Perhaps it was from being frozen for too long, or perhaps her body was too exhausted.
Xu Mengyao kept feeling that the girl in front of her should have pointed ears, or perhaps a shiny, sparkling halo above her head.
Neither.
She secretly watched Bai Xue’s back for a while—that wet white hair swayed gently with each step, the ends occasionally flicking out a few water droplets that landed on the corridor carpet, blooming into small, dark spots.
Hmm… maybe Bai Xue is a little demon who toys with people’s hearts?
After all, what kind of angel would tease someone like this!
If it’s Bai Xue… even if she devoured someone completely, leaving nothing behind, that would be okay…
When this thought surfaced, Xu Mengyao herself was startled.
Her face felt a bit hot. Her gaze became evasive, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on the girl’s hand.
So soft.
So small.
If only she could hold it forever—
“Is sister thinking about something, hmm… something naughty?”
Bai Xue had turned her head at some point and was tilting it, looking at her.
The corridor light shone from the side, casting half a shadow on her face. Her eyes were curved, full of teasing intent.
“Huh? Wh-why would you say that…”
Xu Mengyao’s voice trembled a little.
“Because sister really doesn’t know how to hide her thoughts at all.”
Bai Xue rose on her tiptoes, leaning closer.
“Your face is completely red~ Like you’re thinking about something strange, something that would get censored if you said it out loud~”
Too close.
Close enough for Xu Mengyao to see the tiny water droplets clinging to her eyelashes, to smell the faint fragrance mixed with the scent of rain on her.
Ugh… is it that obvious…
She flusteredly raised a hand to touch her own face—it was as hot as a boiling kettle.
Afraid the girl might see more of her dark thoughts, Xu Mengyao unnaturally averted her gaze and began to intently study the pattern on the corridor carpet.
Hmm… this pattern is so complex…
But her study was doomed to end fruitlessly.
“So what does sister want to do?”
The girl’s voice drifted over again, carrying that usual, heart-accelerating lilt.
“Use the excuse of worrying that I’ll catch a cold to trick little sister into taking a bath with you? Or maybe—do something even more outrageous?”
“N-no! I don’t!”
Xu Mengyao’s words were halting, practically no different from an admission.
“It’s clearly Bai Xue who wants to do that…”
She mumbled quietly, her voice trailing off.
Well, there was still a difference.
At least she hadn’t completely given up resisting—though this half-hearted denial was more like playing hard to get.
“Ugh… why does sister have to say such mean things!”
Bai Xue puffed out her cheeks.
“No! I just…”
Before she could finish, the girl suddenly stopped walking.
The corridor fell silent all at once. In the distance, the faint sound of a door opening and closing could be heard, but it quickly vanished.
“Wh-why did you stop?”
Xu Mengyao felt uneasy.
Did I say something wrong?
The girl’s unease spread in her heart like a water stain.
Could it be that I’m really that mean-spirited, that bad?
If that’s true, what if I make Bai Xue ignore me?
Should I apologize? I absolutely should, right?
But… I’m just a problem girl with nothing, with no home… what kind of apology gift could I possibly offer…
Or perhaps—
I should give myself to Bai Xue?
“It’s nothing, sister~”
The girl turned her head again. The corridor light was behind her, illuminating her smile with a particular brightness—a brightness tinged with a hint of mischief.
“It’s because the room is here~”
She spoke each word deliberately, as if rolling them on her tongue before letting them out: “Our. And. Sister’s. Room. Oh~”
Xu Mengyao froze for a moment, then her cheeks began to visibly burn.
“You… you’re bad!”
She raised a finger to point at Bai Xue, her fingertip trembling.
The girl, however, pretended to know nothing, blinking innocently.
“Did I say something wrong? Isn’t this our and sister’s room? Or—did sister mishear? Have dirty thoughts?”
Xu Mengyao was too flustered and annoyed to speak.
This bad girl!
I really want to press her onto the bed and spank her hard!
Whoosh—
The door opened.
Warm, yellow light poured out, wrapping around a faint scent of air freshener.
Bai Xue walked into the room, casually removing her soaked outer shirt, leaving only her equally soaked undergarments. The fabric clung tightly to her body, outlining a small, slender frame.
She glanced back—
Xu Mengyao was still rooted in the doorway, as if struck by a paralysis spell.
“Hmm? What’s sister doing standing there like a fool?”
Bai Xue tilted her head.
“Did your brain freeze? Or—do you really want to hold me and take a bath together?”
“N-no, I don’t!”
Xu Mengyao instinctively protested loudly. Her voice echoed once in the empty room, sounding particularly guilty.
“I just… I was just thinking… Bai Xue is soaked too… if you don’t take a bath quickly… you’ll catch a cold…”
Under the girl’s gaze, which seemed both amused and skeptical, her voice grew smaller and smaller, the last few words almost swallowed in her throat.
“What did sister just say?”
Bai Xue cupped a hand to her ear, pretending to listen intently.
“Little sister can’t hear~ Why don’t you say it again?”
“Hmph!”
Xu Mengyao stomped her foot.
“I didn’t say anything just now!”
She rushed into the bathroom as if fleeing, clicking the door shut behind her.
Even through the door panel, the sound of her fumbling to turn on the faucet could be heard.
Bai Xue stared at the door for a while.
Then she let out a pfft laugh.
She rubbed the corners of her eyes, where tears of amusement had welled up, and plopped down on the edge of the bed.
Creak—
The mattress made a soft sound.
The girl lay back, her wet hair blooming a small damp patch on the bedsheet. She stared at the ceiling, listening to the faint sound of running water from the bathroom. The tension she’d been holding finally began to slowly ease.
Seems… not bad?
She thought to herself.
This mission, seems like it’s not such a loss.
“System.”
She spoke to the air.
[Here.]
[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission: Prevent Xu Mengyao’s Suicide.]
[Reward: One hundred thousand yuan, issued.]
A flash of light, and a bank card materialized out of thin air, landing gently beside her hand.
[Friendly Reminder: Any rewards issued by the System will be recognized in a reasonable form. Host may use them without fear of suspicion.]
Bai Xue picked up the card, examining it under the light. An ordinary bank card, no different from any issued by a regular bank on the street.
“That’s fine then~”
She flicked the card surface with her finger.
Ting—
A crisp sound echoed in the room.
The girl narrowed her eyes contentedly, the corners of her mouth lifting.
“This is the sound of money, huh~ Truly delicious~”
She pressed the card against her cheek, rubbing it gently, and let out a satisfied sigh.
“Please, by all means, let money crush me to death, let me drown in this scent of copper!”
[Friendly Reminder: Host’s current transformation energy is nearly depleted. Please plan your time reasonably. The System will use reasonable and untraceable methods to explain the host’s teleportation in the eyes of others.]
[Please note, ‘others’ does not include the female lead.]
“Huh?”
Bai Xue froze, her cheek-rubbing motion stopping.
She calculated carefully—from jumping into the river until now, it must have been at least an hour and a half. And she had used the more energy-consuming Second Form when rescuing Xu Mengyao…
Logically, it really should be used up.
She slowly sat up, turning her head to glance in the direction of the bathroom.
The door was tightly shut, the sound of rushing water coming from within. Through the frosted glass, a vague silhouette could be seen moving in the mist.
What a pity.
Bai Xue stared at that silhouette for a moment, letting out a soft sigh.
Xu Mengyao’s figure… looks really good…
If I could hold her to sleep, the feel would definitely be amazing.
Too bad there’s no chance today.
She felt a bit of regret.
If only I had gone into the bathroom with her earlier!
Going now…
Would be too deliberate.
Forget it, forget it, I’ll try again tomorrow~
She jumped down from the bed edge, her bare feet hitting the floor, a chill shooting up from her soles.
“Shiver—”
The girl shuddered, then scampered over to the desk, snatched up a pen and a sticky note, and scribble-scribble-scribble wrote a few lines.
After writing, she folded the note neatly, placed it gently on the bedside table, and pressed down the corners with her hand to make sure it wouldn’t blow away.
Then she straightened up, taking one last look at the bathroom door, from which the sound of water still came.
“System.”
[Here.]
“Let’s go.”
[Teleportation confirmed.]
A pearly white glow began to emanate from her body, gradually growing brighter.
The girl’s figure grew fainter and more transparent within the light.
Just one second before she was about to vanish completely, she seemed to remember something. She turned her head towards the bathroom and whispered softly:
“See you tomorrow~”
Her voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the water.
The next second, the light suddenly bloomed, then just as suddenly contracted.
The room was empty, save for a faint, lingering fragrance and the continuous, trickling sound of water from the bathroom.