Sharing a Milk Tea With Her Archrival

There were more people at Happy Valley than she had imagined.

People were everywhere, and waves of children's screams rang out one after another.

The haunted house was a classic amusement park attraction. A long line stretched from the entrance, made up mostly of young students.

Lu Xiaoxiao had never even dared watch a horror movie in her life. Hearing the haunted house's eerie soundtrack, her legs had already begun to shake. If the system mission hadn't forced her, she would never have set foot in this place.

Shao Enci stood beside her. From where he stood, he could see the girl's entire body trembling. He lowered his eyes and chuckled. "If you're scared, we don't have to go in. We can try something else. You don't have to force yourself."

Lu Xiaoxiao stiffened her back, bit her lower lip, and insisted, "I'm not scared."

When it was their turn to have their tickets checked, Shao Enci unobtrusively stepped in front of her.

The haunted house was even darker inside than she had imagined. The lighting was dim, with occasional flashes of eerie light. Screams mingled with the sinister soundtrack.

The timid Lu Xiaoxiao regretted coming in from the very first second.

She silently called for her mother three times, then repeated "I want to go home" twice in her head.

She clutched the hem of her skirt tightly, trying to keep her steps steady. But every "ghost" that jumped out of the shadows nearly made her scream, sending a chill through her body.

Shao Enci walked ahead with steady steps, as though this were not a haunted house but a tree-lined path at school.

As they passed a corner, a hideous ghostly face suddenly dropped upside down from above, less than ten centimeters from Lu Xiaoxiao's face. It was deathly pale, blood streamed from its eye sockets, and its mouth was split in a grin all the way to its ears.

Lu Xiaoxiao's head buzzed, and her mind went completely blank.

She took a step back, cold sweat instantly breaking out on her forehead, her breathing thrown into disarray.

The ever-strong Lu Xiaoxiao was so frightened that she nearly burst into tears. She bit her lip hard and forced herself not to cry out.

Shao Enci turned around and saw the girl's deathly pale face and trembling body. His brows drew together, and he asked with concern, "Scared?"

"No." Lu Xiaoxiao's voice trembled, but she still refused to admit it.

Shao Enci looked at her trying so hard to hold on and smiled helplessly. He moved closer, bent down, and lowered his voice. "If you're scared, hide in my arms. I don't mind letting you take advantage of me one more time."

Lu Xiaoxiao's face turned red in an instant.

She wanted to snap back and ask who wanted to take advantage of him, but before she could speak, another shrill laugh rang out in the haunted house. Frightened, she swallowed every word and could only look up and glare at the boy.

Several couples and a few girls who had come together were following behind them.

The girls overheard their conversation and realized they weren't a couple. Two of the bolder girls exchanged a glance, and one approached with a bright smile.

"Handsome, we're so scared. Could you hold both our hands and walk with us?"

The girl who spoke was very pretty and wore meticulous makeup. Her eyes curved when she smiled, and her voice was sweet and coy. She seemed very confident, believing no boy would turn her down.

Lu Xiaoxiao froze.

She knew it was common for people to hit on strangers these days, but wasn't this a little too brazen?

Were they treating her like air?

Lu Xiaoxiao instinctively looked at Shao Enci.

The boy narrowed his eyes slightly and pulled on a lazy smile. He turned his head, his gaze passing over the two girls before settling unhurriedly on Lu Xiaoxiao's face. His lips curved in a playful arc, and his inborn, unruly air drew people in despite themselves.

"Sorry, this is my private time. I'm only responsible for looking after this pretty lady beside me."

He deliberately drew out the final words, giving them an ambiguously flirtatious lilt.

The two girls' smiles froze on their faces. They laughed awkwardly and retreated to where they had been, muttering, "Looks like that handsome guy has his heart set on that pretty lady. Let's not make clowns of ourselves."

A string in Lu Xiaoxiao's heart trembled, and her fingers moved involuntarily.

She felt something in her chest being gently plucked, sending ripples spreading outward in circles.

She didn't dare look at Shao Enci's expression. Head lowered, she continued forward, walking much faster than before.

Shao Enci strode after her on his long legs, staying close by her side like a knight devoted solely to protecting her, his princess.

Deeper inside the haunted house, it grew darker and darker. Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't see the path at all and could only feel her way forward. She stepped on something soft and went rigid. Before she could react, a ghost covered in blood, its face mangled beyond recognition, suddenly charged out from the side. It was less than half a meter away, its rotting face almost pressed against hers as it let out a piercing howl.

Lu Xiaoxiao screamed instinctively and threw herself sideways, wrapping both arms around the boy's waist and burying her face in his chest. Every hair on her body stood on end with fright.

Shao Enci's body jolted.

The faint scent of lychee and roses from the girl's hair lingered at the tip of his nose. His Adam's apple bobbed several times, and his large, fair hand settled on the back of her head, gently stroking her in comfort.

"Don't be scared, don't be scared. I'm here." His voice was gentle and pleasant, and where she couldn't see, a trace of a charming smile appeared in his eyes.

Lu Xiaoxiao kept her face buried in his chest for several seconds before realizing what she was doing.

She abruptly let go and stepped back, her face so red it looked ready to drip blood. She explained incoherently, "I didn't... mean to... take advantage of you..."

Shao Enci looked down at his now-empty arms. A trace of displeasure flashed through his eyes, but he quickly hid it behind a lazy expression.

His lips curved, and he said meaningfully, "I told you, I don't mind."

As the boy spoke, his deep eyes were full of temptation, as though they wanted to draw her in completely, making her heart flutter despite herself.

Under his gaze, Lu Xiaoxiao's heartbeat fell into disarray again. She turned her face away and pretended to look at a fake spiderweb nearby, forcing herself to remain calm.

After finally making it out of the haunted house, she slowly came back to life in the dazzling sunlight and fresh air.

A thin layer of cold sweat still covered her forehead, and damp strands of hair clung to her temples. A small patch on the back of her dress was wet too, and the breeze made it feel chilly.

She bent over, braced her hands on her knees, and caught her breath.

Just then, 037's voice suddenly rang out in her mind: "Congratulations, Xiaoxiao, on completing mission 9. Mission 10: drink from the same cup of milk tea as your archrival. Countdown: 9 minutes and 59 seconds."

Lu Xiaoxiao: "..."

She had nearly been scared to death just now. Couldn't it let her catch her breath?

And she had to share a straw with him. Oh heavens, that was practically an indirect kiss.

Her relationship with Shao Enci was already complicated enough. If this kept up, she was afraid she wouldn't even be able to tell what was real and what was a mission anymore.