Chapter 198: Shh~

Wei Er Wei, as soon as the video was halfway through and she sensed the atmosphere turning strange, silently slipped to the side of the screen.

At this moment, a twisted expression—like she wanted to laugh after a successful prank but dared not be too brazen—was on her face; she carefully, inch by inch, tried to shift her body toward the nearest porch exit.

Sitting in Ailixiya's arms, Xi Lian, though not fully grasping the exact meaning of the term "female copper," had, through the well‑edited, clearly pointed video just now, used basic logic to piece together a rough understanding.

(Like, likes women...? And it's a very proactive, very... clingy kind of liking?)

Thinking of Ailixiya's enthusiastic embrace, her hands and feet, and the arm still looped around her waist at this moment...

Xi Lian suddenly felt a chill down her back, and an inexplicable sense of danger quietly rose.

She, cautiously and with as little movement as possible to avoid startling the "danger source" behind her, gently shifted her body and, in a voice as thin as a mosquito, said, "Um… AiLi Xi Ya, I… I want to get down…"

It was as if her voice broke the spell of silence.

"Cough."

Hua let out a sudden cough, sprang to her feet with a swish, moving far more broadly than usual.

"I… I just remembered some martial issues I need to contemplate alone. I must excuse myself."

She finished a bit quickly, not waiting for anyone's response, and grabbed the still‑unsettled Li Su Shang, "Su Shang, come with me; there are some… um, fundamentals I need to test you on."

"Eh? Grandmaster? Wait…"

Li Su Shang's voice faded away at the end of the corridor as the two sped off.

Almost simultaneously, the shadow where Sakura stood rippled slightly, and the next moment it was empty, leaving only a faint, nearly vanished chill of cherry blossom in the air.

Wei Er Wei, seeing this, like a startled rabbit, no longer dared to move slowly; with a flash she darted to the door, leaving only a fleeting "The workshop still has urgent matters! Goodbye!", and her figure vanished.

Yidian watched the hall suddenly become much emptier and shook her head helplessly.

She gracefully rose, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from her skirt, gave Ailixiya a "you…" look, and in her still gentle voice, with an unmistakable edge, said, "AiLi, enough. Don't scare the new friend."

After speaking, she walked away at a composed pace, leaving the space to the two on the sofa who were "relying on each other for survival".

Xi Lian watched her companions evacuate one after another with all sorts of excuses, and the urgency and unease in her heart surged to the peak!

The vast Le Tu Hall now seemed to contain only her and the pink‑haired great demon king behind her, exuding a sweet yet dangerous aura.

She could even feel that Ailixiya's arm encircling her waist did not loosen despite the others' departure.

"That… that… AiLi Xi Ya…"

Xi Lian's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor as she tried one last effort.

"Shh~"

Ailixiya suddenly pressed her chin harder against Xi Lian's crown, gently rubbing, cutting off her speech.

That sweet voice, close to Xi Lian's ear, carried warm breath and a hint of pleasant magnetism:

"Just call me AiLi, okay~?"

Xi Lian's body stiffened, obediently yielding, and she whispered, "Ai… AiLi… could you… loosen a bit? It's a little… tight."

"Sure~?"

Ailixiya agreed with unusual eagerness.

Just as Xi Lian tried to breathe a sigh of relief, she immediately felt— the hand that had been neatly looped around her waist, one finger silently slipped down, the other rose slightly.

That warm palm, through the clothing, rested precisely on a subtle spot on her chest.

Although there was no more overt action, the psychological pressure of that spot alone made Xi Lian's hair stand on end!

A cold bead of sweat slid slowly down Xi Lian's fair forehead.

She could clearly smell the sweet floral scent emanating from Ailixiya, feel the other's breath almost within arm's reach, and sense that gaze that seemed to see right through her (even though she dared not turn back now).

(Help, help… Black Curtain Lady… Na Ke Xia teacher… Baiheng Miss… whoever it is…)

Xi Lian silently shouted in her heart, her body stiff as a stone coated in pink syrup, daring not even a fingertip to move.

Ailixiya, meanwhile, cheerfully hummed an off‑key tune, enjoying the cute, nervous yet unresisting reaction of the "little cutie" in her arms, as if the video incident that had sparked a strategic retreat of the heroes had never occurred.

Xianzhou Luofu.

The dawn light was faint as streets and alleys awoke from a night of silence, early merchants sporadically began setting up their wares.

Bai Hang dragged legs that felt as if filled with lead, step by step moving toward her inconspicuous little courtyard.

Her complexion turned pale, a heavy shadow hung under the Eye Mask, and she exuded an aura of "I desperately need a bed right now".

Last night was literally a nightmarish ordeal.

(Finally… only Huo Huo from the Ten Kings Office remains…)

Bai Hang's mind held only that thought.

But now she just wants to collapse onto a bed and sleep forever.

She almost relied on muscle memory to find the courtyard gate, pulled out the key, groggily inserted it into the Lock, and turned it.

She pushed open the gate, and the cool morning air rushed into her nostrils.

She habitually lifted her gaze, intending to check whether she had forgotten to collect the drying fabrics before leaving, and then—

She froze.

In the modest courtyard center, a figure stood with its back to her, stretching a supremely relaxed lazy yawn.

The person wore a mobility‑friendly, hooded exotic‑style outfit, silver mid‑length hair peeking from the hood's edge; most striking were a pair of fluffy, ring‑patterned cat ears on either side of the hood, joyfully twitching as she stretched.

Morning light outlined her slender yet lively silhouette.

Seemingly hearing the door open, the figure paused, then lightly turned.

Under the hood was a delicate face, a pair of vertical‑pupiled blue cat eyes curiously appraising Bai Hang, with a naturally bright, slightly world‑weary smile curling her lips.

"Yo! Good morning~"

She raised a hand, cheerfully waving at Bai Hang, her voice crisp and tone leisurely, as if she were the courtyard's owner and Bai Hang the unexpected guest.

Bai Hang: "……"

She instinctively lifted her hand, rubbed her sore eyes hard, and blinked again.

Hallucination? Too tired and getting hallucinations?

Or… last night sneaking into Tai Bu Si accidentally triggered some hallucinogenic formation, and the Aftereffects are only now acting?

No! Those cat ears!

And that aura… although it looks more vivid and lively than in Memory, missing that hazy quality, but…

In the few seconds that Bai Hang's mind went blank, the soy‑milk, fried‑dough‑stick and bun combo she was holding in her other hand—just bought from the breakfast stall and still steaming—slipped from her fingers from the shock and fell straight toward the ground!

"Ah! Food!"

The cat‑ear girl let out a startled cry.

Bai Hang didn't even see her actions clearly; she only felt a flicker, and the figure had already flashed into view below her, executing an extremely deft and swift low crouch, reaching out and securely catching the breakfast bag that was about to kiss the ground!