Xier put down the phone. The blush on her face vanished instantly. She stared at me blankly for three seconds, then sighed with a bitter tone.

"Hua Shu, can you stay and talk with me for a while?"

"Of course. We're good friends, right? Grab my slippers—we'll chat in my room."

Xier glanced at me clinging to her arm on tiptoes. She smiled again but didn't fetch slippers. Instead, she swept me up in a princess carry and turned toward the bedroom.

I slipped on my shoes, walked to the computer, apologized to the stream audience, and shut down the game and broadcast. Sitting before Xier, I met her confused eyes.

"Tell me whatever's troubling you. I might not fix it, but I'll listen."

"Hua Shu," Xier looked up hesitantly, "have you ever been in love?"

"Love? With Miko, I guess you could say we were." I almost said no—I'd accepted Miko's feelings after all.

"But I haven't! Father was strict, insisting I marry an excellent man. Boys who got close were chased away. Now he barely controls me, but dating feels terrifying—like he'll suddenly appear and drive them off."

Xier's head drooped, her mood sinking.

"So he's forcing a blind date now? Is the guy someone he approves of?"

"Yes. A director at his new partner company. His assets are huge. Scariest part—he's only sixteen, about your age!"

I admired this peer entrepreneur. I couldn't even land a job, let alone run a company. What was he like? In a suit like a domineering CEO? No, at sixteen, that was impossible.

"Uh, that is scary. But maybe meet him—you might like him."

Xier suddenly looked up, grabbed my shoulders, and cried, "Impossible! I might admire him, but I'll never love him. Because the one I love is—"

She froze mid-sentence. My curious heart ached. "If you love someone, take him to your father. Be firm. He won't make it too hard. Um... who is it?"

"If only I could bring her. But if I bring a girl home, he'd be furious..."

Wait—Xier liked a girl? Who? She wasn't close to anyone except... me? Impossible. Miko loved me from our ordinary days, but I met Xier when I was already frail.

"Xier, you like girls? That's extreme. Dating boys is hard, but not enough to change orientation, right? Heh heh."

"Yes! I feel nothing for other girls. But when she saved me from despair, I fell in love. Sob..."

Tears streamed down Xier's cheeks. She buried her face in my chest to hide, sobbing. Her arms tightened around me, as if I'd vanish if she let go.

Chest! Chest! It's about to burst! Ugh, all that morning milk really made them bigger. Her hug was crushing my little bunnies. I patted her head with my free hand. "Xier, don't overthink. Maybe it's just gratitude, not love. Call it repaying a debt?"

"Then what is love?" Xier peeked at me, puzzled.

I didn't know either. "Ahem. Love is... when you see someone, you feel an urge to possess them. Like... wanting to devour them whole."

"Like this?"

Awoof!

Ah! Right after I said that, Xier bit my chest. That movie lied! But... did this mean she really loved me?

"Xier, let go! I'll go to the blind date with you, okay!"