A moment of blankness.
Under the scrutinizing gazes filled with gossipy curiosity, Tunzuo stiffly lowered her head.
Within her line of sight was her own hand clamped around Olivia’s neck, shadow tentacles binding Olivia, pinning Tunzuo atop her in a posture dripping with dominance and ambiguity.
As luck would have it, her knee seemed to be pressed against some indescribably sensitive spot.
Beneath Tunzuo, Olivia lay face-up on the beach, her golden hair splayed messily across the fine sand.
That face, usually brimming with confidence and elegance, was now stained with an unnatural flush.
Her chest heaved violently, her unfocused gaze fixed on the culprit who had pressed her down and caused this state.
Desire ebbed away like the tide.
Reason reclaimed control of her mind.
A scorching wave of heat surged straight to Tunzuo’s head.
Regaining her senses, Tunzuo’s face flushed so red it could almost drip blood.
Realizing what she had done, Tunzuo rolled off Olivia in a clumsy scramble.
She flailed her arms in panic, and the shadow tentacles that had bound Olivia dissolved into black mist in the blink of an eye, vanishing into the air.
Tunzuo collapsed onto the sand, utterly unable to lift her head.
She pressed both hands tightly over her burning cheeks, curling her entire witch body into a ball, wishing she could dig a hole in the beach and bury herself.
“Wahhh, what have I done? How am I supposed to face the other witches after this… (T-T)”
While Tunzuo was seething with shame and anger, the other witches, seeing her and Olivia separate, quickly rushed over and encircled the two of them.
Lei Ruiya stood at the outermost edge, her face still expressionless, but her gaze toward Tunzuo and Olivia was filled with deep thought, as if she were considering whether the two witches were a good match.
Lena’s face was full of gossipy excitement.
Her eyes sparkled as if she had spotted some rare treasure.
Shirley, acting as the mentor, reacted the most intensely.
She planted her hands on her hips, standing before Tunzuo and Olivia, and scolded sternly:
“You two! Watch yourselves! Young witches are not allowed to do things like this—you’ve crossed the line! And in a public place, no less! What kind of behavior is that?!”
An Lin stood beside Tunzuo, her gaze darting back and forth between Tunzuo, who was covering her face like an ostrich, and Olivia, who lay on the ground with slightly disheveled clothes and a dazed expression.
Rubbing her chin, An Lin muttered softly:
“Tsk, who would’ve thought. I was worried that the Golden Dragon might eat my little sister during the break, so I planned to keep an eye on things. But now it turns out it’s my good little sister who made the first move on the Golden Lady? Could this be ‘the lustful demoness dares to pin the dragon’? I never would’ve guessed, Tunzuo little sis—you’re the one on top!”
“An Lin, big sister!!!”
An Lin’s words only made Tunzuo more ashamed and furious.
She shouted, trying to drown out her humiliation with volume.
“Hehe!”
An Lin tapped her head with her fist, playing cute to get away with it.
Knowing that teasing Tunzuo any further would make her scales explode, An Lin said no more.
Still, what happened today would inevitably become fodder for future teasing.
After a long while, Olivia finally managed to calm down and stood up from the sand.
She clumsily brushed off the fine grains clinging to her, straightened her rumpled clothes, and had a faint lingering blush on her handsome face.
Her gaze was also evasive.
Shirley looked at the two young witches, both burning with shame, and could only sigh helplessly.
She said:
“Alright, enough playing around. You haven’t graduated yet, so don’t do anything too excessive. Let’s head back for dinner, or it’ll get cold.”
Obedient to Shirley’s words, Tunzuo and Olivia followed the group back to eat dinner.
But on the way back, the atmosphere between the two witches was undeniably awkward.
Tunzuo and Olivia walked side by side, but neither dared to look at the other, as if an invisible river separated them.
Tunzuo kicked at the gravel on the road, her heart filled with unease.
‘Thank goodness that scene wasn’t seen by Sally and Huli—otherwise, my dignity would be completely gone.’
Just as Tunzuo was returning with that sliver of hope, she lifted her head and saw a sight that froze her instantly.
There, standing side by side under a coconut tree, were Hai Lanyue, Sally, and Huli.
All three witches had their hands covering their eyes, but between their middle and ring fingers was a wide gap, openly peeking toward Tunzuo and Olivia with curiosity and shock.
Tunzuo felt like crying.
Her innocence seemed like footprints left on the sand, washed away by the waves, drifting far away from her.
It was over.
Completely over.
During dinner, though the table was laden with all sorts of carefully prepared delicacies, Tunzuo and Olivia ate without any taste, each lost in their own thoughts.
The two witches did not have their usual tense but lively banter.
They simply lowered their heads and ate in silence.
Occasionally, their chopsticks would lightly bump while reaching for food, and they would instantly pull back as if shocked, followed by long stretches of awkward silence.
After a few perfunctory bites, Olivia excused herself, saying she had something to do, and left the table, leaving Tunzuo sitting alone on one side.
Tunzuo looked at the array of dishes before her.
Her originally decent appetite had vanished.
Her heart felt hollow, as if a piece was missing.
Restless and distracted, Tunzuo dropped her chopsticks and got up from the table, saying she wanted to take a walk by the seaside.
An Lin, who had already seen through everything, smiled slightly at the corner of her lips.
Resting her chin on one hand, she used her chin to point toward the direction Olivia had left.
“She went that way~”
Tunzuo’s face flushed.
She didn’t say a word, just lowered her head and hurriedly chased after Olivia’s direction.
The sea breeze was cool, blowing away some of the evening heat from the beach.
Tunzuo arrived at the shore and saw Olivia sitting with her knees hugged beside a large rock.
Her golden hair fell behind her, casting a soft luster under the moonlight.
Olivia’s silhouette looked somewhat lonely and aggrieved.
Her usual domineering confidence was completely gone.
Though Tunzuo had tried to walk as softly as possible, the rustling sound of her footsteps still alerted Olivia, who had been staring blankly at the sea.
Seeing Tunzuo approach, Olivia instinctively shifted aside, making a spacious spot for Tunzuo, then buried her face in her knees.
Tunzuo sat down beside Olivia.
The two witches sat shoulder to shoulder, maintaining a subtle distance.
The sound of waves masked the awkward silence.
Time ticked by, and the agonized Tunzuo couldn’t hold back any longer.
She scratched her cheek and stammered:
“Um… about what just happened, it was my fault. I… I shouldn’t have—”
But Olivia seemed not to hear Tunzuo’s apology.
She kept her face buried in her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly.
After a few seconds, she mumbled something very aggrievedly, her voice muffled and nasal:
“Little ghost… so mean…”
Olivia’s words completely threw Tunzuo into disarray.
Tunzuo had imagined Olivia getting angry, sarcastic, even retaliating.
But she never expected that the usually aggressive and domineering dragon witch would act like a wronged little wife.
“I… I didn’t mean to…”
Tunzuo was at a loss.
Seeing Olivia’s pitiable, wronged expression, she, who was at fault, found it hard to justify herself.
With no other choice, to appease this Golden Lady, Tunzuo had to resign herself to her fate.
Biting the bullet, she said:
“Fine! It’s all my fault, okay? Tell me what compensation you want. I’ll do it, but don’t ask for anything too outrageous!”
Hearing this, Olivia finally stirred.
She turned her head to look at Tunzuo, her brilliant golden vertical pupils sparkling with a light called expectation, mixed with a trace of caution.
“Really?”
Tunzuo crossed her arms, suffering for the sake of saving face.
She nodded firmly.
“Yes. I, this witch, mean what I say and never go back on my word.”
With Tunzuo’s assurance, Olivia finally relaxed.
She turned around, opened her arms, and gave Tunzuo a shy yet utterly sincere smile.
“Then… a hug.”
Watching Olivia’s cutesy move, Tunzuo’s mind was locked in a fierce internal battle.
If she agreed, that perverted dragon would definitely take advantage.
And once was never enough—there was no turning back.
If she didn’t agree, she really had bullied her just now, and this request wasn’t too excessive.
In the end, Tunzuo sighed helplessly and let her shoulders slump.
There was no choice.
She had brought this upon herself.
So Tunzuo pouted, tilted her body, and crashed into Olivia’s arms.
At the same time, she extended a finger and lightly poked Olivia’s waist, warning coldly:
“Hugging is fine, but no groping, got it?”
Olivia quickly agreed, as if afraid Tunzuo would change her mind.
She swiftly wrapped her arms around Tunzuo, locking her tightly in her embrace.
“Got it, got it.”
Tunzuo’s body was soft and slightly cool, like a smooth piece of jade.
The sensation was very enjoyable for Olivia.
She took a deep, satisfied breath, burying her face in Tunzuo’s neck, greedily inhaling the fresh minty scent from Tunzuo’s hair, as if it were the most soothing fragrance in the world.
Olivia’s embrace was firm and gave a sense of support, warm like holding a huge heater.
Smelling the faint jasmine scent from Olivia, Tunzuo felt an inexplicable calm.
Her tense body gradually relaxed, and she unconsciously pressed closer into Olivia’s arms, seeking a more comfortable position.
While lingering in Olivia’s embrace, Tunzuo remembered what had happened earlier and asked curiously:
“Hey, perverted dragon, why is a dragon witch like you afraid of tentacles?”
Tunzuo’s question made Olivia’s body stiffen, and the hand gently stroking Tunzuo’s back paused.
After a few seconds, Olivia softly cleared her throat and explained:
“I just don’t like the slimy look and feel of tentacles. Wet and limp, they make me uncomfortable, give me goosebumps, and make me nauseous.”
Hearing Olivia’s explanation, Tunzuo nodded in agreement.
Tentacles were indeed a bit weird.
For a witch with cleanliness issues or sensitive senses, it was normal to have a physiological aversion.
Tunzuo secretly rejoiced.
Having found Olivia’s weakness, this could be her trump card.
An extra card to use when arguing.
Having figured that out, Tunzuo didn’t think further and continued to snuggle comfortably in Olivia’s arms.
After holding for a while, Olivia adjusted her state.
She patted Tunzuo’s back and took the initiative to apologize.
“Um, I was in a bad mood earlier too, which made you eat poorly at dinner. But it’s fine. Tomorrow night, there’s the most famous Dragon Court Banquet at Golden Sand Beach. I’ll make sure to prepare it well. Little ghost, you’ll be so captivated you won’t want to leave. It’ll make up for your loss today.”
Tunzuo lifted her head from Olivia’s arms, raising an eyebrow.
She obviously didn’t trust Olivia’s guarantee.
She snorted coldly and said proudly:
“Hah, all talk. It’s probably just showy dishes that look fancy but won’t even fill your stomach. But since you said so, I’ll reluctantly look forward to it.”
Just as Tunzuo and Olivia had returned to their usual bantering, unyielding mode, a very dissonant commotion suddenly came from a bush not far behind them.
“Stop pushing! I can’t hold on!”
“Ow! Who’s stepping on my foot! Lena, lighten up!”
“An Lin, don’t stand so high—they’ll see us!”
“Crack—”
A crashing sound rang out, accompanied by the brittle snap of a branch breaking.
Tunzuo alertly broke free from Olivia’s embrace, quickly putting distance between them.
She turned her head and saw something that made steam of rage rise from her head.
There, beside a coconut tree, An Lin, Shirley, Lena, and Lei Ruiya were piled up on top of each other like a wobbly human pyramid.
At the bottom, Lei Ruiya was expressionlessly supporting the witches on top of her; Shirley was sandwiched in the middle, looking helpless; Lena was excitedly craning her neck at the top; and An Lin was at the very peak, constantly peeking toward Tunzuo and Olivia.
The messy posture of the adult witches gave Hai Lanyue, who stood aside with an embarrassed expression—wanting to watch but not daring—a perfect viewing angle.
And Xiao Qing, standing at the back, held her head high, showing no shame for having knocked over the other witches.
Tunzuo, having been caught spied on, instantly flared up.
Shame, anger, and an impulse to destroy the evidence mingled together, making Tunzuo completely lose her mind.
“You lot! You were peeping!!”
“An Lin!!!”
Tunzuo roared and directed her shadow tentacles straight at An Lin, the one who had tipped them off.
Seeing the situation turn bad, An Lin immediately rolled off the pile of witches, begging for mercy while dodging Tunzuo’s attacks.
“Oh dear! Tunzuo little sis, don’t be mad! We were just passing by, purely passing by!”
The beach immediately descended into chaos.
Shadow tentacles flailed everywhere, and the witches’ screams and laughter mingled, shattering the quiet of the night.
Under the bright moonlight, Olivia watched all this with a smile.
Looking at Tunzuo, who was chasing An Lin across the sand—furious but no longer suppressing herself—those brilliant golden vertical pupils were full of tenderness and love.