20demayo Chapter 570 Chinned
Chapter 570 Chinned
The sponsors in the room barely acknowledged JJ's entrance, their gazes fixed on the flickering screens. Conversations were subdued, whispered beneath breaths, but there was something heavy in the air, a quiet intensity that pressed against the room.
As she moved further in, she noticed the way some heads turned slightly in her direction before returning to their private screens, hands tapping lightly against the embedded panels at their chairs, adjusting bets, monitoring stats. The banners lining the walls barely moved, their vibrant colors illuminated under the soft glow of overhead chandeliers.
Below, plush chairs curved around personal holographic displays, reflecting the wealth and power gathered in the space.
"Now, where would he be?" JJ muttered under her breath, eyes scanning the panel screens lining the walls. Her fingers grazed over the edge of one, feeling the cool, smooth surface beneath her touch. The flicker of life from the screens reflected in her sharp eyes, though her mind was elsewhere, piecing together her next steps.@@@@
A soft rustling came from her pocket, followed by a loud yawn as a tiny head popped out. Blue, with her small wings fluttering lazily, stretched and rubbed her eyes. "What are we doing?" she asked, voice thick with sleep as she blinked up at JJ, still half-dazed.
Before JJ could respond, a deep, gravelly voice cut through the air behind her. "What?"
JJ's body tensed, her heart jumping into her throat as she spun around, eyes wide. The aged face of Mr. Fui-Rui met her gaze, his skin weathered like old parchment, lined with years of experience. His thick, orange robes were unmistakable, the emblem of a burning sun emblazoned proudly across his chest.
"Mr. Fui-Rui!" she greeted with a slight bow, her voice recovering its calm. "How are you today?"
He offered a small, tired smile, though his eyes carried the weight of someone who had seen too much. "Doing good, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling the strain. Watching my star student go through these trials... it's draining. Emotionally. I've seen too many good people meet their end here."
JJ clamped her hand over Blue, trying to hush her before this got out of control, but it was too late.
"Yes, you're the goddess that visited Jui-Lao, right?" Fui-Rui's voice broke in, his eyes narrowing with curiosity, as though he were piecing together a puzzle that had been missing a few key pieces.
JJ froze, her grip on Blue loosening for a second. Goddess? Her brow furrowed as she glanced down at the mischievous fairy. "Can you give me just a second?" She quickly turned her back to Fui-Rui, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "You never told me you're a goddess! Wait—there's only one goddess!"
Blue, resting comfortably in JJ's hands, looked up with a guilty shrug. "Well, Ty wanted me to get Jui-Lao to help him out, so I kind of... acted like a goddess's assistant. Or something." She gave an awkward laugh, her wings twitching nervously.
Before JJ could respond, Fui-Rui's voice cut in again, his tone curious but concerned. "JJ, is everything alright?"
Without thinking, JJ turned and tossed Blue straight at Fui-Rui, the fairy slamming into his chest with a soft thud. He barely managed to catch her, cradling her in his large, calloused hand. "Yes," JJ replied with a forced smile, striding forward, her voice quick and firm. "But you have to keep this a secret. She's one of the goddess's... secret fairies.
Sent to record and observe the events unfolding here."
Blue wiggled in his palm, standing upright and smoothing down her small dress. "That's right!" she chirped, catching onto the lie. "I only come around when great change is upon the world."
Fui-Rui stared down at her, eyebrows raised, his hand still cupped as if holding a rare and fragile treasure. "Oh... I see," he muttered, clearly surprised. "That's new. I haven't heard that story before."