Vivi shrank her head, timidly following behind Xia Xiaoling.
She looked as if she was very afraid of Wu Menghan.
For some reason, Wu Menghan’s heart suddenly twinged with pain.
Her voice was hoarse as she asked Xia Xiaoling, “Who is this?”
“Oh, just someone I ran into on the way. She has no parents, and I thought she looked pitiful, so I brought her along.”
“I see.”
Wu Menghan crouched down and reached out, wanting to pat Vivi on the head, but Vivi darted behind Xia Xiaoling in a flash.
A swirl of complicated feelings surged in her heart as she looked at her own hand, her expression full of bitterness.
After closing the door, Wu Menghan forced herself to perk up a little and brewed a pot of tea for the two of them.
“Oh, thank you.”
Xia Xiaoling smiled gently, taking the teacup and setting it aside without any intention of drinking.
Vivi, on the other hand, took her cup and instinctively took a sip. Her movements were smooth, as if she was someone who drank tea often.
The tea leaves weren’t anything special, just the kind of cheap, ordinary tea.
Back when Wu Menghan first entered high school, she always stayed up late catching up on homework. Vivi was afraid she’d get too sleepy and would brew her tea at night.
Over time, Wu Menghan developed the habit of drinking tea.
As she savored the familiar taste, she slowly put down her cup, saying nothing—she simply watched the other two quietly.
Wu Menghan’s gaze swept over unintentionally. When she saw Vivi’s actions, a sense of familiarity struck her again.
She must be sick—having hallucinations.
Wu Menghan shook her head and took a sip; even the poor-quality tea managed to give her a bit of comfort.
“Ms. Xia, I want to drop out of school.”
She spoke at last, her voice still so hoarse, tinged with sorrow.
Xia Xiaoling nodded, her voice gentle. “Have you thought it through?”
“Yes. My brother got into trouble, and I have no mood to study anymore. I want to investigate the reason for my brother’s disappearance.”
“Did you report it to the police?”
“I did. It’s very complicated.”
The more Wu Menghan spoke, the less confidence she had. Even now, when she recalled being hunted by Eno that night, she still felt a lingering fear.
“Tell me. Maybe I can help you find a solution.”
“Thank you, Ms. Xia.”
Wu Menghan smiled at her.
“Teacher, don’t think it’s strange when I tell you.”
“My brother might have been eaten by a Slime Girl.”
Her voice was very soft, as if she were describing something out of a dream.
Xia Xiaoling saw from her face that she didn’t seem to be lying, and her brow furrowed.
Only Vivi seemed to have no reaction—or rather, she only appeared not to react.
In fact, she had started to panic inside.
Since Wu Menghan knew about the Slime Girls, it meant the authorities must have gathered some information.
Slime Girls were essentially man-eaters; the authorities couldn’t possibly allow such a threat to persist.
Thinking of this, Vivi felt her future grow bleak. At this rate, it would have been better to let Eno eat her directly.
“Hm? What’s wrong with her?”
Vivi’s suddenly fallen expression caught Wu Menghan’s attention.
Both of them looked over. The little loli’s chubby cheeks drooped, as if she’d suffered a huge blow.
“Did you remember something?”
Vivi’s body trembled lightly. She subconsciously kept a little distance from them, her voice muffled. “It’s nothing. I just miss my parents a bit.”
Wu Menghan felt a pang in her heart. She, too, had lost her parents, and now even her only brother was missing.
How similar her experience was to this girl’s—in fact, Vivi’s was even worse.
For a moment, Wu Menghan figured things out, and much of the frustration she’d been holding inside dissipated. She reached out again, wanting to pat Vivi’s head, but Vivi skillfully dodged her once more.
Wu Menghan’s face froze for a second, but she didn’t say anything, just lowered her arm in some disappointment.
“Ms. Xia, will the police find her a foster family?”
“Mm, they probably will, but she doesn’t really want to go.”
Wu Menghan paused, recalling Vivi’s reaction toward her, and hesitated again. Seeing her falter, Xia Xiaoling didn’t speak and let Wu Menghan think for herself.
After a moment, as if she’d made up her mind, she spoke.
“Can she stay with me for a few days? Or… maybe… can I become her foster parent?”
“Eh?! No way!”
Vivi’s reaction was abnormally intense. She even accidentally bumped into the corner of the tea table.
A wave of pain hit her. The spot she’d bumped was showing a strange shape—looking just like jelly pressed in.
Instantly, sweat beaded across her forehead. She covered the injured spot without thinking.
Noticing the other two looking at her, nervousness and fear began to well up in her heart.
“I… I just think it’s not good to live at someone else’s house. I can take care of myself.”
Coming from a loli’s mouth, this line had absolutely no convincing power.
Feeling their burning gazes, Vivi shrank her head again, looking extremely aggrieved.
***
Meanwhile, among the buildings of the old city district, a young girl stood at a high vantage point, gazing down, her brow tightly knit.
Her gaze swept in all directions, but she couldn’t find that petite, adorable figure.
“Damn it, where did Vivi run off to?”
Eno gritted her teeth, unable to dispel the stifled anger in her heart.
That was a little loli! An ultimate Slime Girl! How could she let her get away?
How could she have let her get away?
The more Eno thought about it, the angrier she became. She felt like her whole slime body was swelling with rage.
Suddenly, she remembered the scene from when she’d chased after Irena.
With nowhere to vent her fury, she seemed to have found a target. She looked in a certain direction—the old city’s police station was there.
A cruel smile crept across her lips, but she didn’t act immediately.
Last time, when chasing Irena and the others, Eno had noticed the level of weaponry possessed by humans in this world.
Very advanced. Even though this world was lacking in magic, these things were no less powerful than spells.
To be on the safe side, it would be better to wait until night to act.
***
Night arrived. On the brightly lit street, there were few pedestrians.
Eno stood at the entrance to a street in the old city district. Not far ahead was the police station.
“Mm… looks like Irena probably escaped to here.”
She observed carefully, not getting too close. She also knew there were surveillance cameras, something she’d learned from devouring humans.
It was fragmented knowledge, but sometimes very useful.
Pretending to be an innocent passerby, Eno walked past the police station entrance and saw the officers on duty.
The security here looked especially tight. It was her first time seeing a police station in this world, and she was a bit curious.
After confirming the officers inside weren’t armed, Eno turned her attention to the surrounding streets.
Her gaze swept over each surveillance camera as she walked into a blind spot.
She stretched out her hand; several pink orbs shot out precisely, disabling the nearby cameras.
“That was pretty easy.”
Eno smiled with disdain. Circling the police station, she picked a secluded spot and transformed into a puddle of pink liquid.