Chapter 190 – The Chips Didn’t Taste Good Anymore

The next day.

They spent another full day fishing and ate fish for two more meals.

The four chefs-Lin Xi, Zhao Xinning, Xia Xun, and Yang Shanshan-tried preparing the fish every way they could think of.

Lu Yi feasted to her heart’s content.

When it came time to squeeze into the tents that night, Lin Xi drew on the previous night’s experience and had Xia Xun, Shi Yu, and Lu Yi play rock-paper-scissors to decide who slept where.

Lu Yi won.

Lin Xi was used to serving as Lu Yi’s human Sleeping Pill. She felt none of the nervousness she had experienced sleeping pressed against Zhao Xinning the night before.

Lin Xi lay on her side against Lu Yi, who fell asleep in no time.

Just as Lin Xi herself was drifting off, Xia Xun pressed up against her from behind.

Lin Xi stared in confusion.

She lowered her voice. “There’s plenty of room, isn’t there? Xia Xun, why are you crowding me?”

“If you won’t hold me, then I’ll hold you,” Xia Xun replied.

Lin Xi hesitated.

“Being sandwiched between you and Lu Yi like this feels a little…”

“I’m already being very generous by allowing you to cuddle another girl,” Xia Xun said.

“Is there someone among them you like? Is that why you still haven’t accepted my confession?”

“No,” Lin Xi said.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“That’s good. I was afraid you already had someone in your heart.” Xia Xun relaxed slightly.

As long as Lin Xi’s heart didn’t belong to anyone yet, Xia Xun-the prospective girlfriend only one step away from taking the throne-had the best chance of all, didn’t she?

But waiting for Lin Xi’s answer was agony…

Xia Xun didn’t dare press her to decide any faster.

Lin Xi might not like any of the other girls, but Xia Xun believed their very existence was what left Lin Xi so conflicted.

If none of them existed and Xia Xun was the only one by Lin Xi’s side, wouldn’t a multiple-choice question become a single-choice one?

The thought took root in Xia Xun’s heart.

Perhaps Zhao Xinning wasn’t the only person she needed to eliminate…

…

Everyone woke early on the third morning.

They needed to pack their things and hurry back to school.

Lin Xi had thoroughly enjoyed the two-day fishing and camping trip.

Aside from sleeping poorly while crammed into a tent with other people, everything had been wonderful.

They had played together and eaten together, enjoying every moment.

Only a genius could have dreamed up an activity so perfectly designed to strengthen everyone’s friendship.

And who was the genius who had planned it? Oh. That would be me… Lin Xi congratulated herself in silence.

“Before we leave, let’s take a group picture.”

Lin Xi set up the camera and adjusted the timer.

Then she returned to the group and stood in the middle.

Everyone else arranged themselves on either side of her.

“Let’s preserve this beautiful moment in a photograph.”

Standing proudly in the center, Lin Xi flashed an energetic V sign.

Their delightful two-day, two-night fishing and camping trip came to an end…

…

“And that was our delightful two-day, two-night fishing and camping trip. What do you think? Sounds fun, right?”

After school that afternoon, Lin Xi told Su Xiangxue and Huang Haiyao what had happened over the past two days in the band’s clubroom.

They had rehearsed for a while, and during their break, Su Xiangxue and Huang Haiyao insisted that Lin Xi tell them everything.

Since the two seemed so interested, Lin Xi had no choice but to share.

When she finished, both Su Xiangxue and Huang Haiyao were expressionless.

“That’s it???” Su Xiangxue said. “Come on, nothing exciting happened at all.”

Huang Haiyao nodded in silence.

As the two most avid spectators of Lin Xi’s romantic life, Su Xiangxue and Huang Haiyao had half expected her not to return from that “battlefield of love” in one piece.

Instead, they had actually spent two perfectly ordinary days fishing and camping…

“What do you mean, ‘that’s it’?” Lin Xi protested. “It was obviously fun!”

“Well, neither of you experienced it firsthand. I suppose hearing me describe it can’t really convey the fun.”

“If we get the chance, Xiangxue, Sister Haiyao, you should both join us on our next fishing and camping trip.”

Neither Su Xiangxue nor Huang Haiyao answered.

The spectators were being invited onto the stage themselves???

That actually sounded rather interesting…

Their little tea party during the rehearsal break soon ended. The school anniversary was that weekend, and they had to make the most of every minute for their final rehearsals.

Once everything was finally done, Lin Xi dragged her exhausted body home.

The two-day outing had certainly been fun, but for an Otaku, the lure of home was eternal.

“Thor???”

She had expected to open the door and find Thor smiling as she welcomed her home.

“Thor???”

Lin Xi called again. No answer.

“Are you planning to surprise me? Trying to scare me?”

Lin Xi steeled herself. “You won’t get me that easily.”

“Come out already. I brought you a present.”

Before leaving on the fishing trip, Lin Xi had promised to bring Thor something when she returned.

On her way home, she had made a special trip to the mall and bought Thor a pretty, adorable headband.

Thor had mentioned wanting a new one and had asked Lin Xi to help her choose.

The one Lin Xi bought at the store was the exact design Thor had picked out online earlier.

“You’re still not coming out after hearing there’s a present???”

“Are you really not home?”

Lin Xi checked the bedroom and the guest room. Thor truly wasn’t there.

“What’s going on?”

“Did Thor leave home for the last two days too?”

Lin Xi noticed that several things around the house looked exactly as they had before she left, untouched.

In other words, Thor must have left after Lin Xi did and still hadn’t returned.

Lin Xi pulled out her phone and called her directly.

“Her phone is off???”

The more she thought about it, the more stunned Lin Xi became.

“She didn’t leave Z City, did she?”

Lin Xi had previously asked Thor to find another city suitable for them to live in. That way, if Z City ever became untenable and they had to flee, they would have somewhere to go.

Considering how resolutely Thor always carried out her orders… Lin Xi realized Thor might genuinely have gone to do exactly that.

“But she could have told me first. The least she could do was send me a message or leave a note.” Lin Xi couldn’t help worrying.

Then again, perhaps there was no need to worry.

Thor was a dragon-a Special-Grade Disaster…

“Forget it.”

Lin Xi stopped tormenting herself with groundless fears. She placed Thor’s new headband in the guest room and sent her a message asking her to reply as soon as she saw it.

“Looks like I’m cooking for myself tonight…”

Lin Xi decided to watch television and rest for a while first. She grabbed a bag of chips and sat down on the sofa.

Normally, Thor would eat chips and watch television with her.

Without that extra person beside her, everything felt strange.

“Have I already gotten used to thinking of Thor as part of this home…?”

Lin Xi gave a rueful smile. “She really is in danger of spoiling me completely useless.”

She turned on the television. An urgent news report filled the screen.

“Breaking news!”

The anchor spoke with barely restrained excitement.

“The green Giant Dragon that previously terrorized southern Z City has been successfully captured by Su Tang and Misaka Shirai, the Magical Girls of Districts 1 and 2!”

“This Special-Grade Disaster now awaits the judgment of justice-and imprisonment within the impregnable Undersea Prison!”

At the sight of the report, the chips in Lin Xi’s hand stopped tasting good at once.