The next morning.
Shu Bai stood in front of the sink, her collar loosely open, revealing mottled red marks that stretched from her neck down to below her collarbone, standing out starkly against her pale skin.
He stared blankly at the mirror, his fingertips lightly touching the most prominent mark on the side of his neck.
Li Yuheng slowly drifted past him, stopping as if to appear nonchalant, her tone brimming with undisguised smugness: "Oh, what a coincidence, you're looking in the mirror too?"
Shu Bai didn't turn around, her gaze still fixed on her reflection in the mirror: "Hmm. Let's see how our guardian angel puts on performance art on me."
Li Yuheng moved closer and pressed against his back, but the illusory image did not appear in the mirror.
He deliberately lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery in his tone: "Do you want to know why my face isn't reflected in the mirror?"
Shu Bai then looked up at the empty mirror, then turned his head and gazed at the real face of Li Yuheng beside him.
"Why?"
Li Yuheng raised his chin, a smug smile curving his lips, and said, word by word, "Because God is originally without form."
Isn't that awesome?
Shu Bai looked at him like this, remained silent for two seconds, then turned back to continue adjusting her collar in front of the mirror, trying to cover up the marks more thoroughly.
"Understanding means what is commonly known as 'not photogenic'."
Li Yuheng scoffed, about to refute this fallacy of not being photogenic.
Shu Bai raised his hand, interrupting him: "Alright, you are naturally beautiful, even a mirror cannot capture your beauty. It is my mortal eyes that cannot comprehend the mystery."
The words that Li Yuheng was about to say were swallowed back by this neither-soft-nor-hard admission of defeat. He reluctantly accepted it and hummed, "That's more like it."
Taking the opportunity, Shu Bai pointed to his neck: "Now that you've grasped the mystery, would you mind removing these 'miracles'?"
"Why bother dispelling it?" Li Yuheng crossed his arms and deliberately looked at his open-collared robe. "Doesn't it look good? It shows that our relationship is quite close."
"No matter how close the relationship is, you can't go to see your client dressed like this. How am I supposed to explain this to people? That I was eaten by the guardian spirit I worship at home?"
Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow, and his illusory figure circled in front of him: "Can't you wear a turtleneck sweater instead? If you're covered up, who will be able to see you?"
Shu Bai shook his head, his expression as serious as ever: "No way. When a Pure Color Master meets someone, appearance is everything. It has to be a moon-white robe with flowing wide sleeves to give off that ethereal, reassuring aura. What would it look like to wear a sweater? Is he living at home in retirement?"
"...I won't. This is a blessing from the God of God, warding off evil and disaster, priceless. Others would beg for it, and you want to get rid of it? Keep it, it might even help you ward off some unclean things."
"...Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. You should thank me."
…
At the dinner table.
Shu Bai lowered his head and drank his porridge, several fresh red marks on the side of his neck were faintly visible between his collar.
Wen Rui, with her sharp eyes, put down her chopsticks: "Xiao Bai, what happened to your neck? Did you get bitten by a mosquito?"
Shu Huaijin adjusted his reading glasses and leaned closer to examine the mosquitoes: "Where did these mosquitoes come from in the middle of winter? It looks like an allergic reaction, hives."
Shu Bai paused in scooping porridge, her expression unchanged: "Hmm. Maybe some small bugs got into the bed and rubbed against it in the middle of the night."
A faint, warm light emanated from the Xuanjie ring.
Li Yuheng's deeply moving recitation reached straight into Shu Bai's mind:
I'd gladly be a tiny insect!
The red marks on her neck weren't mosquito bites, but roses blooming under the starry sky.
Crushed between the collar, settling like a rainbow-colored dream.
Seeking a dream? I'll pole a long boat and drift towards where the grass is greener—
A boat laden with starlight, singing songs amidst the shimmering starlight.
But I cannot sing; silence is the sound of parting flutes and pipes.
Even the summer insects are silent for me; silence is Cambridge tonight!
...
Shu Bai's action of scooping porridge stopped in mid-air.
“Li Yuheng”.
"Um?"
"Was your period of slumber caused by your poor poetry, which led to complaints from your followers that drove you to despair?"
Li Yuheng's recitation came to an abrupt end.
Shu Bai continued, "It's good for young people to get into the arts, but talent is also important. With your level, you'd be better off focusing on eating potato chips."
The red light on the ring face surged, then was forcibly suppressed.
Li Yuheng's sinister voice rang out:
"Tonight, I will read you the Divine Comedy: Inferno" all night long.
"..."
…
Shu Bai appeared outside the door of an old apartment building, carrying a plastic bag that she had bought from the convenience store downstairs.
He raised his hand, knocked on the door, and said in a steady voice, "Hello, takeout."
Silence reigned inside the door.
Shu Bai waited a few seconds, then knocked again, his tone carrying the urgency typical of a deliveryman: "Is anyone home? 502's delivery, left it at the door?"
There has still been no response.
…
Inside the house, Qi An pressed himself against the door, holding his breath and listening to the sounds outside.
She was dressed in a dark-colored tracksuit that allowed for easy movement, her hair neatly tied back. The gentle vulnerability that Qin Ren remembered was gone from her face; in its place was a sense of alertness and efficiency.
Delivery? At this hour? She didn't order anything.
She immediately turned around, swiftly grabbed her already packed backpack, and walked without hesitation to the bedroom window.
There was a fire escape ladder outside the old building, which was an escape route she had planned long ago.
She deftly opened the window and stepped out with one leg.
"Ma'am, what are you doing? Practicing rock climbing?"
A male voice, tinged with laughter, suddenly rang out from behind, almost touching.
Qi An froze, then turned around abruptly.
A handsome man dressed in red was floating in mid-air with a smile on his face, arms crossed, watching her with a leisurely air.
He was enveloped in a faint halo, which seemed out of place in this simple rented room.
Qi An's pupils contracted sharply, his heart pounded, but he quickly forced himself to remain calm.
She pulled back her leg, steadied herself, and sharply scanned Li Yuheng: "Who are you?"
Li Yuheng floated closer, looking her over with interest: "Quick reflexes and good mental fortitude. Much better than that kid surnamed Qin."
Upon hearing the name "Qin," Qi An's expression changed slightly, but she remained silent, her lips tightly pressed together.
Just then, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock came from outside the door.
It is clear that Shu Bai used some unconventional methods.
With a click, the door opened.
Shu Bai carried the plastic bag and stepped in.
His gaze swept calmly over the two locked in a stalemate, finally settling on Qi An, his tone carrying a hint of understanding: "As expected, he didn't intend to open the door properly."
Looking at the two men, one real and one illusory, who were clearly extraordinary, Qi An knew that he would not be able to escape easily today.
She took a deep breath, relaxing her tense body, leaning against the window frame, and gave a slightly mocking smile: "Gentlemen, what brings you here to see a 'weak woman' like me?"
Li Yuheng floated to Shu Bai's side and raised his chin in Qi An's direction: "See? I told you he wasn't someone to be trifled with."
Shu Bai looked at Qi An and got straight to the point: "Hello, I am Shu Bai, the current head of the Shu family."
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