Chapter 114 p1
That night, Lou Mi couldn’t bring herself to leave.
Seeing Chi Lin clinging to her like a child, content and safe in her arms, made it impossible for her to leave.
“I’ll come back after my shower.”
Lou Mi had thought it was too soon, too forward.
But Chi Lin readily agreed:
“Okay, I’ll make you some calming tea.”
So they were sleeping together?
As Lou Mi applied her skincare routine after her shower, a thought struck her.
They had been dating for over half a year, what exactly had they done?
Had they… done everything?
Holy shit.
Looking at the photos on her phone, although there was no evidence of kissing or anything too intimate, they were always so close in every photo, clearly very comfortable with each other.
It would be strange if they hadn’t done anything…
So, they had?
But Chi Lin had just turned eighteen…
Was she a predator?
The thought made her drop her expensive skincare cream, the entire jar shattering on the floor.
Lou Mi: “…”
Picking up the pieces, she looked at her phone.
Xie Buyu and the others would definitely know all the gossip.
Should she ask?
Lou Mi opened WeChat, then hesitated.
If they had done it, it was fine, but if they hadn’t…?
Xie Buyu would laugh her ass off.
She could already imagine the mockery:
“Sister Mi, you haven’t even regained your memories, and you’re already thinking about your little sister? Tsk, tsk, memory loss reveals true character.”
Lou Mi leaned against the wall. No, she couldn’t ask Xie Buyu.
She should ask Chi Lin directly.
It was a normal question for a couple, wasn’t it?
As long as her intentions were pure, her actions were pure.
Lou Mi dried and tied her hair, encouraging herself:
“It’s fine, she’s just a kid, you’re a grown-up, just ask.”
Wearing her nightgown, she knocked on Chi Lin’s door.
Chi Lin, also fresh from the shower, opened the door, the scent of her shower gel lingering in the air.
“You’re here…” Chi Lin, in a pink nightgown, held a cup of tea. “Would you like some calming tea? It helps with sleep.”
Chi Lin’s long hair was down, and she looked soft and fragrant, a distinctly feminine aura that made Lou Mi’s heart flutter.
“Thank you.” Lou Mi took the tea and sniffed it. “It smells unique.”
“It’s your favorite,” Chi Lin said.
Lou Mi, feeling unexpectedly nervous, took a sip. The taste was unusual, unlike anything she had ever tasted.
“What’s in it?”
“Mostly Fuxuanzi.”
“Never heard of it. But it’s good.”
Lou Mi finished the small cup in two gulps.
Chi Lin took the cup to the kitchen. Lou Mi had wanted to take it herself, but seeing Chi Lin’s caring gesture, she couldn’t refuse.
She had to admit, she felt a bit awkward and flustered around Chi Lin.
Chi Lin returned, and they entered the room.
As Chi Lin closed the door, she turned to Lou Mi and whispered:
“Can I still call you ‘sister’?”
Lou Mi, pretending to be busy with Chi Lin’s homework:
“Of course, it’s a bit cheesy, but I’ll get used to it. Or ‘Your Majesty,’ whatever you want.”
Chi Lin smiled: “Thank you.”
Lou Mi looked up at her: “What’s there to thank me for, silly.”
Chi Lin continued to smile.
…So adorable.
Lou Mi thought she must have been blind before, blind to Chi Lin’s cuteness.
How could she have ever disliked her?
Lou Mi’s mind wandered.
She wanted to hug Chi Lin again.
What excuse could she use?
She stared at the English words on the page, unable to focus.
“Your pajamas are cute,” she said, making conversation, trying to avoid awkward silence.
Chi Lin: “You bought them for me.”
“Oh, I have good taste?”
“You said my other clothes were too boring, that pink suits me.”
“It does, you look good in pink.”
Chi Lin glanced at her bare legs, still not used to skirts and dresses.
But seeing that Her Majesty liked them, she felt reassured.
Silence again.
Dating was hard, Lou Mi thought, she couldn’t even touch her own girlfriend.
Maybe they should just sleep, talk more when they were more comfortable.
Otherwise, Chi Lin might think she was being too forward.
Okay, that’s what she would do.
Just as Lou Mi closed her tablet and stood up, Chi Lin hugged her from behind.
The sudden embrace made Lou Mi stumble.
But Chi Lin held her steady.
“Sister, can I hug you for a bit?”
“Of course…”
“Thank you.”
Lou Mi felt Chi Lin’s arms tighten around her, the warmth of her body seeping through their pajamas.
Was she crying again?
After a while, Lou Mi turned around: “The tea is working, I’m sleepy. Time for bed?”
“Okay.” Chi Lin’s fingers still clung to Lou Mi’s nightgown.
Lou Mi took her hand: “Do you mind if I hold you?”
Chi Lin seemed surprised: “Really?”
Lou Mi chuckled and patted her head: “Of course, we’re dating.”
Chi Lin’s joy was pure and childlike, making Lou Mi wonder—
How far had they gone before? Why was Chi Lin so attached to her?
But the WeChat logs only showed playful banter, no details of their intimacy.
Were all couples’ conversations this shallow?
Lou Mi lay in bed, wondering how to hold Chi Lin, when Chi Lin snuggled close, as if afraid she would disappear.
Chi Lin wrapped her arms around Lou Mi’s waist: “Can I use your arm as a pillow? Just for a bit?”
The soft glow of the night light illuminated Chi Lin’s face, her eyes filled with longing and a hint of hesitation.
Lou Mi extended her arm: “You can use it forever.”
“Thank you…”
Chi Lin leaned against her, their bodies close.
Lou Mi could hear her heartbeat.
“Stop saying ‘thank you’,” Lou Mi wrapped her arm around Chi Lin, pulling her closer. “I’m the one who let you down, don’t be so reserved, just tell me what you want. I’ll do anything for you.”
Lou Mi thought she had said the right thing, but Chi Lin remained silent.
Damn it, Lou Mi thought, did she think this was just pity, not genuine affection?
She did feel something, but how could she be forward with a kid?
She wasn’t the same person as before the memory loss!
“Sister,” Chi Lin said softly, “you didn’t let me down. If it were me who lost my memories, I would want you to be patient and kind. I know you’re struggling, but please forgive me, I can’t leave you. I want to be near you…”
Even just hearing your voice, feeling your breath, is enough.
Just one embrace, and I can keep going.
Lou Mi’s heart ached. What a sweet, silly girl.
She held Chi Lin tightly.
“I’ll take you to school tomorrow, okay?”
Chi Lin nodded in her embrace.
“Then I’ll go to my club, I need to check on things. Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up after school. We’ll have dinner, I’ll help you study, then we’ll sleep together.”
Chi Lin nodded repeatedly.
So, she wasn’t crying anymore.
Lou Mi stroked her hair: “Okay, time to sleep…”
Perhaps because of the tea, Lou Mi was drowsy, barely remembering what she said:
“Sweet dreams, baby, see you tomorrow…”
Chi Lin, seeing that she was asleep, kissed her softly.
“See you tomorrow.”
Lou Mi, still sleepy after eight hours of sleep, yawned repeatedly as she drove Chi Lin to school.
Chi Lin told her to get some more rest. Lou Mi, sipping her coffee, said she was fine:
“I’ll sleep on the way to the club, I want to talk to you now.”
Chi Lin: “Okay, talk!”
“Why are you so nervous? Am I usually that mean to you?”
“No, you’re always so kind and considerate.”
“That’s good, at least I’m not a bully.”
Chi Lin chuckled.
“What are you smiling about?”
Chi Lin said something that stunned Lou Mi:
“I’m actually seven years older than you.”
Lou Mi: “…”
What?!
Seven years older?
Than her?!
Return to Jianghu, “ENIAC Reigns Supreme” guild.
After the summer tournament, Dr. Bai had advised her to avoid holographic games until her PT index was consistently zero for two weeks, then gradually increase her playtime, starting with thirty minutes.
Lou Mi, finally reaching her goal, eagerly logged in, finding herself in a ridiculous dragon robe, holding a jade seal.
Who was this?!
Entering the guild headquarters: a palace?
Xie Buyu, the eunuch, and Fu Tu, the palace maid, rushed over:
“What are you doing here?”
“Did you regain your memories?”
Lou Mi, startled by their appearance: “What are you wearing?! Who are you trying to scare?!”
Xie Buyu and Fu Tu exchanged glances: “She still doesn’t remember.”
“Thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Forget it, whatever.”
“Wait,” Lou Mi said, “why did I turn the guild into this?”
“We were wondering the same thing.”
Just then, Chi Lin logged in.
Xie Buyu patted Lou Mi’s shoulder: “Go ask your little sister. Come on, Fu Tu, let’s go have our meal.”
Lou Mi: “…”
Chi Lin entered the hall and, seeing Lou Mi, asked anxiously:
“Your Majesty, why are you online?”
“My PT index is normal now, I just wanted to check on things…” Lou Mi stared at her face.
It was the older sister’s face, and yet, it felt so familiar and comforting.
This Chi Lin was even more captivating.
“Your PT is normal? How long have you been online? Shouldn’t you take it easy? Let’s log out in fifteen minutes, okay?”
Chi Lin, worried, touched her face.
Lou Mi, slightly flustered by the touch, instinctively leaned back.
Chi Lin, realizing her forwardness, stepped back, composed herself, and asked:
“Have you been online for a while?”
“About five minutes.”
“I’ll time you, ten minutes, then we log out, okay?”
The mature face and physique suited Chi Lin’s aura, this felt like the real her.
“Okay…” Lou Mi, under Big Sister’s watchful eye, couldn’t refuse.
“Want to take a walk?”
“Yes!”
Chi Lin noticed Lou Mi’s excitement, her gaze fixed on her face, her affection evident.
Chi Lin took her hand and led her through the Taihua Palace, towards the garden.
“Aren’t you in class?”
“Lunch break, I saw you online, so I came. Do you remember this garden, Your Majesty? You built it.”
Chi Lin led her through the hibiscus flowers, across the bridge, towards the pavilion.
She had brought her here hoping to trigger some memories.
She knew it wasn’t easy, she didn’t expect a sudden breakthrough.
But Lou Mi’s demeanor changed as they entered the garden. She looked at the flowers, the bridge, the pavilion, her silence making Chi Lin’s heart race.
“Your Majesty, do you remember something?”
Lou Mi looked at her: “Southern Palace?”
Chi Lin: “…”
She remembered!
Chi Lin’s heart was a mixture of emotions.
When Lou Mi returned from the abyss, her first fragmented memories had also been of the Southern Palace. Seeing the meticulously recreated garden, Chi Lin knew how significant it was to Lou Mi.
Chi Lin understood, the Southern Palace held special meaning for her too, memories that made her ache with a phantom pain.
She had tried many methods to trigger Lou Mi’s memories.
She hadn’t expected their most profound connection to be… that.
Chi Lin sighed inwardly.
Her Majesty’s enthusiasm, both in this life and the past, was undeniable.
Should she try that method?
Lou Mi, standing in the pavilion, enjoying the breeze, heard Chi Lin ask:
“Does Return to Jianghu have an adult mode?”
Chi Lin remembered Lou Mi telling her about the advanced features of modern holographic games, how N-Count’s flagship game, “Secret Chamber,” had an adult mode for dating.
Accessible to anyone over 18.
In adult mode, there were no outside distractions or intrusions, a private world for the players.
And the new generation somatic chips simulated all sensations, almost indistinguishable from reality.
Chi Lin’s palms were sweating.
She knew what this question implied.
Lou Mi was looking at her with surprise.
“Yes…” Lou Mi’s voice was slightly tense.
“Can we activate it now? It’ll be quick.”
Lou Mi looked at Chi Lin, a sudden shift in the atmosphere, the fragrance of the flowers more intense, their senses heightened. Chi Lin could almost feel the heat radiating from Lou Mi’s body.
“Is it, activated?”
“Yes.”
“No one else can see us, right?”
“No…”
Lou Mi’s mind was blank.
Chi Lin, trusting her answer, slowly undressed.
Lou Mi, back in her office, gasped, quickly locking the door and silencing her phone.
Why so sudden?
Chi Lin was looking at her.
“Your Majesty,” Chi Lin leaned closer, her voice slightly nervous, “can Your Majesty, join me now?”
Lou Mi’s blood pressure spiked.
Join her where?
Was it what she thought it was?!
Chi Lin embraced her, her warmth making Lou Mi’s heart race.
This was too much.
***
During lunch break, Chi Lin was alone in the classroom, slumped over her desk.
Her eyes were closed, her face flushed, her body trembling slightly.
She bit her lip, suppressing any sounds.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”
“Is this it? Tell me.”
“Yes…”
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