The Cooldown and the Coercion

Aileen inhaled deeply, savoring the floral scent once more.

The aroma was truly delightful, precisely like her favorite beverage.

An hour prior, when Xi Yao’s elemental burst had occurred, the entire room had filled with the fragrance of flowers.

Aileen had been startled, momentarily believing that in her excessive surprise, she had accidentally spilled the floral tea she was holding.

Looking down, she quickly realized that wasn’t the case; the sweet scent emanated from Xi Yao herself.

‘Wait, hadn’t Xi Yao mentioned earlier that whether one desired coconut milk or floral tea, it was open for discussion?’

‘Calm down, I’ve been busy lately.’

Aileen closed her eyes, casting aside the jumbled thoughts in her mind, and declared, “Come home with me tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

Xi Yao blinked in slight astonishment, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. “Well, if it’s tomorrow, isn’t the cooldown (TL Note: Gamer slang for the time required before an ability can be used again.) too short? After all, I just today…”

Though A’Yao might not be entirely innocent, and enjoyed pushing boundaries, she was not a superconductor.

Her ultimate ability still had a cooldown.

“I never said I wanted you to engage in *that* tomorrow,” Aileen retorted, rolling her eyes. “At most, I’ll collect a little interest.”

‘No intimacy tomorrow, then. That’s good, that’s good.’

Xi Yao let out a breath of relief. “So, you want me to come with you tomorrow for…”

“I’ve devised a plan, and if it succeeds, our chances of victory will be seventy percent,” Aileen stated, gazing at her with a cold sneer. “As for why I’m making you come home with me, I fear that if I don’t keep an eye on you, you’ll simply go off and get intimate with some other girl again.”

That wasn’t entirely true, of course. The primary reason for her going home was that she needed to cook for her younger sister, Ai Xiaoxue, tomorrow.

Xi Yao puffed out her cheeks indignantly. ‘I said tomorrow’s cooldown is tomorrow’s cooldown; there’s no way I’d engage in those acts. Why don’t you believe me?’

‘Fine, whatever. Going wouldn’t be so bad. After all, finding a quiet place to talk at school is quite troublesome.’

“Well, then, I’ll head back first?” Xi Yao clutched her small satchel. “Where should I find you tomorrow?”

“At the bus stop by the school gate. I’ll pick you up.”

With those words, Aileen lifted her skirt and departed with elegant steps.

She had performed too many inelegant actions here today and felt the need to regain some composure.

****

After Aileen left, Xi Yao sank back onto the sofa, taking a good while to compose herself.

“This is just my luck,” the girl sighed, tilting her face to the ceiling. “What in the world is happening?”

‘I indulged myself at home, only to be discovered by Sister Xi Ruo, who then used it as leverage to engage in intimate acts with me today.’

‘And then, because I engaged in intimate acts with Sister Xi Ruo, Aileen discovered it, and now she’s using it as leverage to engage in intimate acts with me in the future.’

‘Surely, I won’t someday engage in intimate acts with Aileen, only to be discovered by someone else, leading to an endless cycle, right?’

‘Snowball effect, siphon effect, red giant effect—I was told to believe in gravity, but not in this manner!’

“No, no matter what, it couldn’t possibly be *that* coincidental; that would be far too unlucky,” Xi Yao murmured, shaking her head slightly. “Impossible.”

‘Still, I should head back to the dorm first. I’ll sleep and then think about it. I’m truly exhausted.’

Xi Yao stretched languidly, then picked up her small satchel and started towards the dorms.

The Houde Zaiwu Hall was not far from the girls’ dormitory, and even walking at her leisurely pace, she didn’t take long to arrive.

Pushing the door open and entering the dorm room, Xi Yao didn’t even lift her head, greeting faintly, “Good afternoon, Jiang Li.”

Jiang Li, who had been sitting on her bed reading, was startled by the sound and hurriedly scrambled to hide her book beneath the covers. “G-good afternoon, you’re back.”

‘The book said that in your situation, you’d most likely spend the night out. Why are you back by noon?’

For a moment, Jiang Li wasn’t sure whether to be happy; after all, returning so early suggested the situation was different from what the book described…

“Xi Yao,” Jiang Li ventured cautiously, “Where did you go this morning?”

“Somewhere tolerable,” Xi Yao replied, climbing onto her bed, shedding her pants, and burrowing under the covers. “It’s time for a nap, Jiang Li. Good afternoon.”

“M-mm… Good afternoon.”

Xi Yao lay down and immediately fell into a deep sleep, but Jiang Li found herself unable to rest.

Although Xi Yao had returned early, which contradicted the book’s predictions, her immediate exhaustion and instant slumber upon arrival perfectly matched another scenario described in the book.

‘What exactly happened?’

The afternoon world gradually settled into quietude. Xi Yao slept facing the wall, her steady breathing audible, her face obscured.

Jiang Li carefully retrieved the book from under her covers and quietly placed it back into her satchel.

She had spent the entire morning reading, and the book stated that if the person you liked left you alone to go out, only to return utterly exhausted and fall asleep immediately, there was a high probability they had someone else.

Moreover, if you asked them what they had been doing, and they offered a seemingly legitimate excuse, such as getting their hair done, it was a hundred percent certain they had someone else.

Jiang Li was intensely curious and wanted to test the book’s wisdom to see if it held true. Unfortunately, Xi Yao was already fast asleep, slumbering soundly, so she could only wait for her to wake up.

‘I’ll just wait for now.’

This waiting extended until evening.

“Mmm… hmm-hmm, ah~”

Xi Yao’s sleep had been exceptionally deep, yet her dreams were far from pleasant. In her dream, she rapidly relived past events, then fast-forwarded to being coerced into intimate acts by Aileen, only to be discovered by another girl who, in turn, used it as a threat to engage in intimate acts.

After several such rounds, while engaging in intimate acts with the last girl, she was discovered by Sister Xi Ruo, thus forming an Ouroboros, a perfect closed loop…

“No! Not that!”

Xi Yao’s eyes snapped open, revealing the familiar ceiling. She was still in her dorm room, with no endless grand bed, no myriad ‘charging sands’ (TL Note: A playful euphemism for items related to intimate activities.), or any other fantastical weapons or props.

The girl, still shaken, gasped for a few breaths.

‘I’m a mere fluff ball, how could I have such a dream?’

“You’re awake, Xi Yao.”

Jiang Li looked up at her from below, surprised. “Did you have a nightmare?”

“Something like that,” Xi Yao said, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. “Perhaps I didn’t eat lunch and was just hungry.”

Jiang Li considered this and agreed. For someone who loved to eat as much as Xi Yao, skipping lunch and then sleeping all afternoon would indeed make for restless dreams.

“I brought you a bento box,” she announced. “I just brought it back; it’s still warm.”

Without Xi Yao by her side, Jiang Li hadn’t wanted to eat in the cafeteria, so she had picked up two bento boxes to bring back.

Xi Yao, delighted, threw off her covers and quickly scrambled out of bed. “No wonder I smelled something delicious the moment I opened my eyes! Let me tell you, thank you… Oof.”

Her small feet touched the floor, and her legs wobbled, almost causing her to lose her balance. Thankfully, Jiang Li was quick enough to steady her.

“Are you… that tired today?”

She could barely stand.

“No, no, I just had a nap, and I didn’t eat lunch, so I feel a bit light-headed,” Xi Yao explained, steadying herself on the table as she sat down. “A meal and a shower will set me right.”

Jiang Li had been about to ask something, but hearing Xi Yao’s words, a new idea suddenly struck her: she would ask during the shower. People tended to be more candid then, especially when unclothed and with their defenses lowered.

Xi Yao ate her meal with gusto, then sat back for a short rest. Recalling the day’s events, she found them truly dreadful.

Mainly, Aileen had always been such an elegant girl; she never expected her to have such a side. The human heart was truly treacherous.

‘Fortunately, my roommate is an innocent straight girl.’

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Xi Yao turned her head to see Jiang Li standing before her, holding a wooden basin.

“Xi Yao,” she said, “It’s time for your bath.”