Chương 208: The Challenger's Trump Card

Ye Zixuan's stunned state lasted for less than two seconds.

After a brief moment of shock, she quickly suppressed her inner turmoil, relying on her exceptional qualities as an inspector, and began a calm analysis.

What caught her attention first was not the visually striking behavior of Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli, but rather—a simple yet incredibly bizarre fact—the anomaly in numbers.

—Xiaoying——There are two? What's going on?

The moment this thought flashed through her mind, her gaze immediately fell on the two people in the center of the room, "Su Yuqing" and "Luo Bingli," who remained kneeling with no expression on their faces. A hint of understanding flashed in her clear eyes.

—So that's how it is, is it a clone?

She was unaware that Jiying possessed the ability to create shadows, but the scene unfolding before her eyes immediately led her to the judgment closest to the truth— There was only one real Xiaoying in the room, while the other two, along with the two motionless figures in the center of the room, were clones she created using some kind of ability she didn't understand.

So———— Her gaze darted rapidly between the two tightly embracing figures on the bed, her keen observation allowing her to instantly distinguish the real body from the clone— The little shadow, who was being held in Luo Bingli's arms and was wearing a long black trench coat, also had a look of utter despair on her face, but her eyes were slightly vacant, as if she was passively responding to the main body's reaction through some kind of connection between the clone and the main body.

The figure pinned beneath Su Yuqing, dressed in adorable pink and blue pajamas, with flushed cheeks and even a few glistening tears in the corners of her eyes, looking utterly pitiful—that was the real Xiaoying!

The answer is self-evident; the shame, helplessness, and embarrassment are so real that they are heartbreaking.

In Ji Ying's watery, dark red eyes, Ye Zixuan clearly caught the pleading look he unconsciously cast at her when he saw her.

—Is Xiaoying asking me for help?!

This realization struck Ye Zixuan like an electric current, instantly igniting her protective instincts.

She glanced at Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli on the bed with a slightly unfriendly look, then strode into the room, closing the door behind her with a crisp click of the lock, declaring that this "farce" was not to be disturbed by outsiders.

"What are you doing?" she demanded in a cold but firm voice.

"Let Xiaoying go right now!"

Meanwhile, Su Yuqing, whose little hand had already reached under Ji Ying's pajamas and was preparing to "go further," felt a little embarrassed and guilty after being interrupted by this sudden intrusion and questioning.

After all, when he did those things to Xiaoying, only Xiaoli was watching from the side, and she was his "accomplice".

But Ye Zixuan in front of her was not only a newly acquainted partner, but also—a "love rival" who wanted to steal A-Che, who belonged only to her. Her skin wasn't thick enough to completely ignore the other person's presence and continue those intimate interactions with Xiao Ying.

She groaned reluctantly, sat up in bed, and released her hold on Ji Ying, finally allowing him to catch his breath.

"Hahahaha" Ji Ying lay on the soft bed, her chest heaving violently as she greedily inhaled the fresh air, her flushed cheeks filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

Meanwhile, Luo Bingli blushed and was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

She was reluctant to let go of the "shadow" in her arms, which felt exactly like a real person, but she didn't know how to face Ye Zixuan's scrutinizing gaze. In the end, she could only bury her head deeply in the "shadow's" arms and act like an ostrich.

However, her subconscious action brought another unexpected "blow" to an innocent victim who had just been freed from "torture".

Just as Su Yuqing released her, Ji Ying felt as if her body was about to fall apart. Suddenly, she felt a strange, warm, and soft sensation on her flat, smooth abdomen. Her body stiffened abruptly, and her mind went blank for a moment.

That was the feeling of Luo Bingli's soft hair and delicate cheek skin pressed tightly against her as she buried her head in her face.

"Huh—?!"

—W-what's going on?! What is Xiao Li doing?!

This dramatic accident naturally went unnoticed by Su Yuqing and Ye Zixuan, who were in a standoff.

After her initial guilty conscience, Su Yuqing quickly adjusted her mindset. She coughed twice, forcibly suppressing her embarrassment, and looked Ye Zixuan up and down, who had changed into a long white nightgown. She took the initiative to say, "Oh, the beauty has just come out of the bath? You look beautiful even now. How was the bath?"

"Thank you for the compliment. The water temperature is just right; I'm enjoying a very comfortable soak," Ye Zixuan replied. Then, her gaze sharpened, and she steered the conversation back on track, "But—what were you doing just now?"

"I was just about to say that too!" Su Yuqing immediately retorted, dissatisfied.

"Even though I invited you to my house, couldn't you at least knock before coming in? It's really scary, okay?"

"If you had knocked, I wouldn't have been able to see what just happened," Ye Zixuan stated calmly, her dark eyes remaining completely unmoved.

"Xiaoying is a very important person to me, and I can't just ignore the behavior of bullying her."

"You call this bullying?" Su Yuqing looked at her with some surprise.

"I was clearly just interacting intimately with Xiaoying, wasn't I?"

"Didn't you see how unwilling Xiaoying looked?" Ye Zixuan pointed to Jiying on the bed, who was still panting heavily, her cheeks flushed, and even had tears in the corners of her eyes. Then she asked, "Not only did you pin her down, but you also put your hand inside her—" At this point, Ye Zixuan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she couldn't continue.

"—Isn't this bullying her?"

As Su Yuqing listened to Ye Zixuan's accusations, she recalled Ye Zixuan's declaration of war at the unfinished building that she would "become the most special person in Xiaoying's heart," as well as her astonishing statement that "I have already fallen in love with her." Her vigilance instantly rose to its highest level.

Oh, I see. This woman—she's here to cause trouble!

She gave a soft hum, but instead of letting go of Ji Ying, she leaned down and pulled the petite girl, who was still breathing slightly, back into her arms in front of Ye Zixuan. She then affectionately rubbed her soft cheek against hers, demonstrating her absolute dominance through her actions.

Then, she looked up, a sweet and harmless smile on her face, and said to Ye Zixuan in a slightly confused and innocent tone, "Hey? Zixuan, what are you talking about? We're not bullying Xiaoying."

"This is just a special way for Xiaoying and me to strengthen our bond," she said.

"You see, Xiaoying herself enjoys it, right?"

As she spoke, she deliberately reached out her finger and gently pinched Ji Ying's soft cheek, causing him to let out a powerless groan filled with humiliation.

"Ugh—!"

"But Zixuan, why are you so excited?" Su Yuqing tilted her head and continued to ask in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Could it be—you want to join us too?"

"However, this kind of thing can only be done between people like us who are very close to her. Zixuan, you and Xiaoying have only just met. If you do this to Xiaoying, it will scare her."

Su Yuqing's speech, which could be described as that of a tea master, and her feigned innocence, made Ye Zixuan frown slightly.

But what truly made her heart skip a beat was that seemingly casual question—"Could it be—you want to join us too?"

This question directly revealed her deepest, most hidden desires.

Yes, of course she wanted to.

Of course, she longed to be like them, to hold Xiaoying tightly without any reservations.

From the first night they met, when she felt the tenderness and acceptance in the other person that she had never experienced before, she had always longed for that soft and warm embrace.

Even when she was defeated by Mirror Lord in the Mirror Maze and was about to lose consciousness completely, apart from the uncontrollable guilt she felt towards Senior Starfrost, the rest of her mind was filled with a humble longing to "hug Little Shadow one more time".

"" Ye Zixuan could clearly hear the true meaning behind Su Yuqing's words—her relationship with Xiaoying was not close enough, she was still an "outsider," so—she was not qualified yet.

This feeling of being excluded made her feel extremely uneasy and resentful.

On the surface, Ye Zixuan maintained her righteous and indignant demeanor. She crossed her arms and met Su Yuqing's gaze without backing down, calmly retorting, "I don't think Xiaoying is enjoying herself at all. She was clearly forced to stay with you, otherwise she wouldn't be looking so pitiful now."

She gave a soft "humph," her sharp black eyes seeming to see right through people, pinpointing the crux of the matter: "In my opinion, it's obvious that you took advantage of Xiaoying's fear of hurting you and her reluctance to refuse you, forcing her to do this, right?"

"If it were me—I would definitely be much gentler with her."

"That is—" Su Yuqing was speechless for a moment.

She was also struck by the other person's sharp words, which accurately revealed her true thoughts, and for a moment she didn't know how to refute them.

In a sense, Ye Zixuan was absolutely right.

She knew that Xiaoying wasn't really willing to be forced to do those things; every time, she would resist and struggle.

However, in this form, without using her ethereal power, she is far too weak, making it easy to ignore her feeble struggles. Instead, her adorable appearance only fuels the desire to "bully" her.

From the very beginning, she relied on the unique favoritism and tolerance that the "A-Che" soul within Xiao Ying gave her, which allowed her to do those things that Ye Zixuan considered "bullying" without any restraint.

She knew this better than anyone else.

But isn't this a manifestation of the unique bond between them?

Doesn't this precisely demonstrate that even if Xiaoying is unwilling, she will tolerate her own willfulness and not actually use her virtual energy to resist?

He clearly understands nothing about his relationship with Xiaoying, yet he shamelessly declares that he wants to become the most special person in her heart and steal away her favorite A-Che.

This woman—she's absolutely despicable!

Thinking of this, Su Yuqing's slight unease vanished instantly, replaced by an even stronger sense of "hostility" and a fighting spirit to defeat the other party.

However, before she could even organize her thoughts to retaliate, Ye Zixuan had already proven her earlier declaration with her actions.

Taking advantage of the brief moment when Su Yuqing was stunned by being exposed, she quickly stepped forward and sat on the bed. She stretched out her arms and pulled the petite girl, who was still breathing slightly, out of Su Yuqing's arms.

Immediately, she turned around and, with an extremely gentle gesture and just the right amount of strength, hugged Ji Ying tightly into her arms.

"See?" Ye Zixuan lowered her head slightly, looking tenderly at Jiying in her arms, who seemed somewhat bewildered by the sudden change, and a smug smile appeared on her face.

Then she looked up at the bewildered Su Yuqing and continued, "Wasn't my hugging Xiaoying much gentler than your rough approach just now?"

"You—you—!" After a brief moment of stunned silence, Su Yuqing reacted immediately, her pretty face flushing crimson. She pointed at Ye Zixuan, her voice trembling slightly with anger, "Let Xiaoying go! Quickly—give her back to me!"

"I don't want to."

Ye Zixuan hugged Ji Ying even tighter in her arms, and at the same time, she deliberately turned to the side, using her body to block Su Yuqing's view of Ji Ying.

"Compared to your rough methods," she continued provocatively, "Xiaoying is definitely more comfortable and relaxed in my arms, isn't she?"

Contrary to Ye Zixuan's expectations, Su Yuqing's gaze was not entirely fixed on Ji Ying at this moment.

Almost instantly, her gaze was completely drawn to Ye Zixuan's curves, which were quite striking even from the side and made even more alluring by the fitted nightgown.

Seeing her favorite Xiaoying's tiny head nestled so perfectly in that softness she could never reach, Su Yuqing's eyes almost blazed with fire.

She ground her back teeth, and after a brief moment of gathering her strength, she lunged at her again, yelling, "Let her go! Xiaoying can't breathe with you holding her like that!"

Luo Bingli, who had been quietly staying in the corner of the bed, moved further to a safer corner after seeing the two girls start arguing again. She silently hugged "Shadow Xiaoying" in her arms.

She glanced with some concern at Jiying, who was caught in the middle and seemed to have completely given up resisting. She subconsciously rubbed her cheek against the clone in her arms, as if seeking some kind of comfort.

Luckily, I have one here.

Ye Zixuan reacted quickly, nimbly dodging Su Yuqing's attack once again, preventing the other party from snatching Jiying from her arms.

Seeing Su Yuqing's exasperated expression, she revealed an even more smug smile, then dropped a bombshell that was enough to crush the other woman: "And, speaking of close relationships—"

"When Xiaoying and I first met, she let me hug her, and—she hugged me for quite a long time."

She deliberately softened her voice, looking at Su Yuqing's somewhat puzzled expression, and continued in a boastful tone, enunciating each word clearly: "It's—the first time we've met."

"So, when you and Xiaoying first met, she willingly let you hug her?"

"On this point, no matter how you look at it—I've won, right?"

Upon hearing these words, Su Yuqing froze instantly.

She sat there, stunned, her beautiful eyes widening in utter shock. After a long while, she asked in an incredulous tone, "—What did you say—?"

In Ye Zixuan's arms, Ji Ying, who had been somewhat dazed due to Su Yuqing's previous "torture" and the subsequent struggle between the two girls, instantly regained full consciousness after realizing which matter Ye Zixuan had just mentioned that she had deliberately concealed from them.

Without even turning her head, she could immediately feel the icy, piercing gaze fixed on her, and she could imagine the "kind" expression on the face of the person who was looking at her.

At this moment, all that remained in her heart was endless despair.

over---- Ruined!

>