Chapter 108
Chapter 111
Mu Qingzhi was naturally familiar with the Black Stone Residence.
After all, she had lived here for quite a while to escape the summer heat, so she was already familiar with the place. Even with her eyes closed, she could walk back and forth here.
After entering the residence, her goal was to go straight to the hot spring pool in the back courtyard. It was the best place in the entire Black Stone Residence, with cherry trees in full bloom and beautiful scenery.
Although it was not the season for cherry blossoms to bloom, there were hot springs there. Now it was winter, which was the right time to take a hot spring bath.
When Mu Qingzhi arrived here in the submarine, Su Enxi was sitting by the hot spring pool, stepping on the water and chatting with a girl who was reading a book under a cherry tree.
Unlike Su Enxi, the girl was very petite, with her blonde hair tied into a ponytail, revealing her slender neck. Her skin was so pale that it looked cold, and she looked like an ice sculpture. At first glance, it was easy to remind people of the endless snowfields of Siberia.
Like her appearance, the girl's personality was also quite cold.
Often Su Enxi would say dozens of words before she would simply reply one or two. Her eyes were basically all focused on the new novel in her hand, and she never moved to the side.
...This was the latest volume of Shakugan no Shana's novel. Su Enxi tripled the price and paid expensive postage to have it airlifted by helicopter.
Looking at the light novel spread on the girl's knees, Su Enxi felt a little heartbroken for some reason.
"...By the way, Zhi sent me a message this morning saying they would come."
Looking at the girl who would only perfunctorily respond to whatever she said, after a moment of silence, Su Enxi suddenly pretended to say this casually.
"When?"
Sure enough, after hearing her words, the girl immediately raised her head and looked at her.
"The mission time is November 7th, and it's only November 1st now. Shouldn't she come on the 4th? She can't leave at all, right?"
"Who knows? Anyway, when I contacted her before, she said she would arrive in the afternoon and asked me to prepare lunch and hot springs for her to come."
While celebrating that she finally spoke more than two sentences for the other party in her heart, Su Enxi took a potato chip from the potato chip bag beside her and stuffed it into her mouth, with a calm face.
"I asked Kimura to wait at the door in advance. If there is any news, it should come soon."
...Iceberg three no?
Indeed, this Sanwu girl always has such a cold attitude when facing other people, including in front of the boss. Her temperament is as indifferent as an iceberg that has not melted for thousands of years... But she is an exception in front of one person.
"I'll go wait for her."
Putting down the page in his hand, Ling calmly and quickly stood up from under the cherry tree.
... Ten years is enough to change too many things.
When Zhi lost contact and Zero was also captured, her world had collapsed. She lived in a daze and wandered aimlessly in the world.
In the three-year lonely wandering life, the first thing she learned was to close her emotions.
Only with a blank expression can others not judge your thoughts.
With the props given to her by Zhi, plus the large amount of money left by Zero, plus her awakened bloodline, she can actually live a good life and there is no need to wander.
... But she can't find a reason to stop.
After losing her last companion, she no longer has a home.
It was not until Zero reappeared in her dream three years later that she ended that meaningless wandering life, but the habits that were engraved into her bones during those three years of wandering life could no longer be changed.
To a certain extent, the indifference she showed on the surface was just a disguise for her inner self. Once the mask is worn for a long time, it will be integrated into the bones and blood and can no longer be distinguished.
... She originally thought so.
"Is it unnecessary? It's just a few steps in total."
Looking at Zero who stood up, Su Enxi looked helpless.
"Maybe she has arrived now, and is now outside the door..."
"Eh? How do you know I'm here?"
At the right time, a surprised voice sounded at the door.
"I was going to show up suddenly to give you a surprise, but you actually knew I was outside the door? Is it so magical?"
Su Enxi: "..."
As the voice sounded, Mu Qingzhi walked out from behind the door with a sullen face and Jiude Mai who was helplessly touching her forehead.
——When she saw Su Enxi sitting by the hot spring pool, Jiude Mai nodded slightly to her.
…………………………………………
“You really don’t consider switching jobs to my place?”
Sitting side by side by the hot spring pool, while eating potato chips, Su Enxi complained bitterly.
“Come to my place, not only is the daily salary sufficient, but there are also many holidays. I only have a cold iceberg and a neurotic boss here. It’s really hard to find someone to chat with.”
“Now I am Zhi’s retainer.”
Holding a wine glass in her hand, Jiude Mai said leisurely.
“…So?”
“In our Japan, a minister who betrays his master will be punished by seppuku.”
After drinking the sake in the cup in one gulp, Jiude Mai glanced at Su Enxi beside her.
"Job-hopping to your side? What, when I commit seppuku to apologize, you will stand by and pretend that I am the wrong person to commit seppuku?"
"That seems possible..."
Su Enxi touched her chin with her hand, and looked thoughtful.
"Come on, instead of persuading me, you might as well persuade her."
Pouting, putting her hands on the ground to support her body, Jiude Mai turned her head and looked at the sky.
"I have always been with her. Wherever she goes, I go. There is no such thing as betrayal or job-hopping. Do you understand?"
"I have persuaded her, but the conditions there are not as good as those offered by the Eight Snake Families. What do you want me to do?"
With a sigh, Su Enxi simply lay down lazily next to the hot spring pool.
"And to be honest, I suspect that my only colleague will be poached by her soon. Since she is poaching my people, I have no other countermeasures except to change tactics to poach her people, right?"
"... Zhi should not stay in Sheqi Bajia for long."
After thinking for a while, Jiude Mai began to comfort her.
"Although she is the director of the Executive Bureau now, according to my estimation, she will retire as the director in one or two years at most, and we will have enough time by then."
"One or two years... By the way, why did you come so quickly today?"
Su Enxi seemed to suddenly remember something, and after looking at the two people who were busy making barbecue over there, she got up from the ground and asked curiously.
"If I remember correctly, you should still be at work today, right?"
"Oh, we skipped work."
Jiude Mai also threw a piece of potato chips into her mouth, with a calm face.
"Between two points, a straight line is the shortest. We came here directly from underground in a submarine, which is parked in the collection room. If you are really curious, you can go and experience it later."
"Underground submarine... I feel that this alchemy technology seems to be getting more and more outrageous."
After a little imagination in her mind, Su Enxi's eyes twitched slightly.
Regarding her speculation about the identity of Uesugi Zhi, the King of Bronze and Fire, she once asked her boss with concern, and for the first time, she got an uncertain answer from her boss.
[...Not her. ]
[The real King of Bronze and Fire is not so outrageous at all. ]
PS: Good morning (づ●─●)づ