Chapter 4: Rooftop

Back home with Bai Yanci, she snapped her fingers. The wrecked room restored in an instant—even the lock whole again.
Bai Yanci couldn’t help surprise: “You’re human—yet magic at this level?”
In the alley Yi Ke hadn’t hidden her abilities fighting those two.
She hadn’t expected mortal arts could reach this height.
In her long understanding, humans who knew arts only mastered one kind—not Yi Ke’s breadth.
Yi Ke set the little white rabbit on the sofa, looked up with small pride: “In your immortal realm it’s magic. Here we call it abilities.”
Light voice: “Of course, not many as strong as me. Meeting me is your luck.”
She never planned to hide being an ability user from Bai Yanci.
A fairy was a fairy—paper couldn’t wrap fire forever. Honesty beat trouble.
She produced something from behind her back, mysterious, held it before Bai Yanci: “I made you a rabbit nest myself. Like it?”
Rabbit nest? Bai Yanci looked up and nearly stopped breathing.
This was no nest—it was a cardboard box repurposed in a hurry.
Cotton blankets stuffed in messy. Carrots drawn crooked with marker.
Technique amateur. Colors clashing. Visual disaster.
To an immortal sister who was an art expert—unwatchable.
Immortal sister’s right eyelid jumped twice: “You really study fine arts? Did you buy your admission letter?”
Better to say she found the box on the street—at least save face for art students.
“Living room’s cold. Be glad you have somewhere to sleep. Picky—or do you want to sleep with me?” Yi Ke set the nest on the sofa. “You sleep here from now on. Warmer.”
…
Bai Yanci drooped her ears, shook her head—protest.
“Really that bad?” Seeing immortal sister’s disgust, she spread her hands in compromise. “Fine. I’ll make a prettier nest another day.”
Bai Yanci landed the knife: “Save your strength. With your skill, ten or twenty years might not be enough.”
She didn’t care—eyes smiling at her, curious: “Sister, you seem to like painting?”
“Not especially. Happen to know a little.” Bai Yanci flat, little emotion.
Maybe her imagination—tonight’s immortal sister talked more than yesterday. She pressed advantage: “Learned on the moon? They teach that there?”
“Why so many questions?”
Soft white light—Bai Yanci human again, cool glance: “Too many secrets—mind your life.”
Fine. The good mood had been imagination.
She blinked, switched tactics fast: “Then paint for me? Payment for saving you.”
Couldn’t have a fairy idle in her house.
Saved such a beautiful fairy. When Bai Yanci recovered and left, she wanted a keepsake.
Seeing Bai Yanci open mouth to roast her, she rushed: “If I hadn’t come, they’d have sold you on the black market!”
Maybe it made sense. Bai Yanci thought, didn’t argue, held out hand for paper and brush: “When I’m in the mood.”
Goal achieved—no objection. She went to bed.
Deep night. Yi Ke long asleep.
Each night Bai Yanci could borrow mortal moonlight to recover a fraction of power.
She never forgot a face. Yi Ke’s was carved in her heart—every detail clear.
She took up the brush, light lines first, Yi Ke’s outline practiced and sure. Halfway the hand paused.
What was she doing?
Eyes down to the smile in the painting.
Under Yi Ke’s brightness, even the paper seemed warm.
Long sigh. Brush moved again.
Last stroke done—she gathered a thread of power over the paper to preserve it long.
Suddenly her teacher’s words in mind: In painting there is a realm called making the mistake your path.
By accident she’d arrived there.
Next morning Yi Ke found a small portrait on the table. Postcard size—exquisitely done.
The smaller the surface, the harder the skill. Bai Yanci deserved the expert title.
If powers didn’t return, art teacher would work—wouldn’t starve.
She looked left and right, smile filling her eyes, tucked the portrait carefully in her pocket before leaving reluctantly.
Today—final exam. Almost every student present. Walking out of the hall her steps stalled. Her head buzzed.
A violent spiritual-flame fluctuation—someone’s flame dying fast!
Professional reflex—alert, ability out, locating the flame.
The school rooftop!
She called Jiang Ran immediately: “Bring people to Jintian University teaching building now!”
At the same time she scrambled surveillance with ability, sprinted stairwells—on the roof in a blink.
A gray-clad woman sat on the roof edge, head up at the dull sky, eyes hollow, frosted over.
Yi Ke reached toward her flame—like that suspect, the depths were empty.
Only utter despair emptied a flame.
She knew this woman—Jiang Ci.
Famous on campus—grades and looks both top tier.
Jiang Ci sensed her, turned, light smile: “Here to keep me company?”
Next instant the smile went cold.
Jiang Ci narrowed her eyes, mocking: “No… I know you. SI Team Leader Yi—right? They sent you to talk me down too?”
Her heart sank. Jiang Ci knew her real identity. Her cases were clean; when traces remained the bureau cleaned them.
Jiang Ci was an ordinary person—how did she know?
What alarmed her more was Jiang Ci’s flame.
Unstable already. Once-clear color tinged gray-black, traces of powerful outside interference.
Since awakening she’d never seen a flame like this.
Until Jiang Ran arrived she didn’t dare move rashly.
With someone this emotional, words were thin—any sentence might snap a fragile nerve.
About to speak—Jiang Ci laughed cold. “Team Leader Yi, save your breath. I’ve had enough!”
Sudden hysteria: “Why do the hardest workers have to swallow failure? Why do cheaters take everything so easily? Do you think that’s fair?”
The instant Jiang Ci broke, Yi Ke’s eyes widened.
In the flame’s ripple the artificial traces flared—clearer!
“This world was never fair.” She tried one step forward—Jiang Ci’s guard was iron; she had to step back. “But believe me—we can make fairness for this world.”
“Useless!” Jiang Ci laughed wild, edged another inch toward the drop. “Team Leader Yi, fairness you beg for isn’t fairness! I don’t want charity. I don’t want love I have to beg for!”
No hesitation. Resolved eyes. Jiang Ci threw herself off the roof!
“Jiang Ci!”
At the same time gentle wind caught the falling body and set Jiang Ci safely on the ground.
Jiang Ci’s flame finally calmed—shock too deep; she’d fainted.
“Jiang-jie!”
Yi Ke nearly cried with relief—like seeing a savior—leaped from the roof, ability flowing, landing steady.
Looking at unconscious Jiang Ci, face grave: “Jiang-jie, new lead. Jiang Ci’s flame was tampered with—likely that group’s work. Get her to SI now. I need to question her.”
Ordinary student fall—comfort, send home.
Once spiritual flame was involved—full SI protocol.
Interrogation, investigation, filing—not one step skipped.
In the whole police system, spiritual-flame cases always had top priority.
The Ability Bureau had posted her to SI because Jintian’s flame anomalies grew frequent.
But Jiang Ran didn’t answer at once.
Jiang Ran froze. A long beat. Slow voice: “Leader… she’s my sister.”
Another pause—eyes complex: “When you bring her to interrogation… can she suffer less?”
Jiang Ran. Jiang Ci.
Names that close… she should have seen it sooner.
“You knew her condition?”
“My negligence.” Jiang Ran flat. “Rest assured, Leader—even if she’s my sister I won’t break SI rules.”
Jiang Ran recalled: “These past days Jiang Ci’s been down. We’re half-sisters—same father, different mothers. Parents abandoned us years ago. Only us. She knows I have abilities and she’s ordinary—can’t help my work. She’s always brooded over having no power.”
Finally Jiang Ran breathed deep and shared what she’d found privately: “So behind my back she went to the Qiming Association.”