Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Contrast

The cool night breeze gently blew, and Nia leaned against the chimney on the rooftop, gazing up at the starry sky above.

In the afternoon, dark clouds had gathered, but unexpectedly, the rainclouds drifted away, revealing the bright moon above.

Through the faint haze, some stars in the sky were still visible. If it weren’t for the pungent smell of the streets, this would have been a refreshing evening.

Suddenly, Nia lowered her head as her gaze seemed to be drawn by a dim light. She looked toward the opposite window and through the curtain, she could see a candlelight flickering inside.

Beneath the glow of the candle, a silhouette holding another figure appeared reflected on the curtain.

That’s… oh, Miss Xia’er is awake already? But the young mistress fell asleep…

Indeed, the young mistress recently saw hope for promotion and had been working tirelessly all night to complete the replication ritual. It was only natural that she fell asleep while looking after Miss Xia’er.

After watching Miss Xia’er gently tuck the young mistress into bed with the covers, Nia’s gaze shifted away from the window. After scanning the surroundings without finding anything unusual, she returned her attention to the moonlit sky.

However, a few minutes later, Nia seemed to hear something and looked down curiously towards the direction of the curtain.

Through her vision, two silhouettes sat facing each other behind the curtain. Then one silhouette gradually moved closer, pushing the other onto the bed.

This… this…

Nia scratched her metallic chin awkwardly, coughed softly twice, and glanced around left and right.

Young people these days really are…

Nia raised her right hand, seemingly gripping something, and swung it towards the window.

It was a red-hot iron plate, which stuck to the wall when thrown below the window.

As Nia opened her palm, a thin metal curtain slowly rose, enveloping the entire window and blocking the view from others.

She had heard about matters between men and women, having lived so long, but between women… can they even have children?

But the good thing is, she wouldn’t need to remind the young mistress about contraception issues.

No wonder the young mistress refused dance invitations from noble children since childhood—it seems the gender didn’t match.

The moonlight is truly beautiful.

Nia crossed her arms over her chest armor and looked up at the moon, pondering these questions—throughout her long life, she had grown accustomed to contemplating such “boring” matters to keep her mind active.

…

Meanwhile, inside Xia’er’s room, the delicate fragrances of the young ladies intertwined.

From simple exploration to growing intensity, their breathing gradually became heavier.

Aivana’s hands had risen, threading through Xia’er’s hair and hooking around her neck.

Xia’er’s hair draped beside her face, surrounding her with Xia’er’s scent. This dreamlike sensation made Aivana feel slightly suffocated, forgetting how to breathe, wishing only to prolong this moment.

Aivana hadn’t noticed when she closed her eyes, unsure what to do next, feeling content just staying like this.

At least, this was the first time since she could remember that she experienced such an overwhelming sense of pleasure and relaxation.

Gradually, Aivana’s hands no longer remained confined to Xia’er’s neck; they began to slide down restlessly, exploring unfamiliar textures with her fingertips.

However, a drop of water landed on her tightly shut left eye, snapping Aivana out of her daze. She slowly opened her right eye and looked at Xia’er, who also had her eyes tightly closed.

But Xia’er’s eyes were brimming with tears.

Xia’er?

Aivana retracted her hands and gently placed them on Xia’er’s shoulders, pulling her back slightly. After calming her breathing a little, she spoke softly, “Did I… hurt you?”

Aivana’s voice carried a hint of tension; she wasn’t sure what exactly she had done or how much force she had used—indeed, she hadn’t exerted much strength at all.

“Hm? No, it’s fine…”

In Aivana’s sight, Xia’er slowly straightened her posture and then unexpectedly raised her hand to touch her own cheek.

Only now did Xia’er seem to notice that she was crying.

“Strange…”

Xia’er wiped her tears haphazardly across her face, but the more she wiped, the more tears flowed uncontrollably, like a dam breaking despite Xia’er having no intention to cry.

Even Xia’er herself hadn’t realized that the pressure she had been accumulating and suppressing deep within herself was finally being released, albeit just a little bit.

Just now, perhaps, was the most stress-free moment Xia’er had experienced since three years ago.

For that brief moment, she didn’t need to think about life and death, survival, or becoming stronger. All she needed was to let go of her pent-up stress.

And upon regaining her senses, the whispers in her mind and the searing pain in her spirit reminded her that she was still living in a dangerous world.

She felt no sadness, only complexity—an emotion so intricate that even she couldn’t fully explain it.

Lying in bed, Aivana watched Xia’er sitting there silently weeping and felt a sharp pang of pain in her heart.

How much suffering had Xia’er endured alone, hidden from view? How much pain had she buried deep within herself?

Although Aivana had only conducted spiritual healing sessions twice for Xia’er, during those sessions, she had sensed intense emotions of pain, each time different.

Aivana knew well that Xia’er harbored many secrets yet to be uncovered.

But Aivana wouldn’t ask directly. If Xia’er wanted to open up, she would say it herself.

What Xia’er needed most now was rest, allowing her spirit to completely relax.

Aivana slowly reached out and grabbed Xia’er’s arm.

Suddenly being pulled, Xia’er looked down at Aivana with confusion. Immediately, she felt a gentle tug coming from Aivana’s hand.

Though weak, Xia’er didn’t resist, following Aivana’s pull and bending down slowly.

Just as Xia’er’s cheek was about to touch Aivana’s face, Aivana suddenly turned her body as if trying to change position.

But as Aivana exerted force, Xia’er instinctively stabilized herself, making Aivana blush furiously without being able to move an inch.

Slap.

Aivana’s hands rested on Xia’er’s…

On Xia’er’s cheek, Aivana said shamefully: “Don’t press so hard!”

“Mm…”

Xia’er seemed unaware that she had inadvertently embarrassed Aivana, merely following her words and stopping the forceful pressure. She let Aivana turn over and change position.

Aivana reached out to untie Xia’er’s belt, removing the blood-stained dress from her body, leaving only a thin petticoat embroidered with stuffed rabbit patterns.

When Aivana was about to undo her own waistband, she seemed to think of something, picked up Xia’er’s left hand, and placed it in front of Xia’er’s eyes, whispering softly:

“Cover your own eyes…”

“Mm…”

Obediently, Xia’er lifted both hands to cover her eyes. In the darkness, she could only hear the rustling sound of clothes being taken off.

“Take your hands away…”

“Alright.”

Xia’er loosened her grip, watching Aivana’s blushed face holding a handkerchief, gently wiping away the tear stains on her cheeks.

Patta—

After cleaning Xia’er’s face, Aivana snapped her fingers, extinguishing the candle that was already burning down to the end.

The iron curtain outside the window blocked even a sliver of moonlight, plunging the room into absolute darkness almost instantly.

In the pitch-black room where one couldn’t see their own fingers, Xia’er felt Aivana getting off her and fumbling for something on the bed.

Soon, Xia’er sensed something approaching her head, recognizing it by touch.

A pillow?

Xia’er raised her hand to lift her slightly disheveled long hair, slowly raising her head as the pillow was slipped under her head. Then, Aivana pulled up the blanket and covered them both.

The room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard. Soon after, Xia’er felt Aivana’s arms gently cradling her head, her cheek pressing against a small softness separated by smooth silk.

Aivana began to sing softly—a lullaby Xia’er had heard before, hummed by Aivana herself…

This lullaby, imbued with the “Psychologist” ability, gradually calmed the restless murmurs in Xia’er’s mind, relaxing her tensed muscles.

After hesitating for a moment, Xia’er extended her arms and hugged Aivana’s slender waist, slowly closing her eyes.

Thank you, Aivana.

Xia’er didn’t say these words aloud. She knew the other party probably wouldn’t like hearing them. Instead of verbal thanks, perhaps Xia’er should do something practical to repay her, even if it were just a cheap but heartfelt little gift.

Xia’er’s complex emotions gradually settled down, and her tense spirit began to relax. Accompanied by Aivana’s warmth, fragrance, and gentle humming, she slowly fell asleep.

If only Aivana could accompany her every night…

Before drifting off to sleep, this was the only thought remaining in Xia’er’s mind.

…

The next day.

Borough City, Clock Tower Lane District, No. 144 North-South Stone Street.

Aivana stood by the bedside, dressing herself. Xia’er, lying in bed, slowly opened her eyes only after Aivana finished dressing.

As soon as she opened her eyes, Xia’er felt an indescribable sense of relief. Except for the murmurs still echoing in her brain, her spirit seemed greatly replenished and restored, no longer feeling perpetually tense.

Most importantly, she no longer felt the splitting pain in her brain. Instead, there were intermittent dull aches — which was much better than before.

It might just be because she hadn’t slept so comfortably for too long. Lying in bed, Xia’er felt her whole body limp, not wanting to move at all.

She turned her head slightly and looked at Aivana, who was dressed and standing by the bed, gazing down at her with a cold expression.

“Do you want to have breakfast?”

Aivana put on her glasses and asked, seemingly returning to her usual indifferent demeanor, though her words still carried concern.

Was last night related to drinking?

“Yes.”

Xia’er nodded. Last night, she had eaten almost nothing and slept straight through until morning. By now, Xia’er felt her stomach pressed tightly against her back from hunger.

Perhaps her limpness was related to not eating.

“I’ve already arranged for the meal to be sent over. After you get dressed, come downstairs.”

Aivana walked toward the door. Before leaving, she seemed to remember something, turned around, and asked Xia’er, “Do you have time later?”

“Yes.”

Xia’er nodded. The event had been resolved, and the simulation had refreshed due to timeout. This should be the period when she would have the most free time.

“There’s a banquet in the afternoon. Will you accompany me?”

Aivana paused for a moment and added, “There should be quite a bit of food.”

A banquet… a noble banquet? Or an extraordinary person’s banquet? Regardless of which, Xia’er wasn’t very interested…

“I’ll accompany you.”

Seemingly noticing Xia’er’s hesitation, Aivana spoke directly, somewhat forcefully.

This was just an ordinary noble banquet. Aivana also wanted Xia’er to relax more and not dive headfirst into other events again. It absolutely wasn’t because she herself was bored and wanted Xia’er to accompany her.

“Alright.”

Xia’er nodded. Now, looking at Aivana, who appeared cold as usual but occasionally showed a strong side, she found it slightly novel.

Compared to last night, when she couldn’t be strong at all—delicate, soft, and especially prone to shyness—the contrast was quite significant.

After Aivana left, Xia’er also went to the wardrobe, took out a set of clean clothes, got dressed, and then walked downstairs. By then, the dining table downstairs was already laden with a feast.

(Supplementary note: Purple sweet potato pudding)

PS:

Cough cough, I originally planned to write eight thousand words tonight, but I got home late after working out, and I have a game to watch soon. To avoid missing the upcoming feast, I can only painfully release 4000 words.

I will definitely add more tomorrow! Starting with 6K!

Come on! Tomorrow’s me!

Good night!