Cuddles, Snowballs, and a Distant Anticipation

Luo Xuan’s bedroom was precisely what one would expect of a beautiful girl’s sanctuary.

It was impeccably clean and tidy, with plush teddy bears adorning the desk, cabinet, and small sofa.

Pink and white curtains framed the windows, while a large bed, featuring two soft mattresses, appeared utterly inviting and fluffy.

Ordinarily, Luo Xuan’s bedroom carried the delicate fragrance of her signature floral scent.

Today, however, an additional aroma of coconut milk mingled with the usual blossoms.

The air conditioning maintained the room at an ideal temperature, making a thin blanket perfectly sufficient.

Yet, while the thin blanket offered solace from the chill, it proved utterly incapable of concealing the young woman’s graceful form.

From the doorway, Luo Xuan could discern every delicate curve beneath the covers with striking clarity.

“Are you ready?” Bai Jingjing asked obediently.

“Is it about to begin?”

“Hmm, yes, I suppose so,” Luo Xuan replied, a slight hesitation in her voice before she inquired, “Are you nervous?”

Bai Jingjing shook her head.

“Not at all.”

“…”

In truth, Bai Jingjing ought to have felt a touch of nervousness, for Luo Xuan herself was quite apprehensive.

Nevertheless, having reached this juncture, there was nothing for it but to proceed.

Shedding her clothes, climbing onto the bed, and slipping beneath the covers felt no different from her usual routine of going to sleep.

The sole distinction was the presence of another girl already nestled under the blankets, the bed having been pre-warmed.

Despite the sweltering heat outside, the indoor air conditioning kept the room cool, so perhaps a pre-warmed bed still served some minor purpose.

The instant Luo Xuan slid under the covers and lay down, before she could utter a single word, she felt herself enveloped in an embrace.

With the curtains drawn and the lights extinguished in the bedroom, only a pair of pure, wine-red eyes were discernible in the gloom before her.

Yet, her body, particularly her chest, registered Bai Jingjing’s presence with undeniable clarity.

“This is ‘cuddling,’ right?” the young woman whispered softly.

“Sister Luo, how does it feel?”

Luo Xuan found herself speechless for a moment.

This was an overwhelming suppression, the larger one dominating the smaller… or rather, the larger one dominating the not-quite-as-large one.

Curiously, while being suppressed should inherently evoke discomfort, Luo Xuan discovered a distinct sensation in being held down by her in this manner.

“How should I put it?” she mused, considering her words carefully before asking, “Have you ever played ARAM (TL Note: All Random All Mid, a game mode in League of Legends)?”

“I have.”

“My current feeling is like being hit by an ARAM snowball, and it’s stuck right on me.”

It was a minor, almost negligible, impact, yet it came with an overwhelming sense of pressure, accelerating her heartbeat and creating a thrilling tension.

Moreover, the snowball seemed to carry its own unique attack effects; through this ‘snowball,’ Luo Xuan perceived Bai Jingjing’s distinctive offensive traits.

Softness, and the fragrance of coconut milk.

“Then,” Bai Jingjing ventured cautiously, “should we proceed to the next stage?”

“Proceed!” Luo Xuan responded decisively.

Even with the curtains drawn, a faint, ambiguous twilight still permeated the room during the day.

The air conditioner hummed, blowing cool air, like the wind whispering secrets.

Beneath the covers, two pairs of ivory-white legs intertwined like inseparable twins.

****

“Two tigers love to dance, little bunny, pull the radish~”

In Ayahua Community, not far from Mingzhu Residential Area, the stern-faced elder sister Xia Chu scrolled through Bilibili (TL Note: A popular Chinese video-sharing website) distractedly.

Listening to the cheerful children’s song from the video, a sense of melancholy settled over her.

A few days prior, feeling out of sorts, her only good friend had suggested she go out to clear her head, even attempting to draw her into a particular hobby group.

Xia Chu had initially intended to offer some perfunctory excuses, but then, on a sudden whim, she declared that she only ‘played for real’ and instructed her friend to find a girl to bring over.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Xia Chu regretted them.

She had always lived alone, maintaining no social interactions, precisely because she disliked engaging with people.

A profound dislike, in fact.

Yet, once spoken, words could not be unsaid.

With no alternative, Xia Chu simply raised her demands, insisting that Luo Xuan find a girl who met her specific criteria, or else the whole idea would be scrapped.

Xia Chu genuinely wished to abandon the plan, but her stipulation unexpectedly became a challenge for Luo Xuan.

Even more surprising was the fact that Luo Xuan had actually found someone.

Now, there was truly no way out; she could only await the person’s arrival tomorrow.

Ever since learning of this development, Xia Chu had been in no mood to do anything all day.

Her tablet lay casually to one side, popular Bilibili videos played on her computer, yet her mind incessantly wandered, lost in a flurry of thoughts.

What kind of person was this girl Luo Xuan had found?

What implications would her presence in Xia Chu’s home have?

Would she disrupt Xia Chu’s life?

‘No, disruption was inevitable; merely contemplating what tomorrow might bring had rendered her distracted for the entire day.’

It had been a long time since Xia Chu had lived with, or even merely interacted with, another person, for she detested such things.

What would tomorrow hold?

Xia Chu took a sip of tea, then, after a moment of thought, went to the kitchen and found an unopened cleaning cloth.

She unwrapped it and meticulously wiped down the water dispenser cabinet.

She hoped they could spend two days in peace, and then she would send the person back.

On the computer screen, the “Two tigers love to dance” video had finished playing, and the next automatically queued video was now “Animal World.”

Two newborn tiger cubs embraced, playfully nipping at each other, appearing to wrestle.

They clung together, whimpering and mewling, seemingly inseparable.

The video played for a full thirty minutes before Xia Chu finally snapped back to reality.

‘Wait, why am I watching this?’

****

“Hoo, hoo~”

Luo Xuan and Bai Jingjing both lay on the bed, their breaths mingling so indistinguishably that it was impossible to tell whose was whose.

After a fierce half-hour ‘battle,’ the two ‘little tiger cubs’ had playfully nipped at each other, neither emerging victorious.

Luo Xuan was unsure of Bai Jingjing’s condition, but the ‘little tiger cub’ named Luo certainly felt a tingling numbness.

“Bai Jingjing, you must be tired,” Luo Xuan asserted, striving to maintain an air of authority.

“The instruction is complete; you may rest now.”

Bai Jingjing remained silent for a moment before candidly stating, “Actually, I’m not particularly tired; I could still…”

“No, you are tired!” Luo Xuan interjected, leaving no room for argument.

“Rest!”

“…Alright.”

Fortunately, this ‘big-chested girl’ was quite obedient.

Luo Xuan secretly let out a sigh of relief; if they had continued for another ‘lesson,’ her ‘little tiger cub’ might have started to feel rather peculiar.

‘It was unheard of for a lesson to leave the teacher feeling so out of sorts.’

After a brief respite, Luo Xuan spoke aloud, “I believe you’ve learned everything you needed to, and you possess considerable talent.

However, you mustn’t become too complacent; what we did today was, ultimately, merely a form of guidance and training.”

‘Her implication was clear: ‘I was teaching you a lesson, primarily focusing on instruction, which is why I was going easy on you.’

‘If I were to get serious, your teacher wouldn’t be so easily dealt with.’

“Mhm, I understand,” Bai Jingjing affirmed, blinking her wine-red eyes and maintaining a serious expression.

“A practice match is just that—a practice match; it’s different from a formal competition.”

She certainly couldn’t be someone who was invincible in practice but faltered during the actual game.

“As long as you understand…” Luo Xuan closed her eyes.

“Lie down for a while and rest; there’s nothing else to do today.

Get a good night’s sleep, and tomorrow I’ll take you over.”

Her best friend’s requested ‘girlfriend’ was to be delivered to her.

Luo Xuan felt a strange, inexplicable sense of melancholy and loss.