I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Little Artist

 

On the day when Yin Xiamo completely disappeared, I didn’t ask where she went. Although I was curious, I understood that there needs to be a certain “privacy space” between couples—I haven’t been in a romantic relationship, but I roughly understand this principle. Typically, this “privacy space” applies to couples who know each other very well or have deep bonds.

 

It’s better not to delve into it if you’re unsure about the other person’s character. For instance, some young couples nowadays are either too tight, making it uncomfortable for both to come and go, or too loose, making it easy for infidelity, and then it turns into… “I should be under the car, not in the car.”

 

If it were a normal girl, when facing her girlfriend or boyfriend saying, “I want to disappear for a day without contact,” it would easily raise suspicions, and cracks in the relationship would gradually appear, expanding until it breaks.

 

However, because I know Yin Xiamo’s character well, I am sure she wouldn’t do anything to harm our relationship. I am only concerned about her safety. Things like “phone not in service area” really worry me.

 

Yin Xiamo knows about my past, and I know quite a bit about her background. She came to this world to find the reincarnation of a hero, which is me. So, in order to be with me, she could resort to any means. I don’t believe her “going out for a day” is just about needing personal space. This matter is definitely unique, and coupled with the strange things she did the first time we met, I can’t figure out her thoughts for now.

 

But at least I can be certain that she must have her reasons for doing so. A demon who is over six thousand years old has experienced too much. Besides the common knowledge on Earth, where I can play the role of her teacher to some extent, in other aspects… I can say I have no experience at all.

 

Originally, according to human thinking, the experiences of “father” and “mother” and other elders are always richer than those of their children. However, even if your parents marry late and live a full life, they might only have lived thirty years more than you. In contrast, Yin Xiamo has lived for over six thousand years, which can’t be described by the concept of “elders” anymore.

 

Sometimes, I even think that everything she does is deliberate. The first time we met, she intentionally pretended to be a Grim Reaper coming to harvest my life, deliberately displayed that icy demeanor, intentionally provoked my fear, and then deliberately turned me into a loli.

 

After coming to this world, Xiamo probably learned all about Earth’s customs long ago. After all, magic is so versatile, it doesn’t make sense for there not to be a magic for “learning human language” and the like. If Xiamo had learned human magic on the day she came to Earth, her not immediately coming to find me was also intentional. Then deliberately working here for a few years to make me think she’s a “fool,” deliberately pretending not to know anything in front of the Ai Luodi family, and renting their house.

 

Following this line of thought, it’s possible that Yin Xiamo intentionally came to the wujia apartment that day to find me, making me prepare dinner and wait for her at night. Then deliberately not showing up that night, making me worried, deliberately giving me her ID in advance, and intentionally attracting me to the park to find her badly injured.

 

This way, our “encounter” wouldn’t seem so abrupt, just like in an anime—where the death god lady traverses the real world, her naturally aloof demeanor saved by an Earth girl, sparking the flames of love between them. The girl thinks it’s her “wisdom” and “bravery” that won the heart of the grim reaper, little realizing it’s a trap set by a six-thousand-year-old woman to make the girl willingly fall into her arms without knowing…

 

Thinking about it this way, it does seem plausible, huh?! Someone who has lived for thousands of years may not only be exceptionally intelligent but might have reached a level far beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person.

 

Or perhaps, Yin Xiamo really possesses some ability for infinite resets, and “Yin Nuo’er” is not the so-called “protagonist”, Yin Xiamo is. She understood advanced dimensional magic a long time ago, killed the demon king, and came to Earth. The first time we met, she found “Yin Shiren” and straightforwardly declared that he was the reincarnation of the hero, and she wanted to live with him. At that time, Yin Shiren, like me, had lost his job and couldn’t afford rent. My streak of good luck finally arrived, so I gladly agreed and began shamelessly living with this Miss Grim Reaper… and then Yin Shiren’s lifespan reached its end, he died, and the whole story ended.

 

Oh no, this assumption doesn’t hold up. I remember that in the dream, the “hero” seemed to have laid the groundwork for things like “men and women should not be too close” a long time ago. If he had really come to Earth, Yin Xiamo would surely have feminized “Yin Shiren” right away, just like she did to me.

 

Then what happened to them? For example, a deviation in the world lines. Could it be that, as Xiamo mentioned before, “I can go against the whole world for you”? The feminized “Yin Shiren” from the parallel universe did something earth-shattering, flipping the entire Earth upside down?

 

Following that, did Xiamo reset the timeline? Feminizing the new world line’s Yin Shiren again, then unable to stop, entering a world apocalypse, repeating this process thousands or even millions of times until she finally confirmed that my “timeline” is the correct one?

 

In order to live happily together, they must start by intimidating “Yin Shiren,” donate that body to save the lives of the patients in the hospital—Lu Xinmeng, Li Denghua, and others—finally, stage a play, making me believe that I saved the “Miss Grim Reaper” myself. In the end, their relationship slowly improves, and they live a happy life together?

 

All of this… every action Yin Xiamo takes, every step she takes, is it all for the life that lies ahead? I really can’t figure it out. After all, I’m just an ordinary person. Magic, parallel universes, and especially things that involve “changing conditions to change outcomes” really feel beyond my capacity for consideration.

 

It’s like asking a three-dimensional being to guess what a four-dimensional intelligent human does every day. The only thing I can say is, “I have no idea!”

 

But no matter what, at least so far, I haven’t found any obvious evidence that “all this is for Xiao Mo to continue ordinary daily life” or “Xiao Mo is pretending to be foolish.”

 

For many new things, Xiamo behaves like a curious baby. Whenever I make new dishes or desserts at home, she always asks with great curiosity about what it is and how it’s made. When we go to unfamiliar places, she doesn’t show any signs of having been there before.

 

Like the time we went to the botanical garden before, I’m sure if there are parallel worlds and Xiamo found the “Yin Shiren” from a parallel world with a good relationship, he would definitely take her to that place.

 

Similarly, if Xiamo has been on Earth for a long time, meeting many people and trying many things, she wouldn’t be curious about new foods. Just like Homura Akemi in the anime “Puella Magi Madoka Magica,” who possesses similar time-traveling abilities, having traversed countless parallel worlds, she has become indifferent to the entire world. When she sees her beloved Madoka being lured by the main culprit Kyubey, she coldly shoots and kills the little pet, then approaches with an emotionless voice, saying, “Madoka, if someone deceives you with the promise of granting wishes or miracles, and if you still value your family and friends, don’t believe that person.”

 

Unless Xiamo is an ultimate actor, I really don’t quite believe she has the ability to travel back in time. But if it’s not that kind of scenario, everything about Yin Xiamo always makes me feel a bit off. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but whenever I occasionally think about it, there’s a slight sense of confusion, just a bit.

 

Personally, I’m a relatively optimistic person, and I excel at “living in the moment.” For strange things like this, I might occasionally think about it when bored, but if I can’t figure it out, I’ll just brush it off—after all, turning into a girl is already a fact, a new life is unfolding, and even a grim reaper from another world says it’s okay, so it’s okay.

 

Moreover, Xiamo has mentioned that when the time is right, she will tell me everything. There doesn’t seem to be a need to rush into seeking the truth.

 

“……”

 

……

 

After two days of rest, Xiamo and I returned to our regular work life. The personnel composition of the café has been basically finalized. Two chefs, a cleaning lady, two security guards, one cashier, and the “maids” are handled by me, Xiamo, Ai Luodi, Lan Jiajia, and the café manager Ouyang Xue.

 

Xiamo and I belong to the regular “day shift” maids. We start work at 8 am and finish at 11 pm. However, most of the time, after 8 pm, there are hardly any customers in the shop. Ai Luodi usually comes around that time to change clothes and use the computer for WiFi, so we can usually finish work around 8:30 to 9 pm.

 

As for Lan Jiajia, she works the day shift this month, from 8 am to 4 pm. On her rest days, calculated based on the normal eight days a month, she receives a basic salary of 4000 yuan plus commissions.

 

Ai Luodi is a bit unique, she voluntarily chose to work the night shift at the café. According to the local time standard here, the night shift starts at midnight and ends at 8 am. However, because Ai Luodi feels it’s unsafe for a girl to walk alone at midnight, and she wants to come to the café early to use the WiFi and do daily tasks in her game, she usually comes around early evening, then enjoys the café’s dinner and snacks.

 

Ai Luodi, as one of the special “night shift personnel,” hardly has any days off in a month. Occasionally, she may request a few days off for herself. In return, her working hours are very flexible, similar to the “security guards.” After all, there aren’t many customers at night; those who come to the cafe are either homeless or nearby pedestrians. Like the homeless people who often sleep at KFC, Ai Luodi casually greets them when they enter the café and serves them a bowl of sweet potato soup. If there are real customers, she goes to the kitchen to fry chicken or steam chicken, throws in the seasoning, and tosses it into the machine.

 

The night shift job is very easy, and for some people, it should be considered a perfect job—imagine a huge two-story house with fried chicken, cola, milk tea, and coffee. The air conditioning is on all day, and electricity and internet fees are free. When bored, there are cats to play with, food and drinks are provided, and there’s an unlimited supply of snacks. When there are no customers, you can casually use your phone or bring out your computer to eat snacks and play games. The manager won’t scold you. When tired, you can go to the staff lounge to sleep, or you can enjoy a free massage on the massage chair on the first floor. With a basic salary of 4000 plus commissions and providing five insurances and one fund, I believe many people would be willing to work even for a full 24 hours a day.

 

As for Ai Luodi, she only needs to work half a day and then come back to sleep after enjoying the cafe’s breakfast.

 

I believe the reason she is willing to work the night shift every month without a day off is just for the free access to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as the air conditioning and WiFi.

 

As for the store manager, Ouyang Xue, being the “head maid” is quite special. Normally, she, like Ai Luodi, is almost always at the cafe all day. For example, on a day when I and Yin Xiamo have a day off, and Lan Jiajia finishes work at 4 pm and leaves, and Ai Luodi hasn’t arrived yet, Ouyang Xue steps in to fill the vacant position. During the remaining time, she either busies herself with cleaning in the cafe or manages the official social media accounts, ensuring that there is always someone present at the cafe.

 

The “Shangjing Cat Maid Cafe” has gained recognition from netizens within a week of its opening due to its “24-hour operation,” “high-quality maids,” and elegant environment.

 

Ouyang Xue’s official account on Tongmeng experienced a skyrocketing increase in views, so she took advantage of the popularity and released the cafe’s second promotional video, “Opening Celebration.” The material used included footage of me, Yin Xiamo, and Ai Luodi taking off our shoes and stepping on balloons at the cafe’s entrance, just like we did at the street stall that day.

 

The maid uniforms here are modeled after Rem’s from “Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World,” so the socks are uniformly chosen as white thigh-high stockings. On that day, Ouyang Xue cleverly placed cameras near many balloons and filmed a lot of footage of me, Yin Xiamo, and Ai Luodi wearing white stockings stepping on balloons. On the screens of phones or computers, all you could see was our little feet constantly “stepping” in front of the audience. This caused the barrage to be filled with comments like:

 

?Nuo’er, step on me, I’m ready?

?Stepping on me is not enough, stuff my mouth!?

?Ah! It’s Nuo’er’s white and tender feet, I’m dead!?

 

Correspondingly, the comments under this promotional video were also “harmonious”:

?Hehe, coming to watch Nuo’er step on me again today, hehehe, so comfortable, hehe…?

?She really understands, but loli’s not enough. When will our manager make a personal PV??

?Once a day, goodbye to worries. I’ll probably have sweet dreams again tonight.?

 

This video caused the number of followers on mine and Xiamo’s personal accounts to soar, quickly reaching the fifty thousand subscriber. Various miscellaneous comments forced me to change my signature to “Just an ordinary maid, just want to be an ordinary person, not selling the original taste, not accepting any commercial promotions. Thank you all for your concern.” I also filled in the “auto-send message after following” section with “Thank you for following! This is Nuo’er and Xiamo’s little corner. We will share some life photos and short videos in our updates. If you like them, feel free to give us a thumbs up!”

 

If it were the old me, encountering so many strange and bizarre things at once would probably leave me flustered, but now it’s different because I have Xiamo. I find that whenever I encounter any problems, just thinking about Xiamo seems to make all the problems “easily solvable.”

 

After working at the cafe, I still need to write at home. Is time not enough? Xiamo helps with laundry and household chores, allowing me to focus wholeheartedly on writing. If we become too famous and face harassment, no worries. Miss Grim Reaper’s scythe carries a fear effect, and I can also take away thirty years of the harasser’s life, making them fear even the thought of us.

 

If there’s not enough time to go to Starlight Elementary School and return to the cafe in a rush, what to do? Just call Xiamo, and we can instantly travel back with space manipulation.

 

Even when faced with annoying situations, such as various curses in book review sections or strange people posting my private information under my Tongmeng account, as long as Xiamo is by my side, I inexplicably feel at ease.

 

Come on, bring it on. With Xiamo around, she’s like a swift blade, and I dare you to try again next time.

 

It feels like… I’ve started to view Xiamo as a kind of “reliance.” I will always remember the helpless and lonely feeling deep inside when I called after waiting for Xiamo for half an hour during dinner.

 

As for those “spoiled young men” who were each slashed by Xiamo before, according to Su Yunjin, they seem to have become indifferent and disinterested in everything. They’ve been staying in their apartment, neglecting even the previously active “Anti-Nanqi District Prosperity” activities.

 

This clearly shows the astonishing effects of Xiamo’s slashes. If what Xiamo said about “Earth not having magic and this being a basic version of ‘Minecraft'” is true, then it seems like she can truly accomplish anything.

 

Perhaps, this is the main source of the “sense of security” that Xiamo gives me.

 

……

 

May 16th, Thursday.

 

It has been two days since Xiamo left for the entire day on Tuesday, citing “some personal matters,” and arrived late for dinner. During these two days, I haven’t delved into asking Xiamo about what she did that day. After having dinner together that evening, we bathed as usual and then played around in bed for a while before falling asleep.

 

In the following two days, we continued our routine—getting up in the morning, washing our faces, having breakfast together, and going to the cafe. We welcomed Ai Luodi back after her night shift and started another day of maid work.

 

I could sense that, with the release of the second promotional PV, there were many more customers coming to the cafe. Although it wasn’t as bustling as the first few days after opening, the seats in the café were almost always occupied during peak hours in the morning, afternoon, and evening. I also frequently received invitations for photos.

 

What surprised me was that, in the past few days, someone seemed to have taken the lead, and many people online gradually discovered Xiamo’s charm. Everyone unanimously commented that she was an “elf girl,” perfectly fitting the image of elves or succubi from novels and anime, and the number of people asking for photos with her multiplied several times.

 

“You two have worked hard today, why don’t you go for a walk like yesterday and then go back?”

 

At 8:30 in the evening, Ai Luodi, dressed in a maid outfit, arrived at the cafe carrying her laptop and the “family heirloom” pillow, greeting both Xiamo and me.

 

After adapting to the maid work, Ai Luodi seemed even more “energetic” than I was.

 

Usually, Xiaomo and I wear casual clothes and bring our maid outfits to the cafe to change. Ai Luodi, on the other hand, directly comes in her maid outfit after changing at home, with her backpack containing her computer and pillow.

 

“It’s not comfortable for me to take a nap here without my own pillow,” Ai Luodi said in a half-asleep manner.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Facing Ai Luodi’s half-awake appearance, I pulled Xiamo over. “By the way, Lan Jiajia asked you to help her create a new avatar for her game, and she’ll make preserved egg congee for breakfast tomorrow.”

 

“Why does she want a new avatar again…”

 

Ai Luodi seemed a bit unhappy but didn’t say much. “I got it. Be safe on your way.”

 

“Okay.”

 

I waved to Ai Luodi inside the café and Ouyang Xue, who was tidying up cat fur nearby. “Let’s go!”

 

“Goodbye.”

 

As we walked out of the café, looking at the clearly thriving coconut trees on both sides of the outdoor corridor, I walked with Xiamo on the slightly sultry summer shade road and fell silent for a moment. “That day… did you go abroad?”

 

“Eh?”

 

Xiamo was stunned for a few seconds before reacting. “Is little kitty worried about me?”

 

“I’m not worried about you!”

 

I turned my head. “When I called you that day and got ‘not in the service area,’ did you run off abroad or to some remote place?”

 

“Yeah, I went to a relatively remote place. There probably wasn’t any signal there.”

 

Xiamo beside me came closer. “Relax, I really didn’t lie to you. I absolutely wasn’t doing anything bad.”

 

“Hmph.”

 

I avoided this girl’s gaze. “Even if you were up to no good, I wouldn’t know.”

 

“No, no.”

 

Seemingly aware of her wrongdoing, Xiamo took the initiative to hold my hand. “Really, it’s just some personal matters to handle. Look at me, so kind, cute, sweet, and charming. How could I possibly do anything bad, right?”

 

I agree with sweet and charming, but your kind and cute… isn’t that a bit too much?

 

Walking out of the café onto the shady path, we reached the highest point of a small hill. As usual, I glanced at the Shenzhen River over there, only then realizing that the Shenzhen-class destroyer that had been anchored here has been moved elsewhere by experts and technicians from the city.

 

“Here.”

 

On this deserted hill, I extended my hands to Xiamo. “Come.”

 

Every evening after work, we go to sit on the Nanqi Tower, look at the sea, listen to the sea breeze, casually chat, and then go back. This was our agreement from before.

 

“Hehe.”

 

My appearance seemed to amuse Xiamo. “Nuo’er wants a hug.”

 

My left eye twitched, suppressing the urge to give this girl a punch and said casually, “Sure, a hug.”

 

“Hehehe, little kitty—”

 

Making strange sounds, Xiamo rushed up, squatting down and hugging my hips and waist with both hands. Then, with a sudden force—

 

“Yikes!”

 

I was scared and closed my eyes as I soared into the air instantly.

 

“We’re off!”

 

Immediately, not sure where Xiamo borrowed her strength from, we soared into the air and flew towards a distant direction.

 

“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…”

 

After a while, I cautiously opened my eyes upon hearing the sound of the waves, and I saw Xiamo had already brought us to a grassy area near the Nanqi Tower.

 

With her small feet clad in ordinary sneakers, Xiamo kicked the grassy ground forcefully. Along with me, who was held in a princess carry, we leaped several hundred meters into the air. We flew over the elderly man tending to vegetables in the vegetable garden next to the Nanqi Tower, finally landing smoothly on the tower.

 

“Huff, huff…”

 

After landing from Xiamo’s embrace, I glanced carefully at the illuminated vegetable garden behind the Nanqi Tower and patted my left chest.

 

“You’ve improved. You dared to open your eyes.”

 

The girl beside me had an appreciative expression. “Ordinary people would probably faint if they saw themselves soaring several hundred meters in the air.”

 

“The thrill of this is similar to the roller coaster we went on in the park before.”

 

I took out a handkerchief, patted the ground beneath my feet, and then sat down carefully. Stretching lazily towards the sea, I said, “I originally thought you would fly directly like Illyasviel.”

 

“Who’s Illyasviel?”

 

“She’s a magical girl.”

 

Xiamo became even more puzzled. “Are there magical girls on Earth?”

 

“No… but actually… you can.”

 

I turned to the girl beside me. “If you wish, you can become Earth’s first magical girl.”

 

You can, but there’s no need to.

 

After all, the recent endings of those magical girl series haven’t been great. Not to mention “Puella Magi Madoka Magica,” which barely counts as a happy ending, even its spin-off “Magia Record” got messed up. And the “childhood memory” series “Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha” is actually quite sad. Even the original editor of “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya” said they wanted to create a world where Illyasviel could be happy, and then… recent “depressed masterpieces” like “Magical Girl Raising Project,” “Magical Girl Site,” and “Yuki Yuna is a Hero,” among others, seem to suggest that magical girls are not destined for happiness.

 

If I have to say, it seems that magical girls in non-mainstream series are relatively “happy,” at least they are still alive, and they don’t have missing limbs.

 

“And this.”

 

After taking a few deep breaths on the Nanqi Tower, I took out the “artbook” I found in Xiamo’s room. “I was too busy yesterday and forgot to ask. Can you explain what this is?”

 

“Ah…”

 

Seeing the artbook, Xiamo’s eyes instantly dodged. “This… this is my… my… hobby.”

 

“A hobby of drawing?”

 

“Yes, yes, yes. I love drawing, really love it. I’ve been practicing for hundreds of years.”

 

“I admit your drawing skills are excellent, but there’s one problem.”

 

I opened the artbook, casually flipped through a few pages, and looked at various explicit illustrations featuring myself. “This artbook has a total of three hundred pages, with over a hundred pages filled with drawings, and over a hundred of them are my images. Dear lovely Xiao Mo, do you… do you want to explain?”

 

“No need, doesn’t this perfectly represent my wholehearted love for you?” Xiamo sat down beside me. “I love you deeply.”

 

“So cheesy.”

 

“Is this considered cheesy?”

 

Under the captivating stars, the girl beside me grabbed my hands and pressed me down on the top of the tower. “Would you like me to teach little kitty what’s truly cheesy?”

 

“Hey!”

 

Realizing what this person was about to do, I exclaimed anxiously, “This is on top of the tower.”

 

“Then let’s just go for a little kiss.”

 

“Haven’t we kissed enough at home? Um…”

 

“……”

 

……

 

The stars are shining brightly tonight above the Nanqi Tower.

 

“……”

 

……