Girl, you form the head.

Chapter 23 Ahhhhhh!
Happiness Alley.

Ruri-e huddled under the covers, her eyes fixed on the small television screen not far away.

The TV was playing pointless commercials, but because Ruri hadn't turned on the lights and had the volume turned down to the lowest setting, even a simple commercial felt like a horror movie in this atmosphere.

Of course, all of this was done intentionally by Ruri, after all, she hadn't forgotten that she was still on the run.

If Bai Chi were around, it would be easy; she could merge and transform no matter what. But now that Bai Chi is gone, her personal combat power is almost negligible, so she naturally needs to be more cautious.

That's why she doesn't even turn on the lights late at night and keeps the TV at the lowest volume, just to give outsiders the illusion that no one is home!

Of course, if you were to ask, "Why not just not turn on the TV at all? Wouldn't that be safer?"...

Well, there's nothing we can do about it. We've been on the run for so long, it's time to relax a bit.

Ahem, not to relax! It's to learn more about this country through television so that I can better disguise myself later.

Yes, that's right.

Ruri comforted herself in this way, so that she could continue watching TV with a clear conscience.

But then again, she had been sitting in front of the TV for hours, watching all sorts of strange programs.

The plot twists—such as the male and female leads overcoming numerous obstacles to finally be together only to be killed by a sudden truck, and the postmenopausal cleaning lady being noticed by the chairman at work—truly shattered her worldview.

Are all people from Nanluo this strange?
Ruri couldn't help but complain in her heart.

Of course, there's another thing that Ruri-e cares about, and that is...

She glanced at the series of "AI Passion Every Night" outfits at her feet, and at the fox tail.

Yes, Ruri wanted to see who was wearing these strange clothes and how the fox tail was used. Bai Chi said it should be held in the mouth, but she couldn't believe it, so she thought of looking for answers on TV programs.

The problem is, she looked for a long time but didn't see anyone dressed like that.

It’s weird.

Just then, a cold wind blew in from outside, causing Ruri to wrap herself tightly in the blankets... She wasn't wearing any clothes.

It wasn't because she naturally liked this style, but because she genuinely had no clothes to wear.

During the day at the mall, she asked Bai Chi for money to buy a more presentable-looking outfit, but she washed it all after returning home. This was because her mother had warned her when she was very young that clothes bought from the store were never clean and had to be thoroughly washed before wearing.

Although she couldn't care less about that during her escape, now that she's a little safer, Ruri still wants to listen to her mother.

Besides, Bai Chi won't be back tonight, so it's not a big deal if she doesn't wear clothes.

Of course, these clothes are hanging right next to her now, so if she senses anything is wrong, she can immediately put them on and run away; there's plenty of time.

After all, that's what her special "shadow mist" does. Few people can get close to her without her noticing, which is why Ruri has been able to escape all this time.

Ruri-e has always believed that her special ability has no other use than escaping.

It wasn't until Bai Chi transformed and used her special ability directly as a weapon, killing Liang Rong and Ito Kou in succession, that Ruri realized that the problem wasn't her special ability, but herself.

Hmm... there's this strange feeling that Bai Chi knows better than her how to use her body.

Ugh, what am I thinking?

Ruri's mind was a mess, and she started randomly pressing buttons on the remote control, trying to find an interesting program to watch.

But she pressed some random button, and the TV screen suddenly went black, followed by a notification popping up.

"Late-night program. Please ensure you are 18 years of age or older or watch with your parents."

Late-night program?

Ruri blinked.

What is this for?

A show that can only be watched in the middle of the night... is it a horror movie?
It's probably because they're afraid of scaring children, that's why they give this kind of warning.

But Ruri isn't afraid, since her special abilities are almost like those of a ghost, and she doesn't need anyone to accompany her at all.

So she clicked on it, and then the scene changed to two women having a lively discussion.

Ruri-e's eyes lit up immediately after just one glance.

Because the clothes these two women were wearing were the same clothes she had worn during the day! And the sign hanging behind them was clearly the brand of that clothing store—"Nightly Passion AI".

Oh! We've finally found the right person!

Although it wasn't a horror movie, Ruri was still excited, since she had finally found a way to get around it.

Let me see who is wearing these clothes!

Ruri stared at the two women on the TV, and then her face gradually turned red.

The more she looked at the clothes, the more shameful and indecent they became. Moreover, the thought that she herself had worn them and that Bai Chi had seen a glimpse of them made it even harder for Liuli Hui to accept.

Maybe we should just forget about it; I really can't stand watching it.

Ruri picked up the remote control, ready to change the channel, when she saw one of the women pick up a familiar-looking fox tail.

"Alright, now it's time to introduce how to use our latest Enchanting Fox," the woman said with a smile. "Please watch carefully."

Oh? How do you use this tail?
Ruri put down the remote control she had just picked up.

She decided to finish reading it anyway, since she really wanted to know how to wear it. So, while the other person was explaining, Ruri took her fox tail in her hand, ready to try it out.

"First of all, make sure to clean it thoroughly before using it," the woman said.

Yes, it's clean, just like Mom taught me.

As Ruri thought this, she couldn't help but feel a little closer to the woman on the screen.

"And then like this." The woman stood up, and the entire outfit was once again displayed before Ruri's eyes, making her blush again.

No, it doesn't matter. She was just checking how to wear it anyway, and she probably stood up so the audience could see it more clearly.

"Continue like this." The woman turned around.

Oh, do I have to turn around? Okay, I'll give it a try then.

Liuli followed along, her eyes glued to the work.

"Do it one last time, okay?" The woman raised her tail.

"Pfft".

Ruri blinked, looked down at the tail still in her hand, and then looked up at the one the woman had already put on.

Ah, what?

She blinked again.

Huh, huh?
Blink hard.

Huh?!
What the hell is that?!

Could she have seen wrong?! She must have seen wrong!

How could someone...

"Have you all learned it?" The woman on TV smiled broadly. Learned it my ass!!! Where the hell did you put that thing?! Take it out now!!!

There was a "click" sound.

The incandescent light in the room was suddenly turned on, and the not-so-strong light suddenly illuminated the entire room, freezing the moment of the glass painting in time.

"Why aren't the lights on when you're watching TV?" Bai Chi walked into the living room, frowning slightly as he looked at Liuli Hui, who was holding her tail high. "What are you doing?"

Liuli glanced at Bai Chi, then at the hateful woman on TV who kept repeating "Have you learned it yet? Have you learned it yet?", and pondered for a moment.

"Why don't you just shoot me?" Ruri said. "Please aim for my head, thank you."

……

"Here's the thing, I felt that something very troublesome had been sent to Hanguang District. I was worried that something might happen to you, so I rushed back overnight."

"Because I got promoted, the midnight curfew on the Han River Bridge no longer applies to me."

"I called you, but your phone was off."

Bai Chi turned off the TV and talked to Liu Li Hui for a long time.

But Ruri sat blankly in the corner, her face filled with utter despair. Bai Chi got the feeling that she was still alive, but not far from death.

Bai Chi felt that Liu Li Hui's mental state was similar to when he had just picked her up yesterday, so he asked after a moment's thought.

Would you like a bowl of spicy chicken noodles?

Ruri-e: "..."

Half an hour later, Ruri finally managed to recover. She looked up at the incandescent light above her head, then looked down at the light in front of her, and after a long silence, she said, "My phone is dead, there's nothing I can do."

"Can't you charge it?"

"will not."

"Understood, I'll teach you how to charge it later."

"it is good."

The two resumed their normal conversation, exchanging questions and answers. It was as if nothing had happened.

It seemed that the night could pass just like that.

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Chi said, "You should be more vigilant when you're home alone. It would be best to let your special abilities out. You shouldn't wait until I've already opened the door and come in before you even notice me."

Ruri's expression froze.

"Also, don't get too engrossed in TV." Bai Chi turned to look at the now-off television. "And it seems you were watching a late-night channel just now; that's still too early for you..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ruri finally lost her temper, jumped up, grabbed Bai Chi by the neck, and shook him back and forth.

"Is it my fault?! Ah, is it really my fault?!" Ruri shouted, "Who bought that outfit?! Who bought that tail?! Was it me?!"

Ruri-e really couldn't hold back anymore.

Why didn't she notice the incandescence? It was because that TV program had deeply shaken her innocent mind, to the point that she had forgotten about the existence of any warning.

Is it really her fault?!

Liuli, who lived for almost twenty years, had never seen a tail like this before!
You people from Nanluo are really, really...

Thinking about what she had just done, Ruri's toes were practically digging through the incandescent floorboards.

It took another ten minutes or so before things finally calmed down.

Liuli threw the tail to Bai Chi: "Since your female colleague likes it, you should give it back to her!"

Bai Chi held the tail and examined it carefully, wondering if Xia Tian liked this kind of thing.

You should remember that. Send her a new one when you have the chance to thank her for her help last time.

This is how you maintain relationships with colleagues.

Only after wagging its tail could it finally be considered a topic that could be moved on.

"You just said that something very troublesome was sent here?" Ruri asked, recalling Bai Chi's words. "You said... a monster? What's that?"

“I don’t know what’s written on the container,” Bai Chi shook his head. “But what’s certain is that it has already been sent here, and it’s too late to trace its origin now.”

"Then what are you going to do?"

Bai Chi thought for a moment and said, "Don't stay at home these next two days, just stay with me."

"I'll follow you?" Ruri asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, to ensure I can transform immediately."

Bai Chi had learned his lesson from his previous battle with Ito Kou. If Ito Kou hadn't been so special and lacked combat abilities, he wouldn't have been able to hold out until Ruri E arrived. Ultimately, without Ruri E, he was just an ordinary person, and he needed to become a Dual Knight to fight against those special beings.

"But won't your colleagues be suspicious if I'm by your side?" Ruri asked.

"You don't need to worry about that for now, I already have an idea," Bai Chi said. "You can come with me tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

“Yes.” Bai Chi nodded. “If things are really as I think, then this trouble will soon become apparent.”

Bai Chi had anticipated trouble would come soon, but he hadn't expected it to come so quickly.

Before dawn the next day, he received a report from the police station that a family of three had been murdered by unknown individuals.

Preliminary determination of the cause of death:
Excessive fright.

……

First New District.

Zhongji is located by the sea, looking out over Hanguang District on the other side.

Soon after, Sakura arrived in a hurry.

"This is troublesome, young master," Sakura said. "The monster has indeed gone out of control. It didn't disembark at the designated location but instead killed our crew members. Now it's..."

Sakura was interrupted by Nakagi raising his hand halfway through her sentence.

"Out of control? I don't think so," Song-ki said calmly. "He's just a little impatient. After being trapped for so long, isn't it normal for him to let loose a bit?"

“But…” Sakura hesitated, “If he gets out of our control, we can’t be sure how he will turn out in the end.”

“No need to worry, no matter how much he grows, he can’t escape my grasp.” Zhongji’s lips curled slightly, but his eyes grew colder and colder. “On the contrary, he can bring some surprises to our new police inspector, can’t he?”

Sakura opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but seeing Joong-ki's expression, she knew it was pointless to say anything.

"I understand." Sakura nodded. "I'll go and retrieve our ship first."

“Yes, that’s what you should be doing,” Zhongji said. “Don’t give anyone any leverage over you, until the entire Hanguang District is shrouded in despair…”

He paused.

"Now is the time for me, the savior, to make my appearance."

(End of this chapter)