Chapter 3: Remember to Wear Safety Shorts

However, the conversation could not begin.

Bang! Bang!

A rude knocking on the door shattered the harmonious atmosphere between them. Lin Yilin’s eyes darted toward the entrance.

"What's going on?" Zheng asked.

"Troublemakers," Lin Yilin replied calmly. "Please, let me handle this."

Zheng paused and stopped forcefully exerting control over Lin Yilin’s body.

Lin Yilin could move again, but a glance at the mirror revealed that the physical changes caused by Zheng’s possession remained. She realized that while Zheng had relinquished control, he had not left her body.

After a moment of feigned distraction, she crumpled the paper talisman in her hand and tucked it away, deciding not to act rashly by opening the door immediately.

"Coming. Who is it?" Lin Yilin said as she opened the door.

The door had barely cracked open when someone outside kicked it inward. Lin Yilin reacted quickly, stepping back just in time to avoid being knocked over by the blow.

"Taking so long to open the door? You really don't know how to run a business. Do you even want to keep this agency open?" Several hoodlums sauntered in.

They looked like typical street thugs, holding iron pipes, sporting dyed hair, and wearing plenty of metal piercings. Normal people would have given them a wide berth on the street.

"The door wasn't locked. Did you really need me to open it?" Lin Yilin looked at them expressionlessly. She showed no fear, only a hint of exasperation.

"The customer is king!"

"Then I'll go to the Banmu Agency right now and have them kick you out," Lin Yilin retorted sharply.

The men were stunned for a moment, then simply cursed, "Damn it!"

"Hmph. Even though our boss told us not to harass you behind his back, that’s only because he’s giving some face to that old man of yours who just died. We, however, aren’t going to coddle a little girl like you. I suggest you close this shop and go back to your studies. An agency is no place for you," the leader said aggressively, tapping his iron pipe against the floor.

Lin Yilin countered, "You had people graffiti my sign early this morning. Can you stop with these childish antics? Even if this agency is close by, I’m the only one here now, and I have no conflict of interest with the Banmu Agency. You're grown men; act like it. It’s not my fault I pointed out your mistakes at the crime scene earlier..."

Thud!

The leader, trembling with rage, didn't wait for her to finish before smashing his pipe onto the floor.

"This floor is quite old, you know. It’ll be hard for me to explain this to the landlord if you keep doing that..." Lin Yilin didn't stop talking; she remained completely unfazed.

"Enough! You lot, keep watch at the door. I’m going to knock a few teeth out of her mouth; I can’t take this anymore," the leader declared.

The men behind him quickly complied and stepped outside, leaving the leader with two others.

Once the door was shut, one of the underlings outside asked, "What’s that woman's deal? She made Brother Fei so angry."

"Shh, keep your voice down. We’ll get beaten too if he hears us. Brother Fei doesn't care about chivalry; he hits women just as hard. Poor girl, she's probably going to end up with a few more scars."

Bang!

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the door was shattered. A figure flew out from between the two gossiping thugs, landing on the street and sliding a distance before coming to a stop.

Looking closely, it was none other than their Brother Fei.

On the ground lay a few white objects—teeth, and it was obvious whose they were.

Inside the unlit room, in the shadows where the sun did not reach, the girl’s seemingly slender frame stood like a wild beast. Only then did they notice her gray eyes, which were not like those of an ordinary person, glowing with an eerie light.

Easily bending the iron pipe in her hand and tossing it aside, "Lin Yilin" smiled for the first time. It was a brazen, mocking smile that stood in stark contrast to her previous cold indifference. "Fighting?"

Fight? The hell with that.

The remaining two were dumbstruck. They hadn’t even seen how it happened; Brother Fei had just flown out.

The violence level was off the charts!

Without a second thought, they turned and ran.

They didn't forget to pick up their Brother Fei on the way out, which was at least loyal.

Zheng didn't pursue; he couldn't. Although he had gained control for a split second by piggybacking on Lin Yilin’s sudden spike of irritation, he was quickly pushed back down.

This girl’s self-control was truly remarkable. He felt he might have stumbled upon a rather extraordinary "host."

That was fine, though. If he’d ended up with some hot-headed idiot, he wouldn't have bothered playing babysitter.

"What did you do?" Lin Yilin stared blankly ahead, murmuring to herself.

"Hm? Didn't you want me to back you up? Consider this a trial run. No need to thank me," Zheng said casually.

"My door..."

"Ah, right."

Just then, an elderly woman with simple attire poked her head in. "Xiao Lin, I heard some noise. What happened...?"

Under Lin Yilin’s firm mental insistence, Zheng did not interfere.

Lin Yilin stepped forward quickly and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Auntie Chen. I'll pay for the door!"

...

"I could have handled those small-time thugs myself. You overreacted," Lin Yilin said as she walked down the street.

Yes, her self-control was truly incredible.

Zheng confirmed this—she had the urge to curse just now but held it back. "According to the situation, it would have been impolite for me not to intervene. Besides, I could only act because you gave me the opening."

"Flies don't bite seamless eggs, is that it?" Lin Yilin rubbed her forehead. "That was my fault for not controlling my emotions, fair enough. Never mind, I need to find a new door first. That woman was our landlord, Auntie Chen. She was an acquaintance of my foster father and has been very kind to me. I try not to cause her trouble."

"Uh-huh," Zheng replied lazily, observing the street as he followed Lin Yilin.

From the current scenery, the gray district of the Metropolis was no different from the modern cities Zheng remembered.

"When you said earlier... did that mean you agreed to help me?" Lin Yilin asked softly.

Zheng, whose lower body was standing straight while his upper body bent at an impossibly flexible angle, tilted his head as if trying to peek under the skirt of a girl walking by. "I don't care. Let's just treat it as a trial period for now. Although I still haven't figured out the situation."

He had seemed quite serious before, but now he had agreed so casually.

Lin Yilin’s eye twitched as she looked at him. "Are you a pervert?"

Zheng straightened up and pondered for a moment. "I wouldn't say I'm particularly fond of it. Compared to lower-body thrills, I actually prefer the feeling of beating people up."

Lin Yilin: "..."

Then what were you just doing?

"Since I'm in this state, wouldn't it be a waste not to do it? It’s like checking in at a tourist spot. Life is about trying new things; it’s quite fun," Zheng replied, as if reading her mind, sounding completely nonchalant.

He didn't really seem like the lecherous type.

But he had definitely done something lecherous!

Lin Yilin narrowed her eyes. "What color was it?"

"Safety shorts. Very safety-conscious, worth a thumbs up. How about yours?"

"Blue."

"Remember to wear safety shorts from now on. I don't care, but when I'm using your body, I won't be worrying about wardrobe malfunctions," Zheng replied calmly.

"Fine."

The two of them continued on their way, chatting about strange topics.