Bai Xiaoya swallowed, trying hard to finish her sentence.
“How did you get in?”
Because she had just been weak a moment ago, her voice was even softer than usual, like a kitten’s paw pressing down.
Bai Xia turned around, moved the things at the door inside, and started rummaging through the backpack for something.
Bai Xiaoya poked her small head out from under the blanket, looking curiously.
“What are you looking for?”
A few seconds later, the black-haired, straight-haired girl took out a strange square metal object and pressed it tightly against the doorknob.
With a clattering sound, the door lock was firmly sealed—even a key couldn’t open it now.
Watching her actions, Bai Xiaoya felt uneasy inside.
“What did you do? Why did you bring these things over? Why did you come at this time?”
Don’t people take afternoon naps?
But from the moment she entered until now, Bai Xia hadn’t said a single word, naturally not answering any of the questions.
After installing the External Door Lock, she lifted the Camera Tripod and set it up in the best spot for a clear view, placing the Digital Camera on top and skillfully pressing the switch to enter shooting mode.
Once she finished, she slung the backpack over her shoulder and walked towards Bai Xiaoya.
Tap tap, tap tap, tap tap.
Bai Xiaoya was still in a weak state, the moment when she felt the least safe.
Watching the black-haired, straight-haired girl approach step by step, her small heart thudded wildly.
“What… what do you want?”
Bai Xia stopped at the bedside and spoke her first word since entering the room.
“You!”
Bai Xiaoya froze.
She watched as Bai Xia placed the backpack on the bed and took out various items.
When she saw the pink rope, she suddenly understood what that “you” from earlier meant.
Do… do?
The white-haired, well-endowed girl looked at the black-haired girl innocently, blinking her eyes.
“But, why?”
At this moment, Bai Xia was holding the Signal Blocker in her hand, adjusting its output.
After placing it on the nightstand, she slowly returned to stand in front of Bai Xiaoya, looking at her calmly and coldly.
“Then what about you? Why did you go through so much trouble just to cause me problems?”
Bai Xiaoya instinctively touched the front of her collar—
But pajamas had no collar, no buttons, only a soft, fragrant valley.
“We already talked about this during dinner. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
And didn’t you agree too?
Bai Xia raised an eyebrow.
“I’m talking about before that.”
Before that?
Bai Xiaoya’s body was weak, but her mind was clear, and she instantly recalled the conversation at the tea table.
“I—I was just joking with you at the time,” she said quietly. “Kids say things without thinking.”
“Is that so,” Bai Xia’s gaze lowered.
“But I think you’re not that young anymore.”
“……”
Bai Xiaoya suddenly realized something, quickly grabbing the blanket in an attempt to protect herself.
But it was too fragile.
Bai Xia grabbed one corner of the blanket with one hand and yanked hard—
Crash!
The blanket was lost.
Bai Xiaoya’s current appearance wasn’t great.
Or rather, from another perspective, it was too good.
She had just finished her own happy time and only had time to put her panties back on.
Her loose pajamas were draped messily over her body, revealing large areas of white skin.
The air was filled with a sweet fragrance, a blend of milk and strawberries, a scent no fruit tea shop on the street could ever match.
Bai Xia hadn’t intended to enjoy it, but the sweet air rushed at her, making it impossible to avoid.
Anyone would take a few deep breaths unconsciously.
A positive emotion, like wild grass, spread wildly.
“Calm down. Doing this is… it’s inhuman!”
Bai Xiaoya trembled.
“You can’t do this!”
Hearing this, Bai Xia laughed.
“There’s no such thing as ‘heaven’s law’ in this world, dear… and no one can stop me from doing this.”
It was her first time calling someone “dear,” and it didn’t come out smoothly.
As for why she said it, the girl’s mood was oddly excited.
She thought she wouldn’t know what to do, but when it came time to act, everything felt natural.
“I think you never understood one thing. Testing the limits is meaningless,” Bai Xia whispered.
“When you wander on the edge of danger and feel lucky to escape unharmed, you don’t realize that fate is always waiting for payback.”
What she meant was, your actions of provoking me have long been recorded by some mysterious existence, and it had to be settled—no matter how you tried, you couldn’t avoid it.
Obviously, Bai Xiaoya didn’t understand at all, but it didn’t matter anymore.
Bai Xia placed her slender hand down, as if pressing on a sacred book.
Bai Xiaoya struggled symbolically a few times, but she was too weak.
She could only hope her words could awaken some conscience.
“Listen to me. We really don’t have to do this. There’s a saying—every encounter is fate. We should have been… eeek?!”
Mmph.
Defeated.
***
Bai Family Factory.
Mr. Bai and Madam Bai had just finished a management meeting and, taking advantage of a break, called their daughter.
But no one answered.
“Xiaoya’s phone isn’t working. She’s probably playing games again,” Madam Bai sighed.
“I wonder how Xia is doing. Has Xiaoya been taking care of her?”
Mr. Bai, however, was optimistic.
“Don’t worry. I heard Xiaoya and Xia have been talking a lot lately and getting along well. Maybe Xiaoya even brought Xia to play games with her.”
Madam Bai thought this made sense.
She’d heard from friends that games were more fun with more people.
“If Xiaoya and Xia can get along, my wish is fulfilled.”
A few days ago, the reason Madam Bai made up a story and tweaked Xia’s background was to prevent the two of them from fighting to the death…
Well, it wasn’t about flesh and blood, but that was the idea.
Looking at it now, it seemed to be working.
So everything was fine.
“Let’s focus and finish the meeting early,” Mr. Bai said.
“Then we can go home in time for dinner.”
“Mm.”
***
What is the meaning of life?
Funny, because Bai Xiaoya remembered she’d thought about this question ten minutes ago, and even after two tries, she still hadn’t figured it out.
But such philosophical questions didn’t matter now.
Other, more real questions were spinning in her dizzy head.
Bai Xiaoya remembered a few days ago—her past self in a car accident, signing The Contract with a mysterious existence because she didn’t want to die.
A contract is a contract.
She had read it many times, carefully.
Back then, she thought she fully understood, and she knew being the Villainess was a dangerous identity.
Bai Xiaoya had thought she might face danger, maybe get scolded, maybe worse—maybe even lose her life.
But no matter what, she never expected that in the three characters for “dangerous”—she only avoided the word “danger.”
Why did it turn out like this?
“Huff… huff…”
That wasn’t Xiaoya’s voice.
She didn’t have the strength to make a sound anymore.
This was Bai Xia, sitting by the bed, breathing heavily.
It wasn’t that she was tired—after all, it took five minutes just to walk in—but her emotions were running too high to control.
But the serious part was… she couldn’t suppress it!
Bai Xia hesitated for a moment, then turned her back to Bai Xiaoya, took out a pocket watch, and pressed the reset button on the top twice.
The dial no longer connected to the white-haired, well-endowed girl lying on the bed, but instead displayed her own current state.
She looked down at it, and her eyelids twitched.
A pink-and-white color spread over half the dial, expanding further.