When Wei Qing heard the system notification, his eyelid twitched.
He couldn't help but curse inwardly.
A Pure Beauty Knight's Sincere Invitation…
So I put aside my dignity as a senior and washed someone's feet, and this is all I get?
Do you think I'm some kind of foot freak you can just toss scraps at?
Last time—when he washed Jingliu's feet—the side quest reward had been The World, a stand ability.
And now?
This.
And this "invitation" skill—was it even a normal invitation? Why was it gender-locked?
Since when could a Pure Beauty Knight not invite men? That was discrimination, damn it.
Even the name and description reeked of something subtly off, like it was hiding a highly unwholesome setting behind a polished label.
The system's main quests were usually clean and generous, with rewards that actually felt earned.
But these side quests… and their rewards… always came with some ridiculous "designer humor."
And only +50% acceptance rate, too.
Not 100%?
What was the point?
Who knew if the system had secretly "adjusted" the probability behind the scenes? He knew all too well how these mechanics liked to hide shady clauses.
And then, as he read more carefully, he found the real kicker:
One use per target.
Wei Qing sighed silently.
Fine.
He wasn't greedy anyway. At least it wasn't a one-time consumable skill. He could reuse it—just not on the same person.
He returned his focus to what he was doing.
"Senpai?" Firefly's voice came softly, sensing his momentary distraction.
"Mm. Almost done." Wei Qing gathered himself, then carefully dried her feet with a soft towel, meticulous and calm. "How does it feel?"
Firefly's face was bright red. She pulled her feet back as if they were burning, voice barely audible.
"M-Much better… thank you, Senpai…"
She hastily put her socks and shoes back on, her whole body still floating in that strange, dazed warmth.
Wei Qing maintained a perfectly proper expression, like nothing unusual had just happened.
"Good. It's late. We had a long day—go rest early."
That answer made Firefly freeze.
…Huh?
That was it?
No second phase? No "follow-up questline"? No weird bonus scene?
Somehow, the abruptness felt wrong, like the story had cut at the strangest possible beat.
Night deepened. They each returned to their own rooms.
But Firefly couldn't sleep.
Even though she wasn't physically tired—her body had long since stopped caring about fatigue—her mind was strangely overcharged, buzzing with heat and embarrassment.
The warmth still seemed to linger on the top of her feet, flicking at her thoughts like a teasing fingertip.
She buried her burning face into the pillow, heart in chaos—half shame, half… a quiet joy she didn't want to admit.
"Senpai is seriously…" she muttered to herself, wide awake in the dark.
What was that supposed to mean?
He'd said it was his "first time"… liar.
His technique had been way too practiced.
And why… why feet?
Even though… it really had felt good…
Her thoughts collided and tangled until her mind was a mess.
Then—
A faint sound from next door.
A tiny rustle.
Firefly's entire mood snapped shut like a trap.
All softness vanished.
Her instincts flared to maximum alert.
Senpai's room—movement? At this hour?
She sat up silently, bare feet landing on the cold floor. Like a cat, she moved without a sound, pressing herself to the wall separating the rooms.
She listened.
Nothing.
The sound had been a single flicker and then absolute silence—like someone turning over in bed.
But her suspicion didn't fade.
She knew Wei Qing.
He wasn't the type to collapse into deep sleep just because he'd spent the day sightseeing.
And this wasn't really a vacation.
Or… could he be like me? Too stirred up to sleep?
That thought made her heart beat once, hard.
A strange impulse pushed her forward.
After hesitating, she quietly opened her door and peeked out.
The corridor was empty. Lantern light cast a soft, dim glow across the eaves.
Wei Qing's door next to hers was closed.
Firefly crept over and pressed her ear to the door.
Inside—dead silence.
She couldn't even hear breathing.
He's not in there.
Her heart dropped.
She tried the handle.
Locked.
"Hmph. Now he locks the door," she whispered, irritated. "I didn't even lock mine…"
Then her eyes went to the side window.
It was cracked open.
Firefly didn't hesitate anymore.
She moved around to the courtyard side, climbed up lightly, and slipped through the window—soundless.
The room was empty.
The bed was neat. No sign it had been slept in.
Wei Qing's presence still lingered in the air, faint—but the person himself was gone.
"So you really…" Firefly pressed her lips together, unable to tell if she was more worried or more… something else.
Senpai had gone off alone again.
Was it because White Pei was watching nearby, so it wasn't convenient to take her?
Or…
Was it simply that he didn't want to bring her?
A sharp, hollow feeling rose in her chest—a sense of being left out, pushed to the edge.
After doing something that embarrassing and intimate—
He'd just… left?
Like some irresponsible scumbag who did what he wanted and then slipped away.
Firefly inhaled, forcing herself to steady.
No. She couldn't just wait.
Waiting felt awful.
She refused to sit there helpless.
Then her eyes caught something on the table.
A folded note, pinned beneath a teacup.
She crossed the room quickly, snatched it up, and unfolded it.
Wei Qing's familiar, slightly messy handwriting:
"A-Xing, sleep easy. Your Pure Beauty Knight is out observing the stars and hunting inspiration. I'll bring you breakfast in the morning.
—Your reliable senior."
Firefly: "..."
She stared at the note, torn between anger and laughter.
But the tightness around her heart loosened, just a little.
Holding the paper, she returned to her own room.
She still didn't lie down.
Instead, she sat at the window, hugging her knees, eyes fixed into the night.
When Senpai comes back… I'm going to ask him properly.
At the very least—
Next time he moves, she's going with him.
No excuses.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter155)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter172)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 158
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 144
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 165
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 140
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 120
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 95
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 80
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 50
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 40
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 50
Still playing traditional Honk 30
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