Yixiya’s Unexpected Visit

“Ya’er!”

“Ya’er!”

“I know you’re in there! Hurry up and open the door, I’ve come to play!”

The sky had barely begun to lighten when the boisterous voices outside shattered her peaceful sleep. Yu Lian scratched her head, peeking out from under the covers with a groan.

“Yixiya is so loud…”

“I was just sleeping…”

“Wait… what? Yixiya?!”

Yu Lian sat up abruptly. She reached out, intending to wake Bai Muya beside her, but her hand touched nothing but cold air. The person who had shared her bed last night was already gone.

“…”

“Where did she go?”

Where had that fragrant, soft woman—the one who was so surprisingly comfortable to hug—disappeared to? She had been in her arms just last night; how could she vanish by dawn?

Outside, Yixiya seemed to have tired of shouting and began to pound on the door instead. The rhythmic thudding echoed painfully in Yu Lian’s head.

Unable to take it anymore, Yu Lian threw on a thin silk dress and rushed to the door, pulling it open. Since the Second Miss had returned and was staying in the manor frequently, the door could now be opened without a maid’s key, though the surveillance remained as strict as ever. The maids stood like statues, guarding the hallway.

“Yixiya…”

“Are you finished banging? Do you have any idea how noisy you are? You woke me up right in the middle of a dream! You…”

Yu Lian, irritable from the rude awakening, unleashed a torrent of complaints the moment she saw Yixiya. She didn’t hold back at all. This left the maid—who had been trying and failing to stop Yixiya out of fear—completely stunned.

Was this the same Miss Yu Lian they knew? How could a concubine speak to a lady of the Yi family like that?

Yixiya looked at Yu Lian calmly. She didn’t say a word, but a flash of joy danced in her eyes. She took a step forward, intending to grab Yu Lian’s hand, but caught sight of the watching maid. Instead, she pushed Yu Lian back into the room and kicked the door shut.

Yu Lian was startled by the sudden movement. Fearful that Yixiya was entering one of her “yandere” phases, she backed away, hugging her shoulders and retreating into a corner.

‘No more talking. At this point, I must keep my mouth shut.’

“Yixiya, the Second Miss isn’t here. She left early this morning. Don’t… don’t do anything to me.”

Her soft, sweet voice, paired with her pitiful expression, gave Yu Lian a charm that made people want to bully her—not in a truly cruel way, but with an irresistible sense of temptation.

With her small face looking so wretched, her eyes misty, and her teeth biting her lower lip while her hands guarded her chest, she looked the picture of terror—yet her very fear seemed to invite an attack.

Yixiya swallowed hard. Even she, whose heart was usually reserved solely for Ya’er, felt a stir of emotion. If it had been anyone else with weaker willpower, they would have fallen for Yu Lian in an instant. She was truly a frighteningly charming woman.

“I won’t do anything to you.”

Yixiya walked to the bed and touched the mattress. One side was still slightly warm; the other was already cold.

“So she really did leave early. Did Ya’er know I was coming? Who on earth informed her? Damn it.”

Seeing that Yixiya wasn’t going to lash out, Yu Lian secretly sighed in relief, though she felt a strange, inexplicable trace of disappointment. She pushed the feeling aside and walked to Yixiya’s side. “Yixiya, why didn’t you come yesterday? Did you… did you decide you didn’t want to simulate a romance with me anymore?”

“Ha!”

At this, Yixiya sat on the bed and slapped her thigh in fury.

“I wanted to! But I was locked up by my mother for the whole day. She said I’ve been running around here too much lately, neglecting my studies and just playing around.”

So that was it.

Yu Lian had been worried something had happened to Yixiya the day before. she had wanted to ask the Second Miss about it but had been afraid of revealing that she and Yixiya were becoming close.

“Can you do magic?” Yu Lian asked, changing the subject.

“Why do you only care about that? Don’t you want to ask if I’m okay after being locked up?” Yixiya pouted, then realized her tone sounded like a girl complaining to a lover. She quickly pivoted back to the question. “Magic? It’s simple enough. I already understand the theory; I’ll be able to use it easily once I truly enter the Second Tribulation Realm.”

‘Magic requires the Second Tribulation Realm?’ Yu Lian realized she’d have to wait to see any real spells then, since Yixiya hadn’t reached that level yet.

“Yixiya is so amazing, understanding the principles of magic before even passing the threshold,” Yu Lian said. She didn’t really mean the compliment, but seeing Yixiya’s expectant face and the way her eyes searched for praise, Yu Lian figured a little flattery wouldn’t hurt.

Yixiya was clearly delighted. She grabbed Yu Lian’s hand intimately, swaying slightly as she hummed, “Of course. You forget who I am. A little magic is a piece of cake.”

Yu Lian’s hand froze. She hadn’t expected Yixiya to be so bold with physical contact. It was as if they were already incredibly familiar and close. If she remembered correctly, Yixiya was supposed to have a phobia of being touched by others.

‘What is she trying to tell me?’

“Yu Lian… did you sleep with Ya’er last night?”

“Huh?” The sudden question made Yu Lian’s heart race. She worried that if she nodded, Yixiya might snap into a jealous rage, but the truth was written all over the room.

Under Yixiya’s intense gaze, Yu Lian nodded slightly. There was no use lying; she had to face it.

“As I expected. You slept together.”

Strangely, Yixiya only sighed. She didn’t fall into a “yandere” state at all. This was a massive improvement from their previous encounters. Yu Lian glanced at her from the corner of her eye to make sure this was actually the same person.

“Did you two… do anything?”

Yu Lian blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

Yixiya gave her a flat look. “Do you really not understand, or are you pretending?”

Yixiya pulled Yu Lian down to sit beside her, then leaned close to her ear and began to whisper some very… specific details.

Yu Lian had never heard such “specialized” knowledge. She was completely stunned, her mouth hanging open. She actually had to use her hand to push her jaw back up to close it.

No… no way…

‘How can women do all that to each other?!’

Even if it was just using one’s hands, the sheer variety of “techniques” Yixiya described was staggering. Yu Lian, who considered herself a “master” because of the erotic books she’d been reading, had to admit that Yixiya was a genius in her own right—though certainly not in a wholesome way.

She had been given a thorough lesson and learned a wealth of new knowledge. However, she wasn’t sure if she would ever get to use it—or if it would eventually be used on her.