Chapter 86: Apologize, Meow?

“So you took the afternoon off from Store Manager Su’s place just so you could go to the KTV at night and hit on other women, huh~”

“Xinglan, listen to me, I really was handling an Emergency Monster Incident this afternoon. At night, I was just at the KTV for team building, and Star Song Senior got drunk. I only helped support her, that’s all.”

“So that’s what you call ‘helping support,’ huh? Someone who didn’t know might think you two were tangled up together.”

A huge “井” character suddenly appeared above Ye Xinglan’s head.

At that time, Muxingge was indeed slumped against Xiaoxi… all because Xiaoxi was trying to peek at her lock screen password.

But naturally, from an outsider’s perspective, that action looked suspicious.

“That’s because Star Song Senior was drunk and leaned onto me, I wasn’t the one who made the first move…”

“Oh, so it’s fine if she’s the one who makes the first move?”

“I…”

Xiaoxi suddenly felt like she was digging herself deeper, no matter what she said it sounded wrong.

She wanted to keep explaining but caught Ye Xinglan’s pouty, dissatisfied expression reflected in the mirror.

“Sorry, Xinglan, I didn’t consider your feelings. I promise this won’t happen again.”

Xiaoxi abruptly stopped trying to explain and lowered her head to apologize.

She suddenly realized Ye Xinglan wasn’t angry—she must understand this was just an accident.

After all, the girl she liked couldn’t be unreasonable.

Ye Xinglan was just a little jealous; all she needed was an apology.

Of course, girlfriends need to be coaxed… even though Ye Xinglan wasn’t officially her girlfriend yet.

“That’s better, good girl.”

Ye Xinglan didn’t press the issue further. She patted Xiaoxi’s head and then, in a Princess Carry, lifted her up and carried her back to the room. Xiaoxi let out a small gasp.

“I already apologized!”

“Separate things. An apology is an apology, warming the bed is warming the bed. You owe me a Daytime Favor, understand?”

Ye Xinglan licked her lips, tossed Xiaoxi onto the bed, and kicked the Eternal Star Pillow on the bed to the floor.

Xiaoxi glanced at the battered Eternal Star Pillow, then at the countless Eternal Star Posters on the wall that had been crossed out.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that spending the night in this environment with Ye Xinglan felt a bit strange.

“And I haven’t finished asking my questions yet. Get on the bed!”

“At least help me get some clothes? I can’t possibly…”

Xiaoxi wasn’t used to sleeping naked, especially not with Ye Xinglan, but Ye Xinglan answered with a sharp “click” as the lights went out.

“Answer right, you get clothes. Answer wrong, no need for clothes!”

The bed creaked as Ye Xinglan climbed in. In the darkness, Xiaoxi suddenly felt her wrist grabbed, then pressed against Ye Xinglan’s chest.

Xiaoxi’s fingers twitched instinctively as if shocked, wanting to pull back, but Ye Xinglan forcibly dragged her hand back.

“What are you hiding from? Why didn’t you dodge that woman before? She had your arm clamped, didn’t she?”

“Now it’s time to answer. Who’s bigger, me or her? Speak!”

Xiaoxi’s hand was sinking into something solid yet soft, something with weight and a springy resilience.

Even in the pitch black, she could guess what she was touching.

Her face immediately flushed. Ye Xinglan was holding her hand, sliding it under the pajama… and there was nothing underneath.

“Xinglan, this isn’t appropriate. We’re not even a couple. Isn’t this just freeloading off you?”

“Well, then I’m going to freeload back.”

Suddenly, Xiaoxi felt her chest being gripped with an Unyielding Grip.

Ye Xinglan was unceremoniously pinching her a couple of times.

“Hurry up and answer! Wrong answer means punishment. Or do you want to keep feeling?”

“Well, um… yours is bigger.”

Feeling the weight in her hand, Xiaoxi thought for a moment and gave that answer.

She wasn’t just trying to flatter the Rich Girl. Although Muxingge was quite substantial, she still paled in comparison to Ye Xinglan’s figure.

The Rich Girl was the type with an excellent Yue Lu build, hard to lose in this sort of contest.

“Wrong answer,” Ye Xinglan growled. “You really are comparing? That just proves your mind was still on that woman’s chest. Otherwise, how would you notice who’s bigger?”

“I…”

Xiaoxi was at a loss for words. Ye Xinglan had a point, and it made her feel a little guilty.

Then Xiaoxi felt her chest pinched hard again as Ye Xinglan pulled her close.

“Wrong answer means punishment. Ready, Xiaoxi?”

Then Xiaoxi felt Ye Xinglan bite her hard—not a kiss, but a bite.

The Rich Girl aggressively bit her lips, a mix of softness and hardness suffocating Xiaoxi’s breath.

“Xinglan, don’t… girls shouldn’t be this forward… we’re not official yet…”

Xiaoxi’s hesitant protests annoyed Ye Xinglan, who silenced her with a growl.

“Xinglan, if you’re going to kiss me… just kiss me. But don’t touch around…”

“Once I’ve kissed you, what’s wrong with a little touching? Stop talking nonsense, take your hand away!”

This was why Ye Xinglan refused to get clothes for Xiaoxi—since they were going to undress anyway, might as well get straight to it.

“Xinglan, can we keep the kiss on the lips? Don’t crawl under the blanket… I’m scared.”

In truth, a person’s boundaries will slowly lower.

If Xiaoxi had known Ye Xinglan would push so far, she probably wouldn’t have agreed to warm the bed.

But since she agreed, Ye Xinglan’s advances left her no choice but to accept.

“Why are you talking so much? It’s not bigger than mine. What’s wrong with me kissing you?” Ye Xinglan’s annoyed voice came from under the covers. “I’m not groping you! What are you treating me like… holding so tight like you’re warding off thieves!”

“And you were so close to that woman before and didn’t complain. Why get upset when it’s me?”

Ye Xinglan’s tone even had a hint of grievance. She poked her head out from under the blanket.

Xiaoxi’s eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and saw Ye Xinglan’s face flushed, still sulking, clearly not over the earlier incident.

Their eyes met in the dark. After a moment of silence, Ye Xinglan spoke first.

“When I confessed before, you were so resistant to even one kiss. But when that woman clung to you, you didn’t even dodge. Double standards, lecherous, and a flirt!”

Xiaoxi was stunned. So this was what Ye Xinglan cared about? But putting herself in Ye Xinglan’s shoes, it made sense.

The person you’re closest to acting more intimately with someone else—it’s natural to feel jealous.

Xiaoxi sighed silently. She wasn’t really double standard. She’d known Muxingge longer than Ye Xinglan.

More importantly, she’d handled drunk Muxingge many times and had grown numb to it.

Sure enough, girlfriends’ feelings are delicate… Though Ye Xinglan wasn’t officially her Xiaonüyou yet, this was something Xiaoxi had overlooked.

But Xiaoxi had no experience coaxing girls. At times like this… a hug was the answer.

For some reason, Xiaoxi recalled a quote she once saw online—“A hug makes up for the human right chest cavity’s lack of a heartbeat.”

Well, if she wanted to feel the Rich Girl’s heartbeat from the hug… that might be a bit difficult.

Ye Xinglan finally quieted down. After a moment, she buried her head in Xiaoxi’s hair and murmured.

“So, what exactly are we now?”

She didn’t dare confess or define their relationship at this moment, but the boundary between them was clearly blurring.

“Roommates… or maybe besties? Besties hug and kiss sometimes, right?”

“I’m going to twist, lick, and cuddle too. You’re such a damn Oreo!”

Ye Xinglan didn’t get the answer she wanted. She snorted coldly, flipped over, and pinned Xiaoxi down.

“I hate you, you player!”

——

Night fell over a somewhat desolate suburban area of Summersea City.

A chubby little head peeked out from behind a half-ruined wall.

Fox Momomo carefully lifted her tail, making sure her fluffy big tail didn’t touch the dusty ground.

She nervously glanced left and right. It was too dark and deserted here, easily sparking unpleasant thoughts.

“This should be the place…”

“It’s the place, you didn’t come to the wrong spot.”

A voice suddenly came from behind, making Fox Momomo jump and her tail stand on end.

She instinctively turned around and bared her small sharp teeth with a “ha” sound.

“Sigh…” L Miss stepped out of the darkness with a resigned sigh. “Fox Momomo, you’re still so timid. It’s hard to believe someone with such a small heart can be so stubborn.”

“Ah, it’s Miss Lin… I’m not timid, just more cautious.”

L Miss didn’t bother arguing, her eyes filled with deep exhaustion.

“I’ll find a place to sit for a while, I’m dead tired… Who says being an old mom is easy? After sending Star Song that drunken mess home late at night, I still have to come out here to meet up. Some people are probably cuddling with their Xiaonüyou at this hour while I’m working overtime!”

Fox Momomo blinked and glanced behind L Miss. “Miss Lin, did Miss A Xing not come with you today?”

“Nope, do you think I was talking about anyone other than A Xing and her Xiaonüyou?”

A sly glint appeared in Fox Momomo’s eyes. “Then you dared to come meet me here alone? Aren’t you afraid I’d do you in out here in the wilderness and run off? Then I’d be free of my Informant identity~”

“Are you trying to play Undercover with me? Hear that, A Xing? This little fox said she’s going to take me out—”

“Hey, hey, hey, just kidding, sister, just kidding.”

Fox Momomo nervously stared into the darkness for a while, but no one came. Only then did she realize she’d been tricked.

“Just kidding. Your A Xing is really cuddling with her Xiaonüyou. You think everyone’s as much of a Kuming Dagongren as me?”