Bear Ears Popped Out

Wu Xi didn't understand why she was so determined to exercise. She was already so strong that none of the five of them was confident they could catch her with a sneak attack.

After all, mental power attacks were invisible and instantaneous, and they didn't even know whether she'd held back against them.

If she had held back, that meant she might be able to kill them in an instant.

Since she was already so strong, why put herself through this?

Wouldn't it be better to just take it easy?

Xin Lan wanted to take it easy too, of course, but she wanted to be healthy while doing it.

After resting for over an hour following her meal, she changed into workout clothes and went downstairs to the gym with four of them.

It was called a gym, but it was actually about the size of a sports complex. It had every kind of exercise equipment imaginable, as well as a small pool.

They had drawn up a six-month workout plan for her, detailed down to each day, and planned to have whoever accompanied her that day record her data so they could adjust the plan whenever necessary.

"Let's start with the basics today: brisk walking and yoga. First, some pre-workout stretches..."

Wu Xi and Chi Ming were in charge of accompanying her today.

Wu Xi demonstrated the stretches in front of her, while Chi Ming helped Xin Lan with the movements.

Cang Leng had been puzzled ever since they returned. He blinked.

"Yun Jin, what do you think Miss Guide is thinking about every day? We already told her that a guide's physique can't be improved much through training, so why does she insist on putting herself through this?"

"No idea. She won't stick with it for more than a few days anyway."

Yun Jin folded his arms across his chest, his expression somewhat disdainful.

He thought Xin Lan was only interested in things for three minutes, doing whatever she pleased on a whim.

So she would surely give up within two days and never mention coming to exercise again.

Guides were all like that.

Yet when he saw Xin Lan break out in a cold sweat all over after one round of stretches, only to insist on brisk walking on the treadmill, he still felt oddly uncomfortable.

Mo Xiao felt uncomfortable too.

He had already learned from Cang Leng that Xin Lan was going to start exercising, but she hadn't invited him to accompany her.

Just as she'd left him alone on the ninetieth floor last night, she didn't seem to intend to consider him in other matters anymore either.

That wasn't a good sign.

If he didn't do something soon, he might really be the first to be unbound.

After much thought, Mo Xiao went to the gym with the utmost sincerity, only to find Xin Lan already too exhausted to lift a finger. She lay on Wu Xi's back, too tired even to raise her eyelids.

"Administrator, Lanlan is already very tired. She needs to rest now."

Chi Ming thought he'd come to discuss the joint combat exercise with Xin Lan and tactfully tried to dissuade him.

It was Wu Xi's first time being this close to Xin Lan. How could he bear to let go?

When Mo Xiao said nothing, he took it as consent and ran off with Xin Lan on his back.

Mo Xiao: ...

Wait, did he really look that oblivious?

"Then I'll come see her tomorrow. Remember to give Guide Xin Lan a full-body massage before she goes to sleep."

"All right, Administrator. Don't worry."

In fact, there was no need for him to remind them about such a small thing. Wu Xi and Chi Ming would only fight over who got to do it.

At the thought, Mo Xiao looked down the empty corridor and let out a self-mocking sound as soft as a sigh.

"Miss Guide, you've just finished exercising. You need a massage to relax your muscles before you sleep, or your body will hurt a lot when you wake up."

On the living room sofa, a few damp strands of hair clung to Xin Lan's forehead. After exercising, her face looked much rosier than usual.

But she was utterly exhausted. She felt like she could fall asleep just sitting on the sofa.

"Miss Guide? You haven't fallen asleep, have you? I'm going to massage you now. Bear with it, it'll hurt a little."

"Cut the chatter and hurry up."

Xin Lan planted a foot on his shoulder.

Wu Xi had been nervous and hesitant, his eyes betraying his fear of touching her without permission, but now he was instantly encouraged.

He hurriedly took hold of her calf and laid it across his lap. Then, as he'd seen in massage tutorials on the Star Network, he slowly and firmly kneaded and pressed it with both hands.

"Mm..."

It really did hurt a little, but it felt good afterward.

Xin Lan gave a muffled groan and fell back against the sofa, stretching her legs out straighter. "Not bad. Massage me some more while I bathe later."

Wu Xi jerked his head up, his gray eyes shining astonishingly bright, his face full of shock and wild delight. "Okay!"

He didn't dare ask if she was serious, or why he was allowed to do it. He'd agree first, whatever the case.

Otherwise, once Chi Ming came back, this good fortune might not fall to him.

Today, he would wipe away his previous humiliation and properly win Miss Guide's favor!

Sure enough, Chi Ming hurried back when he was halfway through the massage.

Seeing him knead Xin Lan's fair, slender calf with nothing between his hands and her skin, her other small, pale foot still propped on his shoulder, Chi Ming's expression immediately darkened. He hurriedly knelt on the sofa and helped massage her shoulders and arms.

Normally, if someone stole his work like this, Wu Xi would have glared holes through Chi Ming by now.

But today he was quiet.

He even looked completely at ease, as though he were certain of winning something.

After massaging her for a while, Chi Ming sensed something was wrong, but before he could ask, Xin Lan yawned, sat up, and buried herself in Wu Xi's arms.

"All right, time for a bath."

If they kept massaging her, she really would fall asleep.

Wu Xi easily picked up the limp Xin Lan, a rare look of tenderness and deep affection appearing on his usually carefree face.

But that tender expression was instantly replaced by hostility and intense possessiveness when he saw Chi Ming wanted to follow them.

"Chi Ming, go prepare some afternoon tea. Miss Guide might want something to eat after she wakes up."

Chi Ming frowned, silently asking with his eyes, What do you mean?

Exactly what you think.

They exchanged only a glance, and Chi Ming was defeated.

He didn't know what Wu Xi had talked Xin Lan into deciding before he returned, but as long as Xin Lan was willing, he couldn't stop her.

He had promised Lanlan that he would obey her in everything unconditionally, and that naturally included her choosing someone else.

But now that the day had really come when she set him aside and wanted someone else to accompany her, he still felt a terrible tightness in his chest.

It was as if a mass of invisible gas were lodged there, pressing on his heart until he could scarcely breathe...

Wu Xi was overjoyed to have beaten Chi Ming for the first time.

But his happiness didn't last long. What Xin Lan did next instantly turned him as red as a blazing sunset cloud.

She actually undressed right in front of him without the slightest hesitation!

Although he knew this would happen sooner or later, it had come so fast that he wasn't mentally prepared at all.

Wu Xi's face turned red and his whole body went stiff. For a moment, he didn't even know where to look, and he stood there dumbstruck.

Xin Lan settled into the bathtub and turned to see that the silly bear was still standing there in a daze. She clicked her tongue impatiently. "What are you standing there for? If you don't want to massage me, get out and let Chi Ming do it."

The name Chi Ming instantly jolted Wu Xi's wandering mind. He came to his senses at once and hurriedly crouched beside the bathtub, lifting her arm to knead it gently.

But the sight was simply too much.

As smug as he'd been facing Chi Ming just now, he was equally timid now.

Don't look, don't look!

I can't look anymore!

If I keep looking...

Wu Xi struggled to shift his gaze to the edge of the bathtub, but with his hands touching her smooth, delicate skin without anything in between, he could imagine everything even without looking.

"Biubiu~"

At last, unable to keep them under control, two bear ears popped out one after the other.

Xin Lan looked over in a daze and, for an instant, thought Wu Xi had dressed up again.

But when she looked closely, they were real bear ears.

The tips were pink and bounced up and down, looking like they would feel wonderful to touch.

"Wu Xi, what's your Rampage Level?"

Xin Lan was pleased to see that he'd obediently kept his head turned away from the start, without letting his eyes wander into the bathtub, so she raised a hand and pinched his bear ear.

Wu Xi shuddered all over. His bear ears immediately turned even pinker, and he began to stammer.

"I-it's gone up a little these past two days. It should be close to ninety-four percent."

"That high? Did you forget to take your Guide Pheromones?"

Xin Lan kept kneading his bear ear and even found herself marveling a little.

As it turned out, a big fluffy creature felt quite nice to squeeze too. At least it felt better than the stray cats she'd touched before, and it didn't shed...

"Mm. I wasn't in a very good mood last night, and I was in a hurry to go on a mission this morning, so I forgot without thinking."

Blushing, Wu Xi quietly shifted his gaze to her face, wanting to see if she was angry that he'd suddenly sprouted bear ears. But the moment his eyes touched her rounded, pearly-white shoulder, he lowered his head even further, as if something had burned him.

"Don't be angry, Miss Guide. Once you're asleep, I'll go take my Guide Pheromones."

He knew Xin Lan didn't like his Spirit Body. Even when his bear ears appeared, she'd only ever grabbed them, never showing any affection.

Although she wasn't being rough now, he still didn't dare make assumptions, afraid he would get his hopes up for nothing.

"Why take Guide Pheromones? Don't you have me?"