Dreamland is always peaceful and tranquil as Lin Xiaojue says goodnight to the stars and the moon.
However, through the haze, a trace of chaos and disjointed memories try to break through the bizarre dreamscape, pulling her into a drunken abyss.
‘Who?’
Lin Xiaojue unconsciously reached down, touching something smooth and soft. It felt like the fur of a domestic dog, making her want to stroke it more.
It was so warm, so warm — like afternoon sunlight dissolved in black tea, or the relief of rushing into a bathroom after taking a sip.
‘The relief of rushing into a bathroom?’
Lin Xiaojue opened her eyes and realized that Qingtian, who had been in her arms, was already gone. The duvet was puffed up, and something terrifying was writhing inside.
She pulled back the covers, and their eyes met. The air was dead silent. The bed was damp and cool. Emerald eyes reflected the surprise on the girl’s exquisite face.
The girl in those eyes looked down.
“Su Yaqing?”
She whispered the name softly, her tone devoid of any emotion. Although her voice was still pleasant to hear, it made Su Yaqing instinctively lower her head.
Su Yaqing cast her eyes down, constantly avoiding the other’s gaze. As if escaping, she crawled out from under the covers with practiced ease and moved to Lin Xiaojue’s side.
She pulled the blanket over herself as if nothing had happened, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to what had just occurred.
“What were you just doing?”
Su Yaqing, pretending nothing was wrong, stiffened. The gaze she was avoiding focused on her again, as piercing as a spotlight but far hotter, nearly melting her.
“Ahahaha…”
Unable to respond, she could only grin back with a shy smile. Su Yaqing believed she was still quite beautiful; surely she would be forgiven for doing something like this.
Probably.
*Slap!*
A crisp sound rang out. The girl before her bit her lip, her eyes glistening as tears flickered in them. Her mouth twitched as if she had a thousand words to say, but they eventually merged into a single sentence.
“You’re disgusting.”
Grievance, dissatisfaction, and resentment — her frowning face and those words stabbed into Su Yaqing’s mind, throwing her entire being into turmoil. The established facts pinned her excuses firmly to the stake.
Coming back to her senses, Lin Xiaojue had already stood up. She looked down from above, her eyes filled with countless layers of loathing and disdain.
Yet even at a time like this, Su Yaqing could not help but imagine the other girl lifting the corner of her skirt with that same look of disgust.
She really wanted to see it.
She swallowed hard, knowing she shouldn’t be thinking about such things. It was more important to find a way to stabilize the situation. Otherwise, her romance would end in less than twenty-four hours.
“Um, Xiaojue, listen to…”
“I’m not listening to your explanations.”
Su Yaqing opened her mouth, her gentle eyes momentarily going blank and hollow. She pursed her lips and tried to meet the other’s needle-like gaze.
Under the hazy moonlight, Lin Xiaojue was so beautiful. Her soft white hair fell to her waist, and below her slender waist… oh.
The culprit found a blind spot, which seemed like it could help her escape her current predicament.
The corners of her mouth curled up into a charming yet dangerous smile, so much so that Lin Xiaojue instinctively covered her shoulders in fear.
“Xiaojue, your…”
Su Yaqing pointed downward. Everything was too beautiful, mysterious, and wonderful for words to describe.
If only she hadn’t woken up.
In Su Yaqing’s imagination, Lin Xiaojue would have obediently covered herself up and then returned to the blankets under her whispers, accepting everything docilely — even more lovable than a pet.
But apparently, she didn’t.
Her eyes must have been playing tricks on her, or perhaps she was hallucinating.
A Magical Girl who had lost all her abilities actually transformed in front of her, wearing a Wedding Dress-like Magical Battle Suit.
Perhaps it was one of Lin Xiaojue’s little ideas. Su Yaqing had once chosen this Wedding Dress from the design sketches, but she had it made privately through someone else.
She hadn’t gone to Xia Yao, nor had she let anyone else know. She had planned to give Lin Xiaojue a surprise after the fourteenth mission.
It seemed she and Lin Xiaojue were truly of one mind.
She opened her arms without hesitation, and the stinging pain on her face eased considerably. The tacit understanding between lovers could always soothe wounds.
“I’m ready, Xiaojue.”
Su Yaqing closed her eyes in enjoyment.
“You’re ready? At least you’re sensible.”
After that final thought flashed through her mind, she lost consciousness. Lin Xiaojue fell into a deep sleep along with her.
***
An unknown amount of time passed as their consciousnesses sank into the pitch-black abyss, until —
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Gu Xue’s voice came from outside the door.
“Senior Xiaojue, it’s about time to wake up! Su Yaqing is gone, and you won’t get out of bed either. Aren’t you going to pick up Xia Yao?”
“Ah, honestly.”
Gu Xue pressed the door handle, thinking that if it wouldn’t open, she would go herself.
*Click.*
The door opened.