Lin Xi Chen carefully landed on the roof of her house at the street corner and rummaged through her schoolbag to retrieve the key to the rooftop door.
Fortunately, her room was on the third floor, a level occupied only by her room and a bathroom.
She carefully descended the familiar staircase, noting every creaky spot, and only breathed a sigh of relief once she reached the bottom.
Lin Xi Chen walked into her bedroom, tossed her bag onto the bed, and then flopped down onto it.
"Arg.... I'm so stinky!"
Lin Xi Chen caught a whiff of herself—a mingling scent of earth, blood, and sweat that made her frown.
She sighed and dragged herself up to get some clothes; surely, now that she had powers, a late-night shower wouldn't do her any harm?
She was too sleepy to bother fixing anything other than taking a bath and going to bed.
Lin Xi Chen set her things down and stepped into the bathroom; she casually placed her glasses on the edge of the tub before bathing. The warm water seemed to wash away all her troubles.
It felt so good to take a bath like this after a long day. Lin Xi Chen stayed in the tub for so long that steam fogged up the glass; only then did she finally step out to dry off and put on fresh clothes.
"Hm...? Have I been fatter?"
For some reason, she felt her shirt was shorter than usual and sensed that her body had changed.
Lin Xi Chen could see more clearly than normal without her glasses; it was then that she realized something was amiss. She immediately used a towel to wipe the steam off the bathroom mirror.
"..."
Lin Xi Chen was glad she hadn't overreacted when she saw how completely her appearance had changed—a transformation even more drastic than the way her ex had turned on her, leaving her eyes wide with astonishment.
Things have really changed so much!!
Not only has she grown taller, but her body has become more toned and shapely than before, and her skin has become fairer and smoother.
What is particularly striking is how her facial features have become more refined, exuding a blend of haughtiness and the soft, youthful charm of a young woman.
High-bridged nose, elegant brows, and large, sharp, expressive eyes, complemented by full, red lips.
She finally had the long legs she had always longed for, and a face free of acne or blemishes—no dark circles, no freckles; it was truly flawless, beautiful from every angle!
Her brown eyes had shifted to a golden hue, holding a courage and sharpness she had never before seen in her own reflection.
Her hair had turned a pale, silvery-white—almost pure white—and she could see it emitting a subtle glow from the energy flowing within her.
At this moment, Lin Xi Chen could not even begin to imagine how beautiful Lucifer must have been before his fall.
"This is too much...."
Lin Xi Chen gaped, still reeling from the sight of her appearance.
The transformation was so drastic—truly overwhelming—especially considering she had to go to school the very next day!
She couldn't wear both a hat and a face mask; her sibling and cousin were incredibly perceptive—the moment she acted even slightly out of character, they would realize something was up.
"Ah... F*ck, F*ck..."
Lin Xi Chen rubbed her wet hair with a towel while bracing herself against the sink. She didn't know what to do—was she supposed to say she'd just had plastic surgery?!
No, no, no—that's too paranoid and absurd! I can't use a defense like that!
Damn it...! Her eyes could even make out the tiniest details on the brick, as if she had 20/20 vision!
Calm down, Lin Xi Chen... I just need to get to school early, right? ...Or maybe I should just skip class...
Lin Xi Chen screamed inwardly as she desperately sought an answer: should she tell Qiye? No, no, no—he might scold her and kick her out of the house!
Or perhaps she should just keep pretending to be depressed and stay indoors? No! She didn't want her aunt's hard work to go to waste just because she wanted to keep a secret.
Yet, she couldn't possibly tell anyone—not when the very fact that she had met Lucifer was something only she knew.
Unbelievable!
Huh... It felt strange as Lin Xi Chen thought back on what had happened. She opened the bathroom door, walked into her bedroom, and lay down on the bed.
She stared up at the ceiling and began piecing together the events of the day.
In the afternoon, she was just an ordinary student planning to head home when a classmate invited her to explore a mystery.
They took a train to a location rumored by netizens to be haunted or the site of paranormal activity. Upon arrival, they had to hike deep into the forest to find an abandoned tunnel.
Come to think of it, Lin Xi Chen did find it strange when passing through it—could it really have teleported them somewhere else?
What made matters worse was that, despite Lucifer being a figure from Western mythology, he spoke to her in Chinese. Could such a coincidence really exist? Or was it simply one of fate's ironies?
Or perhaps Lin Xi Chen was already dead, and this was merely a product of her imagination—a way to keep from feeling the despair of dying alone?
If that were the case, it would be truly pathetic... Lin Xi Chen pinched her own cheek and felt pain; she then pinched her arm, stomach, and thigh to test it, and indeed, she felt pain.
So, she wasn't dreaming after all; perhaps that tunnel was a teleportation point! Lin Xi Chen suddenly had the idea to go back and check if it was truly still there.
Wait a minute... What about her classmates? Is it too late to go there now? She feared that if the location was shrouded in that mysterious fog, rescuing them would be incredibly difficult.
But she had to try—who knows, she might just save someone? Besides, she was looking for a chance to practice using her powers anyway!
With fierce determination, Lin Xi Chen sat up and turned on the light to gather the materials needed for her trip. She checked her phone—it was 6:00 AM—and could hear sounds from downstairs as everyone began to wake up and start their day.
Snacks, a flashlight, matches, a portable phone charger, a jacket, a camera, and a notebook.
Check...
Lin Xi Chen double-checked all the essentials and began getting dressed; she put on leggings under a pair of short shorts, hiking boots—even though she could fly—and a shirt.
She carefully locked the door and put the key in her bag so it wouldn't fall out as she left through the window.
Sorry everyone, I guess I have to be a little disobedient today... I need to get to the bottom of this.