A Suspicion

Yeah.

What was her name?

All this time, he had felt something was off about their interaction. The one he couldn't put his finger on.

Turns out, they had neglected something essential. It was their names! They never addressed each other by name! They didn't even know each other names!!

Ren Haoyu felt like facepalming himself.

Han Peipei looked curiously between the gorgeous Azalea and the tongue-tied Ren Haoyu. "This is...?"

"This is... what was your name, again?" Ren Haoyu thickened his skin and asked with flushed cheeks. It was their fault, but how does he end up being the embarrassed one instead?

Han Peipei was taken aback by Ren Haoyu's question, as it seemed odd to her that they were acquaintances without knowing each other's names.

Azalea was equally surprised by the exchange, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words. But now that Ren Haoyu had called attention to the fact that they didn't know each other's names, she felt a strange sense of embarrassment wash over her. She actually had been addressing him as Lin Jing's fiancee all this time in her mind.

Azalea composed herself and replied after a brief cough, "My name is Azalea." She gave Ren Haoyu a cordial smile, hoping to ease the tension in the air.

As Azalea smiled, Ren Haoyu found himself momentarily captivated by her beauty. Her smile seemed to light up the forest around them, and he couldn't help but feel a bit dumbstruck. He nervously cleared his throat before responding. "It's nice to finally know your name, Azalea. Sorry for not asking earlier. My name is Ren Haoyu, by the way."

They both then soon fell into an awkward silence.

While Ren Haoyu was at a loss in dealing with the woman that had once saved his life, Azalea was hesitant to speak about her matter due to Han Peipei's presence. It would be rude of her if she attempted to shoo the woman away.

Han Peipei shifted her gaze between Ren Haoyu and Azalea, noticing the awkward tension between them. "You guys take your time," she said with a sly grin. "I'm going to head over to that cabin." she pointed to a small cabin just a few meters away.

"Is that okay?" Ren Haoyu asked in both surprise and relief. He was getting agitated by the silence and finally could breathe a sigh of comfort.

"It's fine. In fact, I've been living there for quite a time." Han Peipei explained.

"Really? Won't the owner of the cabin get angry if they find out you trespassed their property?"

"Who do you think the owner of the cabin is?" Han Peipei asked with a smirk.

Ren Haoyu took a few seconds to process her expressions and then eyed her incredulously. "You're kidding."

"Miss Han Peipei is joking with you." Azalea commented from the side and couldn't help but shake her head as she witnessed how Ren Haoyu got fooled pretty easily.

"Ahh?"

Han Peipei's cheeks bulged, and she finally couldn't hold it anymore. "Puhaha, you're so silly. Of course, I was just joking. Do you think a little girl like me could build such a house like this? The cabin was basically empty when I found it, so I've been using it as a makeshift home."

"Oh..." Ren Haoyu finally had an opportunity to speak. His face was red from embarrassment. Damn it! I really had no fate in conversing with girls!

He seemed to always find himself in awkward positions when talking to women, as if it were some kind of curse that he couldn't shake off. It reminded him of his friend Chen Bai, who had the misfortune of being terrible at cooking despite multiple attempts to improve.

"In the meantime, I'll brew you guys some tea." Han Peipei immediately left them alone by themselves.

As the couple looked at the disappearing figure of Han Peipei entering her house, Ren Haoyu heard Azalea's soft mutter. Her voice dripped in an amused tone. "Ren Haoyu, I must say that you might possess a typical protagonist' constitution."

"Can you please speak in a human language?" After observing Azalea's interaction and learning she wasn't near terrifying as he imagined, Ren Haoyu slightly lowered his wariness and started to speak like his usual self.

"Let's walk along the lakeside," Azalea didn't answer his question right away and waited until their distance was a bit further from the cabin.

Azalea first took out a sleek silver box of cigarettes from her pocket and offered it to Ren Haoyu with a slight smile on her lips. "Do you smoke?" she asked casually. Ren Haoyu hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't," he replied.

Azalea shrugged and took out a cigarette for herself, placing it between her lips and lighting it up with a match. She inhaled from it deeply, savoring the refreshing taste of mint in her mouth.

As she exhaled, the smoke carried the scent of mint leaves, adding a refreshing note to the air. Ren Haoyu watched her intently, noticing how effortlessly she held the cigarette between her fingers, looking cool and alluring. Despite his initial disapproval of smoking, he couldn't help but be fascinated by Azalea's demeanor.

"How do you feel about Han Peipei?" Azalea suddenly asked, her eyes downcast as she took a drag from her cigarette, the scent of mint leaves filling the air around them.

Ah?

What did my impression of Han Peipei have to do with my question earlier?

Although Ren Haoyu was a bit confused by the sudden question, he quickly gathered his thoughts and responded, "Well, she seems like a good person with a lot of knowledge, so I don't think it would be hard for her to find a great partner."

Azalea rolled her eyes as she looked at Ren Haoyu with a deadpan expression, as if she was staring at a clueless toddler. "Are you seriously that dense?" she asked with a hint of exasperation in her voice.

Ren Haoyu furrowed his brows, taken aback by her blunt remark. "What do you mean?" he asked, his confusion evident in his voice.

"Did you not notice anything peculiar about Han Peipei during your time together?" Azalea asked, her voice laced with suspicion. "I'm not referring her personality or talents. I mean something else, such as why would a young girl like her be wandering around in the forest by herself? Even if this area is considered to be part of Xianying University, there's hardly a security guard around here. Therefore, it's not exactly a safe place, especially for someone like her. Isn't it odd for a young girl like her to deliberately put herself in danger by lingering around here, let alone living in a cabin that no one seems to know about."

Ren Haoyu was taken aback by Azalea's words, realizing that he had overlooked something that should have been obvious. He had initially dismissed his doubts after observing Han Peipei's normalcy and physicality. She had cast a shadow and her feet had touched the ground, while her healthy complexion and rosy cheeks indicated a perfectly living person. However, he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that there was something peculiar about her.

Even if she said her purpose for coming here was to conduct an experiment, it's all still strange.

After sharing his thoughts with Azalea, Azalea fell silent. She took a long drag from her cigarette and let out a sigh of smoke. Seeing Azalea grow silent, his mind cooking with possibilities. Suddenly, he couldn't help but ask in a hushed tone, "Is Han Peipei a ghost?"

Ren Haoyu knew Azalea possessed incredible abilities that could achieve feats beyond human capabilities. For example, she was capable of effortlessly obliterating acres of land with her firestorm. Therefore, it didn't come as a shock to him if Azalea's vision was enhanced, allowing her to perceive things that he couldn't.

Azalea looked up, her blue eyes like clear water reflecting the sky above. She then said with a shake of her head, "It's not that simple. She's perhaps not a ghost, but rather someone akin to me, a person possessesing a set of extraordinary abilities. An Aether!"

"Aether..." Ren Haoyu repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. Although he didn't know what it meant, the name sounded both powerful and honorific. Perhaps it was a term similar to "superhuman" or "metahuman" in some way.

Azalea said in a low voice. Her eyes were distant. "As an Aether, we naturally possess a heightened ability to sense and perceive things beyond the limitations of ordinary human comprehension. Such as supernatural stuff, energies, and beings that exist on a different plane of reality. We can also manipulate and harness these forces to some extent, which is what makes us so powerful and feared by some." the cigarette between her fingers continued to smolder, releasing a veil of smoke that obscured Azalea's features and added to her enigmatic aura.

She took a long pause.

After what felt like an eternity, Azalea's low voice filled the silence. Her voice carried a dark power that made Ren Haoyu's hair stand on end. "That's how I detected something peculiar about Han Peipei's existence. And your story only deepens my suspicion," she said. "She doesn't appear to be a ghost, but my doubts about her being an Aether are growing stronger."

"By the way, the person who almost killed you last night was also an Aether," Azalea added, confirming Ren Haoyu's suspicions.

"Huh? Wait, what are the odds of regular people encountering an Aether?" Ren Haoyu asked, bewildered. Such a powerful existence; how was it possible for him to encounter them so easily?

"I think it's around 1 in 25.000," Azalea replied.

"1 in 25.000?" Ren Haoyu repeated in disbelief. "Then, am I just unlucky? Or am I being cursed? Otherwise, how else could I keep running into one Aether after another?"

"Perhaps it's just bad luck or perhaps it's what fate has in store for you," Azalea replied, shaking her head. "While I haven't conducted a thorough examination on you, you don't appear to be afflicted with any curse or haunted by a malevolent spirit. However, there may be a deep curse or spirit that I cannot sense. Afterall, I am not particularly skilled in sensing or repelling curses, nor am I adept at fortune telling or predicting fate."

"Does that mean my fate is doomed?" Ren Haoyu's voice trembled with fear.

"Seeking guidance from an expert or becoming one of us could be a viable option," Azalea proposed.

Ren Haoyu's face lit up with relief at Azalea's suggestion. "Can I?"

"Sure, I could introduce you to some Aether who specialize in detecting curses. Alternatively, you could consider joining us and learn to protect yourself," Azalea replied.

The first option was comprehensible to him, but the second one? Becoming an Aether? Could it really be that simple?

"The second option? Can I really become an Aether?"

"Technically, anyone can become an Aether. However, the risks and responsibilities that come with the job are enough to deter most people from pursuing it. There are also many rules and restrictions that come with being an Aether, and you would have to deal with the potentially terrifying aftermath of becoming one," Azalea warned.

Azalea's eyes suddenly glimmered with an otherworldly light. She leaned forward, her voice low and ominous.

"Despite all that comes with it, do you still wish to pursue the path of becoming Aether?" Azalea asked, pausing to study Ren Haoyu's expression. His face showed a jumble of emotions, including intense desire, fear, interest, doubt, and many others that were difficult to put into words.

Azalea's voice became low and serious. "Know this; once you step onto this path, there is no turning back. You will be drawn deeper and deeper into a world that most cannot comprehend. And the longer you stay, the more you will feel your mind slipping away, consumed by madness. There's no salvation, only the inevitable descent into insanity."

Ren Haoyu's heart pounded in his chest as he considered her words. The idea of delving deeper into the unknown both fascinated and terrified him. But he couldn't deny the pull he felt towards becoming Aether and exploring a new world.

He took a deep breath and said, "I need some time to think about this. It's a lot to take in, and I don't want to make a hasty decision."

Azalea nodded, understanding his hesitation. "Take all the time you need," she said, her voice calm and soothing. "This is not a decision to be taken lightly."

"Anyway, don't think too much about it. Your situation may not be as dire as it seems. If there is no issue with your body, you can simply return to your ordinary life,"

"I could return to my ordinary life?" Ren Haoyu asked in surprise.

"Yes, you can. Just don't tell anyone, not even your closest ones, about this matter. Aether's existence is meant to be kept a secret. For your own safety and the safety of those close to you."

"However, I doubt you would choose that path." Azalea suddenly smirked, but the smoke from her cigarette obscured her expression from Ren Haoyu's view.

"What do you mean?" Ren Haoyu's heart sank as a foreboding feeling washed over him.

"Remember the guy from last night?" Azalea asked.

Ren Haoyu nodded, his complexion turning serious.

"He came from a notorious criminal organization. If you choose to return to your ordinary life, I doubt he'll let you go easily," Azalea explained, her tone grave.

"Huh? You haven't killed him yet?"

"What do you think I am, a psycho?" Azalea stared incredulously at Ren Haoyu. "Besides, defeating and killing are two completely different things. I could easily overpower him, but if he's determined to escape and goes all out, even I might not be able to stop him."

"So, given what I just said, do you still think it's possible for you to return to your ordinary life? Keep in mind that behind him is a group of lunatics, and it's impossible to predict what they might do."

Ren Haoyu's face paled as he listened to Azalea's words. He had never thought about the possibility of being hunted by some shadowy organization with supernatural powers. The very thought sent shivers down his spine.

"But, let's try to be optimistic and assume things wouldn't go that way," Azalea said with a small smile, hoping to ease the tension in the air.

Ren Haoyu couldn't help but ask, "What are the odds?"

Azalea paused for a moment, contemplating her response. "One to nine," she finally replied. "One for the possibility that you can continue to live your life in peace, without any interference from that lunatic. But nine for the chance that your life will be in constant danger, with death as the only ending you could hope for."