“Gurgle—”
A soft rumble sounded from Yiyi’s stomach, especially clear in the quiet hallway.
Yiyi’s face instantly flushed red, as ripe as a cherry.
She buried her head even lower, her chin nearly touching her chest, wishing she could sink right into the floor.
The bit of forced “anger” she’d managed just now vanished completely, like a popped balloon.
Lilith couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter, her shoulders trembling slightly.
She gently adjusted Yiyi in her arms, supporting her little bottom with one steady hand, while with the other she conjured a small, delicate silver milk jug from behind her back.
Faint dragon scale patterns were etched on the jug, shimmering softly beneath the crystal lamp.
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease our Yiyi anymore.”
Lilith shook the milk jug in her hand, the warmth inside faintly perceptible even through the cold silver.
“This was entrusted to me by Xiamir before she left. She said you always wake up hungry in the morning and specially had a whole crate of dragon milk prepared, so I could warm it up for you on time.”
“What the heck!?”
Yiyi jerked her head up, her cheeks still tinged with an un-faded blush, cheeks puffed as she glared wide-eyed.
“She’s already left, why does she still care if I drink milk or not? I don’t want to drink this stuff! Put me down right now—I’ll go throw that whole crate out myself!”
Though her words were firm, her little hand clutching Lilith’s collar didn’t let go.
When her eyes glanced at the dragon-scaled milk jug, they darted away again, as if avoiding something.
Seeing her act so contrary to her words, Lilith’s eyes grew even more amused.
She deliberately brought the jug closer to Yiyi’s lips and coaxed gently: “Really not thirsty? Take a sniff—it’s delicious. Xiamir said this is the best dragon milk for younglings, and drinking it will help you grow tall.”
“I don’t want it!”
Yiyi turned her head away, but her nose twitched uncontrollably.
The faint aroma of milk crept into her nostrils, making her empty stomach rumble again.
Her face turned even redder.
She simply buried her face in Lilith’s neck, mumbling in a muffled voice: “I’m not drinking it… Xiamir did this on purpose, trying to make me think about her all the time!”
“Mmm—let me go, let me go!”
Yiyi squirmed in Lilith’s arms, her little hands tugging at her clothes, cheeks pressed against Lilith’s neck, her muffled voice still full of stubborn defiance.
Lilith held her steady, gently patting her back, her laughter warm and certain: “I won’t let go. Our Yiyi’s tummy is still protesting.”
As she spoke, she purposefully moved the warm milk jug closer to Yiyi’s nose again.
The unique, sweet fragrance of dragon milk wafted through the air.
Yiyi’s nose twitched involuntarily, and her little stomach rumbled again as if on cue.
This made her freeze.
Her face, still buried in Lilith’s neck, flushed an even deeper red, and her struggling movements weakened.
She only let out a faint, sulky hum: “I’m still not drinking… She did it on purpose, leaving this stuff to ‘watch over’ me.”
“Hey… mmph, what are you doing?! Mmm…”
Before Yiyi could finish speaking, her lips were gently pressed by the warm mouth of the jug, and the sweet scent of dragon milk flooded her nose.
She opened her eyes wide in shock, struggling to turn her head away, but Lilith gently supported her nape, preventing any escape.
“Yiyi, let’s go wake up Lilia.”
Lilith smiled, holding Yiyi steadily in one arm, the milk jug still poised in her other hand as she walked briskly toward Lilia’s room.
With the jug pressed to her lips, Yiyi couldn’t speak and could only let out: “Mmm—mmm! Mmm—mm mmm!” in protest, wriggling in Lilith’s embrace, her little hands tugging at Lilith’s clothes, cheeks puffed red like an angry little dumpling.
When they reached the door, Lilith pushed it open and went inside.
On the bed, a “white dumpling” lay curled up, a spill of silvery-white hair peeking from beneath the blanket, gently rising and falling with each breath.
She set Yiyi down by the bed, letting her sit.
Then she bent down and gently poked the “white dumpling’s” cheek, speaking softly: “Lilia, time to get up. It’s already quite late, you know.”
“Mmm… let me sleep a little longer… Even when I wake up… there’s no one to play with…” The “white dumpling” under the blanket stirred, her voice sticky and lazy from sleep.
“Yiyi already went back to the dragon clan…”
“That’s all the more reason to get up! Look who’s here—Yiyi stayed to keep you company.”
Lilith smiled and picked Yiyi up from the side, placing her in front of Lilia.
“Lilith, what are you doing?!”
Yiyi protested, her cheeks still red, her eyes flashing with embarrassment and annoyance.
Her hand clutched Lilith’s collar even tighter, afraid Lilia would see her in such an awkward state right after waking up.
“Yiyi?”
Lilia, hearing the commotion, sat up on the bed and slowly opened her eyes.
She stared at Yiyi, blinking, stunned for two seconds before her eyes lit up instantly.
She threw her arms wide and pulled Yiyi into a hug, the two of them toppling onto the soft bedding.
“Yiyi~ You didn’t leave after all!”
Lilia buried her face in Yiyi’s neck, her voice full of delight, her silvery hair tickling Yiyi’s cheek.
“I really thought you’d gone back to the dragon clan, and I’d have no one left to play with!”
Stumbled by Lilia’s sudden hug, Yiyi’s cheeks were still red.
She was just about to frown and say something when Lilia’s warm embrace enveloped her.
The faint scent of grass and trees clung to Lilia, her soft, jubilant voice echoing in Yiyi’s ears.
The embarrassment over the dragon milk melted away in an instant.
Tumbled down onto the bedding by Lilia, Yiyi was surrounded by the warmth and the earthy fragrance, her nearly-furrowed brows gradually relaxing.
She reached up and nudged Lilia’s shoulder, her voice still tinged with bashfulness: “Don’t hold me so tight… it’s suffocating…”
“No way.”
Lilia rubbed her face into Yiyi’s neck, her silvery hair brushing across Yiyi’s flushed cheeks, her tone soft and teasing: “You never said you were staying. I thought when I woke up, I wouldn’t see you again.”
As she spoke, Lilia nuzzled Yiyi’s cheek again.
Yiyi, hugged and nuzzled like that, blushed even more, her little tail—hidden beneath her skirt—instinctively wrapping itself around Lilia’s foot, the scales gliding over her skin with a gentle warmth.
Lilia felt the sensation at her ankle and couldn’t help but laugh, hugging Yi Yi even tighter: “Yiyi’s tail just can’t bear to let me go~”.
Yiyi’s tail-tip trembled suddenly, and she buried her face deeper, but she didn’t pull her tail away.
She only muttered back: “That’s not true! It moved on its own!”
“How long are you two little ones going to cuddle for?”
Lilith looked at the two tangled figures on the bed and chuckled, setting the silver milk jug on the bedside table, the dragon-scale pattern sparkling in the morning light.
Yiyi’s cheeks burned from all Lilia’s snuggling, but her tail, as if it had its own mind, stayed wrapped around Lilia’s ankle.
She only muffled out, pushing at Lilia, “Let go, stop nuzzling me!”
No sooner had she finished, her little stomach rumbled again.
She instantly froze, burying her head even deeper, just like a little creature hiding inside its shell.