Su Xiaocheng and the others sat around a table, gazing at Li Yanyan with eyes full of curiosity.
“Why are you all staring at me like that? Magical girls don’t play with girls. Do they play magic instead?”
Li Yanyan’s face flushed under their collective gaze.
An Li nodded thoughtfully. “I see. No wonder I never became a magical girl.”
She seemed to have misunderstood something, but among those present, only Lu Shiyuan had any right to correct her—and she was currently too busy eating up the drama to notice that the chief researcher had one foot firmly on the road of no return.
Desert Fox poured a glass of strong liquor, held the rim between her teeth, and slid it toward Li Yanyan while blinking with sultry, lingering eyes.
“Stop messing around. There are so many people here.”
Li Yanyan took the glass with her hand and set it firmly on the table.
She never drank on the job; it was a good habit.
As team leader, the entire trial period counted as work time for her.
“Let me introduce you. This is Desert Fox, president of the Desert Fox Mercenary Association.”
“Aiyo, A~li~, it’s only been a few months and you’re already so distant, calling me by my full title.” Desert Fox voiced clear dissatisfaction with Li Yanyan’s attitude.
“Eh? Just Desert Fox? I thought that was only a title.” Su Xiaocheng said in surprise.
“It is a title, but I don’t have a real name. If it’s too long and awkward, you can call me Ah Li like Yanbao does.”
“Um…” The nickname felt a little too intimate. Su Xiaocheng and the others really couldn’t bring themselves to say it.
“You don’t know this, but when Yanbao calls me Ah Li in bed, that little look in her eyes… Ow ow ow, let go!”
Li Yanyan grabbed Desert Fox’s big ear and kneaded it mercilessly in her hand.
“Don’t listen to her nonsense. You’re still newbies, so learn some proper things instead—like Chief An’s magic formulas.”
Li Yanyan felt it was her duty as a senior to keep the younger generation from straying down the wrong path.
Oh, wait. For Su Xiaocheng and the others it might already be a bit late. Li Yanyan turned to Lu Shiyuan.
“Did you hear that? Kids should read more and study more.”
“Huh? I’m not a kid!” Lu Shiyuan, who had been inexplicably shot, bristled.
“Not a kid?”
Desert Fox’s ear finally escaped Li Yanyan’s grip. Hearing Lu Shiyuan’s protest, she grinned mischievously and slid a glass in front of her.
“Then have a drink.”
Lu Shiyuan lifted the glass and was about to gulp it down when Li Yanyan snatched it away.
“You—don’t teach the children bad habits.”
Sensing Li Yanyan’s dangerous gaze fixed on her tail, Desert Fox quickly tucked it away on the side farthest from her.
“Um, waitress? Two bottles of juice and some desserts, please.”
Li Yanyan called out. With so many kids at the table, she couldn’t let them be corrupted.
“Alright, serious talk. Ah Li, you always have the best information. Any recent news about [Miracle]s in the northwest desert area?”
Li Yanyan asked.
“[Miracle]s, huh? Those are rare. No news lately, but I’ll have my people keep an eye out.” Desert Fox smacked her lips.
“Aren’t you already advanced? Why are you still looking for [Miracle]s? Don’t tell me your [Miracle] was on credit and you actually owe the Alliance a huge debt?”
Desert Fox’s tone shifted as a dramatic scenario popped into her head.
“Yanbao, you wouldn’t want to default on what you owe the Alliance, right?”
“What are you imagining? It’s because of them. I’m guiding them through the Dawn Trial right now.” Li Yanyan shot Desert Fox a glare.
It looked like someone needed discipline; she’d have to give her some proper “care” when she had the chance.
Sensing Li Yanyan’s thoughts, Desert Fox smiled faintly.
Under the table her hand lightly traced Li Yanyan’s slender waist, issuing a silent duel invitation.
Li Yanyan’s body gave a sudden shiver.
“Eh? What’s wrong?”
Facing Su Xiaocheng’s question, Li Yanyan kept a straight face.
“Nothing. Just a breeze.”
“Huh? A breeze?”
We’re underground right now. Where would a breeze come from? Su Xiaocheng wondered.
“Big Sister, let’s clink glasses!” Su Xiaowei scooted over with her cup.
“Oh, sure.” Su Xiaocheng raised her own.
Su Xiaowei very naturally hooked her arm around Su Xiaocheng’s, pulling it close as she drained her juice in one go.
Su Xiaocheng realized exactly what Su Xiaowei’s action meant.
Still, given their relationship, sharing a cross-cup drink wasn’t exactly out of line.
With that thought, Su Xiaocheng drank her juice as well.
“Ehhh?!” Lu Yinxi let out a sharp squeak.
She had been trying to act a little more reserved in public, yet Su Xiaowei had still managed to steal the opportunity.
“A cross-cup drink? I haven’t even done that with Xiaocheng yet!”
For the first time, Lu Yinxi felt a twinge of imbalance.
“Xiaolu?”
Su Xiaocheng jumped at the sudden noise and looked over at the slightly discomposed Lu Yinxi.
Realizing she couldn’t favor one over the other, Su Xiaocheng quickly refilled her glass, smiling brightly as she extended it toward Lu Yinxi.
“Mm.”
Seeing the offered cup, Lu Yinxi’s mood improved a little and she drank with Su Xiaocheng.
She had been confident in her position as the rightful main wife, calmly watching from the sidelines.
Adding Su Xiaowei hadn’t seemed like a big deal at first, but now it felt like she had taken a small loss?
Lu Yinxi was very unhappy. She silently made up her mind: tonight she would claim both sisters together.
Tomorrow, neither of them would be getting out of bed.
“Aiya, Yanbao, this batch of magical girls really understands the true essence of being a magical girl!” Desert Fox leaned close to Li Yanyan and whispered in her ear.
As the only outsider at the table, Lu Shiyuan watched the paired-up group of five, puffed out her cheeks, dragged the dessert plate in front of herself, and poured another glass of juice.
While everyone was sweetly absorbed in each other, a faint commotion rose from not far away.
But the group was too focused on one another to notice the growing noise outside their circle.
On the other side of the bar, things were rapidly deteriorating.
A clearly drunk man climbed onto a table, grabbed a liquor bottle, and smashed it over another man’s head.
Bang!
The crisp sound rang out; it was obviously a very sturdy skull.
Alcohol streamed down the bald man’s shiny head, refracting rainbow colors under the neon lights.
“Damn it, I was already in a bad mood and you just had to provoke me.”
He tossed aside the broken half-bottle and spat on the unconscious bald man lying on the floor.
He scanned the room. Everyone his gaze touched instinctively stepped back.
Most people who came to Rain Curtain City knew how to handle themselves, but no one was stupid enough to argue with a drunk whose background was unknown.
Perhaps because Su Xiaocheng’s table stood out with their unusually high attractiveness, the troublemaker’s attention was drawn over.
Carrying two bottles of strong liquor, he staggered toward them.
The onlookers brightened when they saw him heading straight for Desert Fox’s group.
They quickly secured good spots to watch the show.
In Rain Curtain City, not many people dared provoke Desert Fox.
Anyone bold enough to pick a fight with her was obviously new in town.
After all, Desert Fox was the kind of monster who could pin an A-rank Witch down and beat her senseless.
No one knew if this guy could take a beating as well as a Witch.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.