Cleaning an entire house would take a considerable amount of time.
So Leo focused on cleaning key areas, such as the room they would be staying in, and the bathroom.
After all that was done, and after grabbing a bite to eat with Jinx in the mid-level plaza, it was already evening.
...
"Leo, can't we sleep together tonight? I don't want to sleep alone."
It was night in the mid-level plaza, on the second floor of their house. Leo was wearing pajamas. Although the fabric wasn't great, it was far more comfortable than those ragged clothes.
He looked at Jinx, who stood at his doorway hugging a pillow. She had just showered, her unbound blue hair still wet and clinging to her body. She wore a pink nightgown bought that afternoon at a shop, stretching her neck to look at Leo, her face full of hope.
Leo thought for a moment, nodded, and then stepped aside.
"Come in."
Being with Jinx helped increase his energy bar!
Of course, Leo wouldn't miss this opportunity. He was already thinking about how to get more contact with Jinx, and Little Jinx was delivering herself right to his door... Refuse?
Are you kidding? Besides the fact that Little Jinx could increase his energy bar, just her beauty alone seemed reason enough for Leo not to refuse, right?
Receiving Leo's consent, Jinx let out a cheer, hugging her pillow, then rushed into Leo's room with her head down.
This small house had two floors in total: two rooms downstairs and three upstairs, making it a relatively large house, but Jinx insisted on sleeping with Leo.
Lying on the bed, Jinx's legs restlessly kicked and tapped. She held a storybook and looked at Leo.
"Want to hear a bedtime story?" she asked Leo.
Leo immediately shook his head.
Listen to Jinx's stories?
He had heard plenty of them these past few days!
But strangely, even though Jinx was holding a storybook, the stories she told were nothing like what was on the pages.
With her scattered thoughts, Jinx would always spontaneously add her own elements to the storybook. As she told the story, she would deviate from the original, performing for Leo with exaggerated tones and dramatic gestures.
Things like "terrifying stinky bugs" and "fang-toothed monsters." Leo earnestly asked Jinx what kind of creatures they were, because they sounded incredibly powerful, and then she would just stop talking, mumbling and trying to change the subject.
If Leo pressed her with a few more questions, or if he got impatient, Jinx would even resort to hitting him.
Truly ill-mannered.
After turning off the light, Leo looked at Jinx and saw that she had fallen asleep facing him.
Her small mouth was slightly open, sucking her thumb painted with nail polish. Curled up like a cat, the sleeping Jinx was as obedient as a beautiful kitten. Her usual madness and neuroticism were completely gone, replaced by extreme quietness.
Perhaps it was a lack of security, as unease always seemed to surround her, causing her to curl up in her sleep. This posture couldn't help but evoke pity in anyone who saw it.
Leo watched, reached up to touch the hair on his forehead, and then closed his eyes.
It was interesting that Jinx no longer slept with her back to him, but now faced him.
This was good news, meaning Jinx had gained more trust in Leo, though there wasn't much difference between Jinx's front and back, both being as flat as a board...
In the morning, Leo got out of bed, rubbing his sore right arm. He looked down and saw water stains on his sleeve. Jinx was already up before him, dressed, and squatting on a chair, fiddling with a small toy she'd acquired from who knows where.
"Are we going out to make money today, right?"
"Yes, but you need to stay home today," Leo told Jinx.
"Stay home?" Jinx tapped her toy on the table and looked at Leo: "Didn't we agree we'd make money together?"
"But we haven't even finalized our money-making plan yet. Today, I'm just going out to check things out. I'll be back by evening." Leo picked up his clothes, put them on, then looked at Jinx and asked with a smile, "What do you want to eat tonight?"
Jinx was clearly unhappy. Hearing Leo's voice, she hugged her knees and mumbled, "Anything."
"Then I'm heading out." Leo smiled and put on his hat.
Sevika had already seen him and Jinx, and by now, Silco should also know about it. The Undercity must be in utter chaos, with Silco's people searching everywhere for him and Jinx.
Going downstairs, Leo stepped out of the house. He looked back and saw Jinx peering out of the window at him. Meeting Leo's gaze, she waved her hand.
Seeing this, Leo also raised his hand and waved back.
Then, Leo adjusted his hat and walked towards the densely populated areas.
After some time, Leo understood the situation in the Undercity.
Just as Leo had thought, the Undercity was, indeed, utterly chaotic again.
Silco's people had begun to forcibly enter various places, and he had also sent word to the Chem-Barons, instructing them to help find Jinx.
This resulted in many people in the mid-level plaza today, with quite a few having fled from the Undercity below to escape the chaos.
What Leo didn't know was that about ten minutes after he left, the door to the small building was pushed open, and a cloaked figure emerged stealthily, a brilliant flash of blue at the end of the cloak.
"What are you thinking? If she obeyed, she wouldn't be Jinx."
Taking large strides, Jinx walked backward down an alley in the mid-level plaza, sticking out her small tongue at the front.
Then, she took a can from her hand, looked around, and seeing no one, she began her graffiti masterpiece.
Leo went out and told her to stay home?
Heh, what a joke, she wasn't going to do that.
Being alone at home was far too boring!
Pursing her lips, Jinx shook the can in her hand and sprayed paint onto the wall.
"Just like that~"
"Mm, a little more here, cool~"
"Whoa, I really am a genius!"
The more she drew, the more hyped she got. Jinx simply broke into a jog, leaving a crooked, wobbly blue line on the ruined wall. She grinned happily, completely engrossed.
"Ouch!"
Suddenly bumping into something, Jinx's body fell backward, and she sat on the ground, rubbing her head. Then, she looked at the small thing that had crashed into her arms.
Wearing a small grey-black jacket, mismatched yellow pants, with fuzzy, messy brown hair, it was looking up at her with wide, terrified orange-yellow eyes, looking exactly like a scruffy little dog.
"She's over here!"
"Goddammit, she can really run!"
"We finally cornered her!"
Movement came from deeper in the alley. Several tattooed men rushed out, and behind them, more men appeared, blocking the alley's path.
The scruffy little dog immediately looked at them, instinctively burying herself deeper into Jinx's arms. She bristled, looking at the group of men who appeared.
Jinx first looked down in surprise at the little creature pressed against her, then at the group of guys in front, rolling her eyes.
This really wasn't anything new.
Jinx had often seen chem-barons snatching kids. Whether they used the kidnapped kids to increase their internal workforce or sent them to work in mines and wastewater pits, few orphans living in the Undercity trenches ever managed to grow up safely.
"Hey, you're pressing on me."
Jinx reached out and poked the kid's back.
The little girl didn't acknowledge Jinx.
And the men had reached Jinx's front.
They reached out, ready to grab the child.
The child struggled forcefully, and in raising her hand, she hit Jinx's hood.
The cloak fell away, revealing Jinx's blue hair and braids. Jinx lazily scratched the back of her neck, then raised her head.
"This is none of your business, get as far away as you can..."
The leading man froze, startled as he looked at Jinx's face: "You—"
This face, he had just seen her photo from his boss last night. The entire Undercity was looking for her now!
Jinx smiled, the corner of her mouth curving upwards. Her hand, which had been touching her neck, smoothly and quickly slid down to her left pant leg, and with a whoosh, she pulled out a pistol.
"Hello there~"
Her small mouth closed and opened again, Jinx squinted one eye:
"Bang~"