Chapter Fifty-One: Strange Strength?

“Yes, I am ‘Le’. Are you ‘Ji’? I’ve heard about you from Lie,” Li Le said with a gentle smile, her expression tinged with curiosity.

“You’ve heard of me?” Ji stood before Li Le, tilting her head to glance at Lie with a peculiar tone. “What did Lie say? Don’t tell me he mentioned my strange strength?”

Ji eyed the somewhat flustered Lie suspiciously, her slender hand already gripping the whip at her right side.

Seeing this, Lie was practically bristling with anxiety. “No, no, Ji, I never said anything like that! Don’t be so suspicious of me!” His voice was urgent, even taking a step back.

Li Le’s eyes curved in amusement, unable to hold back her smile. She quickly spoke to diffuse the tension, “Ji, Lie was only complimenting your strength, nothing else.”

“Really?”

Ji retorted, her hand gradually moving away from the whip.

Lie, behind her, breathed a deep sigh of relief and shot Li Le a grateful look.

Li Le’s lips twitched, finding the situation rather entertaining. She hadn’t expected their relationship to be so close, their interactions so lively.

Just then, she felt a weight on her shoulder.

Ji bowed her head slightly, her slender hand patting Li Le’s shoulder as she leaned close to her forehead, speaking boldly, “Lie told me you want to visit the Resting Grounds? That’s very courageous! You’ve just joined District Thirteen. Let us take you there and show you around!”

“In Cloud City, District Thirteen may not claim much, but in the Resting Zone, no one dares to provoke us,” Ji suddenly leaned in, her expression full of reckless confidence. Her dark skin was smooth and even, her dangerously alluring face suddenly magnified before Li Le, jet-black hair cascading from her shoulder with a wild beauty that captivated the soul.

Li Le could almost catch the faint scent of blood in Ji’s hair.

It was as if a lithe, swift panther had brushed her face with its paw—danger tingled, yet an urgent desire to conquer was stirred within her.

This girl was breaking all the rules!

Li Le inwardly covered her face, her ears reddening in spite of herself.

So, it was true—when someone’s charm reached a certain level, they could truly bewitch others.

Who would’ve thought she’d be so smitten by another woman?

Her aesthetic sensibilities had taken a blow, her defenses shattered.

Rubbing her flushed ears, Li Le gazed at the beautiful Ji, her eyes now filled with genuine warmth.

“Ji, Le is our new partner in District Thirteen. Don’t frighten her too much…” Cong, behind them, spoke with hands crossed, smiling with relaxed ease.

“I’m the one frightening her?” Ji pointed to herself, turning to look at Cong, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “Maybe you should reflect on yourself before saying that. Am I scarier than you?”

As she spoke, she released Li Le’s shoulder.

Cong stood with arms crossed, his eyeliner subtly lengthened, smiling without a word.

His ordinary grey clothes matched his unremarkable appearance, yet an inexplicable aura of mystery clung to him.

Li Le’s heart stirred as she turned to see Lie and Ling, who had been standing quietly nearby, both wearing expressions of agreement.

It seemed Cong was indeed no simple character.

“Let’s go. I want to see who would dare to mess with District Thirteen while I’m here!” Ji straightened, stretched lazily, and strode out of the wooden hut, beckoning the others to follow.

A chorus of assent followed, and even Li Le wasn’t left behind.

But none matched Ji’s boldness: grey clothes, grey cloaks, or some other grey garment…

The group had to mitigate risks to some degree, always displaying their identity.

After all, privilege is meant to be used.

As for Ji? Her face was her best pass.