Caught Cheating in Bed -_-|| / A Shura Field Already?

Seeing Xiangyi, Little Grass lifted her head and asked, "You're the Flower Master?"

The memory-sharing function let the newly appeared flower person know everything that was happening. She politely knelt on one knee before Xiangyi and said earnestly, "Your subordinate Oleander greets the Flower Master!"

Her tone was serious and precise, as though she had been a general in her previous life.

Compared to Shaoyao's innocent cheerfulness and Hua Nu's worldly maturity, Oleander was clearly someone who didn't know how to bend. She had a strong sense of justice.

Xiangyi studied the new flower person carefully. Oleander raised her head and frowned. "Flower Master?"

"It's nothing. Go back inside the Flower God Ring and meet the other flower people. This sealed space is about to collapse, and I still need to deal with the flower fairy problem."

Oleander agreed without hesitation and soon entered the Flower God Ring's separate space. The surroundings began slowly turning colorful, signaling to Xiangyi that she was about to return to reality.

Xiangyi took a deep breath and resumed her earlier position, holding Muning in front of her. This time, though, she kept a little distance between their lips. Now that she had achieved her goal, there was no need to take things further.

System: Time has returned to normal. Host, please prepare yourself.

Muning could move again. She looked at Xiangyi, then drew apart from her, breathing slightly hard. She still didn't dare meet Xiangyi's eyes, and her pursed lips betrayed her shyness.

"..."

"..."

As expected, silence fell. Everything they might have said remained unspoken. Xiangyi didn't know what to say, so she waited for Muning to speak. Muning seemed to be doing the same. She waited and waited, but in the end, nothing came.

It was already past midnight, and it seemed no one would interrupt the quiet. Just as Xiangyi was thinking that, a WeChat notification chimed from her phone.

"I'll check my phone. Maybe Sister Shuxuan's looking for me."

"Mm." Still embarrassed and unsure how to express what she was feeling, Muning turned away, trying to calm herself down.

Xiangyi breathed a sigh of relief. Oleander's appearance had made her happy, but the awkwardness of the real world still left her breathless.

She had only sold her conscience to grow stronger and survive. But she was still worried Muning would misunderstand everything.

After all, it had been a three-minute kiss. Xiangyi hadn't crossed any lines, but the two of them had certainly been intimate.

Xiangyi gave a wry smile and lowered her head to check her phone. To her surprise, her casual guess had been right: Shuxuan had messaged her on WeChat to ask how she was doing after learning she'd gone home.

WeChat — Shuxuan: It's the weekend tomorrow. I can drive over and pick you up.

WeChat — Xiangyi: No need, no need. I don't have much stuff.

Xiangyi naturally didn't tell Shuxuan that she'd brought Muning along. Though the two had never even met, they already had a bad impression of each other.

Muning knew that the original Xiangyi had been afraid of Shuxuan, so she didn't think well of her.

As for Shuxuan, she'd always believed Muning was responsible for Xiangyi's miserable life, so she didn't think well of her either.

If the two of them ever met, Xiangyi had no doubt a showdown would be inevitable.

WeChat — Shuxuan: All right. But be careful living alone over there.

Shuxuan had no choice but to agree, though she still worried and asked how Xiangyi was managing on her own.

Xiangyi gave a few casual reassurances as she glanced at Muning, who was still lying down. She didn't seem to have settled her thoughts yet, and couldn't bring herself to turn and look at Xiangyi. But Xiangyi noticed that the tips of Muning's ears were completely red. Combined with her natural beauty, she looked utterly captivating.

Xiangyi couldn't help being mesmerized by the sight, but then Shuxuan suddenly started a video call to check up on her.

WeChat — Shuxuan: I'm still worried. Let me see how you're doing.

WeChat — Shuxuan: Why aren't you answering? Did you sneak off somewhere to have fun again?

Ever since Xiangyi had caused trouble at the hotel and crippled the Qin family uncle's hand, Shuxuan seemed to trust her less than before. Xiangyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After thinking it over, she turned to Muning and warned her, "Muning, don't make a sound in a moment."

"Why?" Muning turned around. Her cheeks were still red, but she didn't understand why Xiangyi was asking that.

"Sister Shuxuan is Prince Qin's fiancée. What do you think she'd think of you?" Xiangyi had no choice but to keep making things up, hoping Muning would understand the situation.

Muning gave a small "Oh," then said, "All right. But if she says anything too outrageous, I'll come out."

"How could she? Sister Shuxuan's pretty nice to me."

Xiangyi hurried to explain. She had thought Muning might ease up, but Muning only sat beside her without speaking. From her expression, she seemed even more upset.

Xiangyi sighed, sat up straight, and answered the video call. She kept the camera focused on her face to avoid showing Muning lying beside her.

A few seconds later, Shuxuan appeared on screen. She was still wearing her work clothes, and Xiangyi realized why she'd contacted her so late.

"Sister Shuxuan, if you're tired, go to bed early. I'll be fine on my own," Xiangyi blurted out. Shuxuan smiled gently from the other end. "No matter how busy I am, I still have to check on you. I'm sorry. I only just saw your message."

Shuxuan's voice was full of apology. After signing the contract with Young Master Chen and dealing with the sales manager's interference, she had insisted on overseeing every step herself. She had checked everything and only left after seeing the goods loaded onto the delivery truck.

Shuxuan's exhaustion was plain to see, yet she was still trying to stay alert and chat with Xiangyi. From the way she was lying down, she looked as though she might fall asleep at any moment.

Xiangyi sighed and continued, "Sister Shuxuan, you really don't need to do this. Go to sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open."

"No, I was a little unhappy today. Seeing you cheers me up." Shuxuan's tone grew lighter. She even leaned closer to the screen, peering at Xiangyi.

It seemed that both Shuxuan and Zhang Mou liked seeing Xiangyi without her glasses. Maybe it was because she was so beautiful, or maybe her face had some other special power.

"You can see me tomorrow, too. All right, go to sleep early and stop worrying about all that nonsense." Xiangyi kept trying to reassure her. She felt Muning beside her tug irritably at her clothes, clearly unhappy about being interrupted like this.

That downward glance caught Shuxuan's attention. Her gaze sharpened slightly as she asked, "Xiaoyi, are you with someone?"

It had taken just one movement and one look for Xiangyi to give herself away.

"No..." Xiangyi tried to keep herself still while reaching out with her free hand to touch Muning, hoping she would help.

Xiangyi had already told Shuxuan that Muning wasn't there. If she got caught now, and Shuxuan found out she'd lied, the trust between them would start to crumble.

Muning was still a little reluctant, but eventually moved out of view. Xiangyi's phone shifted naturally to show the space beside her. Shuxuan's tone softened as she said, "Maybe I was overthinking it. You know, we were scared half to death by those ghosts yesterday."

Shuxuan relaxed, then remembered the frightening scene and worried that Zhang Mou might lure Xiangyi into danger at the Qin residence.

"There's really nothing here. And even if there were, it'd run away as soon as it saw me. So don't worry, Sister Shuxuan. Get some sleep." Xiangyi smiled as she replied, hoping to end the call quickly. Then Muning, outside the camera's view, seemed to bump into something and made a small noise.

In the quiet room, the sound was jarringly loud. Shuxuan noticed it at once and grew worried for Xiangyi.

"I think I heard something."

"Shaoyao's probably training outside. Don't be scared, Sister Shuxuan. I'm not an ordinary person—I'm a Chosen One." Xiangyi had no choice but to come up with another excuse, blaming everything on the monster Shaoyao.

Shuxuan had no choice but to accept it. After reminding Xiangyi to be careful several more times, she ended the call. Xiangyi put down her phone and went outside. She found Muning sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the breeze.

Muning gazed up at the sky, looking very unhappy. They had just made a memory together, and Muning had been so nervous and embarrassed, yet Xiangyi had acted as if nothing had happened and spent ages chatting with Shuxuan.

Xiangyi walked over and saw Muning staring down, lost in thought. She tried to make out Muning's expression, but Muning turned her head away to avoid her.

Xiangyi sighed. She crouched in front of Muning and saw the hurt in her eyes.

"Are you mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

Muning answered, pressing her lips together as she tried to keep her feelings from showing. She had always been gentle and even a little patient. Girls like Muning thought too much about others—a perfect example of a good person.

"Then if you're really not mad, move over a little and let's talk." Xiangyi smiled knowingly. Muning seemed reluctant to move, so Xiangyi simply pulled her into her arms and made her sit on her lap.

Muning jumped in surprise. She was increasingly realizing that Xiangyi had changed, not just in personality but in other ways, too. Before, she'd even struggled to carry twenty pounds. Now she held Muning without so much as flinching.

"Is being a Chosen One really that great?" Muning asked, still confused.

In Ocean City, Chosen Ones were widely shunned. And yet, many people admired them and fantasized every day about gaining their powers by any means necessary and joining their ranks.

"That depends on how you use that power. I don't seem to have changed all that much. I can just pick you up now, that's all." Xiangyi smiled. Only then did Muning realize she was sitting on Xiangyi's lap. She struggled a little.

But her struggle was feeble, and she eventually gave up. She also knew Xiangyi would never hurt her.

The breeze was cool and pleasant that night. The cicadas chirped nearby, though their calls seemed faint. It was so quiet and peaceful that Muning finally seemed to let go of some of her anger. This time, she gently nudged Xiangyi and said softly, "I'm not mad anymore."

Xiangyi let her go, and the two returned to sitting normally. They gazed at the stars, unable to think of anything to say.

Time continued to pass slowly, and before long it was three in the morning. Feeling sleepy, Muning leaned against Xiangyi's shoulder and asked, "Do you think our friendship will last?"

Xiangyi sat up straight and answered earnestly, "Of course it will. I'll remember what happened tonight for the rest of my life."

Muning was her first kiss, and the first person to obtain a flower fairy. In every respect, the memory was far too special to forget.

Looking into Xiangyi's eyes, Muning finally gave a shy smile. "That's good... I... I'll come visit you during the holidays."

Xiangyi relaxed too, and the two returned to chatting as usual.

"I can visit you, too."

"Better not. I heard Heaven City is dangerous. I don't want to spend my time worrying, and besides, I like Ocean City."

Muning toyed with her hair, but her eyes grew wet again despite herself. Xiangyi reached out and held her. Muning couldn't help crying.

Xiangyi made no further promises. She knew that, as someone who was supposed to be an outsider, she couldn't guarantee she would keep any of them.

Eventually, Muning cried herself tired and sleepy, so Xiangyi carefully carried her inside.

She wanted to leave Muning and check on the Flower God Ring, but Muning seemed to be sleeping restlessly. The unfamiliar bed and the emotional upheaval she'd just gone through had left her in a very sensitive state.

In the end, Xiangyi chose to stay and lie down beside Muning, waiting with her for morning to come...

A few hours passed in the blink of an eye. When Xiangyi opened her eyes again, Muning had already gotten up. She sat outside reading a book.

The sunlight fell on her, making her already graceful and lovely figure look like a beautiful painting. But when Xiangyi saw Muning like this, the first person she thought of was Huangquan, who loved reading.

Muning seemed to hear the footsteps behind her and turned to look at Xiangyi.

"You're awake?" Muning smiled warmly, like the sun. The light seemed almost too bright, making Xiangyi feel even more despicable for taking advantage of other people's feelings.

"Mm. Good morning."

"Good morning."

They greeted each other, then went inside the villa to wash up and brush their teeth. After that, they used the food in the fridge to make a simple breakfast.

Unlike the leisurely day before, they had to sort through Xiangyi's things today.

"Look, I found your high school freshman-year composition book."

"These are the certificates our group won. I can't believe you kept them."

With Muning there, sorting through everything was much more enjoyable. Xiangyi listened as Muning told her stories that hadn't originally been hers, but now were.

They had been tidying up for two or three hours when a noise suddenly came from outside. Muning immediately tensed up, growing uneasy again. She seemed to think the butler had come back.

Xiangyi was confused, too. She hadn't asked the butler, Little Grass, to come over today. After thinking it over, she went outside and discovered that it was Zhang Mou and Shuxuan.

They approached cautiously, as though the villa still frightened them.

"Auntie, Sister Shuxuan, what brings you here?" Xiangyi called out. The two jumped, but relaxed when they saw her. They exchanged glances, and Shuxuan was the one who finally answered.

"I was worried you'd have too much to handle on your own, so I came to check on you... As for Auntie, I ran into her on the way." Shuxuan's expression was a little odd, and it was hard to tell how much truth there was in her claim that she'd run into Zhang Mou.

But both of them saw that Xiangyi was completely unharmed, and began to wonder whether the strange events at the villa had just been a hallucination.

Or perhaps, thanks to Zhang Mou's mysterious friend Hua Linglong, all the demons and ghosts had truly vanished the previous night.

As the two kept looking her over, Xiangyi began to feel uneasy. Worse still, she remembered what she'd told Zhang Mou and Shuxuan.

At that thought, Xiangyi turned to look behind her. Muning, knowing she couldn't hide, stepped outside. "Hello, Auntie. It's nice to meet you. My name is Muning."

Muning greeted Zhang Mou first, then turned to Shuxuan.

When Muning and Shuxuan met eyes, the atmosphere grew tense, as if they had been mortal enemies in a past life.

But Shuxuan didn't expose Xiangyi's lie. She simply patted Xiangyi on the shoulder pointedly, as if to say she'd deal with her later.

Xiangyi knew she couldn't escape punishment for the lie, but she'd achieved what she wanted, so the outcome didn't seem all that important.

Then Shuxuan strode into Xiangyi's room and remarked that it had far too many books and hardly any other belongings.