Su Yue huddled in the narrow gap between two buildings, wrapped in an oversized black hooded trench coat scavenged from a charity donation box. She kept a vigilant watch on the world outside.
Three days had passed since the Moonlit Duo’s attack. After escaping that night, she’d collapsed in this alley. Waking at noon the next day, she was stunned: every wound and bruise from the battle had vanished. New skin seamlessly blended with the old, flawless and seamless—a blessing of her vampire physiology.
The crimson spiritual energy once flooding her body was gone. She felt utterly ordinary, unable even to summon her wings. *Could it be linked to that strange dark-red orb in my dantian?* Probing with her spiritual sense, she found it shrunk to a fingertip’s size, motionless.
The crimson energy had indeed come from it—and she’d drained it dry. Hours of trying to reactivate it yielded nothing. Then, a sharper urgency struck: her stomach growled.
Food meant leaving the alley. But her clothes were ruined—vest half-charred, black skirt torn to the waist, barely covering her backside. White stockings stained and shredded, revealing milky-white calves. Only her shoes remained intact.
“I can’t go out like this,” Su Yue muttered, grimacing. It wasn’t just maidenly modesty—*no one* walks the street with their backside exposed.
She peeked out cautiously. Afternoon sun felt slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. Across the street: eateries. Her side: building backs, no shops. Then—*there*. A trash bin… and beside it, a charity donation box.
*Just like on Earth.* Donated clothes for those in need. *And am I not in need?* Transmigrated here, beaten senseless, clothes torn, penniless—*definitely* qualified.
“Heaven truly aids me!” Joy sparked in her chest.
Seizing a clear moment, she dashed out and dove into the box. Soft fabrics cushioned her fall, but odd smells overwhelmed her. She pried the slot open a sliver, let in faint light, and used her vampire night vision to sift quickly.
“This reeks… too flashy… no hood…”
“This one! Perfect!” She snatched a black hooded trench coat. “Long, oversized, hooded, inconspicuous!”
Draping it over her petite frame, she pulled the hood low. Face hidden. She widened the opening, peeked left and right, then leaped out.
A strangely short, shadow-swathed figure now stood on the street. Passersby shot curious glances—*completely* against her low-profile plan.
But Su Yue remained blissfully unaware. The hood blocked nearly all sightlines. *My disguise is flawless.*
*If I can’t see them… they can’t see me.*
Time to “borrow” food. *Celestial beings don’t steal—they borrow, right?*
She crossed the crosswalk. This pedestrian street served several residential zones. Outer stalls (mostly breakfast spots) were closed. Hunger gnawing, she pressed inward.
Livelier here. And… not just humans.
A golden-haired catgirl swayed her tail, clinging to a young man’s arm, laughing. A tall, stern-faced canine man followed a giggling little girl darting ahead. Then—a winged girl floated past: crimson eyes, wings nearly identical to Su Yue’s. *Definitely Bloodkin.*
Su Yue froze. Her elaborate disguise felt clownish. *They’re all just… walking openly.*
Tentatively, she lowered her hood. Silvery-white hair spilled over her shoulders, cascading down her back. Doll-like features fully exposed to the sun.
Fists clenched. She waited.
The catgirl tugged her human companion’s arm, pointing. “So beautiful!”
He glanced at Su Yue, surprise flickering in his eyes—then gently patted the catgirl’s head. “But my little kitty’s still the cutest.”
A faint blush bloomed on her cheeks. She playfully punched his arm, buried her face in his chest—but her tail wagged high, betraying pure delight.
The little girl spotted Su Yue too. “Bai! That sister looks like a porcelain doll!”
The white-furred canine man behind her smiled warmly. “Miss, you’ll be just as lovely when you grow up.”
Above, the vampire girl turned at the commotion. She met Su Yue’s gaze—and offered a gentle, knowing smile.
