Chương 206: Ye Zixuan's Thoughts

As night deepened, warm steam rose from the bathroom on the second floor of the Lin family villa, enveloping the entire space in a hazy white mist and isolating it from all outside noise.

Ye Zixuan tilted her head back slightly, leaned against the edge of the bathtub, and immersed her entire body in the perfectly heated water. Her long, jet-black hair was pinned up in a high bun, revealing her slender, white swan neck.

Water droplets slid slowly down her smooth skin, across her slightly flushed cheeks, and finally dripped onto the water's surface, creating tiny ripples.

Feeling the comfort and ease brought by the hot water, the nerves that had been tense all day and the body that was weak from the exhaustion of magic power were greatly relieved at this moment.

This was the first time since she came to this city that she could relax so freely, without any worries. The strange feeling of being enveloped in warmth and comfort almost made her fall into a deep sleep.

Ye Zixuan slowly closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift freely in the quiet space filled with steam. The lively and warm scene at dinner uncontrollably resurfaced in her mind, every detail as clear as if it were right in front of her.

It was a scene completely different from all her memories of dining in the past ten years of her life.

There were no rigid etiquettes, no strict rules, and no cold, scrutinizing gaze from her father, as if he would reprimand her harshly at any moment for the slightest flaw.

Yes, there was only Aunt Su Wanyi's warm smile, like a spring breeze, and the irresistible care she showed when she enthusiastically served her food.

It was that little girl named Xiaoye, with her innocent and wide eyes, who secretly put her favorite chicken leg into her own bowl, and that pure kindness.

It was the relaxed and natural laughter and banter between Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli, and the undisguised acceptance and closeness they showed when they looked at him.

All of this felt so novel and so warm to her.

She subconsciously tried to abide by the strict table manners she had been taught since childhood, but she repeatedly "broke the rules" amidst everyone's enthusiastic atmosphere.

She accepted the food offered by her elders, responded to the little girl's innocent sharing, and even—when she heard Su Yuqing tell that not-at-all-funny joke—she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Every time she "broke the rules," a sense of instinctive fear would rise within her, as if she were about to be met with her father's stern reprimand.

But the expected cold rebuke did not come; instead, she was greeted only by everyone's gentler and more tolerant smiles.

At her own family's dining table, if she dared to do any of the things listed above, she would only be met with her father's cold, piercing rebuke—"Ye Zixuan, where are your rules?"

And then there's Luo Bingli.

The girl who appeared somewhat aloof and reserved after her transformation was removed would smile and respond to the concern of Lin Chen and his wife, skillfully remove fish bones for Su Xiaoye, and have brief but tacit interactions with Su Yuqing.

That ease and comfort made her seem like she had already become a part of the family, a stark contrast to the new guest who sat upright, every movement seemingly calculated, and appeared out of place.

So this is what true "home" feels like?

—So, it's okay to laugh while eating! — It turns out that being cared for by elders is such a warm feeling that makes you want to cry.

Ye Zixuan submerged herself deeper into the hot water, letting the warm liquid cover her mouth, as if trying to draw more warmth in this way to dispel the loneliness and bitterness in her heart that was becoming increasingly intense due to the contrast.

Just then, a slight noise came from outside the frosted glass sliding door of the bathroom, and a familiar figure appeared behind the door, interrupting her thoughts.

"—Zixuan? It's me."

It was Luo Bingli's voice.

Ye Zixuan sat up a little straighter in the water and replied, "Xiao Li? What's wrong?"

"I bought you some clean underwear, it's on the shelf by the door, remember to take it."

"Ah—okay, thank you, Xiao Li," Ye Zixuan said politely.

"It's nothing, you can continue taking a bath," Luo Bingli paused, "You just went through a fierce battle with Jing Jue, you must be very tired, you need to relax properly."

"Yes, I feel much better now," Ye Zixuan replied with a smile.

After receiving a response, Luo Bingli, who was outside the door, did not leave immediately.

She leaned against the wall by the door, her mind uncontrollably replaying the image of Ye Zixuan at dinner, how she tried to smile but couldn't hide her inner estrangement and unease.

—She—looked preoccupied—and although she was trying to fit in with us, she wasn't happy at all.

—I wonder if she's alone now—is she overthinking things, like I used to, surrounded by kindness, yet still unable to resist falling into my own world and feeling lonely— A feeling that was hard to describe welled up in Luo Bingli's heart. She wanted to ask and confirm her guess, and to tell the other person that she could understand that feeling.

—But—wouldn't that be too presumptuous? What if she feels like I'm invading her privacy? —But if I don't say anything, she might continue to be upset, right?

After a brief hesitation, empathy stemming from her own experience and concern for her new companion ultimately overwhelmed Luo Bingli's timidity, and her somewhat hesitant voice rang out again: "Um—Zixuan, at the dinner table just now—did you—?"

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, as if regretting her actions.

Lost in her own thoughts, Ye Zixuan hadn't quite heard the other person's unfinished words. She tilted her head in confusion and instinctively asked, "—What?"

"ah----" Upon hearing this question, Luo Bingli, standing outside the door, trembled violently, like a startled animal.

What should I do? —Should I say it again? No, no —It will definitely make her think it's strange. Why did I suddenly ask such a question?

Perhaps we should leave first; asking so abruptly would definitely put her in a difficult position.

"—It's nothing!" The voice outside the door suddenly became flustered.

"Sorry to bother you, please continue taking a bath and relax."

With a few hurried footsteps, the figure outside the door quickly left.

Ye Zixuan was stunned for a moment. Of course, she hadn't really heard nothing. She immediately understood what Luo Bingli was trying to ask in her unfinished question.

She stared blankly at the tightly closed glass door for a long time before immersing herself deeper into the warm water, revealing only half of her face, a slightly bitter smile playing on her lips.

Did she discover the real unease and helplessness I felt, hidden beneath my shy and reserved exterior?

Involuntarily, she recalled the stubborn way Ruri argued with her in the abandoned school building during the day to protect her senior.

That straightforwardness and unyielding spirit formed a stark contrast to Luo Bingli, who now panicked and retreated at the slightest unintentional question.

A strange and indescribable feeling welled up in Ye Zixuan's heart. It was not the embarrassment of having her secret exposed, but rather a kind of warmth of being understood.

She originally thought that, apart from their common enemy and her concern for Xiaoying, she would not have much interaction with this aloof girl in the short term.

Unexpectedly, the first person to see through his inner pretense was her.

Immediately, her thoughts drifted uncontrollably to the petite figure who hadn't appeared at the dining table.

—If—if Xiaoying was also among the people sitting at that table just now—would she have noticed my unusual behavior?

Will she understand why I am the way I am, just like Xiao Li does?

—She's so gentle, she definitely will, right?

The thought uncontrollably welled up from the bottom of her heart, and an extremely urgent desire rose within her—she wanted to see Xiaoying immediately, to talk to her, to confirm her guess.

This thought made it impossible for her to enjoy the peace and tranquility that belonged only to her anymore.

Without further hesitation, Ye Zixuan immediately got out of the bathtub, water droplets sliding down her graceful body curves, leaving glistening marks on her smooth, fair skin.

She picked up a bath towel, carefully dried her body, and then unpacked the brand-new set of underwear that Luo Bingli had just delivered.

However, when Ye Zixuan put on the light blue cotton underwear, an extremely strange expression appeared on her delicate face.

She lowered her head slightly, glanced at the slightly tight fabric in front of her chest, and felt the equally uncomfortable restraint behind her, a big question mark rising in her mind.

"Is this size... a little... not quite right?"

After escaping from the bathroom door, Luo Bingli felt a flustered sense of unease from almost revealing someone's secret, which took her a while to calm down.

She knew she wasn't good at handling that kind of situation, so after a deep sigh, she pushed open the door and entered Su Yuqing's bedroom. Immediately, a scene that caught her off guard and was full of strong impact came into view.

Su Yuqing was pressing Ji Ying, whom Xing Xian had been longing to see, tightly onto the bed with an irresistible force.

With a mischievous grin on her face, her hands "cultivated" the other person's petite body like a diligent gardener, while she let out excited laughter that was hard to decipher.

"Su Yuqing! Stop it! Stop scratching! It tickles so much—haha—stop it now!"

While protesting with a mixture of groans and laughter, Ji Ying waved her small hands in vain, trying to break free from the other party's clutches, but her insignificant strength was utterly worthless in front of Su Yuqing.

Her delicate face, flushed red with shame and itching, even had a few glistening tears, making her look pitiful and further arousing the "playfulness" of one of the abusers.

"Hehehe~ No way! I worked so hard downstairs to deal with your parents and solve this huge problem of you not being able to go home, and you, not only did you conspire with Xiao Li to hide it from me, but you were also seen hugging and kissing that woman named Xingxian outside."

"Tonight, I'm going to punish you properly!"

The moment Ji Ying saw Luo Bingli enter, his dark red eyes, which had been veiled with tears, suddenly lit up. He reached out to her and cried out in an almost mournful voice, "Little Li! Quick—come save me!"

Looking at the scene before her, which felt so familiar, and then glancing at the lonely figure on the bed who was looking at her with eyes full of expectation and pleading, Luo Bingli sighed silently in her heart.

She walked slowly into the room, closed the door behind her, and then walked to the two of them and said softly, "Yuqing, don't bully Xiaoying."

"Oh? Xiao Li, you're back?" Upon hearing this, Su Yuqing temporarily stopped her mischievous actions.

She looked up and gave her friend standing by the bed an innocent smile, as if the little devil who was pinning Ji Ying down on the bed and "bullying" her was not her at all.

"Speaking of which, didn't you also keep something from me, Xiao Li? How about it, want to try my punishment like Xiao Ying did?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Bingli trembled, as if recalling some unpleasant memories. She immediately waved her hands and retreated, while giving Ji Ying, whose face showed despair, a helpless expression.

Seeing this, Su Yuqing's smile deepened. She loosened her grip on Jiying, cleared her throat, and announced, "Alright, the first phase of punishment is temporarily over."

"Now, it's time to talk about how you're making amends to me."

Ji Ying finally managed to get out of bed. While rubbing her aching waist, she retorted irritably, "When did I hug and cuddle with Xing Xuan? She was the one hugging me, okay? Besides—I was unconscious at the time!"

"Now you're not only using this as a reason to punish me, but you're also demanding compensation from me—is that reasonable?"

"But we still hugged, so what's unreasonable about it?" Su Yuqing said unreasonably.

"Besides, what about the fact that I helped you hide something from Mom and Dad again?"

"Ugh————" This sentence struck at Jiying's Achilles' heel.

She glared at Su Yuqing with a accusing look in her eyes, very reluctant to agree to the other party's request, but she also knew that she was in the absolute wrong at the moment and had no room for rebuttal.

In the end, she could only lower her head in humiliation and mutter in a barely audible voice, "—You tell me—whatever you do—that's what I'll do—"

"That's more like it." Su Yuqing nodded in satisfaction.

As if by magic, she pulled out several sets of pajamas from the wardrobe beside the bed and laid them out in front of Ji Ying one by one, like displaying merchandise.

"My request is simple," she said, pointing to the pajamas on the bed with a wicked grin.

"As punishment for making me so worried today and flirting with other women, now, immediately, go and change into one of these so I can have a good look at you."

A onesie with a cat-ear hood, a loose nightgown adorned with ruffles, even a camisole with lace trim — Jiying looked at the pajamas in front of her, each with its own unique style, all of which were undeniably cute, but which in her eyes were nothing short of torture instruments. Her face was filled with resistance, and she felt that her dignity was being ruthlessly trampled on.

But under Su Yuqing's unquestionable gaze, she finally had no choice but to choose the one that seemed the least embarrassing to her and the most "ordinary" to Su Yuqing—a light blue short-sleeved pajama set with cute floral prints.

"Hey~ why did you choose this outfit? It's so boring and has no style at all." Su Yuqing pouted in dissatisfaction upon seeing this.

Ji Ying ignored the other person's teasing, her face flushed with embarrassment, and began to change into her combat suit with extremely slow movements.

However, just as she was about to take off her long trench coat, Su Yuqing's bright eyes were staring at her intently.

"You—turn around!" She immediately stopped, embarrassed and annoyed, and protested, "How can I change my position if you're staring at me like that?!"

"What does it matter? We're all girls," Su Yuqing retorted confidently.

Although she said that, seeing the fiery look in Ji Ying's eyes, she finally let out a soft snort and reluctantly turned around.

Seeing this, Ji Ying breathed a sigh of relief, blushed, and quickly changed out of her combat suit, putting on the adorable pajamas that she found incredibly embarrassing.

"I'm all changed—" she said in a barely audible voice after completing this difficult task.

Su Yuqing immediately turned around, and her eyes lit up the moment she saw Ji Ying's current appearance.

"Wow! So cute!" she exclaimed sincerely.

Luo Bingli, standing to the side, also stared intently at Ji Ying, nodding repeatedly in agreement, her eyes filled with amazement.

"Hmph—" Ji Ying tugged at the corner of her clothes somewhat uncomfortably.

Before me, large expanses of fair skin were exposed on her arms and legs. She was wearing a slightly loose pink and blue nightgown, which made her petite figure appear even more delicate and adorable.

Her long, smooth, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, paired with her delicate face flushed red with embarrassment, and her large, dark red, watery eyes—her allure increased exponentially.

Such a scene almost made Su Yuqing want to rush over and hug the other person tightly and cherish them.

However, after suddenly realizing something, she forcibly suppressed the desire in her heart and revealed an expression containing genuine worry.

She looked at Jiying and asked seriously, "Jingying—seriously, when will you be able to end your transformation normally?"

We'll use the excuse of "Zixuan staying over tonight" to cover for you, but what about tomorrow? You can't stay away from home for three nights in a row, can you? Mom and Dad will definitely get suspicious!

Upon hearing this question, Luo Bingli immediately dropped her joking expression and looked at Jiying with a similarly worried gaze.

Faced with the two girls' worries, Ji Ying's embarrassment and helplessness faded away. She remained silent for a moment, seemingly pondering something. After a long while, under the expectant and nervous gazes of the two girls, she revealed a reassuring smile and slowly said, "Don't worry, regarding this problem—I—have a way to solve it."

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