Childhood Rivalry, Adult Consequences

Qing Zixi recalled her childhood.

Her two elder sisters were just so cheeky.

At that time, Qing Zixi was riding a wooden horse in the courtyard. It was a toy made of rosewood, with a spring at the bottom and a horse-shaped body on top.

She had just mounted it when she spotted Lan Mengyao and Xia Mengying squatting nearby, observing the flowers and grass.

“Let’s have a horse-riding contest!”

Qing Zixi remembered the technique she had seen on TV: engage the waist, tighten the hips, flex every muscle while maintaining balance.

“Hmph, you two smelly sisters are probably scared. It’s not shameful to admit defeat~”

Riding a horse was hardly ladylike for girls, but at the time, the three of them had no concept of such things, so they competed together.

Unsurprisingly, Qing Zixi had the absolute advantage. A maid behind her clapped and counted, while Qing Zixi sat proudly, swaying her hips to make the wooden horse rock back and forth.

Even though her small body bounced on the children’s toy, looking as if she might be thrown off at any moment, she firmly gripped the reins and kept herself steady.

“Young master, be careful!”

The maids watched anxiously as Qing Zixi bounced up and down with exhilaration. Other maids surrounded Xia Mengying and Lan Mengyao, as they too were little princesses who couldn’t afford any accidents.

“If you can’t keep up, just beg for mercy! Say, ‘Good brother, we lost, we can’t beat you, we’re your defeated opponents, spare us~'”

A smug smile spread across her face.

“Otherwise, if you stubbornly hold on and get thrown off, how embarrassing that would be~”

Victory was already certain. But just before the finish, Qing Zixi caught sight of Xia Mengying’s well-developed chest bouncing, along with her skirt lifting a few inches, nearly reaching her thighs.

*Pfft!*

Distracted, Qing Zixi flew off the wooden horse. Fortunately, a maid caught her before she hit the ground.

Though it was partly due to the action, Qing Zixi clearly saw Lan Mengyao deliberately pull her skirt up a bit as she passed.

“Damn it, damn it, cheating! You two only know how to cheat!”

Just like now.

“Mm, ah~ D-Damn it, I won’t admit defeat to cheaters… Mmm~!”

“If you can’t take it, just beg for mercy! Say, ‘Good sisters, we lost, we can’t beat you, we’re your defeated opponents, spare me~'”

Both of them had smug smiles as they watched Qing Zixi, whose body was trembling.

“Otherwise, if you stubbornly hold on and get thrown off, how embarrassing would that be~”

Qing Zixi felt an overwhelming familiarity with those words, but her mind had no room left for thought.

She seriously suspected that Xia Mengying’s early development wasn’t natural—she must have used some secret technique on herself. Otherwise, how could she… how could she now…

~Mm!~

Morning. Qing Zixi tilted her head and looked at the three blooming lilies on the nightstand.

Dewdrops still clung to them, perhaps condensed from the cold air.

‘Sigh, those two really have a way…’

Qing Zixi reached out to massage the tender spots from last night.

Huh?

She pressed once, twice—her hand met empty air.

‘W-Where did my chest go?!’

She quickly looked down. The medicine had worn off, and she had returned to her original form.

‘Maybe that’s for the best. At least I won’t be so sensitive…’

“So, were you moved at all?”

Feeling the little girl stirring beside them, Lan Mengyao and Xia Mengying leaned in with mischievous grins.

“If not, we could go for another round?”

“No, no! I was moved, very moved!”

Qing Zixi quickly wrapped her arms around her delicate body. The lingering effects from last night still clouded her mind and body. If they started again now, she’d probably end up meeting the Manager once more.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted~”

Xia Mengying stretched her arms and rubbed her shoulders. Lan Mengyao, the blue-haired girl, was also flexing her body. Even though they had trained their hand skills from a young age, prolonged ‘work’ took its toll.

“You’re tired? What about me?”

Qing Zixi looked at them resentfully.

She couldn’t even move. The slightest motion sent sharp pains through her, and her body felt like a game with heightened sensitivity. Whenever her thighs pressed against theirs, every friction made her tremble and her hair stand on end.

“What do you have to be tired about? You didn’t have to do anything after midnight—I was the one holding you up.”

Lan Mengyao retorted as she massaged her forearm. Xia Mengying chimed in.

“Exactly! I was the one doing all the work up there. If anyone’s tired, it’s us. More tired than three days and nights in the lab.”

Seeing them banter like that, Qing Zixi had no energy left to argue. She let out a long sigh and stared blankly at the ceiling.

‘Whether playing on a toy horse as a child or… as an adult, falling still makes you cry. Just the place differs.’

‘What time is it…’

She tilted her head to look at the clock on the opposite wall. It pointed to four in the afternoon.

‘You’re going to mess up my schedule completely!’

She wailed silently in her heart.

Counting back eight or nine hours, she must have gone to bed around five in the morning. She had even checked the time after showering. Really, such a waste of time!

But unlike her, the two of them seemed happy to waste time on such things. Even though they were rubbing their sore arms, their faces still bore expressions of lingering satisfaction.

“By the way, little sister Xiao Xi, are you staying over tonight?~”

Xia Mengying turned to Qing Zixi with hopeful eyes, only to receive a sharp glare.

After lying in bed for about half an hour, Qing Zixi slowly propped herself up. But getting out of bed was out of the question. The two ‘considerately’ brought over a small plastic table and placed it on the bed, then served the dishes one by one.

‘Why do I feel like a patient who just had surgery and can’t get out of bed…’

Watching the chopsticks and spoon reach toward her, Qing Zixi silently opened her mouth.

She actually felt quite pressured, but fortunately, they were very careful not to spill food on the bed or her clothes.

Truly, Qing Zixi had never imagined that one day she would be stuck in bed, unable to move, waiting to be fed.