Shui Hua wasn’t sure if Liu Jin’s words were true or false, but since they had already checked into the hotel, there was no point in worrying about it anymore.
“Then I’ll go take a shower too.”
“Shui Hua,” Liu Jin called out to her, her gaze falling on the garish dress she was wearing.
“You probably don’t have any spare Magic Power to weave yourself a nightgown, right?”
“I really don’t…”
Shui Hua admitted honestly, tugging at the hem of her skirt.
“But I can just sleep in my Magic Costume. It has a self-cleaning function, so it isn’t dirty.”
“I still have enough Magic Power. How about I weave a nightgown for you too?”
“Sure.”
Shui Hua looked down at the hard star decorations on her chest and hem.
They were fine for regular wear, but they would probably leave red marks on her body if she tried to sleep in them.
Since a nightgown was available, Shui Hua chose not to make things difficult for herself.
Liu Jin’s hands surged with Magic Power, and she quickly wove a nightgown of the same pale gold color before handing it over to Shui Hua.
Shui Hua took it and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
When she looked up, she was directly facing the frosted glass wall, where she could see the silhouette of Liu Jin sitting on the edge of the bed.
‘Who designed this bathroom… How annoying…’
Now that it was her turn to shower, she grumbled about the design again.
Fortunately, after a careful search, she discovered a roller blind installed on the inside of the glass wall.
Although it was hard to see clearly from the outside even without it, the thought that it was Liu Jin out there made her feel uneasy.
After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and pulled the blind shut with a loud *clatter*.
The warm water washed away Shui Hua’s fatigue from the entire day.
After finishing her shower, she felt completely relaxed.
She dried herself off and changed into the nightgown Liu Jin had given her.
It fit perfectly, and the material was cool and breathable, making it surprisingly comfortable.
When Shui Hua stepped out of the bathroom, Liu Jin was already sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard.
With nothing else to do for entertainment, she was flipping through a travel guide provided by the hotel.
Shui Hua walked to the side of the bed, lifted a corner of the blanket, and slipped inside.
According to her usual habits when she was alone, she would have kicked the blanket away and let it rest loosely over her stomach, lying flat and free.
But with someone else there, she had to keep her lower body properly covered.
She sat up against the pillow and pulled out her Mobile Phone.
Liu Jin also put down the guide and tilted her body slightly toward Shui Hua, her gaze drifting toward the Mobile Phone screen.
Shui Hua could tell she was a bit bored, so she shared the screen with her. Liu Jin naturally accepted with pleasure, leaning in closer but maintaining a proper distance without pressing too near.
The two stayed like that — one holding the Mobile Phone, the other watching quietly.
Occasionally, Shui Hua couldn’t help but laugh, and Liu Jin would follow with a light chuckle.
Whether it was her imagination or not, Shui Hua felt that Liu Jin was being exceptionally well-behaved tonight.
Liu Jin didn’t give Shui Hua much to worry about, so her mood remained relatively good.
Time passed quickly until it was 11:00 PM.
Shui Hua’s Magic Power had finally recovered to the critical point; she could now perform a Transformation Release and return to being Yuhua at any time.
This realization allowed the final weight on her heart to lift.
She turned off her Mobile Phone, huddled under the blanket, and turned toward Liu Jin.
“It’s getting late. Let’s get some sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow to head back.”
“Okay.”
Liu Jin also slid into the blanket, moving her pillow further away from Shui Hua before lying down properly and closing her eyes.
Shui Hua had originally thought that since she could change back at any time, she could finally sleep in peace.
But not long after lying down, an unimagined question suddenly surfaced in her mind —
‘Will Liu Jin try to do something while I’m asleep?’
Once this thought took root, all sorts of messy scenarios began swirling in her head.
Just as Shui Hua was secretly calculating if there was a safe way — like pretending to sleep or setting an alarm — Liu Jin, who had been lying quietly beside her, suddenly spoke.
“Shui Hua.”
“What is it?”
“Aren’t you afraid?”
Liu Jin’s voice was calm, and her words were as direct as ever.
“Aren’t you afraid of being alone with me in a room like this? Afraid that I might do something to you?”
“Why should I be afraid?”
Although Shui Hua had been worried about this since she knew they would be staying together, she continued to act tough, maintaining an air of indifference.
“Because you know, don’t you? I’m Lin Ling — someone who has feelings for you and who used to be a boy. My feelings for you aren’t just pure friendship; they’re mixed with admiration, and the corresponding desires.”
Liu Jin truly was straightforward, speaking these words without any hesitation.
“It’s fine. I trust you, Senior,” Shui Hua replied with a formulaic answer.
“No, you don’t actually trust me. You’re actually very afraid of being alone with me, afraid that I’ll lose control and do something you can’t handle. You’re also deliberately avoiding any interactions that might seem intimate, using distance to clarify the boundaries of our relationship, aren’t you?”
Since Liu Jin had already pushed the conversation this far, there was no longer any need for Shui Hua to hide.
Shui Hua was silent for a moment before she also revealed her calculations.
“Yeah, I was just being polite earlier. Of course I’m worried about what you might do… For example, right now, I’m afraid of whether you’ll do something while I’m asleep. It’s giving me a headache…”
“Think about it, Liu Jin. Back then, whether it was out of duty or something else, I saved you. But what about you? You’ve been chasing after me ever since, talking about First Love at First Sight and even camping out on the Rooftop to try and catch me in the middle of a Transformation. For anyone else, after experiencing all that, their biggest wish would probably be to cut ties with you as quickly as possible and stay as far away as they can, right?”
“I’m sorry. I really was too impulsive back then and didn’t consider your feelings. I apologize to you.”
“Yeah, so haven’t we already reconciled on the surface? I went to your base, looked at your drawings, and I normally team up with you for missions.”
She paused and then continued.
“But at a time like this, in a situation that could leave me vulnerable at any moment, how could I completely let my guard down around someone with a criminal record? If it were you, could you do it?”
“Yeah, I deserve this.”
Liu Jin’s voice grew low.
“It was my previous actions that made you lose your sense of security. Even if I say I’m sorry 100 more times and beg for your forgiveness, your wariness toward me probably won’t disappear…”
“However, it’s not like there’s no way to repair our relationship…”
Shui Hua suddenly thought of a good solution.
She turned on her side to face Liu Jin, though she couldn’t see the expression on Liu Jin’s face clearly in the darkness.
“Next, I’m going to step out for a bit. I hope you won’t try to peek at what I’m doing, and don’t ask about it afterward. Is that okay?”
Liu Jin was stunned for a moment but quickly responded, “Yes, I will. I promise.”
“That’s good then.”
Shui Hua lifted the blanket and got out of bed.
She opened the door, slipped out, and gently closed it behind her.
After the soft click of the door closing, Shui Hua walked a few paces to the corner of the stairs.
After confirming no one was around, she performed a Transformation Release.
***
Now in his form as Yuhua, he could do what Shui Hua couldn’t.
He walked down the stairs to the still-lit front desk.
The woman on the night shift was the same one as before.
“Hello, I’d like to book a single room for one night. I’ll use facial recognition.”
The facial recognition went through, and the woman skillfully processed his registration.
Yuhua took his new room card and went upstairs.
He hadn’t expected the new room to be right across from Liu Jin’s.
“Goodnight, Lin Ling.”