Chapter 98

Chapter 18: Plans and Counts

　When they returned to the Yuan Family Compound, the others had just come back as well.

　Yuan Xiaoling went to the living room to find something to eat and bumped into Yuan Ye and Yuan Tong along the way.

　”Hey, you’re back. How was your training today?” the Blonde-haired Maiden asked, “How many tiers have you leveled up?”

　Yuan Ye’s group immediately felt a bit awkward.

　”Sis, it’s already good enough if we can optimize our skills and use our abilities better each day. Leveling up is something rare and hard to come by.”

　Yuan Tong then complained about their experience in the forest today. Although they didn’t accidentally disturb a nest of spirits or trigger anything from the late third-tier level, they did unintentionally provoke a large number of flower spirits. These flower spirits may not have any devastating attacks, but each one kept spraying toxic pollen. They almost suffocated during the fight.

　”Wow, that was quite an adventure,” Yuan Xiaoling exclaimed in amazement, “We also went to the flowers today. The air smelled great, the honey was sweet, and the petals drifting around were truly beautiful.”

　”You guys are on a date, sigh, I envy your girlfriend so much,” Yuan Tong said, “She gets to enjoy the flowers, the moon, and even her cousin.”

　Yuan Xiaoling thought to herself that there was also the jade rabbit to admire.

　”By the way, why isn’t she with you? Isn’t she coming out for dinner?”

　”I don’t know.”

　…………

　Bai Ling indeed didn’t come out. Since returning from the flower viewing party, she had stayed in her room, occasionally touching the bracelet on her wrist.

　At first glance, it looked like a jade bracelet from a jewelry store, but its color was more radiant. The resin inside seemed to still be flowing, making it very beautiful.

　Do I have to wear this all the time? If I take it off, what kind of box should I put it in? Should I show it when wearing it? Long sleeves or short sleeves… oh, there are only short sleeves in the wardrobe, so this question doesn’t need consideration.

　Knock knock knock, someone knocked on the door.

　”Bai Ling, are you inside? I’m coming in.”

　Yuan Xiaoling entered the room with a lunch box and saw Bai Ling sitting absentmindedly by the bed. She couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been sitting in the house since you came back, neither eating nor playing with your phone. What are you thinking about?”

　”Nothing,” Bai Ling lowered her hand, “I’m just resting.”

　”Resting?”

　Yuan Xiaoling hummed, “Young people should be more active. Look at your frail body, it’s worrying.”

　You should learn from me; I’m not tired at all.

　Bai Ling gave her a sidelong glance, “I will only move on you.”

　”…Then you should arrange your exercise methods more reasonably.”

　Yuan Xiaoling felt a slight dragon king instinct and decided not to continue this topic. It would be better to let Bai Ling eat first, lest she suddenly want to eat lemons.

　Lemon brought normal meals, not those tonics, so after finishing the meal, Bai Ling’s mood was still relatively calm.

　”When we return, do we go directly to the airport, or do we need to go home once?” she suddenly asked.

　”What?” Yuan Xiaoling looked up at her.

　”I mean, if we go back, wouldn’t it be better not to,” Bai Ling uncomfortably raised her hand, showing the bracelet on her wrist, “If we go back, Auntie will see it.”

　She still remembered that Yuan Xiaoling said they shouldn’t let Qu Wan discover their secret for at least half a year. Because of this condition, she was the only one who ended up being dominated by the blonde girl and went first.

　It was utterly humiliating.

　”There is such a matter,” Yuan Xiaoling nodded, “Then I’ll call Mom later.”

　At the dinner table, Dad Yuan Weicheng also knew about his daughter’s departure.

　”Do you have to leave so early? There’s still time left in summer vacation.”

　”Hmm, but there’s no time left in Tianhai City,” Yuan Xiaoling frowned seriously, “Dad, as the saying goes, if I don’t descend into hell, who will?”

　”What? Is it that dangerous?” Yuan Weicheng stood up instantly, reacting quickly, “Then don’t go back. Just stay here with Xiao Bai.”

　”…I was just using a metaphor. Me and Bai Ling are pretty strong.”

　After much persuasion, Yuan Xiaoling finally made Yuan Weicheng understand. Currently, Tianhai City was in a state of chaos, and as the saying goes, times of turmoil produce heroes. The earlier they returned, the better. They might even hit it big. The longer they wait, the more opportunities they’d miss.

　”Alright… Did you have fun at the flower viewing party today?”

　”It was fun. Grandpa even gave Bai Ling a bracelet.”

　”Is that so?” Yuan Weicheng reflected thoughtfully.

　He pondered for a moment and said, “Since even your grandpa knows now and has given the bracelet, your mom probably won’t oppose too much. There’s no need to keep hiding it…”

　”No, let’s keep it hidden for another half year,” Yuan Xiaoling said mysteriously, “The timing isn’t right yet.”

　She also planned to trick Bai Ling one or two more times. Although her previous scheme was discovered, the next one must involve a different approach. Regardless, every opportunity counts.

　Yuan Weicheng wanted to say something more, but in the end, he hesitated several times and said nothing.

　His daughter had grown up, becoming powerful and encountering things he knew nothing about. In such circumstances, as a father, there was only one thing he could say:

　”Eat more rice, don’t starve yourself.”

　”Of course,” Yuan Xiaoling confidently replied, “There’s absolutely no possibility of starving.”

　A little mouth eats every day.

　Another one… Bai Ling feeds her.

　Soon, Yuan Ye and the others also learned of her departure and came to bid her farewell.

　The older cousins had mixed feelings. The once obscure distant cousin, far away in some other place, suddenly became an unreachable fourth-tier powerhouse. This summer, she even returned in glory, flaunting her success in front of everyone.

　Now, Yuan Xiaoling was about to leave, and their subconscious reaction was—

　She’s finally gone.

　It wasn’t that they had any issues with Yuan Xiaoling. Rather, whenever she stood there, they felt a strong sense of inadequacy. No matter how much they trained, nothing seemed exciting anymore, as if all their efforts had lost meaning.

　In summary, she’s finally gone.

　Yuan Tong didn’t come to say goodbye because he was discussing plans to start a business in Tianhai City with a few brothers. After Yuan Xiaoling returned in a week or two, they would arrive as well.

　Finally, she called her mother, Qu Wan. Knowing her daughter had things to do in Tianhai City, Qu Wan didn’t insist, only reminding her to be careful.

　By the time Bai Ling came out, Yuan Xiaoling had already finished her farewells, holding a box of souvenirs and two plane tickets.

　”Let’s go.”

　It was getting late, and under the night sky, the two girls took a car to the Chunhai City airport.

　Grandfather originally wanted to see them off, but Yuan Xiaoling persuaded him to stay. Not because she was worried about his physical condition—after all, he didn’t have these issues—but mainly because…

　”Grandpa, it’s nighttime now, there’s no sun. Without the sun, you can’t perform photosynthesis; you’ll only be doing respiration,” Yuan Xiaoling explained earnestly, “So… let us go ourselves.”

　The obedient and filial Lemon didn’t want to compete with her grandfather for air.

　Thus, her grandfather lightly tapped her head with a leaf and returned.

　The plane took off, ascending into the high skies, heading towards the coastal city.

　”Although the vacation was short, it feels like it was quite nice,” Yuan Xiaoling told Bai Ling, “How about you? How do you feel?”

　”Hmm,” Bai Ling responded indifferently, “Pretty good.”

　”You naturally think it’s pretty good.” Yuan Xiaoling snorted.

　Of course you think it’s good—you broke me three times in two days.

　Pervert!

　As the plane gradually stabilized, Lemon leaned back in her soft seat and dozed off.

　Bai Ling gazed at the night outside the window, then looked at the sleeping blonde beside her. She suddenly envied Yuan Xiaoling, carefree and able to sleep soundly. Whenever she calmed down, however, her mind began to wander.

　Back to Tianhai City, facing off against powerful families, struggling for survival amidst conspiracies in the last life, dying unwillingly in ambushes. What about this life?

　But regardless, the situation this life was completely different from the last. In the previous life, she was alone, surrounded only by unreliable allies. This time, she had Yuan Xiaoling by her side.

　Even though the numbers seemed fewer, Yuan Xiaoling wouldn’t abandon her.

　”Hmm~ wow.”

　The blonde beside her murmured softly in her sleep.

　Upon reflection, perhaps Lemon was always by her side in the previous life, just hiding during her triumphant moments and only showing up when things went wrong.

　So, if she had found Lemon earlier during her triumphant times in the previous life, what would have happened?

　Bai Ling calmly thought about it for a while and ultimately realized… it wouldn’t have changed much.

　Although the last life was painful, everything before the final betrayal and death was relatively normal, and she wouldn’t have forced herself on Lemon.

　So… having desires is actually good; otherwise, she’d have missed out on so many wonderful things.

　This random thought popped into Bai Ling’s mind, and she felt her body heat up slightly.

　Thinking about desires led her to Yuan Xiaoling, thinking about Yuan Xiaoling led her to Dabeitu, thinking about Dabeitu led her to white legs, thinking about white legs led her to a slender waist, thinking about a slender waist led her to sweet flowers… Stop! This is on a plane.

　Might as well check her phone. That long post she bookmarked on the forum last time was still unfinished.

　Bai Ling picked up her phone, logged into the forum, and checked the offline cached post. As she read, she suddenly saw this line—

　”If you visit someone’s house and their parents give you something, although you must treasure it, you don’t have to wear it every day. You can save it for special occasions like holidays when you visit again.”

　…So, it doesn’t have to be worn every day?

　Bai Ling touched the bracelet on her wrist and quietly sighed in relief.

　At least she wouldn’t have to wear long sleeves.

　……

　The plane landed smoothly, and Lemon quietly woke up. However, it wasn’t until they left the airport and settled into the hotel room that she fully regained consciousness.

　”I accidentally fell asleep. Looks like yesterday was really tiring for me, hmm hmm hmm… ah~” Yuan Xiaoling stretched vigorously, “Tianhai City looks pretty much the same as before.”

　Outside, skyscrapers still towered, except for that former landmark building which was now a charred frame, standing silently under the moonlight like a tombstone.

　There weren’t many changes otherwise.

　”Even if there are changes, they won’t be reflected in the tall buildings.” Bai Ling said indifferently.

　The battle among Spiritual Energy Manipulators had begun, not urban construction projects.

　”Whatever, it’s all fine.”

　Yuan Xiaoling stretched again, not caring that Dabeitu peeked out from beneath her collar.

　”So, what do you plan to do?” she asked Bai Ling.

　”…Plan?”

　Bai Ling blinked in surprise.

　”That’s right, a plan.” Yuan Xiaoling gestured with her small hands, “Your memories from the previous life are so clear, surely you know what’s going to happen next, how to lay out strategies, what methods to use, where to attack first, whether to engage in endless battles or focus on operations?”

　Bai Ling opened her mouth but said nothing.

　Yuan Xiaoling blinked her eyes, “You haven’t thought about it? What was your original plan?”

　”Nothing… no particular plan,” Bai Ling tightened her expression, speaking softly, “Just to uncover the truth, find the real culprit, and then seek revenge.”

　”How will you seek revenge? Will you just rush in and cut them down?”

　”…”

　Bai Ling didn’t respond because initially, that was exactly what she had in mind—a simple plan to ambush from the shadows and take advantage of the element of surprise.

　”You didn’t sleep on the plane, did you? Didn’t you think carefully about the plan?” Yuan Xiaoling asked again, “Think about it.”

　Bai Ling’s lips twitched but remained silent.

　She had intended to think about the plan, but somehow, her thoughts kept drifting to Lemon, then to Dabeitu, white legs, sweet flowers…

　”Pfft, Bai Ling really is…”

　Yuan Xiaoling could barely hold back, feeling an instinctual impulse breaking free from its constraints.

　”Isn’t that just like a minnow?”

　Bai Ling pressed her lips together, expressionless, silently counting in her heart.

　1.

　”Aren’t you supposed to be skilled with Mental-type powers and spiritual force? Why aren’t you using your brain? Has using telekinesis too much turned your brain into muscles?”

　2.

　”They always say big chest, no brain, but I don’t see yours being particularly large. I think, so why can’t you?”

　3.

　”Explain yourself. Someone without brains or skills, isn’t that just a minnow?”

　4… no, this counts double, 5.

　”Let the brilliant Miss Lemon help you come up with a plan!”

　Yuan Xiaoling waved her hand, “Although we study in Tianhai City and you’re a local from Tianhai, considering the current situation, we’re basically rootless, worse than local thugs. This won’t do, so we need to find a partner.”

　”The local chambers of commerce in Tianhai are fragmented, and the Spiritual Energy Manipulators previously under their command are scattered. Currently, the only organization with appeal left in the area is Luo Boss’s Nameless Bar, and we can collaborate with them.”

　”With the support of the bar’s manpower, we can seize an area opportunistically as a geographical foothold. My suggestion is the beach in the west district because it’s abundant in water, with infinite ocean resources, perfectly suited for my power… definitely not because I want to play at the beach or eat seafood.”

　”In this way, we’ll have the sea as our backing, manpower assistance for tasks, capable of both offense and defense. With time, we can bide our time and observe changes.”

　Yuan Xiaoling placed her hands on her hips proudly and said, “What do you think? Isn’t it perfect?”

　Bai Ling looked up at her.

　Although these words didn’t mock her, the look on the blonde busty girl’s face was so arrogant that it deserved +1.

　”It’s well-thought-out, but we need to know the current situation in Tianhai City and the status of the Nameless Bar,” Bai Ling said indifferently, “We’ll only know once we meet them.”

　”That’s true. Let’s sleep now and find them tomorrow during the day!”

　Yuan Xiaoling reclined, reflecting, “Although Tianhai City is the place we know best, the school is closed, your house is gone, and we don’t even have a place to rest. We need to secure the beach area as soon as possible… this bed is pretty soft.”

　Hmm, wait, that’s right. The school is closed, Bai Ling’s house is gone, so where are we lying right now?

　The blonde busty girl suddenly realized this small issue.

　”Couples’ hotel,” Bai Ling slowly uttered four words, then placed her hands on the sheet, looking down at her from above, “You’re right, we should sleep now.”

　”Huh? I clearly said sleep… eek!”

　Bai Ling grabbed her ankle and gently said while looking at the sweet flowers,

　”You can count in your heart. There are 6 turns left.”

　That was the number of times the blonde busty girl mocked her earlier.