Tap, tap, tap.
The girl’s footsteps drew closer, carrying a steady rhythm—calm and elegant, just like their owner.
“I’m coming in.”
With that, Bai Xia pushed open the door.
Bai Xiaoya sat on the small sofa, arms crossed, the White Rabbit perched on her arm, watching with imposing momentum.
After a week of ‘student life,’ the two girls from different grades looked a little different in spirit.
As a JK, Bai Xia kept a regular schedule every day. Her tall and slender figure was even more graceful, with smooth, long black hair and delicate features that gave her an air of cool detachment.
As for Bai Xiaoya, the lazy college girl, though some things unrelated to study had happened…she seemed more radiant than ever.
“Bai Xia,”
The busty girl pointed at the chair.
“Sit down!”
Bai Xia walked over and sat.
This decisive attitude made Bai Xiaoya freeze.
Wait, wasn’t my commanding tone supposed to make her feel guilty? Why doesn’t she seem afraid at all?
Bai Xia wasn’t afraid.
Strangely, Bai Xiaoya felt a little nervous herself.
But thinking carefully, she was the one with the upper hand—and besides—
[Reward Settlement completed. Primary Prize Pool draw finished. Congratulations, host. Reward obtained: Yuzu (Edible Grade). From now on, the host will no longer be affected by Fungal Infection, and will never have dead skin, athlete’s foot, or other unpleasant things. You will always smell fresh and fragrant.]
A reward from the task done with Su Qingyu Pure White in the bathhouse on Wednesday night.
It didn’t seem very useful—well, maybe it really wasn’t.
But having an extra reward meant more confidence!
“If you’re sitting, sit properly! Don’t slouch—straighten your posture!”
Bai Xia glanced at her sitting position.
Nothing seemed wrong.
She always sat like this in class.
But seeing Bai Xiaoya’s fierce little expression, she complied, placing her hands on her knees and sitting a bit straighter.
“Good. Next, I have some questions. You must answer honestly,”
Bai Xiaoya said.
“Why did you say the Pocket Watch wasn’t with you? Why did you hide the truth?”
Why did you lie!
“The Pocket Watch is a secret. In Baiyuan City, countless people with ill intentions want to know about it.”
Bai Xia replied calmly.
“Not telling you the truth was also a way to protect you.”
Bai Xiaoya blinked.
That…actually made some sense.
“Wait, there’s something else. On our day off, you clearly showed it to me and even let me play with it,”
She recalled the key point.
“Did you use the Pocket Watch’s power on me then?”
Bai Xia remained calm and asked in return,
“Did I control you at that time?”
It didn’t seem like it, but…
Bai Xiaoya pressed her legs together, her face turning a little red.
“That day, I did…um…weird stuff in the room alone. That had to be your control!”
The busty girl thought, No wonder—at that time, I clearly wanted to play games, but the angel who supported ‘first charge’ suddenly became super strong and overwhelmed all the other opinions.
That’s right.
I’m not that perverted. It’s all Bai Xia’s fault.
“But you did that by yourself before—several times in a row,”
Bai Xia stood up, poured a glass of warm water, and took a sip.
“And back then, you hadn’t even touched the Pocket Watch yet.”
Bai Xiaoya had wanted to scold her for not sitting properly, but at those words, her mouth just stammered.
“I-I mean, at that time, it was a special situation…”
Then came a string of professional terms—something about ‘self-holiday,’ ’emergency measures,’ ‘compensation effect,’ ‘Joy Valley effect,’ and so on.
Bai Xia watched her struggle and handed over the water.
Bai Xiaoya quickly took it and drank in big gulps.
“Ah…feels good…wait, is this the cup you just drank from?”
Bai Xia tugged at the corner of her mouth.
“After everything we’ve done, are you really worried about indirect kissing?”
…That did make sense.
“I-I was just saying,”
Bai Xiaoya mumbled quietly.
“It’s unsanitary, you know.”
Bai Xia thought, Fine, next time I’ll just kiss you directly.
After finishing the warm water, Bai Xiaoya collected herself.
“Alright. What’s done is done—let’s not talk about what happened during the May holiday.”
The first ‘charge’ of her life, doing too much by accident and even getting caught—such things hurt her dignity, so Xiaoya decided to skip over it.
“But about my birth parents and the case involving Baibai Trading, you should at least tell me that much.”
She said.
Tomorrow, they would go on an adventure.
Bai Xia and Su Qingyu seemed to know everything, while she was completely in the dark.
Bai Xia took the cup from her hand and set it aside, then sat back down.
“I don’t know much, either. In general, they were caught up in the Pocket Watch Event during a foreign trade deal and lost everything. The details are vague, except that someone manipulated things behind the scenes. However…”
The girl suddenly changed the topic.
“Are you free on Sunday?”
Bai Xiaoya blinked.
“Yeah, but why are you asking?”
“If you want to know more, come with me on Sunday,”
Bai Xia said softly.
“Underground Street. Old House. The place where they and I last lived.”
***
Bai Xiaoya naturally agreed to the Sunday invitation.
Her birth parents’ old home—she should at least pay her respects.
But today was Saturday.
Today’s plan was to go to Xinglong International with Su Qingyu and the three of them to investigate.
The meeting place was the Bus Stop across from Xinglong International.
Bai Xiaoya and Bai Xia arrived early, and after waiting a short while, a clear, melodious voice like a nightingale sounded behind them.
“Ah Ya, good morning~”
Su Qingyu waved her hand from not far away.
Today, she wore a coffee-colored dress.
Her blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she wore transparent strappy sandals that showed her crystal-clear toes.
She looked like a sweet girl-next-door, attracting glances from passersby.
Su Qingyu came over and wrapped her arm around Bai Xiaoya, giving Bai Xia a challenging look—especially noticing how Bai Xia hadn’t dressed up at all and wore her usual JK sailor uniform, looking very ordinary.
Wait—how is this girl still so elegant even like this?
Especially those calm eyes—damn it…
Su Qingyu didn’t feel like she lost in today’s outfit, but she didn’t win, either.
Being tall really is amazing.
As for Bai Xiaoya, she hadn’t dressed up much, but was still different from usual.
For convenience in outdoor activities, she wore a loose white T-shirt with a wide neckline that hung off one shoulder—a ‘slanted collar’ style.
Her shorts and white sneakers with ankle socks showed off both her legs, which Su Qingyu couldn’t move.
Even though it was a simple outfit, all the passersby’s gazes followed her.
The end of May in Baiyuan City, weekend streets—the air was as bright with youth as the sun itself.
“We should go in.”
Bai Xia reminded quietly.
She wasn’t being stingy—or at least, not entirely.
It was just…going inside the building to enjoy the air conditioning was much better than standing outside in the sun.