NOVPUBLou Yun's abrupt "Let's get to know each other" took Yan and her two companions by surprise.
In that split second, countless possibilities flashed through Yan's mind.
Though she wanted to understand Lou Yun's situation better, this was not the kind of "introduction" she had in mind.
She found it odd—they were all wearing veils to conceal their identities, so why would Lou Yun want to know them?
Getting acquainted would mean removing their veils and exposing their faces and identities.
Was it because of the "Red Envelope Group" hovering above her head?
Currently, the advantage lay with Yan—she was hidden while Lou Yun was exposed—and she had no intention of giving that up.
"No," Yan replied firmly, still using her disguised voice.
"Shopkeeper, I think it's time for us to leave," she said, turning to Lu Chen.
Yan had only entered the VIP room to confirm Lou Yun's situation. Now that she had seen the halo above her head, there was no reason to stay.
She stood up, and with Jue Jue, swiftly exited the VIP room.
Uncertain whether Lou Yun might follow them, Yan and Jue Jue removed their veils and left the Dimensional Convenience Store altogether. After all, they could always message Lu Chen on WeChat.
"Jue Jue, something feels off," Yan murmured once they were back on campus, stroking her chin in thought.
"When we first entered, Lou Yun was interested in my clothes and spoke politely, asking about the fabric with restraint. She didn’t pry further, clearly maintaining boundaries."
"But then she suddenly asked to get to know us outright—meaning she’d have to reveal identities. The shift in behavior doesn’t add up."
Hand in hand, Zhu Jue nodded.
"So, maybe her halo influenced her?"
"Mm. The halo I saw is called the 'Beauty Red Envelope Group,' and it’s different from usual—blood-red in color," Yan replied.
"Which means it’s likely the Red Envelope Group forced Lou Yun to speak," Zhu Jue mused.
"'Beauty Red Envelope Group'... wanting to know us for the sake of 'beauty'?"
Given Lou Yun’s drastic physical transformation earlier, the purpose of that crimson halo was self-explanatory.
"If the halo could see through our disguises, Lou Yun wouldn’t have needed to ask us to reveal ourselves."
"So for now, she still doesn’t know our faces or who we are," Yan concluded.
"But the halo probably sensed something and compelled her to speak," Zhu Jue added.
The two quickly brainstormed their theories before updating Lu Chen with their findings.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen, who had just seen Lou Yun off, sent a message:
[Lu Boss]: I’ve closed the shop. Want to come back and talk?
Luckily, Yan and Zhu Jue hadn’t gone far. In the blink of an eye, they returned to the Dimensional Convenience Store.
"She was acting strange," Lu Chen said.
"After you left, Miss Lou took off her veil and started apologizing profusely, saying she ‘lost her mind,’ was sorry for driving away my customers, and then bought a ton of stuff as an apology."
"‘Lost her mind’?" Yan repeated the phrase, turning it over in her thoughts.
"That confirms she couldn’t control what she said."
Zhu Jue shared their earlier speculations with Lu Chen, who quickly grasped the situation and fixed them with an eager look.
"So, what do we do now?"
"Do we keep the store open to her to gather more clues, or cut her off?"
"Between whatever’s behind this and our boss, who’s stronger?"
"Are there any dimension lords with law enforcement authority?"
Lu Chen fired off questions one after another until Yan raised a hand to pause him.
After a moment’s thought, she said, "If Lou Yun shows up again, keep observing her and gather intel—but don’t act rashly."
"Got it! I’ll report everything!" Lu Chen even saluted.
Zhu Jue’s face twitched, while Yan pulled out her phone.
She was ready to call for backup.
But the problem was—they still had no concrete evidence about what had happened to Lou Yun. Everything remained speculation.
Yan rarely took the initiative to investigate those with halos; she and Zhu Jue usually got dragged into situations passively.
This time, however, she felt an inexplicable urgency.
That blood-red halo was unlike anything she’d seen before, its color alone a harbinger of something ominous.
After discussing with Lu Chen, Yan and Zhu Jue left—there was still much to do.
They messaged Da Bao and Xiao Bao to help look into Lou Yun, then spent the day at a café scouring her social media accounts.
As the siblings relayed their findings and uncovered buried news reports, their frowns deepened.
Months ago, a series of bizarre murders overseas—victims missing different body parts, their occupations ranging from models and actors to students, shop clerks, waitresses, and housewives...
Yan finally understood the unsettling feeling she had when they first saw Lou Yun’s superficially beautiful face—there was something eerily off about it.
Her eyelids twitched. There was no doubt that many of the victims were people Lou Yun, as a designer, could easily come into contact with.
"Lou Yun joined Binjiang Fashion Institute in July."
According to the information sent by Da Bao and Xiao Bao, Lou Yun had only returned to the country a few months ago. Was she lying low to avoid trouble?
She had been back since July—over a month and a half had passed. Had there been any victims in Binjiang?
With such horrifying cases, given the population density in the country, it wouldn’t be hard to uncover, especially since most victims were young people.
Yan tapped her fingers lightly on the table. She guessed Lou Yun wouldn’t dare act so boldly so soon after returning, but the unnatural behavior she displayed at the convenience store suggested otherwise. If Lou Yun couldn’t control herself, things might take a dark turn.
Thinking this, Yan sent a message to Officer Zheng Yi, asking if there had been any cases involving missing facial features or organs—similar to the bizarre incidents abroad.
Officer Zheng Yi replied almost instantly, first asking if Yan was available for a voice or video call.
After stepping out of the café and responding with "Yes," Yan received Zheng Yi’s call immediately.
"Yan, do you have any leads?" Zheng Yi got straight to the point.
Hearing this, Yan froze. A sense of foreboding washed over her—did this mean something had already happened domestically?
"We’re just speculating for now, and..." Yan hesitated.
"This might require coordination with the Special Cases Unit."
"I see," Zheng Yi said, understanding immediately.
"There haven’t been any cases like the ones you described, but according to reports from various regions, there have been sightings of new disfigured beggars—including children."
Yan’s eyes flickered, her face unable to hide her shock. She quickly relayed Lou Yun’s information to Zheng Yi. After hanging up, she returned to the café but before she could message Ding Ling, Jue Jue raised her phone.
"Zhuo Si sent a distress signal. He said Ding Ling didn’t respond, so he reached out to us instead."
Yan hurriedly sat down. What was going on? Why did things keep piling up like this?
The last time they’d seen this "Supernatural Intern" was at the haunted house set up by the Special Cases Unit’s startup incubator. Why was he suddenly messaging them now?
[Zhuo Si]: Big shots, help me!!
[Zhuo Si]: I accidentally wandered into some weird place—this can’t be your guys’ doing, right?
[Zhuo Si]: There are so many ghosts here!!!!!
