"And before that?" Xu Qingzhu asked, "Were you innocent when you went to the secret room?"
Liang Shi: "..."
There's nothing to play.
Xu Qingzhu continued, "Miss Liang, when you invited me to the secret room, was it also very innocent? Was it your own subjective desire to invite me to that dark place for a dreamlike journey?"
Liang Shi: "..."
The mere mention of that secret room still sends chills down Liang Shi's spine.
It's simply unthinkable.
Xu Qingzhu's words carried a hint of teasing; she didn't seem to be asking for an answer out of urgency, but rather just teasing Liang Shi.
You could tell from her teasing gaze.
Liang Shi, however, was easily amused and couldn't resist her casual question and the light, fleeting glance she cast his way.
In that instant, Liang Shi felt as if he were naked.
Xu Qingzhu saw her completely, inside and out.
As Xu Qingzhu's heat cycle approaches, her pheromones will always be emitted subtly, filling the room with a faint scent of strawberry liqueur.
Liang Shi held his breath and did not answer her.
Xu Qingzhu slid down a little from the headboard, getting closer to Liang Shi, especially so that he could see her eyes.
Liang Shi met her gaze, but after a moment he looked away guiltily.
Finally, Liang Shi couldn't help but whisper, "Teacher Xu, don't expose people's hardships."
Xu Qingzhu smiled: "Really? I feel..."
“Your feeling is wrong,” Liang Shi denied.
Xu Qingzhu let out a soft, questioning snort: "Really?"
The way she asked "Really?" was incredibly oppressive, as if she were saying, "You're lying to me."
Liang Shi closed his eyes briefly, trying to keep his tone relaxed, "Of course, I just want to hear you read poetry."
She met Xu Qingzhu's gaze again and argued with her, "You asked me to sing, and I sang. So, it's not too much to ask you to read me a poem, is it?"
When Liang Shi said this, he was not confident and his heart was still pounding.
Fearing that Xu Qingzhu would go any further, Liang Shi directly revealed the existence of the system.
Although the system said she would never reveal it to anyone, Xu Qingzhu would find another way to get information out of her.
Liang Shi was recklessly testing the limits of danger.
Fortunately, Xu Qingzhu was just teasing her and didn't necessarily want to know. So after she looked at her with a hesitant look, she suppressed all the pressure and chuckled, "Of course it's not excessive."
Xu Qingzhu's hair fell onto the pillow, and Liang Shi, with his hands idle, fiddled with the ends of her hair.
The soft strands of hair seemed to come alive in an instant, wrapping around Liang Shi's fingers, round and round.
Xu Qingzhu looked at Liang Shi and chuckled, "Teacher Liang, whatever you ask for is not excessive."
These words were full of affection, yet they were spoken by Xu Qingzhu.
Liang Shi felt that he was being sarcastic.
Her hand ran through Xu Qingzhu's soft hair and gently pinched Xu Qingzhu's waist.
An Omega nearing the end of their heat cycle is extremely sensitive; even the slightest touch will elicit a soft moan.
It was a heart-wrenching sound.
Even though they know it's wrong, they still let others have bad intentions.
I wanted her to call out again.
Even if she herself is completely captivated.
Liang Shi's hand, through her pajamas, pulled her back from the brink of danger, keeping the idea as just an idea and not putting it into action.
She ran her hand through Xu Qingzhu's soft hair and whispered, "Don't make me angry."
Xu Qingzhu couldn't help but laugh, "Why are you so easily angered?"
Liang Shi looked at her.
Xu Qingzhu's eyes were bright and sparkling; they would curve when she smiled, and light would shine through her beautiful pupils.
Liang Shi suddenly laughed along with her: "You should think about whether you said something too hurtful."
Xu Qingzhu raised an eyebrow: "It's alright, I kept my composure when I was around Teacher Liang."
Liang Shi: "I feel like you're only targeting me."
Xu Qingzhu: "..."
After a moment of speechlessness, Xu Qingzhu's gaze fell on the yellowed pages of the book, and she said in a lazy and casual tone, "Anyway, you're the special one, isn't that enough?"
The cool, clear voice carried an indescribable meaning, like a feather gently tickling Liang Shixin.
Liang Shi paused in his playful motion with her hair, but his hand couldn't resist falling on her waist again and giving it a gentle pinch.
Xu Qingzhu let out another soft hum.
Xu Qingzhu looked at Liang Shi's mischievous hands, then at Liang Shi, "Teacher Liang, you seem to be very active today."
Liang Shi pursed her lips, her eyes blinking at her. "Really?"
Xu Qingzhu suddenly opened her hand and placed it in front of her eyelashes.
Liang Shi's eyelashes brushed against her palm.
Liang Shi said in a low voice, "Because you said that Liang Shi can be himself."
//
Xu Qingzhu still read the poem to Liang Shi, reciting it very seriously, and changing her emotions in accordance with the content of the poem.
But every word that reached Liang Shi's ears carried a tender meaning.
On a bed where something had just happened between them.
It's really hard not to have ulterior motives.
Even if it's just simply reciting a poem.
There were many poems, some describing scenery and some expressing emotions, but for Liang Shi, what mattered was not the content of the poems, but the voice that recited them.
She listened to Xu Qingzhu read poetry with her eyes half-closed, and drowsiness gradually crept in.
Under the dim light, Xu Qingzhu's figure became even more hazy, as if seen through a thick fog, making her unbelievably beautiful.
Seeing that her breathing was steady, Xu Qingzhu stopped reading, put down the poetry collection in her hand, placed the book on the bedside table, turned the bedside lamp to its dimmest setting, and then lay down in the same way as her.
With her arm pressed under her head, creating a slight height difference, and Liang Shi tilting downwards, Xu Qingzhu's other hand hovered in front of her eyes as she softly called out, "Sister."
The way she called out "sister" was tender and gentle.
Her cool voice carried a unique quality as she gently wiped Liang Shi's eyelids with her fingertips.
This movement made Liang Shi, who was asleep, stir. Xu Qingzhu quickly withdrew her hand, but Liang Shi found the position uncomfortable and lay flat on his back.
A moment later, he lay on his side again, his arm moved slightly, his fingers curled up slightly, and he mumbled a single word.
Xu Qingzhu has a good ear and recognized it immediately.
She said, "Hug~"
Because she was asleep, her voice was particularly soft at the end.
Xu Qingzhu lifted her blanket and obediently nestled into her arms.
Liang Shi's hand naturally rested on her waist, as if it were a subconscious action, and his fingers gently pinched her waist the moment they touched it.
But because she was asleep and had no energy, the touch became a gentle caress.
However, due to her physical characteristics, Xu Qingzhu couldn't help but let out a hum.
...
Xu Qingzhu was so angry that she wanted to bite her, but when her teeth touched her chin, she slowed down.
Like a cat, he gently stroked her skin, making Liang Shi ticklish, and then placed his palm on the top of her head to gently soothe her.
Xu Qingzhu immediately quieted down, pressed her head against Liang Shi's chest, and gently nuzzled him, like a well-behaved cat.
That place was as tender as Liang Shi's heart.
Xu Qingzhu lay contentedly on her chest.
To her, this was her older sister.
It was the older sister for whom she was willing to give everything.
They once ran hand in hand aimlessly, watched fireflies dancing under the dark sky, and huddled together for warmth in the darkest of places.
But her sister has forgotten about her.
It's okay, as long as they're by my side, Xu Qingzhu thought.
That wasn't a good memory, so forget it.
Xu Qingzhu closed her eyes and pressed her close to her heart, listening to her steady heartbeat.
Xu Qingzhu hugged her tightly and whispered, "Sister, it's enough that I remember you."
Everything you've forgotten, I will remember.
Don't dwell on those painful, unbearable, and upsetting past experiences.
I can accept you, and forget me too.
//
[Ding dong! Congratulations, host, on completing side quest 2 (S-rank): Spend 24 hours inseparable from Xu Qingzhu, including key points 1, go on an escape room adventure with Xu Qingzhu, and key point 2, sing to Xu Qingzhu to lull her to sleep.]
Just as Liang Shi was about to fall into a deep sleep, that familiar, eerie mechanical voice rang out, making Liang Shi's head throb.
Liang Shi really wanted to curse: You're really shameless.