The more attention Li Wei paid to Lin Xiu, the more it contradicted the possibilities existing in reality, and the more it confirmed that the source of the unreasonableness was hidden in the shadows.
The young man did not reject these things; he liked the feeling of exploration.
Whether it was people or things—even those ethereal illusions that could not be felt by any physical sense.
The furniture in the room had evidently been replaced recently. The wardrobe and nightstand were made of birch from the old British punk era—not overly ostentatious, but by no means understated either.
"Middle-class."
That was truly the impression. But in reality, even with furniture bearing the flavor of a bygone era, Miss Li Wei had custom-ordered them with meticulous care. Quality and taste went without saying.
The ceiling had also been specially decorated, which was why Lin Xiu's eyes were held captive for a full half-minute as he lay on the soft bedcovers.
After looking away from the "starlit sky wallpaper," the "moon" came into view.
The soft glow of the chandelier was just right, making it feel as though one were immersed in a stream amidst the clouds.
Of course, technology capable of self-adjusting light intensity and color was already quite mature, but what remained incomprehensible was the sheer peculiarity of the sensation—
So much so that it didn't feel like technology, but rather like magic.
"Mhm... it's half past one."
At this hour, unless one were deliberately staying up late, the biological clock would naturally start running wild and envelop one in drowsiness.
He was just about to turn off the lights and go to sleep when rapid footsteps sounded outside the door. Before Lin Xiu could even get up, take a shower, and change into his pajamas, Li Wei pushed his bedroom door wide open.
"Tell me, aren't you hungry after not eating dinner tonight?"
If Li Wei's stomach hadn't started growling midway through her shower, she probably wouldn't have intended to eat anything at all.
Yet the young man seemed to have no intention of having a midnight snack either.
Compared to food, Li Wei standing right before him in her cute, pink girl's pajamas was far more "appetizing."
It was certainly a feast for the eyes; the cold school-belle Witch possessed such a lazy, adorable, cat-like contrast that was simply full of charm.
"Not hungry. Besides... isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to just walk into my room like this?"
"What's inappropriate about it? This is my Ancient Mansion, I'll walk in whenever I want to—wah..."
Accompanied by a yawn, Li Wei uttered these utterly domineering words in a soft, sleepy tone.
Lin Xiu tilted his head, got out of bed, and threw on a jacket just in case Li Wei suddenly demanded that he go out on a mission.
"I think... it's already too late now... why don't we just skip class tomorrow? That way I can make a midnight snack with peace of mind, and you can keep me company for a meal."
Frivolous.
And a frivolity that completely disregarded established rules.
"Huh? Skip class? It doesn't matter if you skip class, President, but as a newly transferred student skipping class on my very second day..."
Li Wei was actually amused.
The skipping of class she spoke of was, of course, not the kind ordinary students did.
"You idiot, do you think we can just vanish into thin air? When I say skipping class, I just mean having a word with the head teacher and asking for leave..."
The lazy, pajama-clad girl closed one eye, tilted her head, and glanced around her cohabitant's room.
It had become much cleaner, and carried a warmer atmosphere.
Well... he's better at arranging things than I imagined...
I wouldn't have guessed Lin Xiu had such meticulous attention to detail, placing the perfume bottle—which was easily knocked over upon entering the door—closer to his own nightstand.
"Asking for leave, huh? It's pretty embarrassing for me, but since it's the President's proposal, I won't object."
"I figured you wouldn't have the guts. How about this: tomorrow I'll take you to the library near the academy to catch up on your lessons?"
Looking at her with a hint of expectation in her eyes, Lin Xiu sighed and tacitly agreed to the suggestion.
Wouldn't any normal teacher suspect the "safety" of a boy and a girl studying together in private? Asking for leave to study together—wasn't that just begging for gossip?
"Don't get the wrong idea. Tomorrow isn't actually about taking you to study; we have more important things to do. Louis won't quibble with me, the Student Council President, over such trifles."
"You're all a bunch of weirdos."
"Right, including you for saying that."
Li Wei glanced sideways at Lin Xiu, walked over to the window to peer outside, and after pondering something for a moment, walked back to the door.
What was she looking at?
The question flashed through Lin Xiu's mind.
"Watch the window tonight. If anything strange appears, remember to call me on your phone."
She stated something terrifying with complete calmness.
"Huh? This isn't your house, how could there be weird things? Is it haunted?"
"Even the existence of magic can't be denied; heaven knows if the Magician eyeing you is a summoning specialist, so you'd better be on your guard."
With that, the drooping-haired beauty yawned once more and walked out of the young man's room, heading to the kitchen to make a midnight snack.
"Go to sleep for a bit; I'll call you when it's done."
"Since Miss is personally cooking, I suppose I have no choice but to accept."
"My cooking skills are ordinary, but it's enough to keep us alive. Don't hold your hopes too high, you might not be used to it. Also... don't call me Miss anymore, I actually don't like that title."
Mhm...
Lin Xiu, who was still wet behind the ears, had no idea what title to use to win the favor of this beauty whose status vastly exceeded his in every aspect.
Nor did he know what dire consequences might arise if he used a poorly chosen name.
"Then what should I call you? Miss Anna? President Li Wei?"
Although there was no anger on Li Wei's face, the look of disdain she cast at Lin Xiu made her meaning perfectly clear.
She was dissatisfied with all of them.
"Honestly, I don't even know what you could call me that would make me feel comfortable."
If it were any ordinary guy, he would have flown into a rage by now. It was glaringly obvious she was just teasing and toying with him.
"Such a hassle... Until you figure it out, I'll just call you Li Wei. Your full name sounds nice enough as it is."
"Mhm... That's fine too."
"To be fair, you should just call me by my name directly as well."
The white-haired Witch actually harbored a secret desire for the young man to address her directly as "Witch Big Sister" (despite being the exact same age as Lin Xiu, and even slightly younger, she still wanted to put on the airs of an older sister) to better satisfy her desire for dominance.
"Mhm-hm, how to address me shouldn't fall within the job description of classmate Lin Xiu."
Li Wei gently closed the door and walked toward the kitchen on the first floor.
She says that, but she still called me by my name directly, didn't she? I don't get why she has to be so stubborn.
Puzzled, Lin Xiu scratched his head, took off his jacket, pulled the covers over himself, and closed his eyes slightly.
————————
Having dozed for an hour, Lin Xiu woke up drenched in cold sweat, muttering phrases like "No, no!" and "What on earth are you trying to do?!" from time to time.
Ever since his relationship with his father had soured, he rarely had true nightmares anymore.
This Ancient Mansion called "Linya" possessed a strange power: it made anyone sleeping here for the first time experience a nightmare that touched their soul.
The dream had a strong narrative quality, and its metaphors were all the more bewildering.
The night Li Wei first stayed here was the same.
It was only after explaining it to his mother that he learned it was a remnant of high-tier dream-magic fragments left behind by a phantom-type Magician from a century ago.
Moreover, it was said that the scenes appearing in the dream often reflected one's destiny over the next decade.
Yet Li Wei did not believe in fatalism.
Coincidentally, Lin Xiu shared the exact same view.
(And as for this foreshadowing, there was a legendary past that would be revealed later—something even the young Witch knew nothing about.)
"Hey! Wake up!"
Li Wei urgently shook the shivering Lin Xiu while calling out to him.
The young man finally opened his eyes.
The momentary flutter left Li Wei somewhat at a loss. After all, when she had her first night here, she hadn't known her mother's perspective.
Now she finally understood what it felt like.
"Mhm... Why would I have such a nightmare? Creepy..."
Still lingering in fear, Lin Xiu was still panting heavily, his slow breaths becoming the only nocturnal melody in the room.