Watching Lin Yue, whose face was flushed red, Chen Xi felt a headache coming on.
It wasn't as if there were no way to snap her out of it. In fact, it was simple enough—just give her a good beating.
But Chen Xi had no intention of resorting to anything too violent. She clasped both hands around Lin Yue's head and shook her vigorously, as if she were rolling dice.
At the same time, she took a deep breath and shouted at the girl, "Lin Yue!!!"
Lin Yue's brain felt like it was about to be shaken smooth. At last, she snapped out of that strange state.
"Mm... Huh?" She sat on the edge of the bed looking dazed, as if she'd just woken up from a drunken stupor, still unable to figure out what had happened.
After staring at Chen Xi, who looked just as helpless, for five seconds, the blonde girl finally remembered what she'd just done.
"Huh?!" Her cheeks turned bright red in an instant, steam practically rising from them.
"You really used Charm on me?!" she demanded, a hint of inexplicable, secret delight mingling with her indignation.
"How could you do that?"
Lin Yue got to her feet and backed toward the door, fixing Chen Xi with a look that said, "So this is the kind of person you are."
Under her stare, Chen Xi's scalp prickled. She hurried to explain, "Listen..."
"Oh, so that's how it is."
After learning the truth about Chen Xi's ability, Lin Yue couldn't hide her disappointment.
Seeing her expression, Chen Xi secretly rolled her eyes.
What was she disappointed about? Could that state be addictive or something?
Chen Xi carefully chose her words. "So, what does it feel like when you're under Charm?"
Lin Yue unconsciously licked her lips, savoring the memory. "It's kind of like being drunk and then lying on a soft, fluffy cloud."
She pretended to be angry and stared at Chen Xi. "I don't care. You're the one who caused this mess, so hurry up and put on a skirt to make it up to me."
"I'll wear one, all right?"
Knowing she was in the wrong, Chen Xi had no choice but to yield for the time being to the tyrannical Miss Lin.
"This one."
Lin Yue had come prepared. She picked up a simple black dress with subtle, pale patterns along the hem. It was understated yet elegant.
"I didn't know you had such good taste, Chen Xi." She admired how the dress looked on Chen Xi and praised it.
Chen Xi took the dress from her and examined it from every angle.
"Hurry up and put it on," Lin Yue urged.
Chen Xi lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, "Go outside first."
Without pushing her luck, Lin Yue left the bedroom with a string of excited giggles.
With the big golden retriever gone, the bedroom finally fell quiet.
The black-haired girl stood in front of the full-length mirror, holding the dress and hesitating.
Did she really have to wear it...
Whatever. She'd already promised.
With the thought that she might as well go through with it, Chen Xi deftly changed clothes.
"Well... it's not bad?"
In the mirror, the girl wore a black dress with patterned trim. Her long hair fell like a waterfall, and her skin was as white and smooth as jade. A faint blush colored her cheeks, born of discomfort.
Worried that she'd feel exposed and drafty in a dress, Chen Xi had also put on a pair of shorts underneath.
"Are you done?" Lin Yue called from outside the door.
"I'm done."
The moment Chen Xi answered, Lin Yue, unable to wait any longer, pushed open the door and entered.
Seeing how quickly she'd come in, Chen Xi looked herself over in the mirror and teased, "Were you pressed up against the door this whole time?"
There was no reply.
Puzzled, the black-haired girl turned toward the doorway.
Lin Yue stood frozen in the doorframe, her black-and-gold eyes fixed on Chen Xi without blinking.
"What's wrong? Does it look bad?" Chen Xi asked softly, embarrassed by the stare.
"No." Lin Yue came back to herself and gave a slight shake of her head. "It suits you. Let's go."
"By the way, how did I never notice before?" Chen Xi suddenly asked. "Your eyes are black and gold? When did you start wearing colored contacts?"
"They've always been like this. What colored contacts?"
Not dwelling on the subject, the two went downstairs and got a taxi. Lin Yue finally got her wish and arrived at the movie theater.
"I want to see this one."
With the theater packed with people, Lin Yue pointed at the movie listing at the very bottom.
"A horror movie?" Chen Xi's tone shifted slightly as she took in the poster.
"Oh?" As if she'd made an exciting discovery, Lin Yue asked in surprise, "So you're afraid of ghosts?"
"I just didn't expect you to like this kind of movie."
There were so many people that Lin Yue secretly took Chen Xi's hand to keep them from getting separated in the crowd.
"Your hand is so warm," Chen Xi said, her voice swallowed by the noisy crowd.
"Yours is just too cold."
Lin Yue edged closer in secret until their arms pressed together. The blonde girl's heartbeat pounded like a drum.
After a brief hesitation, she said the most selfish thing she'd ever said since birth:
"Once we've dealt with Wu Xin... let's leave Tianhai City."
It wasn't entirely selfish, either. Aside from Chen Xi and Ye Min, she had almost no ties holding her there.
"We can bring Zhu Li along, too," she murmured, like a woman planning a family trip.
Sensing the girl's emotions stirring, Chen Xi tightened her grip on Lin Yue's hand.
"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"
Lin Yue let out a long sigh, her breathing growing uneven. "I'm just a little... tired."
"Sorry. Was that too selfish of me? Maybe it'd be better to stay and fight Evil Flower with Qiu Ye and the others..."
Chen Xi cut off her self-reproach and gave a single-word reply.
"Okay."
The black-haired girl's gentle voice was like a breeze drifting across a lake.
"But we should at least deal with Zhu Li's situation first."
"Leaving right now would be a little irresponsible."
Chen Xi gazed at her with a calm expression, as if she were talking about something ordinary.
That composure calmed Lin Yue, who had been restless and uneasy.
"Mm..." Lin Yue suppressed a sob as tears welled in her eyes.
To keep Chen Xi from noticing, she deliberately stood in front of her.
At last, the movie began. The two walked slowly down the aisle and took their seats.
As the screen lit up, Chen Xi asked quietly, "So, how's the movie? Is it scary?"
Having calmed down, Lin Yue was back to her usual playful self. "The reviews say it's pretty scary."
Of course it was. She'd carefully searched online and picked out the scariest, most terrifying movie she could find.
Once Chen Xi was frightened out of her wits, she'd surely cling to Lin Yue for comfort!
She could already see it happening.
"Ah!!!"
Amid a piercing scream, the blonde girl lunged into Chen Xi's arms.
"Maybe next time we shouldn't watch a horror movie. Let's pick something the whole family can enjoy," Chen Xi said with a helpless expression.
She suspected that if she hadn't been sitting there, Lin Yue might already have jumped out of the movie theater.
Before you continue