The Lollipop Commission

Following the sound, Feiluo turned her head, seeing a black-haired girl, clad in the Blazing Spirit Sect’s direct disciple robes, approaching her.

“Senior Sister Yiwu.” Upon seeing the newcomer, Feiluo smoothed the smile from her face, her expression calm, and greeted her with an unruffled tone.

Senior Sister Yiwu was, in a way, her friend; their relationship was usually quite good, but Yiwu’s personality… It was a bit like a certain three-letter canid—a little silly, rather boisterous.

“Hello, Junior Sister Fei.” Yiwu came up to Feiluo, grinning as she reached out, intending to pat Feiluo’s small head. However, Feiluo, with swift reflexes, dodged her touch.

This action momentarily stunned Yiwu, who clearly hadn’t expected Feiluo to evade her ‘head-pat attack.’

As a red-haired, golden-eyed loli, Feiluo’s adorable appearance and petite stature made her incredibly popular and beloved among her senior and junior sisters. Often, just like a moment ago, after only a few words, someone would come up and pat her head, treating her like a child.

‘How infuriating!’

Feiluo glanced at Yiwu’s dumbfounded expression, a touch of smugness bubbling up within her.

‘Hmph~’

‘Did they really think I was still that adorable yet clumsy little loli from before?’

‘Let me tell you now!’

‘I’m not!’

‘Though my appearance remains that of a loli, inwardly I am a mature adult!’

‘The exceptionally reliable kind of adult!’

‘What was that saying again? Though the body may shrink, the mind remains keen!’

‘Head pats? Not a chance!’

“Junior Sister Fei…” Yiwu looked at her empty palm, then at Feiluo, whose expression remained calm but whose eyes held a hint of triumph, and fell into contemplation.

‘Junior Sister Fei never used to resist head pats before; why is she suddenly refusing today?’

‘Could it be…’ Yiwu slapped her palm, her face lighting up with a sudden realization.

Feiluo glanced at Yiwu, who had seemingly understood something, and cupped her hands over her chest (though there was nothing to cup), striving to make both her actions and tone appear more adult. She spoke in an unflustered tone, “If there’s nothing else, Senior Sister Yiwu, I’ll be leaving now.”

Having said this, Feiluo took a step, intending to depart.

“Wait a moment!” Yiwu called out, stopping her.

“Is there something else, Senior Sister Yiwu? Class is about to start, and I still need to rush to the classroom.” Feiluo turned back, her tone still unruffled.

“The World Perception class, right? I have to attend it too, later,” Yiwu said first, then her expression grew somewhat mysterious. “I know what you want now, Junior Sister Fei.”

Feiluo: ‘?’

‘What do I want?’

“No need to say anything, I know you must want this!” Seeing Feiluo, her face a mask of confusion, about to speak, Yiwu smirked triumphantly, and her right hand, hidden behind her back, suddenly shot out.

“This is… a lollipop?” Feiluo was first startled by Yiwu’s sudden movement, mistaking it for an attack, and swiftly retreated, intending to evade. Only then did she realize the anticipated attack never materialized. She looked at Yiwu’s outstretched right hand, her expression shifting from puzzled to utterly bewildered.

In Yiwu’s hand was a pink lollipop, which appeared to be strawberry flavored. She held it out to Feiluo, grinning, “Here, Junior Sister Fei. Surely this means I can pat your head now, right?”

Upon hearing this, Feiluo immediately understood Yiwu’s intention. Her anger flared. She snatched the lollipop from Yiwu’s hand, intending to throw it to the ground and stomp on it a few times, but hesitated for a moment, then abandoned the idea.

‘Lollipops are innocent.’ Feiluo comforted herself inwardly.

She glared at Yiwu, who was moving closer, still attempting to pat her head, and said indignantly, “Are you looking down on me?! I’m not a child! Lollipops like this can’t tempt me at all!”

Feiluo’s expression was fierce (or so she believed), her tone brimming with indignation, but to Yiwu, she looked like a ‘feisty kitten,’ completely lacking any deterrent effect.

“Don’t be angry, Junior Sister Fei, I didn’t mean to look down on you.” Yiwu glanced at the lollipop Feiluo was clutching tightly in her hand and continued, “This is merely a reward.”

“A reward?” Hearing Yiwu’s words, Feiluo’s anger subsided slightly, and upon hearing the word ‘reward,’ she paused, bewildered, and asked, “What do you mean by ‘reward’?”

“A reward is a reward!” Yiwu explained, “Look, if you agree to let me pat your head, and then I give you this.” She pointed to the lollipop in Feiluo’s hand. “Wouldn’t that be a standard commission?”

‘Eh?’

‘Is that how it works?’

‘It sounds like it makes a bit of sense, somehow?’ Feiluo wavered slightly.

Seeing that Feiluo’s expression was no longer as angry as before, Yiwu mentally applauded her quick thinking, then struck while the iron was hot. “Junior Sister Fei, you must have accepted commissions from the sect’s mission board, right?”

“I have.”

“Well, then, look: commission objective,” Yiwu pointed to Feiluo’s small head, “commission reward,” she then pointed to the lollipop in Feiluo’s hand. “Doesn’t that make the commission valid?!”

‘Eh?’

‘It really does.’

‘It’s exactly like the commissions on the mission board.’

‘So, I’ve been misunderstanding Senior Sister Yiwu?’ Feiluo was successfully led into the trap.

“But I can also choose not to accept the commission.” Despite being roped in, Feiluo adamantly refused to be subjected to head pats.

“Don’t rush, Junior Sister Fei, this only means my reward isn’t enough.” Yiwu rummaged behind her back. “Ta-da!”

She produced more lollipops, but unlike last time, this batch was exceptionally numerous. Feiluo, with a rough count, estimated at least thirty or forty. Not only that, but cradled in the center of her cupped hands was an even larger lollipop, the size of an adult’s two fists combined.

“Surely this commission reward is enough now!” Yiwu chortled.

“Hmph!” Faced with such a multitude of lollipops, Feiluo scoffed dismissively.

Just before the class bell rang, Feiluo and Yiwu entered the classroom together.

“Oh? Junior Sister Fei, why are you carrying so many lollipops? Wow, what a huge lollipop!” Upon entering the classroom, a familiar senior sister immediately approached, wanting to greet Feiluo and, incidentally, pat her head. However, she was startled by Feiluo’s current appearance and stood frozen in place.

Feiluo had her left arm crossed over her chest, clutching dozens of lollipops, while her right hand, as if wielding a weapon, hoisted an exceptionally large lollipop onto her shoulder. And from her small mouth, a lollipop stick protruded.

“Nothin’ mush, jus’ a reward.” The strawberry-flavored lollipop rolled around in her mouth as Feiluo mumbled an indistinct reply to the senior sister’s question.