A Tender Moment Before the Final Battle

Looking at Lin Yue, whose face was flushed crimson before her, Chen Xi felt a deep sense of headache.

It wasn't that this state couldn't be undone; in fact, the method was quite simple—a good beating would do the trick.

However, Chen Xi had no intention of resorting to such violent measures. She gripped Lin Yue's head tightly with both hands and, like someone shaking a pair of dice, began to violently rattle the latter's brain.

At the same time, she took a deep breath and shouted at the girl: "Lin Yue!!!"

Lin Yue's brains were nearly shaken into a puree, and she finally snapped out of that strange, hazy state.

"Hmm... ah?" She sat on the edge of the bed, looking dazed and adorable, like someone who had just sobered up from drinking cheap booze, still unable to process what had just happened.

After locking eyes with the equally helpless Chen Xi for five seconds, the blonde girl finally recalled what she had just done.

"Ah?!" The girl's face turned bright red in an instant, practically emitting steam.

"You actually used Charm on me?!" she demanded, her tone laced with a hint of inexplicable, secret excitement.

"How could you do that?"

Lin Yue stood up and retreated to the doorway, staring at Chen Xi with a look that clearly said, 'So that's the kind of person you are.'

Chen Xi felt her scalp tingle under that gaze and hurriedly explained, "Listen to me..."

"So that's how it is."

Upon learning the truth about Chen Xi's ability, Lin Yue's tone could not hide her disappointment.

Seeing her expression, Chen Xi rolled her eyes in secret.

What exactly was she disappointed about? Could it be that this state was addictive?

Chen Xi carefully weighed her words: "So, what does it feel like when you're in that charmed state?"

Lin Yue subconsciously licked her lips, savoring the memory: "It's about the same as being drunk and lying on a soft, fluffy cloud."

She feigned anger, glared at Chen Xi, and shouted: "I don't care, this mess is your fault. Anyway, hurry up and put on a dress to compensate me."

"I'll wear it, alright?"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Chen Xi had no choice but to temporarily submit to the tyranny of Miss Lin.

"This one."

Lin Yue, having prepared in advance, picked up a simple black dress with pale, subtle patterns along the hem—understated yet elegant.

"I didn't expect Chen Xi to have such good taste," she remarked, admiring the effect as she held the dress up against Chen Xi.

Chen Xi took the dress from her hands and looked it over repeatedly.

"Hurry up and put it on," Lin Yue urged.

Chen Xi lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, "You go out first."

Not pushing her luck any further, Lin Yue left the bedroom, leaving behind a trail of excited giggles.

Once the big blonde was gone, the bedroom finally quieted down.

The black-haired girl stood before the full-length mirror, holding the dress, feeling hesitant.

Do I really have to wear this...

Forget it, I already promised her.

Holding onto the thought that she was already committed, Chen Xi skillfully began to change her clothes.

"It's... not bad?"

In the mirror, the girl was dressed in the black-trimmed gown, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall. Her skin was as fair and delicate as jade, and her cheeks were flushed with a faint red tint from her discomfort.

Afraid that wearing a dress would be drafty and uncomfortable, Chen Xi had even made sure to wear a pair of shorts underneath.

"Are you done yet?" Lin Yue's urging voice rang out from outside the door.

"Done."

No sooner had Chen Xi finished speaking than the impatient Lin Yue pushed the door open and entered.

Seeing her move so quickly, Chen Xi glanced at herself in the mirror and quipped, "Don't tell me you were pressed against the door the whole time?"

There was no response.

The black-haired girl turned her head in confusion to look at the doorway.

She saw Lin Yue standing at the door frame, her black-gold eyes fixed intently upon her.

"What's wrong? Does it look bad?" Chen Xi asked softly, feeling awkward under her gaze.

"No." Lin Yue shook her head slightly, snapping out of it. "It suits you perfectly. Let's go."

"By the way, how come I never noticed before?" Chen Xi suddenly asked. "Your eyes are black-gold? Since when did you start wearing colored contacts?"

"They've always been like this. Where would I even get contacts?"

Without dwelling on the topic, the two headed downstairs to hail a taxi, and Lin Yue finally arrived at the cinema as she had wished.

"I want to watch this one."

Because the cinema was packed with people, Lin Yue had to point her heel toward the movie title at the very bottom of the list.

"A horror movie?" Chen Xi saw the movie poster clearly, and her flat tone shifted slightly.

"Oh~" Lin Yue exclaimed in surprise, as if she had discovered a new continent, "So you're afraid of ghosts?"

"I just didn't expect you to like watching this."

Because there were so many people, Lin Yue secretly took Chen Xi's hand to avoid being separated by the crowd.

"Your hand is so hot." Chen Xi's voice was drowned out by the noisy sea of people.

"It's because you're too cold."

Lin Yue secretly pressed closer, their arms sticking together, the blonde girl's heartbeat sounding like a thundering drum.

After a moment of hesitation, she spoke the most selfish words she had uttered since birth:

"After we settle the matter with Wu Xin... let's leave Tianhai City."

It couldn't really be called selfish; after all, aside from Chen Xi and Ye Min, she was essentially unattached.

"We'll take Zhu Li with us, too," she murmured, like a woman preparing for a family trip.

Chen Xi sensed the turbulence in the girl's emotions and gripped her hand tighter:

"Why are you saying this all of a sudden?"

Lin Yue let out a long sigh, her breathing becoming rapid: "I'm just... tired."

"Sorry, is it too selfish of me to say this? Maybe it would be better to stay and deal with Evil Flower alongside Qiu Ye and the others..."

Chen Xi interrupted her self-reproach with a single word.

"Okay."

The black-haired girl's gentle voice was like a breeze blowing across a lake.

"However, we at least have to resolve Zhu Li's situation first."

"Leaving right now would be a bit too irresponsible."

Chen Xi looked at her with a calm expression, as if she were discussing an everyday meal.

This composed demeanor actually calmed the anxious and restless Lin Yue.

"Mm..." Lin Yue suppressed a sob, tears swirling in her eyes.

To keep Chen Xi from noticing her abnormality, she deliberately stood in front of her.

Finally, the movie began, and the two walked slowly to the queue and took their seats.

Watching the screen light up, Chen Xi whispered: "By the way, how is the movie? Is it scary?"

Having calmed down, Lin Yue returned to her usual playful self: "The reviews say it's quite scary."

Just kidding, this was the scariest, most terrifying movie she had meticulously handpicked online.

When Chen Xi was scared out of her wits later, she would definitely lean into her arms!

She had already foreseen the future.

"Ah!!!"

Amidst a shrill scream, the blonde girl lunged into the arms of Chen Xi beside her.

"Maybe we shouldn't watch horror movies next time; let's watch something family-friendly instead." Chen Xi looked helpless.

She suspected that if she weren't still sitting there, Lin Yue might have already bolted out of the cinema.