"True feeling does exist in this world, after all..."
Li Fei carried the heavy chest into the VIP private room, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth.
By rough estimate, tonight's haul had raised at least seven hundred thousand gold coins, and more would keep trickling in afterward.
And the achievement originally named [Beautiful and Kind-Hearted], later transformed into [Angel of the Solitary Isle], could be said to have played no small part.
Angel of the Solitary Isle (Command +1, more easily gains the trust of the kind-hearted)
Backed by the achievement, sky-piercing charm, consummate acting, an emotionally stirring speech, a painstakingly crafted persona, the support of those who favored her, and carefully arranged showmanship... with the right timing, terrain, and people all aligned, this spur-of-the-moment operation had achieved a sweeping success, going even more smoothly than expected.
But once the money was scooped up, it was time to consider the cleanup.
She linked arms with Isabella—the lead actress whose scenes had been stolen by Kalida—and let her cheek rest against the shoulder of this vampire hostess, beginning to reflect.
Li Fei knew very well that her background couldn't withstand close scrutiny. Relying on a string of advantages, she could deceive for a while, but it would be hard to fool everyone forever. If a professional dug deep, Miss Top Courtesan would inevitably show her tail, provoke public outrage, and become a rat in the street that everyone wanted to beat.
Fortunately, those who truly understood her were either intimately close to her, or were people who had signed a spell contract, like Yusura... oh right, and Kenneth—but that fellow's feud with Miss Spell Encyclopedia was known to all, so any "mudslinging" simply wouldn't be believed... As for those who weren't close, it would be hard for them to break through the layers of iron curtains and uncover Li Fei's true nature.
After all, this was Loxibrook. If some reckless fellow really intended to get to the bottom of Li Fei, then the five poor wretches bitten to death by Moonlight Wolves, and the sea turtle who'd slipped and drowned, served as cautionary precedents.
This meant that what Li Fei needed to do was hide away the overly obvious incriminating handles.
First was the matter of her job—that was easy to handle.
A witch might boss around other witches, tease other witches, deceive other witches, but she would never sell out or betray a witch. Therefore, no matter who went to the tavern to interview, the answer would surely be: "Miss Top Courtesan keeps working to repay a debt of gratitude, and she sells her art, not her body."
Her businesses were also easy to handle.
This young lady's enterprises had been running at a loss the whole time, to the point that she hadn't paid a single cent of tax—if you don't believe it, just pull up a tax certificate.
You should know that Loxibrook's tax bureau was arguably the most terrifying violent organization in the city, far scarier than the law enforcement squad—the director was the she-devil herself. If you dared to evade taxes, then when she led her team to your door to collect, she'd dare to "accidentally overcharge by a teensy hundred million," confiscate all your property, and ship your womenfolk off to the Bai Mansion for full-spectrum remodeling.
Therefore, as long as the tax certificate was slapped down, it was rock-solid proof. Surely no one would think that Miss Spell Encyclopedia, having only just arrived a few months ago, could have such all-reaching powers as to falsify tax reports, right? No way, right? No way, right?
As for why she was running at a loss... all that can be said is that the beautiful and kind-hearted Miss Spell Encyclopedia simply isn't cut out for business. In order to give the fairies and workers better welfare benefits, in order to innovate a more humanistic management model, in order to provide customers with quality goods at low prices, she hasn't earned a single cent to this day... If you don't believe it, go ask those customers at the Golden Kumquat Tavern, the Magic Academy, the Thieves' Guild—who, having received Miss Top Courtesan's goods, didn't give a thumbs-up and praise them as top-notch!
Lastly, the mansion was a bit hard to launder... Even with a mortgage certificate, the public-spirited, dedicated Miss Top Courtesan taking out a loan to buy a villa was honestly a bit of a stretch... mm... she'd have to ask someone; if all else failed, she could only gloss over it vaguely.
"What are you thinking about, Miss Philanthropist?"
Isabella pinched a silver lock of hair between her fingertips and drew circles on Li Fei's face, speaking in a coquettish voice.
"Oh, for a mansion of ten thousand rooms, to shelter all the cold-stricken scholars of the world and make them all smile..."
Li Fei opened her eyes, her gaze distant and full of compassion for the world, yet her line of sight lingered on Isabella's ice-clear strawberry-pink manicure.
Dear sister, you getting a manicure every few days makes it very hard for me not to suspect you're straight...
"Aww..."
Isabella's eyes curved into two blood moons as she giggled, her silver hair and snow-tender, fragrant-smooth shoulders trembling along: "Fei-bao, you're truly captivating when you get serious. Big sis loves you so much."
Her voice grew even more cutesy, baring her pointed fangs—just like one of those clingy girlfriends with a noble, elegant vampire air, an exquisitely charming face, flawless moon-white skin, and a tall, slender, delicate figure, throwing a tantrum of affection at you. No wonder those young girls would transform into drivers... Smelted into metal by the master—how terrifying!!
"Bella, you wouldn't want your freshly done manicure ruined, would you?"
Li Fei's expression turned solemn, and she spoke gravely.
"It won't be. I'm already done."
Isabella said in an ambiguous, tender tone.
"That's it?"
Li Fei gave her a sidelong glance, frustrated at her lack of backbone.
"I'm not as amazing as you, you know."
Isabella said, both aggrieved and gratified: "Aww, come to think of it, I really never imagined that, among us sisters, besides Aurora, there'd be someone else this impressive, basking in the spotlight before so many people..."
A note of sorrow had already crept into her voice.
Li Fei and Isabella's acquaintance had begun the time she'd cried and Miss Top Courtesan had lent her a lap to rest upon. After the two grew close, Li Fei came to understand her past.
Isabella had a story of her own, and her origins were melodramatic. She was a half-blood born of a pure-blooded noble of the Lessenba clan and a lower vampire. Before her crowd of pure-blooded brothers and sisters, she was always the one bullied and put upon, and the elders cared nothing for a half-blood—in the Lessenba clan, where elegance and cruelty coexisted, Isabella spent a thoroughly miserable childhood.
Later, Isabella, unable to bear the family's cold cruelty, ran away from home and drifted to Loxibrook, where by a twist of fate she became a hostess. Part of it was a kind of giving up on herself, but there was also a vengeful psychology in it:
Don't you all care about bloodline, fancying yourselves so noble?
My bloodline carries Lessenba blood too! And now, as long as those beautiful, wealthy guests are willing to pay, they can...
Even after later becoming one of the witches, the deep bond among the sisters couldn't make up for the shadow her childhood had left on her heart—on the contrary, it deepened it. You should know that the witch race is, to some degree, touched with mental illness: cow-play, promiscuity, bloodthirst, a fondness for pain and the like are merely ordinary and common; ones like Aurora, a schizophrenic [Mad Witch], or the legendary [Beheading Witch] Mami Tomoe, who supposedly trains her "decapitation resistance" several times a day, are the more severe cases; as for a philanthropist like Miss Top Courtesan—unstained though rising from the mud, fully developed in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor virtues—those come along but once in a thousand years.
Isabella clearly had no such good fortune; her mental state was quite unhealthy, and her contradictory mindset tormented her at all times. On one hand, this half-blood was intoxicated by a life of sinking and depravity; on the other, she yearned to bathe openly and proudly in flowers and praise, to make the kinsmen who'd once looked down on her taste the flavor of regret.
Beyond that, certain guests also worsened her psychological ailment. After all, not all ladies were so gentle and patient; situations like in The Dreamsplendor Twin-Purity Record, where a hostess needn't serve with her looks or swallow her pride, were far too rare. In any case, Isabella never ran into such good luck—guests who weren't ladylike enough would, to varying degrees, prick at Isabella's sensitive and fragile heart, so that while working she was a charming, cutesy stunner, but after work she would always whimper and beg for hugs.
So Li Fei knew very well that Isabella's admiration for her, for Aurora, and for Sofia, the little princess of the Toredo clan, was genuine and heartfelt; she too hoped that she could have a bright and glamorous side.
"Envious?"
Miss Top Courtesan curved the corner of her mouth.
"Of course."
Isabella shot Li Fei a plaintive look.
"Sister Bella, if the Golden Kumquat Tavern can't fulfill your wish, why not consider a different direction?"
Li Fei stroked her hair, her tone sincere and gentle, like a charitable nun guiding a lost lamb: "Even if you give up hostessing, everyone will still be your sisters, and they'll bless you."
Isabella was stunned for a good while; a light kindled in her blood-red eyes, then quickly went out.
She gave a self-mocking laugh, the slender, lustrous-white toes inside her crystal high heels twisting back and forth: "I'm no good. A useless vampire like me can't do anything—I can only sell drinks at the tavern... The sisters are all gentle and pretty; I love them so much."
"? But I think Sister Bella is very reliable. You've helped me with so much..."
Li Fei showed a look of regret.
"They were all just small things."
Isabella looked away uncomfortably: "If I quit hostessing, then you'll provide for me."
"I'll provide for you."
Li Fei, without hesitation, gave a firm and earnest promise, while clasping her hand and putting on one of her signature performances.
The vampire's body was cool, her skin like congealed cream, the shape of her hand slender and exquisite, like a work of art carved from jade, magnificently beautiful; and the strength and warmth of Li Fei's palm conveyed itself well to Isabella.
Isabella turned her head, startled, the bright smile reflecting deep into those blood-colored pupils.
"Doesn't Sister Bella also study the noble system of transcendent knowledge?"
Li Fei met her eyes, a smile in her brows: "If you don't mind, you could be my charity partner... You know, the Sparkfire Charity Fund has a 15% personnel cost allowance. As long as you join, I can pay you a salary of 3% of the total donations; besides, I'll trust you without reservation and hand all the financial work over to you to manage..."
Amid the soft, gentle words, the fragrance of tea wafted out.
In this moment, Miss Top Courtesan very much wanted to undo the knot at the back of her neck, baring her fair and lovely throat to bewitch her, sweetening the deal with "a half-minute of blood-drinking each month"—but she held back. To use a honey-trap at a time like this would only make her intentions seem impure, no different from drawing legs on a snake.
Without realizing it, her Art of Tea had been honed to the point where she could give and withhold freely at will.
—What she values is my own ability...
The void that the depths of her heart had longed in dreams to fill was, unexpectedly, partly mended by the warmth Li Fei transmitted.
Isabella gazed blankly at Miss Top Courtesan's nation-toppling, heaven-scented face, lost in a trance for a good while, her eyes stinging, but in the end she still turned her face away and said in a muffled voice: "Don't sweet-talk and deceive me—it doesn't work on me."
Yet her hand clearly clasped back around Miss Top Courtesan's soft, tender one, pressing their soft palms together, her slender, scallion-white fingers slipping through the gaps in Li Fei's and quietly hooking on.
—Persuading a fallen hostess to turn over a new leaf was not the work of a single day.
Li Fei sighed inwardly, silently consoling herself.
Yusura was black-hearted enough and reliable enough, but in the end he was an outsider. Even with a spell contract, Li Fei didn't dare trust him completely—after all, she herself had drawn the [Betrayer's Dagger], a fine little thing that could break a contract without harm.
If she could have the help of a mid-Sequence witch sister who studied two systems of transcendent knowledge, that would be ideal—she really wanted to usurp Lady Gneia's position, oh how outrageous!!
Though she still had her arm around Isabella's body—and around her abilities—Li Fei understood that to keep persuading now would be overdoing it, so she tightly interlaced her ten fingers with hers, using physical strength to express encouragement, while her words seemed tolerant and patient: "Disappointed... But my promise still stands."
"Sister Bella, the day you no longer want to be a hostess, come live at my place. I'll provide for you."
"My charity fund is open to you anytime. After all, there's no one in this world more worthy of trust than a sister."
"Oh, right."
Li Fei blinked: "Once I ascend to Sequence 3, I'll accompany you on a trip to the Lessenba and get justice for you."
The ever-intensifying tea fragrance turned into an awl, silently chiseling away at the foot of Lady Gneia's wall.
The vampire's icy heart skipped a beat; Isabella lowered her eyes, staring at her exquisitely delicate feet, the wine-red nail polish on her snow-tender toes quietly reflecting onto her face too: "There's more than one high-Sequence in the clan, you know..."
"Then Sequence 2. It's only a matter of time."
Li Fei flashed a brilliant smile, radiant and dazzling, glancing about with sparkling eyes: "Haven't you heard what everyone outside is saying these days? Bai Mengtian has the makings of a Li Fei."
"Eh? Why do I remember it the other way around—surely it's Miss Spell Encyclopedia who has..."
Isabella returned once more to her coquettish, airy, charming tone, starting a war of words with Miss Top Courtesan.
Yet amid the rich tea fragrance, her once-silent heart beat ceaselessly, as if in the unseen dark a hoe made of green tea were, at the foot of Lady Gneia's wall, forcibly carving out the two words "going straight."
This left the vampire hostess unable to keep from pressing a hand to her chest—which, as it happened, edged out Sofia's by a notch.
Even when she was being smelted into metal, her heart had never beaten this fast.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Lady Kalida suddenly pushed the door open and greeted the two of them gently.
"No, you've come at just the right time."
Li Fei, one hand still gripping Isabella, raised her other fair, tender paw and extended it toward her.
"Does the phrase 'you've come at just the right time' carry some special meaning?"
Kalida took Li Fei's hand in a ladylike manner, puzzled: "Bai Mengtian also always likes to mutter this phrase, and she looks very happy when she does."
"It's a secret."
Li Fei smiled even more brilliantly, drawing out her tone: "I'm hungry—"
At her words, Kalida snapped her fingers, and the sea-race waitresses carrying serving trays filed in one after another.
They all wore swimsuits, as passionate and unrestrained as the waves, their moist eyes brimming with tender feeling like water, like a breeze brushing across the beach, refreshing to the heart; and the tentacles of the octopus-girls, the wings of the sirens, the tails of the mermaids, and so on, fully showcased the aquarium's theme.
Just as Li Fei, in a scholarly attitude, was gathering material for the Loxibrook Orange Guide, Kalida exchanged a few more idle words with Isabella, appearing quite familiar with her.
As for the incorruptible, clean-sleeved city hall dignitary being acquainted with most of the hostesses in the Golden Kumquat Tavern—there was nothing strange about that.
After all, the orange pleasure trade was Loxibrook's signature culture and service industry, and the hands-on Lady Kalida had repeatedly rushed to the leading enterprises, where, amid the employees' fervent welcome, she personally carried out inspections and guidance work—which could be called a display of dedication to her job.
Sharing in the people's joys, as it were.
Meanwhile, Li Fei had already grabbed a salt-baked conch and begun to exercise self-discipline.
"Don't you like sashimi? It's all fresh."
Kalida recommended: "There's dipping sauce, too—I mixed it myself, you know."
Although she preferred cooked food, having some sashimi now and then for a change of taste wasn't bad either. Li Fei nodded happily, her gaze searching for a good while over the dazzling, beautifully plated dishes, when suddenly she felt something was off.
"Hsss..."
Li Fei glanced at the freshly carved mermaid sashimi, then at the mermaid waitress serving the customers with a sweet smile nearby, and finally caught on, unable to help drawing a cold breath.
As a spokesperson and lifetime member, she of course knew that the aquarium had paid experience programs open only to members—such as Octopus-Girl's Bullseye, Siren's Soaring Swallow Golden Spear...
So... you actually get cuddly with your own food?
How weird.
Even Li Fei, whose ideal types were extremely all-encompassing, couldn't help but be greatly shocked in this moment, marveling in awe, thoroughly receiving the baptism of diverse sexual ideologies.
She glanced again at the cold-tossed octopus tentacles on the table, carefully comparing them with the tentacle size of the octopus-girl waitresses, then quietly let out a breath of relief, and immediately asked Kalida with a puzzled look:
Running things like this, aren't you afraid the employees will rebel?
Kalida read Li Fei's expression, and so wrapped her voice in magic and sent it into her ears:
"As everyone knows, any intelligent creature, after choosing to defect, is most ruthless toward those stubborn, unenlightened kinsmen—otherwise, should the situation reverse, the first to be purged and the one to meet the worst end would surely be the traitor."
—Live and learn, as long as you live.
Li Fei nodded, putting on an air of humble receptiveness, but her gaze left the sashimi without the slightest reluctance, narrowing her eyes as she set to enjoying the sizzling, richly butter-scented charcoal-grilled shrimp tails.
____
________________________________________
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉