Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 97

“So, I don’t want to lose.”

Si Xiaoxiao reluctantly and slowly lifted her head from Li Ting’s embrace, peeling herself away like one discarding a warm coat, her lingering attachment plain to see.

She tilted her face up. In the dim light, those cat-like eyes—usually brimming with starlight—were now veiled by a thin mist of moisture. Her long lashes hung damply, casting fragile shadows against her fair cheeks. Her expression was one of utter piteousness, resembling a frightened young animal in desperate need of comfort. Even her voice carried a perfectly timed, heart-melting tremor: “Sister, I’m scared.”

Li Ting looked down at her display, feeling a mixture of amusement and helplessness. It felt as though a feather had lightly brushed against her heart, stirring a fine, dense itch.

She knew, of course, that the girl in her arms wasn’t actually afraid.

In her memory, this was the same Si Xiaoxiao who dared to watch horror movies in the dead of night while critiquing the cheapness of the props—the same girl who claimed she wanted to be a paranormal investigator. How could she possibly be frightened by mechanical traps of this caliber? This act was seven parts performance and three parts… perhaps just an excuse to act spoiled with total conviction.

Yet, this display of playfulness was too vivid; this reliance was too seductive. Even knowing it was a trap, Li Ting found herself stepping into it willingly.

She watched Si Xiaoxiao’s fingers clutching her hem, the knuckles turning slightly white from the force. A strange sense of satisfaction and a protective urge welled up within her.

Lying isn’t a good habit, Student Si.

And so, Li Ting’s mind shifted, and she changed her tactic.

She let out a soft sigh, her voice dropping even softer than usual, carrying a hint of tentative weakness that she hadn’t even realized she was mimicking.

“Actually…” she paused, her long lashes trembling slightly as if her own heart had been unsettled by the environment. “I’m a little scared, too…”

The words fell lightly, yet they landed like a silent thunderclap.

Who would have thought that Si Xiaoxiao—who just moments ago looked as though she couldn’t take care of herself and would melt the moment she left Li Ting’s arms—would instantly look as if she’d been injected with a shot of adrenaline? Her face transformed completely.

Those mist-veiled eyes suddenly ignited, like pearls being wiped free of dust, flashing with a sharp and steady light. The pathetic cowardice on her face receded like a tide, replaced by a sort of heroic resolve, as if she were protecting her own cub.

She immediately changed her tune, her voice decisive and filled with the headstrong spirit unique to youth: “Then hold onto me, Sister. I’ll lead you out!”

Before the words had even finished hanging in the air, she had already released her hold on Li Ting’s waist. But the movement wasn’t a distancing; it was a shift in position. Her hand slid down rapidly, accurately capturing Li Ting’s cool hand and pressing against it without a word, forming a firm, inseparable bond.

Her palm was warm—even a bit damp with sweat from her brief “performance” and the surge of current emotions—as it pressed tightly against Li Ting’s cool fingertips.

That moist, warm sensation felt like a faint electric current, traveling along the skin where they touched all the way to Li Ting’s heart. This wasn’t just a hand-hold; it was a silent proclamation and an act of possession, carrying an undeniable sense of guardianship.

At the thought of being her “Sister’s” support—of being the guiding light in this artificial darkness—Si Xiaoxiao felt everything was worth it.

Small advantages, like lingering in an embrace or staying close a bit longer, were instantly tossed to the back of her mind.

“Great King Xiaoxiao” knew how to prioritize. She understood the difference between the treatment one gets as a “younger sister” and the treatment she truly craved—the role of a “girlfriend.”

Li Ting looked at their tightly interlaced hands. Her heart felt as though it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, sparking another uncontrollable throb.

That warm, slightly damp sensation was so real, burning through the skin and straight into her soul.

She didn’t speak; there was no need.

In this moment, any words would have been hollow. She simply curled her fingers in silence, gripping that hand back even more firmly, fully enveloping that soft yet steady palm within her own cool—but gradually warming—hand.

It was as if, through this gesture, she wasn’t just accepting this sudden protection, but also quietly conveying her own hidden longing to be treated this way. She allowed herself to be led by Si Xiaoxiao, step by step, toward the faint glimmer of light at the exit of the haunted house.

In the darkness, their breathing was clearly audible.

Li Ting could feel Si Xiaoxiao walking half a step ahead, her back straight and tall, like a knight shielding her from all ghosts and monsters.

Her hand was held tight with a pressure that brought a comforting sense of certainty. The previously manufactured horror sound effects and the occasional flickering shadows seemed to lose their power. In her world, it felt as though nothing remained but the silhouette in front of her and the two hands joined together.

It wasn’t until they stood once more under the brilliant sunshine, the warm light dispelling the lingering chill, that Li Ting felt she had regained her normal breathing rhythm.

The senses that had been infinitely magnified in the dark began to recede, but the palpitation caused by that excessive intimacy did not fade. Feeling a bit self-conscious, she subtly moved her fingers, intending to loosen her grip slightly to ease the scorching sensation that felt as if it might burn her skin.

I can’t… she warned herself, yet she found herself drawn to the heat like a moth to a flame.

However, her slight retreat was immediately detected by Si Xiaoxiao.

The hand did not follow her lead and let go; instead, it tightened even further. The grip was firm, carrying a kind of forceful refusal to be denied.

“Sister’s hands are so cold,” Si Xiaoxiao turned her head to look at her. Her gaze was as pure as a mountain spring, seemingly without a trace of ulterior motive. Yet, the slight upward curve of her lips and the way her thumb lightly brushed against the back of Li Ting’s hand carried a hint of a subtle, practiced flirtation: “Let me warm them for you.”

Her actions and words formed a sharp contrast: her eyes held the pristine clarity of the unworldly, yet the strength of her grip and the subtle friction of her fingertips were like a stone cast into the lake of Li Ting’s heart, sending out layer upon layer of ripples.

Who on earth taught her this… damn it…

Looking at the expression of intertwined innocence and seduction on that brilliant profile, Li Ting’s mind was a chaotic mess—like a ball of yarn tangled by a cat’s claws. Her reason shrieked at her to maintain distance, yet her emotions greedily drank in this rare intimacy.

Was she… truly this oblivious, or was she… instinctively, naturally luring her in?

No, it was different.

Clearly, back when she had her full memories, she had been impossibly tsundere—like a little hedgehog with its spines raised. She wouldn’t utter a single soft word and seemed desperate to draw a clear line between them on every occasion.

But now, having lost those adult anxieties and past grievances, the Si Xiaoxiao who remained was purely dependent on her. She had become so blunt, so clingy… It must be because, in Xiaoxiao’s currently nascent world, Li Ting was the only person who existed.

This realization was a double-edged sword. On one side, it brought a massive sense of happiness that threatened to drown her; on the other, it cut open a hidden, guilt-ridden wound.

How wonderful. I truly want to possess this version of Xiaoxiao forever—so direct, with eyes only for me, staying like this for eternity.

The thought grew like a wild vine in the depths of her heart, twisting with a dark, unspeakable possessiveness that coiled around her body. Li Ting’s heart trembled along with the thought, a mixture of guilt and extreme longing nearly breaking through the surface.

She knew such thoughts were selfish and dangerous; she knew that the current Si Xiaoxiao was “incomplete.” Yet, she still couldn’t stop wishing that time would simply freeze here, allowing her to fully own this unreserved reliance and gaze.

Yes, it really is wonderful, isn’t it  That shadowy voice in the depths of her mind spoke again, echoing her greed with a seductive tone.

Li Ting snapped her eyes shut. When she opened them again, the surging dark tide in her gaze was forcibly suppressed.

She looked at Si Xiaoxiao’s profile, now gilded by the sunlight. The girl’s delicate skin was almost translucent, and her long lashes rested like butterfly wings.

She didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, as if reaching a silent resolution or driven by that inner hunger, she adjusted the angle of her fingers. She transformed the simple hand-hold into something more intimate—fingers interlaced, locking together without a gap.

A lucid fall, nothing more.

This subtle change caused Si Xiaoxiao’s heart to skip a beat.

The smile at the corner of her mouth deepened instantly. Like a child who had successfully sneaked a piece of candy, she swung their joined hands with sheer contentment.

At the end of the day, she was still a “child”—so easily satisfied.

At the exit of the haunted house, the staff member responsible for the stamps stared at the ridiculously low heart rate data on the screen. Her face was a picture of disappointment, her gaze darting between their interlaced hands and their unnervingly calm faces. Her expression screamed disbelief and heartbreak.

It was as if her eyes were saying: How is this possible?! How can your heart rates be as steady as if you were taking a stroll in that atmosphere?! Was that tight hugging inside all fake?! Is my ship sinking?! Or is our haunted house just not scary enough? Are they both just ghost-defying experts??

In truth, even Li Ting found it strange.

Though she had tried her best to remain composed, being held like that by Si Xiaoxiao and experiencing that emotionally charged hand-holding should have made her heart rate anything but steady. This data was indeed unusually low.

However, with Si Xiaoxiao urging her to get the stamp quickly, Li Ting didn’t dwell on it.

It wasn’t until they had walked a good distance away, ensuring there were no “ears or eyes” nearby, that Si Xiaoxiao finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. She leaned in close to Li Ting’s ear, her warm breath mixing with a sweet fragrance as it brushed against Li Ting’s sensitive earlobe, sending a faint shiver through her.

She lowered her voice, sounding like a mischievous child who had gotten away with something: “Sister, I was nervous to death just now. Luckily, the staff didn’t realize I’d messed with it.”

“Messed with it?” Li Ting tilted her head slightly, looking at the nearby face filled with a sly smile, feeling confused.

She could smell the faint scent of her own body wash on Si Xiaoxiao, blended with the girl’s own sweet, warm aura—a unique fragrance that made her heart lose its rhythm.

Si Xiaoxiao grinned like a mouse that had successfully stolen some oil, looking a bit sheepish but clearly proud: “Yeah!”

She held up her free hand to demonstrate: “Actually, before we went in, I secretly checked that heart rate monitor. While the staff wasn’t looking, I moved the sensor patches on our wrists a little bit, away from where the pulse is strong. So, the data it measured was totally wrong—it was way slower than our actual heartbeats!”

So that was it. Li Ting realized. No wonder…

Analyzing her own heart honestly, she had actually felt a bit disappointed and bothered by the fact that Si Xiaoxiao’s heart hadn’t been racing. After all, heart rate is the physiological indicator that best reflects one’s true feelings.

And now…

“Then you…” She looked at Si Xiaoxiao.

Si Xiaoxiao’s eyes were bright—brighter than all the neon lights in the amusement park combined. They were like meteors streaking across a silent night sky, carrying a brilliant, headlong intensity: “Because whenever I’m with Sister, I would lose.”

“So…” Her smile was stunningly vivid, possessing a candidness that suggested she understood everything and was willing to fall anyway. She paused, looking into Li Ting’s suddenly stunned eyes. Her smile held a trace of shyness, but it was overshadowed by an immense sincerity and the impact of a direct confession:

“So, I didn’t want to lose.”

As expected, Si Xiaoxiao was still Si Xiaoxiao—no matter the age, and no matter if she had her memories or not.

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