Chu Lian and the other four walked ahead, while behind them trailed eight burly men in black. The sight resembled some kind of noble lady's grand outing, and it made passersby instinctively step aside. Some watched curiously, some silently, some indifferently.
Having people follow behind her already made walking uncomfortable. Now, on such a quiet road, with so many eyes on them, they were beginning to feel overwhelmed by the curious stares.
So Chu Chu tugged at Chu Lian's sleeve and whispered, "Big Sis, can't you ask them not to follow so openly? We're here to stroll, not celebrities on tour or rich young ladies shopping. We don't need such a big scene."
Yes, she was the first to be unable to bear it. Her words also made Xiu'er nod in agreement. As the most timid of the group, she had felt it even earlier than Chu Chu, but hadn't wanted to trouble Chu Lian by bringing it up.
Truthfully, this was her first time experiencing such a scale of protection. She might be called a young lady, but as an unimportant daughter, normally she was lucky if someone came to pick her up by car. Bodyguards? Completely out of the question.
So having eight bodyguard-like men following them now left her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Under the probing gazes of strangers, her shyness only deepened.
At this point, she'd rather face more danger outside than endure this celebrity treatment. Her face wasn't thick enough to take it.
Chu Lian also knew this couldn't go on. She had considered before that in some cases this might be a good thing, which was why she hadn't asked them to hold back. But now it seemed she hadn't thought it through. She had forgotten Chu Chu's and Xiu'er's tolerance levels.
To ensure their walk continued smoothly, Chu Lian decided she needed to speak with the men. Of course, she wouldn't admit that she herself was starting to feel embarrassed and wanted to hide.
Gesturing for the girls to wait ahead, she stayed behind to face the eight strong men. Looking into the sunglasses of their leader, she said, "From now on, don't follow so obviously. This is Neon, after all. We don't need to be so conspicuous. Let us enjoy our stroll, alright?"
"Miss Chu Lian, we're here to ensure your safety. If something happens to you, we won't be able to explain it. Please understand us." The leader's tone was polite, but his attitude firm.
"Heh, danger? If we can't handle it, I doubt you could either." Chu Lian had already prepared a counter.
Her words made his face tighten. "Are you saying we're unnecessary?"
"That's not what I mean. I'm saying if it's something even we can't handle, then whether you're near or far won't make a difference. And if it's something we can handle, you won't need to step in anyway. Only when it's something we can't quickly resolve would we need you. Am I wrong?" Chu Lian's manner was calm, though her words were enough to provoke.
"I won't deny your strength. But how much strength do you have right now? Injured as you are, even at our weakest, we're still stronger than you." The leader pressed again. Though clearly displeased, he kept his composure.
"These wounds will heal soon. No need to worry." Chu Lian knew he was referring to her and Kurosaki Satsuki's injuries, so she revealed a little. She also shook her head slightly—stubborn men indeed. Only such people could endure harsh conditions and achieve what they had.
Still, the fact that they already knew about her condition meant their intelligence network was very quick.
"You must already know where we come from. If we encounter something even we can't solve, what help could you possibly be?"
"That's true, and we don't deny it. But we have our mission. We cannot leave so easily. So I'm sorry—we can't comply."
"I know. You're looking for the Valkyrie…"
The moment the words "Valkyrie" were spoken, the group of men lost their composure, their gazes fixing sharply on her as though they could see through her.
"With your family background, it's natural you'd know this easily. Since you guessed it, you also know our mission. Which is why we cannot leave."
Hearing this, Chu Lian paused, then suddenly stepped forward. She leapt lightly and whispered a few words into the leader's ear. His body trembled, his eyes wide with surprise as he looked at her.
Immediately afterward, he waved his hand, dismissing all his subordinates. After giving Chu Lian a long, searching look, he too disappeared into the crowd.
Chu Lian knew they hadn't truly left—they had simply blended into the surroundings, hidden in plain sight, following them under disguised identities. She understood this was already their bottom line, so she didn't dwell on it. Turning back with a light smile, she returned to where the four girls were waiting.
"Big Sis, what did you say to make them leave so quickly? You talked for so long without a result, I thought they'd never agree." Chu Chu couldn't hold back her curiosity once Chu Lian rejoined them.
"I only told them a little secret, and that solved everything. But as expected of such a secretive unit—stubborn, aware of the situation, knowing plenty about us, and above all, strong." Chu Lian pinched Chu Chu's little nose, smiling.
"Now they won't disturb us. Let's enjoy our walk…" The hem of her hanfu swirled gracefully, her spinning figure so beautiful that the girls around her froze, stunned.
"Lian, that secret won't cause trouble, will it?" Inori was the first to catch up. Matching Chu Lian's light steps, she asked softly at her side.
"Relax. I wouldn't reveal anything too important. I only told them something amusing—something they wanted to know, but nothing concerning our true secrets." Chu Lian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her smile radiant.
"So it wasn't something worth knowing." Inori had only asked to know more, and with that answer, she let it go. The exact nature of the secret didn't matter anymore.
"You're always like this…" Chu Lian said with a helpless tone, but from her expression, she was clearly happy.
"Big Sis, don't walk so fast, wait for us…" Chu Chu's delicate voice called from behind. Chu Lian turned her head to see her half-supporting Xiu'er as they hurried to catch up, while the white-haired girl followed silently.
"Ah, that's true. We're not very familiar with this place—why am I rushing ahead?" Chu Lian pretended to realize belatedly.
But when she stopped, they had arrived at a bustling main street, cars and people flowing endlessly.
In just a few minutes, they had nearly walked past the entirety of Xingguang Road and reached another district.
Before them stood an elegantly decorated café. On its signboard, in Japanese characters, were the words: "Miss Sakurako's Café."
"Without meaning to, we passed all of Xingguang Road's scenery. Now that we're here, I don't know where to go." The time was 2:37 p.m.—twenty-three minutes left before her quest began.
It seemed choosing "Miss Sakurako's Café" as her mission location was the right decision. There was still enough time, and she hoped the event hadn't yet started. But she had to think of a good excuse—otherwise she'd lose face.
Inori's insight into Chu Lian was sharp as always. She might not be sensitive about other matters, but when it came to Chu Lian, she could nearly see through her completely.
She knew Chu Lian wouldn't just casually stroll past Xingguang Road when she'd said they'd take their time. And to stop precisely here—it was clear this café had been her destination all along.
So Inori gently tugged Chu Lian's hand. "Lian, why don't we go inside and rest? We've walked for quite a while—everyone's a bit tired."
Chu Chu and Li Xiu'er both nodded eagerly. Chu Chu wasn't tired, but she was thirsty, while Xiu'er truly was exhausted.
From the moment they left the car, they had been followed by the black-clad men for twenty minutes, making every step uncomfortable. Then, the last few minutes had been spent practically floating in midair—she was exhausted.
Watching the others chatting happily ahead, while she could only listen blankly to the Chinese she didn't understand, with nothing around her but meaningless Neon chatter, she suddenly realized—she felt out of place.
Still… I want to join in too…
"Ah, Satsuki, you must be tired as well. Your body just recovered, yet you've walked such a long way with us. You must want to rest, right? Why don't we go inside and take a break?" Chu Lian's eyes had never truly left her. Seeing the shadow on the girl's face, she immediately spoke up.
It wasn't that she needed to wait until Kurosaki Satsuki felt low before comforting her. Rather, she wanted to give the white-haired girl space to adapt on her own. After all, she couldn't always be the one personally guiding her to open up.
This was a hurdle Satsuki had to face herself, a step to end her years of running and begin something new. Only once she had that will could Chu Lian step in to help.
The white-haired girl hadn't expected Chu Lian to ask her directly. For a moment she was stunned, but she still nodded almost instinctively.
"Good. Our first stop—Miss Sakurako's Café…" Chu Lian blinked playfully at the group, then led Inori by the hand and pushed open the café's door.
The moment they stepped inside, four girls in black-and-white maid uniforms bowed deeply, greeting them in unison: "Welcome, we wish you a pleasant afternoon."
"Ah—it's a maid café…" came Chu Chu's surprised voice from behind.
At those words, Chu Lian's heart tensed inexplicably. Soon, she herself would be working as a maid. Why did this strange quest have to appear now? Her shame, her embarrassment, her mortification—it was about to explode…
Yet only she knew this inner struggle. If it were just Inori, she might confess it. But with the others here, she didn't dare.
Leading Inori to a quiet corner, Chu Lian sat down. As Chu Chu, Li Xiu'er, and Kurosaki Satsuki joined them, her expression grew ever more subtle.