As it turned out...
Jingliu was no damn use.
He might as well give her her freedom.
"...What do you mean?"
Jingliu was rather dazed.
Being treated like an ice baby was one thing.
But Jiang Yao's next words, "You can go," made her brain crash outright.
"Huh?"
Jiang Yao looked suspiciously at the bewildered Jingliu.
Wasn't "You can go" clear enough?
How else could he simplify it to make his meaning clearer?
Jiang Yao began to question Jingliu's intelligence.
"Exactly what I said. What, do you want to get on board? This train isn't headed for kindergarten."
"...Kindergarten?"
Jingliu was even more confused.
Was the Astral Express's next stop a kindergarten?
Jiang Yao scratched his head. "What, do you really want to come aboard with us?"
Jingliu pondered for a moment, then asked, "You're... willing to let me go?"
Jiang Yao immediately took offense. "What do you mean, willing to let you go? I never restricted your freedom! Don't slander me!"
...Jingliu practically had a question mark hovering over her head.
Jiang Yao grew agitated. "Hey, what's with that look? Think about it properly. I treated you to a meal! Not just anyone gets to eat my cooking, you know!"
"Look at yourself. Isn't your mara-struck condition much better now?"
Jingliu thought it over carefully and said, "Thank you. Thanks to you, my mara-struck condition has turned into a Moe Squeal."
Even mentioning it made Jingliu's cheeks burn.
Every time she ate Jiang Yao's cooking, she could barely suppress the urge to cry out.
It really was mortifying.
But the feeling honestly wasn't bad.
Jiang Yao was still agitated. "Don't slander me! That's your own lack of self-control. What does it have to do with me?"
He felt Jingliu was accusing him of drugging her.
That was going way