Chương 114: Liuli's "Question from God"

Chapter 114 Liuli's "Divine Question" Upon receiving Ji Ying's nod, Yin Xue's face instantly lit up with a bright smile. She cheered and, without giving Ji Ying any room to back out, pounced on him without hesitation.

"Hehe, Xiaoying feels so comfortable to hug, so fragrant and soft." She also wrapped her arms tightly around Jiying's slender waist, as if afraid that the other party would suddenly run away.

Startled by the sudden, warm embrace, Ji Ying froze on the spot. She could clearly feel the softness of the girl's body and the girl's heartfelt affection and joy.

But she couldn't muster any romantic thoughts; all she felt was a deep sense of helplessness, "as expected." She always remembered that Yuqing, whether in her past life or this one, had absolutely no resistance to things that were "small," "cute," or "feel good to hold."

And clearly, whether it was herself as Xingshuang before or herself as Jiying now, she perfectly met this condition.

Judging from the fact that she only "took action" after he nodded, it's clear that she had been trying hard to restrain herself beforehand.

Just as Jiying was silently mourning his "tragic" fate, Liuli, who couldn't bear to watch any longer, finally reached out and gently tugged at Yinxue's arm.

"Yinxue, be a little more careful," she said, her voice carrying a hint of protectiveness that she herself was unaware of.

"Didn't you see that Xiao Jiying seems very troubled? Stop it now."

When addressing the other person, Liuli subconsciously wanted to say "Xiaoying", but she changed the words to "Jiying" instead.

Her personality made it impossible for her to use that overly intimate term of endearment as naturally as Yin Xue could.

"Really?" Yin Xue reluctantly pulled away slightly from Ji Ying's embrace, but her emerald green eyes remained fixed on Ji Ying, as if she was still savoring the smooth, delicate, and soft touch she had just felt.

Jiying noticed Liuli's hesitation earlier. She turned to look at her, a gentle smile on her face, and said softly:

"It's okay, Liuli. If you also feel awkward calling me that, you can just call me Xiaoying like Yinxue does. I don't mind."

She could actually understand Liuli's state of mind very well.

After all, the code name "Silent Shadow" sounds oppressive, and it's a stark contrast to his current image of wearing hot pants and boots with a side ponytail. It's only natural that he would feel awkward using it.

Liuli was slightly taken aback by Jiying's considerate words, then nodded gently: "... Thank you."

Her gaze was fixed on Ji Ying, and deep within her eyes seemed to lie some more complex and indescribable thoughts.

Meanwhile, Yin Xue leaned closer to Ji Ying again, tilting her head and scrutinizing her outfit from head to toe, her tone filled with confusion and amazement:

"But speaking of which, Xiaoying, why are you dressed so—so daringly? I would never normally dare to try clothes that show so much skin."

This question, like the most precise arrow, instantly struck the most sensitive and embarrassing spot in Ji Ying's heart.

Her cheeks stiffened slightly involuntarily, and an indescribable sense of embarrassment welled up inside her; she could even feel her ears burning.

She instinctively wanted to find an excuse to get out of it, but then she thought about it again and felt there was no need to.

The reason I ended up looking like this is not something I need to hide.

Moreover, she could foresee that if she could not find a stable way to replenish her spiritual energy, then traveling with them in her lightly equipped form as "Silent Shadow" would probably become the norm.

If she tries to brush it off now with excuses like "I just like this style," then when she actually has the ability to change this embarrassing look someday, it will only seem stranger and more suspicious.

With this in mind, Jiying took a deep breath and decided to be honest with them about these matters.

"Actually, I didn't expect it to turn out like this." She spread her hands helplessly, her tone tinged with self-deprecation.

Liuli and Yinxue both showed expressions of curiosity and confusion, quietly waiting for her to continue.

"As for why I didn't try to change my appearance, it's because doing so would consume my already limited virtual energy, which would be a loss for me."

Jiying briefly explained to the two that he had only recently acquired the power of "Jiying," that he had previously been active in the form of the "Black Heavy Armor Knight" which consumed a great deal of energy, and that he was currently in a predicament where he lacked other effective ways to replenish his virtual energy besides the virtual beast energy core.

Of course, she cleverly concealed the specifics of how she obtained this power.

Liuli and Yinxue listened quietly to Jiying's explanation and both fell into deep thought.

After a brief silence, Ruri spoke first, "You just said—" 'I didn't expect this look either,' what does that mean? Does that mean your transformed form—isn't fixed?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Ying's face showed an even more troubled expression.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally explained somewhat resignedly, "Didn't I say before? I haven't had this power for very long, and my control over it isn't perfect yet."

"So when I first try to switch to this 'energy-saving' mode, I have no control over what it will turn into."

Listening to Ji Ying's tearful and bloody accusations, Yin Xue finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Although she quickly realized her lapse in composure and hurriedly covered her mouth to try to laugh, her shoulders were still shaking.

She stepped forward and patted Ji Ying on the shoulder, earnestly comforting her, "It's okay, Xiao Ying! I think you look really cute right now, even though your outfit is a bit daring!"

"That cool yet sarcastic feeling is just as cute as Senior Starfrost."

She paused, then added, her eyes sparkling, "So, I think it would be great if Xiaoying could always maintain this adorable demeanor when you're not fighting!"

Upon hearing Yin Xue mention the code name Xing Shuang, a strange sense of panic flashed through Ji Ying's heart, but she concealed it well and did not show any unusual expression on her face.

She turned her head to the side, feigning displeasure, and gave a soft "humph".

"Then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. If I had a way to reliably replenish my illusory energy, the first thing I'd do is change out of these shameful clothes!"

"Yi Yi?! That feels like such a pity!" Yin Xue immediately let out a reluctant, drawn-out complaint, her face full of regret.

Looking at her companion's exaggerated expression of "losing a treasure," Liuli shook her head helplessly, reached out and gently tapped her forehead, signaling her to tone it down.

Then, she turned to Jiying and asked, "By the way, Xiaoying, what were you doing in that little park earlier?"

"More than that, I'm curious about why you two happened to be near me at that time and place?"

"And how did they manage to block my only escape route so precisely?"

Liuli and Yinxue exchanged a glance, both displaying a slightly subtle expression.

Finally, it was Liuli who spoke up, explaining the whole story: "This is because—didn't I obtain some important information about Mirror Lord and the Apostles of the Void Realm from you, Xiaoying—?"

After hearing Liuli's explanation, Jiying was completely stunned, a look of bewilderment and a feeling of absurdity welling up inside him.

She never imagined that the reason her identity was exposed would be such a series of bizarre coincidences.

!

If Liuli hadn't been so eager to share information with Yinxue, if Yinxue hadn't happened to pass by that road, if she hadn't chosen that direction to escape—if any one of these factors had deviated even slightly, perhaps she could have struggled a little longer and wouldn't have had her "Jiying" persona exposed so quickly.

From Liuli and Yinxue's perspective, their actions were perfectly correct; in fact, they were extremely dutiful.

Should I blame them for being too vigilant and too responsible?

Ultimately, it seems that she can only blame herself for being too careless and unlucky.

Seeing the rapidly changing, complex expression on Jiying's face, Liuli spoke again, breaking the silence: "Xiaoying—" Can I ask you one more question?

Ji Ying snapped out of her chaotic thoughts, took a deep breath, tried to calm herself, and then nodded gently: "Okay, go ahead and ask."

Liuli received a response and nodded solemnly. Then, she looked directly at Jiying and asked somewhat cautiously:

"Xiaoying, do you also know Senior Xingshuang?"

"Qin?!"

Upon hearing Liuli's sudden and startling question, Jiying and Yinxue, who were standing to the side, almost simultaneously let out a gasp filled with shock and confusion.