“There must be a way,” Linlang said fiercely, her voice trembling with emotion. “I swear, I’ll find a way to break this curse! And no matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side, Adele. Always.”

Adele offered a weak smile, grateful for Linlang’s unwavering support. But Linlang could see the pain behind the facade, the effort it took for Adele to maintain her composure.

She turned away, her own eyes welling up.

Just then, Adele’s voice, soft and hesitant, broke the silence.

“Um… Linlang, I need to use the bathroom. Could you… turn around?”

Linlang, still reeling from Adele’s revelations, only now remembered where they were.

The bathroom.

And what people did in bathrooms… well, it was obvious!

But Adele hadn’t asked her to leave, only to turn around.

Linlang’s heart pounded as she obeyed, her mind a jumbled mess.

Adele, however, couldn’t resist a mischievous grin. She lifted the toilet seat, carefully placing a layer of tissue paper on either side. Then, slowly, deliberately, she began to remove her skirt. Her movements were graceful, languid, imbued with an unexpected sensuality.

The rustling of fabric against skin sent shivers down Linlang’s spine. Her shoulders trembled, and the soft sound of running water, like a gentle stream cascading over rocks, only intensified the heat building within her. Her head felt light, her thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind.

Adele’s presence was the only anchor she had left.

Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity.

Finally, Adele finished her business and approached Linlang from behind, her hand gently tugging on the hem of Linlang’s skirt.

“Linlang,” she whispered, her voice soft and vulnerable, with a hint of a whine. “I’m… done. Shall we go back to class?”

Linlang snapped out of her daze, her first instinct to cover her nose. She could feel a warmth spreading through her nostrils, the telltale sign of an impending nosebleed.

Thankfully, she regained control before her imagination could run wild.

But she couldn’t help but think: *Who’s the one who’s really “done” here?*

But saying that out loud would ruin everything!

“Y-yes, of course,” she stammered, nodding quickly.

She felt Adele’s fingers clinging to her skirt, and her heart ached for the girl.

If it weren’t for Dorothy, for the cruel curse she had inflicted… Adele would be holding her hand, snuggling against her, perhaps even inviting her over to her house on a sunny afternoon…

All those thoughts, all those frustrated desires, coalesced into a single, burning rage.

*Dorothy, I’ll kill you!*

………………

Adele looked adorable, clinging to Linlang’s skirt like a lost puppy. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes, fixed on Linlang’s retreating figure, held a mixture of emotions.

Linlang deliberately slowed her pace, savoring the moment, wishing it could last forever.

But all journeys must end.

They arrived back at the classroom, and a wave of disappointment washed over Linlang as Adele released her grip on her skirt, their paths diverging.

Even though she was back in her own seat, Linlang felt like a part of her was missing, a piece of her heart left behind with Adele.

She couldn’t focus on the remaining classes, her mind replaying every moment she had spent with Adele.

Adele, however, listened attentively. She had discovered that the more she resisted something, the longer it seemed to drag on. But if she immersed herself in it, like in her classes, time seemed to fly by.

The lessons passed quickly, and Adele absorbed the knowledge with ease. It was a win-win situation.

Linlang, however, remained distracted, her chin resting on her hand, her gaze distant, her thoughts far away. The teacher called her out several times, but she barely registered it.

Only when the bell rang, signaling the end of class, did she snap out of her daze. Her eyes immediately sought out Adele, who was already packing up her things.

Linlang scrambled to gather her own belongings and hurried over to Adele’s side, her heart pounding.

“Adele,” she blurted out, her voice barely a whisper. “Can I… can I treat you to lunch? At that fancy Western restaurant outside the school? I… my family is rich now.”

Adele couldn’t help but smile at Linlang’s awkward yet endearing invitation. It seemed Linlang was still bothered by the fact that Celeste had treated Adele to a fancy meal.

But Adele quickly masked her amusement, her expression turning soft and understanding.

“Congratulations, Linlang!” she said sincerely. “But for lunch… we don’t need to go anywhere fancy. I think… it’s not about the food, but the company. Even a simple bowl of instant noodles would be delicious… if I’m sharing it with you.”

She paused, then added, “As long as it’s not pickled cabbage flavor.”

Linlang, though confused by the last part, nodded eagerly. She understood the message Adele was trying to convey.

If Adele was willing to eat instant noodles with her, but insisted on a fancy restaurant with Celeste… well, the difference in their status, in their level of intimacy, was clear, wasn’t it?

In the end, Linlang, despite her lack of social graces, didn’t actually take Adele to eat instant noodles.

They ended up at the fancy Western restaurant, after all.

Linlang, despite being the one treating Adele, was far more nervous and flustered than her guest. Thankfully, Adele was there to guide her through the intricacies of Western dining etiquette, preventing any major faux pas.

The server’s expression, however, was priceless when Linlang, the seemingly unassuming girl, pulled out her credit card to pay the bill.

It was a small victory, but a satisfying one nonetheless.

After lunch, Adele walked Linlang back to her new apartment before heading home herself. The Tang family’s ancestral home was undergoing renovations, and the government, eager to prevent any further delays, had demolished the entire street, leaving only the ancestral shrine intact.

The compensation for the demolition had been generous, turning Linlang’s father into one of the wealthiest men in the city. But he was a simple man, content with his life, uninterested in material possessions. It was clear that the money would ultimately end up in Linlang’s hands.

A mischievous smile curved Adele’s lips.

*Or perhaps… in mine,* she thought.

Her Linlang was so sweet, so easy to manipulate…

As they parted ways, Adele, risking the wrath of the chastity curse, leaned in and kissed Linlang’s cheek.

A jolt of pain shot through her lower abdomen, but she ignored it, forcing a smile.

“Don’t… don’t cry, Linlang. I’m fine,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Really… I’m fine.”

Linlang’s eyes overflowed with tears. Adele looked so pure, so innocent, like an angel descended from heaven.

She wanted to hug Adele, to hold her tight, to merge their bodies into one, never to be separated again.

But fate, it seemed, was determined to keep them apart.

Linlang, tongue-tied and awkward, couldn’t find the words to comfort Adele. She watched Adele walk away, her figure disappearing into the distance, her heart aching.

As she turned to leave, a dangerous glint flickered in her eyes.

“Theoretically,” she murmured, her voice cold and hard, “if the caster dies… the curse is broken, right?”

She lacked the power to carry out her threat, not yet. But in the future, with the Tang family’s assassination techniques and the power of the Gu Realm at her disposal… it wasn’t entirely impossible.

But she didn’t want to wait that long.

So… she would have to resort to other means.

Perhaps… hire a foreign assassin to eliminate Dorothy?

But that was a serious violation of school rules.

“Colluding with foreign races, harming fellow students…”

Linlang hesitated.

But the image of Adele’s pain, the memory of her heartbroken expression, fueled her resolve.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, drawing blood.