Ling Xiaoxiao looked skeptically at the young girl named Xia Jin. Dressed in the military’s dark combat uniform, her figure was quite ordinary, and her hair was simply tied into a half-up bun with a hair tie. She wore a pair of round-framed glasses, and due to her use of supernatural abilities, her eyes glowed with a faint crimson light.
Though a bit peculiar, she still seemed like an immature kid. If she hadn’t been another A-rank awakened from Third High School, Ling Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have wanted to bring her along.
In her opinion, how could someone so inexperienced possibly understand the complexities of love?
Was Xia Jin really up to the task?
“Easy, absolutely yes!” Xia Jin pulled out a chair and casually took a seat at the blood-stained table, finding a clean spot.
She interlaced her fingers, rested her elbows on the table, and her round glasses reflected an eerie white light. The blood on the table seemed to flow away on its own.
“Who do you think I am? I’m Third High’s love guru,” she said in a tone brimming with confidence.
Ling Xiaoxiao thought this girl seemed a bit slow and decided to tread carefully. “Has anyone you’ve advised actually succeeded?”
Hearing this, Xia Jin’s confident demeanor instantly cracked. She avoided the question, stammering, “Well, the school doesn’t allow dating, so…” Her eyes darted around, and she awkwardly fiddled with her fingers.
“So you’re just a theoretical expert then. Forget it,” Ling Xiaoxiao decisively refused, feeling the girl should focus more on training.
But Xia Jin, bearing the title of “love expert,” couldn’t back down. She was determined to show her senior what she was made of.
“Senior, how can you say I’m no good without even giving me a chance? Just let me try～” Seeing Ling Xiaoxiao about to rebut, she quickly intensified her persuasion, “Besides, isn’t it better than staying stuck like this? Being hung up on love affects your condition, right?”
Ling Xiaoxiao felt somewhat persuaded. Even if Xia Jin was just a theoretical master, her eloquence suggested she might indeed be a genius in matters of the heart.
So she pulled out a chair as well. Seeing her interest piqued, Xia Jin quickly used her ability to clear away all the blood. The table instantly looked brand new, no longer stained and gruesome.
Ling Xiaoxiao wasn’t in a hurry to speak. First, she activated a concealment array, then turned on the specialized surveillance outside Song Liangpeng’s room. The military’s cameras could detect energy fluctuations like spiritual power, and no known demon or monster could evade them.
Once Ling Xiaoxiao sat down, Xia Jin promptly asked, “Senior, what exactly is the issue with your relationship?” She casually took a sip of an energy drink, looking completely self-assured.
Ling Xiaoxiao said, “I always end up hurting the person I love. For her sake, I chose to leave.”
Xia Jin’s eyebrows rose. “Oh ho, Senior is quite the devoted lover. But why do you end up hurting her?”
Ling Xiaoxiao recalled Xue Ji’s tears that night and their final embrace, her tone unusually guilty. “I’m not entirely sure myself. Whenever I see her, I want to possess her completely.”
Xia Jin grew even more excited but didn’t interrupt.
So Senior’s possessiveness is too intense, and her lover can’t handle it? Or is it straight-up forced love? How thrilling! she thought.
Before Ling Xiaoxiao could say more, Xia Jin’s imagination was already running wild. Someone like Ling Xiaoxiao—wasn’t that practically a domineering CEO archetype? Unmatched in strength, incredibly high status, and devastatingly beautiful. She wondered which guy was lucky enough to experience that. (Xue Ji: Are you sure?!)
“Last time, I saw her bring a little vixen home. I was so angry I lost my head, and I…well…” At this point, the scene where she nearly erased Xue Ji’s consciousness in this life flashed before her eyes.
Thanks to Xue Ji’s ultimate soul-searching technique, the emotions accumulated over a millennium were partially released, and she was now much more rational than before. That was why she had returned to the supernatural forces and resumed her activities as the Vermilion Bird.
Looking back now, she was filled with regret. How was what she did any different from killing someone and stealing their body? If Xue Ji’s resistance hadn’t succeeded—just the thought of it made Ling Xiaoxiao’s hands tremble uncontrollably.
Hearing this, Xia Jin was furious. How could this guy dare to openly cheat when he had such a devoted, domineering girlfriend? What a scumbag! She was so angry she could grind her teeth to dust.
“Senior, why not just break up with such a trashy guy? If he dares to two-time you right in front of your face now, who knows what he’d do later!” Xia Jin’s mind already conjured images of Ling Xiaoxiao being abused, confined, or even played with until she passed out. (Xue Ji: Yep, that’s exactly how she treats me.)
“Scumbag? But Xiao Ji is a girl—wait, no, a boy. No! She’s a girl!” Ling Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered Xue Ji’s… eventful experiences in this life and nearly got confused about the gender.
“Huh? Is she a girl or not?” After getting a confirmation from Ling Xiaoxiao, Xia Jin thought of something and asked, “Xiao Ji… is she that cute little white-haired girl from the class next to mine?”
“Yes,” Ling Xiaoxiao agreed with Xia Jin’s assessment, even feeling somewhat inexplicably proud.
“Ah!” Upon hearing this, her imaginative mind conjured another scenario. Maybe the one being bullied was that poor little thing. With Senior’s incredible physical prowess, that delicate girl… would probably break…
Xia Jin hesitated before speaking. “Senior, was the person she brought home really a vixen?”
Ling Xiaoxiao responded through gritted teeth, “Of course she was! Look, she has ears and a tail, and she always gets Xiao Ji’s affection. What else could she be but a vixen!”
She showed Xia Jin a photo of Shaya on her phone. Xia Jin’s expression turned subtle.
“Well, she really does…” But then she shook her head vigorously. “No! Senior, you’re mistaken! She’s just a child! How can you be jealous of a kid?”
Hearing this, Ling Xiaoxiao grew defensive. “But I just want Xiao Ji to only have eyes for me! So what if I’m selfish? Back then, she—”
“Back then?” Faced with Ling Xiaoxiao’s self-incriminating words, Xia Jin was speechless. “Poor Xue Ji… you must have had it really tough.”
Xia Jin remembered the adorable little girl she saw today—the kind whose mere glance could heal—and felt compelled to do something for her.
“Senior, as the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. It’s kind of the same in love.” Xia Jin took a deep breath for courage and said, “Why not try playing pitiful too?”
Ling Xiaoxiao instinctively wanted to refute but found some sense in the idea.
“I… I’ll try my best.”