Su Mu nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around, her heart hamring against her ribs, the black leather of her corset creaking with the sudden movent.
There was Xu'er, leaning casually against the doorfra of the now-empty private lounge, looking entirely unscathed.
If anything, she looked even more vibrant than before.
Her red lace nightgown was still artfully draped, her dark, purplish eyes sparkled with amusent, and a self-satisfied smirk played on her lips.
The scent of her unique perfu, mixed with sothing heady and distinctly feminine, clung to her like an aura.
A sudden relief washed over her, quickly followed by a fresh wave of confusion.
"Xu'er!" Su Mu breathed, her voice a mix of surprise and concern.
"You're... you're okay? I saw him... and the others..." She gestured vaguely towards the front of the store, where Young Master Zhao was still audibly fuming as he presumably paid his bill, his angry voice a harsh contrast to Xu'er's calm deanor.
Xu'er pushed herself off the doorfra with a graceful, almost feline movent and sauntered closer.
The way she moved was srizing, a fluid play of confidence and allure.
"Miss that much, Missy?" Xu'er purred, stopping just inches from Su Mu.
She reached out a slender finger, tipped with a perfectly manicured dark nail, and gently traced the line of Su Mu's jaw.
The light touch sent an unexpected shiver down Su Mu's spine, a sensation that was rapidly becoming familiar whenever Xu'er was near. "Don't worry your pretty little head about . I can handle spoiled brats like him."
Her gaze flickered towards the front of the store, her playful expression hardening for a fraction of a second before the smirk returned. "He just needed a... firm reminder of who's in charge of the fun."
Su Mu looked from Xu'er's composed face to the direction of Young Master Zhao, then back to the bruised and shaken won who Li Wei and i Lin were discreetly attending to near the staff area, their quiet sobs barely audible.
As she was looking at them, she found that whenever she concentrated slightly, flickers of light groups, like tiny motes of dust catching a sunbeam only she could see, began to gather next to each individual.
"What in the..." she thought, her brows furrowing.
Then, a flash of understanding.
"This... this must be the Insight Digitization," she realized with a jolt.
"It said it 'continuously analyzes and digitizes complex information related to spiritual phenona, attributes, skills, and energies.' These flickers... are they the visual representation of that analysis starting up?"
It wasn't a full panel like when she consciously tried to analyze the Azure Whisper Wand, but more like the Insight Digitization was constantly 'pinging' or 'scanning' her surroundings.
Curiosity, now piqued by this new understanding of her ability, overca her earlier apprehension.
Young Master Zhao was still near the front counter, his back mostly to her, his voice still raised in displeasure at whoever was handling his paynt.
"If it can gather data..." Su Mu thought, a thrill mixing with a sliver of trepidation. "What about him?"
She took a quiet breath and concentrated her sight intently on Young Master Zhao.
Within a fraction of a second, the vague flickers of light she'd noticed around the others began to converge around him with astonishing speed.
The motes swirled and solidified, visible only to her, rapidly forming into a distinct, translucent holographic interface that hovered in her vision, superimposed over the arrogant young man.
Data stread across it:
[ Target: Zhao Minghui (Young Master Zhao)]
[ Race: Human (Spiritually Awakened)]
[ Core State: Rank 'F']
[ Physique: 11.2]
[ Spirit: 7.8 (Slightly Depleted/Stressed)]
[ Emotional State: Irritation, Entitlent, Frustration, Lingering Lust (Undirected)]
[ Traits: Volatile Temper, Low Spiritual Control, Susceptible to External Charms/Illusions (Minor)]
[ Affiliation: Zhao Family (Minor Branch - Monster City)]
[ Warning: Target exhibits aggressive tendencies when challenged or denied.]
Su Mu's eyes widened. The level of detail was astonishing.
Su Mu quickly assimilated the information on Young Master Zhao, a frown touching her lips at the "Volatile Temper" and "aggressive tendencies". It certainly matched his current behavior.
"But... they were hurt," Su Mu said softly, her gaze shifting back to the two won being comforted by Li Wei and i Lin.
A frown creased her brow; the data on Zhao didn't lessen the empathy she felt for his victims.
Xu'er's eyes softened for a mont, a flicker of sothing akin to empathy in their depths.
"He was," she agreed, her voice losing its teasing lilt.
"So n are like that. They think money buys them the right to be cruel." She shrugged lightly.
"RomantiX has protocols for this. They'll be taken care of. Sister Li is very good at managing this type of... incidents."
"And, as for him," she nodded towards the front, "he'll be 'encouraged' to seek his 'entertainnt' elsewhere for a while."
While Xu'er was talking, explaining the unfortunate realities, Su Mu's Insight Digitization ability, still sowhat active from her scan of Zhao, naturally tried to focus on Xu'er herself.
The familiar faint flickers of light coalesced around the half-Succubus.
However, the holographic panel that ford this ti was… slightly different.
[ Target: Xu'er ]
[ Race: Half-Human, Half-Succubus (Bloodline Active) ]
[ Core State: Rank E Awakener (Late Phase - Estimated) ]
[ Energy Signature: Potent Charm Aura, High Vitality, Latent Shadow Affinity (Minor) ]
[ Emotional State: Amusent, Lingering Lust (Towards Su Mu - Minor), Mild Irritation (Towards Zhao Minghui) ]
[ Further Analysis - Spiritual Power Differential / Bloodline Interference ]
Su Mu blinked. The information displayed was not as comprehensive as it had been for Young Master Zhao.
The estimations were vaguer, and the "Further Analysis" ssage was new.
"So, there are limits," she thought, a touch of awe mixing with understanding.
"The accuracy and detail seed to have decreased when there's a 'level difference' or... 'Bloodline Interference'? Xu'er being a Rank E Awakener, and with that Succubus heritage... my F-minus level can only get a partial reading."
It made sense.
She couldn't just instantly know everything about everyone, especially those much stronger or more complex than her current self.
Still, even the partial information was intriguing. "Lustful towards ?"
"Well, it's nothing new, I've already guessed that part." A faint heat spread through her chest at that, quickly followed by a ntal note of the 'need to be careful around her' that appeared in her mind.
As far as she knew, Xu'er wasn't an open book, despite her playful exterior.
"It's still useful, though," Su Mu decided. "Even a partial reading can give clues about soone's general strength and disposition."
Xu'er watched her with those knowing, purplish eyes. "Sothing on your mind, Missy?"
Su Mu quickly composed her expression. "No, nothing like that. Just… processing everything. It's a lot to take in."
Xu'er let out a low chuckle. "You have no idea. But don't worry, it's not always this dramatic."
"Most of our clients are perfectly lovely. So are even quite… generous." She gave Su Mu a suggestive wink, then her gaze drifted towards the front of the store where the commotion had finally died down.
Young Master Zhao, having finally settled his bill, stord out of RomantiX without a backward glance, his angry shouts fading into the general hubbub of Monster City.
The two won, looking small and fragile, were gently guided by Li Wei towards a private back room, likely for dical attention and comfort.
The store fell into a strained silence for a mont, the earlier vibrant atmosphere subdued by the ugly display.
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