Ye Xi was a little unclear about what exactly his wives were scheming.
But he could feel very clearly that the girls were all acting rather strangely.
'These girls—just what little plots are they hiding in their hearts?'
In a daze, he went upstairs and pushed open the door.
Seeing the pitch-blackness inside, he couldn't help feeling a bit lonely.
Ever since coming to this world, he had seldom rested alone at night; nearly every night there was a beauty by his side.
With it suddenly so empty, he always felt as though something were missing.
Not even a girl to hold at night—how was he supposed to sleep?
As he was thinking this, he casually flicked on the light.
Suddenly, a pair of adorable fuzzy bunny slippers appeared at the edge of the bed.
These were the cotton slippers he'd prepared for the girls at home—there were bunnies, kitties, and puppies.
The slippers appearing here meant that...
He looked toward the bedding, and sure enough, it was all bulging and stuffed full.
Ye Xi's heart leapt with delight.
Though he didn't know why the girls had been acting so abnormally tonight, it was probably connected to the situation right before him.
He smiled and said, "Let me see—which little glutton-cat is being so thoughtful?"
As he spoke, he switched off the light and opened the skylight.
Pure white moonlight poured down, and at once a touch of romantic atmosphere arose in the room.
Seeing that the girl in the bedding refused to show her head, he took the initiative to slip in himself, deftly reaching out to wrap his arm around her slender waist.
This tender, delicate skin and slim waist—for a moment Ye Xi couldn't quite guess who it was.
It was just that, being suddenly embraced like this, a startled cry came from within the bedding.
"Eh!?"
Hearing this voice, Ye Xi always felt it was very familiar, yet somehow not quite so familiar.
He couldn't help lifting the blanket, and there, beneath the moonlight, appeared a timid little beauty.
That fair skin shone with light, crystalline and translucent, as if draped in a layer of gauze.
Her little face was all red, her lovely eyes holding a trace of panic, yet brimming with bashfulness.
"Xiangling!?"
Ye Xi was stunned.
He felt his brain freeze for an instant, and when he came back to his senses, he couldn't help sizing her up once more.
Judging from the sensation transmitted through his hand and everything his eyes caught before him.
At this moment, the little beauty wore not a single thread.
Such a pretty girl, washed all clean and hidden inside his own bedding—even a fool could understand what was in Xiangling's heart.
Seeing Ye Xi's eyes full of astonishment, Xiangling giggled and waved her little hand, saying, "Good evening, Ye Xi."
"Startled you, didn't I? Hehe..."
Ye Xi nodded and asked, "Is this a happy surprise?"
"More or less..."
Xiangling stammered, "I just wasn't sure whether you'd be pleasantly surprised or frightened...."
"So, right now, do you feel there's more of the 'startled,' or more of the 'pleased'?"
Hearing Xiangling's playful question, Ye Xi let out a gentle breath and said earnestly, "Honestly, at the first instant the 'startled' part was greater."
"But, seeing that it's you, the 'pleased' part outweighed the 'startled.'"
These words fell upon Xiangling's ears and at once filled her face with smiles.
"Wow! You're far too smooth-tongued! With so many beauties at home, did you sweet-talk every one of them into coming?"
"You don't like it?"
Xiangling's pretty face flushed, and she gave a light nod: "I like it."
Ye Xi laughed out loud.
Still, he was very curious—how had Xiangling come to be here!?
This was the Serenitea Pot, after all!
Liyue had two doors: one in the Jade Chamber, and one on the cruiser.
If she'd come from the ship, then Beidou must have brought her in.
If from the Jade Chamber.... how would Xiangling get up to the Jade Chamber?
There was one other possibility: that she'd entered directly from Madame Ping's place.
But still, such a great beauty, washed all sweet and fragrant—how had she slipped past everyone's eyes?
Seeming to see through Ye Xi's confusion, Xiangling explained a bit about her experience with Keqing.
"...so you mean to say, at the time you were hiding under the blanket?"
Hearing Xiangling's explanation, Ye Xi finally understood.
No wonder Keqing had suddenly come upstairs to eat earlier, all flustered in the room, taking one bite at a time from each side of the meat pie she was eating.
So it turned out Xiangling had been hidden right beside her all along.
"Hehe, bet you didn't expect that!"
Xiangling, smiling brightly, went on to explain the encounter that had just happened in the hot spring.
Ye Xi listened with a face full of astonishment: "So that's why that girl Keqing came over on her own—it turns out she wasn't throwing herself into my arms, she was coming to find you!"
"So then, weren't you hiding right beside her at the time?"
At the thought of what had happened in the hot spring, Xiangling's little face turned crimson: "It felt... a bit eye-opening..."
"Hahahaha."
Ye Xi really couldn't keep it together.
He truly hadn't expected that something like this would happen.
What came next was even easier to explain.
The girls had each come to know about Xiangling's situation, and then, with perfect tacit understanding, played along together.
"I knew it—the way they were each acting so abnormally tonight, it turns out it was all to help you!"
"Xiangling is Xiangling—you only just arrived, and everyone's already on such good terms with you."
He reached out and pinched Xiangling's little nose, his heart full of joy.
The girls at home were so harmonious, and they even helped him find a little wife.
With an atmosphere like this, he was thoroughly satisfied.
"So then?"
Xiangling asked with a blushing face, "Will you have me?"
"Of course! How could I not?"
"With such a pretty little thing right in front of me, could I really let you run away?"
Ye Xi's praise and answer filled Xiangling's heart with happiness: "Then why aren't you holding me tight..."
Hearing Xiangling say this, Ye Xi wrapped both arms around Xiangling's willow-slim waist.
Soft and supple enough to be grasped in one hand, as if boneless; her skirt fluttering in the breeze like dancing butterflies.
What a wonderful slender waist.
Xiangling buried her face against Ye Xi's chest, listening to the firm, powerful heartbeat, filled with a full sense of security.
At last she was together with the one she liked—this feeling was so blissful.
Just as Xiangling was lost in the moment, Ye Xi's question reached her ears.
"What do you want? I can grant your wish."
Before this, every girl had had a wish, and he would answer each and every request.
That way, the girls would be all the more devoted, and he could feel at ease as well.
Since it was so for all the girls, Xiangling naturally could be no exception.
"A wish?"
Xiangling thought for a moment, then said, "I hope I can stay by your side forever—you mustn't ever abandon me."
"What kind of wish is that? I'm like that with everyone."
"Then..."
Suddenly, Xiangling's eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, "Then help me taste-test new dishes!"
"I've been worrying that there's no one to eat my creative cuisine and new recipes!"
"When that time comes, I'll have to trouble you, Master~"
"Ahem, ahem, ahem...."
Ye Xi was at once caught between laughter and tears.
Tasting Xiangling's new dishes, for a whole lifetime?!
Wasn't that just pure torture?
Things like Qingxin-Fried Slime Condensate, Slime-Slathered Wild Mushrooms....
He remembered that even Hu Tao had been made to throw up by these dishes.
At this thought, he couldn't help saying, "Are you trying to do in your own dear husband?"
"You're not an assassin sent by Keqing, are you?"
Xiangling, both bashful and delighted, said with a smile, "It's not like I have new dishes every single day~! Just every once in a while!"
These words let Ye Xi breathe a sigh of relief.
He pinched Xiangling's little cheek, nodded, and said:
"All right, I agree to your willful request."
.....
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