Chapter 31: Girlfriend

“Um, well… we already did something bad once, right? So doing it one more time wouldn’t hurt, hehe…”

This time, Linglinglan refused to shamelessly discuss such things in front of Xinghui.

“Shut up, you damn sword immortal!”

She kicked Xinghui away, but the woman only looked thoroughly pleased.

Linglinglan scowled in disgust. Right after sending off Xiaofu, she had ducked into an empty alley—only for Xinghui to start babbling about “tonight we should practice helping each other again.”

Doing that kind of thing with me… absolutely not! If something like that really happened, how could I ever explain it to Mama and Sister…

“Who said being your girlfriend means I have to do that with you?!”

“But you seemed to enjoy it this morning. Your cheeks flushed, your lips parted slightly, that gentle steam rising, and your tongue—”

“It’s not like I wanted that expression! You moved so fast! It’s all your fault!”

Angrily, Linglinglan thumped Xinghui’s arm a few times. Without magic power her strikes barely left a scratch. Xinghui, of course, could have pushed her down with ease.

After all, Linglinglan was already Xinghui’s adorable, arrogant, collar-wearing girlfriend.

“Take off my collar! Or I’ll… report you to the Association! Hmph, binding a cute girl like me without consent… If the Association hears about this, you can choose between the gallows and the stake!”

“My body is as frail as a bean sprout. What gentle older sister would ever be attracted to someone like you…”

Linglinglan remembered the Association’s punishment standards—death sentences or at least five years’ imprisonment—but she still threw out every threat she could think of. Xinghui’s reasoning was simpler: “Small is cute.”

“If the Association dares investigate me, I’ll just kidnap you and elope! As for becoming a sword immortal, later I’ll find that old hag Irina and force her to abdicate for me…”

“Ugh! You perverted freak, take off this… damn collar…”

Linglinglan tugged at it desperately, but the only likely result was breaking her own neck.

“A humiliating collar!” Boohoohoo…

If anyone saw me wearing this collar, it would be worse than dying ten thousand times. Such social disgrace is far worse than any formal execution. My sisters would laugh mercilessly… especially Big Sister Gela…

Gela: You little waste, here’s your pet leash—now fasten it!
Gela: Now, learn to bark like a dog!
Gela: Or loudly shout, “I’m Big Sister Gela’s dog!”

Never… ever… do such a thing! Worse than the pain of giving birth in Namira’s stories!!!

“It’s fine. I’ll cast a shielding spell so no outsiders can see it. Don’t worry, I’m a proper sword immortal who respects public morals. The collar is actually to prevent you from going berserk someday.”

“The most likely reason I’d go berserk is you, you perverted sword immortal!”

Such shameless remarks—so infuriating! No boundaries at all. After so many shameless acts—kidnapping, beating, lewd talk—Xinghui had absolutely no shame left.

Her level of detestability, in my estimation, is on par with Big Sister Gela! Even worse—a true pervert! Far beyond embarrassing… even un-cute. I once said I loved you… even considered you my girlfriend… Damn it, it’s so hopeless!

…

Without warning, a pale purple-haired, heterochromatic-eyed girl appeared at the end of the alley.

“Ling’er…”

The moment playful Xinghui sensed the shift, her instincts as a former sword immortal screamed. A dense foreign-god aura converged in the alley—far too strong to have come from weak little Linglinglan.

Could it be… the Crimson Witch has returned?

This was bad. Xinghui instinctively drew her sword, ready to fight.

Before she could move, an ice-cold pressure touched her forehead, piercing straight to her soul. Instinctive fear blossomed as her eyes met the girl’s.

“Stay away from Ling’er.”

A sleek, high-tech rifle pressed firmly against Xinghui’s brow. So fast—she hadn’t even seen the girl approach. Instantaneous movement?

The crosshair locked on Xinghui’s soul. At such close range, the five-step rule of sword speed no longer applied. The girl’s power level was undetectable but certainly divine-tier, her aura rivaling the terrifying Crimson Witch.

The purple-haired girl’s eyes burned with fiery resolve, cold enough to pierce through Xinghui’s entire body.

“B-Big sister, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I’m not your enemy.”

“You are.”

Ah? But I, Xinghui, never liked stirring trouble. Staying uninvolved is how I survive. Where could there possibly be an enemy…

“Namira-sister…”

Linglinglan’s quiet words left Xinghui dumbfounded. This terrifying girl in a strappy maid outfit, with red-purple heterochromatic eyes, was another evil-god sister of Linglinglan…?

I’m doomed. Are all their family members this strong?

“Ling’er, come to your sister. I’ll take you home.”

“Okay, Sister.”

Linglinglan hesitated, then obediently stepped to Namira’s side.

Namira immediately noticed the collar around Linglinglan’s neck. No doubt—this was that perverted woman’s sick sense of humor. If it were up to Namira, she would blast the woman’s head to ashes.

“Sister, can you not kill her? Because… we’re girlfriends.”

Linglinglan saw fear flicker in Xinghui’s eyes. And she didn’t want to see her die at her sister’s hand. Even though she verbally despised the perverted fake sword immortal, watching such a fool die would… inexplicably hurt.

So she used the only excuse she could.

The damn perverted sword immortal… Even now, I still have to save you…

“Girlfriends? But Ling’er, I saw her do that to you… Could it be…”

Namira already suspected Xinghui had brainwashed Linglinglan. Her mental deductions spiraled.

“It’s true, Sister… we were actually… playing a game.”

“???”

Namira’s expression wavered, the gun lowering slightly.

At a time like this, only one course of action could prove it.

Xinghui caught Linglinglan’s subtle hint. “Yes. Linglinglan and I are lovers.”

She pulled Linglinglan into her arms, and Linglinglan naturally played along, pretending to accept it.

But when Xinghui bent down and kissed her lips for real, the warmth flushed Linglinglan’s cheeks bright red.

Namira swallowed hard, eyes clouded with doubt. Watching their intimate display, the monster deep in her heart stirred restlessly, testing its seal.

The kiss lasted almost five minutes before they finally parted.