Page Seventy-One
Sister Zǐ’s Charm Rises Again
The story told through Dragon Palace Princess Yǐjī’s mouth was like a firewall that was both defensive and offensive, also acting as a vaccine deeply rooted in the fans’ hearts. Its connection to reality made it powerful enough to withstand the attacks from the Glorious Family online, rendering any attempts to expose Chairman’s identity meaningless.
One had to admit that Lín Shàojié’s strategy was indeed ingenious.
However, the segment about AJ inserted into the story complicated what would have been a simple matter.
“Foolish, that idiot is just inviting trouble.”
Even after returning home, Lǐn Huā continued to lament this incident. Princess Yǐjī’s live stream was still ongoing, but the fans’ focus had shifted from the content of the live stream itself to the authenticity of the background story.
To put it simply, Princess Yǐjī had once again sparked new discussions among her fans.
“Although she didn’t intend to, Princess Yǐjī’s daily high-intensity activities do indeed keep her fans engaged.”
Cherry Sauce, who had already crawled out of my stomach, was now sitting at the computer with her legs crossed, watching the live stream, and even more ungracefully picking her toes…
Ah! It seems some indescribable, appealing scent has wafted over!
Cherry Sauce countered my mental activity: “It’s an illusion! My double hasn’t moved all day, so how could there be any smell? Besides, considering our relationship, do I need to care about my image in front of you?”
She then pushed her bare foot towards my face. Facing such unreasonable provocation, I angrily stretched out my hand and pointed at her smooth, uncalloused sole.
“HiYa! You, you’re disgusting!”
She screamed and pulled back her leg.
But her frightened reaction actually made my heart race… Damn, was I really that cute when I blushed?
Lín Huā raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.
Xiǎo Lěi had just finished bathing and was drying her hair with a towel when she heard Cherry Sauce’s scream and ran out of the bathroom to question: “Chairman, what are you doing to Sister Yīng?”
“I didn’t do anything, she kicked me with her foot.”
“Xiǎo Kǎi finds my feet smelly,” Cherry Sauce complained.
Without waiting for me to explain further, Xiǎo Lěi scolded me.
“Chairman, boys shouldn’t say things like that! Even if they are true, you can’t say it! It’s too hurtful!”
Clearly, I was the one being kicked, yet I was the one being criticized.
This foolish person, still hanging the towel around his neck, bent down and sniffed Cherry Sauce’s foot closely.
“Hmm? There’s no smell at all!”
Cherry Sauce, realizing her mistake, snatched back her foot.
“Of course not! Fool, what are you doing? It’s embarrassing!”
Xiǎo Lěi exclaimed: “I want to prove that Sister Yīng’s feet are clean and edible.”
Cherry Sauce slapped her forehead and pushed her away.
“Don’t eat them!”
Watching the two women bicker, I rolled my eyes and got up from the bed.
“You two have fun, I’m going to take a bath…”
Even though it was my room, I was always the last one to use the bathroom.
Suddenly remembering my promise with Sister Zǐ, before entering the bathroom, I turned back and said:
“Oh, by the way, tomorrow I’m going out alone, don’t follow me… No, don’t follow me at all!”
Xiǎo Lěi threw the towel at me, asking: “That sounds suspicious, what are you going to do tomorrow, Chairman?”
“…Complete a promise.”
—
Skip Dream Time
—
[November 24th, Sunday, 10:00]
[Balance Commercial District Pedestrian Street]
“It’s already ten o’clock… Where are you?”
The agreed time had passed, but Sister Zǐ hadn’t shown up. I called her.
“Don’t rush, I’ll be right there… I stayed late working on a ritual last night and slept at the Research Institute.”
“Such dedication, what are you researching?”
“Life Drain.”
Are you from an old-school warlock game?
After hanging up, I stood by the fountain at the entrance of the pedestrian street for ten minutes, and Sister Zǐ finally arrived.
Wearing a bright yellow turtleneck sweater underneath and a light pink wool coat over it, her minimalist-style coat was long enough to cover her Scottish tartan skirt, revealing a bit of her black-thick sock-covered calves. Whether they were thigh-high socks or pantyhose, only lifting the skirt would reveal that… Of course, I wouldn’t do that.
I squinted and praised: “Sister Zǐ, your outfit looks nice.”
“Really? Báhé lent it to me, I think it’s average… This pink coat doesn’t suit me very well, does it?”
“No, no, who says tall girls can’t pursue cute appearances? I think today’s Sister Zǐ is very cute!”
Sister Zǐ hummed: “Hmph, your words are sweet, but I wonder if you really think so.”
It’s unjust, I really do think today’s Sister Zǐ is cute.
Thinking this, Sister Zǐ rarely took the initiative to挽上我的胳膊 (wrap her arm around mine).
“Alright, let’s start our date today!”
“… A date?”
Sister Zǐ brushed her side hair aside.
Laughing: “Of course! The two of us spending a whole day together isn’t a date, what else could it be?”
What’s going on, her feminine aura today is particularly strong, every small action tugs at my heart.
—”Sister Zǐ has been giving it her all from the beginning, Team Member Xiǎo Kǎi, can you handle it?”—
Although she’s alone, Cherry Sauce can’t be shaken off.
—”I made sure to keep Lǐn Huā and Sister Lěi at home, otherwise, they would have followed you.”—
Sister Zǐ’s current state can be described as… vulnerable and dependent.
Although she’s holding my arm, she’s taller than me by half a head, making me feel like my arm is being lifted. Her 180cm height could make AJ envious, even if her chest is somewhat lacking, she’s still much better than Sister Lěi. If she became a model, she’d definitely be popular.
“Where are we going? Do you have a place in mind, Sister Zǐ?”
“Yes, have you come of age, Xiǎo Kǎi?”
… Huh?
… Ew!
“You, what do you want to take me to do?”
Noticing my unusual tone, Sister Zǐ asked strangely: “Why are you so nervous… Idiot! What are you thinking about?”
Then she realized my thoughts and tapped my head with her knuckle.
“Sister Zǐ is too innocent to handle suggestive topics, her face turned rosy, and her brown hair, which she had neatly arranged, started to curl outward.
She was flustered.
“Where are we going?”
“Just to the bar, the headquarters of Rōshēnmén has reopened, and I want to go for a drink.”
“Huh, going to a bar so early in the morning?”
“It would look inappropriate if we went at night. That bar opens at 10 AM, it’s perfect for a couple… flirtation.”
Looking down at me, Sister Zǐ’s face flushed even more, it was a warmth that couldn’t be blown away by the winter wind. Before we reached the bar, she seemed almost tipsy.
—”Oh, my god! I never imagined ‘flirtation’ would come out of Sister Zǐ’s mouth. How will you respond?”—
Every time something like this happened, Cherry Sauce’s teasing sounded particularly annoying.
—”I know you too well, you can’t bring yourself to refuse.”—
Today, Sister Zǐ looked very happy, was it just because we came out to play?
I already knew where Lǐn Huā and Sister Lěi were, but I didn’t know how to deal with Sister Zǐ. I didn’t dare accept her, nor could I bear to reject her, but leaving her hanging wasn’t a solution either…
Today, I wasn’t here just to get by.
I wanted to find that answer.
I took the initiative to grab Sister Zǐ’s hand. She instinctively tried to pull away, but I held on tighter.
Her fingertips were icy.
The bar’s main entrance was by the riverside promenade. The cold wind blowing from the river chased away the sparse crowd. Fortunately, the sun was shining brightly today, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold winter.
A few elderly ice fishermen sat motionless by the river. Plastic buckets beside them already contained several fish shadows.
“Today’s weather is perfect for fishing, the wind isn’t strong, and there’s sunlight, so the fish gather near the warmer surface, making it easy to catch.”
Sister Zǐ showed off her obscure knowledge.
As soon as she finished speaking, an old man wearing a conical hat reeled in a plump fish, then laughed and said: “Fish in winter have more fat, so they taste better.”
I asked: “So knowledgeable, do you like fishing, Sister Zǐ?”
She shook her head.
“No, I’ve never fished before. These are all things I learned from books. I used to read so much that I became foolish, so foolish that I didn’t even know what my brothers were thinking…”
When she mentioned Lù Lí, she always had a bitter expression, but quickly regained a smile.
“No, let’s not talk about that girl. Today is a significant date for me.”
The bar’s interior had not been renovated; they simply removed the seal and tidied up to reopen. Probably, the bartender and chef were still the same people. After all, even if the mountain was gone, one still needed to eat, starving was not an option. However, from now on, they would have to run the business properly.
Since it was morning, the dimly lit bar had no customers except for the bored bartender behind the counter, who looked extremely tired.
“…Boss? You really came out!”
The confused bartender saw Lù Zǐ enter and exclaimed, but when we approached, he quickly realized he had mistaken her for someone else.
Or perhaps he hadn’t mistaken her, but everything had changed.
“Sorry, miss, your silhouette reminded me of… huh? You!”
The bartender frowned when he saw me, looking displeased.
Even though Rōshēnmén had disbanded, many people still recognized my face.
But I wasn’t afraid of him. After all, I came here with Sister Zǐ today.
“Why, can’t I come?”
The bartender stared at me for a while, probably unwilling to cause trouble, so he closed his eyes and proceeded with the routine.
He handed over the menu and asked: “Then, miss, what would you like to drink?”
“Mm~ Blue Jellyfish, Volcano Kiss.”
Without even looking at the menu, Sister Zǐ ordered something I didn’t recognize.
Before the bartender could react, she continued: “Your boss has left the country, he might never come back.”
“May I ask who you are?”
“Let me think… hmm, a regular customer?”
