NABC 014. You admit this is your bookshelf?
014. You admit this is your bookshelf?
When I opened my eyes again, what came into view was a tall, sturdy little watermelon, and a dizzy little head.
Huh?
Xinlai discovered that this time was different from the last. He could not directly possess Eve's body, but instead watched her every move like a voyeur.
What's going on...?
"boom--"
A dull pain shot through her, and Eve groaned as she clutched her head.
She was squatting under a tall bookshelf, with an old-looking leather book lying at her feet.
This silly girl... she managed to hit herself with a book?
Xinlai looked at Eve, who was covering her head and had tears in her eyes, speechless.
She picked up the book casually and flipped through it.
"The Self-Cultivation of Women"?
Eve initially intended to throw it away, but her curiosity kept creeping in...
After hesitating for a moment, she turned to a certain page and began to read it carefully.
"To be a qualified woman, the skill of making fried rice is especially important."
"This...this isn't right..."
Eve's cheeks turned noticeably red, but instead of throwing the book away, she continued reading.
"You can try putting an egg under your pillow and squatting on the pillow without breaking the egg."
"You can also practice split squats more often, which can effectively train your core strength and thigh strength."
"..."
This book title... must be too old, maybe some radical is missing?
Puff, puff, puff—
Eve slammed the book shut, her face turning red from her neck to her ears, as if puffs of white smoke were rising from the top of her head.
"That pervert!!"
She muttered a curse under her breath and tossed the book aside.
Xinlai could only silently endure the scolding, powerless to retaliate.
When I get back, I'm going to give you a good dressing down...
Looking to the side, several books were already piled up haphazardly: "Miss Witch, You Don't Want Others to Know Your Secrets, Do You?", "The Humiliation of a Witch", "Women Are the Face of Men", "The Lonely Noble Liulichuan"...
Xinlai: O_o?
Hey... I don't believe this is my bookshelf!
Xin Lai looked on in astonishment. He had lived in this bedroom for eighteen years. He was not only extremely learned but also had read countless books, yet he had never come across these strange and unusual things before.
Why is it that when Eve casually flips through the pages, all the books are these kinds of obviously frivolous ones!
I'll have to figure out a way to throw them all away later... Huh? Huh? What are you doing, Hakif?!
Xinlai stared at Eve for a few seconds, then silently got up, put all the books away, and hid them in a corner that she could reach but that Xinlai wouldn't easily find.
However, Xinlai saw all of this clearly.
Eve actually has this kind of taste?
I have another piece of Eve's dirt on me.
Just as Xinlai was about to continue observing, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
"Second Prince, that's the Third Prince's private space. You can't just go in there!"
Amidst the sounds of shoving, Ding Ke's voice, laced with ruthlessness, came from outside the door: "One-Punch Man, Superman!"
"Get out of my way! If you block my way again, I'll make sure you die right here!"
"Please, Your Highness, it's really not possible—ah!"
The crisp sound of a slap pierced through the door, like a needle pricking Eve's eardrum.
She frowned, keenly sensing that something was amiss.
The next second, like a little monster discovered by Ultraman, she quickly darted behind the bookshelf, only peeking out half of her head, the tuft of hair on her head swaying with her movements, cautiously peering towards the door.
"boom--!"
Ding Ke kicked open the heavy wooden door, and dust swirled and billowed in the light.
The second prince, Simeon, strode in, his arrogant gaze sweeping across the room.
"Heh, since none of you know whether I've hidden anyone," he paused, a cold smile creeping onto his lips, "then I'll come and find them myself."
With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Search!"
Eve immediately shrank back behind the bookshelf, holding her breath and not daring to make a sound.
Xinlai floated to the side, taking in all of this.
He hadn't expected Simeon to be so brutal:
Presumably, they came looking for the witch Eve who had been switched at birth. When the servants made excuses that Xinlai was not there, they simply forced their way in.
Ding Ke nodded and began searching the bedroom inch by inch.
"They took the money and then tried to hide the person," Simien muttered sarcastically as he followed behind Ding Ke, covering his mouth and nose. "It seems like the underlings get all the good things."
Xinlai watched from the side, her thoughts churning.
If only I hadn't wrapped Eve up in the magic-blocking cloth so tightly. If we really encountered danger, like with someone like Ding Ke who's neither exceptional nor incompetent, at least she would have been able to protect herself.
Ding Ke carefully searched the bookshelf, afraid of missing any clues.
Simeon followed behind, his gaze sweeping across the bookshelves before suddenly stopping.
"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Ding Ke noticed something was wrong and turned around to ask.
Simeon didn't answer, but reached out and pulled a book from the bookshelf.
"The Story of the Humiliated Witch?"
He read out the book title, and his expression clearly froze for a moment.
Then, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
Who would have thought... that my underling would actually have a taste for this? And it's displayed in such a conspicuous place?
"Ahem," Simien cleared his throat, glared at Ding Ke, "What are you standing there for? Keep searching."
Ding Ke scratched his shiny bald head, said "Oh," and continued his thorough search.
Simien glanced at Ding Ke's back, making sure he was far away, before carefully opening the book, as if he were disassembling a fragile, rare treasure.
"Oh……"
After reading a few pages, a lewd smile quickly crept onto his face, and he pointed to a few lines, carefully reading them.
"I never expected it to have illustrations..." He closed the book, flipping through it back and forth, marveling at it. "That wretched Xin Lai... she doesn't even know how to share something this good..."
"Your Highness!"
Ding Ke roared, startling Simien.
He quickly straightened his face and said righteously, "How dare he hoard such filthy things! He deserves to be punished! Let me confiscate them for him temporarily—"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly realized something was wrong and quickly corrected himself, "W-what's wrong?"
As he spoke, he discreetly slipped the book into his pocket.
Ding Ke didn't speak, but simply pointed to the bookshelf at the end of the room.
The two exchanged a glance and instantly understood each other.
They split up in tacit agreement and stealthily flanked the other side from both sides.
Ding Ke, like a mouse stealing oil, crouched low and tiptoed forward, afraid of disturbing the figure behind the bookshelf.
"Bang!"
A book flew out from behind the bookshelf without warning, heading straight for Ding Ke's face.
He only had time to see the words "The Fallen Noble Liulichuan" on the cover before, in the next second...
"Snapped!"
The novel "The Fallen Noble Liulichuan" hit him squarely in the face.
A purple figure followed closely behind, leaping up the instant Ding Ke's view was blocked, stomping hard on the book with her jade-like foot, and using the force to push off.
"ah--!"
Ding Ke screamed and fell backward.
Using the momentum of her push, Eve executed a graceful mid-air turn and landed steadily. She casually retrieved the longsword hanging on the wall, its tip pointing directly at Simeon, and said coldly:
"How dare you break into my bedroom!"