Chương 156: Deadly Questions and Standard Answers

A warm and soft touch came from the back of his head and neck, allowing Ji Ying to clearly perceive, without even opening his eyes, that he was currently resting his head on that little devil's lap in an extremely humiliating posture.

It's over—everything is over— She let out a desperate cry in her heart, and simply gave up all resistance, closing her eyes tightly, trying to escape this cruel reality by playing dead.

Su Yuqing looked at Xiaoying, who had finally stopped struggling and was now obediently resting her head on her lap, and a sweet, satisfied smile appeared on her face.

A triumphant smile flickered in her bright eyes as she gently stroked Ji Ying's smooth black hair with one hand, feeling the delicate touch of the strands slipping through her fingertips.

Her other hand was a little more mischievous, gently poking Ji Ying's slightly puffed-up cheek, which was flushed with displeasure, and asking in a sweet voice, "Hey, Xiao Ying, is this—comfortable?"

Ji Ying kept his eyes tightly closed, completely blocking out Su Yuqing's mocking smile and Luo Bingli's smiling and subtly expectant gaze from not far away.

She tried to regulate her breathing, attempting to calm her heart, which was pounding wildly with tension and shame.

However, my senses were clearer than ever before.

She could clearly feel that she was resting on a soft, warm, and surprisingly elastic "pillow"—it was Su Yuqing's thigh. The delicate touch of the girl's skin was transmitted through the thin fabric of her pajama pants, carrying a reassuring warmth.

Su Yuqing's fingertips brushed against her scalp and cheeks like feathers, bringing waves of indescribable tingling sensation. The unique and pleasant fragrance of the young girl also lingered faintly around her nose.

Is it comfortable?

To be honest—of course it's very comfortable.

If she were Lin Che, facing this situation, she would probably only feel endless joy and want to enjoy it to the fullest.

After all, what normal man could refuse such a gentle and considerate lap pillow service offered by such a lively and lovely young girl?

but!

Now it is her, "Silent Shadow", a petite and cute girl who has just been forced to maintain this form due to the side effects of the fusion of power and soul, and whose thought patterns are also being severely affected!

More importantly, less than two meters away from them, Xiao Li was staring at them with wide eyes, not blinking an eye!

Pressed against his lap in such an almost "forced" manner by Su Yuqing, feeling the soft touch and the sweet fragrance of a young girl, under these circumstances that could be described as public torture, being pressed against his lap by Su Yuqing in such a teasing and mocking tone, being asked if he was comfortable, and being poked and stroked on the face and head like a kitten— How could she possibly be happy?! All she wanted to do right now was find a crack in the ground to crawl into, or just die on the spot!

Seeing that Ji Ying still kept her eyes tightly closed, looking like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, Su Yuqing couldn't help but pout, slightly dissatisfied with her uncooperative attitude.

Her eyes darted around, and she gave another mischievous smile. While one hand continued to stroke Ji Ying's head, the other hand quietly reached for the most sensitive, ticklish spot on Ji Ying's waist and gave it a light scratch.

"ah--!"

An irresistible tingling sensation surged through his body like an electric current, and Ji Ying's defenses crumbled almost instantly upon being touched.

She let out a short, sharp scream uncontrollably, her tightly closed eyes snapped open, and her body trembled violently as if burned, instinctively trying to dodge.

However, Su Yuqing was prepared. The moment she screamed, she gently pressed down on her shoulder with her other hand, making it impossible for her to escape easily.

"Xiaoying, you're being naughty~ People are asking you questions, how can you pretend you can't hear them?" Su Yuqing's voice was still sweet and pleasant, but her tone carried a subtle threat.

Ji Ying's cheeks flushed red from the sudden stimulation, and her dark red eyes were veiled with a thin layer of mist. She glared at Su Yuqing with a mixture of embarrassment and grievance, her chest rising and falling slightly with her rapid breathing.

Looking at Ji Ying's flushed cheeks, watery eyes, and pitiful appearance because she had "bullied" him, Su Yuqing felt as if her heart had been squeezed hard by an invisible hand.

—So cute! Xiaoying tonight seems cuter than ever before!

The helplessness she felt from being unable to undo her transformation, and the soft, cute reactions that came out of character for "Lin Che" because her thoughts were affected, all made her feel an unprecedented flutter of excitement.

Su Yuqing forcibly suppressed the strong urge in her heart to immediately hug the other person tightly and kiss them hard, but the malicious smile on her face did not diminish at all.

However, at the same time, a sense of confusion also crept into her mind.

She carefully examined the "Xiaoying" in front of her, whose cheeks were slightly puffed out in shame and indignation, making her look like a frightened little animal, and felt that something was not quite right.

Ever since Ji Ying suddenly appeared in her room in this manner, she had felt a vague sense of unease and unease.

Whether it's the pitiful, tearful look when she asks for help, or the way she curls up like a little girl who's done something wrong when she's being "interrogated" by herself, it all seems—a little too cute.

Although she had previously thought that "Xiaoying" was cute, that cuteness was more based on her petite appearance.

But tonight, Xiaoying seemed to exude a kind of pure, girlish softness and charm that was hard for even her to resist.

This level of "cuteness" even gave her the illusion, for a few moments, that Xiaoying was actually a girl.

She tilted her head in confusion, then gently poked Ji Ying's slightly flushed cheek again, tentatively asking, "Xiao Ying—no, A Che, aren't you acting a little—too strange tonight?"

"Have you ever been this soft before?"

Upon hearing Su Yuqing's doubtful words, Ji Ying felt a chill run down his spine and knew something was wrong.

She noticed?! Yuqing is still as perceptive as ever!

She immediately forced herself to calm down, shaking her head hastily and denying it in as natural a tone as possible: "Absolutely not! What do you mean by being too soft? I was just being considerate of your feelings and didn't want to seem too forceful and make you unhappy!"

Upon hearing this explanation, Su Yuqing nodded thoughtfully.

This explanation makes sense, since A-Che has always doted on her and indulged her every little whim.

Therefore, her current "at-ease" state can be loosely explained as "because she cares too much about her own feelings and therefore can't bear to refuse."

Although the subtle sense of unease in her heart had not completely disappeared, Su Yuqing did not delve further into the matter.

The suspicion on her face gradually faded, replaced by a sweet and satisfied smile: "Hehehe~ I knew you were the best to me, Che!"

Seeing that Su Yuqing seemed to have accepted his explanation, Ji Ying finally felt a temporary weight lifted from his heart, but the feeling of guilt remained undiminished.

To avoid giving the other person any clues from her expression, she simply changed to a more comfortable position, with the back of her head facing Su Yuqing's lower abdomen, avoiding the other person's gaze, and said in a muffled voice, "Hmph, good to know."

Seeing this, Su Yuqing's smile became even brighter and more cunning. She reached out and gently stroked the sensitive, itchy spots on the back of Ji Ying's neck and sides.

"But you haven't answered my question yet, Xiaoying~ Isn't it comfortable to rest your head on my lap?"

"If you don't answer honestly, I can't guarantee you won't be laughing so hard you cry from the tickling sensation again!"

"Waaah————" Ji Ying's body trembled slightly again from the sudden tingling sensation. She knew that if she continued to be stubborn or pretend to be dead, what awaited her would be even more "inhuman" torture.

After a mere fraction of a second of difficult weighing between "dignity" and "not being tickled," Ji Ying decisively chose the latter.

"Yes—it was very comfortable—" she admitted softly, her voice tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.

After saying that, she closed her eyes tightly again, expressing with her actions her strong desire to "I have answered, don't bother me anymore, I'm going to continue pretending to be dead."

However, she seemed to have completely underestimated Su Yuqing's ability to cause trouble.

Just when Ji Ying thought the "interrogation" about the lap pillow was finally over, Su Yuqing's sweet voice, tinged with a hint of danger, rang in her ears again: "So—which one is more comfortable, my lap pillow or that magical girl Xingxian's lap pillow?"

"!!!"

Almost the instant she heard the question, Ji Ying sprang up from Su Yuqing's lap. She turned her head and met the other woman's smiling eyes.

Cold sweat trickled down Ji Ying's forehead almost the instant she finished speaking.

Looking at the sweet yet unsettling smile on the other person's lips, which seemed to carry a hint of danger no matter how you looked at it, she felt a chill run down her spine, and her survival instinct surged to its peak in an instant.

Almost without hesitation, she answered rapidly, "Of course your lap pillow is more comfortable! Yuqing, yours is the best! Xingxian's—it can't compare to yours at all!"

Every word she spoke was filled with unwavering certainty, as if she feared that if she answered even a second too slowly, she would incur an even more terrible "punishment."

Hearing Ji Ying's urgent reply, Su Yuqing's smile did not diminish at all, but the sense of danger on her face seemed to intensify.

She stretched out her slender fingers, gently lifted Ji Ying's delicate chin, and said teasingly, "Oh~? Is that so?"

"How could you draw such a conclusion so confidently?"

"It seems you've thoroughly and completely experienced the lap pillow of that magical girl named Hoshino, haven't you?"

"You must have enjoyed it very, very much at the time, right?"

Ji Ying's heart sank suddenly, and he knew something was wrong.

—This guy—he's definitely not that easy to fool!

She immediately realized that her overly hasty and disclaiming answer had backfired, giving Su Yuqing a new handle to use against her.

She forced a smile, quickly organizing her thoughts, and then replied with a slightly bewildered and confused expression, "No, that didn't happen. When Xingxian gave me my lap pillow, I was already unconscious from exhaustion and couldn't feel anything!"

Su Yuqing carefully examined Ji Ying's face, which was full of sincerity and honesty. After a while, she finally nodded in satisfaction, and the smile on her face returned to its previous sweetness. The dangerous look on her face also disappeared without a trace.

She released her grip on Ji Ying's chin and began gently combing his smooth black hair again, while tenderly stroking the top of his head.

"Hmph, that's more like it."