BXBX NOVEL Chapter 14 Over Your Conscience
When Harker reached the affluent town of Upper Brookville, he went to a nearby constable to ask for directions to Xi\'s house.
"Right over there, the one with the rainbow garden like some leprechaun lives in it. Can\'t miss it." The constable told him.
"Thanks." Harker lowered his shades and drove the Marsedes-Bentz limousine in that direction.
He borrowed his whole outfit and the car from Roland, of course. His friend was happy to give it all out to him, even urging that he can keep the clothes too if he wants. But Harker refused, of course.
"Your friend really was willing to help you out with everything, huh?" Yan said. "How often does he do these favors?"
"Not that often. In fact, this is the first time I asked for such a big favor." Harker frowned. "I need to make it up to him sometime…."
"Why? He\'s glad to just lend you a hand anyway! He didn\'t even question what\'s all this for or where you\'re taking his car—"
"That\'s exactly why I can\'t abuse Roland\'s kindness."
For Harker, Roland was like an IOU* in human form. Every time he saw him, he was reminded of the debt and gratitude he owes to his family.
"Anyway, here\'s Lady Xi Aixiang\'s house. Go invisible now." He said, parking the car near a patch of lilies and getting out.
The lady of the house was gardening as usual, and was surprised to see another guest.
"Hello." She blinked. "Are you new here? Did you get lost?"
"Good morning, Ma\'am. I\'m Xi Hua\'s friend, Roland Faust." Harker said. "Nice to meet you."
"Oh, you\'re the Roland guy I keep hearing about from my husband!" She took off her gloves and shook his hand. "The \'Ben doll\' boy, as he calls it."
"Haha, Ben doll. That\'s an overstatement." Harker copied Roland\'s actions. "I\'m just a regular blondie."
When Harker borrowed the car and clothes, he also took some strands of hair from Roland\'s brush and ate it. Thanks to vomiting the pellet, Harker had some space to shapeshift as him.
Though only for 5 hours, Yan told him. He only absorbed a little bit of DNA from him, after all.
"What nonsense!" Lady Aixiang said. "You are the prettiest boy I have ever met! I bet many girls had called you a looker too!"
"Haha, the same could be said about you, Mrs. Xi." He inhaled deeply to smell the air….
And to smell this woman\'s scent.
Even when the other flowers were covering it, there\'s no doubt. She smelled like peach blossoms just like her daughter.
"Your flowers are lovely too. You grow them on your own?" He asked.
"Yes. As a pastime." She told him. "Come, let\'s have some tea!"
They entered her house. It had a more cozy than luxurious vibe. It was pretty big, but not imposing.
The living room had many flower vases as decorations, and the dining table had a centerpiece made of freshly cut roses as well. It was the dream house of all gardening-obsessed moms everywhere.
They had tea on this long dining table, possibly seating about 12 people. There were piles of plates at the sink, and Harker did not see any maids or helpers.
At first glance, Lady Aixiang seemed to prefer to live alone, without servants. She made the tea herself, jasmine tea from herbs that also seemed to come straight from her backyard.
She elegantly placed her cup to her lips, and took a sip. "You arrived just in time. I have been wondering how Xi Hua\'s case was doing."
Harker pretended to look forlorn using Roland\'s face. "I\'m really sorry that you still can\'t find her. That drug dealer—"
"Oh, I don\'t believe that drug dealer did anything to her." Mrs. Xi chuckled. "I know my girl. He passed out before he could even touch a strand of her hair. She probably did escape to some other country, like you told me so."
He nodded. "Right, Mrs. Xi."
"Call me Lovette, sweetheart." She chuckled. "Everyone knows me as Lovette around these parts. And in China, we women don\'t take our husband\'s surname. My surname is still Bai. I just let people call me Mrs. Xi out of convenience."
She covered her cheeks as she blushed. "And if you insist on using honorifics, please call me Miss instead of Missus. Missus makes me feel quite old. You don\'t think I\'m old, do you?"
Harker smiled politely again just like Roland would. "No, Miss Lovette. You look quite young to me. In fact, I was surprised since you don\'t look a day past 27."
She waved her hand. "Oh, you flatter me, sweetheart! I don\'t look THAT young. But if you want, you can guess my age."
\'100000 years old\'. Harker guessed internally.
But he indulged this demoness anyway. "Hmm…. 34?"
"The reverse, sweetheart! What a lucky guess. I\'m 43 already." She smiled. "My…. You don\'t know how much it pleases a woman my age for people to see me as young and beautiful."
"Well no matter your age, I\'m sure people will think that way." Harker took a sip of the tea.
[Jasmine Flower\'s Ability: All D- ]
[Black Tea Leaves\' Ability: All D-]
So there\'s nothing wrong with the tea.
Lovette smiled at his comment. "Why, thank you. Would you like some cookies? You\'ll love it. Boys love cookies."
She opened the tin can and offered it to him. There were only about 4 small cookies left.
"Thank you." He picked one and took a small bite."
[Cocoa\'s Ability: All D- ]
[Wheat\'s Ability: All D- ]
The system went on to give normal ingredients for the cookies. They were all good too.
"Say, Roland…. My husband calls you Ben doll, so you must have had a Varvie in your life, right?" She asked. "Is my Hua-Hua your Varvie?"
Harker chuckled lightly. "No, Ms. Lovette. We\'re just friends."
"Oh, is that so? You must have a girlfriend already then." Lovette twirled her hair just like her daughter does.
"No. I never had one, actually." Harker emphasized \'never\' to bait this demoness.
"Never? Why that\'s a shame, sweetheart…" She trailed her fingers at his cheek. "Such a handsome lad…. But that does make sense because of the smell."
Harker pretended to look confused. "What smell?"
"You smell just like my fresh buds, sweetheart. Smells like you haven\'t been deflowered yet…" She smiled and went closer. "How about we change that?"
Harker can smell that sweet, immobilizing scent that can make even the largest elephant pass out within seconds.
He smiled, this time no longer Roland\'s polite smile. It was his goofy, shit-eating grin full of mischief.
"How about no? I don\'t want to give my virginity to an old demon hag."
Before Ms. Lovette could make him unconscious, Harker activated Xi Hua\'s Succubus ability so she would pass out instead!
--------------
*A/N: IOU means a document for a debt/loan. Short for "I Owe You".