Chapter 171 – Dig In and Play the Long Game

Lin Xi woke with a girl tucked against either side of her, yet she wasn’t happy in the slightest.

Both her arms had gone completely numb beneath them.

Qin Ling was one thing, but…

“Thor?! What are you doing in my bedroom?!”

Lin Xi exploded on the spot. “Did you secretly break the lock again?!”

Thor blinked sleepily, the picture of innocence. “How could my wicked Master make such a baseless accusation?”

“Go look for yourself. The lock is perfectly fine.”

As she spoke, Thor pressed closer to Lin Xi.

“Master is at her softest and most delectable first thing in the morning~”

Lin Xi: “…”

“Come any closer and I’ll kick you out of bed!”

“Kick me?” Thor grew even more excited. “A reward like that first thing in the morning? Master, you’re the best. Love~”

Lin Xi: “…”

Their affectionate exchange and friendly interaction woke Qin Ling.

“Huh…?” Qin Ling rubbed her eyes adorably. “Thor, why are you here?”

“I couldn’t trust you and Master to sleep alone together, so I snuck in during the night.” Thor pointed to the window. “Master, I came in from outside.”

Lin Xi declared that utterly outrageous!

Thor could fly. Slipping in through the window was effortless for her.

“From now on, I’ll always remember to close the window before bed.”

Thor said that was no problem. She would simply find another way into Lin Xi’s bedroom.

As long as her determination never wavered, there would always be more solutions than obstacles.

What kind of romantic game of pursuit and escape was this supposed to be???

Thor got up without complaint and went to prepare breakfast.

Qin Ling did not linger in bed either. She was no Lu Yi, who might happily go back to sleep.

“Thank you for letting me stay the night,” Qin Ling said. “You can stay at my home sometime too.”

“Ah, th-that won’t be necessary-“

“A mere Blazing Flame Succubus has the audacity to reject my thanks?!”

“Uh…” Lin Xi thought:

First, I am not the Blazing Flame Succubus. I am the Blazing Blast Witch-a genuine, bona fide Blazing Blast Witch!

Second, if you want to invite me to your house, can’t you simply say so?

Even the genius Fox-kin girl could be troublesome…

Lin Xi had no choice but to nod. “All right. I’ll stay over at your house sometime. Thanks in advance.”

“That’s more like it,” Qin Ling said.

Qin Ling left without breakfast. This house was rather far from Lanfeng Academy, and she was in a hurry.

Lin Xi leisurely enjoyed the delicious breakfast Thor had made.

Halfway through, the doorbell rang.

Probably Xinning, here to walk to school with me…

Lin Xi told Thor to retreat to the bedroom.

Thor pointed out that she could turn invisible and remain in the living room without a problem. That way, she could monitor Zhao Xinning and prevent her from getting handsy with Lin Xi.

Faced with Lin Xi’s firm command, Thor had no choice but to return to the bedroom…

“Good morning, Xi. Are you still eating breakfast?”

“Mm. Morning, Xinning. I’m almost done.”

“There’s no hurry. Take your time.”

“Come in and sit down, then.”

Lin Xi and Zhao Xinning entered the living room together.

The Cursed Blade Lin Xi and Qin Ling desperately wanted to recover was inside Zhao Xinning’s backpack at that very moment.

“Wow. Whoever cooked that must be quite skilled,” the Queen of Curses remarked when she saw Lin Xi’s breakfast.

“Of course. Xi has always been an excellent cook,” Zhao Xinning said. “It’s just… the style seems a little different. I don’t remember her fried eggs being heart-shaped before…”

Had she used a special mold?

Zhao Xinning had guessed correctly. Thor had indeed used a mold.

She had gone to considerable trouble to make the fried egg heart-shaped.

“Have you eaten, Xinning?” Lin Xi asked.

“I have. Don’t mind me. Take your time.” Zhao Xinning sat quietly beside her and watched.

Watching the person she loved eat was its own form of relaxation and pleasure.

“Queen of Curses,” Zhao Xinning called inwardly, “didn’t you say you could peer through another person’s eyes and examine their emotions?”

“Find out what Xi thinks of me.”

“One moment.” Acting as Zhao Xinning’s Love Strategist, the Queen of Curses immediately went to work.

Less than a minute later, she answered.

“This method is not one hundred percent accurate.”

“That’s fine.” Zhao Xinning was desperate to know. “A general answer is enough.”

“Looking through Lin Xi’s eyes, I can tell that she considers you her best friend,” the Queen of Curses said.

“You are the angel in her heart-the person she cares about most.”

“But… her affection for you is not a blazing, passionate love.”

“Is Xi in love with someone else?!” Zhao Xinning panicked instantly.

“No,” the Queen of Curses replied. “She does not seem to be in love with anyone. She remains a pure and flawless maiden.”

Zhao Xinning’s heart settled back into place. “As long as Xi hasn’t fallen in love with anyone else.”

“Those overconfident pests still haven’t managed to make her love them…”

“Then why don’t you confess?” the Queen of Curses asked. “You know you’re the person she cares about most.”

“The time isn’t right,” Zhao Xinning said. “I’m still afraid she’ll reject me. I don’t dare take that step yet.”

“You said it yourself. Xi’s affection for me isn’t a blazing love.”

“Our yuri situation1 is not yet stable. It’s far too early to go all in.”

Zhao Xinning had no intention of attempting a blitzkrieg. She would fortify every step and fight a slow, methodical war-defend first, advance carefully, and secure every gain.

After hearing her explanation, the Queen of Curses was deeply impressed.

How could she have the nerve to call herself a Love Strategist? Compared with Zhao Xinning, she was a raw recruit!

“The greatest danger with a slow and steady strategy is having your home stolen out from under you,” Zhao Xinning said. “Now do you understand why I want to eliminate those pests?”

“If they all disappear, no one will be left to damage my relationship with Xi. Our yuri situation will soar like a skyrocketing stock price.”

The Queen of Curses greatly admired Zhao Xinning’s romantic strategy and theories.

Zhao Xinning had never feared raising flags. She could cover the world in flags and remain unconcerned.

Such was the composure of a winner…

“I’m finished.” Lin Xi silently thanked Thor for making breakfast.

She had told Thor not to waste time shaping the fried egg into a heart. It would have been faster that way.

Thor was stubborn, so Lin Xi could only let her have her way.

With a Dragon Maid like Thor in the house, Lin Xi hardly did any chores at all. It had already been a long time since she’d last set foot in the kitchen…

“Let’s go.” Zhao Xinning took Lin Xi’s hand.

The two left the house together.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!” Thor glowered from the bedroom, where she had secretly watched Zhao Xinning.

Zhao Xinning had never taken her eyes off Lin Xi while she ate. Thor was one hundred percent certain that such a doting gaze could belong only to someone hopelessly in love!

Combined with Zhao Xinning’s place at the very top of Lin Xi’s heart, it made Thor feel a crisis unlike any she had experienced before.

I have to kill Zhao Xinning!

The thought had surfaced in Thor’s mind more than once.

Today, she finally made up her mind to do it.

“One look is enough to know Zhao Xinning is a wicked woman. I have to protect Master!”

“She’s only an ordinary human. As long as I kill her without anyone noticing, every problem will be solved.”

Footnote:

• Yuri Situation(橘势): A Chinese pun on the phrase “the situation,” replacing its first character with a near-homophone meaning “orange,” an online yuri symbol associated with relationships between women-hence “Yuri situation.”