After receiving her very first Otherworldly cellphone, Xie Yier’s heart was filled with far more anxiety than excitement.
It’s said that for girls, new gadgets can bring a rush of excitement, but for Xie Yier, this Secret Speech Crystal was like holding a burning potato.
Duke Sheiyl had set the rules: Xie Yier could socialize with friends as usual, but was absolutely not allowed any improper behavior. And, every two hours, she was required to make a call to report to her.
Xie Yier felt that two hours was already merciful enough; not making her call every single hour was already a generous allowance.
This leniency was only because Xie Yier had performed well during her earlier trials.
People said Lady Xie Yier was very possessive, but if possible, she didn’t want Xie Yier to feel suffocated. She was willing to provide a pleasant and healthy environment for her.
The premise, of course, was that Xie Yier needed to behave in order to receive the appropriate privileges.
The weekend ended, and a new week of classes began.
“Um, Master, I’ve arrived at School.”
“Master, I just finished the second period, and now I’m about to switch classrooms.”
From leaving home and entering the iron castle, Xie Yier had to make a call every two hours to report her situation to Lady Xie Yier.
Recently, Duke Sheiyl’s official duties had increased, and during the day it was always the butler who escorted Xie Yier to School. Still, the supervision over Xie Yier did not slacken in the slightest.
Every two hours, without fail, she had to report her status. If it was inconvenient to call during class, she had to send a message. If she showed the slightest bit of laziness, what awaited her was Lady Xie Yier’s stern water punishment.
And it wasn’t just the routine two-hour reports—sometimes, Lady Xie Yier would suddenly place a call, just to see who Xie Yier was with at that moment.
It must be mentioned, the Secret Speech Crystal Lady Xie Yier had given her was a newly developed upgraded model, with video functionality. Every single hair on Xie Yier could be seen crystal clear.
Every time Xie Yier contacted her, she had to find a secluded spot, lest anyone discover that she possessed a Secret Speech Crystal.
But even so, as expected, the unexpected still happened.
“Heh? Xie Yier, you actually have a Secret Speech Crystal? And it’s the latest model!”
Sure enough, after finishing her call with Lady Xie Yier before lunch, Donna, the troublesome girl, appeared again. Her bright golden eyes lit up instantly when she spotted the Secret Speech Crystal in Xie Yier’s hand.
Xie Yier: “Um… yes…”
Ugh, she had been so careful, yet on the very first day she got caught.
Donna pulled out her own Secret Speech Crystal from her pocket—hers was a translucent gold, with sunlight dancing along its golden veins, making it quite beautiful.
Without asking, she grabbed Xie Yier’s crystal and paired it with her own, completing the contact registration.
Donna having a Secret Speech Crystal didn’t surprise Xie Yier at all. After all, Donna was from a wealthy imperial family specializing in overseas trade; acquiring a few Secret Speech Crystals was effortless for her.
Which is exactly why Xie Yier had been cautious around her in the first place, to avoid being seen.
But still, why did she…
“If you had a Secret Speech Crystal, you should’ve told me sooner.” With their contacts linked, Donna exclaimed, “That’s great! From now on, we can use the crystal to stay in touch!”
“Um, haha… well, if there’s a chance we can connect later. I still have things to do, so I’ll go ahead.”
With that, Xie Yier walked on.
Donna hurried after her: “Hey, don’t go! We haven’t hung out together in days. Let me treat you to a snack, okay? I’ll buy it for you at the Dining Hall.”
“No need, Donna, you should eat less yourself. Don’t get another stomachache,” Xie Yier replied offhandedly.
But while she spoke unintentionally, Donna took it to heart. Her golden twin ponytails flickered as she blocked Xie Yier’s path, exuding an aura of pride: “You care about me, don’t you! I knew it, Xie Yier, you care about me!”
Xie Yier: ??
No, girl, you’re really good at making things up in your head.
After being quiet for a few days, Donna seemed ready to stir up trouble again. She grabbed Xie Yier’s hand and pressed her own, somewhat chilly, flat cheek right up against her: “Come on, just let me have a bite of sand jelly cake!”
The clingy Donna was like a piece of sticky candy—no matter how you shook her, she wouldn’t let go.
As Donna leaned closer, she caught the scent wafting from Xie Yier—her eyes glimmered, a blend of admiration and envy.
Xie Yier’s fragrance was always so alluring, and her figure…
Donna pouted, her cheeks tinged pink, putting on an air of seriousness.
That day, Lavia had spoken with her at length, offering advice and strategies. She was no longer the Donna of the past; she was the upgraded version!
Donna put her hands on her hips, looking smug—
“Xie Yier! You will definitely be mine! No matter how you guard yourself against me, I’ll pry you out of your shell bit by bit!”
Donna’s eyes glimmered with golden light as she began to carry out her own plan.
In the end, Xie Yier still ended up eating sand jelly cake with Donna once.
There was nothing she could do; she couldn’t outright refuse Donna. Besides, Lady Xie Yier had loosened her stance, saying that as long as it was normal school friendship, it was permitted. So Xie Yier agreed.
Thankfully, that was truly all that happened—they just ate some sand jelly cake.
Later that day, in her own room.
Xie Yier finished her homework and had just burrowed into her soft, thick blanket when the Secret Speech Crystal on her pillow vibrated.
Xie Yier picked it up to check.
[Dear, Master still has a long meeting tonight. Go to bed early by yourself, don’t wait up!]
It was from Lady Xie Yier. It looked like she’d be sleeping alone tonight.
Without realizing it, Xie Yier felt a sense of loneliness welling up inside her.
“No, wait, isn’t it even better to have the room to myself? I don’t feel lonely at all. With Master gone, I can relax a bit.”
She shook her head, quickly tossing away those fleeting thoughts.
Heh, having the whole bed to herself—she had to enjoy it!
Just as Xie Yier was about to put down the Secret Speech Crystal, it vibrated again.
“Could it be a message from Master?”
She wondered, picking up the crystal to check—this time, it was a call from Donna.
Xie Yier didn’t answer, decisively tossing the crystal under her pillow, pretending not to notice.
Finally, Master was relaxing the rules a bit… She didn’t want any more trouble to crop up.
Should she just block Donna’s contact altogether?
No, that wouldn’t work… With Donna’s personality, if she found out she was blocked, who knows what kind of scene she’d cause.
As Xie Yier wavered indecisively, the crystal vibrated again—this time, a message notification.
[Xie Yier! Why aren’t you answering my calls! Don’t tell me you’re avoiding me on purpose! If you dare block me, I’ll go tell everyone about your secret tomorrow!]
Xie Yier let out a sigh. Donna could be silly most of the time, but if she got emotional, she might not care about the consequences and really cause trouble.
Looks like she couldn’t block her after all… So annoying…
Xie Yier casually changed Donna’s nickname to [Pest], then set her contact to ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode.
She resolved to play dead and keep pretending she never saw the messages.