Chương 232: The Inspector's Request

"Pah!"

With a crisp sound, time in the room seemed to be paused.

Su Yuqing, trying to get away with this joking manner, maintained a slightly forward-leaning posture, her eyes slightly wide open, her mind briefly blank.

On the other side, Ye Zixuan and Luo Bingli, who had been watching this scene with great interest, were also dumbfounded. They never expected that Xiaoying, who usually seemed so gentle, would actually take the shot.

After a brief moment of shock, Su Yuqing slowly straightened up. She subconsciously reached out and covered the area that had just been "punished." A strange tingling sensation spread rapidly from the point of contact, making her cheeks visibly hot.

Actually—it was very light, so light it was almost gentle, and she didn't feel any pain at all.

However, the first time she was "punished" in this way, she still had a very strange feeling, and for a moment she couldn't tell whether it was a physiological reaction or a psychological thrill.

She looked at Ji Ying, and stammered in a trembling, shy voice, "You—you really—did you?"

"cough----" The instigator, Ji Ying, coughed lightly, sounding somewhat awkward.

To be honest, she regretted it the moment she took the shot. It was a subconscious action made after she was blinded by Su Yuqing's "outrageous words," without any thought of it.

But what's done is done, and regret won't help.

Moreover, if he showed even the slightest bit of guilt in front of these three audacious girls, the "authority" he had painstakingly built up would vanish completely.

So she quickly withdrew her hand, which was still hanging in mid-air, and crossed her arms to appear calm. Then she retorted righteously, "Wasn't it you who asked me to punish you? You even struck that pose. I was just fulfilling your wish. Why do you still find it strange?"

"I... I was just joking!" Su Yuqing's cheeks flushed even redder. She stomped her foot in embarrassment and anger, then, as if remembering something, she immediately turned to Ye Zixuan and Luo Bingli, who were still in a daze, and accused them, "Xiaoli! Zixuan! Look at Xiaoying! She actually hit me! It's just too much—" Su Yuqing stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, because she keenly noticed that the two people's reactions seemed a little off.

After recovering from their initial shock, Ye Zixuan and Luo Bingli did not immediately step forward to "denounce" Xiao Ying as she had expected. Instead, they began to scan back and forth between herself and Xiao Ying with extremely subtle glances, and almost simultaneously, a charming blush appeared on their cheeks.

They instantly realized a fact—it turned out that Yuqing had said Xiaoying had "punished" her in that way last night.

It's really true?!

For a moment, their gazes toward Jiying were filled with a suspicious expectation.

So, does Xiaoying really use this method to "punish" those close to her?

—This kind of intimacy—is it—not unacceptable? In fact—it even seems kind of appealing?

After catching the dangerous signal in the eyes of the two, Su Yuqing's alarm bells went off immediately. She immediately understood that these two guys really believed it, and that they definitely wanted to be "punished" by Xiaoying in the same way!

How could this be?!

Realizing that her "exclusive rights" were facing an unprecedented threat, Su Yuqing immediately stopped her accusations and tried to brush it off, but it was too late.

Ye Zixuan immediately seized the opportunity and said with a gentle smile, "Yuqing, you asked Xiaoying to do this yourself, and Xiaoying just did what you asked, so she didn't do anything wrong."

"However—" she changed the subject, her beautiful eyes sparkling with anticipation, "since we are partners who have stood together through thick and thin, and accomplices in doing bad things to Xiaoying, then it is only natural that we should both be punished."

"Xiao Li, you said it—right?"

As she spoke, she turned around and gave Luo Bingli, who was beside her, an encouraging look.

Looking at Su Yuqing's expression, which suddenly turned somewhat frightened, and then at Ye Zixuan's expectant look, Luo Bingli hesitated briefly before finally succumbing to her inner desire.

Her face flushed, and she nodded gently. Although she didn't speak, her shy and expectant expression revealed her true thoughts completely.

—Look, it really has turned out like this!

Upon hearing this, Ji Ying felt an immense headache coming on. She had immediately regretted slapping him afterward.

Based on her deep understanding of these girls, she almost instantly foresaw the extremely terrible chain reaction that might follow.

And things turned out exactly as she expected.

She immediately glared fiercely at Su Yuqing, her eyes clearly conveying the message, "Look what you've done! Clean up this mess for me now."

Seeing this, Su Yuqing smiled and returned the look with a "Don't worry, leave it all to me" expression.

The next moment, she rushed forward and hugged Ji Ying's leg again. Then, in a tearful and remorseful tone, she apologized loudly, "Xiao Ying, I was wrong! I shouldn't have joked about what you did to me last night just to get away with it. It's all my fault, please forgive me!"

As she spoke, she secretly observed Ye Zixuan and Luo Bingli's reactions out of the corner of her eye.

Sure enough, after hearing her self-disclosure, the expressions on the two girls' faces instantly changed from full of anticipation to doubt.

Ji Ying silently gave Su Yuqing a thumbs up for her wit in her heart, while on the surface she continued to maintain that "still angry" look and tried her best to cooperate with the other party's performance.

She crossed her arms, looked down at the girl who was still clinging to her leg, and asked with a snort, "Oh? Now you know you were wrong?"

Have you reflected on this properly?

"Yes, yes! I've reflected on it! I've reflected on it deeply!" Su Yuqing nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at rice, her eyes watery as she looked at Ji Ying, looking as pitiful as could be.

Ji Ying then nodded with feigned satisfaction. She reached out and gently patted Su Yuqing's head, saying in a tone tinged with warning, "That was your punishment for slandering me. Remember, don't do it again."

"Yes! I'll never do it again!"

Su Yuqing immediately and firmly assured him, and she truly meant it. She had almost gotten herself into trouble jokingly; she wouldn't do such a losing proposition a second time.

Ji Ying then turned her gaze to the two girls beside her. She reached out and pinched Su Yuqing's soft cheeks, pulling them apart forcefully, while explaining, "You two heard that too, right? This guy tried to slander me with those weird words to get away with it, which is why I taught him a lesson."

"So, don't get the wrong idea, I'm not the kind of person who would do that kind of thing to a girl so easily."

Ye Zixuan and Luo Bingli looked at Su Yuqing, whose cheeks were being pinched and who was still whimpering, and then at the matter-of-fact expression on Ji Ying's face.

Although she felt an undeniable disappointment deep down because she couldn't have the same things done for her, she could only helplessly accept this "truth."

After the farce was completely over, Su Yuqing shook her head to free her face from being pinched, and darted onto the bed. While fawningly massaging Ji Ying's shoulders, she said ingratiatingly, "Xiao Ying, you see, I've already admitted my mistake, and you've already punished me. How about we just let this morning's events go?"

"You—" Ji Ying looked at the other person with some helplessness. Although there were some unexpected events along the way, the girl still achieved her ultimate goal of getting through the test by pretending to be innocent.

After this incident, she wasn't in the mood to pursue the previous "secret filming" matter anymore.

So she nodded slightly, which was taken as an agreement.

Seeing this, Su Yuqing breathed a long sigh of relief, and then immediately asked with a smile, "It's getting late, Xiaoli and I should go wash up and get ready for school."

"Xiaoying, what are your plans for today? Are you coming to school with us too?"

Ji Ying knew that Su Yuqing was asking him in a rather tactful way whether he planned to use the ability he had last night to transform into his original form and go to school today.

After a moment's thought, she shook her head slightly and replied, "No, I plan to find a quiet place first to familiarize myself with my new abilities."

"Then, I need to go to the Bureau of Extraordinary Events again to explain in detail what happened yesterday to Director Roland. Also—I have some very important questions I want to ask him in person."

"I see—" Su Yuqing nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any more questions.

She then turned her gaze to Ye Zixuan and asked casually, "And what about you, Zixuan? Your school isn't here, so you can't possibly go to class with us, can you?"

"Let me make this clear first: if you want to continue staying at my house, I have no objection."

"But if my parents find out, you'll have to figure out how to explain it yourself. I won't cover for you."

"Is that alright?" Ye Zixuan asked in surprise.

"What does it matter?" Su Yuqing turned her head to the side and snorted.

"Just think of it as—hiring a free housekeeper."

Ye Zixuan pondered for a moment, then gently shook her head and said her plan: "No, I plan to go back to my temporary residence in this city first, and then—I will also go to your school."

"Before class, could we meet at that abandoned school building where we first met?"

"Huh?" All three of them immediately showed expressions of surprise.

"It's possible, but why?" Su Yuqing asked somewhat.

Ye Zixuan replied with a smile, "I'll be staying there until lunch break, so could you please bring me some things over?"

Luo Bingli gently pushed open the wooden door of the familiar classroom in the old school building, and the hinges made a slightly harsh scraping sound.

Behind the desk in the center of the classroom, which had been wiped relatively clean, a familiar figure was already waiting there.

- Ye Zixuan had changed out of the white dress she wore yesterday and put on a simple light gray crew neck sweatshirt, paired with dark blue jeans and a pair of light white sneakers. Her long black hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, making her look youthful and capable.

Upon seeing the two arrive, she gave them a gentle smile and waved lightly.

Luo Bingli quickly stepped forward, handed over the cloth bag in her hand, and said softly, "Zixuan, these are the stationery and notebooks you need, and also—the textbooks and corresponding reference books that Yuqing won't need this morning."

Ye Zixuan took the not-so-light bag, her eyes pausing slightly. She first sincerely thanked Luo Bingli, then turned her gaze to Su Yuqing who was following behind: "Yuqing, thank you for the textbooks and reference books too, they really helped a lot."

"Hmph, unbelievable!" Su Yuqing crossed her arms and looked Ye Zixuan up and down with some annoyance, as well as at the notebook in front of her that was open and already had a lot of writing on it.

"You summoned us here all mysteriously, asking us to bring you things, but your real purpose was to study in a place like this for the entire morning?!"

"Of course." Ye Zixuan nodded and answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "After all, putting aside my identity as an inspector, I am also a first-year high school student, so I can't fall behind in my studies."

"You don't need to push yourself to this extent, do you? You were seriously injured yesterday. Wouldn't it be better for you to just rest at home today and recover?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Zixuan simply shook her head slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes: "I don't have as much time as you think. As you know, dealing with Jing Jue will definitely take up most of my energy in the coming days."

"If I don't use this remaining spare time to study, my grades will plummet very quickly."

"But—won't that be tiring?" Su Yuqing asked hesitantly, looking at Ye Zixuan's nonchalant expression.

"Tired? Of course I am," Ye Zixuan readily admitted, but then gave a slightly complicated smile.

"But how should I put it—you'll get used to it."

".""

Upon hearing this answer, Su Yuqing fell silent for a moment.

She suddenly had a more intuitive understanding of what Ji Ying had told her last night about Ye Zixuan's behavioral patterns and unique way of relaxing.

After hesitating for a moment, she didn't try to dissuade him any further, but said somewhat sullenly, "—Whatever, just don't exhaust yourself."

Luo Bingli, however, was more concerned about another issue. She leaned closer to Ye Zixuan and whispered, "Um—Zixuan, you changed your clothes when you went back to your temporary residence, right? These clothes—are they alright now?"

Ye Zixuan understood the true meaning behind Luo Bingli's words. She gave a playful smile and winked at Luo Bingli, replying, "Don't worry, Xiaoli, I've changed it thoroughly inside and out. The size is perfect."

"Mm." Luo Bingli nodded gently, relieved.

Su Yuqing obviously didn't understand the conversation between the two, but she still asked curiously, "Speaking of which, why do you insist on studying here?"

"My home is much nicer than this. After you change your clothes, wouldn't it be better if you just went to my place?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Zixuan's smile faded slightly, and her expression turned serious.

She glanced at Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli in turn, and said in a deep voice, "Because I plan to give you some special training during your lunch break."

"Special training?" Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli asked at the same time, both showing surprise on their faces.

"That's right." Ye Zixuan nodded solemnly.

"Jing Jue has only temporarily gone into hiding, and I have a strong feeling that he will make a new move soon."

"During this time, I will teach you all the magic control techniques I have mastered, as well as some practical combat experience, without reservation, to improve your combat power as much as possible."

"But let me make this clear first: once the special training begins, I will be extremely strict. There will be absolutely no leniency. You guys—are you okay with that?"

"I'm fine." Luo Bingli nodded firmly.

Su Yuqing confidently raised her chin and retorted, "What problem could there be? As for you, with all this studying and special training, don't exhaust yourself first."

"Thank you for your concern, I'll be fine." Ye Zixuan's face showed a gentle smile again.

"Since no one objects—shall we meet again during lunch break?"

"Okay, see you later."

99 Su Yuqing and Luo Bingli nodded at the same time and then left the classroom.