Chapter 64 Boiling Water to Make Ice (2)
She wasn't particularly concerned about the conflict between Erici, Linlu, and Su Ni; Erici's mind was made up, and she didn't seem like someone who could be easily persuaded.
Shu Ningmiao felt that this might not be a bad thing—Erige could become a gap in the String Light Academy, just as she could become a gap in Prometheus.
To find Rennagi, she went straight to Class C as soon as get out of class ended.
Under Prometheus's attack, she chose to relinquish the states of lust and submission she had imposed on Rennagi and reclaim the transferred jealousy.
Now that the condition has been resolved, what she is most curious about is Rennagi's reaction.
Did he feel it when it was being applied to him?
Now that it's off, will he notice something's wrong?
Once the state is resolved, will he suddenly regain consciousness, or will he lose his memory of that period?
She will decide whether or not to get rid of him based on Rennagi's reaction.
The moment Rennagi met her gaze, anger flared on her face, and she looked like she wanted to dig a hole and disappear.
He quickly put down his book and came over: "Why are you here?"
The boy's black hair was all tucked behind his ears. He wore glasses, and behind the glasses, his eyes were wide open like a cat's. His expression was serene yet melancholic, still with that submissive look, but he wasn't as polite as before. His expression carried a subtle familiarity.
Even though the status had been removed, he seemed as if nothing had happened, and there wasn't a trace of wariness in his expression.
Could it be an act?
"I'd like to have dinner with you," Shu Ningmiao replied—whether there's been any change or not, we'll find out by trying.
With her invitation, Rennagi could already imagine You An's resentful gaze from behind. His mind was in turmoil, but his head was throbbing with pain.
He stood stiffly, his tone of voice awkward and forced: "Ah, um."
Lian Nagi nodded and obediently followed her. No matter how Shu Ningmiao looked at him, his attitude seemed to remain unchanged.
After being scrutinized by her for a while, Rennagi gave a pitiful smile and looked away, appearing quite uncomfortable.
Shu Ningmiao opened the terminal once more to confirm that the states of [Lust] and [Submission] were indeed not on Lian Nagi.
If it was an act, the acting was just too good.
Suppressing her doubts, Shu Ningmiao maintained her composure, displaying an elegant and poised smile as she pushed the menu towards Lian Nagi.
Rennagi took a deep breath: "Um...you were looking for me..."
"There's something I want to tell you." Shu Ningmiao nodded to the waiter and leaned back in her seat.
She did everything with a natural ease and grace, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, which he greatly admired. Renna pointed to the desserts on the menu, looked up at the waiter, and said, "Just this one, thank you."
"You only eat cake?" Shu Ningmiao raised an eyebrow. The cake that Lian Nagi ordered was covered with a thick layer of maple syrup, which looked so appetizing that it made her teeth ache.
"Hmm, my ability requires sugar." Rennagi wiped his hands. He hated eating and didn't want to eat anything unless his body required it.
After all, it's a superpower that relies on the brain to function, Shu Ning thought. No wonder she always felt dizzy and lightheaded after using Rennagi's "neural connection." She should buy some candy to keep on hand in the future.
"You want to ask about Prometheus, right?" Rennagi had pretty much guessed what the girl wanted to say. "It's all right now. After I sent the message, the leader didn't respond. They've probably given up. You're safe."
On the contrary, Achini had no intention of letting her go; he was the one excluded from the information circle.
Shu Ningmiao put her hand behind her back and rested her chin on it, giving Lian Nagi a look that was hard to decipher.
So, if Achini doesn't trust Rennagi, he might very well know what she did to Rennagi—how did he know?
She didn't find a place to talk to Rennagi alone, which meant she was no longer afraid of him passing on any messages.
But since Rennagi still trusts her, she doesn't need to expose her.
Before she could figure out how to answer him, Rennagi suddenly cautiously reached out her hand: "What happened to your hand?"
Shu Ningmiao followed his gaze to her hand, where the small cuts from the glass had been treated by Shi Yu and now turned into crisscrossing scars, surrounded by a pinkish hue, but not very noticeable.
Unexpectedly, he would care about the scar on her hand. Shu Ningmiao withdrew her hand and said softly, "The mirror broke. I cut myself by accident."
Rennagi glanced at the floor before looking at her again, and said dryly, "Be careful."
After Rennagi finished speaking, she felt slightly embarrassed.
He practically screamed "I'm bad at communicating" on his face, constantly poking at the cake with his fork while looking down, as if his language system had just been installed.
Shu Ningmiao smiled and took the initiative to bring up the topic: "Has Eric joined you?"
Rennagi looked hesitant.
"She told me everything." Shu Ningmiao lowered her hand, softened her voice, and spoke patiently and calmly, revealing no clue whatsoever.
If she wanted to, she could perfectly portray the image others desired, subtly guiding them until they fell into her trap.
However, she doesn't need to pretend most of the time in life.
She didn't lie at all; Erice really told her everything.
“We have no conflict now.” The girl’s fingertips lightly rested on the outside of the glass, her emphasized tone seemingly implying, “We can be considered friends for now, don’t you think?”
"Mmm." Rennagi subconsciously responded, then immediately picked up the cup in front of her and took a sip of water as if to cover it up.
“I’m a little worried about Erici.” Shu Ningmiao winked at him and began to explain, “You told me that Su Ni had ulterior motives and that he was the one who brought Erici into Prometheus. I’m afraid…”
“No,” Rennagi retorted without hesitation, “It was Sister Liang who brought her in. Sister Liang is a very nice person…”
"Sister Liang" was one of the three people who attacked her that night; she was a superhuman with the ability to "control fog."
She had seen the figure of "Sister Liang" in Lin Chuiyun's memory. She was a woman who was about 30 years old and named Liang Siyan.
Rennagi whispered, "...She brought me in too."
Shu Ningmiao looked at him curiously, as if she were just listening to some gossip: "Is she some kind of guide?"
Prometheus's makeshift team sometimes turned out to be surprisingly organized.
Her attitude was so deceptive, it sounded like casual conversation between friends.
Although Sister Liang and Lin Chuiyun were ordered to attack Shu Ningmiao, Sister Liang escaped, so she probably doesn't know who Sister Liang is.
Surrounded by students having afternoon tea, the atmosphere was harmonious. Renna subconsciously didn't want to refuse her in this setting, which made the atmosphere awkward: "Sister Liang was our former leader, and she's still our second-in-command. She's not some kind of guide; she's very capable."
Shu Ningmiao never expected that this woman held such an important position in Prometheus.
Judging from her special ability "fog control" alone, it's not particularly special and could be classified as a support ability. She must have something else that makes her stand out.
Continuing to inquire about Liang Siyan would make her seem too familiar with Liang Siyan, and Rennagi would notice her purpose, so she could only pretend not to know.
"The former leader?" Shu Ningmiao shifted the focus: "Why the former leader? Isn't she still alive?"
According to what she learned from Yulu, Prometheus turned to a more aggressive style this year—starting with the appearance of their leader, Achini.
Their former leader is still in Prometheus, working for Achini.
Shu Ningmiao realized that she had vaguely grasped some clues.
"Sister Liang has given up the leadership position to Achini," Rennagi said calmly, sipping her water.
"Why should we let her?" Shu Ningmiao's confusion was genuine.
Regardless of what Liang Siyan's special ability is, since she was able to take the position of leader before, and judging from Lian Na's words, everyone was convinced, why should she give it to Achini for nothing?
“Because he is stronger.” When Rennagi said this, she was not entirely convinced, but rather confused: “You have seen it too, he is really strong. He made so many of the ‘Life Symbol’ supernatural items. His strange fire can connect to any place and he can escape unscathed from the hands of the user.”
"Wait a minute." Shu Ningmiao seized on the blind spot: "You're saying that he made all these life-symbol power-enhancing items?"
“Yes…” Rennagi nodded: “Besides him, no one else could make so many supernatural gadgets.”
"Prometheus has existed for hundreds of years. The symbol of life and Prometheus should be intertwined, right?"
Shu Ningmiao leaned forward, her fingertips hovering over his chest: "Could it be that Achini has been making supernatural power tools for you for hundreds of years?"
Rennagi smiled wryly as she unbuttoned her collar and took out the Life Symbol hanging on her chest: "No, the Life Symbol has always existed. Before Achini became the leader, it was just an ordinary symbol."
"It was Achini who made the supernatural artifact into the shape of the Symbol of Life, not the other way around."
He simply took off the chain with the life charm hanging around his neck and placed it in her hand: "I didn't tell you the truth last time. Actually, the life charm I wear is just an ordinary pendant. It doesn't have any superpowers or effects. Sister Liang gave it to me the day I joined the party."
At Achini's behest, everyone in Prometheus replaced the Symbol of Life with a supernatural artifact he made. Only Rennagi still held onto the simple pendant, and she couldn't remember what she was thinking when she kept it.
Shu Ningmiao took the pendant from his hand and compared it with the life talisman she had received from Su Ni and Miss Yang. There were indeed some subtle differences.
The supernatural items were surrounded by barely visible light, and the pendant in her hand looked somewhat ancient and worn.
Shu Ningmiao returned the pendant to him, smiling sincerely as she looked at him.
Rennagi felt uneasy under her gaze and glanced around nervously.
"Actually, there's one more small thing I'd like to ask you for help with."
Shu Ningmiao suddenly grabbed his wrist, intending to prevent him from running away.
To his surprise, Rennagi was even more sensitive than he had imagined, and he was momentarily flustered. His lips moved slightly, and his face instantly turned red to the tips of his ears.
"What, what is it?"
Seeing that he didn't seem capable of running, Shu Ningmiao let go of his hand: "I saw the book you had under your textbooks last time. You seem to know a lot about these things. Could you make something for me? Money is not a problem."
Hearing that she only needed to make something, Rennagi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a strange sense of loss: "What is it?"
"A tracker." Shu Ning gestured with her hand, making a gesture about the size of a grain of rice: "This big."
Even though Rennagi was very confident in herself, she couldn't help but say, "Impossible. With the current technology, it's impossible to make it that small. The size of the template alone would be much larger than that."
"So I'd like to trouble you." Shu Ningmiao looked at him: "If you remove all the adaptation templates and memory usage, is that possible?"
“It’s possible.” Lian Nagi frowned. Shu Ningmiao looked at him with complete trust, and he was a little nervous: “But if you remove all of these, what’s the point?”
Shu Ningmiao said, "As long as there's a signal, you can connect using your special ability, right?"
Rennagi was startled; he had never even considered such a thing.
"Okay, but what do you want to make?" Rennagi clenched his fingers in a dilemma. What Shu Ningmiao said really made him want to try making it, but why would Shu Ningmiao suddenly want such a thing—it was too strange.
Shu Ningmiao looked around and beckoned to him: "Come here, I have something to say to you."
Rennagi cautiously leaned closer and heard Shu Ningmiao whisper, "Actually, I suspect my boyfriend is cheating on me."
Rennagi was stunned.
“You know Shi Yu is a very vigilant person,” Shu Ningmiao said seriously. “Ordinary methods can’t fool him, that’s why I need this kind of thing.”
"But..." Rennagi hesitated, then continued, "Aren't you two just pretending to be a couple?"
Shu Ningmiao was taken aback: "How did you know?"
Rennagi couldn't very well say that he had secretly hacked into Shi Yu's terminal and looked through the messages between the two of them.
Upon learning this news, he immediately thought of telling You An so that You An could take the initiative to approach Shu Ningmiao.
But his brief hesitation was enough for Shu Ningmiao to guess.
"I won't hold you accountable for snooping on my terminal, just help me this time." Shu Ningmiao quickly changed the subject: "Since you already know, I'll be frank. We're actually in an arranged marriage. Since he's breaking the agreement, I'm going to take his picture so that it won't be my fault if the engagement is broken off."
Already embarrassed by being discovered peeping, Rennagi was dizzy from her words and vaguely agreed: "Okay... If we don't need to assemble anything, it's very simple, I can make it for you right now."
He took her to his dormitory, where Shu Ningmiao discovered that Lian Naqi's dormitory was filled with a cabinet full of chips and some small parts.
He unpacked the parts and assembled it in no time.
The tracker he modified was only a third the size of her fingernail. Because it had no extra parts, the probability of it being detected was also reduced.
The only drawback is that its location can only be tracked through the ability of 'neural connection'.
For her, this is not a drawback.
"Impressive." Shu Ningmiao's praise came from the bottom of her heart. Although she might be envious of someone's abilities, she would not deny the talent of others.
After Weston invented the Heartstone Earrings, she also felt that Weston was exceptionally talented.
Hearing her praise, Rennagi turned her head, her face turning even redder, but her eyes brightened, and she became a little more energetic.
There are too many rules and standards in the world that define "powerful," which he cannot reach. Only in his own field can he be so at ease.
Shu Ningmiao put the item away, nodded slightly to Lian Nagi, and left.
As soon as I opened the door, I met the gaze of a pair of eyes that were completely blank.
There were no classes in the afternoon, so You An played basketball for a while and then went back to her dormitory.
Sunlight streamed through the dormitory balcony, falling on Shu Ningmiao, but highlighting You An's utterly devastated expression.
"You...I..."
Shu Ningmiao didn't think anything was wrong and nodded to greet him. You An stared at her without any reaction, his eyes drooping pitifully.
She gave him a strange look, then went downstairs without lingering.
Rennagi followed her out, rubbing her forehead: "Let me explain."
"Do you think I'll listen again?" You An angrily slammed the door shut.
Two seconds later, his head popped out again: "You go first."
——
Shu Ningmiao took the tracker and got up early to go to the teaching building, where Lin Chuxu was already reciting his lessons in the common room.
Lin Chuxu plans to enter politics according to his family's wishes. He has a lot to learn, so he gets up very early every day.
Seeing Shu Ningmiao, Lin Chuxu was a little surprised: "Why are you here so early today? By the way, I haven't asked you what you were doing in Class C yesterday."
"I need to grab something." Shu Ningmiao turned around, carrying her bag. "Is Eric here?"
"They're here." Lin Chuxu pointed in the direction of the classroom. Ai Ruiji was a very hard-working student and was usually among the first to arrive at the classroom. After arguing with Lin Lu, he arrived even earlier.
Shu Ningmiao walked into the classroom and saw Ai Ruiji standing at the edge of the classroom, as if he was reciting a text.
She walked over and patted Erice on the shoulder.
Something the size of a grain of rice fell from her hand into the lining of her uniform.
Eric was startled and hopped away like a rabbit.
Seeing that it was her, Erice took a while to calm down before awkwardly speaking—she thought she would never speak to Shu Ningmiao again: "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Shu Ningmiao raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "I just wanted to say hello and say good morning."
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