After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

◎ Where exactly are you going to use to massage me? ◎

Seeing that Jiao Qingyin didn’t answer her, the expression on Nameless’s face grew even sweeter. She reached out her hand, intending to take the damp towel from the other woman’s grasp.

Had the original owner been here, she would likely be gleefully waiting for the protagonist to serve her. But Jiao Qingyin felt her scalp tingle; her only instinct was to flee the scene.

However, Jiao Qingyin ultimately suppressed the urge to dodge. She stayed rooted to the spot, wearing a smile that looked profound on the surface but was hollow and anxious underneath.

She reasoned that, given the protagonist’s personality, she wouldn’t truly want physical contact. This was likely just a performance of fake obedience that the girl would stop at the last second.

Little did she know, Nameless was thinking the exact same thing. She believed this suspicious and conceited woman would never allow a slave to touch her head. Therefore, before she actually grabbed the towel, the woman would surely call it off.

Due to this ill-timed “mutual understanding,” the atmosphere in the room froze the moment Nameless actually took the towel from Jiao Qingyin’s hand.

Jiao Qingyin: Is she really going to dry my hair…?

Nameless: Does she really expect me to dry her hair for her…?!

The two remained in a standoff for half a minute. Just as Jiao Qingyin was about to break the silence, Nameless finally found a way to give herself an out: “Your Highness, could you move a bit closer? My legs… I can’t move.”

Jiao Qingyin breathed a sigh of relief. This makes sense, she thought. But before she could mimic the original owner and snap something like “Useless!” to shut down the hair-drying operation, Nameless continued:

“Or, you could lie down, and I’ll massage you while I dry your hair. How about that?”

A chill ran down Jiao Qingyin’s spine. Scared by Nameless’s soft, gentle tone, she immediately summoned the System to check if the protagonist had been infected by some kind of virus.

Nameless had changed her mind on a whim. Jiao Qingyin’s reaction had allowed her to keenly perceive that the woman was actually more resistant to this intimate interaction than she was—and more importantly, the woman didn’t want anyone else to notice that reluctance.

In a flash of inspiration, Nameless felt she had grasped something the other woman had been trying to hide. Her words took a predatory turn.

“…Massage?” Jiao Qingyin repeated the proposal uncomfortably.

She didn’t want to agree. To her, the head was the most vulnerable part of the human body. A head massage was essentially placing one’s life in someone else’s hands—especially when that person held a deep grudge against her.

Nameless nodded gently, the small diamonds on her veil clinking softly with her movement, creating a series of crisp chimes that caused Jiao Qingyin to reflexively focus on her.

Well… Jiao Qingyin thought. She may hold a grudge against me, but she hits every single one of my aesthetic preferences.

The System let out a “ding,” reminding Jiao Qingyin to stay in character. The cold, serious tone cleared her head. She looked up at Nameless; the veil hid the lower half of her face, making her exposed eyes look clear and deep, like two inviting pools of water.

Jiao Qingyin sighed inwardly. No matter how many times she saw them, those eyes were excessively beautiful.

Nameless, meanwhile, felt her blood burning. She was like a young beast that had just learned to hunt. After a hard-fought battle, she had finally pinned down prey several times her size. She wasn’t just unwilling to let go; she wanted to bite through the prey’s throat in one go and drag her back to her lair to enjoy slowly.

She reached out to touch Jiao Qingyin’s forehead, but her hand was intercepted mid-air.

Jiao Qingyin caught her fingers, her lips curving upward. “Alright then.”

Nameless froze. The shift in the situation was not what she had expected. Shouldn’t Jiao Qingyin have rejected her, allowing Nameless to press the advantage and force a slip-up…?

Instead, Jiao Qingyin stood up from the soft chair and lay down right next to Nameless.

The pile of pillows collapsed under her weight, and Nameless’s body involuntarily slid downward, instantly pressing against Jiao Qingyin’s side.

Nameless: “!”

Seeing Nameless frozen, Jiao Qingyin asked, “What are you going to use to massage me?”

Jiao Qingyin tilted her head to look at Nameless beside her. Her damp hair was carelessly swept together, and her expression was lazy and satisfied, as if she were truly waiting for Nameless to serve her.

Use what…? This was another question Nameless hadn’t considered. What could she use besides her hands?

She didn’t ask the question out loud, but Jiao Qingyin seemed to read her mind. Her gaze traveled slowly from Nameless’s eyes, down past the veil, the collar… and straight toward the neckline.

Her gaze felt tangible. Wherever it landed, Nameless felt as if she were being touched. She reflexively leaned back, nearly tumbling off the pile of pillows.

It was Jiao Qingyin who reached out and caught her.

Because of years of hardship, Nameless’s hands were somewhat rough, the skin marked with crisscrossing old scars. As soon as Jiao Qingyin held her hand, she instinctively frowned.

So many scars even on her hands… it must hurt usually. Is there any magic I can use for this…

Nameless managed to sit steadily. Seeing Jiao Qingyin’s frown, she sensitively yanked her hand back, only to realize the action was inappropriate—it would ruin the “obedient” foundation she had worked so hard to build.

“…” Nameless’s breathing grew heavier. She searched for an excuse to explain, but Jiao Qingyin interrupted: “Didn’t you say you were going to give me a massage?”

Nameless blinked, and suddenly the look Jiao Qingyin had given her flashed through her mind. The final destination of that gaze seemed to be…

Wha—What…!

Only now did Nameless realize what Jiao Qingyin’s question—”What are you going to use to massage me?”—was actually hinting at. Her cheeks flushed red instantly, mostly out of sheer fury.

Jiao Qingyin watched the shifting expressions out of the corner of her eye. Though she couldn’t see the whole face, the girl’s eyes were like windows; various emotions churned inside them, vivid and striking, making Jiao Qingyin laugh inwardly.

The System’s evaluation of her as a “pervert” was, in a sense, quite accurate. Jiao Qingyin’s personality could be quite wicked at times.

“My hands…” Seeing no way out, Nameless bit her lip and put on a look of submissive compromise. “…Is that alright?”

Jiao Qingyin, however, could clearly hear the “I’m going to kill you sooner or later” grit through her soft, melodic voice. This only made her mood more pleasant.

She drew out her words, her eyes full of unmasked mischief. “—And what if I say no?”