523. Am I a Witch?
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So, men really are creatures that just climb the ladder; give them a little sunshine, and they’re all sparkly, forever pushing people’s limits!
Thinking back to that communal bath earlier, Lin Nan’s cheeks couldn’t help but flush red hot.
Sure, she and Chen Yao had already had some skinship, but she still felt super embarrassed about it.
Mmp!
The more she thought about it, the more flustered and angry she got, so she decided to kick Chen Yao right out of bed.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Yao, now a crumpled mess on the floor, looked bewildered. He’d been reading quietly and now his girlfriend was on a rampage for no reason.
“Just going out for a bit.” Lin Nan shot a glance at the streetlight outside, got up from the bed, and added, “Should be back soon.”
She had to find Li Na.
She should have gone to see Li Na right after returning in the afternoon, but she was so dazed from sleeping in the car, all she could think about was getting back to her rental apartment for more shut-eye, so she put it off.
Arriving at Li Na’s rental door, she knocked but heard no response, so she wandered into the alley to head to the courtyard Li Na rented.
At that moment, the courtyard was all lit up, with two round tables set up in the middle, and a dozen people were chowing down. Right in front of them, a projector and screen were set up, turning the place into a makeshift movie theater.
The bizarrely dressed guests were raving about gourmet food from this world while stealing glances at the sci-fi movie playing on the screen, utterly entranced.
In this magical world, there were no sci-fi tales at all! Now that they were seeing iron ships and cosmic stars, they were all buzzing with excitement.
Lin Nan pushed open the courtyard gate and immediately laid eyes on the lively scene before her.
Her head was spinning from the surreal sight; with all those people sporting wild hair colors, she almost thought she had stumbled into some retro village hair salon from over a decade ago or a haven for the alternative crowd.
Or maybe it was a cosplay convention?
In a corner, munching on watermelon, Li Na spotted Lin Nan, her expression instantly darkening. She feigned enthusiasm as she hurried over, grabbing Lin Nan by the collar and yanking her outside.
The guests in the living room of the courtyard turned their heads in confusion for just a moment, catching sight of Lin Nan’s pretty face.
“That magical energy…,” a middle-aged man furrowed his brows.
“She looks just like that woman from that sinister tome,” another chimed in.
“The amount of magical energy she has rivals that of the Saintess.” A warrior in armor like a tin can suddenly leapt to his feet.
An elderly man in priestly robes finally made the call: “Could it be Lilith, the Witch?!”
With her hands propping her chin, Lilith watched the slow folks rush out after her, then shook her head and returned, a smirk forming at the corners of her lips. She suddenly felt that having diminished magical power wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Besides, her powers currently came from Li Na.
After all, hardly anyone had seen a real witch. Now if Lin Nan were standing with her, comparing magical energy and total power, anyone would think Lin Nan was the real witch!
“No, wait, what’s going on?” Lin Nan, bewildered, was dragged into a corner by Li Na. Watching her wave a hand, a shadowy light enveloped the two of them.
Completely lost, she glanced at the single girl pressed against the wall, and suddenly went pale, vigorously shaking her head. “You already have Lilith! I have a boyfriend!”
“What are you thinking?” Li Na released Lin Nan’s collar, rolling her eyes. “Don’t you know a bunch of people are hunting you down? And you still dare to come here?”
“This is a tourist information center in another world! Those folks see you and might just take you out on the spot.”
“Wait, hold on!” Lin Nan was getting confused. “What about those three last time? They were fine!”
“Because those three were on our side; even if they had doubts, they wouldn’t ask.” Li Na sighed softly, “You’d better watch out. There are nearly twenty people after you. I was planning to entertain them in the courtyard, but a few of them still managed to slip out.”
Since they were all on a work trip to Earth, nobody was keeping tabs on them here. Li Na treated them well with food and drinks, and now a handful of overly righteous ones were out hunting for Lin Nan.
But Lin Nan was even more confused. Why were they after me? Aren’t they out to k*ll the witch Lilith?
Wasn’t Lilith just hanging out with those people in the same courtyard?
Wide-eyed, she stared at Li Na, who looked a bit shifty, and it suddenly clicked: “You want me to be the scapegoat for Lilith?!”
Holy moly! This girl is merciless!
Lilith turned me into a girl, and now you want me to play fall guy!
“No way, it’s because you inherited Lilith’s powers,” Li Na shrugged, looking innocent. “Just look at Lilith now; her magical energy is barely a trickle, harmless as a kitten, always tailing the Saintess. Who’d guess she’s a witch?”
“And then look at you.” She sniffed the air. “You’re radiating ‘Witch vibes’ from head to toe, your magical power is huge, and you were just trying to seek vengeance.”
“???”
She patted Lin Nan’s shoulder, shaking her head dramatically.
Lin Nan’s heart skipped. “I don’t want magic anymore! I’ll return all the magical power to Lilith… I just want to be an ordinary person.”
What a danger! If it hadn’t been for that kid protecting her last night during the assassination attempt, she’d be a goner by now!
Originally thinking there was just one assassin, now nearly twenty, all right next door in Li Na’s rented courtyard?
What if this turned into an everyday occurrence during class, or when selling snacks on the street?
“That won’t do; you have to draw the fire.” Li Na resolutely shook her head. “Besides, if Lilith gets your powers back, she’d just become a witch again, right?”
Better than me being dead!
“Don’t worry; I’ll protect you!” Li Na patted Lin Nan, who looked thoroughly “thrilled,” and cheerfully promised, “You definitely won’t have any issues. How about I teach you a few protective spells?”
This girl loved to tease Lin Nan, but come to think of it, it seemed like Lin Nan never really came out worse for wear.
Though she was always teased, Li Na never did anything to actually harm her.
Lin Nan grabbed Li Na’s hand, looking at her sincerely. “You’re a Saintess; you have to keep your word!”
“Relax, relax.” Li Na’s smile got even brighter as she gently pushed Lin Nan toward the alley. “I’ve set up magical barriers around here so long as you don’t run into them directly, they won’t notice you. But don’t leave this city; once you’re out, they’ll catch onto your magic.”
“I’ll call you to learn magic when you’re free tomorrow; I have things to get done today.”
“Be careful out there, stay safe, and have a smooth trip.”
Saying that, she shoved Lin Nan out of the alley and turned on her heel to leave, her hurried steps clearly showing she was scrambling for a new distraction.
Lin Nan sighed. She didn’t have any great plans either.
How did she end up in this mess?
She felt overwhelmed with anxiety.
She couldn’t trust Li Na’s flimsy promises; she had to figure out some powerful magic on her own.
Back at the rental apartment, Chen Yao suddenly felt a chill breeze sweep over him. He shivered and looked up, closing the living room window.
Furrowing his brows, he distinctly felt someone seemed to be watching him with ill intentions but couldn’t fathom why his body was reacting with extra anticipation.
