“I… I don’t seem to be able to take it off either.”
Bai Linlin’s voice was dry and hoarse, filled with guilt and despair that she herself could clearly hear.
She sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, her fingers unconsciously picking at the intricate frills on the hem of her skirt.
Xiran didn’t speak.
She simply stared at Bai Linlin quietly.
Those pitch-black eyes showed no ripples, yet they were far more unsettling than any outburst of rage.
The bedroom was terrifyingly silent, with only the occasional sound of wind brushing past the window outside.
Then, Xiran moved.
She raised her hand, palm facing upward.
A dim, dark light gathered at her fingertips, twisting and stretching before solidifying into a long spike about three inches in length. It gleamed with a cold, eerie metallic luster.
The body of the spike wasn’t smooth—it was covered in fine, naturally formed twisted patterns.
Its tip was so sharp that just looking at it made one’s skin prickle with pain.
“Ten minutes.”
Xiran’s voice was as calm as if she were discussing the weather.
She gently brushed the tip of the spike with the fingers of her other hand.
“If you can’t take it off,”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Bai Linlin’s body, which had tensed up instantly.
“I’ll help you ‘open’ it.”
Bai Linlin felt all the blood in her body rush to her head before draining away in an instant.
She stared at the spike, her body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
Help her ‘open’ it?
How?
By using that spike to slice open this damn dress that had fused to her skin like it was part of her body?!
No, Xiran definitely didn’t mean it that simply.
Bai Linlin could almost imagine the feeling of the spike piercing into her flesh, forcibly breaking the transformation state… No, it would be even worse than that.
Xiran’s methods had always been more refined and more torturous.
Cold sweat instantly soaked her back.
What do I do? I really can’t take it off! This stupid outfit!
That’s right—the clothes… A’Li! These clothes were created by A’Li’s transformation!
Like grabbing onto the last life-saving straw, Bai Linlin no longer cared that Xiran was watching right in front of her.
She frantically lowered her head toward the layers of frills on her chest and cried out in a voice that was almost tearful.
“A’Li! A’Li, are you there? If you are, please, I’m begging you—help me undo this transformation! Hurry! Otherwise I’m done for!”
Her words were incoherent, filled with fear and desperation.
The moment her voice fell—
Buzz!
A pink light suddenly burst forth from the position of her heart without any warning!
The light was incredibly familiar—it was the same source that had transformed her from a disheveled schoolgirl into a gorgeous magical girl back in the forest.
The pink glow spread rapidly, like dye blooming in clear water, instantly enveloping her entire body.
The light wasn’t blinding, but it was unusually dense, wrapping her completely in a glowing cocoon.
Xiran’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
She held the dark spike without moving, simply watching quietly.
The light lasted about two or three seconds before contracting inward and fading just as suddenly as it had appeared.
As the glow disappeared, Bai Linlin felt her body lighten.
The all-encompassing sensation of soft fabric wrapped around her vanished.
In its place was the slightly cool night air making direct, unobstructed contact with every inch of her skin.
Huh?
She instinctively looked down.
The first thing that met her eyes was her own bare, gently rising and falling chest.
Her skin glowed with a pearly luster under the faint light coming through the window.
Lower down was her flat stomach, and further down…
“Wah!”
Bai Linlin let out a short, sharp cry.
Her face flushed bright red as she frantically tried to cover her chest with her arms while also pressing her legs together.
Only then did she fully realize—the transformation had been undone!
But it had been undone far too thoroughly!
The exaggeratedly gorgeous Rococo dress, the pale pink cloak, the pink-and-white striped pantyhose, and even the safety shorts underneath… everything had completely disappeared!
She was now sitting stark naked on the edge of Xiran’s firm bed, like a freshly peeled egg.
What made her scalp tingle even more was the warm, fluffy little creature currently lying right in the center of her pressed-together thighs.
It was the small pink fox, A’Li.
It seemed equally confused. It lifted its round amber eyes, looked at the red-faced Bai Linlin, then warily turned toward Xiran beside them.
“M-My clothes… Where are my clothes?!”
Bai Linlin’s voice carried a sob. The shame and panic left her mind completely blank.
So undoing the transformation means going straight back to… factory settings?!
Xiran’s gaze slowly traveled down from Bai Linlin’s flushed face, sweeping over her futile attempts to cover herself, before finally landing on the troublesome pink fox.
Her eyes grew cold.
Too fast!
Bai Linlin didn’t even see how Xiran moved.
She only felt her thighs lighten as A’Li was suddenly seized by an invisible force and lifted into the air.
The little fox let out a short Ugh! Its four tiny paws scratched helplessly in the air, but the force held it tightly, not allowing even the slightest struggle.
Xiran didn’t spare it another glance.
She casually tossed the pink fluffball toward the closed bedroom door like she was throwing away trash.
Thud!
A’Li collided with the door with a soft muffled sound before sliding limply onto the carpet, where it lay motionless—either unconscious or forcibly suppressed by some kind of power.
After dealing with this sudden “little obstacle,” Xiran’s attention returned to the real “target” of the night.
Bai Linlin was still lost in overwhelming shame and shock over A’Li being thrown away.
Before she could react further, a figure bearing overwhelming pressure descended upon her.
“Ungh!”
She was pushed heavily back onto the bed.
Her back hit the somewhat firm mattress.
It didn’t hurt, but the complete loss of balance and the feeling of being utterly controlled made her heart skip a beat.
It was Xiran.
Xiran’s fingertips landed on her body.
Bai Linlin stiffened like a wooden board.
All she could do was stare wide-eyed with her light-colored pupils, looking up at Xiran’s face in terror.
A sliver of moonlight leaked in through the gap in the curtains, faintly outlining Xiran’s features.
Bai Linlin’s breathing fell into complete chaos.
She could feel Xiran’s gaze like a physical touch, slowly roaming and lingering over her body.
There’s no escaping.
This realization surfaced with crystal clarity.
In the face of absolute power difference, in her current completely defenseless state, any resistance would only look ridiculous and might even provoke an even worse reaction from the other party.
At the very least… don’t let it hurt too much.
Don’t use that spike.
Don’t actually… break her.
Xiran’s fingertips had already slid to the center of her chest and paused slightly, as if deciding where to begin.
Bai Linlin closed her eyes.
Her long lashes trembled like butterfly wings in the wind.
She took a deep breath and used every ounce of strength she had to force a weak, trembling plea from her tight throat.