Chapter 30: Flash—You Cannot Catch It
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gunman fired several more blind shots into the swirling dust, but hit nothing. He hurriedly replaced his magazine.
Too late.
The black-and-white figure had already flashed before him, like a specter cutting through smoke. A pale head and a streak of crimson vision bore down upon him—terrifying in its suddenness.
He had just finished reloading and, in his panic, even forgot to chamber the round. He raised the pistol instinctively, but in his eyes, Eve no longer moved like a human being.
He had gone to church that morning and prayed devoutly to God. At this mont, however, the only response he received was the horizontal sweep of a parasol.
SWISH—SMACK!
“PUAAH!!!”
The parasol struck across his face with brutal force, tearing several teeth free as it “brushed” past. Saliva and blood sprayed onto the face of the man beside him.
The latter had not even processed what had happened. His eyes widened in disbelief. “Huh?”
Eve did not stop.
One hand still held the parasol. With the other, she caught the pistol that had fallen, then used the heel of her foot to strike the slide and chamber a round in one smooth motion.
“You damned wom—”
BANG!
The final mber of the Jiuyi faction froze mid-motion. His baton was raised high; half a second more and it would have smashed down upon the white-haired maid’s head.
But a bullet traveled faster than half a second.
Smoke curled from the muzzle.
He collapsed slowly to the ground, lifeless.
It must be said, his luck was poor. Of the three, he was the only one who likely lost his life. The other two had already fainted from pain.
From the mont she flicked the coin to the mont they were subdued, no more than ten seconds had passed.
Eve did not even appear winded. After briefly scanning the body on the ground, she tossed the pistol onto it, then quickly inspected the hem of her skirt.
Good. Only dust. Nothing torn.
There was no ti to clean it here. The gunshots might attract more attention.
She turned at once and ran toward the alley into which Vivian had fled.
…
“Ha… ha… ha…”
Vivian was nearly at the end of the alley. The exit lay ahead; she could already see the river’s reflection and the open sky.
Strands of red hair clung to her forehead. She was gasping for breath but did not stop running. Raised in luxury, she had never exerted herself so violently before. She only knew to keep moving.
At least she had not worn high heels today.
She did not know what had beco of Eve… She had not been shot, had she…?
Just as she reached the exit and was about to slow down, a familiar black-and-white figure rushed up behind her and steadied her shoulder.
“Who—?!”
“Young Miss. It is I.”
Eve appeared once again with her parasol raised, inexplicably reassuring.
“Continue forward. We will be out of the Black Street.”
Whether by luck or circumstance, the alley’s exit was unguarded. The mafia mbers had likely been drawn into the firefight. Everything remained under control.
Vivian exhaled in relief.
She glanced sideways. The maid’s complexion looked pale. The hem of her skirt was dusted with gri, yet there were no visible injuries.
How had she managed it? Those mafia n had…
Questions surfaced in Vivian’s mind, but what erged from her mouth was only ragged breathing—and a firr reliance on Eve’s support.
They stepped out of the alley.
Cold river wind greeted them once more. The murky water flowed steadily. Across the river lay the outer district and the suspension bridge connecting both banks.
Vivian could not help glancing back. Smoke still hung over the Black Street, and the gunshots had grown distant and sporadic.
Eve stopped at the bridgehead and turned.
Her deanor had returned to its languid calm, as though nothing had happened. She examined Vivian carefully.
No injuries. Only fatigue.
“Young Miss may relax. It is safe now.”
“I was not nervous!” Vivian retorted at once, swallowing hard. “You… are you unhard?”
Eve did not answer directly. She looked toward the bus stop sign ahead and asked lightly, “Does Young Miss hope I am hard? Or is Young Miss concerned for ?”
“Wh—who is concerned for you?! How could I possibly care about you?! Who do you think you are? Do not flatter yourself!” Vivian spoke at lightning speed, her cheeks flushed. Surely it was only from exhaustion.
“I was rely reminding you not to die so easily! You have not fulfilled your promise yet!”
…
Receiving no imdiate reply, Vivian felt increasingly awkward. “Why are you not saying anything? Speak!”
Seeing her embarrassnt, Eve’s face remained impassive, though inwardly she was thoroughly amused. Her silence had been deliberate.
It was simply too entertaining to let Vivian pay a small price for her stubborn pride.
Once satisfied, Eve finally spoke. “Thank you for the reminder, Young Miss. I am quite well. And I will not forget my promise.”
“Hmph.”
“It is just unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate what?” Vivian asked.
“That this outing was not very smooth.”
It had certainly been eventful. First the cleaners of the Central Church, then a loss at the card table, and finally a mafia shootout.
Eve tilted her head slightly. “Originally, I wished for Young Miss to have fun.”
A brief silence followed.
Eve half expected Vivian to complain and declare she would never return to such a place again.
Instead, Vivian hesitated—then spoke with quiet certainty.
“It… was not entirely bad.”
“Mm?”
Under Eve’s steady gaze, Vivian awkwardly looked away toward the river. “It was… rather thrilling.”
She paused, organizing her thoughts. “Since childhood, the places I have gone and the things I have done were all arranged. The theater. Concerts. Family banquets…”
Her fingers traced the rough patterns on the bridge railing.
“So today…”
Her voice grew softer.
Suddenly realizing she was being too candid, she clamped her mouth shut and forced her pride back into place, her expression shifting in an instant.
Only then did she notice that Eve now stood beside her, also gazing outward.
“You heard that?”
“Did Young Miss say sothing just now?”
“Do not change the subject. Answer !”
“I did not hear.”
An obvious lie.
Eve did not expect gratitude. She had co out for amusent herself. It had been nothing more than a convenient excursion.
After a long while, Vivian gave up trying to detect falsehood in her expression and clicked her tongue irritably.
“Young Miss, shall we return now?”
Vivian glanced at the bus stopped in the distance, then frowned. “I do not wish to take that. It is too crowded.”
Her feet still ached. More than that, she had no desire to relive the sll inside the bus—or to be pressed close to unfamiliar n.
Eve considered. “If we do not take the bus, walking back will take at least an hour.”
“But I do not want to take it.”
“Walk?”
“And my feet are sore.”
…
PS:
On her way ho, Lao Ying encountered 83 lolis and achieved a score of 35 out of 75 "Don't Look at Her Feet" challenges. Co and challenge yourself in Hotel Room 594!
Eve: “A certain author cannot write only when inspiration strikes, just as a courtesan cannot receive guests only when desire arises.”
Vivian: “So please leave more comnts and urge updates.”
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