Chapter 24: Linlin’s Ears Taste So Good…

“My… partner.”

The scene returned once more to Linlin and Xiran.

Linlin was currently standing in front of a door.

The door was old, painted a dark green, with some paint peeling at the edges to reveal the dull wood underneath.

The doorknob was brass, cold to the touch and slightly rough from rust.

Outside was a narrow, dimly lit old alleyway.

A few streetlights flickered in the distance, casting unsteady patches of light.

This was… Xiran’s home?

Linlin’s mind was still a little dazed.

Who knew how Xiran had brought her here.

It had probably only taken twenty or thirty minutes? Then her feet were suddenly stepping on the stone slabs of this alley.

From the forest behind the hot spring hotel to this old alley in some corner of the city, the straight-line distance must have been over twenty kilometers.

And Xiran had simply… carried her the whole way?

Linlin felt her worldview take another small hit.

Was this the power of a Level 22 death game character?

She didn’t have time to think about it.

Because Xiran was still holding her hand.

“Xiran,”

Linlin licked her still-throbbing lips and asked softly.

“Um… we left the hot spring hotel without telling the teacher. Is that really okay?”

The stern, tired face of their homeroom teacher, Sato-sensei, flashed through her mind.

Two students going missing—one of them the eldest daughter of the Bai family—would probably cause quite a stir, right?

Xiran was about to insert the key into the lock.

Hearing her words, she paused.

She turned around and leaned closer to Linlin.

The dim lighting in the alley hid half her face in shadow, leaving only her sharply defined chin and pale lips visible.

“Linlin,”

she said, her voice soft and matter-of-fact.

“But we’re ‘bad students.’”

She tilted her head, her black hair slipping over her shoulder.

“‘Bad students’ running off like this is pretty normal, isn’t it?”

With that, she stopped looking at Linlin, turned back, and with a click, unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Inside was pitch black.

“Can… can I not go in?”

Linlin’s feet felt nailed to the stone slab at the entrance, her voice tight.

“You go to your home, and I… I’ll go to mine.”

The moment the words left her mouth, even she felt they lacked conviction.

Xiran kept holding her hand, neither letting go nor forcefully pulling her inside.

She simply turned sideways, half her body hidden in the darkness beyond the door, and looked at Linlin.

In the distance, the broken streetlight flickered again.

“Linlin,”

Xiran’s voice dropped a little lower. It was emotionless, yet each word felt like a small ice bead striking Linlin’s eardrums.

“I’m in a very bad mood right now.”

She paused.

“So, you’d better not say anything reckless.”

Linlin closed her mouth.

She was pulled across the threshold by Xiran.

The door closed behind them.

Click.

Linlin’s heart jumped violently.

All sources of light disappeared completely. It was true darkness where she couldn’t even see her own fingers.

Only her sense of smell and touch became unusually sharp.

The floor beneath her feet seemed to be wooden.

Xiran released her hand.

The next second, a warm yellow light came on.

Xiran had flipped a switch on the wall by the entrance.

A small, old-fashioned wall lamp lit up. 

Its yellowish glow could only illuminate a tiny area near the door, making the deeper darkness seem even thicker and more profound.

With this bit of light, Linlin could barely make out the outline of the entryway.

A simple shoe rack held only one pair of indoor slippers that clearly belonged to Xiran, arranged with meticulous care.

Next to it was a low cabinet, completely bare on top.

The entire space was excessively tidy, almost to the point of being rigid. There were no unnecessary items, nor any decorations that gave off a sense of “home,” warmth, or personal touch.

“Change your shoes.”

Xiran said. She had already slipped on her own pair.

Linlin looked down at her dirty uniform shoes, then at the clean floor, and hesitated.

Xiran didn’t rush her, simply standing there watching.

She had no choice but to bend down, untie her shoelaces, take off her shoes, and neatly place them on the empty tier of the shoe rack.

Her socks were already filthy and damp from the ordeal in the forest. 

She stepped barefoot onto the slightly cool floor, feeling the smooth, firm texture of the wood against her soles.

Linlin followed her inside barefoot.

The wall lamp’s light only reached a few steps ahead. 

Beyond that was a boundary between dim yellow and darkness.

She could tell the space was very small. 

The hallway was short, ending after just a few steps.

Xiran pushed open a door.

It was even darker inside.

Only an extremely faint light seeped in from the window outside, barely outlining the vague shapes of the furniture.

A bed. A desk. A wardrobe.

Just these three things.

The bed was a single bed pushed against the wall.

The desk faced the only window, its curtains drawn tightly shut, allowing only a thin sliver of light to leak through the edges.

This was Xiran’s bedroom.

It was completely different from any “girl’s room” Linlin had imagined.

There was no softness, no clutter, no personal belongings.

“Come in,” Xiran said.

Linlin stepped inside.

Xiran closed the bedroom door behind her.

Click.

Another soft sound.

Linlin’s heart rose to her throat.

She watched as Xiran walked toward her. 

Her footsteps were light, but in the silence they felt like they were stomping on Linlin’s heart.

Alright, so she really is going to… do that to me?

Uncontrollable, unpleasant images flashed through her mind.

Her cheeks began to heat up again, but most of what she felt was nervousness…

Xiran stopped right in front of her, very close.

Then Xiran reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The force wasn’t strong, but it was steady.

Linlin stumbled backward. 

The backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed, and she fell onto it on her back.

She was a little dazed from the fall. Before she could react, a figure pressed down on top of her.

A weight settled over her body.

It wasn’t heavy.

It was Xiran.

She lay on top of Linlin, arms wrapping around her waist, holding her tightly.

Her head buried itself in the crook of Linlin’s neck. Warm breaths brushed repeatedly against her sensitive skin.

Linlin didn’t dare move. She didn’t even dare breathe too deeply.

Xiran’s embrace was strong, almost painfully tight, yet strangely… it carried a hint of dependence?

She couldn’t figure out what Xiran was thinking at all.

Just moments ago outside, she had been that terrifying witch who threatened her with an icy tone and casually destroyed Lin Zhizhi.

Now, she was clinging to her like a child seeking comfort, holding on tightly and not moving.

Time flowed slowly in the silence.

Suddenly, a wet sensation brushed against the skin of her neck.

It was the tip of Xiran’s tongue, gently licking the edge of her ear.

“!”

Linlin’s whole body trembled. A strong wave of tingling itch shot down her spine.

She wanted to dodge, but her body was pinned down, her arms held tight—she couldn’t move at all.

It tickles so much! And… this feels way too strange!

Could she refuse? Could she ask Xiran to stop licking?

But… Xiran had said she was in a bad mood and told her not to say anything reckless.

If she refused now, would Xiran get angry?

Would she “bully” her in an even worse way?

But… wasn’t what was happening right now already “bullying” her?!

Just as she was tormented by this conflicting feeling and didn’t know what to do, Xiran pressed close to her ear and spoke.

Her voice was slightly muffled, carrying the heat of her breath as it slipped into Linlin’s ear.

“Linlin’s ears…”

Xiran paused. The tip of her tongue swept lightly across the edge of her earlobe again.

“…taste so good.”