A Dangerous Awakening

The maids withdrew.

‘You said only the Second Miss could see her, yet Miss Yu Lian is already in there bathing! Are you truly going in to wash with her?’

They dared not question further, nor even follow Yixiya inside to assist her in undressing. They were all well aware of Yixiya’s fiery temperament; to provoke her would mean the abrupt end of their promising careers.

Yixiya stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a backhand sweep. Her gaze swept forward, and through the misty steam, she could vaguely discern a graceful figure submerged in the warm pool.

Rubbing her palms together, Yixiya’s playful spirit surged. She quietly crept closer, intent on giving Yu Lian a good fright and reveling in her embarrassment. However, as she tiptoed nearer, Yixiya realized her efforts were entirely superfluous. Yu Lian was nearly unconscious from the heat, half of her head submerged in the water.

If Yixiya hadn’t intervened, Yu Lian might have drowned.

Not knowing what to say about the other woman’s carelessness, Yixiya quickly knelt down and pulled Yu Lian from the pool, laying her flat on the floor. Looking down, she saw Yu Lian was entirely flushed, with not a trace of her original pale skin visible.

Her breath felt hot.

Yixiya touched her own nose, checking for a nosebleed, then realized it was merely her imagination. Of course, why would she have an inappropriate reaction to Yu Lian, who lay there splayed out, inviting scrutiny?

Bending her knees, she squatted on the ground and poked Yu Lian’s chest. The sensation was unexpectedly soft and warm.

“Hey, Yu Lian, wake up. Don’t sleep.”

“Tsk, why are you so dazed?”

“You’re quite something, getting into this state just from taking a bath.”

Her body was entirely crimson, like the roasted suckling pigs her family sometimes prepared. Yixiya covered her mouth, chuckling. She had to admit, this version of Yu Lian truly stirred something within her. She wanted to take a bite—on her hands, shoulders, chest, or perhaps elsewhere—just to see if she tasted like roasted pork.

To think was to act. Since she had to wake Yu Lian anyway, it might be better to bite her awake, letting her feel the sting.

Yixiya grasped Yu Lian’s hand, her cherry-red lips slightly parted. Without a moment’s hesitation, she leaned down and gently bit the porcelain-white hand, her teeth scraping rather than clamping down tightly, as if afraid of hurting her.

It was more of a nip. In truth, it was more akin to a cat’s playful lick.

Yixiya’s brows curved into a smile. At this moment, she was no different from a child with a new toy. As she gazed at Yu Lian, at the lovely, flushed face so close to her, a peculiar glint flashed in her eyes.

“Ya’er…”

Her throat bobbed, as if falling into a trance once more. The Yu Lian before her transformed in her eyes, becoming a substitute for her childhood friend. She gradually became infatuated.

Her bite grew more forceful.

Until—

“Ow—!”

“Which bastard is biting me?!”

Yu Lian abruptly sat up, her wandering consciousness snapping back. She looked at the culprit before her, cold sweat pouring down her back.

‘My god, I must still be dreaming. Why would I see Yixiya in the bathroom? It feels so surreal.’

Yet, the persistent pain in her hand told her it was real. The Yixiya before her was genuine, still biting her hand forcefully, as if trying to tear off a piece of flesh.

“Hey, hey, Yixiya, that’s enough!”

“I’m not food!”

Yu Lian pushed Yixiya’s head away.

“Ya’er… Ya’er…”

A muffled, indistinct hum escaped Yixiya’s throat. Yu Lian clearly heard Yixiya’s words, and her heart seized with terror. She immediately opened her eyes wider and looked up.

The shadowy human face had reappeared above Yixiya’s head. This meant she had fallen into her yandere state again, and she was mistaking Yu Lian for the Second Miss.

What kind of situation was this? Yu Lian felt helpless. Why had Yixiya come to the bathroom while she was bathing? And not only had she come, but she had also entered her yandere state?

“Yixiya, snap out of it. Look closely, I’m not the Second Miss, Bai Muya. You’ve made a mistake. Can you please let go first?”

Regardless of its effectiveness, Yu Lian had to say something. It was certainly better than doing nothing and waiting for doom.

Yixiya continued to hum, biting down fiercely. Compared to the last time, her actions were much more ruthless, as if she were initiating her “storage jar” plan—to bite Yu Lian, pack her up, and seal her away as a collection.

Yu Lian’s face contorted in pain. She couldn’t let Yixiya continue, or the outcome would only become more unmanageable.

“Xiya, how about we kiss?”

“Don’t bite me; I’ll give you a kiss.”

At this point, this tactic seemed the best strategy—the quickest and most effective way to awaken her mind and break her free from the yandere state. It simply required a small sacrifice on her part.

Yu Lian silently apologized to Lingyi.

Upon hearing “kiss,” Yixiya indeed stopped biting. She released Yu Lian’s hand and leaned forward, slowly drawing closer.

“I want to kiss Ya’er…”

“Kissing is wonderful…”

She murmured, her crazed eyes filled with longing for a kiss. This yearning even managed to suppress her madness, allowing her to gradually calm down.

“Mmm—”

Yu Lian hadn’t even prepared herself before Yixiya’s lips met hers. The two pressed tightly together. Their lips adhered closely.

Yu Lian slowly closed her eyes, immersing herself in the sensation. Yixiya’s lips were fragrant and soft; this was her most direct feeling, and it was precisely why she had felt so agitated and unsettled yesterday and today.

‘You shouldn’t be doing this. Kissing her would not only be unfair to the Second Miss, but also to Lingyi, and even more so to Yixiya, who is being deceived,’ a voice within her kept saying.

‘If you truly want to help her and lead her out of her yandere state, then become her partner and create a happy future together.’

Become partners? That wasn’t wrong, considering she had just kissed the other person. But would the Second Miss agree? And would Yixiya agree?

Yixiya liked the Second Miss, and the Second Miss liked… well, collecting beauties. Yu Lian’s feelings for Yixiya were currently vague, and she wasn’t sure if they were romantic.

If the inner ripples she felt—liking kissing, liking the sensation of skin pressing and clinging—could be called love, then she probably did like Yixiya. She was a vulgar person, easily swayed by beauty; she wanted to get close to every pretty girl, even the annoying Second Miss.

Her mind was a battlefield.

Suddenly, Yu Lian’s eyes flew open, her pupils contracting. A tongue… a tongue? Was that a tongue? Yixiya had actually extended her tongue towards her. It seemed to be urging, to be inviting. Rapid touches came from Yixiya’s lips, which were pressed against her tightly closed ones.

Yu Lian had read in a booklet that this was a more intimate act between lovers, capable of deepening their emotional connection. However, she and Yixiya were neither lovers nor partners. Extending a tongue might not be appropriate, she thought.

Yu Lian found herself in a dilemma. She had kissed Yixiya only to awaken her mind, not to deliberately take advantage of her. If she truly accepted the invitation, even with all her reasons, she wouldn’t be able to justify it.

“Yu Lian…”

Amidst her hesitation, a soft murmur escaped Yixiya’s throat. Yu Lian’s heart trembled violently. She opened her eyes wide in surprise, looking at Yixiya, and instinctively parted her lips.

Yixiya seized the opportunity, slipping inside, and their tongues intertwined fiercely.

“No… you’re not Yu Lian… you’re my Ya’er… you’re only my Ya’er…”

She embraced Yu Lian, passionately kissing her.