Chapter 41: A Lingering Shadow and a Writer’s Vow

Ye Qing fell silent, while Gu Xuanyu, beside her, clutched her head in agony.

Ye Qing quickly noticed her distress. Seeing the tormented expression on Gu Xuanyu’s face, Ye Qing’s heart clenched, yet all she could do was gently pat her slender back, soothing her as one would a child.

Then, to Ye Qing’s surprise, the aura surrounding Gu Xuanyu’s body transformed once more.

It was no longer a pure, light pink, but now edged with a brilliant silver that shimmered like stars, just as Ye Qing had witnessed on Gu Xuanyu’s fifteenth birthday.

The bright silver didn’t diminish the pink; instead, it entwined with it, forming a flowing band of light. This luminous ribbon circled Gu Xuanyu’s fair skin, highlighting its smooth, lustrous texture.

The agony receded like a tide, slowly ebbing after a brief, intense peak. Yet, the marks of its arrival lingered, etched upon the metaphorical shore.

“Ye… Qing.”

Gu Xuanyu managed a faint smile, her pearly white teeth faintly visible between her lips, gently biting at the corner as if searching for words.

Perhaps because her voice was too soft, Ye Qing hadn’t quite caught it and continued to gaze at her with concern. Moments later, however, Gu Xuanyu suddenly embraced her without warning.

Ye Qing’s pupils contracted slightly as she numbly registered the warm, tight embrace.

It felt less like an intimate gesture and more like a desperate plea for solace, as though this delicate, dark-haired girl might slip away like fine sand through her fingers if she were to loosen her grip even slightly.

The girl in her arms felt undeniably real. She trembled slightly, like a newborn fawn unaccustomed to being held, both nervous and bewildered.

Yet, Gu Xuanyu couldn’t help but repeatedly confirm her presence, fearing it was all just a dream.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine, Qing.”

After about half a minute, Gu Xuanyu finally released her, albeit reluctantly. Her expression returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Yet, the moment her gaze met Ye Qing’s clear, amber eyes, a pang shot through Gu Xuanyu’s heart. She quickly averted her gaze.

“Let’s stop here, I think. I want to go home…”

Gu Xuanyu closed her notebook and led Ye Qing out of the office.

Su Su was seated on the sofa in the reception area, looking quite relaxed. However, the moment she noticed the two girls, her excitement immediately reignited.

“So, what have you decided? Is it—”

“I’m sorry, Sister Su,” Gu Xuanyu interrupted, her voice filled with apology. “After thinking it over, I’ve decided not to publish for now.”

Su Su, however, looked as though she’d been struck by lightning despite Gu Xuanyu’s apologetic tone. She froze for several seconds before finally managing to form her words.

“Hey, hey, don’t be so quick! If there are any issues, we can always discuss them further…”

“No, it’s a personal matter.”

Gu Xuanyu shook her head, taking Ye Qing’s hand and walking briskly toward the exit, without any hesitation.

Su Su’s hand, poised to stop them, froze in mid-air. After a long moment, she murmured to herself, utterly dispirited:

“I hadn’t even had a chance to make copies…”

Meanwhile, with her short legs, Ye Qing struggled to keep up with Gu Xuanyu’s pace. Her small feet rapidly pattered back and forth, leaving a trail of quick, ‘da-da-da’ footsteps.

“Xuanyu, did you remember something?”

“…No.”

Gu Xuanyu’s voice was hesitant, speaking words that went against her true feelings.

She was terrible at lying, but fortunately, in front of Ye Qing, she didn’t need to consider how to conceal her true thoughts.

Ye Qing remained silent, her butterfly-like lashes lowering with her eyelids.

If Gu Xuanyu wasn’t willing to speak, Ye Qing wouldn’t force her, no matter how curious she felt.

They could discuss these matters whenever she was ready to bring them up.

***

A few days later, Ye Qing met a certain recovered red-haired girl at a dessert shop.

“Teacher Qingyu, it’s truly wonderful to see you…”

Seeing Liu Qingruo’s eyes glisten as she ungracefully sniffled, Ye Qing narrowed her own eyes. A hint of disdain unconsciously flickered across her face.

‘Hmph, are you a little girl meeting her idol for the first time? Why are you still sniffling?’

“This is my book! It’s wonderful that it’s been published, and it even has your illustrations, Teacher Qingyu.”

Liu Qingruo handed her a copy of Exclusive Love. After a moment of hesitation, Ye Qing accepted it.

The instant she took the book, Ye Qing clearly saw Liu Qingruo’s hands enveloped in a rich pink aura. Her slender fingers appeared translucent, tinged with pink, and the delicate glow made one’s imagination run wild.

Ye Qing had never encountered someone so extraordinarily gifted. If Liu Qingruo were to become an evil executive, it seemed all magical girls would likely fall victim to her sinister touch.

She couldn’t fathom how Liu Qingruo had been chosen as a magical girl. Honestly, it seemed like a complete waste.

Casually flipping through the ‘little erotica book’, Ye Qing was slightly startled by the title page alone.

“Author’s bonus attached on the last page. Thank you to every reader for your purchase.”

Without a doubt, Ye Qing immediately turned to the last page. There, she saw a seductive, voluptuous bunny girl, her pale, lotus-root-like arms exposed all the way to her collarbones.

With one hand holding a tray and the other extended forward, her expression was charmingly alluring, as if extending a passionate invitation.

Ye Qing’s elegant brow arched. She looked up at the quiet, bashful Liu Qingruo, then down at the photo again, falling into contemplation.

“Is this photo of you?”

Liu Qingruo swallowed with difficulty.

“No.”

Ye Qing flipped back to the title page, pointing at the line of text for Liu Qingruo. With one brow raised higher than the other, she fixed her gaze on Liu Qingruo’s guilty, flushed eyes.

“Deceiving consumers?”

Liu Qingruo hastily waved her hands, yet her words and demeanor still reeked of guilt.

“No one would like someone like me, and besides, I wrote ‘author’s bonus,’ not ‘my personal bonus’…”

Ye Qing squinted, assessing Liu Qingruo’s somewhat slender figure. She reluctantly accepted her explanation.

The red-haired girl’s face was delicate and pretty, made even more youthful by her black-rimmed glasses. She hardly seemed like someone who would write such provocative words.

Her rather modest chest even made Ye Qing feel a pang of pity; it was indeed unsuitable for a photoshoot like that.

‘But they say those with smaller assets have stronger desires. It seems that’s true.’

“By the way, how did you get injured a few days ago?”

Hearing this, Liu Qingruo’s expression froze. She seemed to recall an unpleasant memory and instinctively covered her backside. Because it had only recently healed, the area was still quite sensitive.

Then, she clenched her delicate fists and slammed them furiously onto the table, making Ye Qing recoil in fright.

“I was ganged up on! A sadist, and a stinky bear… It wasn’t like this in *Liquid Leak to the Forest*, so why did they hit me?!”

As she spoke, Liu Qingruo’s eyes welled up with tears again, a picture of grievance.

Though she seemed rather pathetic, her delicate and vulnerable appearance was exceptionally pitiable, a stark contrast to her online persona. Even Ye Qing couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

However, Ye Qing’s guilt quickly transformed into fear.

“Teacher Qingyu, you know that even though I’m not very capable, I don’t give up easily. Once I catch them, I’ll first do this, then this, all in one go…”

Watching Liu Qingruo swing her delicate fists at the air, Ye Qing’s pretty face paled. An alarm blared in her mind.

Ye Qing had read Liu Qingruo’s writing and had some idea of her methods…

‘You’d better be talking about boxing!’