Chapter 3: Hand Slip

System: 【……No, she sold you to another company. She doesn’t do the pimping business.】

Gu Liuguang: 【Got it. Human trafficker.】

The System always felt that Zhang Xibai wasn’t like that, yet it also felt that what Gu Liuguang said seemed to fit perfectly.

Don’t let Zhang Xibai’s aloof beauty and ascetic vibe fool you. In the original plot, she was the classic ruthless type who said little. After unrequited love for the protagonist shou left her heartbroken, she silently protected her from afar while diving into extreme and violent competitions. To quote a human phrase, she was “death like the wind, ever at my side.” In the end, for certain reasons, she chose to leave the country.

The System suspected Zhang Xibai had a masochistic adoration streak, often coming away covered in wounds that had readers screaming about her battle-damaged beauty.

Of course, after she darkened, she was even more ruthless toward villains and cannon fodder. As one of the cannon fodders who hurt the protagonist shou’s heart, Gu Liuguang got thoroughly dealt with—being sold to another company was just to keep her from dragging down the home company’s reputation later on.

Noticing the System lag, Gu Liuguang smiled. Her eyes shimmered with allure, radiant in every glance, making everyone around her hold their breath for an instant.

Even glimpsed in the mirror, her beauty was blinding, impossible to look away from.

Gradually, the group who had been focused on dance practice started to lose concentration. Their efficiency dropped, and they repeated a simple routine several times.

In their eyes and minds appeared that inadvertent flash of pale skin where her hem rode up.

Up close, they could even see sweat-slicked skin like mutton-fat jade, sparkling like diamonds under the sunlight filtering through the window. They desperately wanted to replace the hem, to lick and caress with their own lips and tongues.

She was so pretty and petite, yet her figure was outrageously good—slim-looking, but with plump thighs that drew eyes without fail.

Zhang Xibai suddenly hit pause. Her voice was icy, her gaze cold as she looked at everyone through the mirror, finally settling on Gu Liuguang. “I get that you’re not professionals, but can you at least show some attitude? Aren’t you embarrassed to keep dragging everyone down?”

The group fell silent, eyes darting around before all landing on Gu Liuguang.

Though she hadn’t named names, Zhang Xibai’s stare was fixed straight on Gu Liuguang—giving her plenty of face by not calling her out for a public scolding.

Gu Liuguang froze, her outstretched arm dropping naturally. That blindingly white, slender waist was covered by her hem again. Faint sounds of regret rippled through as those gazes shifted back to Gu Liuguang’s face.

If the System had toes, they would have curled up by now.

But Gu Liuguang remained utterly composed. Since Zhang Xibai hadn’t called her out by name, she pretended it wasn’t about her.

Zhang Xibai probably saw through it. Her pear-blossom-in-moonlight eyes fixed coldly on Gu Liuguang as she stepped aside, pointing at the spot Gu Liuguang had just vacated. “Gu Liuguang, get up front and dance.”

Gu Liuguang paused, then moved to the front.

The music started again, but the group found it even harder to focus.

The others relied on lighting, shadows, and music to create that beautiful girl silhouette vibe. Genetics meant Asian builds rarely hit the golden ratio—having wrist lines past the crotch was already top-tier.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many chasing height inserts, leg-lengthening bone breaks, liposuction, and crash diets.

Don’t think their edge-teasing “casual” twists were effortless—they poured everything into it, sometimes ending up looking like rehab patients.

The lazy reveal of pale shoulders and collarbones? Every hair curl was meticulously styled, every camera angle hand-picked.

But Gu Liuguang just stood there like a natural light source, the sunlight itself her spotlight. Her hair glowed through the light; she squinted slightly against it, flawless down to invisible pores—beauty without effort.

She clearly couldn’t dance, missing beats and phoning it in even more, like Mr. South Guo the impostor in the crowd.

This uncanny robot vibe made her seem like a freshly transformed, gorgeous spirit clumsily mimicking human dance. Her big eyes were innocently clueless about the heavily suggestive moves.

She just blinked those pretty, pure doe eyes while making such provocative motions—especially when she lifted her hem, fingers gliding up her pale skin.

It came off even more erotic than intended, her sweat-damp spots blooming like roses heavy with dew.

……

The people in the back were thoroughly distracted, but luckily the moves weren’t hard—lots of repetitive hip twists and chest thrusts that muscle memory handled. They scraped by.

When Zhang Xibai called it, the group dawdled, none of them leaving right away.

Gu Liuguang hadn’t fully memorized the moves; her form was still off, but she wasn’t about to torture herself. The moment Zhang Xibai said end, she grabbed her bag to head home.

She’d just picked up her phone when Lin Zhenshuang messaged her on WeChat. Before she could read it, Zhang Xibai called out.

“Gu Liuguang, stay behind.” Zhang Xibai’s voice was like cold mountain spring water clinking against rocks—pleasant usually, but not the words. “You leave when you get the moves right.”

Gu Liuguang turned to face her, pretty face full of impatience. Even her annoyed expression was stunning—like a rose drenched all night in rain, dripping and breathtaking.

“Isn’t it over already?” Gu Liuguang’s tone was unhappy.

Her voice matched her looks, soft and coquettish, even bossy demands coming out fragrant and distracting. No one could focus on her words—just wanted to capture those softly parting red lips and grind against them.

Zhang Xibai stared at those soft lips for a moment before looking away. Ignoring Gu Liuguang’s displeasure, she hit play. The female singer’s sultry voice filled the now-empty practice room.

Arms crossed, she watched Gu Liuguang intently, almost casually. “Practice up, and you can go.”

Gu Liuguang’s expression shifted. She asked the System: 【You said she and I don’t get along, right?】

The System got it instantly, hinting at Zhang Xibai’s abs and arm lines—not from gym alone: 【She’s trained in martial arts since childhood. Know who her teacher was? I advise the host to just listen to her.】

Not just for upcoming plot tasks needing her to stay—it feared Gu Liuguang offending Zhang Xibai badly right now.

Gu Liuguang hadn’t felt this stifled in ages. She’d only known poverty’s bite, never this kind of humiliation.

She shoved her phone into her bag with force, slammed the bag into the locker—every move banging like she was venting her frustration.

Zhang Xibai acted like she heard nothing. Seeing Gu Liuguang back in position, she started the first song.

At the BGM, Gu Liuguang’s mind blanked. She’d started late and only remembered hip twists, chest thrusts, and the bend-from-legs-to-chest reach. Nothing else came to mind, and she refused to ask Zhang Xibai.

She stood there rigid as a pretty statue, or a dazed robot. Feeling Zhang Xibai’s gaze, her cheeks flushed deep red. She said nothing, didn’t look—just stood there sulking in timeout.

Zhang Xibai’s lips curved faintly. She’d planned to play song by song, see how long Gu Liuguang could last.

But she was delicate; by the second song, those fox-like eyes gained a watery sheen. Long, curled lashes clumped wet with tears, glaring at her fiercely yet wronged. Her pale skin was thinly flushed.

Zhang Xibai set it to single loop and asked, “Want me to teach you?”

Gu Liuguang was stuffy, didn’t dare say no—afraid Zhang Xibai really wouldn’t. She’d stood just a bit and already felt awful, inwardly dying of grievance.

Zhang Xibai pressed: “Want it? Speak.”

Gu Liuguang mumbled, “Yes.”

Her voice was tiny, full of humiliated fury. The flush spread to her ears and neck, like paint a artist dotted on stroke by stroke.

No need to guess—the skin under her clothes was probably pink too.

Good thing the practice room was empty; her voice barely carried.

Zhang Xibai didn’t push further. The speakers filled with the woman’s seductive singing as she stepped beside Gu Liuguang and moved on the beat.

This time, Gu Liuguang didn’t slack. She wanted to finish and go home.

But simple moves or not, they couldn’t overcome her body’s stiffness—she couldn’t thrust her hips.

Zhang Xibai had spotted it earlier. With the room now just them, she broke down the hip thrust.

“Stand sideways, rise on your toes, thrust your hips up.”

Zhang Xibai explained while demonstrating. Gu Liuguang tried, but her whole body jerked.

Zhang Xibai moved beside her, one hand on her shoulder, the other at her hip, giving two light pats with a soft sound. “Keep shoulders still. Lift from here.”

Gu Liuguang’s ears, cheeks, and neck burned hot. She felt her own stiffness, but her body wouldn’t obey like it was her own.

Still straining to thrust, Zhang Xibai’s downward hand paused, then pinched. Gu Liuguang froze.

So soft and full, like fingers sinking in. The tender skin showed a faint red mark. Zhang Xibai withdrew casually.

Gu Liuguang finally reacted, jerking away from the close contact. Her fox-like eyes widened in accusation. “You groped me!”

Zhang Xibai kept her asexual cool, frowning. Her voice was detached, like it wasn’t her who’d just done it. “Hand slipped.”

Gu Liuguang: ?

Her face screamed disbelief at such shamelessness.

The System chimed in: 【Yeah, probably really a hand slip. Zhang Xibai isn’t some pervert archetype—she’s the gloomy ghost type. She finds others dirty; even her first kiss is intact.】

Zhang Xibai frowned, like Gu Liuguang was making a fuss. “Don’t believe me? Whatever.”

Half-convinced, Gu Liuguang looked down, twisting to check the spot. Her waist looked even slimmer. Her shorts left the pale thigh root exposed with a clear red mark. She touched the print—it was bigger than her own fingers. Indignantly, she yelled.

“That was you!”

She grabbed Zhang Xibai’s hand, pressing it to the mark on her inner thigh.

Zhang Xibai’s fingers matched perfectly. The hot, slightly damp touch made Gu Liuguang’s leg tremble. Just as she opened her mouth to yell triumphantly—

Zhang Xibai cut her off. “I never said it wasn’t me.”

Gu Liuguang: ……

Gu Liuguang was furious, mouth agape, unsure how to make Zhang Xibai feel shame.

Zhang Xibai glanced at her, pulled back her hand, coughed lightly, all casual. “Told you, hand slipped.”