The Sisters’ Squabble for Qing Zixi

Stepping out of the massage room, Qing Zixi was greeted by a spacious corridor. The floor was paved with elegant white jade tiles, while golden-flecked light fixtures hung from the ceiling. Oil paintings, their creators unknown, adorned the walls.

The corridor offered a clear view straight to the central hall at its far end. With just a glance, Qing Zixi spotted a girl with star-like purple hair, her back turned to her.

Click, click, click.

Qing Zixi lowered her gaze, observing her own purple skirt and the matching purple high heels adorned with gilded crosses.

‘Thank heavens these aren’t the clothes from last night,’ she mused. ‘Otherwise, I truly couldn’t face anyone.’

‘These must be Zi Yun’ai’s clothes,’ she realized. ‘Surprisingly, they fit me quite well.’

Hearing the clicking sound from behind her, Zi Yun’ai rose to her feet. She clasped Qing Zixi’s hands, her purple eyes brimming with a mixture of worry and anticipation.

“How are you feeling? Is your body a little better now? The masseuse I hired was pretty good, right?”

“Y-yes, not bad. My back doesn’t ache as much anymore.”

“And how does it compare to *my* technique?”

Uh.

Qing Zixi opted for silence. Beside them, a maid revealed a look of surprise.

“Did Princess Ai truly give her sister a massage personally? Your bond must be exceptionally strong.”

“Of course! I, I absolutely, truly, deeply adore my little sister Xi’er~”

A flawless smile blossomed on Zi Yun’ai’s face. She pulled Qing Zixi’s hand, guiding her back to sit on the sofa.

‘Hardly,’ Qing Zixi thought wryly. ‘Our ‘bond’ was so strong it almost led straight to the bed.’

Qing Zixi eyed the perfect idol before her, who was currently spouting declarations of love, with extreme wariness.

Had Zi Yun’ai not cuffed her to a chair and bound her hands last night, Qing Zixi might actually have been moved by such affectionate words.

Now, if you asked her if she was touched? She dared not move, not even an inch.

Just as a maid brought over a teapot of black tea and a fruit platter, another maid rushed in from outside.

“T-that… Princess Ai, Miss Lan and Miss Xia have arrived.”

Tsk.

Qing Zixi, being closest to Zi Yun’ai, distinctly heard her click her tongue in annoyance. However, to any outsider, Princess Ai’s face still bore a perfect smile as she rose and looked towards the entrance.

“Oh dear, it seems my beloved sisters have arrived. You may withdraw for now~”

“Yes.”

After Lan Mengyao and Xia Mengying burst into the mansion in a flurry, their gazes immediately locked onto the petite, silver-haired girl beside Zi Yun’ai.

“Sister Xi, are you alright?!”

Lan Mengyao moved with remarkable agility, rushing over to sit beside Qing Zixi. She took Qing Zixi’s hand, examining it carefully.

On the delicate, boneless wrist, even the veins were clearly visible, and a faint red mark had naturally been left behind.

Xia Mengying also settled beside Lan Mengyao, leaning forward to reach over and gently take Qing Zixi’s small hand.

‘She’s currently in her ‘Big Xia Mengying’ state…’ Qing Zixi observed internally.

“What have you done?!”

“Oh, I haven’t done anything at all,” Zi Yun’ai replied sweetly. “I merely met a lovely sister and exchanged some heartfelt sentiments with her~”

Zi Yun’ai let out a laugh as sweet as silver bells. She picked up the red teapot from the table, pouring black tea for both of them.

“Come now, let’s sit down and have a good chat~ It’s been so long since I’ve seen you two, I’ve missed you dearly~”

“Aren’t you tired? There are no outsiders here.”

Lan Mengyao cast a sidelong glance at Zi Yun’ai. The purple-haired girl’s hand, which had been pouring tea, paused subtly, and the smile on her face gradually vanished.

Thud!

Zi Yun’ai slammed the teacup onto the rosewood coffee table with force. She leaned back impatiently, crossing her legs.

“Tsk, pour your own water then!”

Uh…

Caught between the three, Qing Zixi lowered her head, pretending to hear and see nothing. She furiously devoured the fruit platter.

‘Too much fluid was lost last night,’ she thought. ‘It’s time to rehydrate.’

“I came to take Sister Xi away.”

Seeing Zi Yun’ai’s obvious impatience, Lan Mengyao immediately stated her purpose for the day.

“It’s simply too dangerous for her to stay in your house. Moreover, you don’t have time to look after her.”

“No, no, no, little Xi should come with me instead. You’ll be competing in a few months, won’t you? I’m the one with free time every day.”

Xia Mengying and Lan Mengyao had started squabbling amongst themselves. However, observing the two bickering women, Zi Yun’ai’s brow furrowed.

“A gaming-addicted girl who stinks of games, and a mad chemist playing with bottles and jars. You two actually think you can snatch my sister from me?”

In response to Zi Yun’ai’s mockery, both women spoke in unison.

“You ‘duality idol’ aren’t much better yourself!”

****

Thus, a tug-of-war began over Qing Zixi’s custody.

Zi Yun’ai shot a glance at Qing Zixi.

“Here with me, you can have endless small cakes every day, you know~”

Gulp…

“Not only that, but mansions, luxury cars, all the delicacies in the world—anything you desire, I can give it to you.”

‘Such tempting conditions,’ Qing Zixi thought.

Qing Zixi’s frantic fruit-eating paused for a moment.

“Come with me, Sister Xi! Haven’t you always wanted to become a professional player? Your big sister here is quite famous; I can not only help you train but also find you a team!”

Lan Mengyao, taking the lead, also declared her stance. She emphatically patted her chest to guarantee her words.

“I promise I’ll treat you well.”

‘Hiss, that offer sounds rather appealing,’ Qing Zixi mused.

‘If I win the championship, Lan Mengyao would at least deserve a third of the credit,’ she calculated.

Immediately after, Xia Mengying used her ‘Big’ form to playfully shove Lan Mengyao aside. She then approached Qing Zixi, speaking with conviction.

“I can give you potions to make you bigger and taller, so you’ll be even bigger and taller than your sisters!”

Eek!

‘Then wouldn’t I be able to look down on them, puff out my chest, and thoroughly humiliate these sisters by trampling them underfoot?’

‘This one isn’t bad either!’

But, how should she put it?

Qing Zixi set down the orange she had been holding.

‘It felt like a divorce,’ she mused, ‘with three ‘mothers’ squabbling over who gets custody of the child.’

Just as the three women were embroiled in a heated argument, Qing Zixi suddenly leapt onto the coffee table. Her eyes swept across the room, and with hands on her hips, she declared.

“Born between heaven and earth, how could this young lady ever deign to live beneath another’s thumb? I refuse to be taken in by any of you!”

‘Indeed,’ she thought. ‘At this point, choosing any one of them would offend the other two.’

Furthermore, Qing Zixi had no desire to live as a dependent. None of these three were particularly ‘good’ people; if she followed them, she’d likely have to gorge on oranges daily just to stay hydrated.

‘I need to strike out on my own, prove my capabilities, and reclaim the grand mansion I lost!’

However, the three women merely looked up slightly. Qing Zixi noticed they were still staring at her with hesitation, so she pouted her lips and taunted.

“Eek, gotcha! You three wouldn’t possibly…”

She bent down, extending a slender finger, and pointed at each of them in turn.

“While you spout noble words about raising and caring for this young lady, the truth is you can’t live without me! Every night, without me by your side, you must feel empty, lonely, and cold, secretly shedding tears all alone, huh? Ah, no wonder~ You used to ignore me before, and lock yourselves in your rooms after dinner. Sisters, you weren’t secretly crying, were you~?”