Chương 152: The Self-Cultivation of a "Professional Body Pillow"

Unlike Su Yuqing's hug, which was somewhat lively and playful, Xingxian's hug was more direct and more—devoted.

She simply held Ji Ying tightly, her arms wrapped around his slender, fair waist, without making any other movements.

Through the slightly thin fabric of the combat suit, Ji Ying could clearly feel that her petite body was being tightly wrapped by a warm body that was equally soft yet incredibly elastic.

Her cheek was forced against the other's delicate and smooth skin, and a light and refreshing fragrance lingered around her nose. A few strands of Xingxian's smooth, light purple hair fell on her cheeks and neck, bringing a slight tickle.

She could even hear the other person's slightly rapid heartbeat, pounding against her eardrums, as if it were pounding against her own heart, which was about to explode from embarrassment.

"Let go of me—" Ji Ying almost subconsciously squeezed out a weak, barely audible protest from her throat.

She tried to gently push against the other person's shoulder with her elbow to create a little distance, but Xingxian's seemingly slender arms held her firmly in his embrace, making all her struggles seem so pale and powerless.

"So soft—so fragrant—and I can hug you so tightly—" Ji Ying's heart was roaring wildly. Her cheeks were flushed red with shame and helplessness. She instinctively struggled and leaned back because of this overly intimate contact, trying to escape from the suffocating embrace.

However, just as Jiying was gathering her strength and preparing to try to break free again, Xingxian seemed to sense the slight resistance from the "pillow" in her arms, and her previously somewhat intoxicated movements paused slightly.

She loosened her arms that were tightly wrapped around Ji Ying a little. Although she still didn't let go completely, at least it was no longer the kind of force that made the other person feel like they couldn't breathe.

Looking down at the black-haired, red-eyed girl in his arms, whose cheeks were flushed, eyes darting around, and whose whole body was radiating an "I'm very uncomfortable" vibe, a hint of disappointment flashed in her bright silver-gray eyes.

"Xiaoying—" Xingxian's voice was low and he asked softly, somewhat cautiously, "Do you—don't like this?"

She knew that her behavior just now might have been a bit too enthusiastic. It was indeed inappropriate to make such intimate gestures to a friend she had only recently met.

—But—Xiaoying is so cute, and it feels so comfortable to hug her.

That soft, warm touch greatly relieved her long-accumulated fatigue and stress, and made her want to hug it a little longer and absorb more of that reassuring warmth.

but---- Xingxian's voice was even lower, filled with undisguised frustration, and her strength loosened a bit, her arms only loosely encircling Jiying's waist.

It was as if she would immediately give up if the other party showed even the slightest resistance.

"If you really don't want to—I won't force you."

Looking at the obvious disappointment and sadness on Xingxian's face, and the undisguised weariness and loneliness deep in her eyes, Xingxian's words explaining her "mode switch" uncontrollably surfaced in my mind, along with my previous guess that this seemingly strong and reliable inspector was actually just a child who had been bearing immense pressure for a long time and needed to seek comfort and relaxation in this unique way.

At this moment, Ji Ying's heart suddenly softened. The determination to forcefully push the other person away crumbled instantly upon seeing Xing Xian's pitiful expression.

She keenly sensed that Xingxian's desire to hug her at this moment was not, like Su Yuqing's, stemming from a pure love for cute things and a slightly teasing closeness.

She had accumulated far too much pressure and truly needed a "pillow" that allowed her to temporarily let down all her defenses and pretenses and completely relax.

And her friend "Xiaoying," who had just turned from enemy to friend and was of great importance to her, and whose appearance also met her requirements, just happened to be her ideal "stress relief tool" at this moment.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Ji Ying's heart, including helplessness, sympathy, and deep pity.

"Sigh—" She sighed heavily in her heart. The gentleness and tolerance that belonged to Lin Che, who was used to taking care of others, finally overwhelmed all the shame and resistance.

Immediately, Ji Ying made a move that even she found somewhat unbelievable. She stopped all struggling, and her tense body gradually relaxed. With a touch of tragic desperation, she opened her arms and closed her eyes.

Xingxian was already feeling increasingly lost and uneasy because of Jiying's silence, and had even mentally prepared herself to be completely pushed away.

But to her surprise, the next moment, she saw that the petite girl who had been desperately resisting her had actually—opened her arms to her!

"Xiaoying—you—" She raised her head slightly in disbelief, and met Ji Ying's eyes, which, though closed, still had long eyelashes that trembled slightly.

And—that cheek, slightly puffed out from helplessness, looked exceptionally cute.

Seeing the other party's sudden, seemingly surrendering attitude, Xingxian was momentarily speechless.

Ji Ying didn't open her eyes, but let out a soft groan filled with deep helplessness from her nose. Her voice was muffled, as if she had given up on herself: "—Come on, hug me, let's finish this quickly."

Xingxian was slightly taken aback at first, and then her eyes, which had been dim, suddenly burst forth with a light as bright as stars.

She asked tentatively, somewhat incredulously, "R-really—are you okay, Xiaoying?"

Ji Ying kept his eyes closed, but waved his hand impatiently, expressing his tacit consent through his actions.

"Very good--!!!"

The next moment, accompanied by a cheer full of surprise and emotion, Xingxian embraced Jiying's petite body in her arms again without hesitation.

Immediately following was that expected yet helplessly soft and warm sensation.

Xingxian's arms wrapped around her slender waist again, and this time, she clearly felt the difference from the simple hug before.

If the previous embraces carried a hint of probing and restraint, then this embrace was completely...

The unreserved reliance and absorption were far more "unrestrained" than the previous tentative contact.

Ji Ying could clearly feel Xing Xian's soft body pressed tightly against him almost without reservation, her warm breath spraying onto the skin of his neck, bringing waves of shivers.

She could even feel that while the other person was hugging her, they were also rubbing their cheeks, forehead, and even the tip of their nose against her face repeatedly.

Occasionally, she would let out a few satisfied hums, her voice filled with a sense of relief and pure joy.

"Mmm—Xiaoying—it feels so good to hold you."

"As expected, holding Xiaoying is still the most reassuring thing —" At first, Ji Ying was so caught up in this completely unexpected "shock" that she almost couldn't catch her breath.

—This girl—she was actually considerate of my feelings before, and was somewhat restrained and controlled. Is this her true "de-stressed" state?!

Why is he acting so aggressively now when he was acting quite measuredly in his previous form?

Ji Ying silently complained in his heart, while trying to adjust his breathing, attempting to endure this "sweet torture" for longer.

And listening to those dreamlike murmurs in my ear, feeling the complete trust and reliance emanating from the other person, a trust that had let down all defenses, and the gradually calming heartbeat and breathing— Her heart, which had been restless with shame, anger, and helplessness, miraculously calmed down at this moment.

She even subconsciously reached out and gently stroked Xingxian's back, as if to comfort her.

—Fine, considering how hard she's been working and how much pressure she's under—let her hold her for a while. After all, she's a troublesome child who needs to be taken care of.

—Anyway—it's not the first time I've been used as a "human-shaped body pillow," I'll get used to it, I'll get used to it— Ji Ying smiled bitterly to himself, silently positioning himself as a professional, qualified, and hardworking temporary stress reliever.

Time slipped away little by little in their wonderfully warm embrace.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe a few minutes, maybe a dozen minutes.

Just when Ji Ying felt he was almost completely infused with the pleasant fragrance emanating from the other person, Xing Xian finally let out a long, satisfied sigh.

She slowly loosened her arms from tightly embracing Ji Ying, stepped out of his embrace, and then stretched out with a big yawn, revealing her beautiful figure in the moonlight.

Ji Ying subconsciously moved her slightly numb shoulders, and when she looked up, she saw that the obvious fatigue and tension on Xing Xuan's delicate and beautiful face had largely dissipated.

Instead, there is a radiant sense of relaxation and satisfaction.

Immediately afterwards, Ji Ying sensed that Xing Xian's eyes, tone of voice, and even his entire posture had undergone a dramatic change in a very short period of time.

The previous ease and carefree feeling, as if all burdens had been lifted, quickly receded like the tide, replaced by the calm, composure, and meticulous demeanor befitting a patrol officer of the magic kingdom.

Although her eyes still held a smile, they were once again tinged with the coolness and focus of an inspector, and her posture returned to its previous dignified composure, as if the girl who had been clinging to Ji Ying and acting coquettishly had never existed.

"Phew—thank you for the treat, Xiaoying."

Xingxian gave Jiying a smile that was tinged with apology and gratitude.

"It feels like all the pressure that's been building up for days has just vanished."

"No—you're welcome. I'm glad you've recovered." Ji Ying didn't know what kind of expression to use when facing her at this moment.

Watching the other person's seamless, almost impossibly rapid change of expression, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly: —These two states—So it really can switch so perfectly and seamlessly, isn't that quite an amazing ability in a sense?

Xingxian had no idea what Jiying was thinking at that moment. She straightened her slightly disheveled collar, smiled at Jiying, and then said, "It's getting late. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

"When we meet tomorrow, we'll discuss the specific action plan regarding Mirror Lord and the Bureau of Extraordinary Events together."

Just as Xingxian turned to leave as a streak of light, Jiying suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to her, "Wait a minute, Xingxian."

Xingxian stopped when she heard the sound and turned to look at her with some confusion: "What's wrong, Xiaoying?"

"Um—Xingxian, my ethereal energy is almost depleted, so I basically have no combat power left, and there's no effective way to replenish it for the time being."

"So, could you—provide me with some energy cores from the Void Beasts?"

Xingxian was taken aback by Jiying's slightly embarrassed request, but then nodded without hesitation: "Of course, I thought it was something serious."

"Although I don't have any Lord-level energy cores here right now, I have collected quite a few Erosion-level energy cores, which should be enough for you. Please wait a moment."

Before she finished speaking, she stretched out her slender right hand and gently touched the "Tears of the Star" on her chest.

With a faint fluctuation of magical energy, five or six crystals of varying sizes, shimmering with a dark luster, emerged and floated in front of her.

These energy cores, even the largest of which are only the size of a fist, are far smaller than the queen ant core that was as big as a basketball.

Each one, however, exudes an exceptionally powerful fluctuation of ethereal energy, with a dark purple light seemingly surging slowly within it.

"These are energy cores left behind by some troublesome erosion-level void beasts that I cleaned up while carrying out a mission before. The quality is quite good."

Xingxian handed the energy cores to Jiying, speaking casually as if he were handing her a few pieces of candy: "These should be enough for you for a while. If you need more, you can always come back to me."

Ji Ying stared at the several erosion-level energy cores beside Xing Xian, which were emitting astonishing energy fluctuations, and was speechless for a moment.

—These—are all erosion-level energy cores? And—their quality seems to be quite high?

She couldn't help but gain a deeper and more intuitive understanding of the inspector's "financial resources" and strength.

"Um—Xingxian, actually, you don't need so much." Upon hearing Xingxian's words, Jiying quickly waved his hand and said somewhat embarrassedly.

"I only need one or two—that should be enough to replenish my supplies."

Xingxian smiled nonchalantly and stuffed all the energy cores into Jiying's hand: "Take them, Xiaoying. These energy cores aren't really of much use to me."

Besides, we're good friends now, isn't it only natural for friends to help each other?

"What's more—" She tilted her head slightly, a smile with a hint of anticipation on her face.

"If you can replenish your ethereal energy as soon as possible and show more of your previous heavy-armored knight form to fight the enemy, it will definitely be a great help to me."

Upon hearing Xingxian's words, Jiying knew that the other party was determined to give him all of these energy cores.

She also understood that Xingxian's words made sense.

Whether it's to deal with the threat from Jingjue or to better protect Liuli and Yinxue in future battles, she urgently needs to recover and enhance her power as soon as possible.

These high-quality, erosion-grade energy cores are undoubtedly a timely help.

Thinking of this, she stopped refusing and nodded solemnly, giving Xingxian a sincere smile: "Xingxian, thank you."

"You're welcome~" Xingxian's smile widened as she saw that Jiying was finally willing to accept it. She nodded gently and said to Jiying, "Then, Xiaoying, we'll see you tomorrow."

Then, she waved to Jiying, and her body rose slowly into the dark night sky with a light and graceful movement. A pale purple magical light began to gather around her, preparing to transform into a stream of light and leave.

Just before her figure was about to completely blend into the dazzling light, Ji Ying suddenly remembered that she was still wearing that slightly oversized white cardigan, and immediately called out urgently, "Wait! Xing Xian! Your clothes—!"

However, her calls came too late.

The moment Xingxian spoke, her figure transformed into a dazzling pale purple streak of light and vanished swiftly into the distant horizon.

Only a cheerful, clear voice lingered in the empty park: "It's just a piece of clothing, consider it a small gift from me, Xiaoying! You don't need to return it."

"Also, remember to keep my hugging you a secret for me~"，， 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Ji Ying's outstretched hand, which she had intended to return the clothes to, hung awkwardly in mid-air.

She glanced down at the energy core in her hand, then at the white, faintly scented cardigan she was wearing—clearly a women's style—and her expression was priceless: "What do I need this cardigan for?!"