Lin Jie opened the old wooden door of the bookstore as usual.
A muffled chime rang out from the bronze bell. Streams of water flowed down the door frame from above, leaving traces on the dirt-drenched transom of the window.
The sky was cloudy. It was raining heavily outside, the pounding of rain and steam creating a misty veil.
Puddles of water had accumulated outside the store.
"Such a heavy downpour," remarked a frowning Lin Jie.
He was a little offended at the fact that his shirt and pants were getting wet.
"This heavy rainfall that started last night will continue for about a week. The weather center has issued a yellow warning, which could turn red ..."
The sound from a neighboring store's television was quickly drowned out by the rain.
It was unlikely that the bookstore would have any business in this weather.
"Sigh."
Lin Jie pulled out the triangular support frame and wooden plank from behind the door to take a simple step towards the entrance before clicking the hanging sign to display "Open".
There could hardly have been too many customers in this weather. It looked like it was going to be a quiet day for the bookstore.
" Instead of opening for such a boring business, why not go back to sleep? " That's probably what most people would think.
"But what if someone gets caught in the rain without an umbrella and needs a place to wait it out?"
Lin Jie took a book from the rental shelf and headed towards the counter. On the way, he carelessly turned on the warm lamp before placing a towel beside it. After that, he made two cups of hot tea and finally settled down behind the counter.
He flipped the book back to where he last left off before pushing the cup of hot tea across the counter as if handing it over to a new acquaintance.
A book and a cup of hot tea.
The tools necessary to warm the body and soul of a lost man.
Lin Jie took a sip from his cup and smiled.
Indeed, he was such a kind romantic. Even though he was an ordinary man, the customers knew him as an honest man and a mentor who knew how to dispense chicken soup.
Life should always be filled with expectation, shouldn't it?
...
Crunch!
With a twist of her hands, Ji Zhixue snapped the neck of the man caught in her clutches. However, the battle was not over yet. She quickly turned around and pulled out a long blade to slit the other man's neck.
"Snap..."
The man's head fell to the ground, his eyes still wide open.
Ji Zhixue pushed the two bodies away from her before walking out of the alley.
After her, she was left with a pile of more than ten corpses. They gradually burned and turned to ashes.
They were the aftermath of a brawl in the street in a downpour.
The blood that seeped through her black formal dress during the fight dripped onto the ground, evaporating, turning into a wisp of acrid vapor that was immediately washed away by the rain.
Her body temperature was rapidly rising. Her blood and muscles began to wriggle, painfully alerting her to the number of broken ribs.
But that was no problem for her.
As a hunter who had had foul blood injected into her bloodstream, it would only take her an hour to fully recover from such wounds.
"Time, I need time."
She looked ahead.
Vaguely hidden behind a curtain of rain was a bookstore, a faint light shining through its glass windows. Through the window she could vaguely make out rows of bookshelves.
Other than the bookstore, everything else in the neighborhood was dark.
There were many stores nearby, but because of the heavy rain, only this one was open.
The hanging sign at the entrance said "Open" and there was a crudely made step at the entrance. It looked strangely incongruous with its surroundings.
Even more coincidental was the fact that it was directly across the alley she had come from.
"Is this a coincidence or a trap?"
Ji Zhixue didn't have a chance to stop and think. She believed that her fellow hunters could smell her with their keen sense of smell, honing it like sharks even in this torrential downpour.
She needed to find a place to hide as soon as possible and buy enough time to recover.
Shuuh!
The long blade in her hand retracted back into the mechanism, transforming into an ordinary black metal cane in the blink of an eye.
Ji Zhixue crept towards the bookstore in the rain and pushed open its door.
It was very quiet inside the bookstore. She walked in with her cane and it didn't take her long to notice the boss of the bookstore.
There was a young man sitting behind the counter reading a book. His shirt and pants were completely black.
In contrast to his dark, slightly disheveled hair, his skin was quite pale. His thin fingers held a cup of tea as he carefully flipped through the pages of the book.
There was another cup on the counter, which was still steaming, but there was no one on the high stool in front of the counter.
Ji Zhixue had a strange feeling that this cup of tea and seat were prepared for her. Feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly looked around the entire bookstore.
It was narrow and cramped.
Not counting the overcrowded bookshelves, there were many books lying on the floor. Half of the staircase leading to the second floor was blocked by bookshelves, and the windows were mostly blocked with dust, creating an eerie atmosphere.
The only source of light in this dark, damp bookstore was a lamp on the countertop, and the young man sitting behind it gave an impression of mystery.
There was even a towel on the counter.....
Kap! Drip!
Water dripped from her completely drenched self. Her wet hair stuck to her neck, and her dress with a deep neckline revealed her fair, supple skin.
"Welcome."
Lin Jie looked up, and his dark pupils reflected with a warm yellow light.
With a smile, he slid a cup of hot tea towards Ji Zhixue. "Looks like my long wait wasn't in vain. The rain has washed a beautiful customer into my humble bookstore."
Complementing the aesthetics of the customer was part of good service.
That being said, the person standing in front of that Lin Jie was an undeniable beauty. Even though she was completely covered in water, her beautiful features like a gracefully chiseled sculpture and ivory white skin were still faintly discernible in the dim light.
He felt his wait had been worth it.
Looks like this client needs a heart-to-heart. Maybe I'll make a new friend today... or maybe a permanent one?
These were definitely not the thoughts of a stingy businessman, but genuine concern and benevolence!
Ji Zhixue looked at the cup of tea in front of her with narrowed pupils.
"Waiting for a long time," did this mean that the young man knew about this and was purposely waiting for her?
Or could there be other motives?
Whatever the case, this bookstore exuded strangeness. The coincidence and the nonchalant expression on this guy's face made it clear that it wasn't that simple.
Was it the Tower of Secret Rites? Or the Union of Truth? Could it be one of Walpurgis' anointed ones?
Ji Zhixue became more alert than ever. She cautiously placed her finger on the button that activated the black cane mechanism. As soon as the young man made a movement, the cane would transform into a deadly blade that pierced through his skull.
"You were expecting me?" The hunter hesitated.
Lin Jie replied with a kind smile: "Yes. I've always thought that fate works wonders, the way it brings two complete strangers together in the most unexpected way."
He pointed to the counter and continued: "Feel free to use the towel to wipe yourself dry. Don't worry, it hasn't been used. Do you want me to turn on the heater?"
Ji Zhixue hesitantly took the towel and shook her head. "It's fine."
Taking a closer look at his client, Lin Jie noticed her heavily furrowed eyebrows. Referring to past experiences, he assumed that this person might be facing a predicament in her life. So he coughed and asked: "From the looks of it, you seem to be facing some problems?"