Jiang Ling felt like a helpless fish flailing on a chopping board, completely at someone else’s mercy. Her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt tightened involuntarily.
“Wuwuwu, please stop this pointless humiliation play already!”
She whimpered softly, clearly forgetting how much fun she had just been having playing the real-life Miracle Nikki.
“All right, look over here.”
Jiang Ling followed the voice to Lin Xiaoyu, who had just spoken.
“Click.”
She didn’t even turn off the flash, dazzling Jiang Ling with a burst of light that left her speechless and flustered. She lifted her foot and chased after her. “Didn’t I tell you to stop taking any photos or videos of me?”
“Sorry, but I’m not going to change.”
Lin Xiaoyu nimbly dodged, apologizing with perfect sincerity.
“If you’re really sorry, then change it right now!”
……
When it came time to pay, Jiang Ling finally remembered why she had come to the swimwear shop in the first place. Before anyone else could say a word, she pulled out her payment code first. “Scan this.”
“All right, thank you for your patronage. Please come again.”
“Huh?”
Bai Xue looked at her swift action in surprise but didn’t say anything immediately. It wasn’t until they stepped outside that her voice grew hesitant. “Where did you get the money?”
She usually spent all her time either in class or practicing, with no time to do anything else, let alone work part-time.
Mo Ran immediately caught on to this too, her brows furrowed slightly. “You really have been attending classes properly, right?”
Lin Xiaoyu made a thoughtful hum.
“Looks like my roommate’s reached that classic manga trope: the poor, weak female lead unexpectedly meets her true soulmate, and half-heartedly becomes her exclusive plushie, spending every day in happiness, their lives blending like water and milk…”
“What kind of weird manga are you reading?!”
Jiang Ling really wanted to open her roommate’s phone to see what kind of nonsense she had stored in there. Under everyone’s intense gaze, she whispered the truth, “Nan Nan gave it to me.”
She retold what had happened earlier, explaining repeatedly, “I’ve been attending class properly and practicing seriously. I haven’t skipped class to work, and I’m definitely not anyone’s plushie!!!”
Jiang Ling babbled on, practically wearing a sign on her face saying, “I’m a good girl.”
After hearing her explanation, everyone suddenly understood. Bai Xue smiled and rubbed Jiang Ling’s face. “Nan Nan’s still as awkward as ever. She could have said it properly.”
“But she means no harm, she’s just not good at socializing,” Mo Ran added, and Jiang Ling nodded in empathy.
Hearing this, Lin Xiaoyu suddenly understood. “So you’ve been acting as Nan Nan’s plushie…”
Jiang Ling immediately covered her mouth with her hand.
“We’re just pure teammates!!!”
After buying the swimwear, the sky had unknowingly darkened. Not far away, like spilled dye on a canvas, a vast stretch of brilliant sunset spread across the horizon. Nearby, a pale and faint moon hung in the sky.
Jiang Ling couldn’t help but stare for a while, clutching the bag with the swimwear tighter.
The vivid reality made her feel alive and grateful once again.
The next day.
From the moment she woke up, Jiang Ling’s eyes were bright with excitement. She ran around like a child from one room to another, checking on her teammates’ preparations.
“How many times have you been here now?”
Mo Ran looked amused as she watched Jiang Ling pressing her face against the doorframe, sorting things out without pause.
Just by looking, Jiang Ling spotted about four or five bottles and jars, each seemingly with a different purpose.
With her limited knowledge, Jiang Ling only recognized sunscreen. For the rest, she simply didn’t know, so she headed off to Bai Xue’s room to play.
“Come here.”
Bai Xue rarely saw Jiang Ling this lively, so she beckoned to her, holding something in her hand.
Curious, Jiang Ling approached—and in the blink of an eye, Bai Xue pulled her into an embrace, a pleasant fragrance wafting over her. Only then did Jiang Ling see Bai Xue was holding an opened bottle of essential oil, the label painted with a lifelike rose.
“You know what this is, right?”
Bai Xue dipped her finger in the bottle and rubbed some on the back of Jiang Ling’s hand. Instantly, a cool and smooth sensation spread over her skin. Jiang Ling shivered and smiled. “Itchy… rose essential oil?”
“Very smart. Reward: you get to help sister apply it later.”
After saying this, Bai Xue loosened her arms to close the bottle.
“Bang!”
Jiang Ling immediately sprang up and dashed outside, turning around sharply to close the door with a swift motion, a suspicious blush coloring her face.
Me, me, me applying essential oil?
Images she couldn’t quite approve of floated through her mind, and she staggered back to her room, dizzy—
Only to walk in on Lin Xiaoyu halfway undressed.
She stretched out her arms, causing her sleepwear to ride up high, exposing a flat stomach and then a striking black lace trim…
“Why don’t you lock the door when you change?!”
Jiang Ling quickly turned around, flustered.
“This is my room.”
Lin Xiaoyu said matter-of-factly, continuing to change clothes without stopping.
Jiang Ling could even hear the sound of fabric brushing against skin. The suppressed images sprang back to life in her mind, shouting wildly.
“Wake up, brain!”
She slapped herself on the head and hurriedly glanced at her phone.
After all the commotion, it was almost time to leave. Just then, Fang Wanan sent a message.
[I’m outside waiting for you all. Come out when you’re ready.]
Once outside, Jiang Ling immediately spotted Fang Wanan fiddling with her phone. She pointed to the car behind her. “Let’s go. I brought someone along; he’s driving us.”
The driver was the Fang family’s butler, someone Jiang Ling was fairly familiar with. She leisurely buckled her seatbelt and stared out the window, watching the scenery recede.
Before long, they arrived at their destination.
Since Fang Wanan brought the butler, none of the physical labor was theirs to do. They headed straight to the locker room to change into their swimsuits.
“The weather’s pretty good~”
Mo Ran stretched lazily as she walked ahead, pointing at the nearby beach chairs. “Let’s go put on sunscreen first. Getting sunburned is really uncomfortable.”
No one objected.
Jiang Ling quickly smeared a generous layer of sunscreen on her arms, evenly spreading it out. The cool sensation immediately spread over her body.
After finishing quickly, she couldn’t wait to rush toward the sea but found her wrist tightly grasped.
Turning around, she met Bai Xue’s half-smiling, half-serious eyes. “Help me apply it.”
“Huh? It’s just sunscreen. You should be able to do it yourself…”
“If you don’t help, I’ll put you on the shelf.”
“Please, don’t say such terrifying things so casually!”
Jiang Ling bit her lip and stepped closer to Bai Xue.
Seeing this, Bai Xue turned and lay down on the beach chair, lifting her thick wavy hair to expose her bare shoulder. The large exposed area on the back of her swimsuit revealed her beautiful shoulder blades, rising and falling softly. Her expression was lazy as she stretched out her hand, offering Jiang Ling the sunscreen, her voice laced with a hint of allure.
“Make sure to apply it carefully, covering every corner~”