An Unexpected Sweetness

Hypoglycemia attacks were indeed debilitating, yet with a timely replenishment of sugar, recovery proved remarkably swift.

Shen Jingyi pressed her temples, vigorously shaking her head, before slowly sitting upright, bracing herself against the car’s plush seat.

Having fallen straight backward just moments ago, Shen Jingyi knew it was impossible for the petite Bai Muxue to have caught her.

The soft sensation that had registered against her back at that moment was, without a doubt, the unfortunate girl having served as her personal cushion.

“…I’m sorry.”

A hint of apology surfaced on Shen Jingyi’s delicate features.

With the lollipop still nestled in her mouth, her words emerged somewhat muffled, mixed with a slight nasal tone.

This starkly contrasted her usual cool, clear voice, lending her an indescribable, almost childlike cuteness.

Bai Muxue, however, offered Shen Jingyi not even a fleeting glance.

For some inexplicable reason, her eyes remained steadfastly fixed on the lollipop still clutched between Shen Jingyi’s lips.

With her cheeks flushed crimson, she shook her head and replied, “It’s nothing.

Don’t you still have work to get to?”

“Let’s go.

I’ll come find you later.”

As Shen Jingyi exited the car, Bai Muxue leaned her head out the window once more, her expression hesitant as she uttered, “Um…”

Still savoring the lollipop, Shen Jingyi looked utterly bewildered.

“What is it?”

“Uh…”

The girl’s gaze darted repeatedly to the lollipop, her lips parting as if to speak, only to close again, her words caught in her throat.

“Um, if you don’t like this candy, you can just throw it away!”

Biting her lip, Bai Muxue blurted out this cryptic remark.

Then, under Shen Jingyi’s utterly bewildered gaze, she swiftly slipped back into the car, rolled up the window, and sped away, the entire sequence executed with seamless precision.

Shen Jingyi watched her departure, her gaze following the luxury car until it vanished at the farthest edge of her vision.

Only then did she slowly lower her eyelids and extract the lollipop from her mouth.

This unassuming little confection, it turned out, was an imported delicacy.

Its color was a soft, enticing creamy yellow, and upon tasting, her mouth was flooded with the rich flavors of vanilla and milk.

One bite was enough to confirm this was no inexpensive treat.

Shen Jingyi held the small stick, scrutinizing it for a considerable time, yet still failed to discern its likely cost.

Back when she still resided with the Shen family, she had indulged in her fair share of expensive confections.

However, this opulent lifestyle had been short-lived; her mother soon took her away from the family, and such delicate little snacks became entirely beyond her reach.

Later, her mother incurred a massive debt, forcing Shen Jingyi to work tirelessly to supplement their household income.

She subsisted on cafeteria food, often agonizing for ages over whether to even add extra toppings to her simple meals.

Naturally, she had never tasted, nor even considered tasting, the expensive delicacies that Miss Bai consumed as a matter of course.

‘That girl even said, “If you don’t like it, just throw it away…”‘

Shen Jingyi mused.

‘What she herself wouldn’t even dream of in her ordinary life was, to Miss Bai, merely an everyday snack.’

A vivid image of Bai Muxue, casually holding the lollipop in her mouth moments earlier, flashed through Shen Jingyi’s mind, prompting an involuntary sigh.

‘Wait… holding a lollipop with her mouth? Holding it?’

‘Eh—’

As the realization dawned upon her, Shen Jingyi’s delicate face instantly stiffened, then flushed crimson with a speed visible to the naked eye, as if steam might billow from her cheeks.

‘That girl just directly gave me her lollipop? No wonder she said to throw it away earlier!!!’

Shen Jingyi stared blankly at the lollipop before her.

For some inexplicable reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a trace of the other girl’s scent still clung to it.

Subconsciously, she yearned to discard the lollipop.

Yet, for some unknown reason, a montage of scenes from earlier today suddenly flashed through Shen Jingyi’s mind.

Bai Muxue wiping her hair; Bai Muxue, inexplicably mature; Bai Muxue hiding behind her; Bai Muxue, alluring and captivating during her transformation…

—And Bai Muxue, biting the lollipop, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

As if guided by an irresistible impulse (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘guǐ shǐ shén chāi,’ meaning to act on a strange, inexplicable urge, as if possessed), she found herself unable to discard the lollipop.

Instead, she parted her small lips, first lightly touching the candy with the tip of her tongue, before slowly, deliberately, drawing it into her mouth.

The candy still carried that familiar taste.

Yet, imbued with the girl’s unique essence, it seemed to have acquired an additional, subtle flavor.

What this particular flavor truly was, perhaps even Shen Jingyi herself couldn’t quite discern.

‘Come to think of it… isn’t this… an indirect kiss?’

The girl silently savored the lollipop, the flush on her cheeks deepening, and her heartbeat inexplicably began to race.

‘But no matter what… it’s truly sweet.’

With the candy still in her mouth, Shen Jingyi’s thoughts drifted far afield.

One moment she recalled the blonde girl from earlier in the day, the next, Bai Muxue in her transformed, magical state.

Deep in contemplation, she continued her walk.

Her previously depleted magical energy was now slowly, steadily recovering, and the dizzying effects of her earlier hypoglycemia had significantly lessened.

Shen Jingyi resolved to change into her work uniform, complete her shift, and only then would she consider dinner and returning home.

Before she realized it, she had arrived at the convenience store entrance.

The lights were still brightly lit, indicating that her junior colleague and Sister Li had yet to depart.

“Oh dear… it really shouldn’t be wrong…”

The junior colleague, her brow furrowed in concentration, was tallying accounts at the counter.

Hearing the sound of the door pushing open, she instinctively lifted her head.

“Ah, Senior,” she exclaimed, “you’re finally here!

My apologies for suddenly calling you in to help… Eh!”

The junior girl abruptly choked on her words.

Shen Jingyi was still clad in the elegant long dress Bai Muxue had gifted her.

With the lollipop in her mouth, the candy subtly plumped her cheeks into a soft, rounded curve, diminishing her usual cool demeanor and imbuing her with a unique, girlish charm.

She hadn’t initially perceived anything unusual, but witnessing her junior colleague’s exaggerated surprise, a sudden realization struck her, and she froze.

“S-Senior?”

“Mm, ah, it’s nothing.

I’ll go change first.”

Shen Jingyi nodded subtly, feigning composure.

Grabbing her staff uniform, she quickly made her exit.

The junior stood frozen, her eyes wide with utter disbelief, unable to utter a single word for a considerable time.

Only after Shen Jingyi had moved out of earshot did the junior snap out of her daze.

She then tremblingly turned her head to address Sister Li, who was tidying the shelves nearby.

“S-S-S-Sister Li… don’t you think Senior looked a bit… odd just now?”

Sister Li paused, hearing this, then replied with a hint of suspicion, “Uh, eating a lollipop?”

“You know,” Sister Li continued, “I really haven’t seen little Shen eat snacks before… but for you young girls, isn’t having a bit of candy perfectly normal?”

“Oh, it’s not just the lollipop!”

The junior’s voice suddenly rose several octaves, only to be immediately suppressed into a hushed whisper, as if fearing someone nearby might overhear,

“Look at the clothes Senior is wearing! The clothes!”

Under Sister Li’s utterly bewildered gaze, the junior lowered her voice and whispered conspiratorially, “That dress Senior is wearing?

I saw it in a luxury blogger’s video.

It’s incredibly expensive—worth a whole year of my salary!”

“I saw Senior in that luxury car earlier today.

I thought I’d seen wrong then…”

“R-really?”

“Exactly!”

The two exchanged wide-eyed glances, too stunned to utter another word.

****

—The usually serious and plainly dressed Senior had been picked up by a luxury car, only to return for work in an expensive dress she could never possibly afford, all while savoring a lollipop she would never normally touch!

‘Holy crap, are there weirdos lurking around here too…? Is Senior the problem, or am I?’

The junior stood dumbfounded, mumbling to herself.