### Chapter 278: Minnows ~ Minnows
At first, Mu Jixue thought Su Xiaoxiao was just mocking her, feeling utterly dismissive and disdainful.
Could this tiny girl, who wasn’t even taller than her and still looked like she hadn’t fully blossomed, even dream of being intimate with Yun Zhonghe?
Not to mention, Mu Jixue herself hadn’t experienced such a thing!
(Actually, Mu Jixue had no recollection of her first kiss in the Myriad Path Divine Tower.)
In Mu Jixue’s mind, Yun Zhonghe only went after curvaceous women with long legs and narrow waists. How could a petite, almost underdeveloped little girl like Su Xiaoxiao be remotely appealing to him? And how dared she even think about it!
Where did she get that kind of confidence?
However, as Su Xiaoxiao kept repeating those words, Mu Jixue gradually lost her nerve. Especially when Su Xiaoxiao gave her that scornful look and mentioned something about “rolling tongues,” Mu Jixue could hardly remain calm.
Could it be… that this was actually true?
Su Xiaoxiao continued to glare at her with mockery and defiance. Her tone dripped with satisfaction and disdain: “(You mean you guys have been together so long and *still* haven’t done that? Come on now!)”
“(She’s really just a minnow!)”
“(To put it plainly, all you are is slightly closer friends. So, what right do you have to condemn me or meddle in my relationship with Cloud Bro?)”
Right now, Su Xiaoxiao was like a mischievous deviless in disguise, spewing out words laced with challenge and tease.
In Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes, Mu Jixue was undoubtedly the biggest rival to both her and Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao lacked initiative and was quite introverted and submissive, so facing Mu Jixue wouldn’t bring her any advantage.
Su Xiaoxiao was certain if Yun Zhonghe asked them both to stay together, Su Xiaoxiao would gladly accept it without hesitation.
But that situation would undoubtedly make things very tough for Su Xiaoxiao. In the hierarchy of their relationships, Su Xiaoxiao would likely end up on the fringes and be treated as the least noticeable. Since she wasn’t good at jockeying for position, there was no chance against them, really.
As Su Xiaoxiao, the only person close to Su Xiaoxiao, it was her responsibility to support Su Xiaoxiao and ensure she had a say!
The best thing would be to bring Yun Zhonghe over to the Su family.
Then Su Xiaoxiao would be first sister, and she would be second. The others like Mu Jixue and Xiao Yu could just move down in the ranks — they belonged further back among the sisters of the Su household.
Hence, they needed to seize the initiative!
Firstly, they had to defeat the current enemy!
This was a valuable lesson Su Xiaoxiao had learned from years of battling the cunning old foxes in the Su clan.
With the right strategy and timing, reversing the tables wasn’t impossible.
It was just a matter of making it happen!
Even though Mu Jixue was extraordinarily talented, she faced someone whose talent was also considerable, and whose cultivation level was even deeper than hers. With more techniques and strategies under her belt, Mu Jixue found herself in a less favorable position.
“(I…)” Mu Jixue almost screamed with frustration, balling her fists tightly. Her silvery hair seemed to float despite the lack of wind, radiating anger. “(Who cares if he did something to others? That doesn’t mean anything. I, uh, he… he kissed my chest!)”
Her face flickered with a mix of embarrassment and anger when she said this.
Su Xiaoxiao: !!!
No way in hell that’s true!
Su Xiaoxiao looked incredulous and shook her head, doubtful of what Mu Jixue was saying.
In her mind, this small fry couldn’t possibly have the guts to stand up to Yun Zhonghe’s standards.
Mu Jixue straightened her back, smirking mockingly: “(That’s real power, can you handle it? Believe it or not, I’m telling the truth!)”
Her eyes sparkled with the challenge, as if daring Su Xiaoxiao to believe in her victory.
Mu Jixue wasn’t lying — she once had a dream where Yun Zhonghe buried his face in her chest and went to town.
Of course, she’d never breathed a word of this to anyone. It was too awkward for words.
Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Mu Jixue’s figure, a bit envious; although they were both “loli” types, Mu Jixue’s body was far more impressive. Compared to that, Su Xiaoxiao felt plain.
Feeling insecure, Su Xiaoxiao began to doubt herself too.
The two young girls got into an impasse, each staring the other down, neither willing to yield.
Meanwhile, Yun Zhonghe, completely oblivious to the mental battle happening, noticed them suddenly stare deeply into each other for a few seconds, as if trying to communicate volumes with their eyes.
“Wow… that intense?”
He had no idea what was going on between the two girls, but something about it felt… off.
…
Ultimately, none of them emerged victorious clear winners.
They ended up eating with Su Xiaoxiao and splitting a plate of Su Xiaoxiao’s homemade sour and spicy potato shreds.
Yun Zhonghe enthusiastically praised Su Xiaoxiao’s culinary talents, a habit he had developed by endorsing heroines or potential side characters.
But today, something felt different. The compliments didn’t come as smooth and easy as usual. He had a knot in his gut.
Between Lin Zhongyu’s confession and Mu Jixue chasing him across the world, Yun Zhonghe was getting mixed signals.
After dinner, Yun Zhonghe offered Mu Jixue a room.
Su Xiaoxiao and Su Xiaoxiao left them at the counter while he checked in with Mu Jixue.
Yun Zhonghe noticed that Xia Linglong wasn’t around tonight.
Did she give up for real?
“Xia Linglong?”
Hearing the name, Mu Jixue’s eyes darted uneasily. She narrowed her gaze at Yun Zhonghe, scrutinizing him.
Definitely a girl’s name!
What had this guy been up to in the days when she and Xiao Yu weren’t around? It gnawed at her thoughts.
Plus, the earlier spiritual banter with Su Xiaoxiao was still fresh in her mind. This had her emotions in turmoil.
She really cared about Yun Zhonghe’s interactions with these girls.
“Umm…” Mu Jixue finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and coughed softly, attempting to break the ice but unsure how to start.
There was no way she could directly ask if he kissed Su Xiaoxiao or Su Xiaoxiao.
“I wonder…”
A wild idea flashed through her head.
Should she invite him to her room and let him… well… you know?
The mere thought made her jump out of her skin.
When she snapped back to reality, she was blushing profusely, so embarrassed it felt like the ground had opened up for her or her head ought to hit the wall.
What on earth is wrong with me?!
To quell her panic, why not just take it as it comes?
Is my brain fried?
Mu Jixue took a deep breath to regain her calm.
All thanks to that raven-haired loli, Su Xiaoxiao… the nonsense that came out of her mouth messed her up a bit too.
No way in hell that guy and Yun Zhonghe got together for real.
It was probably just a sister being cute and giving a peck on the cheek rather than anything serious.
Yep, that must be it!
Mu Jixue’s thoughts calmed down with her rationale.
“Hmm?”
Yun Zhonghe looked at her curiously, noticing her blush and awkward body language. He felt puzzled.
He wanted to know what she was thinking, but her behavior indicated she was keeping it to herself.
Mu Jixue wavered, eventually failing to ask. Her head bobbed like a wooden drum: “Nothing, go to bed. I’ll help with the Chen family stuff tomorrow.”
“Oh, great!”
Yun Zhonghe’s eyes softened with relief.
With Huang Aotian around, nothing could stop him now.
“There’s one more thing…”
Mu Jixue’s voice faltered, her gaze drifting away as she played with her silver hair, which shimmered under the light like her muddled emotions.
Her pink lips parted slightly, as if bracing for her next words.
Finally, mustering her courage, she confessed: “I’m happy to see you.”
“Eh?”
Yun Zhonghe paused, then watched Mu Jixue scurry off, leaving behind a flustered silhouette.
He pondered on Mu Jixue’s departure, heart fluttering.
She was surprisingly adorable just then.
At the same time, Mu Jixue dashed back to her room, cheeks burning, so red it almost bled.
Sitting on her bed, she replayed her recent words in her mind, convinced it wasn’t odd, even though her insides were still churning.
She was clearly attracted to Yun Zhonghe—
“Ah! I can’t take this anymore!”
She screamed inwardly and flopped into bed, rolling around with her pillow like she was wrestling with her own emotions.
