silk robe.

Yelan's entire back was as smooth as jade, without any flaws. In the dim light, it seemed to emit a soft glow. However, on this perfect canvas, there were a few old scars of varying shades, like ancient cracks on precious porcelain that could not be repaired, silently telling the story of the fierce struggles of the past.

Her upper body was only loosely draped with her signature white silk shawl.

The snow-white shawl partially concealed her exquisite curves, slipping down to one side of her arm and revealing her raised arm.

Chu Yi's footsteps stopped silently at the bottom of the stairs.

She saw Ye Lan tilt her head slightly, raise her arm, and focus her right hand on pulling on a spot above her arm.

There was a dark brown old scab there, its edges precisely pinched by Ye Lan's well-defined fingers.

Without hesitation, Ye Lan's fingers steadily and slowly applied force, peeling away the dead skin bit by bit, almost completely, from the newly grown pink flesh.

The faint sound of flesh separating was amplified with unusual clarity in the deathly silent basement.

The dark red scab was eventually peeled off completely, revealing the tender new skin underneath.

Ye Lan seemed to enjoy the stinging sensation from the peeling process, even squinting her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting shadows under her eyes, and a hint of pleasure curving her lips.

It is this slow pain that pierces through the numbness and emptiness that has lurked in the darkness for so many years, bringing a vivid sense of existence.

Ye Lan gently brushed her fingertips across the tender new skin, feeling the strange numbness and itchiness mixed with the stinging sensation. After a moment, as if discarding an unwanted item, she flicked her fingertips, casually brushing the scab from the past to the ground. A few tiny beads of blood slowly seeped from the new skin, adorning the white skin with small red dots.

Chu Yi was already used to this. She waited quietly until Ye Lan's gaze left the new skin and arm before stepping forward and silently placing the thin piece of paper she had obtained from Lin Lang on the edge of the wooden table.

"Lord Yelan, this is a message from Miss Linlang."

"As you predicted, that kid Zhiyi does indeed have problems." (End of Chapter)