Chapter 114: Chains

Qin Haiyue casually hid the phone under the pillow and started hugging her to sleep again.

So, had she actually anticipated this all along? Had she already thought I might try to sneak away, so she tampered with the phone beforehand and locked the door? Was this actually a “trap”?

Then why, why did she not punish me after I did exactly what she expected? Instead, she had no reaction at all?

Not being hit, Ye Xingmian should have felt relieved, but now she felt deeply uneasy instead.

She hesitated for a while, looking at the now-closed eyes of Qin Haiyue before her, and ultimately gave up on the idea of asking.

It probably really wasn’t something she should ask. Asking would make it seem like she was asking to be hit.

But it still felt really strange.

Her mind filled with chaotic thoughts, and before she knew it, amidst the silent atmosphere and Qin Haiyue’s soft breathing, she began to feel a bit drowsy.

After all, she hadn’t woken up that late in the morning. When the mood strikes, one always wants to go back to sleep.

But she still felt it wasn’t quite right to just fall asleep like this. While Qin Haiyue was asleep, should she think of other ways to slip away? But after the attempt just now, she was a little scared.

So, forget it.

She could only hope Qin Haiyue wouldn’t settle the score with her when she woke up later. Hopefully.

The curtains were already drawn. In the silent dimness, the girl gently closed her eyes.

When she woke again, it was already dusk. The air was filled with a lazy, desolate atmosphere. Ye Xingmian didn’t feel good, because she was the one who had been woken up.

Qin Haiyue was frowning, straddling her, her right hand gripping the collar around her neck. The intense pressure on the back of her neck, along with a slight, choking pain, pulled her from her sleep.

She opened her eyes in confusion, her pink eyes clearly not yet grasping the situation, while Qin Haiyue’s gaze held a hint of disgust.

“Tch, how can you sleep even more than I do? Did you stay up late last night?”

Ye Xingmian shook her head lightly, softly denying it. “…No.”

She didn’t know why she had woken up even later than Qin Haiyue. Was she too tired lately? Or a bit mentally exhausted? She couldn’t figure it out and fell silent for a moment.

“Alright, get up and put this on.” Qin Haiyue flung a one-piece dress onto her face. She took it off, then caught a pair of black thigh-high socks, a hair clip, and… a cat ear accessory?

Ye Xingmian carefully picked up the fluffy cat ear headband, her expression one of disbelief.

“This… this is for me too?”

“Huh? This? Of course?” Qin Haiyue retorted as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She couldn’t help but look troubled. She hadn’t expected Qin Haiyue to make her wear this thing.

What could she say? Was it a leisurely whim or a twisted taste? But actually, it didn’t matter. As long as she didn’t hit her, none of this was a big deal.

“What, is there a problem?”

“N-no… no.”

“If there’s no problem, then put it on obediently and let me see the effect.”

Ye Xingmian shook her head lightly and obediently climbed out of bed. Unconsciously, she seemed to have reverted back to that soft, pliant demeanor, which pleased Qin Haiyue somewhat.

“Mmm, not bad at all~”

Once Ye Xingmian was dressed, Qin Haiyue teased with interest.

The girl before her had a cascade of black hair, smooth and flowing over her shoulders, looking very docile.

The cat ear headband on her head was almost invisible against her black hair, only the pair of fluffy cat ears swaying gently, dotted with white fur, making them even more lively and cute.

Paired with that black off-the-shoulder, lace-trimmed one-piece dress, she looked like a timid young lady, docile yet with a touch of fragility. Those cherry-pink eyes further accentuated this aura.

After watching for a while, Qin Haiyue pulled Ye Xingmian to her own vanity table.

“Do your hair. Show me the effect once you’re done.”

“Huh?”

Ye Xingmian was still somewhat incredulous. When she looked back, Qin Haiyue had already left the bathroom; she only saw the swaying back of that golden hair.

She couldn’t help but purse her lips.

Do her own hair? She had never tried it before. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt a strange sensation.

Come to think of it, she seemed to have gained a little more flesh than before now, her face carrying a hint of baby fat, looking perhaps cuter than before?

She couldn’t say for sure. After all, something like “cuteness” wasn’t very useful to her; on the contrary, it might invite trouble.

If Liu Yinuo saw her, she’d probably be very happy, right?

Too bad there was no “if.” The one making her do her hair was Qin Haiyue, and she couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for it. Although she often helped Lin Ziyan with her hair before, doing her own was a first.

She picked up the hair clip, simply braided a few small braids, gathered them together to hang in front of her chest, and tidied up the loose hair behind her a bit.

She didn’t tie it into a ponytail, just gently gathered it with the hair. A not-too-complicated hairstyle was done.

She looked at herself in the mirror. It was acceptable. It should make Qin Haiyue happy, right?

Yet her mood was somewhat irritable.

She left the bathroom. When Qin Haiyue saw her, she indeed showed a hint of pleasant surprise, but unfortunately, she herself couldn’t feel happy about it.

“Not bad. I thought you wouldn’t know how. Did you learn before?”

“Mmm… at home, I often helped my younger sister with hers,” she said softly, lowering her head.

“Good. Alright, I’m going out to eat.”

Hearing this, combined with the things she’d just been made to do, Ye Xingmian couldn’t help but be slightly stunned.

“Am I going too?”

She was actually a bit hungry too. Aside from breakfast, she hadn’t eaten anything all day. To be honest, she was still a little scared about going out with Qin Haiyue.

“Hmm? You don’t need to. You stay here and wait for me to come back. Oh, and I’m taking your phone with me.”

She took out Ye Xingmian’s phone and waved it in front of her, as if showing off.

Seeing Ye Xingmian lower her head, with an expression that was either disappointment or relief, Qin Haiyue suddenly laughed, as if remembering something amusing.

“Oh, right. Sit on the bed. I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise…?”

Seeing Qin Haiyue’s expression, Ye Xingmian suddenly had a bad feeling. She shrank her neck and obediently sat on the bed.

Then, Qin Haiyue walked to the backpack in the corner, rummaged around for a bit, and what she finally pulled out was… a chain…

Ye Xingmian’s body trembled violently. She seemed to already know what Qin Haiyue intended to do.

“No… don’t…” she blurted out instinctively.

Qin Haiyue smiled and walked straight up to her. “Hmm? Don’t what?”

Ye Xingmian’s body trembled even more. She thought of a terrifying possibility—pet owners often walk their pets on a leash. But didn’t Qin Haiyue say she just had to stay home?

But she didn’t dare resist. She knew resistance was meaningless, only adding to the suffering.