A Bland Breakfast and a Desperate Gambit

“Honestly, that girl is becoming utterly spoiled!” After Serena had departed, Chen Si Yi placed her hands on her hips, unable to resist voicing her complaints to me.

Standing silently beside her, I could only offer an awkward nod, a wordless gesture of agreement.

Serena, after all, served as Chen Si Yi’s loyal lackey. As the old adage went, even when scolding a dog, one should consider its owner. As an outsider, I found it prudent not to interject carelessly.

Besides, despite the unmistakable displeasure in Chen Si Yi’s voice, a furtive glance revealed a different story. Though her brows were knitted tightly, the corners of her mouth were subtly upturned, and a faint, unconscious ripple of amusement played across her features, betraying a rather cheerful disposition.

Thus, considering all these observations, Serena’s fate, be it life or death, held no bearing on me.

Quite the opposite, I sincerely hoped she would avoid Chen Si Yi’s reprimand and joyfully receive her weekly allowance.

After all, my own body was currently under siege! To fall asleep and remain unconscious for an entire day—who could possibly withstand such a predicament?

At this moment, my most fervent wish was for Serena to swiftly uncover a solution to this transformation’s lingering aftereffects.

Though the presence of my sister prevented even a flicker of panic from marring my expression, in truth… I was utterly terrified. The thought that I might simply close my eyes and drift away for good, should I fail to comply, filled me with dread.

“Oh, right, Lin Yan, are you hungry?”

At that very moment, Chen Si Yi’s gaze settled squarely on me once more.

“Ah… are you asking me?”

Still lost in thought, I had intended to declare myself not hungry, but, quite inconveniently, a resounding ‘grumble’ emanated from my stomach at that precise moment.

“Er… well…”

With the undeniable growl of my empty stomach, I found myself utterly speechless with embarrassment.

Lowering my head, I vigorously rubbed my soft, delicate belly, hoping to silence its protests. Instead, my efforts only provoked a string of discontented complaints from it.

“Hehe, you really were hungry, weren’t you?”

In stark contrast to my own mortification, covering my face in utter shame, Chen Si Yi, who had been observing the entire scene, instead offered a look of gentle amusement, a satisfied smile gracing her lips.

She gently helped me rise from the bed, then, with meticulous care, she cradled my small feet and assisted me in donning a pair of white knee-high cotton socks.

According to Chen Si Yi, who was playfully handling my legs, these items had been purchased by Serena yesterday, at her behest, after I had fainted. After all, merely having underwear and a dress was insufficient; other accessories were essential.

Serena, keenly aware of this necessity, had evidently embraced the task with great enthusiasm, securing a substantial budget from Chen Si Yi. She had purchased no less than five pairs of small leather shoes and low-heeled shoes to complement the Lolita dress, not to mention an entire array of socks in various colors and styles—lace, garter, fishnet, and more—enough to fill an entire sack with stockings and cotton socks.

“This… spending so much of your money doesn’t seem quite right.”

As I watched Chen Si Yi, one hand gently cupping the sole of my foot, the other supporting the tip of the white cotton sock as she meticulously tried to ensnare my five plump, rounded toes, an inexplicable heat began to suffuse my entire body.

‘How to describe it… as a loli, my legs were inherently delicate and smooth. Coupled with Chen Si Yi’s unwavering, earnest gaze, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this scene possessed an oddly suggestive aura.’

“Oh, you’re concerned about the cost? You needn’t trouble yourself over that.”

Chen Si Yi drew the white sock up to my ankle, then with a firm, deliberate tug, she pulled it further, until it reached the inner curve of my thigh.

“The money spent on your clothes and all these other things? It all came from your own bank account, of course. I’m not so benevolent as to use my personal allowance to dress you up…”

As she spoke, Chen Si Yi’s hand began to caress my thigh, slowly gliding along its inner curve, down towards my ankle. Only after meticulously smoothing every wrinkle from the white cotton sock did her practiced hands finally cease their work. She then dabbed away a few beads of perspiration from her forehead, turning to me with a gentle, elder-sisterly smile.

Throughout this entire process, I had intended to vehemently protest Chen Si Yi’s unauthorized use of my accumulated savings. Yet, just as the words formed on my tongue, I inadvertently bit down hard, the sudden sting causing me to gasp sharply.

The true source of my sudden flurry of panic, however, was Chen Si Yi, who, still crouched before me, had once again begun to move.

She reached down, retrieving the pristine white cotton sock from the floor, then gently took hold of the sole of my foot, intending to dress my exposed, fair left leg in the same manner as the right.

This time, however, still preoccupied with my thoughts, I hadn’t been paying proper attention. Consequently, the sudden, ticklish sensation on the sole of my foot sent a jolt through me, causing my entire body to recoil sharply, as if I had received an electric shock.

Had I not, with lightning speed, bitten my tongue, forcing a searing pain to flood my mind, I was certain I would have let out a mortifying cry right there, under my sister’s watchful gaze.

‘Damn it, damn it! I was too careless, too complacent! I completely forgot that this silver-haired loli’s body is incredibly sensitive!’

Patting my chest, I felt a cold sweat break out, a silent testament to my near blunder. I then forced my attention back to my legs, vowing not to let my guard down again.

“Hmm, these white cotton socks really do suit you,” Chen Si Yi remarked, a playful smile gracing her lips as she once again guided the sock over my five toes. “They complement your fair, delicate legs quite nicely.”

“If… if you think they’re suitable, then that’s fine,” I stammered in response.

‘I, of course, found myself utterly unable to agree with Chen Si Yi’s enthusiastic pronouncement. After all, I was a formidable man! The notion of knee-high white socks, typically worn by little girls, being ‘matched’ with me? That brought me no joy whatsoever. On the contrary, it felt like the ultimate humiliation of my life!’

“Alright, all done!”

After tugging the front of the sock firmly up to my knees, Chen Si Yi crossed her arms over her chest, observing my legs with a satisfied nod.

“Mmm-hmm, they really do look quite adorable on you. Lin Yan, if you’re still unconvinced, just take a peek in the mirror and see for yourself.”

‘As if I needed you to tell me! Of course, I believe my current adorable appearance is utterly unparalleled. It’s just that I refuse to acknowledge it in front of you, my sister!’

“Alright, alright, we’ve dallied long enough. It’s time for us to go eat now.”

Without affording me the chance to utter a single word, Chen Si Yi opened her arms and gently lifted me from the bedside. Then, with one hand clasped firmly in mine and the other supporting my back, she slowly guided me from the bedroom, much like one would assist an infirm patient.

Only after gently settling me into a chair at the dining table did she, disregarding my faint protests, playfully ruffle my hair with a smile before bustling off to the kitchen to fetch our meal.

This morning’s breakfast diverged significantly from our usual fare. The meal was remarkably plain: a bowl of soft, viscous pumpkin porridge, a plate of stir-fried greens with a hint of char, and a dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes that seemed to lack even a pinch of salt. That was the extent of it.

“This is a little too bland, isn’t it…”

Confronted with such ‘Zen-like’ simplicity, my chopsticks hovering mid-air, I found myself utterly at a loss as to where to begin.

Not a speck of chili, not a pinch of salt. How was I expected to eat this? At the very least, couldn’t she offer a plate of appetizing kimchi?

“Stop complaining and just eat,” Chen Si Yi said with a gentle smile, propping her chin with one hand from across the table. “You’re still feeling unwell, so it’s best to have something light.”

‘Huh? Who said I was sick? My body is perfectly robust, thank you very much!’

‘It’s merely because Serena’s idiotic demon transformation skill is so unrefined that I’m experiencing a slight bout of drowsiness.’

‘Furthermore, even this lingering side effect of drowsiness won’t be cured by simply eating bland food! That logic is asinine, akin to telling someone with a cold to just ‘drink more hot water’!’

With a huff, I picked up a chopstick of the slightly browned greens and, under Chen Si Yi’s highly expectant gaze, slowly placed them into my mouth, beginning to chew.

‘Hmm… how best to describe these greens…’

‘If not for Chen Si Yi’s unusually intense gaze, I truly would be on the verge of retching!’

‘While only a faint charring marred their surface, the greens themselves were permeated with an overpowering metallic tang. This wasn’t a plate of vegetables; it was a plate of wok-burnt residue, vaguely flavored with greens!’

Frowning, and with a grim resolve, I continued to chew the food in my mouth, then, in an instant, a realization dawned on me.

‘Right! It’s the pot-scouring water!’

‘It’s because Chen Si Yi didn’t properly clean the wok before tossing in the greens, which is why these stir-fried vegetables possess such a uniquely burnt flavor!’

Given Chen Si Yi’s expectant gaze from across the table—a look that practically emblazoned the words ‘I made this dish, how is it? Delicious?’ across her face—I carefully concealed my discomfort. Instead, I simply closed my eyes, forcibly suppressing the surging nausea, and slowly, painstakingly swallowed the greens.

“Hoo~ hoo~ hoo~”

Having accomplished this feat, I patted my chest, taking three deep breaths in quick succession. Only then did the suffocating sensation begin to recede.

“Um… water, where’s the water?” I turned my head, desperately searching for something to drink. Yet, no sooner had the words left my lips than my inability to suppress the urge any longer sent me into a violent coughing fit.

“What’s wrong, Lin Yan? Are you feeling unwell?”

Noticing me painfully clutch my mouth, Chen Si Yi, who was nearby, swiftly fetched a glass of water from the kitchen. She offered it to me, patting my back as I drank, evidently quite alarmed by my overly dramatic reaction.

“What happened? Are you feeling any better? Where does it hurt?” Once a faint blush returned to my complexion, Chen Si Yi inquired, her expression etched with concern.

I had intended to utter a reassuring ‘I’m fine, don’t worry,’ but as the words hovered on my tongue, a sudden spark ignited in my mind. A realization struck me: this was an opportunity—an exquisite chance to turn the tables.

“Cough, cough, cough… Si Yi,” I croaked, deliberately coughing a few more times behind my hand. With eyes glinting mischievously, I fixed my gaze on Chen Si Yi, who was still gently rubbing my back. “I feel… I feel like I’m about to die.”