Chapter 87: Little Cucumbers

Why?

In matters of the heart, there is no why.

Perhaps it was when they split the bread during the food shortage, or when they encountered an attack at the Extreme Cold Doomsday Station.

Perhaps it was the feelings that grew over time.

Through their daily interactions, Ye Yin’s feelings were born this way.

When it was just the two of them in the team, these feelings could be buried in her heart.

But after Mo Cha and Tang Shi joined, Ye Yin realized that her connection with Mu Bai would no longer be unique.

Intense unease made her more sensitive than usual.

Through various signs, she discovered her own heart, and then—just like the first time she followed her instincts to hold Mu Bai while sleeping—she made the most decisive and straightforward decision.

A waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first.

It would be a waste not to take advantage.

It was a gamble, and she won.

From now on, all she had to do was keep being shameless.

After all, Mu Bai wouldn’t abandon her.

Eventually, her feelings would be reluctantly accepted.

That was what Ye Yin thought.

But this direct hit caught Mu Bai off guard.

Before this, Ye Yin had always avoided and resisted her questions.

Mu Bai never expected that a few words would make the other reveal her heart.

She never thought she’d get an answer so suddenly.

The answer wasn’t that surprising, but the impact on Mu Bai was enormous.

Her orientation was fine, of course.

Ye Yin was such a cute beauty—what guy wouldn’t like her?

But all along, Mu Bai had never dared to show this attraction toward the “opposite sex.”

In fact, she had been trying to suppress it, preventing this psychological influence from spreading and letting Ye Yin notice.

Mu Bai had always believed that in this environment, stability was the most important thing.

A relationship between girls as close friends or comrades was clearly more stable.

Any extra feelings were best avoided.

She didn’t want to lose Ye Yin as a teammate.

After so many crisis tests, Ye Yin’s position as her first partner had become irreplaceable in Mu Bai’s heart.

Even though Ye Tong had been acting difficult lately, needing constant accommodation, that importance never diminished.

The sense of security Ye Tong gave Mu Bai was unmatched by Mo Cha or Tang Shi.

That security came precisely from the mutual trust they had built from the very beginning.

In the end, Mu Bai had buried that trace of strangeness in her heart just to avoid being hated by someone important.

Nonsense… being held to sleep every day by a beauty of this level, someone who trusted and was gentle only to her—who wouldn’t fall?

But Mu Bai wasn’t a full-fledged girl.

She had no experience being a girl; she didn’t know the boundaries of relationships between girls.

She thought all of Ye Yin’s special treatment was just a sign of close friendship.

It wasn’t until that day that things clearly crossed the line that she realized something was wrong.

Well, you can’t say moral integrity is unimportant either.

The reason she had put off Ye Yin’s issue for these past few days was also to give herself time to examine her own heart and weigh whether responding would benefit the group.

Mu Bai was also helpless…

Some things were better left unspoken.

Why force them out?

It made the atmosphere awkward.

“I feel the same way.”

Mu Bai shifted her body, facing Ye Yin’s chest and burrowing her head in.

She articulated the words softly.

In the darkness, Ye Yin’s pupils contracted slightly.

Then she tightened her embrace a little more, an unbelievable excitement in her hold.

“Mm…”

Her smooth, slender fingers began to wander downward again.

“No.”

Mu Bai blocked her a second time.

That sort of thing wasn’t allowed.

Ye Yin’s movements froze.

“Are you an idiot? Who gets physical right after a confession? That’s awfully ulterior.”

She said that, but of course, that wasn’t the reason.

One thing at a time.

Their mutual feelings were clear, but Mu Bai had lost the Dark Flame Dragon.

She still couldn’t accept the fact that she was about to be the bottom.

Taking the initiative wasn’t right, and being passive wasn’t okay either.

It was a lose-lose.

Buddy, hold on a bit more.

You’re still injured; exploring bodies isn’t allowed.

Ye Yin fell silent.

Mu Bai did seem to have a point.

But she had already lost control once.

Doing it again should be fine, right?

After all, Mu Bai would forgive her.

No, no.

It was hard enough to get official status.

She shouldn’t waste goodwill for no reason.

Ye Yin was silent for a few seconds before asking, “Did you say that just to comfort me?”

She wanted to dispel her final doubts.

“I feel the same way.”

Mu Bai shifted her body, facing Ye Yin’s chest and burrowing her head in.

She articulated the words softly.

In the darkness, Ye Yin’s pupils contracted slightly.

Then she tightened her embrace a little more, an unbelievable excitement in her hold.

“Mm…”

Her smooth, slender fingers began to wander downward again.

“No.”

Mu Bai blocked her a second time.

That sort of thing wasn’t allowed.

Ye Yin’s movements froze.

“Are you an idiot? Who gets physical right after a confession? That’s awfully ulterior.”

She said that, but of course, that wasn’t the reason.

One thing at a time.

Their mutual feelings were clear, but Mu Bai had lost the Dark Flame Dragon.

She still couldn’t accept the fact that she was about to be the bottom.

Taking the initiative wasn’t right, and being passive wasn’t okay either.

It was a lose-lose.

Buddy, hold on a bit more.

You’re still injured; exploring bodies isn’t allowed.

Ye Yin fell silent.

Mu Bai did seem to have a point.

But she had already lost control once.

Doing it again should be fine, right?

After all, Mu Bai would forgive her.

No, no.

It was hard enough to get official status.

She shouldn’t waste goodwill for no reason.

Ye Yin was silent for a few seconds before asking, “Did you say that just to comfort me?”

She wanted to dispel her final doubts.

“Of course not. Do you remember what you were like back then?”

Mu Bai said, both amused and exasperated.

“You wouldn’t directly answer anything I asked. You spoke so vaguely, making me guess. What if I was just flattering myself?”

“If you have something to say, just say it. Where’s your usual straightforward attitude?”

“You had me overthinking and worrying all day.”

“Alright. I understand.”

Ye Yin responded.

If she wanted to take the relationship further, she should just say it directly.

“And…”

Mu Bai’s tone suddenly became serious.

“Don’t do dangerous things alone without discussing it with me. I won’t allow you to take such risks for me again.”

At the Mountain God Temple, she had panicked like crazy the moment she saw Ye Yin get thrown back.

“Sorry.”

Ye Yin promptly admitted her mistake.

“Good that you know.”

Mu Bai huffed.

“So, can I do something that couples do now?”

Ye Yin asked next.

Mu Bai couldn’t hold it together anymore.

Seriously, did she have to make a move right now?

Today the blanket felt like a dragon’s den—staying under it felt like her chastity was under threat.

But Mu Bai misunderstood this time, because the attack wasn’t coming from below.

The next moment, Mu Bai was lifted upward until she was face to face with Ye Yin.

Even without light, Mu Bai could vaguely see the ice-blue reflected in those eyes.

The distance was obvious—their noses almost touched.

Ye Yin’s face pressed closer.

It was a bit cold, while Mu Bai’s face was flushed from the conversation.

The temperature difference was clear.

Their lips didn’t meet.

Instead, silver teeth bit down on her earlobe.

The tingling sensation made Mu Bai shudder.

Warm breaths sprayed into her ear canal, the itchy sensation burrowing deep into her brain, nearly breaking Mu Bai’s sanity.

“Stop… wait, don’t. I can’t take it…”

This time, Ye Yin acted as if she didn’t hear, indulging her own craving.

With sticky sensations, she kept trying to probe deeper into her ear.