As for Sakuragawa Iku.
Lin Xiaojue also smiled and greeted her, but Sakuragawa Iku just buried her head even deeper.
“Since everyone is here, please come in.” An Yumo smiled and raised a hand to invite everyone inside.
“Uh…” Sakuragawa Iku started to speak but stopped herself.
“Actually, there’s still one more person who hasn’t arrived. We were planning to wait a little longer. Is that okay?” Lin Xiaojue stepped in to smooth things over.
An Yumo’s smile froze for a moment. She withdrew her hand and gave a light cough.
“In that case, let’s go inside to wait.” Lin Xiaojue nodded.
“Thank you.” An Yumo lowered her head.
After seeing An Yumo off, the five of them entered the villa.
The door was slightly ajar. Lin Xiaojue naturally pulled it open and walked in.
Seeing the decorations set up inside, Lin Xiaojue couldn’t help but feel a sense of illusion.
The long entranceway was lined on both sides with floral wreaths, and the floor was covered with a red carpet adorned with golden patterns.
“Is this a wedding?” Lin Xiaojue remarked, finding it strange.
But then she thought, she was indeed planning to announce her relationship with Su Yaqing and Xia Yao to everyone today.
Walking out of the entranceway, she saw a young woman in a kimono leaning on the sofa, pouring tea with both hands, her gaze focused.
She suddenly turned her head, offering a bright smile.
“Senior Xiaojue, it’s been a long time.”
“Uh…” Lin Xiaojue looked at the girl before her, who resembled a classic Yamato Nadeshiko.
“It really has been a while. You’ve changed a lot.”
“Eh~ Is that so? Senior Xiaojue, really.” An Yuxi teased, fanning her hand playfully.
Lin Xiaojue felt a chill run down her spine.
What’s going on?
“Have a seat.” An Yuxi moved over, making space. Lin Xiaojue sat down, somewhat apprehensively.
After everyone else had also taken their seats, An Yuxi took out a remote control and pressed a button.
A camera slowly rose from the floor.
“So high-tech.” Lin Xiaojue displayed an expression of someone who hadn’t seen much of the world.
“Eh, Senior Xiaojue, this is actually quite ordinary. I see this kind of thing every day here.” An Yuxi laughed.
“Mm, then it’s very ordinary.” Lin Xiaojue replied expressionlessly, just going through the motions.
An Yuxi had also reverted to her usual self, no longer giving off that suffocating feeling from earlier.
Lin Xiaojue couldn’t help but relax a little.
“Speaking of which, what content are we streaming today? Are we going to play games?” Su Yaqing asked, puzzled.
“Yeah, we can’t show our faces. If we’re going to stream, I guess only Jue and An Yuxi can do it. We’re not virtual avatar streamers.” Murong Qiuyu leaned back on the sofa, speaking calmly.
“Ahaha…” Lin Xiaojue gave an embarrassed laugh.
“So, Xiao’an, are you prepared?” Lin Xiaojue then looked at An Yuxi. She had said she planned to stream, but Lin Xiaojue didn’t know how much she had prepared.
“I am prepared.” An Yuxi pointed at the camera.
“No, I mean, did you prepare a script or something? What content are we streaming today?” Lin Xiaojue waved her hands.
“Eh? You need a script for that?” An Yuxi looked up, startled.
“You didn’t know that?” Lin Xiaojue stared back at her, equally startled.
And so, the stream turned into a gathering.
At three in the afternoon, Su Yaqing had some urgent matters and was forced to leave. Xia Yao also had some orders to discuss with clients and left as well.
Lin Xiaojue had intended to leave with them, but was kept behind by An Yuxi. She wasn’t very skilled in social graces; how could she outplay a social expert?
And so, she was kept there until evening.
Murong Qiuyu left a letter and departed early, leaving only herself and Sakuragawa Iku as the outsiders.
No, the guests.
“Um, please stay here tonight.” An Yumo finished cleaning up the tea and snacks from the table, her eyes pleading.
“Mm, mm.” Lin Xiaojue nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to refuse; it was that she simply couldn’t.
An Yuxi’s arm was wrapped around hers like an iron clamp, giving her no room to breathe.
Moreover, it seemed An Yuxi wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Every time Lin Xiaojue glanced over, she saw vast expanses of pale skin, making her blush furiously and forcing her to turn her head away.
She had truly entered the dragon’s den and the tiger’s lair.
It was only after agreeing to stay the night that Lin Xiaojue felt the pressure on her arm lighten slightly.
In the bathroom.
Lin Xiaojue shook her arm, which had gone numb from the pressure. In the mirror, the girl was in her natural form, silver-haired with golden eyes, her graceful figure intoxicating.
She should have found it dull, but now Lin Xiaojue was somewhat mesmerized.
“Hmm, am I really this pretty?”
Lin Xiaojue pinched her own cheek. It was soft and bouncy.
Perhaps she wouldn’t have said such things in the past.
Sitting in the bathtub, Lin Xiaojue recalled everything that had happened these past few days, feeling life was so dreamlike.
Thinking of Su Yaqing and Xia Yao, she recalled that sweet, intimate feeling.
Lost in thought, Lin Xiaojue slowly crouched down, blowing bubbles in the bathtub.
Speaking of which, she hadn’t read that letter yet, had she?
When Murong Qiuyu handed her the letter, she hadn’t revealed its contents. Lin Xiaojue had tucked the letter into her pocket, and her clothes were still in the laundry basket outside.
“Gurgle gurgle gurgle gurgle…” Lin Xiaojue tilted her head, feeling conflicted.
Bathing was a joyful thing, and soaking in a bath was the pinnacle of that joy.
Asking someone to leave a warm bathtub in the cold of winter and step into the vast, frigid expanse, even with heating, was nearly impossible.
The letter… maybe she should just read it tomorrow.
Lin Xiaojue surfaced, leaning her head against the corner of the bathtub, resting it there as she looked up at the ceiling.
Drip, drip.
Then,
“!”
From the corner of her eye, Lin Xiaojue saw a shadow appear outside the door.
Lin Xiaojue turned her head, alert.
The figure was slender, and from the silhouette, it was a woman.
Who is it?
An Yumo had arranged everything for the bathroom. How could someone else come in?
Could it be An Yuxi?!
Instantly, Lin Xiaojue crossed her arms over her chest.
Click.
Their eyes met.
“Se-senior?” The pink-haired girl who had entered gasped in surprise upon seeing the situation in the bathtub.
“Xiao Yu?” Lin Xiaojue lowered her arms, tilting her head in confusion.
“Sorry, I must have walked into the wrong room.” Sakuragawa Iku quickly waved her hands, covered her eyes, and began to pull the door shut to leave.
“Eh, wait!” Lin Xiaojue reached out to stop her.
“If you go out like that, are you going to put the clothes from the laundry basket back on?” Lin Xiaojue said something strange.
Actually, she couldn’t think of many reasons. It was mainly because her own clothes were in that basket.
Because the letter was inside, Lin Xiaojue hadn’t been in a hurry to throw them in the washer. She also didn’t have any change of clothes, so if she went out, she’d have to put her old clothes back on.
Tch, wasn’t she just talking about herself?
Lin Xiaojue felt a tingling at the top of her head.
“Anyway, just come in first.”
Lin Xiaojue called out to her again.
Hearing this, Sakuragawa Iku turned around nervously, using a towel to cover herself. Her pink feet made soft squish sounds as they touched the floor.
“Se-senior…”