The room felt like a giant sauna.
Su Zhao felt an unfamiliar surge of heat rise within her body, as if something had ignited a fire deep inside her blood.
She was drenched, suddenly thrown back into the illusory sea created by the succubus, tossing and turning with the waves, only to be tremblingly scooped back out.
Upside down. The world was spinning.
Back then, the feeling had been cold, with her nightgown dripping wet. But now, it was the exact opposite; the water’s surface seemed to burn with raging flames, roasting her until she wanted to go mad.
“I am so thirsty, Sister.”
Su Zhao’s voice melted, turning soft and sticky like honey flowing from the depths of her throat.
Her vision began to blur, the world before her seemingly veiled in a thin mist, making even Evelyn’s figure hazy and indistinct.
“Sister…”
She called out instinctively, her fingers clutching tightly at the hem of her clothes, her fingertips trembling slightly. The waves of heat inside her surged one after another, making it difficult for her to even stand.
She blinked hard, trying to make out Evelyn’s face, but tears spilled uncontrollably, blurring her sight.
“What is happening, Sister. I suddenly feel so hot.”
Her voice carried a trace of a tremble, her cheeks burning fiercely, and even her breathing grew rapid.
“The love curse has flared up again.”
Evelyn’s voice sounded beside her, cool, low, and soft, carrying a trace of suppressed emotion.
Her hand supported Su Zhao’s shoulder, the warmth of her fingertips transmitting through the thin silk fabric, bringing Su Zhao a fleeting moment of coolness.
Su Zhao couldn’t help but lean in closer.
She wanted more.
Her body tipped forward uncontrollably, her forehead resting against Evelyn’s shoulder, her scalding breath spilling across Evelyn’s neck.
“Sister, do not leave.”
Su Zhao’s voice was faint and trembling, carrying a hint of pleading she hadn’t even realized was there.
Her fingers gripped tightly onto Evelyn’s sleeve, as if holding onto her only lifeline.
“Do not be afraid, I am not leaving.”
Evelyn’s tone remained as calm as ever, carrying an imperceptible tenderness. She gently wrapped her arm around Su Zhao’s waist, pulling her closer against her chest, and softly patted her head.
Su Zhao leaned limply against her, her cheek pressed to Evelyn’s chest, clearly hearing her steady heartbeat. That familiar cold fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose, making her take a deep, involuntary breath.
Following closely after, she felt Evelyn’s hand shift upward, resting upon the back of her neck.
Her fingertips gently brushed against the zipper of the silk nightgown, pausing briefly. Su Zhao trembled slightly, her heart leaping into her throat.
The air froze for a moment.
The two of them seemed trapped in an indescribable stalemate.
Immediately following that, the back of Su Zhao’s neck tightened.
Neither of them spoke.
Su Zhao closed her eyes tightly, her eyelashes fluttering continuously. She could feel the slightly cool, comforting temperature of Evelyn’s fingers moving back and forth across the back of her neck.
Deliberate and full of leisure.
She had become the prey gripped by the neck by a beast.
Amidst the extremely faint clicking sounds, Su Zhao’s heart felt as though it had been struck by a heavy hammer, every second stretched out infinitely.
No.
No, no, no!
Su Zhao’s mind screamed frantically. Her body stiffened abruptly, like a cat grabbed by the scruff of its neck, and amid her shivers, she finally managed to salvage a shred of sobriety from the burning waters.
She wasn’t mentally prepared yet.
And under the circumstance of being plotted against, in such a muddled state, to do this kind of thing.
No.
Absolutely not!
She wanted to log off right now.
It was too humiliating.
Su Zhao was on the verge of tears.
With trembling hands, acting on pure instinct where the desire to escape took over, she fumbled blindly and pressed the button to exit the game.
Nothing happened.
Her brain lagged for a few seconds before processing the situation.
Su Zhao paused slightly. Her mind was boiling right then, like a pot of water on the verge of drying up. She was completely unclear-headed and didn’t take it too seriously, assuming it was just a simple lag.
Following that momentum, she clicked to exit the game once more.
This time, a prompt box successfully popped up.
[Are you sure you want to exit the game?]
Su Zhao’s finger hovered in mid-air, hesitating. Her weak willpower was frail, struggling painfully between the choices of agreeing and refusing.
Reason and desire were deadlocked, two opposing forces fighting continuously for control over her.
Should she just leave? Should she quit? Was she really going to tuck her tail between her legs and admit defeat to the game?
What would happen to Evelyn if she left?
How would the game handle the aftermath?
When she logged back on next time, would she still have to face this mess?
Tears streamed down Su Zhao’s face as she found herself caught between a rock and a hard place.
She had it so hard!
Blame it all on that damn succubus!
Her fingers involuntarily grabbed onto Evelyn’s hand, as if trying to stop her from continuing.
This was a signal of refusal.
Evelyn’s hand stopped halfway down the zipper. She lowered her head to look at Su Zhao and asked softly, “What is wrong?”
“I, I.”
Su Zhao’s face burned even hotter. She guessed she was the living definition of the phrase flushed red, but some things couldn’t be avoided; what had to be faced still had to be faced.
She kept her eyes tightly shut, burying herself fiercely into Evelyn’s clothes in hopes of hiding away.
Biting her lip hard with the desperate courage of a warrior facing certain doom, she stammered out, “Sister, I, I will do it myself!”
Help me!
As soon as the words left her mouth, Su Zhao wanted to groan.
What on earth was she saying?
Su Zhao almost bit her own tongue off.
Evelyn did not say much else.
Su Zhao could feel Evelyn’s gaze resting on her, looking her up and down, as if evaluating her state or falling into deep thought.
A moment later, she said softly, “Alright.”
She released her hand. Su Zhao braced herself against Evelyn’s arm, her legs as weak as overcooked noodles. Before she could figure out what to do next, Evelyn bent down and scooped her around the waist.
She was picked up by Sister yet again!
Evelyn’s embrace was extremely gentle, as if treating a fragile treasure.
“The water is ready in the bathroom,” she said in a low voice, a hint of soothing undertones in her tone. “I will be right outside the door, call me if you need anything.”
Su Zhao was gently placed into the bathtub, flushed red with shame, her eyelashes lowered, not daring to look at her.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, anything at all, just to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Yet her damned mouth, which was so eager to cause trouble, chose to play deaf and dumb right when she desperately needed to find an excuse.
Vaguely, she heard Evelyn let out a light laugh.
And with that, another fire burst into flames inside Su Zhao’s mind. She felt she had nowhere to hide. Recalling the words, she had just blurted out, Su Zhao felt as though she were trapped in a prolonged nightmare, having no idea how she was going to face her sister.
The cool water enveloped her body, bringing a brief moment of comfort. She curled up in the water, imagining herself to be a bright red little fish, wishing she could hide herself away completely.
Evelyn stood by the edge of the tub, looking down at her, her fingers lightly brushing across the tips of Su Zhao’s hair, her tone gentle.
“Do not be afraid, I am always here.”
Su Zhao nodded haphazardly, finally gathering the courage to lift her eyelids slightly. Her wet eyes met Evelyn’s calm gaze, and a complex emotion welled up inside her chest.
She opened her mouth, but having no idea what to say, she simply let out a soft sound of agreement.
Evelyn turned and left the bathroom, pulling the door closed softly.
Su Zhao leaned against the edge of the bathtub, closed her eyes, and let out a long breath.
“What on earth is going on.”
She groaned internally, though a blush still crept across her face.
Her brain was about to be boiled into a pot of porridge.
Su Zhao bit down hard on her arm. A mild sting pierced her nerves, but instead of helping, it felt like pouring oil on a fire; the flames burned hotter, and an itch spread along her blood vessels, making her tremble all over.
As she bit down, she couldn’t help but lick the spot.
The tip of her tongue unconsciously brushed over the tooth marks, as if hoping to soothe the unbearable heat that way.
Tears spilled uncontrollably.
Su Zhao curled up in the tub, leaving only a single thought in her mind:
I want Sister so much.
I need Sister so much.
“Can you manage by yourself?”
Evelyn’s voice came from outside the door, low and calm, brushing like a feather past Su Zhao’s ear and making her tremble instinctively.
“No!”
Su Zhao refused almost through gritted teeth, though her voice came out soft, squeezed from the depths of her throat with a slight tremor she couldn’t suppress.
“I can, I can manage by myself.”
Flustered, she untied the sash at her waist. The moment her fingertips brushed against her skin, an electric shock seemed to spark through her, drawing an involuntary groan from her lips.
Without daring to delay, she quickly immersed herself in the cool water, trying to pacify that burning heat.
Yet the longer she waited, the more Su Zhao felt time stretch like a thread, torturing her nerves inch by inch.
Why hasn’t Evelyn left yet?!
Su Zhao waited and waited, but the sound of footsteps outside never came. She bit her lip, her mind already running through various awkward scenarios.
What if she accidentally cried out and was heard.
Wouldn’t that mean.
Was her face even going to survive this?!
Shame rushed over her like a tidal wave, forcing Su Zhao to pause her actions. Gritting her teeth, she threw on some clothes and pushed open the bathroom door.
The moment her foot stepped out, she yanked it back like lightning.
Su Zhao appeared furtively from behind the door, sticking out only half of her fluffy head and a pair of wet eyes.
Like a cat secretly spying on a human, she asked uncomfortably, “Sister, are you not leaving?”
Evelyn was standing by the bed, quietly gazing at the corner of the mattress as if pondering something.
Hearing the sound, she slowly turned her head, her gaze gentle. “I am not leaving.”
Her voice was calm, but Su Zhao could sense the unyielding intent behind it—a gentleness that belonged exclusively to her, yet possessed a strong persistence.
“You have no one following you right now, and no magic staff for protection. Given what happened with the succubus, I cannot rest easy without protecting you personally.”
Such a gentle, considerate good sister.
Such a touching, great bond of friendship!
The little person inside Su Zhao’s heart had already begun applauding frantically, touched almost to the point of tears as she said sincerely, “Good sister, I truly do not know how to thank you.”
Evelyn smiled faintly, her gaze lingering on Su Zhao’s flushed face for a fleeting second.
As if asking quite casually.
“Are you truly sure you do not need my help?”
Su Zhao’s face burned even hotter.
“No, no!” She shook her head rapidly like a rattle drum, pulling her feet hiding behind the door further inward, wishing she could instantly vanish from this awkward scene.
“Sister has already helped me with so much. Such a small matter does not require your trouble!”
Right!
We share a pure, holy friendship that crosses classes and standpoints!
Su Zhao cheered herself on internally, trying her best to look composed. Clearing her throat, she issued a stern warning, “You are not allowed to peek!”
Evelyn couldn’t help curving her lips.
Her tone carried a trace of an elusive smile.
“What kind of person do you take me for?”
That was a question Su Zhao had no way of answering.
Guiltily, Su Zhao pulled her head back, closed the door, and jumped back into the bathtub.
However, that restless heat seemed determined to fight her; the more she tried to suppress it, the more fiercely it surged.
Not long after, her weak voice drifted out from the bathroom: “Evelyn.”
Evelyn replied, “I am here.”
“M-my legs feel a bit weak.”
Su Zhao’s voice carried a sob. Embarrassed to the point of dropping her eyelashes, she was on the verge of crying.
Thinking back, she had lived over twenty years and had never once exposed such a shameful appearance in front of another person.
Stumbling over her words, she pleaded, “Sister, could you, could you please carry me out?”