World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 11 Weight Loss Secrets
Lin An met Ruan Ruyun during the freshman enrollment season.

At the urging of their senior, the international students from China added each other on WeChat (a Chinese online social networking service), but Ruan Ruyun studied in the School of Science, which was two bus stops away from the School of Humanities, so the two basically had no interaction.

"Little sister, it's not safe to stay in a place like this so late."

"Which country are you from?"

"It's so boring being alone, let's play with my brother!"

As Ruan Ruyun watched the faces approaching from all directions, her heart pounded. She pressed herself tightly against the wall, frantically trying to unlock her phone, searching for the emergency call button from memory.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

The thug was taken aback. Ruan Ruyun couldn't help but look in the direction of the voice and saw a young man with black hair standing under a street lamp, his upper body shrouded in shadow.

"Hey kid, mind your own business! Is she your girlfriend?" Seeing that the newcomer was hostile, the thug hurriedly put on a fierce look.

“That’s my girlfriend.” The young man showed no fear, pulling out a gleaming silver weapon. “So get lost.”

The distant car headlights flickered, reflecting the luster of metallic objects like sharp knives.

"What do you want to do?" The cowardly thugs immediately cowered.

"A date, huh?" the young man sneered. "I'm already five minutes late. If you don't get out soon, I'll have to make my girlfriend wait a few more minutes."

He brandished the chilling fruit knife, and the thug, increasingly unsure of what to do, left cursing and swearing, remembering the recent unsettling rumors.

"Damn it, I don't even care."

After they disappeared around the street corner, Lin An came out.

"You, you... don't come any closer..." Ruan Ruyun's face was pale, and her whole body was trembling.

Seeing that she was still in shock, Lin An took the "blade" with his bare hand, turned it upside down as if by magic, and inserted it into a brand new cake box. The so-called fruit knife was actually just a spoon. He said in Chinese.

"I just got this chestnut cake, want some?"

Ruan Ruyun was both amused and exasperated, never expecting that those thugs would be scared away by the spoon handle.

She breathed a long sigh of relief, took out her phone, and realized that she had been clicking around randomly and ended up on some page. Ruan Ruyun clicked on the green bubble and found the profile picture of the person who looked familiar.

"Lin An... Senior Lin?"

...............

The restaurant's main colors are red and green. The floor is covered with a red carpet, stained with the grease from the feet of guests and chefs. The walls are covered with pictures of dishes, and the orange trees hanging with small red envelopes create a festive atmosphere.

"The whole family is filled with joy as they celebrate the New Year."
May you be blessed with good health and strength.
I also wish you a successful promotion this year.

"May you have many joys and laughter every morning and evening, and a bright future await you..."

As the songs played continuously, Ruan Ruyun looked terrified.

"Xiao Ruan, what are you doing? It's too dangerous for a girl to be alone on the street."

The woman with almond-shaped eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows was wiping the table, chattering away. She had her hair tied in a neat single ponytail and was completely without makeup. Despite her young age, she worked with remarkable efficiency.

"I...I just want to..."

Ruan Ruyun was speechless and looked to Lin An for help. The latter understood and helped her shift the focus of the attack.

"Senior, I'm hungry."

"Did you reincarnate as a starving ghost, Kobayashi? First, explain how you ended up in the lower street too?"

Fortunately, a strong shout came from the kitchen in time.

"Qingqing, come help!"

"Okay, Mom, I'll be right there!" the senior student replied crisply, then turned to the two and said, "I'll go get busy now, I'll make you two bowls of braised pork trotter rice later. Xiao Ruan, don't leave after you finish eating, I'll take you to the bus stop; Xiao Lin, can you cover my shift?"

"No problem, senior."

The senior student's busy figure disappeared into the steaming kitchen. Lin An and Ruan Ruyun suddenly met each other's eyes and quickly looked away.

"You've been busy studying lately, haven't you?"

"Everything's finished, where's Senior Lin?"

"It's alright, just a few final exams left."

"Me too, pretty much."

"..."

In the awkward silence, Ruan Ruyun couldn't hold back any longer and took the initiative to speak: "Senior Lin, are you wondering why I'm going to the Lower City, just like I am?"

Lin An used a takeout spoon to cut the chestnut cake.

"Want a bite?"

The light brown desserts emitted an enticing aroma. Ruan Ruyun waved her hand reluctantly and said, "Actually, I just got lost."

"Where did you originally want to go? Let Senior Zhou plan a reliable route for you."

“No, I got lost on the lower street…” Ruan Ruyun’s voice trembled slightly, “but that place is no longer important.”

As she spoke, a wave of fear washed over her, and she suddenly covered her face and began to sob softly.

"Waaaah, that was so stupid... I almost got..."

Lin An forcefully shoved the spoon into her hand.

"It's all over now, junior Ruan. What you need most is to cheer up, but it's okay to have a little sweets once in a while."

"Wah—!" Ruan Ruyun snatched the spoon and burst into tears, devouring the chestnut cake in a flash. She coughed constantly from the bread flour, but her speed didn't slow down.

After finishing everything, Ruan Ruyun seemed to be in a much better mood.

"I'm sorry, Senior Lin. I'll treat you to a small cake next time."

"It's nothing, just $8.99."

“Uh…” Ruan Ruyun wiped away her tears and the corners of her mouth with a napkin, and stole a glance at Lin An’s face. “Senior Lin, thank you for saving me today.”

"Listen to your senior's advice. Dietrich is not a very safe city to begin with, and there have been a lot of accidents lately."

"I made plans with a few friends, but they all stood me up. Sigh, I don't know why, but standing at the crossroads, I suddenly got possessed, and my mind was filled with that urban legend..."

"What legend?" Lin An asked with great interest.

Ruan Ruyun repeatedly confirmed that her senior was still in the kitchen, then lowered her voice and said, "Senior, I'm telling you something in secret, please don't laugh at me! Please!"

"What's so funny about urban legends?"

“You swear you won’t laugh.” Ruan Ruyun twirled her fingers. “Because I’m too… Even though I grew up under the banner of righteousness and am a staunch materialist, I’ve believed in it like a fish out of water!”

It seems that "legends" are quite tempting.

Ruan Ruyun's voice grew softer and softer, her head almost touching the tablecloth.

"Legend has it that every Friday after 8 o'clock, a strange newsstand will appear on the street. When you enter, please make sure that the stall owner you see is a woman from the Lower East Side before you start talking to her."

“When you’re picking out records and magazines, casually mention to the vendor, ‘I want to look like the woman on the cover,’ and she’ll invite you into the newsstand and ask you which part of your body you’re unhappy with.”

"Changing one area will cost $500. Once both parties agree, the woman will stroke your skin, infusing it with magical power. It will melt fat and eliminate excess flesh..."

Lin An's lips twitched.

The girl looked furtive, and he thought this urban legend must be incredibly eerie and terrifying.

Is this a mystery man or a plastic surgeon?

The description sounds more like that of a liposuction doctor.

"Senior Lin, you actually smiled! Waaah, I was such an idiot to believe something like this!" Ruan Ruyun slammed her forehead against the table and stared straight at the wall. "My heart is dead. I will never experience joy or sorrow again in this life."

"No, I thought of something happy," Lin An quickly reassured him. "Who told you this legend?"

“I don’t know, a friend told me, and she heard it from someone else,” Ruan Ruyun said in a feigned mechanical voice. “I think it’s just something that’s being passed around among the students.”

When did the rumors start?

"Uh, around October...or September. I just started school recently, so I'm not sure."

Can't we find the source?

Lin An pondered for a moment and said, "Has anyone actually succeeded?"

“Hey, that’s true.” Ruan Ruyun perked up. “Several girls claimed that they slimmed down their legs, waists, and bellies by using the ‘newsstand woman’ method, and that’s why I believed them—but then again, I’ve never actually seen those people with my own eyes!”

Lin An felt that the probability of a mysterious figure behind this matter was increasing.

In such a short time, she has spread the word about her abilities so widely. Isn't this woman afraid of attracting the attention of the St. Anilov Foundation?

Either she doesn't understand the Foundation, or she... isn't afraid of being contained?

A mysterious figure with powerful backing?
Since the Foundation's creed is "to keep ordinary people away from the mystical," women can only come from forces that are hostile to them, namely the "mystical liberals" led by the Witch of Bavomet.

Lin An felt it was necessary to meet this mysterious person.

"Go back to university as soon as you finish eating," Lin An said. "Besides, you don't need to be anxious."

"How is that possible? My weight is already in the triple digits..." Ruan Ruyun muttered.

How tall are you?

"1 meters."

Lin An had no concept of women's weight. If a 1.7-meter-tall man only weighed 50kg, no one would say "Brother, you've got a good physique." Instead, they would think to themselves, "Holy crap, a stick figure!"

"Because of the diet in the United States, almost everyone gets fat."

“That’s one reason.” Ruan Ruyun pouted. “The most important thing is that I want to fit in. That party requires girls to weigh under 100 pounds…”

"What is Doris hosting this weekend?"

“That’s right, it was the most popular party in Ann Arbor. I thought that would allow me to integrate with the locals and enjoy real university life.” Ruan Ruyun laughed self-deprecatingly. “Now that I think about it, the Chinese circle is still more suitable for me.”

"Don't jump to conclusions." Lin An shook his finger. "'Eagle-style life' and 'dragon-style life' are just labels. The more you try to attach yourself to them, the more your behavior will be constrained."

"What do you mean?"

“In this day and age, it’s extremely difficult to be a person. I mean a real person with flesh and blood, not a bunch of cobbled-together things. Forget about those labels like ‘nerd,’ ‘party butterfly,’ ‘glutton,’ which make everyone look like they were picked from a vending machine.”

Looking at the smiling Lin An, Ruan Ruyun felt as if she were seeing the dawn gradually breaking from the horizon.

This light had always existed in her heart, in the days and nights she spent striving for her dreams during high school, but recently, due to confusion, it has gradually dimmed.

These words dispelled the gloom.

“I almost forgot, I didn’t come to the University of Ann Arbor to attend a party.” Ruan Ruyun brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “I came here because I’m interested in the university’s science programs. When I get home, I’ll have to copy the periodic table a hundred times, or I’ll be letting down my great master Mendeleev!”

"Great job, junior, I support you." Lin An gave a thumbs up.

"The braised pork trotter rice is here!" Ruan Ruyun's eyes lit up even brighter. "I haven't eaten rice in so long, my stomach is really rumbling."

(End of this chapter)