“Senior Brother?!”
Gantang was stunned by that familiar soft voice!
She instantly perked up from her muddy slump at the stone table, her eyes flashing with an astonishing brightness.
“You’re back? I must be dreaming, right?!”
She rubbed her eyes hard, trying to focus on the striking shade of deep blue before her.
“Then, Junior Sister, why don’t you go back to sleep? Try to catch a dream within a dream.”
Lu Qiancha crossed her arms, tilted her head slightly upward, and threw a classic eye-roll as she flew over.
“No, no, no! Not sleeping anymore! Hehehe~”
Gantang immediately shook her head like a rattle drum, her eyes curved into sweet crescent moons, and the corners of her mouth stretched nearly to her ears.
“Senior Brother, oh Senior Brother! You finally came back! We’ve been apart for so many days…”
She leaned forward slightly, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the edge of her clothes, two sudden rosy blushes blooming on her cheeks.
Her tone was both expectant and a little coy, like a shy little wife: “Um, so, can you…”
“Hm? Can what?” Lu Qiancha raised an eyebrow.
“Yes! Can you let me……” Gantang took a deep breath, summoning all her courage, her voice like a tiny buzzing mosquito, “…hug you just a little bit?”
The moment she said that, Gantang seemed to be steamed alive as the blush spread from her cheeks all the way to her earlobes.
“Of course I can~”
Lu Qiancha’s smile instantly brightened, her blue eyes sparkling clearly and innocently like an angel.
“I’ll only hug you for a little while, Senior Brother, please…”
Gantang’s voice suddenly faltered as she lowered her neck in jerky nods, her gaze fixed tightly on Lu Qiancha’s overly radiant smile.
“Eh?” Her brain, overwhelmed by the enormous joy, finally emitted a slow, puzzled monosyllable.
“What’s wrong, Junior Sister?”
Lu Qiancha tilted her head, her expression still flawlessly innocent and pure, while a tiny devil inside her eagerly awaited the show to begin.
“Senior Brother! You, you just said…”
Gantang’s tongue felt tied in knots, each word heavy as a thousand pounds: “You said I can hug you?!”
“Yeah~ You can.”
Lu Qiancha smiled faintly, even sounding a little encouraging in her tone.
“Wuwu, Senior Brother, you’re the best!”
Gantang was so moved she almost cried, throwing open her arms to pounce like a hungry tiger, but her words caused a nearly invisible “井” character to pop out on Lu Qiancha’s temple.
‘You’re the best’?! What kind of phrase is that? Why do I feel like I’m some kind of tool?!
Lu Qiancha silently made a sharp note in her mental notebook.
Grudge recorded.jpg
But just as Gantang was about to leap forward, her movement suddenly froze.
“Eh?”
Gantang’s motion was like a frozen frame.
“Is something wrong?”
Lu Qiancha frowned, wondering if her little Junior Sister had guessed what she was about to do.
That shouldn’t be possible, right?! This spur-of-the-moment thing, how could she have guessed?
Circle?
“Senior Brother…”
Gantang slowly uttered, “Why are you wearing a dog collar?”
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Lu Qiancha’s angelic smile instantly cracked as she was shocked by that unexpectedly blunt remark, causing her to cough violently.
“Who are you calling a dog?!”
Lu Qiancha jumped on the spot, her claw shadow whooshing through the air—
“Smack!”
With a sharp sound, she mercilessly stamped a small, clear, pale red claw mark on Gantang’s astonished face.
Gantang covered the small paw print on her face. She also thought that “dog collar” was indeed an inappropriate term, so she quickly corrected herself: “Uh…then, it’s a wolf collar?”
“This thing isn’t a collar at all!”
Lu Qiancha felt an itch in her teeth upon hearing that and suddenly wanted to bite something.
She looked at Gantang with a dark expression.
“Then…what exactly is this?”
Gantang squatted beside Lu Qiancha, reaching out to touch the peach-pink lace collar on Lu Qiancha’s neck. It was smooth, cool to the touch, and quite cute—very fitting for Senior Brother.
“This is a key to a small world.”
Lu Qiancha blinked and said mysteriously.
“Amazing!”
Gantang’s eyes sparkled like stars as she clapped enthusiastically in perfect harmony.
“Good that you think so.”
Lu Qiancha snorted softly, her big tail proudly wagging.
“But Senior Brother, why do you have to wear it around your neck?”
Gantang propped her chin, puzzled.
“Because once it appears, it just clings to this spot…”
Lu Qiancha was dumbfounded by the question and instinctively pawed at the collar. She asked matter-of-factly, “Where else could I wear it?”
“Can’t you take it off?”
Gantang tilted her head and asked.
“Maybe…I can?”
Lu Qiancha sounded uncertain herself.
“Then I’ll try.”
Before she could finish speaking—
Swish—
Gantang’s movements were lightning fast. Two fingers precisely pried open the seemingly tough lace edge and smoothly… just took it off.
The entire peach-pink collar was removed just like that.
“The elasticity is awesome.”
Gantang weighed the plush, scrunched-up loop in her hand.
Lu Qiancha:
She looked down at her now empty, chilly neck and blinked her blue eyes.
She stared at the fluff ball and voiced a soul-searching question, “Where exactly can I wear this thing?”
“Don’t worry! Let your Junior Sister study it!”
Gantang’s eyes immediately shone with a scientific spark.
Holding the fluffy, soft pink collar, she gestured all over Lu Qiancha’s body: “On your hand?………No… doesn’t look good……”
“At your waist? No, no good either.”
“On your head?”
“On your leg? Wait…”
Gantang’s gaze suddenly focused on the slender thigh wrapped in white calf socks.
“This spot is just right, and it looks nice too.”
“On the leg?”
Hearing Gantang’s suggestion, Lu Qiancha thought for a moment.
That really was a good idea. Wearing it on the leg meant it could be hidden by clothes, much better than looking like a pet collar on the neck.
Hmm, Junior Sister actually came up with a sensible idea this time. Lu Qiancha’s blue eyes flickered as she agreed, “Okay.”
“Senior Brother, take off your shoe, lift your leg.”
Gantang’s voice whispered in her ear.
“Oh.”
Lu Qiancha responded instinctively, obediently kicking off one small, strappy cloud shoe. She raised her right foot clad in white stockings, revealing the pale, delicate ankle and calf curve.
The moment that slightly cool finger—belonging to Junior Sister—touched her ankle skin…
Lu Qiancha’s mind exploded with a buzzing sound!
Wait a minute!!!
Can’t I just go back to my room, close the door, and slowly slip it on with my claws?!
Although my claws are a bit clumsy… but it’s definitely better than letting someone else help me put it on.
This is bad! This is bad! It must be that damn Pink Spiritual Power from the Heart Demon still lingering inside me, making me stupid!
Thinking this, Lu Qiancha wanted to pull her foot back…
But then she thought again—if she pulled back now, standing on one leg like this… if her balance faltered, she’d probably fall flat on her butt…
Forget it. If she cried in front of Gantang, that would be embarrassing… between two evils, better to choose the lesser. It’s best to let Junior Sister help me put it on.
So, Lu Qiancha clenched her teeth against the urge to flee and stiffly kept her leg raised.