Chapter 186 – Love Isn’t Fishing-Cheating Alone Won’t Win the Day

“Xi!”

“Mm!”

“I-“

Zhao Xinning’s sincere feelings were on the verge of spilling out when a voice behind them interrupted her spell.

“Lin Xi, Miss Xinning, are you still washing dishes? I’ll help.”

The moment Xia Xun finished her share of the chores, she came looking for Lin Xi.

She genuinely wanted to help with the dishes and lighten Lin Xi’s workload.

Lin Xi snapped out of her daze.

For that instant when she and Angel-sama had gazed into each other’s eyes, Lin Xi had suffered the grandest delusion of her life: Angel-sama likes me.

I’m getting far too full of myself, Lin Xi mocked herself. How could Angel-sama ever like someone like me…?

“Oh, Xinning, you called my name just now. What did you want to say?”

“N-nothing.”

Zhao Xinning swore she would destroy Xia Xun.

Xia Xun silently swore that she would destroy Zhao Xinning too.

After all, Lin Xi had bent the rules only for Zhao Xinning and agreed to let her stay in the same tent.

Without question, Zhao Xinning held a higher place in Lin Xi’s heart than Xia Xun did.

That was unacceptable!

“You don’t need to trouble yourself. We’re almost done,” Lin Xi told Xia Xun.

“It’s no trouble at all.” Xia Xun crouched on Lin Xi’s other side and began helping.

The three chatted and laughed together, perfectly happy.

Lin Xi couldn’t help thinking:

Girls being together really is wonderful…

…

They needed to keep fishing that afternoon to secure ingredients for dinner.

With a bottomless pit like Lu Yi around, it seemed no number of fish would ever be enough.

When the afternoon session began, Lin Xi left Zhao Xinning and Xia Xun behind and ran over to Yang Shanshan’s team.

She wanted Yang Shanshan to teach her the secrets of fishing!

“Huh? You want to learn from me?” Yang Shanshan stared at her in surprise. “I’m only a beginner. I can’t compare to you at all, Lin Xi.”

Lin Xi took a moment to absorb that.

“Shanshan, is it that you don’t want to teach me, or do you simply enjoy mocking me?”

“Or… is it both?”

Yang Shanshan protested her innocence over and over. She truly didn’t know any special fishing techniques, nor would she ever mock Lin Xi.

“If you don’t have some secret technique, how could you possibly catch ten fish, every one of them huge?”

Yang Shanshan’s overflowing keepnet had left Lin Xi burning with envy. Adopting the humble attitude of an apprentice, she pleaded, “Don’t be stingy, Shanshan. Teach me, and I’ll treat you to dinner when we get back.”

It wasn’t that Yang Shanshan didn’t want to teach her. This simply wasn’t something that could be taught!

She was beginning to regret cheating that morning.

If Lin Xi found out that Yang Shanshan had used such underhanded methods to win the fishing contest-and had done it twice-she would probably refuse to remain friends with her.

“I’m really not an expert angler, and I don’t have any secret technique.” Yang Shanshan was so anxious she was almost in tears. “I was just lucky. The fish started biting for no apparent reason.”

Lin Xi remained unconvinced.

“Lin Xi, do you want to know our fishing secret?” Yang Tongtong suddenly asked from beside them.

Lin Xi nodded. “Yes!”

“All right-” Yang Tongtong was cut off by her sister’s telepathic voice.

Tongtong, you’re not about to reveal our secret, are you?!

If their true identities came out, it would all be over!

Relax, Sis. Even I wouldn’t play around like that, Yang Tongtong replied.

Then what are you planning?

Just watch and see, Sis.

Yang Shanshan could only watch her sister’s performance in silence.

“Go on, tell me.” Lin Xi was desperate to learn their secret.

Yang Tongtong had nearly reeled the impatient Lin Xi into a giddy grin…

“Fine,” Yang Tongtong said. “But you have to promise me one thing.”

“Sure.” Lin Xi agreed without a moment’s thought.

Yang Tongtong stated her condition. “Zhao Xinning isn’t allowed in our tent tonight.”

“She wasn’t on the winning team. What right does she have to enjoy the spoils of victory?”

“No,” Lin Xi replied without hesitation.

“Why not?”

“Because I already promised Xinning.”

“Why did you agree to let Zhao Xinning join in the first place?”

“Because she’s Xinning.”

Yang Tongtong had no response to that.

She spoke to her sister telepathically.

See? As long as Zhao Xinning is around, you can forget about winning Lin Xi.

Zhao Xinning has always been number one in Lin Xi’s heart.

Unless you destroy Lin Xi’s image of her, kill Zhao Xinning, or reveal your Queen of Lust side, how can you possibly compete with her, Sis?

Yang Shanshan took a moment before answering.

“Stop talking about killing people all the time, Tongtong. Love isn’t a battlefield.”

“And love isn’t fishing. Cheating alone won’t necessarily bring you victory.”

Yang Shanshan might cheat at fishing, but in love she had always held fast to one principle: no using her powers to cheat.

If she had been willing to cheat, she would have won so thoroughly it wasn’t even funny.

“Yes, yes. You’re far too enlightened for someone like me, Sis,” Yang Tongtong said.

“Why are you comparing yourself to me? You don’t even like Lin Xi, Tongtong.”

“Who says I don’t?”

“What?! You like Lin Xi too???!!!”

“Hahaha-I’m only teasing you. How could I ever dare steal the girl Sis likes?”

“Oh-” Yang Shanshan believed her sister.

And Yang Tongtong believed her.

Sigh-

How could the Queen of Lust have the power to win effortlessly and still be this innocent in love?!

Yang Tongtong silently roasted her sister.

Whatever Sis might think, Yang Tongtong had her own plan of action and her own logic for carrying it out.

“You really won’t reconsider my offer, Lin Xi? Don’t you want to learn the secret to fishing?”

Lin Xi did. She wanted to know more than anything.

No angler could resist a secret that promised big fish-unless something even more precious was at stake.

For Lin Xi, that precious thing was her friendship with Angel-sama.

And perhaps… the hazy beginnings of love???

Whatever it was, Angel-sama mattered more than fishing!

“If you don’t want to tell me, then forget it, Little Sister Tongtong,” Lin Xi said. “Xinning said she’s afraid to sleep alone, so it absolutely must be true. She would never lie to me.”

How could Angel-sama possibly lie?

Xia Xun definitely wasn’t afraid to sleep alone in a tent. She was so strong-what could she possibly be scared of?

Shi Yu and Lu Yi certainly weren’t afraid either.

Lin Xi could readily believe Yang Shanshan was scared. After all, Shanshan and Zhao Xinning were both such soft, delicate girls.

Yang Tongtong claimed to be afraid too, but Lin Xi didn’t believe that for a second.

“What a shame,” Yang Tongtong said. “I suppose I can’t tell you the fishing secret just yet.”

“Just yet? Does that mean I’ll have another chance to learn it?”

“That depends on how well you behave, Lin Xi.”

Yang Tongtong reeled Lin Xi into that giddy grin all over again.

Watching how effortlessly her sister flirted with Lin Xi, Yang Shanshan couldn’t help asking telepathically once more:

Tongtong, you truly don’t like Lin Xi, right?

Right. I truly don’t like her.

Then why are you flirting with her?

First, because it’s fun. Second, because I’m giving you a demonstration. Watch and learn how to flirt with Lin Xi, Sis.