Chapter 60: Catching dolls

“My little darling, there’s no need to rush.”

Just as Su Cheng was about to turn and leave, her foot had barely taken a step before she halted, turning to glare at Yin Xuelian.

Only when Yin Xuelian was within half a meter of her did Su Cheng begin to reprimand her.

“Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t call me that in public? You’re going back on your word again.”

Yin Xuelian feigned an innocent expression. “Did I? Why can’t I call you ‘darling’? Doesn’t it sound nice?”

“There you go again. You’re not allowed to call me that in public.” Su Cheng chided, crossing her arms over her chest.

Yin Xuelian gently stroked Su Cheng’s head, then took her hand, offering a slight smile. “Alright, alright, Little Orange, don’t be mad. The train’s here.”

As the train pulled into the platform, Yin Xuelian quickly stepped inside, pulling Su Cheng along as they searched for an empty seat.

Despite the rain, the train was still quite crowded, yet fortune smiled upon them, allowing them to find a single available seat.

“Sister Lian, you should sit. I’ll just stand for a bit.”

“No need to stand. Come here.”

Yin Xuelian had already devised a solution. She sat down first, patting her lap to invite Su Cheng to sit there.

While it was an effective solution, Su Cheng felt a little embarrassed to do so in such a public setting.

“This… isn’t quite right, is it?”

Yin Xuelian, wearing a nonchalant expression, replied, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about the small details.”

“Alright then…”

“That’s better.”

Su Cheng’s soft bottom settled securely onto Yin Xuelian’s lap, and in a fluid motion, Yin Xuelian wrapped her arms around her.

“Hehe, mission accomplished.” Yin Xuelian’s voice, as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, was audible only to Su Cheng.

Knowing she had fallen for Yin Xuelian’s ploy, Su Cheng found herself helpless.

At that moment, Yin Xuelian felt as though she were holding a human doll. Su Cheng’s soft, warm body was exceptionally comfortable in her embrace.

As she inhaled Su Cheng’s hair, a faint, elusive body scent occasionally mingled with the fragrance, stirring her heart.

Were they not in a public place, Yin Xuelian might have lost control and devoured this delectable little cake…

Once she had a taste, there would undoubtedly be a second, and then a third…

Especially when it was such a peerless delicacy.

Swallowing hard, Yin Xuelian reined in the deep-seated desire in her eyes.

Su Cheng was forced to endure Yin Xuelian’s breath lightly fanning her delicate neck, one hand covering her mouth, concealing half of her blushing face, her gaze cast downwards.

Beyond Yin Xuelian’s actions, numerous passersby were also directing their gazes towards the two of them. While Yin Xuelian seemed unfazed, Su Cheng found herself suffering.

“Chaoyang Plaza has arrived. Please allow passengers to alight before boarding…”

The moment Yin Xuelian released Su Cheng, she practically leaped and sprinted out of the train.

“Don’t run off, Little Orange! What if I can’t find you later?” Yin Xuelian had little trouble locating Su Cheng amidst the crowd, as her white hair was simply too conspicuous.

Having been caught, Su Cheng could only comply with Yin Xuelian’s pace.

Following the signs towards the exit, the two continued walking. Su Cheng glanced left and right along the way, when suddenly, several claw machines tucked away in a corner caught her attention.

“Sister Lian, do you want to play a claw machine game?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Yin Xuelian suddenly slapped her thigh, her thoughtful expression vanishing instantly. “I knew there was something you were missing! It’s a plushie! Come on, your sister will win one for you.”

“Huh?”

Su Cheng was a little surprised, not quite grasping the meaning behind Yin Xuelian’s words.

The two approached the claw machines, which displayed a dazzling array of plushies of all kinds.

Yin Xuelian scanned the machines, finally setting her sights on a grey rabbit plushie.

“Alright, that’s the one! Little Orange, watch as your sister snags a plushie for you—first try, guaranteed.”

With practiced ease, Yin Xuelian inserted a coin, manipulated the joystick, and then confidently pressed the grab button. Even before the plushie was lifted, a triumphant smile already spread across her face.

“Watch closely, your sister—oh, wow, why didn’t it grab it? Damn it…”

Having failed in her attempt to show off (TL Note: “装X” (zhuāng X) is a Chinese slang term meaning to show off, act cool, or pretend to be impressive.), Yin Xuelian gnashed her teeth, glaring at the rabbit plushie inside the display case. At that moment, the rabbit’s smiling expression seemed to mock her.

Yin Xuelian feigned adjusting her sleeves, then earnestly told Su Cheng, “Trust me, next time for sure.”

Su Cheng smiled with a hint of helplessness, feeling as though Yin Xuelian was about to declare war on the claw machine.

As expected, after five attempts, the rabbit plushie showed no sign of moving. Even after ten more tries, it remained stubbornly ungrabbed.

A strong sense of dissatisfaction emanating from her, Yin Xuelian glared at the plushie in the display case as if it were a personal challenge. “Just you wait,” she vowed, “I’ll get you out of there.”

Determined to fulfill her wish, Yin Xuelian refused to give up until she had captured it.

After another fifteen attempts, it still eluded her grasp.

Feeling somewhat dejected, Yin Xuelian leaned against the claw machine, her eyes losing their luster.

This scene reminded Su Cheng of a day in her previous life when they had gone on a date. Yin Xuelian had similarly squared off against a claw machine, unable to win a single plushie no matter what, eventually ending up as frustrated as she was now.

“Let me try. Do you have any more tokens?”

“Here, the last one.”

Yin Xuelian, without much hope, placed the final token into Su Cheng’s palm.

“That’s enough.”

Su Cheng then performed a series of maneuvers—up, down, left, right, B, A, B, A.

And guess what?

With just one try, Su Cheng not only snagged the rabbit plushie Yin Xuelian had desired, but also an additional pink lop-eared rabbit plushie.

Yin Xuelian stared dumbfounded at the two plushies in Su Cheng’s hands, her heart a mix of joy and envy.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, how could I not grab one? I’m defeated.”

Su Cheng chuckled softly, offering reassurance. “Sometimes luck is part of skill, too. You can have the pink rabbit, Sister Lian.”

Yin Xuelian beamed, taking the plushie Su Cheng offered, casting all her previous frustration aside.

“Hehe, thank you, my little darling, mua~”

“Hey, watch your image!”

Su Cheng wiped away the lingering trace of Yin Xuelian’s kiss from her cheek, clutching the rabbit plushie tightly, her face flushed with indignation.

“Wow, wow, it’s perfect, adorable, truly too cute! This is exactly the effect I was going for.”

Yin Xuelian felt as though a white-haired girl as adorable as “Sora-chan” (TL Note: “穹妹” (Qióng Mèi) refers to Kasugano Sora, a popular character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series ‘Yosuga no Sora,’ known for her iconic white hair and often depicted with a rabbit or in a quiet, doll-like manner. The term implies a cute, slightly fragile, and beloved younger sister type.) stood before her, and with the rabbit plushie in her arms, the resemblance was even stronger.

She then hugged Su Cheng, rubbing her face against her, and stealing a couple of kisses.

‘Though I wish my sister were Sora, she can be Cheng.’

‘This is my very own Sister Cheng.’

“Sis-con! You’re a sis-con!” Su Cheng accused Yin Xuelian.

Yin Xuelian merely smiled, saying nothing, and deftly changed the subject by taking Su Cheng’s hand.

“This plushie suits you perfectly. I really want to take some photos of you with it and hang them on my wall to admire.”

“Sister Lian, can you please act normal?”

Su Cheng’s forehead crinkled with exasperation, feeling that Yin Xuelian before her was anything but normal.

“Hehe, no more teasing. Let’s hurry and pick out some dresses.”

Just as Yin Xuelian was about to pull Su Cheng along, Su Cheng unexpectedly pulled her back.

“Why are we buying dresses? Didn’t we say we were going to watch a movie?”

Yin Xuelian explained, “It’s still early for the movie, and we have plenty of time. Besides, you don’t have any dresses, so I’ll buy you a few more.”

“No, I don’t like wearing them.” Su Cheng refused coldly.

“Refusal denied. I’m buying them today, no matter what. Come on, let’s go.”

“No! I want to go home, I want to go home!”

Although Su Cheng’s heart had already come to terms with the idea of herself in a dress, deep down, she still felt a primal resistance.

“Of course not.”

A sly curve formed on Yin Xuelian’s lips. She had finally gotten this chance to go on a date with Su Cheng; there was no way she would let her go home now.

Moreover, her ‘Date Operation’ had only just begun.