“Lots of pretty little dresses?”

Ruo Xiaoxi seemed to hear the magic words. Her eyes lit up, but she quickly shook her head, resisting the temptation. “No, um, I don’t think I’ll go…”

“They really are pretty dresses. If you like cosplay outfits, I’ve got a few that would suit you, too. Come on—I bet you’d look absolutely gorgeous in them.” Xia Zhibai tried to persuade her.

“But… but isn’t someone at your place today, Sister Xia? I—I can’t help getting really loud. I’ll definitely disturb your parents and give us away…”

“That’s true. Xiaoxi gets so loud when she plays games with me~ And she sounds really nice, too.”

Seeing Xia Zhibai looking as if she were savoring the memory, Ruo Xiaoxi cupped her face. “No remembering!”

“But I never said you were coming over for that, did I? I’m just inviting you to try on some pretty dresses and take a few more photos. That’s all.”

“Is that so…?” Ruo Xiaoxi couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being lured into a trap.

“Besides, there’s actually no one at my place. I thought my parents were coming back to visit, but it turns out Auntie Chen was just stopping by to clean. She asked me for the code to the spare-key box at noon so she could get the key.”

“You even have a housekeeper, Sister Xia? That’s amazing…”

You could tell just from the fact that she lived alone in a home of over a hundred square meters.

And it wasn’t even rented—her family had bought it outright. Ruo Xiaoxi had seen photos of Xia Zhibai’s old home: a huge, several-story mansion with a garden and wide-open spaces, its ceilings soaring high overhead.

All the decorations in the mansion were exquisite and high-end. There was also a photo of Xia Zhibai’s parents sitting on a sofa. Her father wore a suit and glasses, looking like a hearty, spirited gentleman.

Her mother wore an elegant long dress and had the kind of refined hairstyle Ruo Xiaoxi thought only wealthy ladies had. She sat leaning against her husband, a poised, sophisticated woman in her own right.

Whenever Ruo Xiaoxi remembered that photo from the album, a chill of dread ran through her. If this couple found out she’d played around with their daughter’s feelings, would she be completely done for?

Waaah, a rich young lady’s blood tastes so good, but it’s so dangerous!

“So, as long as you’re willing to be my girlfriend, you’ll never have to worry about food or clothes. I’ll work hard to build our life, and you can focus on being pretty and sweet. Then, at night, you can warm my bed~”

“So, I—I’d only have to sleep with you, right?”

“That’s not exactly what I mean. I’m just saying that if Xiaoxi doesn’t want to work hard anymore, you can kick back and let me take care of you. And if you have dreams of your own that you want to pursue, I’ll support you with all I’ve got. That way, you won’t get bored, and you can have a sense of pride and accomplishment, right?”

Good grief. So working hard would just become a way to “experience life.” Was this how a rich, beautiful girl talked? She could easily keep Ruo Xiaoxi without any financial obstacles at all.

What was that saying again? “Big sis has plenty of money. She just wants a relationship.”

She could be kept and live like a pampered little wife, warming the bed at home in white stockings, showing off her pretty little feet as she waited to make the big sister happy when she got home.

After graduating from college, she wouldn’t even have to think about finding a job. She could laze around all day, play games, and go looking for hobbies whenever she got bored, just to find a sense of achievement. What kind of heavenly life was that?

If Ruo Xiaoxi were just an ordinary girl, she might really have been tempted.

But she wasn’t an ordinary girl. She, Ruo Xiaoxi, was a different kind of firework. No one could try to leash this little white colt “in love with freedom” and lead her home.

Back to the point! Overtime? No way. She wouldn’t allow it. She was going to end the match right here!

“Um, let’s put the dress try-on thing aside for now. Sister Xia, these fireworks are so pretty tonight, and we’re sitting here all alone together. Don’t you… think you should make a move?”

Ruo Xiaoxi was practically giving her the answers, reminding Xia Zhibai to take this chance to confess.

Xia Zhibai blinked, seeming to ponder it. Then her eyes lit up, and she smiled as she gently lifted Ruo Xiaoxi’s chin. “You little kiss-hungry cat. Want to kiss me again?”

“Huh? No, no, that’s not what I mean. I mean…” Ruo Xiaoxi’s cheeks flushed a little.

“Hmm…? Didn’t you say I should make a move? But sure. If you want me to give you my love, then once we get back, I’ll fill you right up with it.”

“Ehhhh—???”

Oh no. The fireworks were over. Her best chance to confess was gone.

Whatever. She’d go to Sister Xia’s place and try on the pretty dresses. There’d be another way eventually. Since Xia Zhibai hadn’t confessed, Ruo Xiaoxi didn’t have to worry about being tied down.

It definitely wasn’t because she wanted to see just how pretty those dresses were.

What’s wrong with a girl wanting to look pretty!?

So, after the fireworks were over, Ruo Xiaoxi foolishly followed Xia Zhibai home.

The first time was unfamiliar; the second was easy. She’d already memorized the way to Xia Zhibai’s place.

“There are more than a dozen dresses in the closet. You can hold them up in front of the mirror and see how they look.”

“More than a dozen… Is this what rich people’s confidence looks like?”

Ruo Xiaoxi had to admit she was a little envious, but she didn’t feel inferior.

Her family might not be as rich, but they were close and happy, and everyone was healthy. She even had a little sister who was growing up right alongside her.

She didn’t know what it was like to be happy when you were rich, but she knew that happiness in an ordinary family could be this simple.

Watching Xia Zhibai leave her alone in the room to go somewhere else, Ruo Xiaoxi suddenly felt uneasy. She asked softly, “What about you, Sister Xia?”

“I… I’m going to change into something else first…” Xia Zhibai looked a little embarrassed.

“Why?” Ruo Xiaoxi asked in a dazed, adorable voice from where she sat on the bed.

As she spoke, Xia Zhibai tossed a piece of cold, wet fabric straight at Ruo Xiaoxi’s face. Clothes soaked by the rain really should be changed out of… Wait, what was this?

Xia Zhibai’s cheeks were bright red. Seeing Ruo Xiaoxi still looking so innocent only made her angrier. Had she already forgotten how those two little white fish under the milk tea shop table had tickled Xia Zhibai’s calves?

“And you’ve got the nerve to ask? This is all because of what you did today!”