Chapter 1320: NO.224: Discard the Tranquil Filter Here

NO. 224: Discard the Tranquil Filter Here

One day prior, at the employee dormitory of Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

In the female dormitory section, even among the especially distinctive Su family dormitories, Xi and Nian's two-person room has always been the most cramped.

It wasn't internal company discrimination; rather, the great painter Xi deliberately chose the smallest, most remote room, then used her ability to turn ink into realms to expand the interior.

In the past, she would be satisfied with the scenery she created, but now the painting space has a tough technical problem: the network cable.

Plugging the network cable from reality into the painting changes its nature, and the network speed will fluctuate noticeably.

That's really awkward!

Although she expanded several spaces in the dormitory, going online always meant returning to reality, and returning to reality meant seeing Nian's annoying face—this life was never pleasant, until recently today when some change occurred.

"Sister." Gazing at the painting reference on the screen, Xi suddenly asked.

A lazy, casual female voice came from behind.

"What's wrong?"

"How long do you plan to stay here?"

"Are you annoyed with me?"

"Not exactly; when you're here, Nian doesn't come, which is nice."

"Then that's good~"

"It's good, but it's hard not to mind."

Setting down the modern brush that had taken her half a year to barely get used to, Xi turned her head, and the tail behind her that always unconsciously swayed with the brush movements finally moved aside a bit.

This let her see the older sister lying on her side behind her, propped on her elbow, head resting on her hand, legs crossed in an alternative manner.

If it weren't for the hair and tail being off, she would have thought Nian had come running back.

Xi could only sigh, in the realm of everyday demeanor, these two truly are sisters; their casual, even rude manner deserves to be pointed out by Sister Shu together.

Keeping that thought to herself without speaking, she could hear the other continue:

"What are you worried about? After all this time, Little Xi, you still aren't used to being active in front of people?"

"No, it's not that kind of problem…"

She almost spat out this rebuttal in a weary tone; Xi rose from her desk, went to Ling's front, and saw her slowly open her eyes to meet Xi's gaze.

"How?"

She still had an indifferent look, prompting Xi to drag over a beanbag, sit down, and sigh: "Sister Ling, have you noticed that you haven't drunk alcohol at either end lately?"

"How?" Ling chuckled, "Little Xi, you always complain about me being drunk and dreaming, yet now you can't stand it when I occasionally don't drink?"

"Exactly, it's pretty scary." Xi said bluntly.

"Sister Ling, who hasn't drunk alcohol for two straight days—if I type this string in the group, Elder Brother and Sister Shu and the others will surely come rushing into the room."

"Is it really that scary?" Ling couldn't help laughing, also slowly sitting up, she brushed her messy forehead hair, "Sometimes I also want to be a bit clearer-headed, to think about things with a clearer mind."

"Really clear-headed?"

"Ha, what do you mean by that? Could it be that I'm still dreaming?"

"No, you're in reality," Xi earnestly met her usual carefree, indifferent gaze, "I just find it hard to imagine Sister Ling needing to think things through with a clearer head."

"I'm curious what image I hold in Little Xi's heart."

"The drunker I get, the clearer I become—that's how I understand Sister."

"Mm, not bad. Hearing Little Xi, who usually dislikes drinking with others, say this moves me a bit; if this candid attitude could be seen in daily life, that would be even better."

"What do you mean 'daily'? Using this way of speaking just proves you also think this moment is anything but ordinary, right?"

"Indeed, that's really hitting the nail on the head; Little Xi, if you usually had this much to say, that would be great."

Ling felt somewhat helpless, leaving Xi speechless: "…I normally have plenty to say, I just keep quiet as much as possible to avoid Sister Shu."

"That would hurt Sister Shu to hear."

"You're not trying to change the subject, Sister Ling, are you?"

"How could I," Ling said while slowly closing her eyes, merely murmuring, "As a lone stranger in a foreign land, all I can think of is everyone."

"Isn't there still Aomo?"

"Indeed, a new world, old friends anew, the autumn moon full again, the city towers layered deep in night—" she gave a slight nod without finishing the latter line of the poem, "He's quite a wonderful person, and can get along as amiably with Elder Brother and Shu as those others."

"And what about Second Brother? After that black snake, Sister Shu said Second Brother had sent word; he also wants to meet that Aomo fellow and asked when he's free."

"Heh, not surprising; we should have known from the start that this was bound to happen."

"Saying that, but he'll ask when Aomo is free—when did he become so polite?"

"Perhaps after staying too long in Hundred Stoves, the Grand Tutor finally wore him down into some change."

"For us, is change really that easy?"

"Naturally not, but it's certainly not impossible; on this, you're the one who knows best, Xi."

Ling gave a light laugh, but still kept her eyes closed.

"The heart—this thing can remain unchanged through ages, steadfast for eternity, or it can burst open one morning with a bright moon, easily casting off the past; think back to you a few years ago—could you have foreseen your current self?"

"To foresee that, you don't need a tail, nor wave a sword—just use that little pressure-sensitive pen of yours."

"... I still occasionally use the old method to draw."

Although there's nothing wrong with it, being pointed out makes her feel a kind of embarrassment akin to betraying one's camp, causing Xi to murmur softly.

And her sister, who now holds the conversational upper hand, merely smiled lightly: "You can tell—your tail has always been restless."

"Don't drag this out! Sister, you're just daydreaming, right?!"

The seemingly somewhat impatient younger sister finally couldn't help pointing out the most obvious key point at hand.

She rose, but then closed her eyes—appearing a choice of quiet rest, yet actually she was wandering the Void in her mind.

Don't look at her chatting with herself now—who knows where her thoughts have actually gone?

Xi was well aware of her older sister's methods.

At first, everyone was being nagged by Shu, each looking utterly miserable; the older sister always wore an expression of "let the winds blow from east, west, south, north as they may", a composed and unhurried demeanor that inspired great admiration—until the filter broke.

Although there has been no trace to be found so far, and no way to truly capture its true form.

But after everyone had a sufficiently comprehensive and clear understanding of their own abilities, someone's near‑'soul‑leaving‑the‑body' truancy was no longer a secret.

After that, Lingbian, like the other siblings, had to avoid Shu's follow‑up—let's not mention that for now—at least this person never really paid attention when chatting; everyone had their own calculations.

"That's right, but I'm not hiding anything either, Xiao Xi—why put on an act of revealing the truth?"

That's also true.

Ling's older sister's ability can completely achieve a traceless 'Spirit Wandering', which is why it's said to leave no trace; even Shu would have no complaint, and if Ling intentionally concealed herself, her 'Trace-back and Cause-chasing' ability would yield no conclusion.

Closing one's eyes like that already counts as a clear indication.

So Xi would keep cheering herself up in her heart, over and over, to accept the other's 'invitation'.

To be honest, she really didn't want to get involved in this.

She has kept it hidden all this time, always pretending nothing's wrong, and trying as much as possible not to bring it up in front of Ling's older sister—but this older sister doesn't seek out the older brother, doesn't go to Shu's older sister, and certainly doesn't go find Nian for hot pot.

She just lay there on her own bunk, to the point of driving Nian out—Nian then went to stay in Ling's single room, which initially made Xi quite happy.

But after these few days.

Not drinking, hardly speaking, just standing there.

Even an occasional glance this way would startle Xi, who still had some tasks to do after the doujin exhibition ended.

One could say the frog here finally realized the water temperature was off.

This is clearly an indication that they want to chat with her! But why me?!

Such a resentful question could never be spoken aloud—at least Xi, who had been pretending not to notice, didn't dare ask it so directly.

Someone who has encountered ghosts before is not at all slow when they truly come face‑to‑face with a ghost.

Only she herself knows this omen……

The words once engraved instantly surfaced in her mind.

Even though she understands, she still tries to avoid it.

Not wanting to take it, not wanting to broach the topic—visible trouble, visible awkwardness, and it might even break her trust in her older sister's filter again!

Based on all those physical romance manga on her bookshelf, Xi once thought she could hold out until her older sister finally gave up and went to find someone else.

But——

She has stopped drinking!

The world is finally going to be destroyed.

The second older brother can no longer bear his age.

I suppose tonight everyone will be able to gather together in the Capital City Hundred Stoves……

Carrying such sorrow in her heart, Xi ultimately decided to become the hero who saves everyone.

As for being moved by the older sister's persistence, she feels she really can't just brush off the other's plea for help……

Don't talk about this!