“Mmm… Xinglan, no…”
Xiaoxi bit her lower lip and spoke with difficulty, a weak and intermittent voice squeezing out of her throat.
“Really no, we agreed during the day, we can’t…”
“What the heck!” Ye Xinglan pouted. “Didn’t you just say that if it weren’t for the Nail Art… Ah, I get it!”
Ye Xinglan’s mind suddenly clicked. No wonder Xiaoxi, a Homebody who never cared about dressing up, suddenly went against her usual self to get Nail Art. No wonder she said that earlier!
“So you got Nail Art just to avoid handing over the goods, huh? You’re too cunning, Xiaoxi!”
Xiaoxi wanted to cry but had no tears. The nails gripping Ye Xinglan’s sleeve slightly dug in.
This time, she had been too clever for her own good.
No wonder Xinglan hadn’t realized her purpose for getting Nail Art before—she was never fixated on just one cooking method and never even thought about it!
To avoid making too much noise, Ye Xinglan also whispered the most terrifying words in Xiaoxi’s ear.
“Honestly, you lied to me about this! A bad kid who lies like Xiaoxi needs to be punished harshly~”
Feeling Ye Xinglan suddenly tighten her embrace, Xiaoxi couldn’t help letting out an oh ho sound, a bad premonition rising in her heart.
‘GAME OVER! Now not only did the Nail Art fail to be of any use, but I’ve been discovered by a close friend, and Xinglan found out too—this is going to be heavy. I’ve completely lost both the beauty and the troops!’
“Heh, well…” Xiaoxi’s body trembled slightly, whether from cowardice or other reasons. “Can we make peace…?”
“Of course not~”
“Wuwuwu…”
The game immediately entered the Second Phase. Ye Xinglan’s assault was fierce.
In just a few moves, Xiaoxi lost the strength to resist, only able to desperately suppress the sound of surrender from slipping out of her throat.
But Ye Xinglan pressed her advantage, occasionally throwing in a Quick and Slow Blade, catching Xiaoxi off guard and inevitably letting a couple of sounds slip out… Xinglan was clearly doing this on purpose!
‘No, no, if this continues, she really won’t be able to hold back. Sweet Xin will definitely hear, and that would be too embarrassing. No, it’s already impossible…’
“Hey, Xinglan, just a little… just a little slower, okay?” Xiaoxi rarely begged so sincerely to Ye Xinglan. “Please… this will really be heard.”
Xiaoxi’s bottom line had been pushed down by Ye Xinglan.
During the day, she had sternly forbidden playing Two-Player Games while staying over, but now it had become: as long as Xinglan played gently, it was acceptable.
“So as long as Xiaoxi tries hard to hold back, you won’t be discovered. You don’t want a close friend to find out about this, right? So do your best~”
Ye Xinglan’s assault was even fiercer than before.
Seeing that Xiaoxi’s Health Bar was about to hit zero, she stuck out her tongue slightly and made a whimper like ah ba ah ba, the sound she couldn’t suppress surging in her throat, threatening to break free completely.
‘No, no, I’ve managed to hold back all this time, I can’t let it all go to waste now.’
Helpless, to avoid a complete collapse, Xiaoxi dazedly bit down on the clothes on Ye Xinglan’s shoulder with an ah wu.
Her disheveled hair slid off Xinglan’s shoulder.
Like a little beast, Xiaoxi curled up in Ye Xinglan’s arms, letting out a low, suppressed whimper.
The moment her Health Bar was completely depleted, Xiaoxi’s mind went blank, and she unconsciously released her clenched molars.
Ye Xinglan pulled open her sleepwear, now stained with a bit of moisture, and looked at the two shallow rows of teeth marks on her shoulder, revealing a satisfied smile.
“Hey—amazing, you really held back until the end without making a sound. Good job, good job.”
Xiaoxi docilely collapsed in Ye Xinglan’s arms, getting her head patted.
A sense of joy at being praised arose in her heart… No, no, what’s there to be happy about this!
Xiaoxi now only felt her body go limp, her legs numb to the point of almost no sensation.
It must be because going out shopping today was too tiring, right?
Having to work overtime at night to play games with Xinglan was really too much.
“Good girl, good girl… But honestly, I didn’t expect Xiaoxi to lie to me. I originally really thought you wanted to get Nail Art to make a Couple’s Ring with me.”
As she spoke, Ye Xinglan lifted Xiaoxi’s hand, now limp enough to be manipulated, and pressed their pinky fingers together. It seemed she really liked today’s Nail Art.
“I hate it when people lie to me, especially you, Xiaoxi…”
Ye Xinglan gently rested her chin on Xiaoxi’s shoulder, looking at the half-heart pattern on her hand.
Xiaoxi noticed the subtle movement of Ye Xinglan tightening her hold slightly, as if afraid the person in her arms would escape, a trace of imperceptible loneliness in her tone.
Xiaoxi immediately sensed Ye Xinglan’s subtle feelings.
Before they lived together, Xinglan had always lived a cautious life.
The Rich Girl must have always lacked a sense of security, right?
Xiaoxi knew that the more insecure a person was, the more they feared being lied to and betrayed by those around them, especially those closest.
Thinking carefully, she had been inconsiderate. She shouldn’t have made excuses and lied to Ye Xinglan about this.
“Sorry, Xinglan. This time I was wrong. I promise this will never happen again, okay?”
Although her body was still a bit weak, Xiaoxi still managed to hug back. She didn’t want Ye Xinglan to lose her “sense of security” with her.
“Really? Can you guarantee that you won’t lie to me from now on?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Then there’s nothing else you’re hiding from me, right?”
“Mm… of course not.”
Xiaoxi’s brain, already groggy from losing the game, suddenly snapped awake.
There was an imperceptible pause in her words, but she still managed to give Ye Xinglan an affirmative answer.
The same feeling of guilt from last time surged back into her heart.
Of all times, she had to ask this now. If only it were a couple of days later… No, it’s fine. Once the Divine Summon Order matter is resolved, it’ll be okay, right?
[cite_start]”Really? Can you guarantee?”
Xiaoxi increasingly felt that Ye Xinglan’s tone was like a child lacking security repeatedly confirming with an adult.
Even though she was so Yue Lu in other aspects, her thoughts were actually so easy to guess… No, it was precisely because Xinglan was so straightforward that she had been able to keep it hidden until now, right?
“Mm, I promise there’s nothing I’m hiding from you.” Xiaoxi suddenly looked seriously into Ye Xinglan’s eyes. “Trust me, Xinglan… I will definitely protect you.”
“What’s up with that? Why suddenly say that? A mere B-Rank little Magic Girl protecting me? Hmph.”
Ye Xinglan clearly didn’t understand what Xiaoxi’s sudden words meant, and simply had the Touch curl up again.
“Are you rested? Then let’s start the Second Round~”
‘What, again?!’
That’s not going to blow up in her face