Chapter 15: Second Supernatural Contact (Part 1)

“Auntie, I’m spending the night at my classmate’s house today. Yeah, the one I told you about last time. Mm. Mm. I know, don’t worry. Okay. Mm. Okay. Bye, mm-hmm, bye…”

Shen Yao put down the pink phone receiver and let out a long sigh.

The telephone in Qiao Yunxue’s study was a bit heavy, as if it was filled with iron, making it awkward to hold.

Qiao Yunxue was eating ice cream beside him.

It seemed to be Haagen-Dazs, though Shen Yao didn’t really know; he just vaguely understood that rich people apparently liked to eat this kind of ice cream.

“Your aunt is really so naggy,” Qiao Yunxue commented bluntly, showing no sense of respect for elders or hierarchy. Noticing Shen Yao’s glance, she shook the ice cream in her hand. “Want some?”

“A poor kid can’t afford it,” Shen Yao shot back.

“This is just a Guangming Three-color Cup, what did you think it was?” Qiao Yunxue smiled foolishly. “You country bumpkin, hehe…”

Shen Yao silently decided never to respond to her again.

This little girl was deliberately trying to annoy others.

He lowered his head and focused on checking the watch and the clock.

It was 19:07.

The midsummer night was coming later than usual, the sky tinged with a drunken shade of lilac, and the distant clouds looked like a poet lying in a stupor.

Less than five hours remained until tonight’s sudden crisis.

Shen Yao opened his phone and looked at the network signal.

Suddenly, an idea came to him.

He glanced back at Qiao Yunxue, who was sitting cross-legged.

Her delicate feet were wrapped in black ankle socks, the big toe slightly raised, revealing a faint flesh tone in the fluffy gaps.

Shen Yao thought, wearing such thick socks in this heat, without air conditioning, it must be stuffy and smelly.

“Qiao Yunxue, do you know how to register a QQ account?”

“QQ?” Qiao Yunxue frowned. “Who uses that pirated software? I used to use MSN at the international school.” Despite saying that, she dragged her office chair sliding over to Shen Yao’s side. “I’ll help you register it.”

Shen Yao obediently stood aside, watching Qiao Yunxue fiddling with the phone — sending messages, tapping numbers — then suddenly she looked up.

“What nickname do you want?”

“Nickname?”

“Your online name.”

Shen Yao rubbed his chin. “How about Chasing Wind Youth?”

Qiao Yunxue stuck her tongue out.

“So lame. Change it.”

Shen Yao was speechless.

Whether his nickname was lame or not was none of her business.

“Sunshine Windmill?”

Qiao Yunxue sighed helplessly.

“Forget it, I’ll pick one for you and add myself as your friend.” She paused, smiling with some pride. “That way, I’ll be your very first friend.”

She handed the phone over.

Shen Yao looked down and found his QQ avatar was a big blue dog, and the nickname was “Heim Haus.” He searched his limited English knowledge but still had no idea what it meant.

“Is this nickname English?”

“It’s German. You can pronounce it like ‘Hoem Hans.’ In slang, it means ‘big soldier.’” Qiao Yunxue seemed quite satisfied with the nickname. “Work hard, and one day you can add ‘rich’ after it — then you’ll be successful. Back in Germany, lords often gave such names to their low-ranking knights.”

Shen Yao didn’t like this nickname but couldn’t think of a way to change it immediately. Qiao Yunxue really treated him like a lackey.

The friends list also showed an avatar of a woman with closed eyes, named “Estelle,” with a note “Boss.”

No doubt, this Estelle, Ai Si Dai’er, had to be Qiao Yunxue herself. She really was narcissistic.

“How do I log in?”

“Your QQ number is… and the password is my birthday.”

Shen Yao’s hair almost stood on end. “How can your birthday be the password?”

“I registered it, so it’s up to me. Besides, I bought the phone for you.”

Shen Yao felt deflated. Fine, he’d change it himself later.

After some fumbling, Shen Yao still didn’t figure it out, so he decided to leave it be for now.

He mainly wanted to register QQ to contact Cheng Cheng.

What was her QQ number again?

Just then, his phone beeped.

Looking down, he saw a message from Estelle.

Shen Yao looked up and saw Qiao Yunxue, only a wall apart, typing on her phone.

Estelle: “Are you almost ready? I’m going to set the trap now.”

Shen Yao said, “We’re so close, why bother texting?”

Qiao Yunxue ignored him.

Heim Haus: “Got it.”

Qiao Yunxue laughed with delight, put away her phone, and stood straight.

Her long, fair legs looked elegant.

“Don’t worry, my preparations this time are flawless. I’ve invited every mage I could nearby and even made a big cage using talisman paper.”

Shen Yao wasn’t daring to be careless.

“Remember to keep the call going the whole time. Contact me immediately if anything happens, so I can hang up quickly.”

Qiao Yunxue responded, then before leaving, reminded him, “If Auntie asks, just say I went out for a walk. She usually sleeps by eleven, so after that, keep your voice down.”

“Understood.”

After Qiao Yunxue left, Shen Yao took a deep breath and sat down in the study’s office chair. The soft cushion still retained some warmth from the girl’s body.

His mother had once told him never to sit on someone else’s warm chair, or you’d get a sore bottom.

His gaze swept the study and finally rested on a cabinet on one side, the only place he hadn’t checked.

After hesitating briefly, he opened it.

Inside were miscellaneous items and a large suitcase with a shipping tag still attached.

The suitcase was locked with a combination, but its owner was obviously careless; Shen Yao pressed the latch and opened it directly.

“……”

Just a glance, then he closed it again.

He had been overthinking…

Inside the suitcase were Qiao Yunxue’s personal clothes, probably her luggage when she moved to Yaoguang City.

At that moment, his phone vibrated.

Seeing it was a call from Qiao Yunxue, he quickly plugged in his earphones and put one in.

“Hey, why did it take you so long to answer?” The voice was a little distorted, with slight interference.

Shen Yao hurriedly explained,

“I was looking for the earphones.”

“Eh? You sound so guilty. Are you doing something behind my back?”

“Nothing like that…”

Luckily, Qiao Yunxue didn’t probe further and continued, “I’m already at North Street. Few pedestrians left. My people are in position. Let’s keep the call going like this, okay?”

Shen Yao pressed the earphone against his ear and sat in front of the computer, turning it on.

“No problem. Mind if I use your computer? I want to gather some more info.”

“You know how?”

“I at least took an IT class and often help the class rep organize documents in the office. I’m fine with basic computer use.”

“Then go ahead.”

After that, there was a long silence.

Through the earphones, Shen Yao heard some horn honks, car sounds, and the even breathing of the girl.

His keystrokes naturally reached Qiao Yunxue’s ears.

At this moment, it seemed like the unbreakable call linked them, making their every move visible to the other.

Qiao Yunxue felt as if they were two halves of one being, inseparable.

This was the first time she had ever experienced such a sense of backing each other up.

“Hey, Shen Yao.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t open my browser, and definitely don’t check my history, or I’ll kill you.”

“That’s scary.”

“I’m serious.”

“Got it.”

After a while, she seemed worried and said, “You have to swear.”

“I swear.”

“Too insincere.”

After a pause, feeling bored, she called again, “Hey, Shen Yao…”

“I’m listening.”

“…Nothing, just wanted to see if my little brother reacts fast enough.”

“…”

“Hey, Shen Yao~”