An Unexpected Invitation

Xia Chu’s head throbbed.

The mere thought of facing her family next week, who constantly spoke of ‘familial affection’ (TL Note: A common Chinese phrase often used to imply emotional manipulation or obligation), triggered her social anxiety, leaving her utterly distressed.

Should she flee and hide? Yet, Madame Xia hadn’t specified which day next week, making it impossible to evade them for the entire week. Moreover, even if she did manage to hide, they would undoubtedly track her down.

It was infuriating.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Jingjing inquired softly, leaning in slightly.

“Nothing, just someone incredibly bothersome.”

Xia Chu remained reluctant, even embarrassed, to discuss her family affairs.

“Then, what would you like for dinner?” Bai Jingjing asked her.

The hour was already growing late.

“I don’t have much of an appetite; don’t mind me, just make something for yourself,” Xia Chu replied, settling back into her gaming chair. “I need to clear my head.”

She was so filled with anger that she couldn’t eat a thing, so she retreated to her games.

“Alright.”

Bai Jingjing settled down to browse on her phone, while Xia Chu launched a game on her computer, unleashing a torrent of destruction to vent her frustrations.

A relative quiet once again enveloped the room.

“Hoo~”

As night fell, Xia Chu finally released her hands, flexing her slender wrists.

After a relentless massacre across various battlegrounds—Inferno Town, Ozma’s Raid, Valley of Kings, Howling Abyss, and more—her vexed mood had finally begun to lift.

However, her stomach rumbled faintly.

Xia Chu picked up her phone, intending to order takeout, only to realize it was already quite late. Most reputable takeout restaurants had closed for the night, leaving only a few unsanitary and exceptionally unappetizing small eateries, along with barbecue stalls.

Consuming those options would undoubtedly leave her feeling worse than if she ate nothing at all.

“Um, Bai Jingjing.”

Bai Jingjing, who was idly chatting in a group (TL Note: ‘水群’ (shuǐ qún) refers to casually chatting or ‘drowning’ a group chat with irrelevant messages), heard Xia Chu call her name. She looked up to see Xia Chu perched on her gaming chair, gazing at her with a somewhat aggrieved expression.

“Hungry?” Bai Jingjing tentatively asked.

“Mm, just a little,” Xia Chu whispered. “If there’s nothing to eat, never mind, I’ll just order takeout…”

Despite her entire face clearly betraying her reluctance to order takeout.

“Understood. Just a moment.”

Bai Jingjing responded obediently, yet Xia Chu distinctly saw the irrepressible smile playing on the girl’s adorable face.

‘She’s mocking me!’

‘I declared earlier that I didn’t want to eat, telling her to mind her own business, only to find myself starving at night and pitifully begging my girlfriend to cook.’

‘Of course, I’d be mocked for that.’

While waiting for her girlfriend to cook, Xia Chu’s QQ (TL Note: QQ is a popular Chinese instant messaging software) notification flashed again. She initially intended to ignore it, but upon closer inspection, it was a message from her best friend.

[Eylla: So, how’s life with a girlfriend?]

Xia Chu glanced towards the kitchen before typing a reply.

[Chuxia: It’s alright, I guess.]

Luo Xuan knew that for her outwardly reluctant but inwardly delighted best friend, “it’s alright” truly meant “it’s wonderful.”

[Eylla: Can I get an interview? What did you two do today?]

[Chuxia: Nothing much, really. She made me dinner, did a bit of cleaning, and then we chatted for a while. That’s about it.]

[Eylla: Huh? Wait, that’s all?]

‘What does “that’s all” mean?’ Xia Chu felt a pang of confusion.

[Chuxia: What else?]

[Eylla: You mean, for such a long day, you did nothing but chat? For how many hours?]

[Chuxia: Of course not. We just chatted for a bit, and then we each did our own thing.]

Xia Chu played her games, and Bai Jingjing played hers.

[Eylla: No, I don’t quite understand. You rented a girlfriend just so she could take care of your daily life?]

‘That’s not a rented girlfriend; you’ve rented a mom!’

Luo Xuan knew her best friend’s ‘otaku’ (TL Note: A Japanese term referring to people with obsessive interests, often in anime, manga, or games) tendencies. As an otaku, she was inevitably exposed to ‘2D’ (TL Note: A Chinese term referring to anime, manga, and other two-dimensional media), and many 2D otaku would affectionately call girls they liked “Mom,” but…

[Chuxia: What else is there to do? I don’t have *those* kinds of needs.]

Xia Chu adopted a cool and aloof expression, as if five words were emblazoned across her face—

‘No lewdness allowed.’

[Eylla: I didn’t say you *had* to be lewd! You could just hug her while sleeping; she’d be soft and comfortable.]

‘Hugging and cuddling, even a little rubbing, is fine. As long as you don’t touch the ‘little tiger’ (TL Note: A cute internet slang term, ‘xiǎo nǎo fǔ,’ that is a euphemism for a woman’s private parts), it’s not considered lewd.’

[Chuxia: We don’t sleep in the same room at night.]

She had specifically prepared a new guest room for her rented girlfriend.

[Eylla: ?????]

After sending a string of question marks, a few seconds later, Luo Xuan sent two more words: [Incredible.]

****

“It’s ready.”

Bai Jingjing approached, carrying a tray, and placed several bowls on the dining table. Xia Chu glanced into the bowls, her brow furrowing slightly. “I don’t want to eat dried noodles.”

“They’re not dried noodles; I made them with fresh dough,” Bai Jingjing explained. “It’s the same kind used in noodle shops outside.”

“…Oh.”

She picked up a strand and tasted it; the flavor was indeed excellent, and the noodle soup with a fried egg was also delicious.

Besides the noodles, there were several small side dishes, including slices of pan-fried pork loin, which were especially comforting to eat with the noodles.

Xia Chu recalled her past nights, when late-night meals consisted only of unappetizing, crudely prepared takeout or greasy barbecue she didn’t even want to touch. Now, looking at the spread before her, the fragrant wheat noodle soup itself seemed to exude a taste of happiness.

‘This is what true living feels like.’

After slurping down her noodles, Xia Chu watched Bai Jingjing clear the table and wash the dishes, then settled onto the sofa for a while.

Feeling sufficiently digested, she picked up her phone to check the time, realizing it was almost time for bed.

Going to bed didn’t necessarily mean immediate sleep; one could always do other things before drifting off. Of course, for many, once in bed, the only option was to scroll on their phones.

Xia Chu used to be one of them, but now, recalling her best friend’s earlier words, she found herself contemplating another option.

Yet, she had explicitly told Bai Jingjing that morning to sleep alone in the guest room.

‘Emmmm…’

Bai Jingjing, having finished tidying the kitchen and showered, wrapped in a bath towel, prepared to head to the guest room.

Just as the girl was about to disappear past the doorway, Xia Chu finally couldn’t hold back.

“Wait, Bai Jingjing.”

“Hmm?”

Bai Jingjing turned, gazing at her with an innocent expression.

“Um, I think, maybe, you don’t *have* to sleep alone,” Xia Chu said, lowering her gaze and struggling to find an excuse. “You might not be used to sleeping by yourself, especially since you’ve just arrived…”

It was such a clumsy excuse, Xia Chu herself thought so, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked down at the floor… ‘Damn, my own ‘great mounds’ (TL Note: A humorous euphemism for large breasts) are blocking my view.’

Speaking of which, Bai Jingjing also possessed ‘great mounds.’ Xia Chu discreetly lifted her gaze, catching sight of Bai Jingjing’s fair skin peeking out from above her bath towel, revealing half a ‘mound.’

‘The age her youthful face lacked, it all seemed to have accumulated there!’

“Mm, I might indeed be a little unaccustomed.”

Bai Jingjing kept her small face taut, trying her best not to laugh.

‘You’re unaccustomed to sleeping alone, but does that mean you’ll be accustomed to sleeping with me?’ ‘This cool and alluring older sister always comes up with the most peculiar logic.’

“Then I’ll go grab a sheet and be right over.”

“Mm…”

Xia Chu breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly remembered something and quickly added, “Oh, right, remember to put on your underwear! You can’t just come over wrapped in a bath towel!”

‘No lewdness allowed!’