The Villainess’s Wild Ride

Naturally, this shyness and hesitation could not be detected by Shen Jingyi, lest my carefully cultivated villainess persona crumble entirely.

Considering the usually aloof Miss Shen’s hesitant demeanor just moments ago, she likely couldn’t bring herself to embrace me. In that case, I resolved to take the initiative, leaving her to grapple with the full weight of the awkwardness.

Predictably, Kaguya’s deliberate taunt caused a subtle tremor in Shen Jingyi’s heart. Shen Jingyi retracted her hand, maintaining the posture of an embrace but cautiously leaving a slight gap, merely holding Kaguya loosely.

“You’ll truly plummet if you don’t hold on tightly, my dear Teacher Shen.”

Observing the trembling figure nestled in her arms, Kaguya offered a well-intentioned reminder.

Shen Jingyi: “…”

A deeper flush bloomed across her cheeks, yet she gritted her teeth and insisted, “It’s nothing…”

“Hmm, alright then~”

Kaguya uttered no further words, but a faint, inky luminescence began to emanate from her form. Then, accompanied by the girl’s soft, melodic laughter, she abruptly accelerated, soaring like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, streaking directly towards the boundless expanse of the sky.

The perpetually composed Shen Jingyi was utterly jolted by Kaguya’s sudden surge of speed. The wind shrieked past her ears, and the distant white clouds receded so swiftly they blurred into mere afterimages, rendering her almost unable to keep her eyes open.

Since her transformation into a magical girl, she had soared through the skies countless times. While her initial ascent had plunged her into utter panic, she had long since grown accustomed to the sensation of flight.

Yet, she had never before realized how truly terrifying it could be to be carried through the sky, devoid of her own magic, merely an ordinary girl clutched in someone’s embrace. It had never even registered with her that a magical girl could achieve such breathtaking speeds!

With no safety measures beyond Kaguya’s seemingly slender and fragile arms, it felt as though a single lapse in attention would send her plummeting from the dizzying heights.

Shen Jingyi dared not glance downwards in the slightest, nor did she have the presence of mind to speak. Casting aside her earlier, subtle reserve, she clasped her arms tightly around Kaguya’s neck, her chest pressing against Kaguya’s, and with Kaguya’s abrupt burst of speed, her cheek, too, found itself pressed against her companion.

Given their considerable height difference, Shen Jingyi clung to Kaguya with the tenacity of a large koala bear.

Her cheek was pressed firmly against the girl’s somewhat slender chest, while the unique, peculiar fragrance characteristic of the young woman enveloped her senses. Shen Jingyi could almost hear the frantic, nervous pounding of her own heart—a rhythm that, even amidst the howling gale, resonated with startling clarity and intensity.

Unseen by Shen Jingyi, a blush of equal prominence bloomed across Kaguya’s fair and delicate features.

Especially in this moment, with Shen Jingyi’s soft form pressed directly against her own, the yielding warmth radiating from her chest, and the supple thighs tightly clasped in her hands, a distinct ripple of emotion stirred within the young woman’s heart.

While it felt somewhat improper to scrutinize her in such a manner, Miss Shen’s figure, though not overtly stunning, possessed a unique girlish curvature and warmth, coupled with nearly perfect bodily proportions, that nonetheless captivated Kaguya’s attention unconsciously.

It was simply that Shen Jingyi typically maintained a polite social distance from others, and her cool, refined features often meant this particular aspect went unnoticed.

‘Ahem, calm down, Bai Muxue, calm down. You are an individual of mature mind; you should not allow a mere young girl to disturb your composure!’

Kaguya lowered her gaze slightly, continuously whispering self-assurances within her mind.

If Shen Jingyi’s heart was in disarray at this moment, then Kaguya’s was no less so.

She pursed her lips, attempting to employ her old trick once more: “Oh~ I never imagined Teacher Shen could be so passionate, truly~”

Yet, at this moment, she had lost her earlier composure, her voice now tinged with a slight tremor.

‘Hmph! I’m not nervous in the slightest! But the physical contact is already sufficient; without a few more teasing words, how can I possibly heighten her negative emotions?’

Shen Jingyi wished to retort, but the girl was hurtling through the sky at such high speed, occasionally executing sharp turns and drifts. With her eyes squeezed shut, even her eyelashes quivered, rendering her utterly incapable of discerning Kaguya’s unusual demeanor.

The girl merely felt her heartbeat quicken steadily, clutching Kaguya’s petite form as if it were her very last lifeline.

“Ow! That stings, stings, stings!” Kaguya winced, a grimace twisting her lips. “I mean, even if Teacher Shen is displeased with me, there’s surely no need to resort to pinching, is there?”

Huh?

Shen Jingyi froze for a beat, only then realizing that her fingers, due to her excessive grip, had dug directly into the girl’s skin. At this point, any hint of suggestive intimacy had vanished, replaced by a straightforward pinch.

She hastily relaxed her grip, a trace of guilt blossoming on her fair face. “My apologies… that wasn’t intentional.”

“What? Didn’t hear clearly—can you say it again—”

This time, Kaguya wasn’t deliberately attempting to tease Shen Jingyi; the sheer velocity of their flight meant her ears were filled with the roaring wind, and she genuinely hadn’t heard.

However, Shen Jingyi, assuming the cunning young woman was merely repeating her trick, gritted her teeth, then raised her voice and declared loudly, “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean it!”

Upon hearing this, Kaguya offered a sly smile, her voice a soft, teasing murmur. “What’s the matter, Teacher Shen? Are you already admitting defeat at this level? I haven’t even truly accelerated yet!”

The girl’s lighthearted tone caused Shen Jingyi to momentarily falter in surprise.

‘She’s not actually hurting, is she merely pretending?’

Before she could even utter a word, she heard Kaguya let out a slightly excited laugh. “Haha, Teacher Shen, hold on tight! I’m about to speed up—”

Indeed, Kaguya was experiencing a surge of genuine excitement at this juncture. In stark contrast to Shen Jingyi’s apprehension, this sensation of actively soaring through the heavens, witnessing the white clouds rush past and the landscape below transform at dizzying speeds, caused her blood—which had lain dormant for far too many years—to gradually begin to boil.

She was also keenly curious to discover the absolute limits of her acceleration.

No sooner had the words left Kaguya’s lips than Shen Jingyi felt the wind’s roar in her ears intensify abruptly. For a fleeting moment, the world narrowed to nothing but the deafening shriek of the gale around her.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

Her heart brimming with an intense trepidation, she clung to Kaguya even more fiercely. She had no idea how much time had elapsed, but only when Kaguya appeared to slightly reduce their speed did she cautiously dare to open her eyes.

By this point, the two of them had reached the outskirts of Wangdu. Rolling green hills lined both sides of the road, verdant with lush foliage under the setting sun, and the air carried the mingled scents of vegetation and damp earth.

Shen Jingyi, in her untransformed state, was indistinguishable from any ordinary girl. Having just been buffeted so fiercely by the wind, her previously somewhat perspiring body now felt a distinct chill. This, coupled with the exhilarating experience, made her instinctively cling to Kaguya, refusing to release her grip.

Kaguya allowed her to cling. While a touch of nervousness had indeed gripped her at first, after flying for a while, she had gradually acclimated to the speed, finding it remarkably similar to driving a car.

Still mindful of her villainess persona, she glanced at the slightly trembling Shen Jingyi, a subtle curve forming on her lips:

“Teacher Shen, aren’t you going to inquire where I’m taking you?”

“Hmm~ aren’t you afraid I’ll lock you away in a dark room and do all sorts of things to you~”