"Mm..." Letting out a soft hum, Chu Lian opened her eyes. She glanced at the faint morning light filtering in through the window, then lifted her head to look at the alarm clock, a faint wry smile touching her lips.
Her biological clock was truly precise. Just yesterday she had told herself she needed to go to school today, and sure enough, she woke up right on time this morning.
"Six fifty. I only slept a little over four hours. Thankfully my body is much stronger than it was half a month ago, otherwise I'd definitely still be clinging to the bed right now."
A breeze drifted in, and Chu Lian suddenly felt a chill against her skin. Lowering her head, she saw that she was wearing nothing but a white, translucent nightgown. Beside her lay Inori in a pink nightgown and Chu Chu in a black one. The three of them, who so often slept together, had ended up sharing the same bed again this time.
"Chu Chu, wake up."
Listening to their breathing, she noticed that Inori's was still steady and unchanging. The girl must have been utterly exhausted last night and had entered the deepest stage of sleep. Otherwise, she would have reacted when Chu Lian woke up.
So she gave up on disturbing Inori and instead reached out to shake Chu Chu's arm, waking her.
"Big Sis, good morning..." Called awake by Chu Lian, Chu Chu rubbed her eyes groggily. Out of habit, she glanced around—and immediately realized that her clothes were different from what she'd been wearing before she fell asleep. Delighted, she asked, "Did Big Sis change me? I knew Big Sis dotes on me the most. I can just imagine it—Big Sis gently taking off my clothes, then carefully dressing me in my nightgown, smiling indulgently the whole time. Ahh, so embarrassing... but just thinking about Big Sis treating me like that makes my imagination run wild."
Chu Lian stared at the girl as she indulged in her own fantasy, utterly stunned. Was Chu Chu's imagination always this outrageous? Or had she already gone completely lovestruck over her? How could she start going into heat first thing in the morning and imagine things like this? Seriously, enough already!
"All you ever think about is your Big Sis. Have you already forgotten about your mother?" The bedroom door opened, and Li Mingxue stood there with her arms crossed, her ample curves emphasized by the gesture. She looked at Chu Chu with obvious displeasure.
"Ah, good morning, Mom!" The aura mothers carried when disciplining mischievous children was absolutely at EX rank. Even someone like Anna, a little devil in her own right, could be subdued completely—let alone Chu Chu, who had grown up under Li Mingxue's watchful eye.
Seeing her mother's expression and recalling what she had just said, Chu Chu immediately understood who had changed their clothes. Groaning inwardly, she could only put on her best obedient-child face, trying not to provoke her mother any further.
Her past experiences were still deeply etched in her memory. Compared to Big Sis, who was showered with boundless affection, their mother had always been far more demanding of her, their elder sister, and elder brother. Just seeing her stand like that now was enough to make her a little afraid.
"Hmph. At least you know how to read the room, little Chu Chu. Think before you speak next time. Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious. Be careful—or you might lose breakfast and dinner altogether."
The nickname "little Chu Chu," echoing the way Li Mingxue used to call Chu Lian "Little Lian'er," rang out again. For a moment, Chu Chu felt dazed. She couldn't even remember how long it had been since she last heard that name. Hearing it now felt strangely unreal—and faintly joyful. So Mom still cared about her.
"Got it!"
Watching Chu Chu's reaction, Chu Lian couldn't help smiling. She turned her head toward the corner of the bed—and suddenly froze.
"Chu Chu, didn't Tina go with us last night? Why isn't she here? Do you know where she went?"
When she looked toward the usual spot by the bed, she realized the lazy little cat who normally slept there was nowhere to be seen. Memories of last night surfaced instantly, and anxiety surged within her. Could something have happened? If anything had really gone wrong, she would be devastated. That silly little cat...
"Ah, her? When I was fighting the undead, she jumped into the Shadow Plane and drove out the undead hiding there so I could kill them one by one. After everything was over, I didn't see her again. I thought she had either gone to find you or gone home. I couldn't track her whereabouts, and I was so worried about you that I forgot about it for a while..." The more Chu Chu spoke, the more guilty she felt. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like this was her fault. Was it really her mistake?
"Oh no. That stupid cat wouldn't have stayed inside the Hundred Demons Night Parade, would she? If that's the case, I'll have to go rescue her. I can't let her stay there alone. Even if she's an undead sovereign and an Underworld Watcher, in a place crawling with Heaven-rank and Transcendence Realm powerhouses, she'd have no ability to resist. And with her identity, the undead would only hate her more and fix their eyes on her. She must be terrified right now. I have to go find her..."
Although Tina constantly called her a "flat-chested idiot master" and she often bullied the cat in return, deep down they both cared about each other.
During last night's battle, she had focused all her attention elsewhere and hadn't spared a thought for Tina or anything else, leading to this situation. Most of the fault lay with her. She couldn't abandon that cat. She couldn't. Absolutely not.
"Master..."
Just as she was about to leap out of bed in a panic to change and rush back to find her, a soft call suddenly came from the window.
She looked up and saw Tina, covered in wounds, lying there. Her turquoise-blue eyes gazed at her, holding both joy and pain.
"Tina!"
Almost as if she had teleported, Chu Lian rushed barefoot to the window and scooped up the filthy, bloodstained cat without the slightest hesitation. Pressing Tina to her chest, she rubbed her cheek against the cat's small face and closed her eyes, finally releasing a long breath—as if she could at last set her heart at ease. It was obvious she had truly feared losing her.
Feeling Chu Lian's genuine concern and affection, Tina thought it had all been worth it.
She had always believed her master didn't care about her—that she would ignore her life or death and only bully her. She never expected that when she realized Tina might have vanished or fallen into danger, she would panic like this.
As the spirit cat bound to her by contract, Tina could clearly sense it—that was the most sincere emotion. She truly cared about her, worried about her, feared she would be hurt. If she had really been trapped inside that dangerous barrier, her master would have rushed in without hesitation to save her. She could feel it...
"Where did you go? How did you get hurt so badly?"
The metallic scent of blood from Tina's wounds reached her nose, and Chu Lian's heart ached. Opening her eyes, she looked at her, tears swirling in her gaze before falling onto Tina's white fur, stark and glaring against it.
"I went to retrieve something that might be very important to you. I was worried that if I didn't take it now, there might not be another chance..." Feeling the warmth of Chu Lian's tears turn cool against her fur, Tina's heart was filled with emotion. So this was what tears felt like. So this was what it meant for someone to worry about her.
"Don't say anything yet. Let me treat you first." Chu Lian stopped her and softly called out, "Hare, please..."
A girl in a white dress appeared behind her, emerging from the void. Light coiled around Tina's body, healing her wounds.
Perhaps the injuries were severe, or perhaps there were other reasons, but it took a full minute before the wounds on her body gradually closed, knit together, and finally disappeared completely.
Hare Menjou seemed a little tired as well. She gently wrapped her arms around Chu Lian's waist for a brief moment before dissolving into specks of light and returning to her sea of consciousness—though in truth, the withdrawn girl had simply become frightened because there were too many people present.
Now that her appearance had been restored and there seemed to be no lasting harm, Tina's mood brightened.
With a faint chiming of bells, the little white cat transformed into a twin-tailed loli dressed in a blue maid outfit and white stockings. Nestling in Chu Lian's arms, she rubbed her small head against her chest and murmured softly, "Master is so good to me, nya. I thought you didn't care about me, nya."
"How could I not care!" Chu Lian flicked her on the forehead. The little cat yelped in pain, covering her forehead with both hands and pouting as she looked at her pitifully. After hesitating for a moment, she suddenly pulled a jade pendant from her pocket and handed it over.
"What is this?" Chu Lian took it, slightly stunned. She could sense a familiar energy within it, along with a strange, subtle call—but she truly couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
"I don't know either, nya. I just felt a very strong trace of Master's aura on it, and it was very attractive to me, so I brought it back, nya." Tina did not mention the process, but judging from her earlier condition, it certainly hadn't been simple.
"The jade pendant once worn by the Western Chu Overlord..." Li Mingxue, who had been observing the entire time, clearly recognized its origin. Looking at the white-haired little maid in Chu Lian's arms, she frowned slightly. "Tina, did you go to the Wang family's Treasure Pavilion? If it wasn't there, you wouldn't have been injured so badly."
"Uh..." Exposed so directly, Tina didn't know what to say and could only laugh awkwardly.
"You... honestly..." Seeing that Tina had been injured for her sake, Chu Lian found herself unable to scold her no matter how stern she tried to be. She carried the little maid to her bed and said softly, "You must be exhausted. Get some proper rest, alright?"
She didn't ask about the details. That could wait. For now, Tina needed sleep to recover.
"I am really sleepy, nya. Master, I'll sleep first, nya." Tina was obedient. After being placed on the bed, she didn't try to fool around again. Instead, she closed her eyes as instructed and slowly drifted off.
She truly was exhausted. On the way back, she had nearly been killed by the monster chasing her. To escape safely, to receive her master's careful treatment and feel her warmth—this was... wonderful.
Only after the girl had fallen asleep did Chu Chu dare to speak. "Big Sis, I'm sorry..." She believed this had been her responsibility. If she had paid attention, Tina wouldn't have been hurt like this.
"No. It's my fault. Sometimes, I neglect all of you too much..." Chu Lian shook her head with a self-mocking smile. She meant it.
"Stop blaming yourselves. What's done is done. Luckily nothing truly disastrous happened, and there's still room to make up for it. Otherwise you'd regret it for the rest of your lives." Li Mingxue sighed. These two daughters of hers were still far from mature.
"Mom, can you keep this for me? When we come back tonight, you can tell me about it then." As if remembering something, Chu Lian handed the jade pendant to Li Mingxue.
Li Mingxue did not refuse. She took it and held it in her palm, her gaze drifting slightly. Only after a moment did she return to herself. "Go wash up. Breakfast is on the table. Attend class today. Whatever needs to be handled can wait until tonight."
"Mm, I understand." No matter how many matters demanded attention, life still had to return to its proper course. Her tasks were still ongoing. If her fans saw their idol skipping school for too long, who knew what wild speculations would arise?
If this continued, all sorts of rumors would begin circulating. That would only create more trouble.
After washing up in the second-floor bathroom and changing into their Sudi High School uniforms, Chu Lian and Chu Chu sat across from each other at the dining table and began discussing recent happenings at school.
"Hehe, Big Sis, you'll never guess—Zhang Feng withdrew from school. It wasn't him personally, and not even his parents. The mayor came in person to handle the withdrawal procedures. He said Zhang Feng had entered the nation's top research institute for advanced studies and was currently researching something extremely important to the country. He apologized for any inconvenience caused."
Chu Chu sipped her milk, unconcerned about the white ring left around her lips as she relayed the news.
Lost in thought and slightly unsettled, Chu Lian immediately snapped back to attention at those words. She pushed aside her worries and refocused on the conversation. Looking at Chu Chu, she asked, "Chu Chu, what do you think about this?"
"It must've been Father, that idiot. After all, Zhang Feng was clearly killed by that alien creature last time, yet he revived for no reason. It was too shocking. Even if it wasn't reported publicly, the people around us all know about it. Father handling it this way not only deals with the aftermath for us but also considers Zhang Feng's future. And honestly, I think he might actually be helping the research institute develop something."
Chu Chu spoke confidently—largely because she had called their father and asked directly.
"I see... Forget it. It's not something we need to worry about right now. Let's head to school." After finishing her meal, Chu Lian clapped her hands lightly, picked up her small schoolbag, and walked to the entryway to put on her little leather boots.
Seeing that Big Sis had finished eating, Chu Chu immediately stopped dawdling. With a piece of bread still in her mouth and crumbs at the corner of her lips, she hurried over and put on her own boots.
Once Chu Lian stood up after changing into her shoes, Chu Chu rose as well. She removed the bread from her mouth, about to take another bite—
"Wait. Don't move." Chu Lian's voice rang out suddenly.
Hearing Big Sis' voice, Chu Chu immediately froze, staring at her in confusion.
Leaning in close, Chu Lian brought her face near hers and gently ran her tongue along the corner of Chu Chu's lips, licking away the trace of milk she had missed. Only after that did she step back, smiling brightly. "There."
"Big Sis..."
Seeing her smile, Chu Chu felt as though the whole world had burst into color. Big Sis like this was truly enchanting.
Reaching out, Chu Lian took her little sister's hand and led her out the door. It felt just like when they had attended the same school as children—those carefree days, quietly stirring the heart.
Along the way, Chu Chu nibbled on her bread, wanting to say something but not knowing how to begin. Looking at Big Sis with her single ponytail swaying gently behind her, her heart softened. This was good, wasn't it?
At the school gate, whenever they ran into acquaintances, Chu Lian greeted them naturally, without the slightest awkwardness. The people who had initially seemed reserved gradually relaxed and smiled in return. This girl seemed even more likable than before.
Entering the classroom, Chu Lian greeted everyone with a smile. Although the school trip had not been perfect, it was unforgettable. Most importantly, her classmates had all returned safely, hadn't they?
Her gaze drifted to Zhang Feng's seat. It was empty now. That boy had finally stepped onto the path that belonged to him.
Taking out her book, she began reading carefully, immersing herself completely. She did not even notice when the class bell rang.
Ning Zhiyuan walked in wearing her teacher's attire. After scanning the class—especially upon seeing that Chu Lian had returned—she smiled with satisfaction. Clapping her hands, she beckoned for the girl waiting outside to come in.
Once she had the class' attention, she gestured toward the unusually petite girl and said, "This is our new transfer student. Let's welcome her and have her introduce herself."
"A transfer student?" Looking at the girl with twin ponytails—who was more than twenty centimeters shorter than herself—Chu Lian felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"My name is Qu Ningmeng. 'Qu' as in melody, and 'Ningmeng' as in lemon. I transferred here from the United States. I hope everyone will take good care of me~" She smiled beautifully.
Yet the class' reaction was rather strange. The girls applauded enthusiastically, while many of the boys seemed indifferent, even somewhat reluctant to acknowledge her.
Seeing this, Ning Zhiyuan felt a bit awkward. Qu Ningmeng, however, appeared accustomed to such scenes and paid it no mind. Instead, she asked, "Teacher, may I sit there?"
She pointed toward Zhang Feng's former seat. Her gaze briefly met Chu Lian's, making the latter even more certain—she had definitely seen this girl before.
"Of course. That's the only empty seat left in the class," Ning Zhiyuan replied, grateful for the girl's thoughtfulness that spared her further embarrassment.
"Thank you..." After offering Ning Zhiyuan a small bow in gratitude, Qu Ningmeng carried her schoolbag to her seat. As she passed by Chu Lian, she suddenly turned her head and greeted her softly.
That was their first meeting—and the most unforgettable stroke in this school's memories.