Chapter 101
Xia'er was about to dive straight into the simulation, but after a moment's thought, she decided to grab a notebook. On the first page, she solemnly wrote in Chinese:
**[Help me prepare the "Instigator" potion]**
After pondering for a bit, Xia'er added another line:
**[Don't cause trouble]**
Setting down her pen, she turned her attention back to the simulation interface.
The five first-tier potions she had previously obtained and the ritual she had performed did not include the "Instigator."
The original spiritual material for the "Instigator" had been extracted from Thomas's body, and since Xia'er wouldn’t use secondary potions, she had already given it to Aivina earlier.
Having her simulated self help her procure an "Instigator" potion would save her time in reality—easy and efficient.
As for how her simulated self would manage to get the potion without any money, that was beyond Xia'er’s concern.
She believed she could do it.
Xia'er slipped off her shoes and socks, lying sideways on the sofa. After adjusting to a comfortable position, she selected the "Tomorrow" simulation.
“Tomorrow, No. 0.”
A silver light suddenly filled Xia'er’s vision, enveloping her completely until she gradually lost all sensation of her body.
……
**[Tomorrow]**
**[Year 741 of the Holy Calendar, June 21, 00:10]**
**[Countdown - 23:59:59]**
The vast silver light before her began to fade.
Xia'er gradually regained control over her body.
But before the white light completely dissipated, she felt a wave of heat wash over her.
It was as if something was binding her, making it difficult to move before she had fully regained control.
Once she had complete control, she tentatively moved her hands.
What is this…?
Xia'er sensed two warm, soft objects on either side of her.
Taking a deep breath, she was enveloped by the sweet fragrance of a young girl’s body mixed with the scent of petals.
Heh.
On her left, it couldn’t be Adele, could it?
Xia'er slowly turned her head to the left and found a large face very close to hers, eyes tightly shut, breathing evenly.
Silver strands of soft hair cascaded down her neck, covering her chest. Her arms were stretched out as if she were hugging a pillow, her head resting on Xia'er’s pillow, and one leg draped over Xia'er’s abdomen.
The soft sensation against Xia'er’s left arm was indeed coming from Adele.
After all, compared to Aivina and Xia'er, Adele had a more substantial figure and was taller, even if she usually wore loose clothing or a doctor's white coat that concealed her shape.
Sigh… it really is Adele.
But why is there another person? Wasn’t Aivina the only one on the bed before?
Xia'er slowly turned her head to the right. With the flickering candlelight, she saw Aivina lying sideways, her hands resting on Xia'er’s arm, her face completely flushed.
Aivina was trying to be a bit reserved; she was still resting on her own pillow, just leaning her hands over to Xia'er.
Yet even so, Aivina’s face was already a deep shade of red.
Adele was sound asleep without a care in the world, but Xia'er was sure Aivina was still wide awake.
Her arms were a bit stiff, and her elbows weren’t even resting on the mattress.
It seemed she had just placed her hands over and woke up, leaving her feeling awkward.
Had she been unable to sleep and wanted to try what Adele was doing?
Having anticipated this situation, Xia'er felt no panic. After all, her task in this simulation was simply to drink the "Instigator" potion and survive for 24 hours.
Even if she spent the entire time in Aivina’s room, she could still complete the task.
Xia'er had never doubted her ability to digest the "Instigator" potion.
If she couldn’t handle it, then others would have likely exploded long ago.
But for now, it wouldn’t hurt to set those thoughts aside and take a moment to rest.
Watching Aivina, who was pretending to sleep but didn’t dare to get closer, Xia'er slowly raised her right hand and gently pulled her arm away from Aivina’s grasp.
This action made Aivina, who was pretending to be asleep, press her lips together slightly, her hand suspended in mid-air momentarily, as if she had been struck.
With Xia'er lying beside her, Aivina felt her heart racing, unable to sleep, not even daring to open her eyes.
She usually didn’t light candles when sleeping, but tonight, she had lit two.
Just moments ago, when Aivina had quietly opened her eyes to glance at Xia'er in the candlelight, she saw Adele practically sprawled over Xia'er, sound asleep, completely oblivious to Xia'er’s feelings.
Meanwhile, Xia'er remained with her eyes closed, seemingly unfazed by Adele’s awkward position on top of her.
In that moment, a thought began to brew in Aivina’s mind.
If Xia'er didn’t mind Adele being like this…
Could she also adopt a similar position?
Then when Xia'er woke up, she could just say her sleeping posture was a bit awkward… and apologize. The gentle Xia'er would surely understand; she wasn’t unreasonable…
With this thought in mind, Aivina slowly inched closer to Xia'er, finally and cautiously resting her hand on Xia'er’s arm.
What am I doing…?
After making that move, Aivina felt as if she had exhausted all her courage and strength. She closed her eyes, not daring to look at Xia'er’s profile.
What is this feeling?
When they first met at the police station, she had seen a beautiful red-haired girl sitting in the waiting area. The moment their eyes met, she felt her heart skip a beat.
At that time, she hadn’t thought much of it, merely nodding in acknowledgment before heading upstairs.
But as their fates intertwined, and after they had shared experiences, even Aivina herself found it hard to discern her feelings at this moment.
Aivina slightly opened her eyes, peeking through a narrow slit, her dark purple pupils shifting as she studied Xia'er’s profile in the candlelight.
What is this feeling?
Suddenly, she noticed Xia'er’s eyelashes flutter slightly. After taking a deep breath, Xia'er turned her head to look at Adele on her left.
Xia'er’s sudden movement startled Aivina, and her instinct was to pull back her hand, but she realized that would only make things seem more awkward.
All her usual rational thoughts and knowledge seemed to vanish in that moment. Aivina froze in place, closing her eyes, only able to hear the pounding of her heart, like drums in her ears.
It wasn’t the murmurs of the potion; it was her own heartbeat.
She seemed to hear Xia'er turning her head again, praying that Xia'er wouldn’t notice her little actions and would soon fall back asleep.
Once Xia'er was asleep for an hour and she was sure Xia'er was completely out, Aivina would pull her hand back.
Every minute felt excruciatingly long. Aivina felt a slight sweat forming in her palms, her heartbeat growing louder with each passing moment.
Suddenly.
Xia'er made a move.
She slowly shifted her right hand, pulling it away from Aivina’s grasp.
Huh?
In that instant, Aivina felt her heart’s rhythm come to a halt, as if a heavy mallet had lodged itself in her chest, causing a sense of suffocation.
Why… can Adele do it?
Why can’t I?
But soon, she felt the mattress dip slightly as a cool hand slipped through the gap at her waist.
Before Aivina could react, that hand pushed her forward, and she found herself being pulled into a warm embrace, resting against a soft body.
She could even feel the gentle stir of hair and its fragrance brushing against her nose. The hand that had drawn her in slowly withdrew, then gently rested on her hair.
Time seemed to freeze. Aivina wasn’t even sure if she was still breathing.
In that moment, Aivina felt she understood what that fluttering sensation in her heart had been when she first encountered the red-haired girl.
**Chapter 82: The Whisper of the "Instigator" Xia'er.**
The breathing beside her gradually calmed down, and Xia'er awoke from her light slumber.
Though sleep in the simulation couldn’t truly alleviate mental fatigue, it did provide Xia'er’s mind and body with a slight reprieve.
It was somewhat akin to psychological comfort.
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