Jing Yuan fell silent, thinking.
Something was wrong with Bai Heng today—very wrong.
Last night, before that weird phone call, something must have happened. Otherwise she wouldn't have changed this drastically overnight.
And for some reason… an unsettling answer surfaced in his mind.
Did Bai Heng… actually finally bloom?
After all, that Pure Beauty Knight—"Dot-Dao"—might genuinely be the kind of bizarrely eye-catching type that some girls found irresistible. That aggressively rainbow-colored hair alone had enough visual impact to qualify as an unsolicited "emotional regulation treatment."
Jing Yuan inhaled slowly, then looked at Bai Heng with a seriousness that made even her fox ears twitch.
"Bai Heng," he said gravely, "I'm going to ask you something very serious. You will answer honestly."
"Huh?" Bai Heng blinked, instantly thrown off by his tone. "W-what's so serious?"
Jing Yuan's gaze sharpened.
"Do you remember… my Master, and that person?"
"HA?!" Bai Heng's eyes widened so hard her brain almost blue-screened.
He didn't say the name, but they both knew exactly who "that person" was.
Back when Dan Feng had revealed Mirror Flow's little secret, the two of them had definitely tried to play matchmaker in the shadows. And then… everything happened, and all of it ended in a mess that couldn't be repaired.
So why was Jing Yuan bringing this up now?
Jing Yuan hesitated, like he was trying very hard to preserve her dignity, then asked in an unusually gentle, roundabout way:
"…Are you… like my Master used to be?"
In Jing Yuan's head, it meant one thing:
Did Bai Heng finally realize she liked someone?
But in Bai Heng's head, those words detonated like a bomb.
Like Mirror Flow used to be?
Like Mirror Flow when she ran into Wei Qing?
Bai Heng's brain started sprinting, and the conclusion it produced was horrifying:
Jing Yuan recognized him.
No way.
Jing Yuan, your instincts are this ridiculous?
So you've already figured out Wei Qing's identity?
Her shock spiraled once more, and then—oddly—she calmed down.
Because if anyone could recognize him instantly, it would be Jing Yuan.
Back then, the two of them had been about as close as it got. Before that whole Mirror Flow incident, Jing Yuan was the one who walked closest to Wei Qing.
Was this… the power of bonds?
And if Jing Yuan had already recognized him, yet could still speak this calmly…
Compared to her reaction last night—nearly exploding on the spot—Jing Yuan's composure suddenly felt… tragic.
Bai Heng's eyes filled with complicated sympathy and understanding. She opened her mouth, thought for two beats, then decided:
If Jing Yuan already guessed it, hiding it felt pointless.
Besides… Jing Yuan didn't look like he intended to immediately move to arrest him.
"…I didn't think you'd notice," Bai Heng said heavily, and nodded. "But… you found out."
What she meant was:
Yes. I recognized him too. Yes, he's back. I only realized last night.
What Jing Yuan heard was:
So you really did fall for the Pure Beauty Knight at first sight.
Jing Yuan's eyes widened.
"…You… really…?" he whispered, as if struck by lightning.
He stole a glance toward the rainbow-haired "Dot-Dao" standing not far away.
It… fit.
It explained everything.
Her bizarre enthusiasm today.
Her insistence.
Her reckless suggestions.
She was trying to perform in front of the person she liked.
Jing Yuan felt his temples throb.
But he was a good friend.
If Bai Heng truly liked someone for once in her life… then even if it was sudden, even if it was absurd, he could at least help her take a step.
He drew a slow breath, expression changing into the kind of solemn resolve reserved for people who were about to do something painful for friendship.
Then he turned back toward Wei Qing.
"Mr. Dot-Dao," Jing Yuan said, voice noticeably more formal than before, "Miss Bai Heng's proposal may be… imaginative, but it isn't entirely without merit."
That line instantly made Liu Ying tense again—her posture subtly shifting, her hand drifting toward where her transformation device rested.
Even Wei Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting.
Jing Yuan continued, tone steady, eyes focused.
"Recently, the Annihilation Gang members detained in the Shackling Prison have been unusually stubborn. Conventional methods have yielded nothing."
"Perhaps," he said, "extraordinary matters require extraordinary approaches."
"Your identity is… unique," Jing Yuan went on, carefully choosing words. "The 'Pure Beauty' you uphold may exert an unexpected psychological shock on those who have immersed themselves in Destruction."
He paused—then delivered it like a formal petition.
"Therefore, I, Jing Yuan, on behalf of the Luofu, make an earnest request."
"Would Mr. Dot-Dao be willing to accompany us to the Shackling Prison and attempt to… speak with those inmates?"
He immediately added, as if smoothing down sharp edges:
"This is not a demand. Only if you are willing."
"And to ensure your safety and proper procedure, Bai Heng will accompany you throughout."
"You only need to try. Whether it succeeds or fails, the Luofu will reward you accordingly."
The first person to react wasn't Wei Qing.
It was Bai Heng.
Her eyes went round. Her fox ears snapped straight up.
"Wait—WHAT?!" she looked like she'd been hit by a falling signboard.
Jing Yuan agreed?
Jing Yuan, what are you doing?!
If you recognized him—if you really recognized him—why are you approving this?
So when Dot-Dao refuses, it's "rules and caution," but when Wei Qing is involved, it's suddenly "extraordinary approaches"?
Bai Heng's gaze whipped between Jing Yuan and Wei Qing, her brain turning into a furnace.
Was Jing Yuan setting a trap—using the prison as a net?
But his face didn't look like someone preparing an arrest.
It looked… serious.
And worse—it almost looked like… he was helping her.
Helping what?!
Bai Heng felt her mental processor start to smoke.
And on the other side, Wei Qing's expression shifted—just a fraction.
Jing Yuan's response was also beyond his expectations.
He knew this old friend too well: Jing Yuan looked lazy and easygoing, but his mind was a labyrinth.
He would never make a move like this on a whim, and certainly not just because Bai Heng said something ridiculous.
If Jing Yuan was doing this, it meant Jing Yuan had already calculated something—something with weight behind it.
At that exact moment, the system's cold voice chimed in:
[Ding! Detected: the host is facing a special request from Luofu's key figure Jing Yuan, involving the critical location Shackling Prison and the hostile faction Annihilation Gang.]
[As an elegant and mysterious Pure Beauty Knight, you must strike down all Destruction forces.]
[Side quest issued: Accept Jing Yuan's request and let those Annihilation Gang scum witness the might of Pure Beauty!]
Wei Qing: "…"
Of course.
Of course the system picked this moment to act like it had a moral backbone.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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