Eldritch Horror Theatre

He had probably been caught.

Transcendent abilities didn't affect one's vision. Even though the Handcuffs' chain was light and slender, Fu Qian still wouldn't mistake it for some kind of sex toy.

The craftsmanship was visibly exquisite, and the material was clearly special. If he wanted to break free by force, dismantling the adjacent bedframe would probably be a better idea.

Furthermore, a casual glance was enough to tell that the precision of its locking mechanism was far beyond that of ordinary goods.

Without handy tools, picking it would be difficult.

To sum up, he really had been captured.

And the pursuer in front of him was not only professional but fully prepared.

"It wasn't easy finding you."

Wen Li's next words proved exactly that.

Although it was a lament, she carried the triumphant air of a victor who had finally brought down her prey after a long trek.

"Sorry, I've had a lot on my hands lately."

Exchanging pleasantries about hardships upon meeting was the rule, and it didn't necessarily have to be the other person's hardships.

Hearing that Wen Li had put a lot of effort into finding him, Fu Qian sighed softly, immediately stating that he was forced by the demands of life, and that as an academic leader, it was even harder to find any free time.

"Yes, it must be hard, running around to so many places."

Yet even in this bizarre situation, Eldest Miss Wen still gave him face, casually agreeing.

It was just that the specifics were somewhat iron-fisted in a velvet glove, leaving no room for negotiation.

"But don't worry, here is the good news. You're going to get a rare vacation, allowing you to stay away from trivial matters and focus on yourself. I won't help you take this thing off until you follow me to the Sanctuary."

As she spoke, she finally stood up from her seat and pointed at Fu Qian's Handcuffs.

...

Sanctuary? The vibe today was a bit off.

As an experienced administrator, Fu Qian knew the probability of the scene before him being reality was clearly low.

But even if this was something like a dream or a hallucination, Wen Li's posture was slightly abnormal.

She recognized him, and she knew him as Mr. Fu.

Yet her attitude was completely different from usual, looking as if she were ridding the people of a public menace.

The contrast in their appearances, and even her previous words, all pointed to this fact.

However, just as Fu Qian tried to accept this premise, the term "Sanctuary" made the situation even more complicated.

It couldn't be the White-Headed Sanctuary, could it?

Had Eldest Miss Wen secretly converted to the Cult of Pleasure, lying low all this time just to pull him into their ranks?

This shift in her persona was a bit too explosive, even though her abilities after advancing to the Demigod Realm did indeed involve emotion activation.

"Thank you. Could you confirm what you're bringing me to the Sanctuary for?"

Not blindly ruling anything out based on subjective feelings, Fu Qian pondered various possibilities while watching Wen Li approach step by step.

It was only when even a mortal nose could smell the fragrance on her body that he finally spoke to confirm.

And even so, he didn't forget to express his gratitude first.

When one wanted to squeeze out time to rest in the middle of a busy schedule, what could be more justifiable than being kidnapped?

"So you don't know?"

Unfortunately, after hearing his question, Wen Li didn't answer honestly this time. Instead, she scrutinized him with a faint smile.

It could only be said that she was truly a master of emotion management. It was clearly just a simple retort coupled with a smile, yet it had a rather hair-raising effect.

It even had an extra bonus effect on Fu Qian, because Wen Li's expression looked very much like she had plagiarized it from him.

"I don't know."

Of course, everyone was just trying to get by in this world. For Fu Qian, these feelings ultimately amounted to nothing more than a sigh as he shook his head and frankly admitted his ignorance.

"Then it's best you continue not knowing."

Who would have thought that Eldest Miss Wen's viciousness would also continue? Her smile was still sweet, her voice still gentle, and her answer remained a secret.

Amidst the slightly clearer fragrance, she leaned down, unlocked the other end of the Handcuffs, and fastened it around her own wrist.

...

Really... was that necessary?

In the blink of an eye, his right hand was forced to be locked together with Wen Li's left hand. Their range of motion was restricted entirely to the length of the thin chain.

At that moment, Fu Qian's gaze fell upon the Handcuffs, his heart filled with nothing but amazement.

Naturally, it wasn't because of Wen Li's attitude. Having long been used to playing the villain, being rejected by the side of justice was a common occurrence for him. What Fu Qian marveled at was whether this extra step was truly necessary.

On one hand, he was currently a bona fide mortal. On the other hand, in the few steps Wen Li had taken, Fu Qian could faintly sense a clue—it seemed not everyone had been reduced to a mortal state like him. Her transcendent attributes appeared to have been preserved.

And if that were true, the power disparity was far too exaggerated.

A transcendent facing an ordinary person—this was a crushing disparity on a completely different dimension. Was there really a need for such preventive measures during an escort?

Not to mention the eye-catching look of it, wouldn't it easily lead to misunderstandings? Did she not share even a bit of Excellency Nepheli's germaphobia?

He naturally ran through a Harriet Three-Stage Questioning in his mind, but Fu Qian wasn't bored enough to voice this doubt. Instead, he shook his head and sat up.

Before getting out of bed, however, he insisted on looking into a mirror on the nightstand, acting like someone who cared very much about his image.

Yes, it really was him, even bearing his original appearance as an Academy professor.

"It's strange that you actually didn't disguise yourself."

She had undoubtedly noticed this action, but Wen Li didn't stop him. While watching him, she suddenly offered an extra comment.

'You think it's strange? I think it's strange.'

Fu Qian's reaction to this was a cold scoff in his heart, sensing even more just how bizarre this trip was.

He wasn't exactly fond of the bare-faced style. In his many dealings with Wen Li, he had spent most of his time wearing the image of the Bookstore Owner.

"Now I'm not that surprised. Some things seem to be more important to you."

However, before Fu Qian could express his feelings, Wen Li followed up with another sentence to execute the person and condemn the heart.

The implication in her words clearly pointed to Fu Qian being too focused on his image to bear changing his appearance.

"You are mistaken..."

Fu Qian didn't like hearing that. For those of them doing academic work, the biggest taboo was focusing only on superficial appearances.

This kind of accusation regarding his style could very likely end up affecting his professional image.

"Oh?"

Wen Li didn't look quite so domineering. Having already walked ahead, she turned back with a listening posture.

Hm...

However, under the gaze of those distinct black and white eyes, the criminal's lips parted slightly, but he ultimately made no sound.

Naturally, it wasn't a sudden bout of shyness. As the person involved, Fu Qian felt it very clearly. At the exact moment he tried to defend himself, his vocal cords seemed to vanish from his throat, rendering him unable to make a single sound.

Without a doubt, this was Wen Li's doing. His earlier guess was right; she really had retained her transcendent physique.

"Nothing to say?"

And in this silent standoff, she spoke first, delivering her judgment with a faint smile.

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