Grinning from ear to ear at his compliment, Bing Shi kissed his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. "At first, I thought of these bodies as borrowed, because that's what they are. But then, we killed Lulu Tan, and I asked myself why do I even care, it's not like I'm going to get punished."
She continued, "I had no idea of who she was, and I just wanted a body of my own that belonged to me," said Bing Shi, thinking how her current body would be dead if she didn't select it, snatching it as her own.
Xuan Mu chuckled, "She's still alive."
"What?!" Bing Shi turned her head towards him, flashing her eyes in surprise. She never brought this matter up as she deemed it as a harsh lesson learned. The next time Xuan Mu awakened, he wouldn't kill her again.
"After healing her, I used Fu Lian's water to revive her. It worked, but the person who woke up wasn't you." Xuan Mu gently nudged her head back onto his shoulder, hiding a look of pain. "Remember how you said Lulu Tan's soul would still be inside? I set up a decoy and moved her to safety."
He was grateful that Bing Shi had disclosed her identity as a Host; it saved him from immense guilt. Had she not, as the one who had killed her, he would've been tormented, unable to ever forgive himself.
"My hero ♪♫," Bing Shi squealed in delight, throwing her arms around him. She was concerned about how it would give an unfavorable impression in front of the HQ, but this was more than good.
knock
knock
Xuan Mu pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh..." He admired her face for a moment, then adjusted his clothes.
knock
knock
"Change of plans. I'm not letting anybody see you in this state," he said, carefully leaning her against the wall. He took one last look at his handiwork between her legs before smoothing her skirt down.
knock
knock
Ru Quan spared no words as he unlocked the door in an irritated manner, "Make it quick."
"..." Edan wanted to ask a few questions regarding the combat technique that he showed her this morning. Her eyes widened as she took in Ru Quan's disheveled appearance. His lips were slightly swollen, his hair a mess, yet it all somehow added to his magnetic allure.
The scent in the air was a mix of masculine musk and a softer, feminine fragrance. It was clear he wasn't alone. A prostitute? Her eyes grew moist when she spotted a hand playfully wrapping around his chest and waving at her. She recognized that wave. "L-Leader?"
Only one person would wave at her that way.
"Hi ♪♫," Bing Shi voiced out joyfully. Young people tended to fall in love too easily. Before Edan could develop deeper feelings, she crushed them seamlessly, making Edan give up on Ru Quan as she believed that it would only stand in Edan's way.
"If it's nothing important, leave it for tomorrow," Ru Quan covered the mischievous hand around his chest before shutting the door.
· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·
"..." Edan wandered back to her room, her mind short-circuiting. She'd once wondered if Ru Quan had discovered her true gender, given his ambiguous comments and invitations for her to stay in the mansion. He had played with her emotions since day one, even going so far as to say she was too pretty to be a guy.
Edan wasn't like most girls. She often dressed as a man, had trained her voice to be deeper, and sought adventure beyond the manor—whether that meant horseback riding, chasing robbers, or exploring the town.
Sitting on her bed, she looked down at her chest that got flat from all the bindings, a sharp pain piercing through. 'All men are the same. They all prefer delicate females over a tomboy like me.'
'Who succumbed to whom?' Edan asked herself, unable to imagine that those two would be together without any ulterior motives. They were probably just using each other for their benefit.
Cooling down, the protective walls around her thickened, her guard raised. Was she just a tool to be used? She asked Tian Shi once and received an immediate answer, 'It all comes to you. If you feel like a tool, then yes, you're a tool. Instead of looking at everything negatively, find out how you can get the best out of it.'
· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·
In a rustic room lit by a soft, warm glow from a hanging lantern, Bing Shi frowned as she wrung out a damp towel into a basin.
"Why is there no bathroom attached to the room? I miss Sharkie. I miss our bathtub; I miss our toilet. I need toilet paper," complained Bing Shi, squeezing the dirty water from her towel into a basin, she soaked it in a bucket of water and scrubbed his back. "I hate public baths and latrines. They are so dirty."
"Is your period coming?" asked Xuan Mu, listening to her endless complaints. They had to stop midway through their second round because of her menstrual cramps. She took some painkillers but he still turned around and rubbed her stomach to ease her pain.
"I didn't finish," Bing Shi hopped around and continued to wash his back. After making him spotlessly clean, she helped him to put on lotion and started to tidy up the room, "I hate periods. They are painful and dirty. I hate them."
"Why don't you ask Kuro for some ice cream?" Ru Quan suggested as he dressed. Grabbing a rag, he joined her in wiping down the desk and floor.
Finally done, they washed their hands and settled into bed. Baby Shiro, serving as their makeshift projector, displayed a movie on the wall. Every so often, Ru Quan would lean over for a kiss, savoring the taste of her ice cream.
"How can Kuro eat your popcorn without being charged any ep?" Ru Quan asked, patting the snake next to him that was engrossed in the movie and munching on chocolate popcorn.
"That little lord is in charge of the storage," Bing Shi chuckled, watching the snake giggle, its mouth smeared with chocolate.