"Good night, Miranda."
"Good night, Huaxiu. See you tomorrow."
On the way back from the entrance, Huaxiu and Miranda split up. Before returning to their rooms, though, they checked every door and window in the house one more time. Huaxiu could never quite shake the feeling that wooden doors and windows were far too flimsy. One careless moment, and something dangerous might burst straight into their home.
Only after confirming that everything was secure did the two of them finally head back to their respective rooms.
Quietly, Huaxiu crossed the wooden floor. She had already brushed all the clumps of snow from her boots before coming inside, but there were still traces left behind. As she walked, those last bits of snow melted into damp marks on the floor with each soft step.
The moment the door clicked shut behind her, the hallway lost its light. Only the streaks of water left on the floor shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
Outside the windows, there was not a single trace of artificial illumination. The light posts they had put up the other day could hardly be called intact anymore. Most had been smashed or knocked crooked. Of the few still standing, most no longer had power.
Huaxiu sighed softly.
The new home they had painstakingly built just days ago now looked battered and broken. It was only natural to feel a little disheartened. And on top of that, she missed home.
Not just that reinforced concrete high-rise, either.
After shutting the door, she did not turn on the light. The electricity problem had not been fixed yet.
But the fire in the hearth was still burning low, and its muted orange glow gave her just enough light to move by. The warmth inside was enough that she automatically slipped off her thick coat and set it aside.
She placed her hat and down jacket on the sofa, then walked as quietly as she could toward the bedroom.
No, not the bedroom first.
The fireplace.
Before going to sleep, she had to add more wood. Otherwise, by morning, the temperature inside would be terrifying.
She stirred apart the ashes from the previous logs, gathered a small bundle of firewood from the stack in the corner, and fed it into the fire with the ease of someone already accustomed to the task.
Only after that did she take the thermos from the coffee table, pour herself a cup of hot water, and finally slip into the bedroom.
So tired.
So, so tired.
No more fooling around tonight. She just wanted to sleep.
And that was no excuse. She genuinely was exhausted.
Thinking that, Huaxiu stepped into the bedroom, where the curtains had been drawn so thoroughly it was almost pitch black.
The weapons resting by the door belonged to Xiangzi. Xiangzi never liked having her weapons too far from her side.
Rounding the corner, Huaxiu vaguely made out the rise and fall of the bedcovers.
Xiangzi was already asleep. She was clearly exhausted too.
Still, even though Huaxiu was moving as carefully as possible, by the time she reached the bed and the blankets were right there in front of her, she could not resist checking whether Xiangzi was properly covered. It would be awful if she caught a fever while injured.
All right. Done.
Huaxiu withdrew her hand from Xiangzi's blanket. It seemed to carry Xiangzi's scent now, and she lifted her fingers to her nose for a brief, private savoring. A pleased smile curled across her face.
Vanilla.
As the saying went, joy often turned to misfortune in an instant.
Just as she turned to leave, her foot struck something, and she felt it tipping over out of control.
Oh no.
A heavy leather object toppled onto the wooden floor with a dull thunk.
Huaxiu had accidentally knocked over one of Xiangzi's long black boots, which had been carelessly left lying there.
For a second she froze.
Then, hearing no immediate reaction, she carefully lifted her foot again.
Thank goodness.
Xiangzi had not woken up.
But then a faint light came on in the room, and Huaxiu's heart plunged straight to the bottom of her stomach.
Did that wake her after all?
"Huaxiu, sneaking around in the dark like that… are you planning something improper?"
Xiangzi had woken after all. She fumbled for the tiny battery lamp and switched it on. In the dim glow, she saw Huaxiu standing there like a deer caught in headlights.
"Xiangzi, you're awake? I… I was just tucking your blanket in. Don't get the wrong idea."
For some reason, Huaxiu suddenly felt as guilty as a thief caught red-handed. She hurried to explain herself, flailing a little as she spoke.
Seeing her so flustered, Xiangzi laughed.
"Keep your voice down. Ye Ling's sleeping in our room too. And when you pinned me to the wall this afternoon, you weren't nearly this timid, Baihe Huaxiu. Where did all that courage go?"
Her tone was thoroughly mocking.
But to Huaxiu's ears, Xiangzi sounded more like some newlywed beauty quietly inviting trouble, and under the weak light, the golden tint in Xiangzi's eyes only made it worse. Huaxiu felt her own spirit stir.
So instead of retreating, she threw the question back.
"That was a special circumstance. And don't tell me you weren't enjoying it too, Xiangzi."
"Heh…"
That shot landed. Xiangzi's cheeks warmed. Inwardly, she was already swearing that next time she'd trap this tormenting little thing in a corner and make her pay.
Being the aggressor only to get reversed on? Absolutely unacceptable.
Sensing things getting weirdly embarrassing, Xiangzi abruptly changed the subject.
"Did you see Saitō's family off?"
"Mm. Uncle Saitō and the two girls all left. Miranda and I watched them go."
"That's good. Then we can finally rest. Honestly, why are you still just standing there? Get in bed already."
"Ah… mm!"
Huaxiu responded like an idiot, but her body moved fast enough. She stripped off her clothes with practiced speed until only the bare minimum remained, then slipped under her own blanket.
Cold!
The chill stabbed straight into her, goosebumps prickling across her skin. Acting on instinct, she promptly shoved half her body under Xiangzi's blanket instead.
And in doing so, her hand landed somewhere very, very unfortunate.
That touch felt wrong.
Far too soft.
"Huaxiu! What are! You! Doing!"
"Wah— X-Xiangzi!"
In her previous life, Xiangzi had spent eighteen years as a boy without ever suffering this kind of indignity. In this life, as a girl, she had not experienced it either. The humiliation made her want to scream.
Just wait until she was healed. Huaxiu was going to pay.
Usually composed and severe, Xiangzi now looked exactly like an embarrassed teenage girl in her first relationship. Her face went scarlet, her whole body tense and sensitive.
Huaxiu, meanwhile, knew when to retreat. She let go at once and slid obediently back under her own blanket.
On the other side of the master bedroom, in the single bed facing Xiangzi and Huaxiu, Ye Ling was having a truly miserable time.
"I never should've agreed when Xiangzi said it'd be 'easier to manage the patients' if we all stayed in one room."
At the time, Xiangzi had reasoned that it would be more convenient if Ye Ling simply moved into the master bedroom she shared with Huaxiu. The room was big enough—three double beds would fit, so one more single bed was nothing.
Back then, it had sounded perfectly sensible.
Now?
Not so much.
Lying there with thick bandages around her waist, Ye Ling looked stricken. She absolutely did not want to be trapped in a room saturated with this kind of citrus-and-lilies atmosphere.
Rolling over hurt. Pretending to sleep was terrifying. And if she got caught eavesdropping on the little couple in the middle of their flirting…
Would they skin her and turn her into a fox pelt?
Unthinkable. Absolutely unthinkable.
Best just shut her eyes and go to sleep.
And yet, long after the room had quieted and the night had deepened, Ye Ling still could not escape the cloying orange-blossom scent in the air.
"Oh no… I'm having a reaction…"
The night was very gentle indeed.
Even the moon hidden behind the clouds witnessed everything.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 147)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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