The tension that had just left Ji Lin's body came flooding back in an instant.
Her feet were ramrod straight, the tips trembling faintly, like lilies swaying in the wind.
Ye Feng passed Zone F, walked through Zone E, and slowly made his way towards Zone A at the far end.
Ji Lin's heart grew ever more frantic… How, how could he possibly know?
The pure-hearted ancestor had no concept of a "human ergonomic detector."
By the time he reached Zone B, Ji Lin's tension had reached its absolute peak—this was it. Just moments ago, she had seen Cangxuan and Danzhu disappear into this very zone…
Hmm?
A thought flickered in Ye Feng's mind. He passed by Zone B and continued forward.
Ji Lin's taut body relaxed once more.
"Where could they be, A-Lin?"
Ye Feng stood in the aisle of Zone A, asking in a gentle and refined manner.
"…Why must Master ask me such a thing?"
Ji Lin replied as such, but in her heart, she was screaming, Yes, go this way, go into Zone A!
However, Ye Feng simply smiled and turned back.
He came to a stop at the entrance of Zone B's aisle.
Ji Lin: "—!!"
"How about here?"
"..."
Ji Lin probably didn't even realize she had a habit of falling silent whenever she faced something unacceptable.
Ye Feng walked away again, arriving at the entrance to Zone C.
"~~~"
Ji Lin softened slightly again.
Before she could react, Ye Feng returned to Zone B.
Back and forth, back and forth, Ji Lin was on the verge of collapsing.
It was mainly psychological exhaustion.
Extreme tension.
This short game of cat and mouse, lasting only a few minutes, had left her drenched in sweat.
Streams of perspiration slid down the skin of her thighs to the backs of her knees, flowed over her tender calves, and pooled at her heels, dripping onto the floor to form small puddles…
In the end, Ye Feng chose the very aisle she feared the most.
"Mm, alright, this is the place."
Ye Feng walked towards Zone B.
A flicker of panic crossed Ji Lin's eyes.
Ye Feng's purposeful approach to Zone B made her suspect that her Master had turned on his map hack.
"Nope. Just like you, A-Lin, the information I can get here is limited. It's just that~~"
Ye Feng chuckled as he walked, causing Ji Lin to bob up and down as if on ocean waves.
"No matter how calm you appear on the surface, A-Lin, your muscles still instinctively spasm and contract when you're highly tense. Twitching and trembling… it's really quite cute."
"…?"
Ji Lin's eyes widened.
She finally, vaguely, began to understand.
…This Master of hers was simply too demonic.
"However, you didn't have much of a reaction after I entered Zone B, so it seems you don't know their exact position."
"..."
Ji Lin was nearly spent. She rested her hands on Ye Feng's shoulders and said no more.
She could only pray silently in her heart.
"You think praying will help? If I catch Cangxuan and Danzhu, it'll be all thanks to your sensitivity, A-Lin."
---o---
The clean and tidy attic could only be reached by a spiral staircase in the most hidden corner of the library, a corner that seemed forgotten by time.
There were no candles in the attic, only the faint moonlight filtering through the window, barely illuminating the dust-sealed space.
"Wow, sister, the library really has an[Attic]!" Danzhu exclaimed in surprise.
Library Rule #5: This library does not have an attic at any time.
And yet, Cangxuan had found this hidden space.
By turning the third book on the third shelf of B-12, the bookshelf had rotated like a Rubik's Cube, revealing a spiral staircase leading to the attic.
Cangxuan's gaze swept quickly around the room. The walls were covered with faded portraits, the figures within them wearing expressions of sorrow or joy, as if each told an unknown story.
But the most eye-catching object was the enormous long table in the center of the room, covered with a white cloth.
A table?
Her first thought was a rectangular table, but Cangxuan also felt it looked like a bed.
They slowly approached it, their hearts filled with a mixture of curiosity and unease.
What's under the white cloth?
Cangxuan lifted the cloth, and the sight within made her instantly hold her breath—it was filled with all sorts of manga and game discs, completely out of place with the surrounding environment.
"It's all adult content…" Danzhu's face flushed slightly.
She was lively and cheerful, but in a situation like this, she was clearly not as calm and composed as her sister.
Moreover… this brought back certain memories for Danzhu.
Back in her own civilization, she was also a fan of this kind of subculture and would always hide certain "materials" not suitable for public viewing under her bed.
Just then, they suddenly felt an inexplicable chill run up their spines, as if something was watching them from behind.
They spun around!
But they saw only darkness and endless silence. Yet the feeling of being watched was so intense it was impossible to ignore.
At the same time, they seemed to hear a strange sound.
Squish~ Squish~
"Sister, did you hear that?" Danzhu asked nervously.
Before Cangxuan could answer, the mahogany door slowly creaked open.
The sound of the old hinges was piercingly loud in the silent attic.
The two held their breath. Disguised as Girls of the Shell in their black bodysuits, they stared at the doorway, not daring to move a muscle.
There were no lights in the room; it was dark and gloomy. Only through the cold moonlight spilling in from the window could they vaguely make out the silhouette of the newcomer.
It was a very strange person. Though its feet were pointing forward, it seemed to be facing away from them.
Its upper body appeared to be two bodies stacked on top of each other, like conjoined twins.
As it moved, it made a squishing, slurping sound that was incredibly eerie.
No, wait!
As it drew closer, Cangxuan and Danzhu finally saw clearly. It was distinctly two people, though they were indeed connected…
And the source of that strange sound became instantly clear.
The two innocent twins had never seen such a scene before and were about to avert their eyes.
But they forced themselves not to.
Whether it was because they were disguised as Girls of the Shell, or because of Library Rule #11: If you see an illogical scene, pretend you did not see it. Otherwise, you will take the place of that scene's protagonist.
—Based on these two points, neither Cangxuan nor Danzhu dared to make a rash move. They could only pretend not to see.
However, the female was wearing a stocking over her head, her long hair swaying below her neck, which was why the silhouette had looked so bizarre at first.
No, but why wear a stocking over her head? Like a robber.
What kind of strange habit is that?
Before they could ponder it, something even more terrifying happened—
"Hmm, why is there library staff in here?"
The man murmured softly, and the two sisters' hearts skipped a beat.
Unlike all the monsters and NPCs they had encountered before, he was conscious!
The sisters confirmed it almost instantly: this male-shaped existence before them was the greatest "disaster" they needed to avoid.
You could even call him the final boss.
If he caught them, the game would be lost.
And the penalty was to be eaten.
Danzhu and Cangxuan looked at the scene before them… wait, eaten in what sense?
Physiologically, or biologically?
Either way was terrifying.
Now they finally understood why the entire library was filled with pornographic materials.
Thud~
The boss tossed the petite girl from his body onto the floor like a dirty rag and strode towards them, full of vigor.
A wave of heat radiated from him.
Hey, hey~ don't come over here! Danzhu screamed in her mind.
Ye Feng was about to burst out laughing.
If they had just hidden somewhere in the library, even within Zone B, it would have taken him quite a while to find them.
But he never expected them to find the hidden "attic."
That was like lighting a lantern in the dead of night, afraid that others wouldn't be able to see you.
He had even warned them so clearly, "Do not go to the attic! Do not go to the attic!"
Ye Feng walked up to Danzhu, looking her up and down, and muttered to himself in confusion.
"Strange. I don't remember setting up staff here. Are you a Girl of the Shell? You feel a little different."
Danzhu kept a straight face, her eyes fixed forward, and remained perfectly still.
"Whatever, I'll do a manual verification."
Ye Feng propped himself up on a chair, raised his shiny, strong, and powerful forearm, and poked her cheek. Then he moved lower, lingered for a moment, then lower still, and lingered again.
Eh? Eh?
Is this how you verify someone?
Danzhu felt tainted!
Truly tainted!
Wuwuwu, it's over, it's over, I'll never be able to get married now.
Danzhu was on the verge of tears.
She even thought about fighting back in a desperate struggle. Even if she died, she couldn't—
"Smack~~"
Ye Feng suddenly raised his palm and brought it down hard on her rear.
Danzhu couldn't stop a small gasp from escaping her nose.
"Hmm?"
Ye Feng looked up, the confusion in his eyes deepening.
Whatever courage Danzhu had managed to summon was slapped right out of her.
She bit her lip, feeling her cheeks burn like fire.
Danzhu secretly glanced at Cangxuan beside her. Her sister looked back, her expression indifferent, as if she intended to stay out of it completely.
"?"
No, seriously, sister, why are you just watching?
Quick, use that invincible brain of yours and think of something, sister!
However, what came was not a stroke of genius from Cangxuan, but Ye Feng's fingers.
His technique was skillful, his touch just right.
Danzhu clearly felt she was being violated, yet a sweet moan was brewing in her throat, threatening to spill out at any moment…
Her slender hands, braced on the table, were clenched into fists so tight her knuckles turned white.
It's okay, it's okay, I'm wearing a bodysuit, he's only touching the clothes, not me… Danzhu tried to hypnotize herself, resorting to a psychological victory.
"Still no reaction? Looks like I was overthinking it. Still, I should check if the disguise is realistic."
Ye Feng lifted the hem of Danzhu's feathered robe and clicked his tongue in appreciation.
"Ooh, you're only wearing a bodysuit underneath? How lewd."
Just as Ye Feng was preparing to conduct the final phase of his manual inspection, Ji Lin, who had been thrown to the floor, grabbed his foot and shouted to Cangxuan,
"Run!"
Cangxuan reacted instantly, bolting out of the attic and slamming the door, creating a huge bang.
She did it on purpose.
Rule #10: You must remain absolutely silent within the library. Any loud noises or footsteps may awaken something ominous.
Cangxuan was luring Ye Feng to chase her.
Ye Feng let out a wicked chuckle. Of course, he would grant that wish.
She flees, he pursues, she has no escape even with wings.
"Jie jie jie, a delicious little girl!" Ye Feng cackled strangely and gave chase.
After he ran out, the attic door slammed shut behind him.
Left behind were the still-shaken, flushed Danzhu, and Ji Lin.
Ji Lin was stark naked, save for the stocking covering her head. She lay limply on the floor, sweat pooling around her…
The scene couldn't have been more bizarre.
An awkward, embarrassed silence fell over the room.
Finally, Danzhu walked over, intending to help Ji Lin up.
Ji Lin flinched away slightly, replying in a low voice, "No, it's alright…"
Danzhu stepped back.
She looked at the disheveled girl. "Um, thank you for saving us…"
Ji Lin pushed herself up from the floor and looked at Danzhu through the stocking.
To see her dear friend again after so many years, yet unable to reveal herself…
"We should leave this place quickly too."
"Ah? Oh, um… okay."
Danzhu nodded and followed Ji Lin to the door, placing her hand on the handle.
"Hmm?"
"What's wrong?"
"The door won't open," Ji Lin said.
"Eh?"
Danzhu rushed forward in a panic. Indeed, the door was sealed shut.
"…We're trapped in here."
Ji Lin turned to look at Danzhu, feeling as if all the strength had drained from her body.
She had originally planned to find clothes outside before revealing her identity to Cangxuan and Danzhu.
But now, they were trapped here.
At risk of being discovered at any moment.
"It's okay, I'll blast it open."
Danzhu cracked her knuckles, but Ji Lin shook her head, stopping her. "Master said this attic isn't part of the library. If we act recklessly, we might trigger a nasty trap…"
"Hmm?"
Danzhu's pupils shrank. She took a shocked step back.
Did she just say… "Master"?
That guy was her Master!!?
Seeing her reaction, Ji Lin instantly realized her mistake. She could only refer to Ye Feng as "Master." Any other pronoun, like "he" or "that person," was forbidden by the contract.
Over the past few days, it had become second nature.
Just like now, she had said it without thinking.
And in this situation, the term "Master" was extremely prone to misunderstanding.
Alright… at any time, in any place, the term "Master" always seemed to carry a strange connotation.
But then, a new thought occurred to Ji Lin. She decided to let the mistake stand.
Right now, her greatest fear was Cangxuan and Danzhu finding out that she was this "dirty rag," wearing nothing but a stocking on her head, casually discarded by her Master.
Ji Lin straightened her back. "Mm-hmm, that's right. Master is indeed my… my master."
"And to think I was so worried about you! It turns out you're one of the final boss's Miko of the Wet Crow!" Danzhu huffed. Since she's revealed herself, I'll fight her to the death!
Seeing Danzhu preparing to fight, Ji Lin said, "Although Master is my master, I don't share his ideals. On the contrary, I will help you."
"Hah, who would believe that? Weren't you two having fun just now, doing… doing such a shameless thing while walking…"
"..."
Ji Lin fell silent, offering no rebuttal.
Once again, silence descended upon the attic.