She found You Xin Xuan annoying because she’d truly been hurt—not once, but repeatedly.
Small hurts, sure, but troubling Ye Tan was unacceptable to Ye Xi back then.
Her mindset had changed now, of course.
The little old lady wasn’t old, nor a burden.
Ye Xi closely examined You Nian’s little face. She hadn’t noticed when You Nian first arrived, but after plumping up in the Investigation Department these past years, she really did resemble childhood You Xin Xuan—round, chubby cheeks, looking like a pure, harmless little white rabbit normally, but puffing up like a venomous pufferfish when mad.
She poked You Nian’s cheek with a finger. “I’ll vote for You Xin Xuan.”
While Ye Xi chatted with You Nian, the tightly shut bedroom door suddenly opened. Shen Mingjin walked out. “Xiao Xi.”
Shen Mingjin had rested well. The deep sleep had sped up her absorption of demon power. Her fair skin had faded many of the bite marks from the demon power’s reflux, and the red marks had lightened too. She no longer looked so lingeringly ambiguous, enough that she dared stand before You Nian.
Ye Xi’s attention shifted instantly. She hurried to Shen Mingjin’s side and supported her. “Sister, you’re awake?”
She solicitously steadied Shen Mingjin, but her hand naturally slid to Shen Mingjin’s waist, pulling her body close into her embrace until their lips nearly brushed Shen Mingjin’s nose tip. Only then did she ask softly, “Why not sleep a bit more?”
Ye Xi appeared to care about Shen Mingjin’s sleep, but her gaze scanned the marks lingering on Shen Mingjin’s body, as if tallying the imprints of her own battles—recording some monumental badge of honor.
Shen Mingjin felt both exasperated and shy. Ye Xi always bullied her for being tongue-tied and thin-skinned, while playing the innocent, pitiable little rabbit.
So naughty… yet not detestable.
She couldn’t bear to blame Ye Xi and even felt a bit grateful for her infatuation.
Because Ye Xi’s eyes held only her, endlessly entwining with desire, leaving her with nothing but pleasure and exhaustion—no room for the anxiety and insecurity like with Shen Minghuan, no descent into madness after touching emotions.
Shen Mingjin firmly believed Ye Xi gave her a sense of security. It was just… a bit too much.
“Xiao Xi!” Shen Mingjin shot her a glare full of feigned anger, her palm mindlessly pressing against the soft curve of Ye Xi’s waist.
“Sister, what’s wrong?”
Ye Xi didn’t back down at all. Her frank admiration lingered on Shen Mingjin’s body, and their gazes met for only a moment before Shen Mingjin hurriedly looked away. In an extremely soft voice, she murmured, “You little rascal.”
“You’re calling me that again.” Ye Xi pouted resentfully and tugged at the belt of Shen Mingjin’s sleep robe’s outer layer. She just draped it there without pulling, but it still startled Shen Mingjin.
Shen Mingjin carefully glanced at You Nian, who was blinking her eyes curiously, and reached out to snatch the belt from Ye Xi.
Ye Xi neither dodged nor moved. She simply gripped the belt tighter in silence.
If Shen Mingjin tried to grab it, she might end up pulling it off herself. Shen Mingjin shot Ye Xi a reproachful look, and Ye Xi grinned mischievously as she leaned closer. “Sister, for fairness’s sake, how about we make a three-point pact?”
“A three-point pact?”
“Yeah. If you say something about me from now on, you’ll have to compensate me. And the same goes for me—if I say something about you, you can make me compensate you.”
Shen Mingjin rarely refused Ye Xi. Her refusals only came when Ye Xi went too far and her body couldn’t withstand the intensity of Ye Xi’s passion. Normally, she was quite willing to go along with whatever Ye Xi said.
Seeing that Ye Xi was trying to play rogue, Shen Mingjin still played along and asked, “Xiao Xi, what do you want me to compensate you with? And what are you prepared to compensate me with?”
“Sister, if you say something about me again, you’ll definitely have to pay me compensation.” Ye Xi tightened her arm around Shen Mingjin confidently. She loosened her grip on the belt of Shen Mingjin’s sleep robe’s outer layer slightly, her fingertip hooking it and giving a gentle tug.
The tug was light enough not to actually undo the robe and expose the lingering passion and flushed marks beneath, but it still made Shen Mingjin panic and reach to reclaim the belt.
Shen Mingjin’s cheeks flushed red. Her palm tugged at the belt. “Xiao Xi.”
Her soft, weak voice carried a hint of coquetry. Ye Xi smiled and released the belt, returning the right to secure the outer robe to Shen Mingjin. She leaned close to Shen Mingjin’s ear and whispered, “Sister, do I look like some rogue who flirts regardless of the occasion?”
She wasn’t quite a rogue who disregarded the setting, but she was definitely a mischievous tease on purpose.
Shen Mingjin shot Ye Xi a resentful glare and silently clutched the belt in her palm. “Xiao Xi, what are you going to compensate me with?”
Ye Xi already knew exactly what she wanted, but now Shen Mingjin was more curious about what Ye Xi planned to give her. She had a feeling that not asking clearly would lead straight into one of Ye Xi’s sly traps.
Of course, asking outright was its own glaring trap.
Ye Xi had no intention of pretending to be proper with Shen Mingjin. She took Shen Mingjin’s hand, her fingertip brushing along her arm, caressing the smooth skin and feeling the invisible Red Scale. “To compensate you… Hmm, if I say something bad about Sister, how about I remove one Seal for you and help you recover a portion of your power?”
Ye Xi’s proposal sounded fair, but only if one didn’t know the full picture.
The compensation she demanded was a passionate kiss from Shen Mingjin, and the compensation she offered was also a passionate kiss from Shen Mingjin.
Shen Mingjin couldn’t even tell which of them was the one more easily swept into waves of desire—the one with the intense Heat Period of a snake demon.
“You…” Shen Mingjin wanted to scold her a little, but she wasn’t good at scolding people, couldn’t bear to scold Ye Xi, and was even more afraid that Ye Xi would actually demand compensation.
The lingering heat from last night hadn’t faded, and a tingling numbness still persisted in her waist.
With her face red, Shen Mingjin stiffly changed the subject. “Xiao Xi, You Nian, what were you two just talking about?”
The precocious little rabbit was still quite innocent. She didn’t fully understand what Ye Xi and Shen Mingjin were saying, but she caught that Shen Mingjin was asking her.
You Nian responded loudly, “About my Sixth Sister!”
“About my classmate.” Ye Xi quietly gave Shen Mingjin a more detailed account of the conversation. “Sister, You Nian’s Sixth Sister has the exact same name as a classmate I used to be close with.”
A faint sourness welled up in Shen Mingjin’s chest. “A very good classmate?”
The scent of jealousy drifted through the air, a familiar mix of sweet fragrance and tartness. Ye Xi locked eyes with Shen Mingjin.
Shen Mingjin didn’t dare meet Ye Xi’s gaze. Her eyes darted away the moment they connected.
She lowered her head again and again, hiding her sour expression where Ye Xi couldn’t see. Ye Xi’s fingertip pressed against Shen Mingjin’s chin, caressing the tender skin while forcing her to lift her head.
The instant she successfully raised Shen Mingjin’s head, her finger slid upward quickly, and she roughly stroked Shen Mingjin’s smooth, beautiful cheek. “That definitely wasn’t as good as you and me, Sister!”
Shen Mingjin stared at Ye Xi in a daze, her emotions still scattered.
While Shen Mingjin was distracted, Ye Xi glanced from the corner of her eye at the little rabbit whose eyes were wide with curiosity as she watched the scene. She suppressed the urge to kiss Shen Mingjin and suddenly rummaged through the living room tea table drawer, pulling out a few pens.
She picked up a red pen and gripped Shen Mingjin’s wrist with her other hand. When Shen Mingjin looked over curiously, Ye Xi flashed her a sweet smile. “Sister and I are the best in the world.”
Ye Xi was always good at sweet-talking and coaxing her snake.
Shen Mingjin’s ears itched faintly, and a flash of delight appeared in her eyes. “Smooth talker.”
Her soft coquetry was delightful to hear. It reminded Ye Xi of the breathy moans from last night and the heart-pounding allure.
Ye Xi’s throat bobbed as she tugged Shen Mingjin’s wrist toward her chest. Shen Mingjin glanced at You Nian from the corner of her eye, her heart pounding like never before. “X-Xiao Xi, what are you doing?”
Ye Xi gripped Shen Mingjin’s fidgeting hand tightly, uncapped the red pen, and drew a pattern resembling snake scales on Shen Mingjin’s arm. She declared righteously, “Sister just slandered me earlier. I was being sincere, but you called me a smooth talker. According to our three-point pact, you owe me compensation. I’ll mark the spot first so you don’t forget.”
Shen Mingjin’s face flushed crimson, her ear tips seemingly about to drip blood. She tried to pull her arm back but couldn’t break free. Her eyes fixed on the drawn Red Scale, understanding that Ye Xi was marking a spot for removing a Seal.
She shyly lowered her head, her palm burning hot with fine beads of sweat seeping out. “Y-You Nian… is still watching.”
“What’s there that You Nian can’t see?” Ye Xi feigned innocence. She still held firmly onto Shen Mingjin’s hand and muttered, “Sister called me a rascal just now.”
With another stroke, she drew another Red Scale.
Shen Mingjin’s arm where Ye Xi had drawn flushed red—or rather, her entire body heated up from the sudden marks.
You Nian didn’t understand or recognize it. She blinked in confusion, grabbed an extra pen from the table, and examined it in her palm.
She couldn’t figure out what was special about the pen or why Shen Mingjin was blushing.
She thought Ye Xi’s drawing skills weren’t even as good as hers.
It had nothing to do with drawing skills—it was all about the mischievous rabbit.
After drawing two scales, the naughty rabbit deliberately pressed down on the skin where the Red Scales were, grinning at Shen Mingjin who wanted to hide. “Sister, remember it well.”
Shen Mingjin pushed at Ye Xi’s chest. Ye Xi dramatically stumbled back several steps and flopped onto the sofa.
Before Shen Mingjin could feel sorry for her and help her up,
Ye Xi waved at her first. “Sister, you pushed me. Now I need to draw two more marks?”
If You Nian weren’t there, Shen Mingjin would have grabbed Ye Xi’s hand and bitten it hard.
Who was bullying whom, exactly?
Ye Xi showed no sign of backing down. She just gazed at Shen Mingjin eagerly, certain that Shen Mingjin would come to her.
And she was right.
Shen Mingjin didn’t hold out for long. With a helpless expression, she approached and extended her smooth arm.
Ye Xi had just reached for Shen Mingjin’s hand when the door burst open. A tall woman with broad shoulders squeezed in.
She cradled a frail little girl in her arms and knelt toward Ye Xi and Shen Mingjin the moment she entered. “Miss Mingjin, please… please ask Physician Ye to save my child.”
