Volume 1 Chapter 110: An Awkward Meeting
“Huh?”
Seeing the girl in front of her suddenly change her attitude completely for no clear reason, Amber froze for a moment.
All the teasing words she had prepared in her mind disappeared before she could say them.
It was only a simple self-introduction. What was the problem?
Or... did Xiao Xue not want her to know her real name?
Thinking of this, Amber frowned slightly and stood up, looking directly into Bai Muxue’s dark eyes.
“It’s only a name. What are you afraid of, Xiao Xue?”
“Hm?”
Bai Muxue took a deep breath and tried hard to make her smile look gentler.
“Nothing... I just feel like there’s no need for it.”
“You call me Xiao Xue, and I call you Amber. Isn’t that already fine?”
The excuse was so clumsy that Amber narrowed her eyes a little.
“Oh? Really?”
Bai Muxue also seemed to realize how bad that excuse sounded. The bright look in her eyes slowly darkened, and she no longer dared to look at Amber directly. As she turned her gaze away, her mood visibly sank.
Amber had never seen Bai Muxue like this before.
In her memory, Xiao Xue always liked pretending to be mature, completely different from her cute and youthful appearance. Sometimes she would also act a little childish, and that contrast made her impossible to dislike.
But now, Bai Muxue looked so depressed, completely different from the confident girl Amber knew.
Her avoiding and dim eyes were not just lacking confidence, they even looked weak and afraid.
“I...”
Bai Muxue slightly opened her mouth. Of course she knew she was acting suspicious, but she truly did not know what she should say.
Before she could think of a good excuse, Amber slowly walked in front of her and naturally pinched both sides of her cheeks with her hands.
“But no matter how I think about it, I’m the one losing out here, right? I’m a big star, after all. Xiao Xue can just search online and find out my name anytime.”
“Nope, nope, the more I think about it, the more unfair it feels! Xiao Xue has to properly accept my punishment!”
Even though she said that, Amber did not use any force. She only gently kneaded Bai Muxue’s soft cheeks. It felt more like teasing than punishment.
Amber did not really know how to comfort people, so she could only use the methods she was familiar with to make Bai Muxue feel better.
Even though she still felt confused and slightly unhappy, Amber decided to skip the topic for now and focus on cheering Bai Muxue up first.
As for the name...
If Xiao Xue did not want to say it, then fine.
Still... Xiao Xue’s skin really felt nice.
Soft and smooth.
As expected of a rich young lady... she probably used very expensive skincare products.
Feeling Bai Muxue’s soft cheeks, Amber found herself unwilling to stop. Especially when she saw Bai Muxue puffing her lips while being completely unable to resist, Amber’s mischievous side became even stronger, and she squeezed both sides of the girl’s face inward.
“Iff you haf somefing to fay, don’t squish my face...”
Bai Muxue’s lips were being pressed by the soft flesh of her cheeks, making even her voice sound cuter than usual.
“What? What? What?” Amber snorted proudly. “Do you even know how many favors you owe me already? As your good friend, letting me touch your face a little as repayment is already going easy on you.”
“Okay, okay, stop rubbing my face... huh?”
After finally struggling free from Amber’s hands, Bai Muxue suddenly froze after hearing those words.
“F-Friend?”
The words “good friend” felt strangely distant to her, someone who used to be an exhausted office worker.
The last time she heard those words was probably back in university...
At that time, she had not yet experienced the hardships of society. She spent simple and meaningless, yet happy days together with her school friends.
But after graduation, too many ordinary troubles piled onto her shoulders. Those old friendships and dreams were slowly replaced by daily worries about work, money, and family matters, until everyone gradually drifted apart.
Of course, after being reborn, Xiyao was also her good friend...
But that friendship started because Bai Muxue herself took the initiative to get close to her. Besides, that girl was honestly a little too enthusiastic.
Honestly, Bai Muxue sometimes felt that girl was using the title of “good friend” as an excuse because she secretly had other intentions toward her!
As for Xingwan... well, Xingwan probably really did see her as a friend now. But there was no way Bai Muxue would ever laugh foolishly and act crazy together with that girl.
Absolutely impossible in this lifetime.
But Amber was different.
Strictly speaking, the two of them had only spent a few hours together... yet the way they interacted already felt like two old friends who had known each other forever and loved teasing each other.
Bai Muxue had always been a reserved person and would never casually say the word “friend.” So hearing this little girl say it now truly made her emotional.
Of course, Amber had no idea what Bai Muxue was thinking about. She only crossed her arms and pouted.
“Fine, fine, I know Miss Bai Muxue is a noble rich young lady, while I’m just a street singer. I’m the one reaching above my station, okay?”
“Ahaha, no, no, how could that be?”
—If they were really friends, then none of those things should matter, right?
After realizing this, Bai Muxue quickly waved her hands and smiled brightly as she nodded.
“Friends... yeah, we’re good friends.”
“Of course we are. Isn’t that obvious? If you didn’t look so worried back then, there’s no way I would’ve gone through all that trouble running around everywhere for you.”
Amber’s clear and lively voice caused ripples to appear in Bai Muxue’s heart.
Honestly... being cared about by someone really did feel nice.
Especially for someone like Bai Muxue, who had spent years always caring for others while unconsciously ignoring herself.
“So Xiao Xue doesn’t need to carry everything alone... I already said I would protect you.”
As Amber spoke, she reached her hand toward the girl again. But this time, instead of touching Bai Muxue’s cheeks, her target was her chin.
Her slender fingers slowly rubbed against the girl’s small chin, but did not stay there for long. Bit by bit, they moved lower, gradually tracing along her smooth neck.
This kind of contact had already gone far beyond the limits of “friendship.”
But Bai Muxue did not notice that at all.
The tingling feeling from Amber’s touch traveled through her skin straight into her brain, completely taking away her ability to think.
Her breathing slowly became uneven, and a mist appeared in her clear eyes. Her already shaken thoughts became even more confused, to the point where she could no longer keep her usual calm composure.
“Xiao Xue...”
Amber had only wanted to tease her a little at first, but when she saw the girl’s hazy expression, her own heartbeat quietly began speeding up as well.
Who could resist a girl who looked adorable already, but usually tried so hard to act serious, and was now staring at you with such a pitiful expression?
Anyway... nobody else was here to see it.
And Xiao Xue did not seem to mind.
If she moved her hand just a little lower... it should be fine, right?
She could just treat it as compensation from Xiao Xue!
With restless thoughts in her mind, Amber lightly licked her pink lips, and her fingers slowly began moving downward...
“ROAR—!”
Before the girl’s little plan could continue, a thunder-like growl suddenly interrupted everything.
“Damn it! What now?”
Amber instantly came back to her senses. She quickly stepped forward and protected the still-dazed Bai Muxue behind her, while the golden glow at her gun’s muzzle pointed straight ahead.
The ghoul that had already stopped moving... had stood up again.
Its pale, empty eyes stared fixedly at the two girls.
“Heh... so it can regenerate too? Can’t you just die properly already?”
Amber sneered, clearly not taking the ugly monster seriously.
“But it doesn’t matter. No matter how many times you revive, it won’t cha—”
Before she could finish speaking, a figure suddenly rushed forward at high speed. A purple glowing arrow lit up the endless night sky and forcefully pushed back the ghoul that was about to leap at them.
A girl in a purple dress holding a longbow stood in front of Amber. She turned around and shouted in a low voice.
“This place is dangerous! Hurry and leav—... huh?”
In her line of sight, a familiar small figure slowly peeked out from behind Amber, her pretty face filled with shock and disbelief.
The two looked at each other silently.
For a moment, even the air itself seemed frozen.