Countdown to the Trip (3): Welcome, Archbishop Phoebe!

"Alright, girls, get ready to eat." After placing the last dish on the table, Xiao Ling clapped her hands to remind Aemeath and the others who were still playing in the living room.

Aemeath and the others, who were playing Monopoly in the living room, quickly tidied up the coffee table, put everything back in its place, and then rushed to the dining table to sit down and prepare for dinner.

"Oh my, these little ones are so eager to eat as soon as they hear it's mealtime." Roccia gracefully walked down from upstairs to the dining table. "Looks like I've come at the right time."

"Yes, Sister Luo, you've come at the perfect time," Xiao Ling grinned. "Please sit down, please sit down, the food won't taste good if it gets cold."

"Good."

Once everyone was seated, their mouths watered, and they were ready to feast.

"Hey, wait a minute, I forgot to bring the chili sauce I bought. You guys eat first."

Xiao Ling suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to bring the seasonings she had specially bought. After letting the girls know that she was about to start eating, she hurriedly ran upstairs.

"Ling... she really is as addicted to spicy food as ever..." Dania remarked.

"In other words, his physical condition is much better than before. If he continues to eat like this, his health will eventually suffer." Roccia sighed and shook her head.

"Oh dear, don't say that, Principal Roccia," Aemeath said with a grin. "Isn't it better if A-Yu can continue to live peacefully and happily with us?"

"That's true."

Just as everyone at the table was about to pick up their chopsticks, a piercing female scream echoed throughout the villa, causing Sigrika to jump up like a rabbit and hug her best friend tightly, looking around as if she were afraid of something. Her own bowl and chopsticks were spilled on the table.

"Oh... it seems like it's haunted... Yaya, don't be afraid, I'll do my best to protect you!" Sigrika's teeth were chattering, but she still tried to remain calm as she spoke to Dania.

"Xixi ~ You were so scared~" Dania gently patted Sigrika's back to comfort her, "Don't be afraid~ Don't be afraid~"

"I don't think it's haunted," Lynae denied. "Given Xiao Ling's personality, he wouldn't let us live in a haunted house, and neither would his family."

"It can't be that a girl just appeared out of nowhere in the house, can it?" Aemeath asked suspiciously.

"In short, we'll just have to go up and see for ourselves. Seeing is believing," Chisa suggested.

Everyone agreed with the suggestion, so they put down their bowls and chopsticks and went upstairs to find out.

As soon as everyone went upstairs, they suddenly saw Xiao Ling with a handprint on her face and another blonde girl kneeling on the ground, wrapped in a bath towel, her face so red it looked like it could bleed.

"Ha?!"

Aemeath's large eyes revealed deep doubt. Is this... is this really true? Has Hajiling's methods become so powerful that she can keep a mistress hidden away right under their noses?!

No, that's not right. If that were the case, Xiao Ling wouldn't have been slapped. Obviously, he should have been oblivious to the situation.

"Senior... you..." Sigrika's mouth formed an "O" shape, and she didn't know where to begin.

"You mean I'm keeping a mistress, right? I'm sorry, I know nothing about that either." Xiao Ling's tone sounded exhausted, with no intention of defending herself.

"Hmm? Phoebe?"

Cartethyia squeezed her way from the back to the front, and upon seeing the blonde girl wrapped in a bath towel, she instinctively called out her name.

"Cart... Waaah... I'm not clean anymore..." Phoebe cried out in distress when she heard someone familiar calling her name, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Um... excuse me, Rover..."

At the dinner table, Phoebe looked at the slap mark on Xiao Ling's face, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.

"It's nothing, actually I benefited." Xiao Ling waved her hand.

To be honest, based on the steamy scene he had just witnessed, he felt that even if he had been slapped, it would have been worth the price of admission!

Then, as expected, he had barely finished speaking when Aemeath, who was standing next to him, grabbed his waist tightly as a form of reprimand.

"Sorry, Phoebe, A-Yu doesn't think before he speaks, don't take it to heart." She gently comforted Phoebe while pinching Xiao Ling's waist.

"It's alright, it's alright!" Phoebe quickly shook her head. "But the Rover looks like he's in a lot of pain..."

"N-nothing... it's nothing, I just accidentally bumped my little finger," Xiao Ling said, grimacing. "It's alright, I'm tough and resilient."

"By the way, Phoebe, how did you suddenly appear at the Righteous One's house?" Cartethyia finally asked the most crucial question. "We didn't see you before."

"I don't know... I just woke up to find myself in the bathtub, completely naked." Phoebe herself was puzzled. "Then I came out of the bathroom to see what was going on and bumped into the Rover, and then... and then..."

Phoebe's voice grew softer and softer until it finally faded away, leaving only her flushed cheeks and steam rising faintly from the top of her head.

"Hiss..." Xiao Ling felt another sharp pain in her lower back.

Hajiling: Isn't this just Little Ai you so much"? How can you blame me for this?!

"Hmm... wait a minute, Xiao Ling, didn't we see a Phoebe Chibi at the door earlier? You even brought it in for him, could it be...?" Lynae suddenly remembered the Phoebe Chibi that Xiao Ling had brought into the house earlier, and seeing the Phoebe in front of her, she immediately made a connection.

"What Phoebe Chibi?" Aemeath asked, puzzled, as she released her grip on Xiao Ling's waist.

"Here's what happened..." Xiao Ling rubbed her lower back as she recounted her encounter with Phoebe Chibi.

"So, it was a misunderstanding, right?" Roccia summarized simply. "Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, welcome, Miss Phoebe."

"Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!" Lynae chimed in at the opportune moment.

"Welcome," Chisa said with a serene smile.

"Welcome~" Dania said lazily, "I hope you have a good time here~"

The other girls also welcomed the unexpected new member in their own ways, leaving Phoebe somewhat flattered.

When it was Xiao Ling's turn, he coughed twice, feigning composure, and then, under the expectant gazes of everyone—

He performed a full prostration and kowtow to Phoebe, shouting as he did so, "Welcome, Archbishop Phoebe!"

"Rover?!" Phoebe's face paled.

"This idiot's gone mad." Lynae couldn't bear to look.

Without saying a word, Dania and Aemeath immediately performed physical correction on Xiao Ling.

As a result, Xiao Ling's ears and kidneys simultaneously emitted painful nerve signals, causing Xiao Ling excruciating pain that shot straight to his head.

"You'd be better off not causing trouble, wouldn't you?" Dania hissed fiercely. "Watch out, or I'll make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow!"

"Are you sure I can't get out of bed?" Xiao Ling couldn't resist teasing him cheekily even at a time like this.

Dania blushed. That made sense, really. She had never won against Hajiling even once.

"Oh? So you're quite brave, huh?" Aemeath said with a sly glint in her eyes.

"Hey, what are you saying? I'm super brave, okay? I'm super good at having fun!"

"I see~"

"Holy crap, ouch ouch ouch! Little Ai, Little Ai go! My kidney is going to fall off!!!"

The other people at the table showed no intention of helping, continuing to eat their food as if what was happening was completely unrelated to them.

"Um... Cart, aren't you going to help the Rover? He looks..." Phoebe felt a pang of guilt.

"Sometimes Righteous One need to be taught a lesson," Cartethyia replied, casually placing a piece of braised pork knuckle on Phoebe's plate. "Alright, eat up, it'll get cold soon."

"Whoa whoa."

Phoebe glanced at Xiao Ling, who was receiving education, with a hint of sympathy, then silently buried her head in her food.

Hmm~ You know what, it actually smells pretty good.