Sisterly Scrutiny and Unexpected Encounters

“Don’t feign innocence with me; you know precisely what I’m referring to.”

Xi Ruo rose to her feet, moving deliberately towards the treadmill.

Having just come from physical education class, she wore a matching sports bra beneath her hoodie, its taut fabric struggling to contain the formidable peaks of her chest, which exuded an undeniable sense of pressure.

“Don’t bother denying it; I can smell it.”

Xi Yao gasped, “You can smell that?”

“Hmph,” Xi Ruo scoffed, a corner of her lips curling upward. “The scents of milk and flowers are quite distinctive, after all.”

As Wenlu Academy’s once-in-a-century genius, Xi Ruo not only boasted A-rank strength and speed, but also possessed exceptionally heightened senses.

Moreover, since the other person was someone she cherished, their scent was, naturally, etched clearly into her memory.

“Is… is that so?”

Xi Yao found this a little unnerving, a thought surfacing in her mind: ‘Could she be a yandere?’

Yet, that didn’t quite fit. Other yanderes would ‘reach base’ (TL Note: A euphemism for sexual intimacy) in a day, resort to imprisonment by the second, and within two and a half days, render their targets utterly dependent on them for survival.

Meanwhile, Xi Ruo had taken two and a half years of ‘practice’ just to hold hands…

“You still haven’t answered me,” Xi Ruo stated, her gaze fixed intently on Xi Yao.

Her demeanor suggested she was ready to bury her face and sniff should Xi Yao refuse to comply.

Xi Yao shivered slightly, then quickly confessed, “Three times… no, twice. The most recent time, I didn’t manage to ‘draw the prize’ (TL Note: A euphemism for sexual release).”

She had intended to ‘draw the prize’ yesterday noon, but Jiang Li had talked her out of it.

Xi Ruo did a quick mental calculation and gasped, a sharp intake of breath.

Xi Yao had enrolled last Tuesday. Counting from Wednesday, it had been a full seven days. Twice in seven days… no, with one incident where she hadn’t succeeded, that meant under normal circumstances, it would be three ‘prizes’ a week.

According to advanced elemental theory, this was undeniably a high frequency.

Xi Ruo recalled the analysis her classmate had shared with her last weekend; so far, nearly everything had aligned.

There was still her most pressing concern—

“Would you ever consider asking someone else to help you?” Xi Ruo suddenly inquired.

Xi Yao blinked, her expression unreadable. “What did you just say?”

She felt as though she might be hallucinating.

“Don’t play coy with me; answer the question properly,” Xi Ruo’s tone turned slightly cool. “I haven’t even confronted you about today, running and panting in that outfit in front of two women.”

Alright, so it wasn’t a hallucination after all… but it hadn’t been that serious today, merely one woman and one girl.

Xi Yao mumbled softly to herself.

“As for wanting someone else to help, that’s absolutely out of the question.”

Xi Ruo’s gaze intensified. “Really? Not even in the future?”

Xi Yao hesitated for approximately 35 milliseconds. “…Of course it’s true.”

To be honest, during their last visit to the bathhouse, when Jiang Li had scrubbed her back, a fleeting, similar thought had indeed crossed Xi Yao’s mind.

Still, that was perfectly normal, wasn’t it? Jiang Li was, after all, a beautiful girl, and harboring a tiny fantasy about a pretty girl was only human nature… right?

Xi Ruo’s eyes narrowed, a sharp glint appearing within them. That 35-millisecond hesitation, imperceptible to even a professional athlete, she had keenly caught.

That flicker of hesitation confirmed it: Xi Yao was indeed wavering.

Xi Ruo recalled her classmate’s words, and also the thoughts that had once echoed within her own mind—

‘Someone has to help, and that someone absolutely must be me!’

“From now on, you are forbidden from ‘drawing the prize’ yourself,” Xi Ruo declared, crossing her arms, her tone leaving no room for argument. “If you have any needs, I will help you.”

Xi Yao blinked, her face devoid of expression.

‘This time, it truly must be a hallucination, mustn’t it?’

****

These past two days, the most talked-about person at Wenlu Academy was neither the wildly popular Goddess Xi Ruo, nor Jiang Li, who was currently embroiled in scandalous rumors, and certainly not the controversial Yun Caiyi.

Undoubtedly, it was the legend of this year’s student council, Wenlu Academy’s most elegant blonde beauty, Jerusalem, Aileen.

The only reason Xi Yao had entered people’s radar today was due to the topic: “Who has bigger breasts, Aileen or her?”

Aileen, despite being the absolute focus of the academy these past few days, arrived fashionably late, making her way towards Zone A3 of the gymnasium in her tightly fitted uniform.

She had something to discuss with Xi Yao.

En route, she happened to spot Jiang Li, who had just parted ways with her sister. The girl with light, shoulder-length hair was preparing to return to her dorm room alone.

“Jiang Li,” Aileen called out, stopping her. “Are you heading back to your dorm? And Xi Yao, is she still in the gymnasium?”

However, Jiang Li seemed not to hear, continuing to walk forward in a daze.

“Jiang Li?”

Only after a second call did Jiang Li snap back to reality. “Oh, it’s you. Are you looking for… Xi Yao?”

She was indeed a little distracted; her former life goal had suddenly reappeared, only to turn out to be her roommate’s older sister.

And her own sister, despite clearly not having finished her work, had claimed completion and dragged her away first.

Something felt off, but Jiang Li couldn’t quite grasp what.

‘Perhaps this is just the world of lesbians,’ Jiang Li thought. ‘Jiang Li doesn’t know, and Jiang Li doesn’t dare ask.’

Fortunately, Aileen’s appearance pulled her thoughts back.

“Yes, I’m looking for Xi Yao,” Aileen patiently reiterated. “Is she still at the gymnasium?”

Jiang Li pointed in the direction she had come from. “She is, in that gym room over there.”

“Thank you.”

As Aileen prepared to leave, she noticed Jiang Li’s gaze wandering, which piqued her curiosity. “Jiang Li, has something happened?”

“Nothing… I’m just a little surprised.”

Jiang Li considered this. Aileen was someone on her and Xi Yao’s side, a trustworthy friend. So, she confided, “Do you know the Goddess Xi Ruo from the university department? She’s actually Xi Yao’s older sister.”

“Xi Ruo is Xi Yao’s sister? How truly astonishing! While their names are similar, I never once considered that possibility.”

Aileen was indeed slightly taken aback, countless thoughts flashing through her mind before quickly subsiding.

Given that no one had known about this for over a year since Xi Yao’s enrollment, it clearly indicated her desire for discretion.

“I’ll go find her now. See you later.”

Bidding farewell to Jiang Li, Aileen followed the path she had indicated, and before long, she spotted the rather modest gym room.

The door was closed, yet upon closer inspection, it wasn’t fully shut; it merely stood ajar—the lock having been kicked open by someone.

It was precisely for this reason that voices from within faintly drifted out.

“Why are you reacting like this? Is it because you don’t want me, and plan to find someone else?”

Aileen’s expression turned peculiar.

She recognized that pleasant female voice; it belonged to none other than Goddess Xi Ruo from the university department, whose speeches she had heard before.

Yet, herein lay the puzzle: why did the esteemed Goddess Xi Ruo, when speaking to her own younger sister, conceal a hint of grievance within her seemingly cold tone?

Initially, she had intended to simply walk in and greet them, but Aileen now changed her mind, deciding to linger and listen a while longer.

‘This isn’t eavesdropping,’ she mused. ‘The door wasn’t properly closed, so it’s hardly my fault.’

“No, I’m not planning to find anyone else. I can manage perfectly well on my own.”

Aileen was very familiar with this voice; the white-haired, large-chested girl she had chosen seemed a little flustered.

“No,” Xi Ruo’s voice was unyielding. “Your current lack of intention doesn’t mean you won’t have the thought later. Rather than waiting for things to spiral out of control in the future, it’s better for me to take charge and control it now.”

Aileen twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger, tilting her head.

‘Control? What kind of control?’