Chapter 19: Chaos

Because Xia Che grabbed Hui Jin’s arm from behind, to complete the motion, he practically had the girl wrapped in his embrace, with the back of her head pressed against his chest.

Having been completely focused just a moment ago, Hui Jin hadn’t anticipated this sudden attack at all.

Caught completely off guard, she shuddered violently, her mind going blank.

W-What’s happening?

What just happened?

Why did Xia Che suddenly…

In an instant, countless questions flooded her mind, but the gears in her head seemed rusted, refusing to turn.

No, it’s too… too close!

At this distance, the girl could clearly feel the warmth of the man behind her, along with his heavy, slightly hurried breaths.

Her hands were tightly restrained.

Although a magical girl’s physical strength was high, without reinforcing herself with magic, she couldn’t resist at all.

She could feel the pressure of the man’s palm on her—strong and broad.

Thump, thump, thump…!

Her heartbeat grew so fast.

It wasn’t the frantic, life-threatening pounding of a PTSD episode, but something rhythmic, filled with an indescribable emotion.

Each beat touched her sensitive nerves, and waves of tingling numbness, like faint electric currents, swept across every inch of her skin.

Why was her heartbeat so loud?

She couldn’t hear anything else…

No, that wasn’t her heartbeat.

It was the steady, powerful pulse from the man’s chest, right by her ear.

Each beat shook her bones with numbness, making her whole body feel weak, her limbs soft and limp…

Hui Jin’s face was nearly beet red, like a ripe peach.

Struggling to lift her head, she maintained her expression with all her might and glared fiercely at Xia Che.

Huh…?

Was Xia Che this tall?

She remembered he was about 5’11”, but why did the difference feel so pronounced?

If she weren’t a magical girl, she probably couldn’t resist a man like this at all, right?

Hui Jin’s thoughts were in complete chaos.

W-What does this brat want to do!?

She saw Xia Che staring intently at the glass window, the light from the claw machine outlining his sharp jawline.

He was completely ignoring her?!

Hui Jin stared hard at Xia Che, trying to figure out if he was just putting on an act.

But before she could sort out her thoughts, she noticed the man let go.

The force he’d used earlier was strong, leaving a visible red mark on her fair skin.

Then, his hand slowly moved toward the button.

Hui Jin froze.

Her hand was still on the button!

On a normal day, this window would have been enough for Hui Jin to pull her hand back and punch Xia Che to the ground.

But today, Hui Jin was in complete disarray.

She could only watch helplessly as the man’s hand pressed down on hers, pressing the button through her hand.

“———!!!”

The girl had no idea what happened in the claw machine.

All she felt was that brief moment stretched into an eternity.

The man’s hand pressing down on hers almost completely covered her small hand, as if he could grip it tightly in his palm.

Not only was the man’s hand strong and broad, but it was also rough and scorching hot…

Hui Jin yanked her hand back as if she’d been burned.

Trembling, she demanded in a soft, sharp voice:

“Xia Che, you…!”

The man suddenly leaned down, making her shrink back and swallow her words.

Then, a warm breath brushed against her earlobe.

“Mm!”

An electric current, even more terrifying than before, surged through Hui Jin’s entire body.

She let out a stifled groan, her dim deep-red pupils shrinking sharply and trembling nonstop.

Behind her, Xia Che straightened up, satisfied with the blind box in his hand—it might be a rare figure—and quietly sighed in relief.

He was about to show off to Hui Jin when he saw the girl hunched over like a shrimp, her arms braced against the glass, her legs turned inward, her small frame trembling constantly.

“…Huh? Miss Hui Jin, what’s wrong?”

The culprit put on an innocent expression and asked sincerely.

Hui Jin, her body so weak she could only lean against the claw machine, turned her head with effort:

“You… you dare to ask?”

“Me?”

Xia Che pointed at himself.

“What did I do? Never mind that, Miss Hui Jin, your face is really red, and…”

He noticed the girl’s lips were glistening, and her eyes were rimmed with red.

“Huh?”

The sense of wrongness grew stronger.

Replaying his own actions in his mind, Xia Che finally realized, and couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth:

“Ah… Miss Hui Jin, let me explain…”

“Xia! Che———!!!”

…

“I’m really, really sorry!”

After getting beaten up by Hui Jin, Xia Che stood obediently in the corner, enduring her scolding.

“…Smashing the glass was obviously a joke. Would I really do something like that?”

Hui Jin had recovered a lot, though some redness still lingered on her cheeks.

“But Miss Hui Jin, your expression at the time was really terrifying. I couldn’t risk my future.”

Xia Che sincerely argued.

“Still talking back.”

Hui Jin shot him a cold glance.

“Sorry.” Xia Che lowered his head.

After all, no matter the motive, he’d taken full advantage.

But he’d been so focused on the claw machine at the time that he seemed to have completely forgotten what it felt like.

Subconsciously trying to recall the feeling, Xia Che repeated the motion of pressing the button a few times.

Hui Jin noticed, and her face flushed red again:

“You… you… how are you going to explain this to Xiao Chi?”

“Huh?”

Xia Che blinked.

“Explain what to Xiao Chi?”

Weren’t they childhood friends?

What was there to explain?

Mr. Xia Che had completely forgotten the big lie he’d told earlier.

“——!”

Hui Jin stared at Xia Che in disbelief.

He was supposedly in a relationship with Xiao Chi, and yet he’d taken advantage of her while knowing Hui Jin knew they were a couple?

Deliberately committing the offense, breaking the law knowingly!

“Disgusting player…”

The harm to Xiao Chi’s reputation would be incalculable!

Hui Jin’s gaze seemed to want to bore a hole through Xia Che.

“Huh?”

Xia Che was stunned by the unexpected accusation.

Wasn’t he an exemplary student with good character and morals?

Even if he’d done something like that earlier, it was an unavoidable, unintentional act!

Hmm?

Wait… Was that right?

Didn’t seem right… Wasn’t he still Xiao Chi’s boyfriend in Hui Jin’s eyes?

Looking at Hui Jin’s dark expression, Xia Che realized that if he didn’t clear things up now, it could lead to very, very serious consequences!

He immediately raised both hands and clarified:

“Miss Hui Jin, Xiao Chi and I aren’t in the kind of relationship you think. I lied to you before. Sorry.”

But Hui Jin’s expression didn’t soften at all.

She stared coldly at Xia Che:

“Oh, is that so? Is this your strategy? To say something like that to keep a foot in both doors?”

Xia Che was dumbfounded:

“But I’m telling the truth!”

“The truth?”

Hui Jin tilted her head.

“Which sentence is true? This one, the last one, or are they all lies? How am I supposed to see you, Player Che?”

“I keep telling you, Xiao Chi and I really aren’t a couple!”

Xia Che was at a loss for words.

No way around it—since he’d eaten the tofu, he had to finish it with tears.

Just as they were arguing, a light voice came through:

“Ah, so you two are really here?”

They both turned to see Ye Xiao Chi running over from the alley entrance.

She stopped between them, her gaze sweeping back and forth—looking at Xia Che’s helpless expression, then at Hui Jin’s rosy face—and asked in confusion:

“What are you two doing?”

Xia Che pointed at the claw machine:

“Claw machines. We’re clawing machines.”