[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-90":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298059,4496,"Chapter 90: Emotional Intelligence (Requesting Monthly Votes)","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-90",90,"\u003Cp>In response to Lu Mi’s confirming question, Ryan Cos nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can understand it that way, but if there are other anomalies worth investigating, we can’t overlook them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.” Lu Mi actually thought the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even plan to attend Lent, afraid he might be tempted to act out at the festival’s “performances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group of four quickly arrived at Lu Mi’s home, guided upstairs by Aurora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora, dressed in a pure white cotton long dress that emphasized homey comfort, pointed to Lu Mi’s open bedroom and study and said to the three official investigators:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can choose either of these two rooms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryan Cos turned his gaze toward Lyra, seeking her opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds of thought, Lyra raised her right hand and smiled as she pointed to the study:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That armchair looks great—I’ll take it. Ryan, you and Valentine share the other room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You trust us that much?” Aurora thought to herself, but Lu Mi said it aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed the three outsiders would opt to sleep on the floor together in one room, to avoid being picked off one by one if separated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyra smiled in reply to Lu Mi’s half-sarcastic, half-questioning remark:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My divination told me both of you are trustworthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she stepped into the study, lay down on the armchair amid a jingle of bells, her face radiating comfort and ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora found this version of Lyra amusing and approachable, and smiled as she reminded her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A friend once told me: believe in divination, but don’t blindly trust it—divination isn’t all-powerful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My mentor said something similar, but given our situation, all of us under one roof, what else can we do but believe?” Lyra shifted slightly on the armchair and replied with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora didn’t mind her designated spot being taken; she pulled over a chair and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Their study doubled as a small parlor, occasionally used for afternoon tea, so the space was spacious and chairs plentiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryan Cos glanced around the hallway for a while, then returned to the study doorway and said to Aurora and Lu Mi:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have some suggestions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please go ahead,” Aurora replied politely, assuming a listening posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryan Cos gave a slight nod:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One: when sleeping at night, keep all room doors open so we’re effectively in the same space—this way, any anomaly anywhere can be responded to promptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two: since we destroyed the altar, someone may try to target us before Lent begins. Starting tonight, we’ll take turns on night watch—ten PM to eight AM, two hours each…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So professional… Aurora muttered almost silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi turned to look at her, as if asking, Why didn’t you think of that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora gave a tiny shrug—meaning, I don’t have much team experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then turned to Ryan Cos and Valentine with firm certainty:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Mi takes ten PM to midnight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyra and the others had no objections to this arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, it made perfect sense: among the five present, Lu Mi had the lowest Sequence and least experience, making him most likely to make mistakes on watch—and from ten PM to midnight, others would still be awake to cover for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi understood his sister’s intent went beyond that:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to sleep so he could explore the Dream Ruins without interruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming the first shift, Valentine volunteered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m used to sleeping and waking early—I’ll take six AM to eight AM.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Up so early to greet the sunrise?” Lu Mi instinctively teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valentine’s gaze softened as he looked at him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I must greet the rising sun and praise the light’s radiance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes seemed to say, Of course, only you, a devout follower of the Eternal Sun, understand me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hey, I was mocking you, brother! Lu Mi felt slightly defeated by Valentine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Church of the Eternal Sun, “brother” was a common term among believers; their two dominant internal organizations, the Preaching Brotherhood and the Little Brotherhood, both used it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not used to being woken up mid-sleep,” Lyra added. “I’ll take midnight to two AM.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I prefer sleeping late—I’ll take two to four AM. Oh, don’t bother waking me for breakfast tomorrow—I’ll probably rise around noon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take the remaining shift,” Ryan Cos said, clearly pleased to have claimed the worst time slot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entered the study and sat down on a chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chatted casually. Though Aurora rarely went out, she knew astronomy and geography, and could effortlessly recount the latest trends, gossip, and supernatural incidents in Trill, Beckland, and other major cities, leaving Lyra, Ryan Cos, and the others secretly impressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder you’re the famous writer Aurora Lee,” Lyra couldn’t help exclaiming. “No genre is beyond your reach.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora asked curiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve read my novels?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I started with your first one—I was still a girl then,” Lyra replied with bright eyes and a smile. “By the way, sign my copy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she rummaged for paper and a pen, the silver bells on her head veil and boots jingled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it a sealed object?” Aurora asked, curious—Lu Mi had already told her about Lyra’s four small bells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyra pulled out a stack of sticky notes and a pen, answering casually:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it can actively warn me and enhance my divination. The downside? It’s noisy, not discreet, and imposes strict dress requirements: must be fashionable, must be a dress, must be attractive—otherwise, it won’t work, might mislead you, or even draw you toward hidden dangers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t even guess if this bell originally belonged to a man or a woman,” Aurora laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi strongly agreed: if the bell came from a woman, it carried the lingering instinct to be pretty; if from a man, it was clearly a lecher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyra gave a faint smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s classified—I can’t say more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood up and handed the sticky notes and pen to Aurora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she signed, Aurora asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which genre of my novels do you prefer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Romance,” Lyra answered without hesitation. “The one that influenced me most was your first novel, Eternal Love.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That book’s too early—I was too young then, my writing wasn’t good, too raw. Many scenes felt forced, dialogue overly sentimental, not realistic…” Aurora modestly downplayed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi habitually added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it was sincere and original.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had read his sister’s novel—it told the story of a couple torn apart by death, blending adventure, misunderstandings, and terminal illness. At the time, it was groundbreaking in Intis literature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, it drew criticism from conservative writers and critics: the flaws were exactly what Aurora had just mentioned; some even claimed it wasn’t literature at all, just popular fiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly,” Lyra took back the paper and pen, looked at Aurora, and smiled. “Great writer, could you become a source for our Eighth Bureau?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Aurora’s surprise, she continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We crack down on wild Exalted ones mainly because they’re uncontrollable—always risking loss of control or disasters, or using their powers for selfish, evil ends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over these past few days in the village, I’ve carefully observed you two siblings and confirmed you’re Exalted ones who strictly follow order. And before coming to Koldu, our intelligence showed you’ve never done anything bad publicly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You meet our recruitment standards. If you become our sources, you won’t have to fear being targeted by official Exalted agents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora’s heart stirred. She glanced at Lu Mi and nodded lightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll consider it. I’ll answer you after the cycle ends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi instantly understood the meaning behind his sister’s glance:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m fine—but will you, this thing sealed with heavy contamination, pass the test?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more chatting, the siblings bid farewell to Lyra and the others and returned to Aurora’s bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora sat on the edge of the bed, glanced at the door, and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lyra has high emotional intelligence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How so?” Lu Mi also felt Lyra had made the atmosphere in the study very harmonious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She brought up my novels and asked for a signature to build rapport—rapport to pave the way for recruitment, and recruitment to dissolve our distrust and defenses so we can cooperate better over the next few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The whole process felt seamless, never triggered my discomfort or suspicion—that’s high emotional intelligence. Learn from her!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi replayed the conversation in his mind and self-deprecatingly said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I’d been in charge, I’d probably have been thrown out by now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora laughed, nearly bending forward and backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got self-awareness!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rubbed her golden hair and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll nap for a bit—my eyes aren’t fully healed yet, need more rest. Wake me at ten—I’ll keep watch for you. First time on duty, better be cautious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi had no objection and readily agreed, watching his sister lie down on the bed without hesitation, pull the blanket over herself, and close her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi quietly turned off the desk lamp and drew the curtains shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he sat on the chair by the desk, quietly gazing at his sister’s defenseless sleeping face in the crimson moonlight filtering in, his heart gradually calming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Requesting monthly votes~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1520,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e39e4a7fd81a20cc7ee770817138a385136822ca2742e2a4398c6c7b0d5a150b","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-91","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-89",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]