Chapter 106: The Sweet Taste of Rivalry

Guiding Ye Qing was not a difficult task. The black-haired girl, at this moment, had her lips pressed together.

Her slender limbs, completely relaxed and weak, nestled softly against Gu Xuanyu’s embrace. Lost in a daze, she was entirely within Gu Xuanyu’s control, her eyes vacant, resembling an exquisitely crafted, lifelike doll.

For some inexplicable reason, whenever Gu Xuanyu pressed close against her back, Ye Qing felt as if her little tail had been caught. She became restless, able only to half-lean into the girl’s arms, finding it difficult to even move a single finger.

Yet, her small hands were now moving with surprising speed—though, regrettably, they were easily held captive within Gu Xuanyu’s grasp.

Feeling the warm sensation enveloping her entire body, Ye Qing’s cheeks grew even redder. Her pearly teeth gently bit into the corner of her lip, and then… she found herself craving honey cake.

‘Ugh, let me go…’

“Ye Qing, look, this is how you jump over this box.”

Under Gu Xuanyu’s skillful control, the Magic Orb effortlessly leaped over the obstacle. Then, with a light tap of its feet, it landed on Spirit Pearl’s head, easily ascending to the second floor and looking down at the exasperated Spirit Pearl from above.

“But this alone won’t clear the stage. We need to cooperate well with Senior Qing. So, Senior Qing, no sneaky tricks, okay?”

Shen Congqing’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of subtle displeasure in her tone.

“I know.”

After all, Ye Qing was sitting right beside her, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to act too outrageously in front of her. Any underhanded tactics had been completely sealed off.

At this point, Shen Congqing suddenly remembered something she hadn’t thought of in a long time: Ye Qing was still her student. In front of her, she needed to maintain her proper demeanor.

‘That detestable Duanmu Jin, if it weren’t for her…’

However, as things stood, Shen Congqing was gradually coming to terms with the vague, unclear feelings she harbored for Ye Qing. This heartwarming sensation could not possibly stem from a simple teacher-student relationship.

Instead, it was a feeling she had failed to experience in her youth: she seemed to have fallen in love, and the object of her affection was a student a few years her junior.

But from the moment Ye Qing gripped her collar and called her “Congqing,” this teacher-student bond was destined to be nothing more than a fleeting companion.

‘Please, she’s really so cute, so thoughtful.’

Yet, the silver-haired girl who had once stood before Shen Congqing, broom in hand, shielding Ye Qing behind her, was Ye Qing’s cherished childhood friend.

Even if she hadn’t yet captured Ye Qing’s heart, her delicate yet forceful presence remained an insurmountable mountain.

A love at first sight seemed too fragile compared to a decade of companionship. Shen Congqing understood Ye Qing far less than Gu Xuanyu, and she always maintained her teacher’s composure, unable to display the same intimate gestures they shared.

‘Cute, but I’m losing quite thoroughly in every aspect…’

Spirit Pearl was once again left far behind by Magic Orb. She was, after all, still a novice. Compared to Gu Xuanyu, who had experienced countless repetitions, her skill was still far too inferior.

However, before the next trap, Magic Orb had no choice but to stop and quietly await her arrival.

This was a game that required two people to cooperate.

Shen Congqing maneuvered Spirit Pearl, stumbling forward. The mechanism was right in front of them; one person had to step on it first to allow the other to retrieve the key ahead. It didn’t matter who stepped on it or who took the key.

Seeing Gu Xuanyu’s unmoving stance, it seemed she intended for Shen Congqing to step on it. After all, she had been standing there for a long time and could have activated the switch much earlier, but she merely waited at the door.

After silently staring at the screen for a moment, Shen Congqing suddenly smiled and stepped onto the mechanism, clearing a path for Gu Xuanyu.

Gu Xuanyu had not anticipated the Blondie beside her to be so accommodating. Her initial thought was whether the Blondie was up to something, but after several careful checks, Gu Xuanyu still couldn’t detect any ulterior motives.

Gu Xuanyu could only proceed through the door with a half-believing, half-doubting attitude, retrieving the key.

Next, with the concerted efforts of both, the stage was quickly cleared. This was the final level, which meant that Shen Congqing’s devised rules ultimately allowed Gu Xuanyu to gain every advantage, while she merely helped Gu Xuanyu complete the journey.

As she inserted the key into the lock, Gu Xuanyu couldn’t help but voice the question in her heart.

“Senior Qing, you were unexpectedly reliable just now. What were you thinking?”

Shen Congqing offered a gentle, unhurried smile, her composure as a mature woman subtly reappearing in her demeanor.

“I was just thinking that since you waited ahead for so long, I needed to step on the mechanism quickly.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Xuanyu couldn’t help but furrow her delicate brows, her wine-red eyes filled with confusion.

“Just… that? You didn’t think…”

“I would never do something so childish.”

Shen Congqing gently tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear, meticulously tidying her appearance to once again present an elegant and graceful posture. This made Gu Xuanyu’s mouth twitch, an urge to retort rising within her.

“You’re clearly just as childish as they come… Who was the first to use underhanded tactics?”

But Shen Congqing seemed entirely unconcerned, no longer addressing Gu Xuanyu’s questions. Instead, she spoke to the black-haired girl in Gu Xuanyu’s arms:

“We cleared it, Ye Qing. Is there a reward?”

Watching the golden-haired girl’s expectant emerald eyes, Ye Qing tilted her head, deep in thought. Then, she hopped out of Gu Xuanyu’s embrace, took a piece of cake from the cake box, and brought it to Shen Congqing’s lips.

“Here, does this count?”

Shen Congqing smiled and nodded. She didn’t use a more elegant method, but instead, like Ye Qing, gently bit the cake with her mouth, savoring it bit by bit, a blissful expression of sweetness gracing her face.

Witnessing this scene, Gu Xuanyu felt a tightening in her head, realizing that she had inexplicably been caught up to significantly. Her heart filled with a strong sense of crisis.

‘Ye Qing, I…’

Ye Qing looked down at the last small cake in the box, smiled helplessly, and then popped it into Gu Xuanyu’s mouth.

‘So troublesome, I even have to feed her.’

Upon hearing this, Shen Congqing’s eyes curved into crescent moons, a smile dancing in her emerald gaze as she subtly glanced in Gu Xuanyu’s direction.

This time, in her clear, deep-forest-spring-like green eyes, Gu Xuanyu finally read the answer.

‘Hmph, what if you started first? You still haven’t reached the finish line. Ye Qing is willing to wait for you, and she’s equally willing to wait for me.’

Noticing the golden-haired girl’s smugness, Gu Xuanyu felt the cake in her mouth lose its flavor, and the controller in her hands turn cold.

‘Damn Blondie, you even found enlightenment playing a game! Don’t get cocky, you home-wrecker. I only just got Ye Qing’s first kiss yesterday, and you’re still ages away… No, that day will never come. Ye Qing will choose me!’

Though, in the end, it was formally two magical girls from the same team who completed the bond training, the final outcome was an intensification of their rivalry.

It must be said, Ye Qing, as a member of an evil organization, had perfectly executed her plan of discord. But now she had to consider whether she could still escape unscathed…

Ye Qing unconsciously curved her hand behind her back, gently caressing the part that Gu Xuanyu had brushed against earlier. A lingering warmth and faint tremor seemed to still reside there.

‘Damn it, it’s all Xuanyu’s fault. How did she develop so well…’

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