In the evening, Ye Xi started a campfire.
"Achoo—!"
Beside the fire, a girl let out a sneeze while drying her clothes over the flames. Because she had taken off her outer layers, she was currently wearing very little fabric.
"I told you not to push yourself. Look at you now, you're going to catch a cold in a moment," Ye Xi said, his voice filled with helplessness.
"I didn't think I would catch a cold! And Ye Xi, whatever you do, don't you dare turn around!"
"I know, I know."
Hearing Ye Xi agree, Xiangling finally let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she was worried about being seen by him; it was mostly because she was too rambunctious and had many scars on her body. She even had a bandage on her thigh!
If Ye Xi discovered how wild she was, he might find her unappealing. After all, what man would like such a tomboyish girl? Even an ordinary man wouldn't, let alone a handsome guy like Ye Xi!
The dry wood in the fire popped and crackled, the flames dancing between the two of them. The long silence made Xiangling feel a bit shy. The atmosphere felt strangely ambiguous. As long as Ye Xi turned his head, everything would be exposed to his gaze!
So, would Ye Xi look back? If he did, what should she do? Scream in embarrassment?
But if he didn't look back... she actually felt a sense of disappointment. Because that would mean she didn't hold any allure in Ye Xi's eyes at all!
Thinking this way, she almost hoped Ye Xi would turn around. She wanted to hear his evaluation—his most honest, inner evaluation! What if he praised her for having a good figure?
But what if... what if he did something strange!
While Xiangling was having this internal struggle, Ye Xi was busy collecting today's task rewards.
[Collected Starconch * 3]
[Task complete, obtained Primogems * 40]
[Defeated Slime * 10]
[Task complete...]
[Rewards have been issued, please check...]
Ye Xi looked at the 160 Primogems he had earned today, feeling a persistent itch in his heart.
Resist! I must resist!
A 10-Pull is the only way to go! As long as he held out for ten days, he could do a 10-Pull! While Xiangling was agonizing on one side, Ye Xi was agonizing just as much on the other. Of course, Ye Xi was agonizing over whether or not to make a single Wish.
At that moment, an ethereal voice rang in Ye Xi's ear again.
[First completion of Daily Commission]
[Map System unlocked]
[Currently unlocked areas: Inazuma and Liyue (Guyun Stone Forest)]
[Reminder:]
[Arrival at Liyue Harbor tomorrow will unlock the Liyue Harbor area and grant the Inventory.]
[Can be used to store personal items.]
Ye Xi couldn't help but give a mental thumbs up. The ability to store personal items was simply too important! He really wanted to complain Mora was so heavy! Carrying money out was a struggle just because of the weight of the coin pouches, let alone other clothes and important props! Did the people of Liyue really walk around with sacks of Mora on their backs?
If he had this Inventory, things would be much more convenient! If this function had unlocked earlier, he could have brought more money to Liyue, and life would have been much more comfortable. With the money currently on him, he was afraid he wouldn't even be able to afford a decent guest room once they arrived.
Forget it, forget it. Regardless, I'll go straight to find Ningguang after we arrive. If I give her a few gifts and ask for some Mora, shouldn't it be easy enough?
As he was thinking, Ye Xi suddenly heard a startled cry.
"What's wrong!"
Ye Xi whipped his head around and saw a Cryo Slime about to attack Xiangling. With a wave of his hand, the slime was beaten into Slime Condensate.
"Are you okay, Xiangling!"
Xiangling was also stunned, pressing herself against the rock behind her as she said breathlessly, "A glob of Slime Secretions suddenly turned into a Slime! Scared me to death!"
Slime Secretions were slimes that still possessed a spark of life. As long as their energy recovered, they did indeed have the possibility of turning back into a Slime. The situation just now had been very dangerous.
Cryo Slimes were extremely cold; if she had been hit, she likely would have suffered frostbite! It would have been better if she were wearing clothes, but right now, Xiangling had nothing...
Ye Xi looked at Xiangling, who was patting her chest, and dazed off slightly.
[What a great figure]
[Though it's not overly pronounced, the muscle lines possess a real sense of beauty.]
[Her skin is as lustrous as mutton-fat jade.]
[The joints are still a bit flushed; is this what a young girl's skin is like?]
[As expected of such a vibrant girl, her figure is practically perfect.]
[This isn't 'underdeveloped,' this is 'excellently developed'—]
[There are just a few small wounds. They were soaked in seawater; I hope they don't get inflamed?]
Ye Xi appraised her with a very appreciative gaze. A figure like Xiangling's was definitely not something a quiet, sedentary girl would have. Because she exercised regularly, her body fat was very well-distributed.
It reminded Ye Xi of the figure skaters he used to watch during international sports meets in his previous life. Because they exercised every day, their bodies were incredibly flexible. One could say she fit his aesthetic perfectly.
After just one glance, Ye Xi turned his head back. Although he could see plenty of beauties in bikinis on the beaches in his previous life, this was Liyue after all, and this wasn't exactly a swimsuit.
"Sorry. Are you okay?"
Xiangling crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't let out the scream she had imagined; instead, she felt her consciousness growing a bit hazy.
Embarrassing! So embarrassing!
"Did... did you see?"
Hearing Xiangling's muffled, hesitant question, Ye Xi didn't know how to answer. If he answered directly that he had, it might be a bit too blunt. It was better to make an excuse.
Thus, he spoke against his conscience, "No."
"Liar..."
Xiangling truly wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into right now! This was too shameful! Most importantly, Ye Xi's "heart voice" had already described her in such detail! And yet, at this moment, he actually said he "didn't see"!
She really wanted to say that Ye Xi was a duplicitous bad man. However, his inner evaluation of her made her feel like a mischievous little deer was jumping around wildly in her heart. Most importantly, Ye Xi had specifically cared about her wounds. How could she possibly hate someone like that! If anything, it was quite the opposite!
Xiangling thought of many things to say, but she found herself too shy to even open her mouth. She could only silently change back into her dried clothes.
"Let's... let's go back."
Only then did Ye Xi turn around. Seeing Xiangling's face completely flushed, he asked, "Do you have a fever? Why are you so red?"
"It's just the glow from the campfire! Let's hurry back, it's about to get completely dark!"
Xiangling wrapped the ingredients on the ground with leaves, regaining her previous vitality, though her cheeks remained crimson.
On the horizon, the sun was hanging precariously, as if it might drop behind the mountains at any moment. They soon returned to the beach not far from The Alcor. Just then, a cool breeze brushed past, and a strange voice came from the mountainside.
"Xiangling, the Big Sis was worried about you and sent me to meet you."
A figure leaped down from the shadows. Ye Xi froze slightly.
Kaedehara Kazuha? Why was he here?
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