Chapter 86: A Breath of Fresh Air
The special agent who called herself “Ren Wen Wen” had only just stepped out of the room and was now strolling away down the street. Irene, the tiny doll, leaned out of the open window, her delicate porcelain-like arms folded over the sill, and carefully watched the agent’s figure vanish around a corner. A moment later, she turned back inside and noticed Yu Sheng standing there, gazing blankly into space.
“Yu Sheng,” she said curiously, tilting her little head to one side, “just what is that ‘Snowstorm Mystery’ she mentioned?”
Yu Sheng’s cheeks went slightly pink, and he looked rather awkward. He cleared his throat quietly before replying, “It’s… well, it’s a story I wrote. It’s serialized on a media site.”
Irene’s large eyes blinked, intrigued. “And who’s this ‘Lin Qi’ she was talking about?” she asked.
Yu Sheng lowered his eyes as though embarrassed. “He’s the male lead in my story,” he explained.
“And what about ‘Nightblade’?” Irene continued, her small voice persistent. She blinked again, and just as Yu Sheng opened his mouth to answer, a sudden spark of understanding lit up her face. “Oh! I understand now—she must be the female lead!”
Yu Sheng fell into a heavy silence and stared up at the ceiling as if searching for invisible answers hidden in the paint. Seeing his troubled expression, Irene raised her eyebrows and pressed on, this time more cautiously. “…Don’t tell me ‘Nightblade’ is actually another male lead?” Her voice sounded worried, as if she were afraid of unraveling something terribly strange.
Leaning back in his chair, Yu Sheng let out a long sigh. “If it were just another male lead, I’d find it much easier to accept.”
Irene’s eyes grew wide, her delicate brows lifting. “Then… is it the male antagonist?” she guessed softly, sounding both startled and somewhat hopeful. “I sort of recall that strange pairings like that can happen…”