After the illusion of the priestess kissed Xue Ji’s cheek, it dissolved into specks of light that gently settled upon her.
The blessing she left on Xue Ji was far more than simply imbuing her flames with a sacred attribute.
Xue Ji slowly raised her left hand and softly touched the kissed cheek. That dreamlike, illusory moment felt almost too magical to be real.
This was no illusion—someone as powerful as Xue Ji would never be deceived by mere hallucinations.
Even though the kiss carried no physical sensation, Xue Ji could deeply feel the emotions conveyed through it.
The other’s worries and longing transcended time and space, briefly connecting their hearts.
Memories from another world flashed through Xue Ji’s mind once more—that night before the battle against the Demon King, the priestess who seemed to hold back her words.
Under the pitch-black sky, the priestess, holding an oil lamp, found Xue Ji alone by the lake, making her final preparations.
Xue Ji: “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”
Priestess: “Mmm, I’m feeling a little uneasy.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll win. Here, this is for you.”
“Is this a lion? Folded from paper?”
“Yes. I’m giving you courage and strength.”
“Thank you, Mr. Xue Ji.”
The golden-haired girl marveled at the paper-folded lion, unable to put it down.
“Then I’ll give you something too.” She reached out her hand, gesturing for Xue Ji to place hers on top.
Xue Ji hesitated for a moment but complied.
“If we defeat the Demon King… will you go back?” Her eyes were as clear and bright as sapphires.
“If it’s possible, I will.”
“Ah, I thought so. May the Holy Light always protect you.” She held Xue Ji’s right hand in both of hers for a long time, as if wanting to say something.
“What is it?”
“I’m not telling.”
“But… I want to know.” For some reason, Xue Ji felt unusually impatient.
“After we defeat the Demon King… I’ll tell you.” She smiled playfully before finally turning to leave, still clutching the paper lion.
Lost in her memories, Xue Ji didn’t even notice the tears that had quietly begun to stream down her face.
Noticing this, Ling Xiaoxiao and Shaya, who had been locked in a tense standoff, immediately eased their hostility and even seemed to reach a silent understanding.
‘What, there’s another strong contender…’
……
Half an hour later, Xue Ji and Shaya were brought by Ling Xiaoxiao to her villa.
The events of the night had left Ling Xiaoxiao feeling an unprecedented sense of crisis. First, the little vixen had wised up, and then there was that mysterious golden-haired girl. She had only been away for a few days, and the very thing she had always worried about had actually happened—and it was twice as bad as she imagined!
That was precisely why she brought the two of them to her villa tonight. She knew she had to take the initiative now; otherwise, all the advantages she had built up earlier would vanish into thin air.
If she could also use this chance to repair the bad impression she had previously left on Xue Ji, that would be even better.
‘Xia Jin, I’ll trust you for now.’
Shaya had initially wanted to resist, but she didn’t know how to take care of a human, and Ling Xiaoxiao had also promised to treat her to seafood.
At first, she refused, but Ling Xiaoxiao’s offer was simply too tempting.
‘Dammit, Shaya! How are you supposed to compete with her like this?!’ Just as Shaya was starting to feel a spark of rebellion, the takeout Ling Xiaoxiao had ordered arrived.
Ling Xiaoxiao saw right through her. With a smile, she said, “What’s wrong? If you’re not eating, I will.”
With that, she picked up a perfectly grilled chicken skewer—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chili flakes. With one bite, the aroma filled the entire living room.
For someone with senses as sharp as Shaya’s, such delicious food was utterly irresistible. She couldn’t stop swallowing.
“I’ll eat! Of course, I’ll eat!” Seeing Ling Xiaoxiao finish an entire grilled skewer right in front of her, Shaya had reached her limit.
‘This isn’t me giving in—this is me depleting Ling Xiaoxiao’s resources!’ Once that thought crossed her mind, Shaya immediately felt pleased with herself. She ate while smiling triumphantly at Ling Xiaoxiao, who remained calm and composed.
‘Just watch—I’ll eat you out of house and home!’ She then lowered her head and began devouring the food.
Seeing her dig in, Ling Xiaoxiao stood up and headed toward the bedroom.
‘Keep eating, you little vixen. By the time you eat me out of house and home, Xue Ji will already be mine.’ As she climbed the stairs, she could no longer hide the smile on her face. She took out her phone and ordered another five hundred yuan worth of grilled skewers.
……
Xue Ji struggled to open her heavy eyelids and saw Ling Xiaoxiao sitting by the bed, gazing at her tenderly. She tried to sit up, but the overwhelming fatigue made it difficult.
Noticing this, Ling Xiaoxiao gently helped her up, her voice soft and soothing. “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Xue Ji’s internal alarm bells went off—something felt off about this situation!
“N-no, I’m just a little tired,” she said, seizing the chance to pull the blankets tighter around herself, afraid that Ling Xiaoxiao might suddenly start getting handsy again.
Seeing this, Ling Xiaoxiao remembered the second strategy Xia Jin had taught her:
“If the other person is wary of you, play pitiful. A gentle and kind-hearted person like Xue Ji would never have the heart to watch her senior cry.”
So Ling Xiaoxiao deliberately created some distance—the first step was to give Xue Ji a sense of security and lower her guard.
Then, Ling Xiaoxiao’s eyes gradually welled up with tears. Not only could she control her tears at will, but she could even make them seem genuinely heartfelt every time.
With teary, downcast eyes, she looked as though she had been deeply wronged.
“If you’re still angry with me, Xiao Ji, I’ll leave right now,” she said with a choked voice. Without waiting for a response, she strode toward the window as if preparing to jump out.
“That’s not what I meant,” Xue Ji said, her heart softening slightly at the sight.
“I know I hurt you before, but today, I just wanted to take care of you properly and make it up to you,” Ling Xiaoxiao leaned against the window, tears streaming down her face.
“I don’t know why I got so angry when I saw you bringing Shaya back. I originally only intended to silently watch over you in this lifetime, but I just couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry…” As she spoke, her genuine emotions took over, and she even forgot the next steps of her plan.
Although Xue Ji still held a grudge, after learning about Ling Xiaoxiao’s actions in their past life, she found it impossible to stay truly angry with her.
“I understand, but I still can’t bring myself to forgive you just yet,” she said with a sigh, seeing Ling Xiaoxiao’s pitiful expression. “But if you insist on sticking with me, I won’t stop you.”
Xue Ji turned her face away, avoiding Ling Xiaoxiao’s gaze. But she really shouldn’t have looked away—because Ling Xiaoxiao immediately started up again.
With an excited expression, she rushed to Xue Ji’s bedside and pulled back the blankets.
“What are you trying to do?”
“You!”
“Huh? Again?!”
“I like you.”
“Wait, stop messing around.”
“I like you.”
“Ugh! I must owe you from a past life or something.” Xue Ji looked on helplessly as Ling Xiaoxiao shamelessly squeezed under the covers.
“Keep your hands to yourself!”
“Okay, okay~” Ling Xiaoxiao wasn’t in a hurry. After all, they were already in her house, and she had plenty of time tomorrow.
‘Hehehe~’