So, what did Lin Xue’er plan to have her do today?
Xia Mengxi, holding a comic book, kept flipping through the pages absentmindedly, her restless mood preventing her from absorbing any of the content.
Her reaction wasn’t because Lin Xue’er’s recent requests had been excessive on the contrary, they had all been quite ordinary daily activities.
The reason she was so concerned was that today, just like the first time she left the metal cell, marked a turning point in how the two interacted.
She was worried Lin Xue’er might escalate her demands to another level.
Sure enough, after their bath, Lin Xue’er made a request that shocked her.
“T-together?! Sleep together?!”
“That’s right. What you’ll do today, Xiaoxi, is sleep with me.”
Although there was only one bed in this room, there was another bed in the ‘other room.’
Sleeping together wasn’t really necessary.
Something was off. Absolutely off!
Despite her unease, Xia Mengxi maintained her ‘good girl’ facade and smiled back at Lin Xue’er.
“I understand, but Xue’er… isn’t this bed too narrow for two people? Won’t it be cramped?”
“It’s fine. It won’t be cramped.”
With that, Lin Xue’er led Xia Mengxi to the bed and pointed to the side against the wall.
“Xiaoxi, lie down on your side first, facing outward.”
“Okay…”
Xia Mengxi nodded reluctantly and followed Lin Xue’er’s instructions, lying on her side.
As soon as she settled, she saw Lin Xue’er walk over to the light switch.
With a click, Xia Mengxi’s vision plunged into darkness.
Moments later, she sensed a second presence on the bed as a familiar fragrance filled her nostrils.
At the same time, a warm breath brushed against her face, and she felt a soft body approaching.
Instinctively, she tried to retreat, but the cold wall behind her left no room to escape.
Finally, that body made contact with her the same spot as before. In that instant, the same electric jolt she dreaded during baths surged through her again, freezing her in place.
Just then, a hand slipped through the gap at her exposed neck, wrapping around her back in a gentle caress, while another hand settled around her waist.
“Don’t be scared, Xiaoxi. It’s me. If we hug like this, it won’t be cramped.”
Oh, so that’s why she said it wouldn’t be cramped-she was supposed to be a body pillow!
At first, Xia Mengxi was genuinely startled by Lin Xue’er’s embrace.
But the soothing strokes and the comforting scent gradually eased her tension.
“Goodnight, Xiaoxi.”
“Goodnight…”
Goodnight, my foot! How am I supposed to sleep like this?!
Snapping back to reality, Xia Mengxi realized she was sharing a bed with another girl.
Her face burned, and her entire body stiffened with discomfort.
Even though she was now a girl herself, her heart remained that of a boy’s.
Being this intimate with a girl—and for an entire night-how could she not be bothered?!
Could this… be Lin Xue’er’s scheme? She’s so mean!
Holding each other while sleeping-could it really be that Lin Xue’er did this on purpose?
Xia Mengxi didn’t know the answer, but she was certain in her heart that this was definitely not some scheme of Lin Xue’er’s.
The reason she even entertained such thoughts was purely because the current situation made her heart race, leading to wild imaginings.
As for how she managed to fall asleep under such circumstances, she couldn’t recall.
* * * * * *
In any case, after that, being held while sleeping became as routine as taking a bath, and before she knew it, it was no longer something she had to request.
And so, after Lin Xue’er’s “reward” about a week ago, Xia Mengxi no longer had to be confined in the metal cell. Instead, she now shared a room with Lin Xue’er-the same room where the entrance to the metal cell was located.
This was still a form of imprisonment, but compared to the previous situation, it was a significant improvement.
Yet, that was as far as it went.
Because the current circumstances showed no signs of progressing further, Xia Mengxi-who had initially been delighted at achieving the first three steps of her plan-now felt somewhat lost.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to change the situation, but rather that there was nothing she could do.
Apart from outright refusing to take her out of the underground prison, Lin Xue’er granted nearly every other request.
As a result, over the course of this week living together, Xia Mengxi had gradually grown accustomed to their dynamic and even began accepting Lin Xue’er’s attentive care.
This much was evident in the way the two interacted.
“I’m back, Xiaoxi.”
“Welcome back!”
Every day at this time, Lin Xue’er would go out to buy things-sometimes ingredients, sometimes daily necessities—so the items varied.
Because of this, Xia Mengxi had developed a habit of greeting her.
“Xue’er, what did you buy today?”
“Today it’s ingredients.”
“That much?”
Seeing Lin Xue’er dragging a fully loaded portable shopping cart packed with groceries, Xia Mengxi couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
There was no refrigerator here to preserve food, so wouldn’t buying so much risk spoilage?
Lin Xue’er, who had set the cart aside, noticed her confusion and smiled as she explained, “I’m planning to make hot pot today, so I bought a bit more.”
“H-hot pot?!”
Hearing this, Xia Mengxi’s eyes widened in shock, her face betraying disbelief.
It wasn’t that Lin Xue’er’s cooking was bad-on the contrary, her taste buds had been thoroughly conquered.
The reason for her excitement was that eating hot pot gave her the illusion that she wasn’t actually imprisoned.
“That’s right, hot pot. But today, I might need your help, Xiaoxi. I can’t manage it alone.”
Hearing Lin Xue’er ask for her assistance for the first time, a small weight lifted from Xia Mengxi’s heart.
At the same time, she responded enthusiastically.
“Sure! No problem!”
Then, under Lin Xue’er’s lead, Xia Mengxi made her way through the labyrinthine underground prison until they arrived at a place that was unmistakably a cafeteria.
Nearly everything here was covered in a thick layer of dust-except for the kitchen, which was spotless.
The state of the kitchen didn’t surprise Xia Mengxi.
What truly amazed her was that all the equipment was still fully functional.
Even though Lin Xue’er had been using this kitchen for nearly a month, the people working right above this underground prison-the school staff-hadn’t noticed anything at all.
Could it be that the people in this school didn’t even know this place existed?
“Xia Mengxi, help me wash these vegetables. I’ll handle the seafood first.”
“Okay~”
Having played the role of a ‘good girl’ for some time now, Xia Mengxi had grown accustomed to this false persona.
She’d even become so practiced that her speech carried a hint of coquettishness.
Xia Mengxi wasn’t consciously aware of this change, because speaking in such a manner always made Lin Xue’er smile.
She considered it an effective way to increase her favorability.