Hotel.

After dinner, Luo Bing knocked on Xiaoming's door.

When Xiaoming opened it, Luo Bing handed her a stack of small-denomination bills, mostly $1 to $5 notes.

"What's this…?" Xiaoming didn't take it.

"Just take it." Luo Bing shoved the money into her hands. "You've never been to Country U before, so you might not know the local customs. Everything here costs money. You have to tip at hotels, restaurants, and even if you order takeout or ask the front desk to buy something for you."

"I've heard about that… what if you don't tip?"

"Some people won't say anything, but others might cause trouble behind your back. It's a foreign country, so better to keep a low profile. Even if some services don't require tips, it's fine to still give them some."

Luo Bing proceeded to hand Xiaoming a large tote bag filled with daily necessities, and most importantly, the phone Xiaoming had wanted.

"Hotels in Country U usually don't provide full amenities. No slippers, no hot water, nothing. If you're missing anything, just call the front desk and charge it to my account. If there's something you're not sure about, come find me."

"Ah… okay… got it."

Xiaoming was a bit confused, not because of Luo Bing's words, but because of his unexpectedly gentle demeanor. Earlier he'd looked at her with obvious disdain, yet now he seemed like a completely different person. The contrast was too extreme.

"If you're being threatened, just blink twice!" Xiaoming almost blurted out… but decided against provoking her brother again.

After Luo Bing left, Xiaoming returned to the living room and watched TV for a while.

As Luo Bing had said, everything here cost money. Even watching TV channels came with a fee, and the programs were boring and hard to understand. As for the internet, the connection was painfully slow; videos kept buffering.

Eventually, her attention shifted from the screen to the black stone in her hand.

Luo Xiaoming genuinely wanted her memories back. The feeling of "knowing you've lost your memory, but being unable to recall anything" was unbearable.

Plus, she had the feeling some of her lost memories were really important. They might even be the key to understanding everything she'd been facing lately.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the protagonist of a novel. She had no idea how she could recall her past. The one object that might have helped her had been broken by that loli named Xu Fang.

Xu Fang… what a strange name.

Xiaoming had searched "Xu Fang" on Baidu, but all the results were related to anime characters or Japanese voice actors. [[k75dcb]]

Hmm… Could she be Japanese? But her Chinese was so fluent.

Never mind. Maybe she could ask her next time they met.

Luo Xiaoming gathered her bundled toiletries and walked into the bathroom, undressed, and stood under the showerhead.

When she turned it on, 38°C warm water poured down. A countdown timer above the showerhead read "90 min", showing how much hot water was remaining.

So much better than the showers on campus.

Those required manually adjusting the temperature, and even if you got it right, you still had to wait for the water to heat up. Here, the water came out at the perfect temperature instantly, and adjustments were done by the machine. The default was 38°C; to change it, you just entered a new number that couldn't exceed 50°C.

So far, this was the only thing Xiaoming actually liked in this five-star hotel.

Steam slowly filled the bathroom, fogging up the floor-to-ceiling mirror. Xiaoming looked at her blurry reflection and sighed.

In the first few days after her transformation, she couldn't even look at herself in the mirror while showering. Now, not only did she feel nothing looking at herself… she felt nothing looking at girls in general. She worried about her orientation, but remembered she felt nothing for males either. That eased her mind a little.

All of a sudden, an unexpected voice came from the side. "Classmate Xiaoming, just taking a shower? Why not join me for a bath?"

Someone's here?!

Xiaoming whipped her head around, instantly on high alert. She hadn't noticed anyone else in the bathroom at all!

"Waaah!!"

"…Uhh, shouldn't you be covering your body in this situation? Why are you covering your face?"

"That voice… Wait, you're Xu Fang? When did you get in here?!"

"I've been here the whole time. Been soaking for half an hour already."

Xu Fang leaned back in the bathtub, holding a thick book. The Invisibility Cloak hung from a hook above. Maybe the tub was too big, or maybe the girl was just too small. Xiaoming really hadn't noticed her there.

"Then… I'll step out for a moment."

"Just bathe together. I don't mind." Xu Fang shook his head inwardly. If he still looked like his old self, Xiaoming would've already thrown shampoo at him by now.

Xiaoming thought about it: Xu Fang was the guest here, so why should she, the host, be the one hiding? Besides, she could just treat her like a little kid.

She stepped into the tub, sinking into the water with a long, satisfied breath.

Admittedly, the thick steam greatly eased the awkwardness. Through the hazy mist, neither could clearly see the other. What Xiaoming didn't know, of course, was that Xu Fang could see perfectly well with the Demon's eyes.

"Is the water temperature okay? It's about 40°C right now." (It had actually been over 80°C just moments ago.)

"Yeah, it's perfect." Xiaoming blinked and asked, "What are you holding? A book?"

"An English dictionary." Xu Fang spoke softly. "My English wasn't great before, but now that I have the chance, I might as well learn something."

"Xu Fang, are you Chinese or Japanese?"

"According to my character setting, I'm Chinese." Xu Fang placed the book inside a pocket of the Invisibility Cloak. Studying Xiaoming's figure, he noticed that her chest buds seemed slightly more developed than before. Was this due to thermal expansion?

Xiaoming didn't notice Xu Fang's gaze and kept asking like an inquisitive child, "Are you friends with Luo Bing? You seem pretty familiar with each other."

"Nope. He's just a stranger."

"Then why did you help us?" Xiaoming immediately regretted her phrasing. It sounded like she was ungrateful for Xu Fang's help. "I mean… I'm really thankful you came to save us! I'm just curious."

"Of course it's because of you."

"Me? What about me?"

"Because I like you. That's why I came."

Xiaoming hadn't expected such a "pick-up line" response to her earnest question. She fell silent, embarrassed. This kid looked cute and childish on the outside, but inside, she was definitely an adult!

"Hey, I'm asking seriously!" Xiaoming protested.

"Don't bother asking anymore. If you do, my answer will just be ‘Fighting evil, for love and justice!'"

This time, Xiaoming believed Xu Fang's words. Her heart swelled with admiration for the heroic magical girl. "Wow, then you really can use magic?! Like what Luo Bing said… you go ‘boom' and blow a car to pieces, right?"

"Of course. But don't go telling anyone about me. Otherwise, people might come looking for trouble."

"I promise." Xiaoming thumped her chest. "I'd never betray my savior!"

(How is this girl so simple… seriously, just begging to be extorted.)

At first glance, Xiaoming appeared short-tempered and difficult to approach. However, past her gruff exterior was an almost childlike naivete. She was the easiest kind of person to deceive. Xu Fang worried she might get taken advantage of while with Luo Bing.

There was one thing he could do: reveal his true identity, tell her everything that happened, and stay by her side with a clear conscience. But that would only bring trouble.

If the other author ever realized Xiaoming's importance to him, her safety would become Xu Fang's Achilles heel… they might not even bother with a threat, just choosing to kill her outright.

After his experiences with Ye Huai, Xu Fang would always assume the worst intentions from others.

The wisest choice was to continue to hide his secrets, keeping a safe distance from both Xiaoming and Luo Bing. Yet this would also leave him with a trace of regret.

"Xiaoming, are you adjusting well to your new life? Have you gotten used to being a girl?"

"It's fine - pretty much the same as before… Wait, you know about my transformation?"

Xiaoming tensed up. She saw Xu Fang as an innocent little girl, so she worried that her current self might disgust the other.

"It's fine. I don't mind. I was just wondering… why did you dress a bit like a girl even before your transformation?"

"Luo Bing's mom made me dress that way. She said people would hate me less…"

Xu Fang rubbed his forehead. It seemed Luo Xiaoming's unpopularity among her family was at least half Bai Wenqiu's doing.

"What about your birth mother?"

"My mother… I don't know. Maybe she already passed away. I've never seen her before, and my earliest memories only go back to when I was eight. I asked Dad once, but he refused to say anything. My relatives say my curse killed her…" Her face fell. Clearly the topic was painful for Xiaoming.

"Don't pay attention to other people's slander. Just be yourself."

Xu Fang stood up from the tub. Without even drying himself a towel, he draped the Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders.

"Xiaoming, I'll leave in a few days. After I'm gone, try to get along well with your brother. Luo Bing's character is decent enough. He's a relative you can trust."

"I know this is a difficult time with your father's passing, but don't let yourself grieve too much. Once you're back home, try making some friends. And… don't let other people's words control you. Your life is your own."

Xu Fang opened the bathroom door.

Xiaoming stared bemusedly at his retreating figure. "Where are you going?"

"Sunbathing."

It was already 9 PM. The sky outside was pitch black.

"Xu Fang… did we know each other?" Xiaoming suddenly asked.

Xu Fang paused, the silence stretching between them. When he finally answered, his voice was unnaturally light. "No. You might have misremembered."