Chapter 726: Chapter 202 Alice (Request for Monthly Votes)_3
At this time, it was the busiest hour, where one could see the bustling lights of ten thousand homes outside, thriving and prosperous.
With the backdrop of these quietly reading girls, Xu Shu’s heart immediately felt much lighter, and the tension of facing a tough battle ahead was also considerably reduced.
"Meow!"
Xu Shu gently closed the door behind him and heard a cat’s cry.
Turning his head, he saw on the workdesk to the right of the entrance, sprawled on the chair that usually belonged to a librarian, a rather plump, bright-furred, and distinctly striped orange tabby cat. It was quite hefty, easily weighing more than ten pounds by his estimate.
Probably because it often saw people, this orange cat was quite bold. Seeing Xu Shu enter, it wasn’t scared but lazily brought its paws together, arched its back, and stretched.
Then, it moved onto the serving table, clawing open a bag of plastic-wrapped crispy biscuits, took it to Xu Shu’s feet, rubbed against his ankles a few times with a "meow" cry, and then started to elegantly lick its paws.
"Hey, I didn’t expect the nun here to have the leisure and taste to keep a cat, and it’s quite smart too, knowing to ask for help," Xu Shu chuckled lightly.
Self-delivered fat orange, not to pet would be a miss.
He thoroughly rubbed the cat’s head a few times and then helped open the bag of biscuits for it before using his foot to kick it away from the door.
It seemed puzzled, picked up the opened biscuits, and ran back towards Xu Shu’s feet.
Xu Shu kicked it away from his feet again, and the plump orange slid out on the ground.
"I have no time for you, go play by yourself."
Xu Shu wiped his hands and walked into the library, looking around. His expression suddenly changed.
That middle-aged nun didn’t even leave me a photo or anything. With so many people here, and I don’t know what Alice looks like, am I supposed to ask one by one?
After a moment’s thought, Xu Shu cleared his throat and then, ’quite rudely,’ in a voice not very loud but loud enough to hear, said:
"Excuse me, I’m looking for Alice."
The library, originally very quiet, was disturbed by his voice, naturally, bothering everyone.
A group of nuns all looked towards Xu Shu, observing him, but non spoke.
Xu Shu, helpless, repeated: "I’m looking for Alice."
Everyone continued to stare at him, still silent.
Xu Shu frowned.
Why don’t they speak? Are they all mute?
He was about to shout loudly when suddenly, the youngest nun near him first raised her index finger to ’shush’ him, then pointed down towards Xu Shu’s feet.
Surprised, Xu Shu looked down to find the orange cat had returned.
"Meow." The orange cat was looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
"..."
Xu Shu also gave the plump orange a scrutinizing look.
After a moment, he spread his hands out, looking at the nuns watching him: "Don’t tell me that this cat is Alice."
"Shh! Please keep your voice down, sister librarian will get angry if she knows. This is Alice. If you have any matters, please tell the librarian. She just left to pray," the young nun’s voice was soft and gentle, disarming any anger.
The other nuns nodded towards Xu Shu and then continued to bury their heads in their books.
Xu Shu twitched the corner of his mouth and, after a moment, bent down to grab the fat orange by the scruff of its neck, lifted it up, and carried it outside, closing the door behind him.
...
"Damn Bai Sanxiang, pushing his luck! That bastard Yu Mingluan looks down on people!"
"How is this any better than Tang Ying and Song Yuchun?"
"This is supposed to lead people to indulge in pleasure?"
"Shit, and here I thought I was rewarded with a Fallen Nun for my amusement!"
"This is it?"
"A cat?"
"What do you all take me for?"
Xu Shu was vexed and, with anger, left the Magic Forbidden Book Library, carrying the plump orange out to the church outside and stopped in front of the confessional.
As he stroked the solid back of the orange cat, he said, "Hello, someone should have informed you already. If there’s no problem, I’ll be taking the cat."
"Forgive me... please protect me... great Goddess..."
The nun’s voice in the confessional slowly faded, and after a moment, she opened the door and stepped out.
She was a woman with a mature and attractive demeanor, yet with skin so fair and bright, seeming barely under twenty.
Her eyes were slightly melancholic, like a lonely lilac flower drifting in the rain, staring at Xu Shu for a long while before nodding.
Then, she went back into the library, fetched a ’Borrow/Return Catalogue’ and handed it to Xu Shu.
"Just write here, and then sign your name, and you can take her with you."
"Okay."
Xu Shu picked up a pen, looked at the characters left by others, and started writing according to the format.
The date was December 11th, 2142, at 9 p.m.
For the location, he wrote "Magic Forbidden Book Library," just like they did.
For the item borrowed, he wrote "Alice"... wait, what Magic Forbidden Book Library?
Xu Shu’s expression hesitated slightly.
The female administrator said, "Add a note after the name: cat."
"Oh."
Xu Shu thought about it and realized she was right.
Others had taken out various highly secret books, like "Dual Cultivation Secret Technique Eleven Basic Principles," "The Beginning and End of Forbidden Love," "Forty-Eight Hand Gestures to Make Your Partner Fall in Love," "Longing yet Unattainable," "Different Ways of Loving: Youth, Middle-Age, Old-Age (Volumes I/II)," and so on.
And here he was, borrowing a cat, which indeed seemed out of place...
Uh.
Wait a second...
What in the world are these book titles?
Is this the quality content of the ’Forbidden Book Library’!?
This is even worse than borrowing a cat!
Xu Shu was astounded and continued to sign his full name where the borrower’s name was required and stamped his fingerprint with red clay.
"Thank you, by the way, I haven’t asked, what should I call you?" Xu Shu returned the directory and casually asked. After all, he might need to come back next time.
The nun tilted her head and said with a distant tone, "You can call me Alice. Uh, human·Alice."
Xu Shu: "..."
Crap!
I knew it!
How could there be such an absurd occurrence!
Why didn’t that middle-aged shrew make things clear to me earlier?
After a moment of silence, Xu Shu pushed the orange cat sitting on his lap onto the bench, checked that no one was around, and said earnestly, "Miss Alice, Bishop Yu Mingluan had a message for me to deliver to you."
Alice sighed and asked first, "Is he dead?"
"Unfortunately, he met with a tragic fate, but I will avenge him!" Xu Shu said gravely.
Alice fell silent, then looked at Xu Shu and said, "I trust his judgment, and I believe you can do it. What... did he want to tell me?"
Xu Shu paused and then said, "He wanted me to tell you that he never betrayed the Human Clan, not from the beginning to the end."
Alice looked stunned for a moment, then with a mocking smile said, "What’s it to me whether he betrayed or not? His betrayal has nothing to do with me."
Xu Shu leaned back slightly.
Tsk tsk, it looks like the bishop’s foster daughter is quite tsundere.
But that’s none of my business.
Xu Shu said, "I have delivered the message. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to the Judgement Department to find me. My name is Xu Shu; I might be able to help, somewhat."
Having finished, Xu Shu clasped his hands in a gesture of farewell and rose to leave.
But Alice suddenly said, "Take the cat with you. If it doesn’t leave, how can I? You’ve signed the name; you’re responsible, aren’t you?"
"Ah?" Xu Shu turned back, somewhat confused.
What does that mean?
You want to leave with me?
You’re giving up the bright future of a library administrator?
But this could work, she is Yu Mingluan’s daughter, if I manage the Dawn Church for her, I might be able to dismiss the archbishop’s last wishes...
A sneaky thought flashed through Xu Shu’s mind, and he said, "Okay."
He agreed, only to see Alice transform into a trail of devastating starlight that zipped into the orange cat’s body.
"Meow!"
The orange cat let out a sharp squeal, its body shaking and trembling as if its entire demeanor had changed.
She looked at Xu Shu and slowly began to speak in a soft and gentle tone, "Please take my handbag with you, sir. I don’t want to walk on my own, meow."