Chapter 52: Surrounded by Girls

“Gu Xue?” Lin Xiaojue’s footsteps halted, a look of confusion surfacing on her face.

‘Was it Gu Xue who told Xia Yao? And how did Gu Xue find out?’

She turned her head to look at Su Yaqing, whose overflowing smile stiffened.

Naturaly, this kind of thing couldn’t be hidden from Lin Xiaojue. Su Yaqing thought for a moment before recounting the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.

After listening, Lin Xiaojue knitted her delicate brows.

The three of them held hands and walked through the streets in silence. As night descended upon the city, the streetlights flickered on, stretching the shadows of pedestrians long and thin.

Passing a shopping mall with a towering statue, Lin Xiaojue suggested they go inside for a look. Hand in hand, they turned in to buy tickets, the rings on their ring fingers shimmering with light.

The warm Cinema was packed with people.

*You, Once a Week* was a good movie. Lin Xiaojue didn’t leave for the restroom even once, watching the entire thing despite it being a Yuri film.

Along the way, she kept a wary eye on both sides, trying her best not to become like the protagonist in the movie—surrounded by girls.

As the other viewers left the theater still wanting more, the warm yellow lights dimmed. A few people remained to wait patiently for the post-credits scene, and Lin Xiaojue was one of them.

She suddenly remembered a past team-building event where Su Yaqing had stood boldly under the screen to recite the closing summary.

A month of hard work had ended, and it was a rare time to rest. Gu Xue had been taking notes below the stage; Lin Xiaojue had always known that she and Su Yaqing were childhood friends.

After the team-building event, Murong Qiuyu would pin up her hair and play a violin piece on stage in a dark red evening gown.

She had been wrapped in a ring of shimmering white light, looking radiant and spirited.

The sound of a piano poured out from somewhere as Sakuragawa Iku sat on the piano bench, her slender fingers dancing across the keys like the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

The two of them had played with great chemistry. Lin Xiaojue had sat below the stage listening quietly, and that time had passed all too quickly.

The staff credits rolled across the screen. There weren’t many extra scenes, but it still left one wanting more.

Lin Xiaojue was looking forward to the next installment, though she wasn’t sure if it could even be broadcast given the suggested scale of the content.

She stood up and returned to the hotel with Su Yaqing and Xia Yao. The night was silent, but the sound of splashing water echoed from within the massive presidential suite.

Lin Xiaojue leaned against the smooth porcelain tiles, her rosy-pink knees peeking above the water’s surface. Su Yaqing and Xia Yao sat pressed tightly against her on either side.

‘Dangerous.’

That was Lin Xiaojue’s first thought. This situation was no different from being besieged by a massive army while she had zero troops to resist.

A vision of snowy white fullness suddenly appeared before her eyes. Su Yaqing leaned over, pushing aside the rising steam, a mischievous look flashing in her emerald eyes.

Faced with the fullness that had suddenly appeared before her, Lin Xiaojue was naturally drawn in. By the time she blinked, she had been pushed against the wall by Su Yaqing.

Lin Xiaojue turned her head; water droplets clung to the glass wall. She tried to move to the side, only to have her path blocked by two other mounds of fullness.

Xia Yao pressed in as well, and the three of them squeezed together. The bathtub had originally been exceptionally spacious, but now it felt cramped. For a moment, Lin Xiaojue couldn’t catch her breath.

“Xiao Jue~”

“Predecessor~”

The two of them approached simultaneously. Lin Xiaojue knew there was no escape.

***

A night passed.

In the morning, Lin Xiaojue clutched her heavy, aching head and slowly sat up in bed.

She scanned her surroundings and found that the covers on both sides had long since been tossed aside. She had been woken up by the cold morning light.

“Ah, is Xiao Jue awake?” Su Yaqing walked in carrying breakfast.

“Mm, I’m awake.” Lin Xiaojue held her head. Her body felt exceptionally weak. She propped herself up to get out of bed, and if Su Yaqing hadn’t caught her, she would have nearly stumbled to the floor.

“Don’t be in such a hurry, Xiao Jue. You were like that last night too—so impatient. Just rest well today.” Su Yaqing helped Lin Xiaojue to the headboard.

She assisted Lin Xiaojue with her morning wash while feeding spoonfuls of pigeon soup into her mouth.

“Why is breakfast pigeon soup?” A slight bitterness lingered in Lin Xiaojue’s mouth. She wrinkled her small face, looking dissatisfied.

If possible, she would have preferred something more down-to-earth for breakfast, like fried dough sticks or buns.

She couldn’t exactly say the presidential suite didn’t have them, could she?

Last night, Su Yaqing had vowed that staying at the hotel she recommended would be perfect.

When the noble black card had let out a *beep* against the card reader, Lin Xiaojue had actually believed her and followed Su Yaqing into the private elevator.

“This is to nourish your body,” Su Yaqing murmured softly into her ear.

‘Nourish my body?’ Lin Xiaojue’s cheeks burned, and her eyes widened involuntarily. Su Yaqing flashed a bright smile, revealing her pearly teeth, seemingly very satisfied with the previous night.

‘This bad woman!’ Su Yaqing leaned in and blew a breath against her soft earlobe. Lin Xiaojue’s face turned even redder.

“Ah~ Mmph~” Su Yaqing’s teasing voice sounded in her ear. Lin Xiaojue jerked her head to the side, and their noses bumped.

She wanted to pull away, but Su Yaqing didn’t mind at all, leaning in to give her a quick peck.

This time, even Lin Xiaojue’s soft earlobe was stained with a rosy flush.

“Come on, eat breakfast.” Su Yaqing scooped up a spoonful of pigeon soup. The rich, golden liquid was fed into Lin Xiaojue’s mouth.

The thick broth dissolved on her tongue; it was slightly bitter, yet carried a hint of sweetness.

Lin Xiaojue tasted the soup. ‘Did Su Yaqing add something? Why isn’t it as bitter as before?’

Before her question could be answered, Su Yaqing stuffed a piece of pigeon meat into her mouth. The meat was coated in the soup, and the more she chewed, the more fragrant it became.

Not only did Lin Xiaojue no longer find it bitter, but she also found herself having a great appetite.

She took the bowl and drank happily. Su Yaqing supported her hand, her eyes as tender as water.

With a bowl of pigeon soup in her stomach, Lin Xiaojue’s body warmed up significantly. Her pretty little face turned rosy, and her entire being regained its spirit.

She suddenly felt a surge in appetite—a rare craving. She grabbed the buns on the table and began to eat heartily. Su Yaqing watched her with a smile, peeling an egg in her hands.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Xiaojue let out a loud burp.

She patted her slightly bulging belly and lay lazily on the sofa. The winter sun wasn’t particularly warm, but the golden light shining on her face felt exceptionally cozy.

For a moment, Lin Xiaojue felt as if her life was complete and she lacked for nothing. Lying on the sofa with a full stomach, without any anxiety about the future, she only needed to bask in the warm sun like a kitten that had eaten its fill of cat food and curled up in the grass to purr.

This comfort didn’t last long before it was broken by Xia Yao, who pushed open the door and walked in.

Xia Yao wore a brown turtleneck sweater with a black trench coat draped over it. Her legs were clad in jeans, and she wore black platform leather boots.

She carried two bulging bags in her hands, and it was unclear what was inside. This naturally piqued Lin Xiaojue’s curiosity.

“Xiao Xia, what’s in those?” Lin Xiaojue pointed at the bags.

“Hehe, Predecessor will find out in a moment! Yaqing is going to help out in a bit, too~”

Xia Yao kept it a mystery, leaving Lin Xiaojue even more clueless about what was going to happen.

Although she could guess a little bit from Su Yaqing’s wicked expression, she truly couldn’t fathom the specific details.

‘Could it be that last night wasn’t enough?’

At the thought of that possibility, Lin Xiaojue’s body began to tremble like a sieve.