Ling Ling looked up, her crimson eyes calmly fixed on Ye Fengxue, as if asking, “Is there a problem?”
“You—” Ye Fengxue’s voice changed pitch. “You’re the ‘Modern Strongest Salted Fish’?!”
“Mm-hmm.”
“That ten-thousand-word analysis was written by you?!”
“Mm-hmm.”
“You wrote your own analysis article?! And you pinned it yourself?!”
“Pinning is the moderator’s job.”
“That’s not the point!” Ye Fengxue almost slammed her phone on the table. “The point is—why did you write your own analysis article! And you wrote it so—so—”
She couldn’t finish, because she had actually read that article long ago.
And after reading it, her impression of Ling Ling had indeed improved quite a bit.
In the article, Ling Ling analyzed “her own” behavioral patterns, personality traits, and logic of action from an almost godlike perspective.
Between the lines, there was neither narcissism nor self-mockery, only a self-examination so calm it was almost cold.
But what was truly moving were those occasional things hidden between the calm analysis—
For example, she wrote: “The behavioral patterns I display in front of my younger sister differ significantly from the state when interacting with others, specifically manifested as an increase in words, changes in gaze, and tacit acceptance of physical contact,” and then added a note: “See attached image for case (facial expression comparison when younger sister brings lunch, omitted).”
Another example: she wrote: “When facing Lady Ye’s provocations, I usually choose to counterattack, but the intensity of the counterattack is always kept within a range that makes her a little angry but not hurt,” and added another note: “Reason speculation: unwilling to destroy the rare and relaxed social atmosphere with the target person.”
It was clearly an analytical article, but after reading it, one inexplicably felt—
“This isn’t an analysis report.” Ye Fengxue bit her lip. “You’re writing a love letter.”
“…Just an objective analysis.”
“Where is it objective! It even includes me!”
“‘See attached image for case’—who writes about themselves like that!”
“Experimental report style.”
“And you’re still stubborn!” Ye Fengxue’s face was bright red. “And what’s with this draft folder thing! ‘On Why Ye Fengxue Is Always Teased into Blushing’—explain this title to me!”
“Not finished yet.”
“The point isn’t whether it’s finished! The point is—you actually have this stored in your draft folder!”
Ye Fengxue was like a red-hot Rambo, face red to the base of her neck, fingers trembling slightly as she pointed at Ling Ling.
Chiyotsuki leaned in with interest, glanced at the title in the draft folder, then curved her eyes into a smile.
“Ling Ling pays a lot of attention to Fengxue.”
“…Just observation.”
“What needs a whole article to observe?”
“And needs attached cases.” Lin Jiu added from the side, her tone still that gentle and warm cadence, but the timing of this stab was too precise.
“‘See attached image for case.'” Chiyotsuki picked up, took a sip of red tea, her movements very elegant.
“Xiao Jiu, Senior Chiyo…”
“Ye Fengxue is about to cry.”
Ling Ling expressionlessly retrieved her phone and pressed the screen off, as if nothing had just happened.
“Um,” Ye Fengxue coughed, trying to change the subject, “you just said there’s also a war thread on the forum? What’s with that ‘On Why Lady Ye Is Always Angered into Blushing by the White Snow Princess’?”
Chiyotsuki took out her phone and opened that thread.
“This is actually quite interesting. From page three onward, it turned into a shouting match between two factions.”
“What factions?”
“One side supports ‘Tsundere Lady × Emotionless Girl,’ the other supports ‘Sisterly Bond Unbreakable.’ Both sides are pretty strong in combat effectiveness. They’ve been arguing from page three to page twelve.”
“Let me see.”
Ye Fengxue took the phone and flipped through a few pages.
[Level 34: Tsundere Party – I Won’t Give Up]
Tsundere matches emotionless, natural and justified! No objections accepted!
[Level 35: Sisters Party – Only Love Jiu and Ling]
Sisters are the true way! They’re already wearing matching rings and you’re still being tsundere here? Wake up!
[Level 36: Tsundere Party – I Won’t Give Up]
Matching rings are a coincidence! The parties involved said so themselves!
[Level 37: Sisters Party – Only Love Jiu and Ling]
Coincidence or true feelings, don’t you know it in your heart? Look at how the younger sister looks at the older sister—does that look like ‘coincidence’?
[Level 38: Tsundere Party – I Won’t Give Up]
The tsundere blushing is also very appealing, okay! Every time Lady Ye is teased into blushing by the White Snow Princess, I have a whole folder of photos saved!
[Level 39: Sisters Party – Only Love Jiu and Ling]
That’s called social difficulty, not romance!
[Level 40: Tsundere Party – I Won’t Give Up]
Say that again?!
[Level 41: Sisters Party – Only Love Jiu and Ling]
Say it again if I have to: Sisters are destined, black and white are the classic couple since ancient times, black ring paired with white ring. What do you tsundere fans have to compete with?
Ye Fengxue’s face reddened again, but this time from anger.
“What social difficulty! I just think she talks too outrageously! And what’s with this folder—they secretly took photos of me?”
“Do you believe I’ll use my authority to ban their accounts?”
“Maybe it’s because your blushing frequency is too high.” Ling Ling interjected flatly.
“Whose fault is that?!”
Chiyotsuki watched the two bickering with a smiling face, but her fingers slid gently on her own phone. Her forum account was logged in, with dozens of threads neatly arranged in her bookmarks.
‘Did President Qian Dai Go to Class 2C Today?’ — continuous check-in, already 78 days.
‘Today’s Head-Patting Record’ — with photo records, updated daily.
‘Pet Cat Rearing Notes’ — private thread, all content in metaphor: “Today the kitten got its fur ruffled again, but after two pats, it obediently leaned its head over. Very cute.”
“The kitten recently learned to come to me on its own. Although it doesn’t say it, it stands next to me and doesn’t leave. Is it waiting for a head pat?”
“The kitten got hurt and lied to me saying it was fine. But I know she’s lying to me. It’s okay. I’ll wait for the day she’s willing to tell the truth.”
The last record in this thread was updated three days ago, the second day of Ling Ling’s leave.
“The kitten got hurt and lied to me saying it was fine. But I know she’s lying to me. It’s okay. I’ll wait for the day she’s willing to tell the truth. — Chiyotsuki”
Ling Ling noticed her scrolling on her phone and shifted her gaze over.
Chiyotsuki unobtrusively pressed the screen off, elegantly picked up her red tea cup, and smiled back at Ling Ling’s curious look.
“Something wrong?”
“…What are you looking at?”
“Nothing, just some student council documents.” Chiyotsuki’s tone was very natural. “By the way, Ling Ling, is your shoulder really better?”
“Better.”
“Let me confirm again.”
Chiyotsuki reached out, without waiting for her agreement, and gently pressed directly on Ling Ling’s left shoulder.
Through the fabric of the uniform, her fingertips slowly pressed over the shoulder blade area, the movement very light, as if petting a cat that had just returned home after being injured.
***
After confirming the shoulder, her fingers slid up along the back of the neck, and finally patted the top of Ling Ling’s head.
“It’s indeed almost healed. Did Xiao Jiu take good care of you these three days at home?”
“Of course I was taking care of big sister.” Lin Jiu said from the side, but her tone seemed to carry a hint of dissatisfaction.
“Is that so?” Chiyotsuki tilted her head. “Aren’t you both taking care of each other?”
When she said this, her golden eyes curved into a very gentle arc.
But Ling Ling knew that Chiyotsuki never spoke in absolutes.
She always stood at that neither-far-nor-close distance, treating everyone with just the right amount of warmth.
It was like this when she originally picked her and Xiao Jiu up in that alley, when she helped them with enrollment afterward, and every time she came to their home for a meal.
Ye Fengxue put down her chopsticks, glanced at Chiyotsuki, then looked at her own bare ring finger, and suddenly sighed.
“Forget it, I don’t care about the forum anymore. Let them argue however they want.”
“Not banning their accounts?” Ling Ling asked.
“Ban what, the more you ban, the livelier it gets.” Ye Fengxue leaned back. “Besides, I have other things to worry about now.”
“What things?”
“About family matters. I need to go back to the Third District tonight.”
Ling Ling tilted her head.
Ye Fengxue didn’t continue, but her expression was different from usual—not the embarrassed anger of being teased, nor the arrogance of a young lady, but a look of trying to maintain a calm surface while hiding something underneath.
Ling Ling looked at her for a moment, then picked up the last piece of fried chicken from her own plate and placed it on Ye Fengxue’s plate.
“For you.”
“…What are you doing?”
“Fried chicken brings happiness.”
Ye Fengxue stared blankly at the piece of fried chicken, then at Ling Ling’s still expressionless face.
Then she lowered her head and took a bite.
The crispy skin cracked between her teeth, the meat juice slightly scalding the tip of her tongue.
“…Not bad.”
Her voice was muffled, but her green eyes seemed to brighten a little.
Chiyotsuki watched this scene and picked up her red tea cup.
Lin Jiu watched this scene, cut the pudding in half with her fork, and placed the larger half in front of Ling Ling.
She didn’t say anything, but when the pudding was cut, the edges seemed unusually sharp.
“Big sister, eat a little more.” Her voice was still gentle.
Ling Ling looked at the pudding and took a bite.
“…Delicious.”
“Very good.”
Lin Jiu rested her chin on her hands, tilting her head to look at Ling Ling.
In her blue eyes, as gentle as a lake, there seemed to be something deeper, slowly settling, waiting for the right moment to ferment into a stronger possessiveness.