The Practice of Words

“Whether it’s right or wrong, we’ll soon find out through practice.”

Qing Zixi groaned in protest, feeling as though she was being pulled apart like disposable chopsticks at a restaurant. Her current body, while soft and surprisingly flexible, had never been trained in dance, nor did she harbor any desire to learn.

A full split was certainly not on her agenda!

Xia Mengying’s somewhat rough handling caused Qing Zixi’s skirt to ride up again. Fortunately, Qing Zixi had pilfered Lan Mengyao’s panties, leaving her feeling quite ‘fully armored’ in her nether regions.

“Why are you wearing someone else’s clothes and using their things?”

Xia Mengying released one hand, leaving Qing Zixi’s ankle suspended by the other. She then aimed a gentle slap at Qing Zixi’s remarkably bouncy bottom.

“We’ll stop our ‘practice’ here for today, but I’ve certainly noted this grudge.”

“Ouch! A gentleman uses their words, not their fists!”

‘Another person holding a grudge!’

Once her feet were freed, Qing Zixi immediately pulled them back. She reached out to rub her sore bottom, casting a resentful glance at Xia Mengying.

However, her gaze soon fell upon Lan Mengyao, who was still leaning against the doorframe with a smile. A sudden thought sparked in Qing Zixi’s mind.

‘Could it be that with Sister Mengyao here, this person couldn’t do anything to me?’

‘Otherwise, why would she have let me go after just one slap?’

‘Genius!’

Qing Zixi instantly dropped her aggrieved and resentful expression. She looked at Xia Mengying with a triumphant smirk and began to speak.

“Oh, my, what’s wrong with you? Haven’t you eaten? Look, just look! See? It’s not even red~”

Qing Zixi smacked her perky bottom repeatedly, mercilessly taunting Xia Mengying. She was emboldened by Lan Mengyao’s presence.

Even though Xia Mengying seemed to have a decent relationship with Lan Mengyao, Qing Zixi was convinced that Lan Mengyao wouldn’t stand by and watch her suffer. Xia Mengying wouldn’t dare lay another hand on her.

‘If she can’t use her hands, then she’ll use her mouth, right? Could I possibly lose a war of words?’

“AUV~ Please don’t get any bigger! A little anger is cute, but grown-up anger just looks like impotent rage, you— hey, hey, hey, hey!?”

Before Qing Zixi could continue her taunts, her vision spun again. Her legs were once more lifted into the air, subjected to the same treatment.

‘I bet you wouldn’t dare hit me hard!’

Qing Zixi was about to challenge, ‘Come on, hit me harder if you dare!’ Suddenly, her calves stiffened, and her eyes widened.

‘Did she… did she really use her mouth!?’

****

At five o’clock in the afternoon, Xia Mengying expressionlessly picked up a handkerchief and dabbed the corners of her mouth. She then carefully folded the handkerchief, treating it like a precious gift, before tucking it into her pocket.

“Can you still speak?”

She glanced at the white-haired loli on the bed, who could only manage incoherent sounds, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You said it yourself, ‘a gentleman uses their words, not their fists.’ Practice has proven that statement to be quite true.”

Qing Zixi’s soul had long since flown to the heavens; how could she possibly utter a word?

“I just changed the bedsheets.”

Lan Mengyao rubbed her forehead in distress. She wasn’t particularly fond of housework, or rather, she hadn’t done much of it.

“Oh, right, I actually meant to give you this today anyway! Here, it’s the latest invention, and it’s incredibly effective! Ta-da!”

Xia Mengying pulled a small, folded piece of cloth from between her chest.

“Xiaoying, what’s this? A compressed biscuit?”

Lan Mengyao took it from Xia Mengying’s hand and unfolded it, examining it from left to right.

It looked just like an ordinary handkerchief.

“It’s not a compressed biscuit, it’s a handkerchief! This, my dear, is my masterpiece, just put to the test! It’s a godsend for housewives!”

“It can wipe away all kinds of stains, and it can even absorb stubborn watermarks. You’ll never have to worry about accidentally spilling milk on the bed again!”

Xia Mengying grew more excited with each word, subtly gesturing to Lan Mengyao with her eyes.

“Isn’t there one lying on the bed? If you don’t believe me, go try it out for yourself.”

Indeed, it could wipe away watermarks on skin completely. Lan Mengyao held down Qing Zixi’s twitching legs and carefully cleaned her.

“Hiss, it really is clean! P-please, give me ten! No, a hundred!”

“There aren’t that many. Aside from my own, the only one left is already yours.”

The two chatted and laughed, filling the room with a cheerful atmosphere. Lan Mengyao neatly folded the handkerchief and tucked it into her pocket.

“Oh, right, I just remembered. If these videos are so popular, won’t ‘they’ discover them soon?”

“Sister Qingyue and Little Sister Ya’er seem quite busy lately and aren’t paying much attention to the internet. As for the others, I’m not sure.”

“I think it’s best to send Little Sister Xi away as soon as possible.”

Lan Mengyao reasoned that the more people who arrived, the more individuals would want a share of this adorable white-haired sister. Moreover, with the rampant rumors online, it was only a matter of time before ‘they’ discovered her.

It would be better to send her away first, letting ‘them’ arrive at an empty house. Although she would inevitably be discovered eventually, they could at least buy some time!

“Yes, and if that… rather unpleasant character discovers her, who knows what might happen? Such things simply cannot be ‘practiced’…”

After their discussion, the two reached a unanimous consensus: Qing Zixi had to be sent away. Lan Mengyao brought up Qing Zixi’s desire to become a professional player, suggesting they send her to a trainer.

Xia Mengying emphasized that the location chosen must be discreet. The two shook hands, declaring their win-win cooperation.

****

Qing Zixi slowly stirred awake.

‘What… what just happened?’

Qing Zixi only remembered feeling as if she were on a rollercoaster or a pirate ship, soaring up and down, speeding up and slowing down. It was a tumultuous, stomach-churning experience.

Finally, the rollercoaster slowly reached its peak, only to plunge downwards at terrifying speed. A sensation of weightlessness, impossible for any human to resist, washed over her, eroding her rationality.

Qing Zixi’s vision blurred to black, and she lost consciousness.

‘Oh, I’m so tired, like I just ran an 800-meter physical test…’

Qing Zixi sat up, panting, and noticed Xia Mengying waving goodbye to her.

“Goodbye, Little Xi! Thanks for the hospitality. I’ll come find you to play again when I have time~”

“G-goodbye…”

‘What hospitality? Did I do anything…?’

Qing Zixi scratched her head, as the events that had just transpired slowly returned to her memory.

The kettle whistled.

The hot water kettle was boiling.

“S-so, you’re sending me to a trainer to help assess and train my abilities as a professional player, is that right?”

Qing Zixi held the hot cup with slightly trembling hands, taking a sip with a feigned expressionlessness.

However, the flush at the tips of her ears betrayed her.

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ve already called a driver. It’s the off-season now, so I have plenty of free time. I’ll come join you in a day, two days at the latest.

Once you’ve decided to do something, you should strive to do it!”

After offering her encouraging words, Lan Mengyao smiled faintly.

“Also, entertainment is entertainment, and life is life. After you’ve had your fun and relaxed, don’t keep dwelling on it.”

Caught by Lan Mengyao’s insightful remark, Qing Zixi’s movements faltered. She then gulped down the entire cup of water in one go.

“Good luck~ If you fail, I will take away your important things, one… by… one~”

As Qing Zixi settled into the car arranged by Lan Mengyao, she was still pondering the words Lan Mengyao had conveyed just before she left.

‘Important things… what could they be?’

‘Never mind, I’ll figure it out later~’

Qing Zixi exhaled slowly, then stretched languidly. She sat casually in the back seat, her right hand resting on the car window, her left hand casually waving towards the distance.

Something soft.

“H-e-l-l-o~”

A pure, sweet, singing voice, imbued with both magic and allure, drifted from beside her.