Chapter 18: But I Clearly Love Sweets

The morning sunlight carried just the right warmth, filtering through sparse clouds to shine upon the city streets that had just awakened.

On this weekend morning, the commercial street was gradually coming to life, the air filled with the sweet aroma of the bakery, the rich scent of coffee, and the bustling chatter of passersby.

Mu Xi lowered the brim of her black baseball cap, hands tucked deep into the spacious pockets of her hoodie, silently walking along the inner side of the sidewalk like a moving shadow, trying hard to isolate herself from this vibrant world.

“Wow! It smells so good! It’s freshly baked bread!”

In stark contrast, Mu Ming walked on her outer side.

Wearing the borrowed white Academy Sailor Uniform, Mu Ming was like a bird released from its cage, filled with curiosity and excitement about everything.

Her ruby-red eyes shone brightly, her small nostrils twitching greedily as she captured the sweet fragrance in the air.

Drawn by an invisible thread, she trotted lightly toward the source of the richest scent—a warmly decorated European-style Bakery.

“Hey!”

Mu Xi instinctively reached out, trying to grab this runaway figure.

But her fingertips only brushed past Mu Ming’s fluttering white skirt, the smooth fabric slipping through her fingers like flowing water.

Mu Ming had already dashed like a gust of wind to the bakery’s huge floor-to-ceiling window, her entire face nearly pressed against the glass as she exclaimed dramatically, “Wow—! Look at this! This Strawberry Cream Bun looks so delicious! And that Chocolate Croissant! And the Sugar-glazed Donut!”

She pointed excitedly at the dazzling array of bread inside the display case, waving her hands about in delight, drawing the curious glances of several passersby.

Mu Xi frowned, quickening her pace to catch up, standing about a step behind her and lowering her voice to warn, “Keep it down! Don’t act like you’ve never seen the world before…”

“But it really looks so good!”

Mu Ming suddenly spun around, her face radiant with a pure smile, completely ignoring Mu Xi’s warning.

Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed Mu Xi’s right arm that was still tucked in her pocket, shaking it vigorously like a child pouting for candy.

“Buy it, buy it! I want that strawberry one!”

Mu Ming’s voice was sweet but carried an insistence that left no room for refusal, her body pressing closer with the shaking.

Through the thin fabric of the hoodie, Mu Xi could clearly feel the warmth and force of Mu Ming’s palm tugging at her.

It was a childish, brazen affection that made her entire body stiffen, yet she couldn’t pull away immediately—especially with curious eyes already upon them.

“…Alright, let go.”

Mu Xi squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, tinged with barely perceptible embarrassment.

Mu Ming finally released her grip, but didn’t step back; instead, she looped her arm around Mu Xi’s, half leaning against her like a small animal seeking comfort.

“Hehe, I knew I was the best!”

She lifted her face to flash Mu Xi a big, completely unguarded smile, her red eyes sparkling with pure joy.

Mu Xi’s body tensed even further.

The soft touch and warm temperature on her arm, mixed with the faint, dark magical aura emanating from Mu Ming, created an extremely strange sensory experience.

Almost reflexively, she was “dragged” into the bakery.

“Welcome!” the clerk greeted warmly.

Mu Ming immediately released Mu Xi’s arm and pounced toward the fragrant display cases as if discovering a new world.

Mu Xi exhaled quietly, subtly flexing her numb arm, her fingertips still tingling with that strange sensation.

She stood near the door, watching Mu Ming flit among the counters like a colorful butterfly, excitedly pointing at this and that, fully immersed in her own world.

“This! This! And that one too! Wrap them all up for me!”

Mu Ming’s voice rang clear and bright, tinged with the flashy bravado of a nouveau riche.

Mu Xi sighed helplessly and resignedly stepped forward to pay.

When the clerk handed over a paper bag filled with sweet, fragrant bread, Mu Ming’s smile was sweeter than the cream inside the display window.

“Thank you for your patronage!” the clerk said with a smile.

Mu Ming took the bag eagerly, immediately opening it and biting into the cream bun topped with bright red strawberries.

“Mm—!”

She closed her eyes in satisfaction, a blissful sigh escaping her lips, cream smudged at the corner of her mouth.

Mu Xi watched her expression deepen into a frown, instinctively reaching out to wipe the cream away.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch it, she suddenly froze, as if burned, swiftly pulling her hand back and slipping it back into her pocket.

Mu Ming seemed to notice the movement, opening one ruby eye to glance at her slyly before slowly and teasingly licking the cream from her lips with her soft pink tongue.

Mu Xi immediately averted her gaze, pulling her hat brim down even lower.

“Want some?”

Mu Ming stepped closer, holding the bitten Strawberry Cream Bun up to Mu Xi’s mouth, the rich sweet scent wafting over, “You have to try it! ‘I’ used to love sweets the most!”

The bite mark, with clear teeth impressions, was right in front of Mu Xi’s eyes.

“No thanks.”

Mu Xi rejected coldly, leaning back slightly to avoid the overly intimate gesture.

“Tch, no fun.”

Mu Ming pouted, pulling back the bread and biting into a big chunk herself, her cheeks puffed out like a gluttonous little hamster.

One arm cradled the paper bag while the other naturally curled around Mu Xi’s free left arm like a vine, holding tight.

“Let’s go, next stop!”

She mumbled indistinctly, dragging Mu Xi back into the flow of people on the street.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the street trees, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

Mu Ming was like a human GPS, pulled by every novel sight.

“Look! That shop has such pretty dresses!”

She pointed excitedly at a colorful girls’ fashion store across the street, her eyes shining.

Without a word, she tugged Mu Xi’s arm and crossed the road.

Mu Xi stumbled, almost bumping into a pedestrian, forced to follow helplessly, her arm aching from the tight grip.

“Welcome! What style are you lovely ladies looking for?”

A cheerful saleswoman greeted.

Mu Ming immediately released Mu Xi, darting into the racks like a mouse in a grain bin, excitedly weaving among the rows of dresses.

She picked up a pink princess dress trimmed with lace to hold in front of herself, then a punk-style black leather miniskirt, before finally fixing her gaze on a red off-shoulder dress adorned with fringe.

“This one! I want to try this!”

Mu Ming pointed firmly at the red dress, tone leaving no room for doubt.

The saleswoman smiled and took the dress down, leading her to the fitting room.

Mu Xi sighed in relief, finally freed momentarily from the “human accessory” shackles.

She rubbed her aching arm and sat down in a corner on a resting chair, wanting to become invisible.

But just minutes later, the fitting room curtain was abruptly pulled aside.

Mu Ming emerged.

The fiery red off-shoulder dress hugged her body curves perfectly—curves identical to Mu Xi’s—exposing smooth shoulders and delicate collarbones.

The fringe on the hem swayed gently as she moved, exuding a bold, passionate sensuality completely different from Mu Xi’s own temperament.

“How is it?”

Mu Ming twirled in front of Mu Xi, the dress swirling, her red eyes shining with anticipation and a hint of subtle provocation.

Mu Xi’s gaze involuntarily dropped to her figure.

The familiar yet strange silhouette outlined by the scarlet fabric, her pale skin dazzling under the lights.

An indescribable discomfort welled up inside her, as if looking at a distorted version of herself forcibly dressed in a flashy shell.

“…It doesn’t suit you.”

Mu Xi turned her eyes away, voice dry.

“What’s wrong with it?”

Mu Ming pouted unhappily, stepping closer and bending down so her face was almost against Mu Xi’s, “I think it looks great! See the color? It really brings out my eyes!”

She pointed to her bewitching red irises.

Mu Xi could clearly smell the faint scent of the new clothes mixed with Mu Ming’s usual shower gel fragrance, along with a faint, elusive dark aura that belonged solely to Mu Ming.

The close proximity made her catch her breath.

“It’s… too revealing.”

Mu Xi forced out an excuse, leaning back instinctively to create distance.

“Tch~”

Mu Ming stood up straight and snorted in displeasure but turned and went back to the fitting room anyway.

Mu Xi finally exhaled, thinking she had given up.

But when Mu Ming came out, she held the red dress in her hand and threw it to the saleswoman, “I’ll take this one! Wrap it up!”

Mu Xi: “…”

She looked at the four-digit balance left on her phone and fell into contemplation.

Outside the clothing store, Mu Ming happily carried the bag with the new red dress, once again curling her hand around Mu Xi’s arm like a vine settling back in place.

“I’m hungry, I’m hungry! Let’s go eat that!”

She pointed ahead to a dessert shop with a giant ice cream sign.

Mu Xi was half-dragged, half-pulled into the shop filled with sweet scents.

A blast of cold air mixed with rich dairy and fruity sweetness greeted them.

Mu Ming leaned on the freezer, her eyes sparkling like stars as she gazed at the colorful ice cream scoops inside.

“This one! This one! And that one too! All of them!”

She pointed at the Strawberry, Chocolate, and Matcha flavors.

The clerk quickly made a tall sundae drizzled with chocolate syrup and colorful sprinkles and handed it over.

Mu Ming cheered as she took the sundae and found a double booth by the window.

She patted the seat beside her, “Sit!”

Mu Xi hesitated but finally sat down opposite her.

Mu Ming wrinkled her nose in mild displeasure but didn’t argue further, grabbing a long spoon and eagerly scooping a big bite of strawberry and cream ice cream into her mouth.

“Mm—! So cold and sweet!”

She squinted her eyes in bliss, nodding contentedly.

A bit of pink ice cream stuck to her small nose, making her look adorably childish with her expression of enjoyment.

Mu Xi watched this scene with a complex gaze.

She silently ordered an American Iced Coffee for herself; the bitter drink slid down her throat, trying to dispel the pervasive sweetness in the air.

Mu Ming ate quickly; in no time, half the sundae was gone.

Suddenly, she paused, scooped up a big spoonful mixed with strawberry sauce and cream, and held it out across the table toward Mu Xi.

“Here, try some! It’s super tasty!”

Her red eyes gleamed with genuine eagerness to share, the spoon tip nearly touching Mu Xi’s lips.

The spoon still bore traces of what she’d just eaten.

Mu Xi stared at the overly sweet ice cream and then at Mu Ming’s lips, stained with ice cream and unusually rosy, an extremely strange feeling rising again.

“I said no.”

She turned her head away again and took a large sip of her American Iced Coffee.

“I remember you used to love sweets the most.”

“Not anymore.”

“Tch, no luck for you!”

Mu Ming withdrew the spoon sulkily, stuffing the large bite into her mouth herself, cheeks puffed out as if venting frustration.

Finished with the sundae, Mu Ming licked her lips contentedly like a satisfied cat.

She stood up, reaching out to take Mu Xi’s hand again.

This time Mu Xi was quick, putting both hands back into her pockets before Mu Ming’s hand could reach her.

Mu Ming grabbed air, snorted in dissatisfaction, but didn’t insist, bouncing ahead.

The sunlight gradually grew a little harsh.

Passing by a movie theater, a giant poster of a new release caught Mu Ming’s attention.

“Let’s watch a movie! Come on!”

She pointed excitedly at the cool Mecha War scene on the poster.

Mu Xi just wanted this torturous “shopping” trip to end; at least watching a movie meant sitting quietly for two hours, so she agreed without hesitation.

They bought tickets and entered the dim screening room.

Mu Ming chose the corner seat in the last row.

The massive screen lit up, thunderous sound effects reverberating through the space.

Mu Xi leaned back in her chair, the nerves she’d held tight all morning finally loosening slightly.

But this calm didn’t last long.

She felt the seat beside her gently sink, warm breath approaching.

Mu Ming had somehow moved from her own seat to the empty one next to Mu Xi.

What the heck—she had specifically bought separate seats.

The distance between them instantly shrank to almost touching.

Mu Xi’s body stiffened, instinctively trying to scoot away.

But Mu Ming was faster.

In the darkness, her head lightly, tentatively, rested on Mu Xi’s shoulder.

A few strands of silver-white hair brushed Mu Xi’s neck, causing a faint tickle.

Mu Xi’s entire body froze like a stone.

She could clearly feel the weight of Mu Ming’s head, the warmth and subtle rise and fall of her breath through the thin fabric.

“Hey…”

Mu Xi lowered her voice, warning.

“Shh—watching the movie.”

Mu Ming’s voice was lazy and nasal, as if saying something perfectly natural.

She even adjusted her position to get more comfortable, rubbing her cheek against Mu Xi’s shoulder like a cat finding a cozy nook.

Mu Xi’s fingers clenched and unclenched in her pocket.

The screen flickered with shifting light and shadow as an intense battle played out.

But Mu Xi’s senses seemed entirely focused on the heavy, warm, and dependent weight on her left shoulder.

It was a sensation both extremely strange and oddly familiar.

She rigidly maintained her posture, afraid to move.

In the darkness, Mu Ming’s lips curled into a quiet, satisfied smile.

She could even sense that beneath this tense body, beneath the cold, hard exterior, something was subtly, imperceptibly loosening… in this intimate embrace.