Looking at the white mouse Lan Qingyou was dangling in her hand, Gu Xiaobei's face was a complete mask of confusion.
“No, really—what is this thing?”
“If I knew what it was, would I even need you to identify it? Anyway, it's something even the identification glasses couldn't scan.”
At this, Lan Qingyou stepped forward slightly and whispered into Gu Xiaobei's ear.
“Word is, even that slave driver Sherlock was looking for it, and I snatched it away.”
Hiss—
Upon hearing that the white mouse had been snatched from Sherlock, Gu Xiaobei couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
As someone whose shelter was located just diagonally above the Abandoned Ruins, although she had no direct contact with him, the guests who occasionally visited her brought plenty of intelligence.
Knowing what kind of person the slave merchant entrenched in the Abandoned Ruins was, she naturally understood the crazy things he would do if he found out Lan Qingyou had stolen his property.
Thus, Gu Xiaobei spoke up to warn Lan Qingyou.
The reply she received, however, was a light and airy “Whatever.”
“As expected of a big boss. You're amazing!”
The outside world might not know Lan Qingyou’s current strength, but being part of the inner circle of the Tarot Villa and knowing what cards she held, Gu Xiaobei couldn't help but voice her admiration.
She then led her into the kitchen.
Her magic desk was in the kitchen; after all, she spent most of her time there. It could be said that except for sleeping and the occasional trip to gather necessary wild vegetables, she basically lived in the kitchen.
Even when serving food to customers, she would just shout through a loudspeaker in the kitchen, telling them to pick up their plates from the service window themselves.
Therefore, Gu Xiaobei’s kitchen was even larger, more luxurious, and more comfortable than the restaurant itself.
It was a bit of a backwards arrangement, but Gu Xiaobei enjoyed it immensely.
Tsk tsk.
The title Tyrant of Delight really didn't have any flaws; she did whatever made her comfortable.
But for anyone who could survive well in this world, who wouldn't want to make themselves more comfortable?
After all, in this magical world, you never knew which would come first: tomorrow or an accident.
Carrying the white mouse, Lan Qingyou entered the kitchen under the shocked gazes of the diners outside.
“Wait, is that witch that powerful? Gu Xiaobei greeted her personally?”
“If you were the first person in the world to get a title, Gu Xiaobei would probably greet you personally too.”
“Am I the only one who saw them go into the kitchen with a rat?”
“Are they eating rats?”
“Maybe Lan Qingyou is eating it. She's an alchemist, after all; they might eat anything.”
“True.”
It seemed someone had fundamentally misunderstood the profession of an alchemist.
If Lan Qingyou were here, she would certainly argue her case to clear the alchemists' name.
Alchemists eating rats?
What kind of insane stereotype was that...
However, she didn't have time to worry about those fools now. Instead, she stood there like a fool herself in Gu Xiaobei’s kitchen, staring with her mouth practically watering.
Don't doubt it—that's not just a figure of speech; it was exactly how Lan Qingyou was acting at this moment.
And the only reason for her behavior was that rat...
【Treasure-seeking Rat (Larva) (A)】
【HP: 1000】
【MP: 1500】
【Skills: (Treasure Detection) (Mental Interference)】
【Description: A rare variant of the Mountain-patrolling Rat. It is a monster that loves to chase treasures; its presence often indicates that treasures are nearby.】
Snap!
In an instant!
The moment she regained her senses, Lan Qingyou pulled a pink silk ribbon from her little yellow duck crossbody bag.
She then tied it to the white mouse’s tail, even adding a bow.
She didn't mean anything by it; she just wanted to dress up the little white mouse so people wouldn't mistake it for a stray and kill it.
This was to protect her 'Bao'er.'
Yes, Bao'er—the white mouse’s name.
She had decided on it the moment the identification results appeared.
In any case, with Steel Wool watching over it, no matter how powerful this fellow was, it couldn't cause any trouble.
Since that was the case, why not take in the lonely creature and give it a warm home?
“Tsk tsk, I didn't expect a little white mouse to be an A-grade monster, and with such strong abilities too. Sherlock is probably crying himself to sleep in the bathroom right now.”
Gu Xiaobei couldn't help but comment after leaning in to check the identification results.
After all, this was a monster that could find treasure. Given Sherlock’s personality—where not gaining an advantage was the same as losing out—he would definitely be miserable knowing it had been snatched.
Insomnia, heart palpitations, maybe even breaking out in hives.
But regardless, the thing belonged to Lan Qingyou now. Even if Sherlock got wind of it, his chances of getting it back were likely zero.
“I didn't expect it either. I was even attacked by Bao'er last night. If not for Steel Wool, I probably would have been taken out by this fellow.”
Lan Qingyou gave a bitter smile.
“Bao'er?”
“Yeah, that's its name. I just came up with it. What do you think?”
Lan Qingyou gave Gu Xiaobei a triumphant thumbs-up.
“Not great. It lacks consistency, and it doesn't sound good.”
Gu Xiaobei shook her head.
In this situation, a mature adult would usually offer a few words of praise, even if they were lying, just to give the boasting Lan Qingyou some emotional validation.
Unfortunately, Gu Xiaobei—and indeed, most of the people in the Tarot Villa—was not that kind of person.
They were only interested in their own research.
Gu Xiaobei was the same, only interested in researching gourmet food and insects, so she shot down Lan Qingyou’s pride on the spot.
But Lan Qingyou didn't take it to heart.
After all, she wasn't the type who needed others to save her face.
“Huh? Is that so?”
“Yeah. Look, Steel Wool is already called Steel Wool. Don't you think calling this white mouse Bao'er is a bit too ordinary?”
Wait!
She had a point! She really had a point!
With Gu Xiaobei’s reminder, Lan Qingyou also felt it made sense.
Although 'Bao'er' was a nice name, it seemed far too common compared to Steel Wool.
“Then... what should I call it?”
Lan Qingyou couldn't think of a good name for a moment.
After all, even Steel Wool’s name had been based on its appearance when it was young.
“I think it should be called Macho.”
When asked, Gu Xiaobei immediately leaned toward Lan Qingyou with a dark expression and held up a finger.
“Huh? Ah! Wait! Why that?”
Lan Qingyou’s brain couldn't quite process the suggestion for a moment.
“Look at its tail—pink, macho pink. Plus, it's a female mouse. The contrast is perfect. Didn't you name Steel Wool with that kind of contrast in mind too?”
As Gu Xiaobei spoke, she even flipped the white mouse over to show Lan Qingyou its belly.
The movement was a bit rough, and Lan Qingyou couldn't bear to watch, reaching out to swat Gu Xiaobei’s hand away.
But macho pink...
Lan Qingyou’s mouth twitched.
Forget that name. For one thing, the consistency was still a bit off.
“Wait! Are you saying Steel Wool is also female?”
Rate on N.U.
