Two days had passed.
Xiao Qian and Xiao Hua had regained consciousness, and Leng Shuang woke up today as well.
Seeing the three of them gazing at him with eager concern, he felt slightly disoriented, unsure what was happening.
"Waaah… I’m so sorry, Leng Shuang. It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gone through that. If I’d only known… I wouldn’t have been so greedy. I kept thinking about earning more and wanted to bring you along too, but…"
Xiao Qian and Xiao Hua burst into tears. Their sobs finally triggered Leng Shuang’s memory of that day.
"It’s okay, really. Look—I’m fine now. Don’t cry. It’s not your fault. We just let our guard down too much after coming to the Magic City…"
Leng Shuang gently patted their backs, soothing them.
After a while, their tears slowly subsided.
"Those guys are all in custody now. The entire film company staff got taken in too."
Yu Mo pulled out his phone and showed Leng Shuang the news from the past two days.
In the video, Ueno Shinketsu and her lackeys all wore silver bracelets—handcuffs. Despite being heir to Rakuten Corporation, overwhelming public pressure and solid evidence landed her a life sentence. She’d spend the rest of her days sewing in prison.
Yu Mo wasn’t the only whistleblower. Several men imprisoned in the basement—those she failed to break—also came forward.
The case sent shockwaves across Japan.
Comments flooded the video:
"So the Rakuten heiress ran a harem out of a branch office? Damn… impressive. [dog head emoji]"
"Magic City had near-zero crime for decades. Is anywhere safe anymore?"
"Daring to commit crimes here? They’ve got guts of steel—and deserve every bit of punishment."
"Damn you, scum! Ruining so many handsome young men!"
"------"
Netizens condemned Ueno Shinketsu; others sighed, shaken by how fragile safety felt.
Leng Shuang closed the video. Knowing her fate brought him no relief.
He never imagined Ueno Shinketsu could be so deranged. Other young men—fresh out of high school, barely eighteen, full of promise—now carried lifelong scars because of her.
As a man, Leng Shuang felt a deep, quiet empathy.
"Wait… who actually saved us?"
After a pause, Leng Shuang looked up abruptly.
"I blacked out. Don’t remember much."
"Same here."
Xiao Qian and Xiao Hua shook their heads.
Yu Mo opened his mouth, hesitated, then said:
"A stranger—a heroine—happened to pass by and rescued us."
He scrolled to a downloaded clip.
On screen, a woman in a hoodie and mask calmly recounted every detail during an interview. Netizens hailed her as the Magic City’s heroine.
But Leng Shuang’s brow furrowed slightly.
"What’s wrong?" the three asked.
"Uh… nothing. Just woke up. Starving, haha."
He patted his stomach with an awkward laugh.
"Right! You haven’t eaten in two days!"
They rushed to bring out warm meals from the rice cooker.
The aroma made his stomach growl. He gulped water, then ate ravenously.
Watching him, the three smiled softly.
After light chatter, they quietly left his room. Work could wait—rest came first.
-------
That night, Yu Mo slipped out again to enjoy the Sleepless City, as if untouched by recent events.
Xiao Qian and Xiao Hua scrolled job listings on their phones in the living room. Savings wouldn’t last long here. Even weary, they had to prepare.
Leng Shuang felt mentally drained. Awake, yet everything felt hazy.
Downstairs, the Sleepless City hummed—chatter, laughter, workout music drifting up to his room.
He lay on his bed, fan whirring, staring at the ceiling. Distant. Detached.
He pressed his still-tender lips together. A faint frown flickered.
His roommates avoided the topic. He hadn’t pressed. But the last image before darkness haunted him:
A woman descending like a knight-errant in his moment of helplessness.
Hoodie. Mask. Yet her silhouette—flawless, commanding—was unforgettable.
Through blurred vision, he’d seen them: phoenix eyes. Strikingly beautiful.
Long lashes. Upturned corners. Cold authority. A gaze of icy disdain, haughty yet regal—like a queen whose single glance could freeze your bones.
He pulled up the video again.
"Same height. Same clothes. But…"
He shook his head lightly.
Earlier, something felt off. He’d strained to match the figures, but a detail resisted.
Now, calm and clear, he knew: the eyes.
*That* woman had phoenix eyes.
The "heroine" on screen had almond-shaped ones.
He’d never forget those eyes.
Only one person in the Magic City carried that exact gaze—naturally, effortlessly.
Kazue Iinoue.
Only someone with her beauty, wealth, and lineage would wear such quiet sovereignty in her stare.
"Kazue Iinoue… was it really you?"
Disbelief warred with certainty.
And strangely—just thinking her name made his lips tingle. His tongue stirred faintly, as if…
That dizzying, feverish moment hadn’t been his alone.
It had been *hers*.
