Taking a deep breath, Ye Ning forcefully suppressed the panic and difficulty in her heart, forcing a barely passable, ingratiating smile onto her face as she made her decision.
To avoid being targeted by Xu Zhiyuan, I’ll have to let you take the fall, Hua Niao!
She looked at Xu Zhiyuan, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate joy and flattery, putting on an act of being obedient and sensible.
“Um… I think the clothes Xu Zhiyuan picked this time are much better looking, you know.”
“Ah… of course, that’s not to say Hua Niao’s choices were ugly.”
“We need to look at this dialectically. After all, aesthetics have no absolute standard. Everyone’s taste is different; everyone likes different styles. It’s not about who picked something good or bad. It’s just that each has its own merits and characteristics…”
She rambled on, sneakily glancing at Hua Niao’s expression as she spoke.
After hearing Ye Ning’s long-winded speech, Xu Zhiyuan’s face immediately showed a genuine smile.
The probing look in her eyes faded somewhat.
She even deliberately raised an eyebrow at Hua Niao, her gaze carrying a hint of barely perceptible pride and provocation.
Her tone softened considerably as well.
“It seems my taste isn’t bad. Since Miss Ye Ning likes them, then we’ll buy all these clothes. My treat.”
As for Hua Niao, she slowly revealed a smile, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
But the smile didn’t reach her eyes at all.
In fact, the pressure around her dropped a few notches.
She didn’t say a word, just gave Ye Ning a light glance.
The look was dismissive.
‘I’m screwed.’
Ye Ning swallowed hard.
Having spent so much time with Hua Niao, she knew her gaze far too well.
This look was definitely the precursor to her suffering.
When they got back, Hua Niao definitely wouldn’t let her off easily.
She’d probably think of some weird, torturous punishment for her.
Just then, the phones on all of them suddenly emitted a piercing alarm at the same time.
“Beep beep beep—Beep beep beep—”
The sharp sound shattered the bustling peace of the clothing store, cutting through the strange atmosphere between them.
An urgent alert popped up on the screen, the red text strikingly obvious at a single glance:
[Emergency! Detected strong Spatial Rift fluctuation nearby. Danger level rated A-rank. An A-rank Disaster Beast is expected to emerge from the Rift in ten minutes. Civilians in the area are to immediately evacuate to the designated safe zone. Magical Girls are to proceed to the scene immediately to assist and evacuate the public!]
Seeing the alert, the smile instantly vanished from Xu Zhiyuan’s face.
Her expression hardened, and her entire aura turned cold and sharp.
She put away her phone in a flash, speaking to Ye Ning and Hua Niao.
“This is urgent. An A-rank Disaster Beast has appeared. You two take Xiao He to the nearby safe zone and look after her. Don’t run around. I’ll be along shortly.”
“But, sister, won’t it be too dangerous for you alone?”
Xu Zhihe’s face showed concern.
She quickly tugged at Xu Zhiyuan’s sleeve and whispered.
“Don’t worry. I’m an S-rank Magical Girl. A single A-rank Disaster Beast is nothing for me.”
Xu Zhiyuan gently ruffled Xu Zhihe’s hair, her tone softening slightly but still carrying unwavering firmness.
“You two get to the safe zone. Don’t waste time here. Taking care of yourselves is the biggest help you can give me.”
After speaking, she gave Ye Ning and Hua Niao one last deep look, lingering on Ye Ning for a few seconds, her eyes complex.
Then she turned and dashed quickly out of the clothing store, her figure soon disappearing into the crowd.
Watching Xu Zhiyuan’s retreating back, Ye Ning felt a pang of worry rise in her heart.
She quickly grabbed Xu Zhihe, glanced at the calm-faced Hua Niao beside her, and said urgently, “We should get to the safe zone too. Don’t waste time here.”
Hua Niao nodded without saying much else, just silently following behind Ye Ning and Xu Zhihe.
The three of them ran quickly towards the designated safe zone outside the mall.
Soon, they arrived at the safe zone.
Quite a few people had already gathered there, all looking panicked and chattering.
Staff members were calmly maintaining order.
Ye Ning found a relatively quiet corner and sat down with Xu Zhihe, but she still felt uneasy.
She fidgeted restlessly, looking around, her mind full of Xu Zhiyuan.
She knew that as an S-rank Magical Girl, Xu Zhiyuan was incredibly powerful and wouldn’t possibly trip up against an A-rank Disaster Beast.
Dealing with an A-rank Disaster Beast should be a piece of cake for Xu Zhiyuan.
But she still couldn’t help worrying.
What if a lurking Witch took the chance to ambush Xu Zhiyuan?
After all, Witches were notoriously cunning, loving to exploit others’ weaknesses.
And with Xu Zhiyuan busy evacuating the public, distracted as she was, it would be easy for a Witch to launch a successful sneak attack.
The more Ye Ning thought about it, the stronger her unease grew.
Cold sweat broke out on her palms.
Her brow was deeply furrowed, and a worried expression was clear on her face.
She was completely oblivious to Hua Niao’s gaze beside her.
“You’re that worried about her?”
Hua Niao’s cold, somewhat obsessive voice suddenly rang in Ye Ning’s ear, interrupting her thoughts.
Ye Ning’s entire body stiffened. She instinctively turned her head to look at Hua Niao.
Hua Niao was staring quietly at her, a dangerous obsession flickering in her eyes.
The pressure around her dropped again, and her tone carried a hint of barely concealed displeasure and jealousy.
“I…”
Ye Ning opened her mouth to say she wasn’t worried, but the words stuck in her throat.
She really was very worried about Xu Zhiyuan. After all, Xu Zhiyuan was her former teammate.
Even if their positions were different now, she didn’t want to see anything happen to her.
But before Ye Ning could finish, Hua Niao suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin.
The force wasn’t too heavy, but it was enough to render her immobile, forcing her to look at her.
Hua Niao’s gaze grew increasingly obsessive and dangerous.
Her tone turned much colder, carrying a hint of warning and possessiveness.
“Ningning, you can only be mine. You promised me yourself. You said you’d stay by my side forever and become my thing. Don’t defy me. Don’t put your attention on anyone else. No matter who it is, it’s not allowed.”
Ye Ning felt her heart race from Hua Niao’s obsessive, dangerous stare.
She instinctively bit her lip, a hint of grievance welling up in her eyes.
But she still gathered her courage, lifted her head, looked into Hua Niao’s eyes, and whispered.
“Hua Niao, I know. I don’t want to defy you either. It’s just… I still want to go check on her. I’m worried something might happen to her. Please, trust me. I’ll just go look. I won’t do anything out of line. Once I confirm she’s safe, I’ll come back. You can punish me however you want, okay?”
Hua Niao coldly stared at Ye Ning.
The obsession and displeasure in her eyes grew stronger.
The aura around her was suffocating.
The two stared at each other for a long time.
Just when Ye Ning thought Hua Niao would refuse, Hua Niao suddenly released her grip on her chin.
A playful, malicious smile appeared on her face, her tone dripping with mockery and calculation.
“Alright. Since it’s Ningning’s request, of course I’ll agree to it. After all, I spoil Ningning the most. How could I bear to refuse her request?”
A flash of surprise lit up Ye Ning’s face.
She was about to say thank you when Hua Niao continued, her tone even more mocking.
“However… I have one condition.”
The surprise on Ye Ning’s face froze instantly.
Her heart sank with a bad feeling, but she still asked quietly, “What condition?”
“You have to go as a Witch. And you have to hinder her fight. Let that brat suffer a bit. How dare she show off right in front of me? She has no idea what’s good for her.”
Hua Niao’s tone carried a hint of barely contained anger and jealousy, and her gaze turned nasty.
“I want her to know you’re mine, and no one can take you away. I also want her to taste what it’s like to be obstructed.”
“What?”
Ye Ning’s face changed color.
She jerked her head up, staring at Hua Niao in disbelief.
“As a Witch? What if we’re exposed? If Xu Zhiyuan recognizes me, or if other Magical Girls see me, we’re completely finished! And I can’t hurt her. She was my former teammate. I can’t bring myself to hurt her!”
“I don’t care whether you can or can’t. This is my condition. It’s the price for you wanting to go see her.”
Hua Niao’s tone was icy cold, leaving no room for negotiation.
Her eyes held a warning.
“You either stay right here, wait peacefully for her to come back, and from now on stop thinking about her and stop focusing your attention on her. Or you do as I command. Go as a Witch, hinder her fight, and let her suffer a little. There is no third option for you.”
Ye Ning looked into Hua Niao’s cold eyes, knowing she wasn’t joking.
She knew she had no choice.
She bit her lip.
But thinking about Xu Zhiyuan possibly being in danger, thinking about how worried she was for her, she finally nodded slowly.
Her voice carried a hint of grievance and hoarseness.
“I agree. I’ll do as you command. But I can only hinder her fight. I can’t hurt her. Absolutely cannot hurt her.”
Seeing Ye Ning agree, Hua Niao’s smile became even more playful.
The obsession in her eyes faded a bit.
She gently stroked Ye Ning’s cheek, her tone softening again, but still carrying that maliciousness.
“That’s more like it. Our Ningning is the best behaved and most obedient.”
Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, an even more malicious and playful smile appeared on Hua Niao’s face.
A glint of calculation flashed in her eyes.
“Oh, right. Let’s add my punishment in too. After all, our Ningning has been so disobedient. She dared to say she liked someone else’s clothes right in front of me, and she’s thinking only about someone else.”
As she spoke, Hua Niao’s hand gently touched Ye Ning’s lower abdomen.
Her fingertips moved slightly.
An instant wave of burning heat spread from Ye Ning’s stomach, flooding her entire body.
But this time’s heat was different from the usual punishment.
Normally, the heat was stinging and uncomfortable.
This time, however, the heat carried a strange, swelling ache that spread from her abdomen through her whole body, making Ye Ning’s eyes go wide.
Her face turned bright red.
Instinctively, she clamped her legs tightly together, her body trembling slightly.
An intense wave of heat washed over her, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable, to the point where she could barely stand.
She needed to water the flowers.
“What… what did you do?!”
Ye Ning’s voice carried panic and shyness.
Tears of frustration welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Her cheeks were red enough to bleed.
She pressed her legs tightly together, not daring to move.
“Hua Niao, get rid of this feeling! Right now!”
“Of course, I’m making sure you don’t hold back and disobey me.”
Hua Niao let out a soft laugh, her tone full of teasing and malice.
Her fingertips gently brushed Ye Ning’s stomach again, watching her become even more flustered and shy.
The playfulness in her eyes deepened.
“Our Ningning is the most disobedient. She’s always trying to defy me. Only like this can I make you behave and remember who decides everything for you. If you dare to disobey me, don’t do as I command, or secretly try to help her, hehe…”
Ye Ning looked at Hua Niao’s malicious smile, feeling full of grievance and helplessness.
But she didn’t dare to resist.
She could only grit her teeth tightly, enduring the swelling ache in her stomach.
Tears streamed down her face.
Her voice choked as she spoke.
“I understand. I’ll be good. I’ll do exactly as you say. Just… just stop torturing me…”
Seeing her pitiful, tear-stained look, Hua Niao felt her malicious streak satisfied.
She slowly withdrew her hand, her tone gentle again.
“That’s more like it. Go early, come back early, Ningning~ I’ll be waiting for you here. Don’t disappoint me.”
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