301: Girlfriend trial card

"A Ning, is that you?"

As soon as the words fell, there was a soft "puff" sound, and the air was like a pink bubble that had been popped.

Shang Wan Ning stood stiffly at the bathroom door, almost bumping into Lin Ran's nose.

Her dark nightgown was loose, a few strands of her bun were fluffy, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes darted around, not daring to look at anyone.

Her fingers picked at the embroidery on her cuff, twisting the fabric until it was almost frayed.

Lin Ran: "!!!"

She had just bluffed casually!

Her female sixth sense was acting up, feeling a familiar scent of cold plum in the air.

But the dignified Netherworld Empress, peeking at someone bathing? The thought was too preposterous, Lin Ran herself didn't believe it.

As it turned out, Her Majesty really did it.

Shang Wan Ning's throat rolled, her gaze fixed on the tile grout in the corner: "Ahem, I was just passing by."

"I sensed... uh... abnormal energy fluctuations here. Yes, abnormal! I was worried about evil spirits causing trouble, so I took a glance." Her voice grew softer and softer, finally sounding like a mosquito's hum.

Lin Ran watched Shang Wan Ning's fingers, which were almost picking a hole in her cuff, then glanced at her flushed earlobes.

Her stiff shoulders suddenly relaxed, the shame and annoyance she felt from being trespassed upon completely dissipated, and she even felt a little like laughing.

Her Majesty's lying skills were even funnier than Chen Yu getting caught peeking at succubus ladies.

"Oh~ energy fluctuations, huh?" Lin Ran's lips curled up slightly.

"Then did Your Majesty see what the evil spirit looked like? Three heads and six arms, or a green face with fangs?"

Shang Wan Ning choked, her earlobes grew even redder, and after a long pause, she stammered: "Didn't, didn't see clearly, it ran away."

"Good that it ran away."

Lin Ran nodded, not exposing a certain deity's seriousness. She grabbed the hair-drying towel draped over the chair back and slowly wiped the water droplets from her hair.

"Since Your Majesty is here, could you do me a favor?"

Shang Wan Ning suddenly looked up: "What favor?" Her eyes brightened a few shades, then she quickly suppressed her shyness.

( 灬ꈍ εꈍ 灬)

Lin Ran tossed the towel back onto the chair, turned around, her bath towel wrapped tightly, revealing only a section of her fair calf.

"Be my girlfriend for a day tomorrow, okay?"

Shang Wan Ning's mind went "buzz" and stalled.

Girlfriend? Experience card? Is ARan~ confused by shyness 〃∀〃?

Or was she deliberately saying the opposite?

"Just for one day," Lin Ran added.

Yet, deep in her eyes, there was a thin mist, intangible and untouchable. "There won't be many more opportunities in the future."

She looked at Lin Ran's calm face, and that bit of awkwardness and embarrassment was suddenly overshadowed by a greater sorrow.

ARan knew, knew that time was running out.

She didn't question her peeking, didn't get angry, but instead asked for a Girlfriend Experience Card.

Shang Wan Ning's throat tightened, and she nodded vigorously: "Alright!" It was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Lin Ran smiled, a genuine smile, with fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes: "Then it's settled, Your Majesty sleeps on the floor tonight."

"The floor?"

Shang Wan Ning raised an eyebrow, "Doesn't the Girlfriend Experience Card start now?"

She took a step forward confidently, puffing out her D-cup chest. "A girlfriend, of course, sleeps together. Only someone with a bump on their head would want to sleep on the floor. Isn't a sweet, soft girlfriend better?"

Lin Ran: "..."

[Alright, you're Her Majesty, you call the shots.]

Lin Ran turned off the light, and the double bed sagged a bit. She lay flat properly, her breathing lightened.

The person beside her was extremely close, and the scent of cold plum mixed with a hint of incense offerings kept wafting into her nose.

It was quiet for less than five minutes.

A slightly cool hand stealthily emerged from under the covers. First, it cautiously rested on Lin Ran's forearm, fingertips curling, like a cat's paw testing the water temperature.

Lin Ran dared not move, closing her eyes and pretending to sleep.

The cat's paw grew bolder, slowly moving upwards. It slid over the delicate skin of her inner arm, its target clear, heading straight for the area below her waist.

As her fingertips just touched the edge of the underwear fabric, Lin Ran didn't even lift an eyelid, and with a "smack," she slapped away the mischievous paw.

"Hiss..." Shang Wan Ning gasped softly, her paw retracted, and she behaved for ten seconds.

Ten seconds later, the cat's paw returned.

This time it was more cunning, sliding down along Lin Ran's lower back curve, attempting to burrow under her nightgown hem... Lin Ran accurately turned over in the dark, seizing the wrist reaching for her. Her grip wasn't heavy, but it was enough to stop her.

"Your Majesty," she said helplessly.

"The experience card does not include deep nocturnal exchanges. I don't want to be bullied by you for days and unable to get out of bed."

Shang Wan Ning's wrist was firmly held, her fingertips only an inch away from her target. She struggled unwillingly, but didn't budge.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes shone astonishingly bright, clearly reflecting her annoyance at being exposed and a hint of imperceptible grievance.

"I'm cold!" she grumbled, squeezing out a reason.

Lin Ran almost couldn't help but laugh.

An Eighth-Rank Deity afraid of the cold? Not even ghosts would believe that.

Instead of letting go, she pulled the restless paw into her own quilt and pressed it directly against her lower abdomen.

"You can warm your hands, but nowhere else."

Under her palm was warmth through the thin nightgown. Shang Wan Ning's fingertips stiffened slightly, and her earlobes began to subtly flush again.

She tentatively wiggled her index and middle fingers, only to have them immediately pressed down firmly by Lin Ran's hand.

"Sleep," Lin Ran commanded with closed eyes.

Shang Wan Ning pursed her lips, enjoying the warmth from her palm and the supple curve of the waist beneath her hand.

[Fine, warming hands it is.]

She unwillingly bent her knuckles again, and Shang Sese quieted down.

[Hmph, stingy.]

[Once I find an opportunity... the tricks won't repeat...]

The next morning, the sun was dazzling.

Shang Wan Ning had faint dark circles under her eyes (from suppressed desires), but her spirit was exceptionally high.

She changed out of her phoenix robe and put on Lin Ran's off-white hoodie, paired with light blue jeans. She untied her bun and tied her hair into a high ponytail, revealing her smooth, full forehead.

At first glance, she looked like a recent college graduate, but her gaze was too sharp. Her aura was too strong, making her seem a bit out of place.

"First stop, the movies," Lin Ran decided directly.

The cinema was bustling with people, the sweet smell of popcorn mixed with various human scents.

Shang Wan Ning wrinkled her nose, like a large feline animal that had wandered into a crowd, exuding a tense alertness.

Lin Ran bought two movie tickets for a lighthearted and funny animation.

The lights in the screening room dimmed, and Shang Wan Ning sat with a large bucket of popcorn, her back straight, her divine sense locked onto the screen.

The plot seemed rather childish to her, the characters exaggerated, and laughter constantly erupted around her. Her Majesty the Empress's lips were tightly pursed, with a look of disdain that said, "Nothing special."

Until the main characters fell into a fantastical cave filled with glowing mushrooms. Dazzling light and shadows flickered across Shang Wan Ning's face, and her action of holding the popcorn paused.

Her eyes widened slightly as she gazed at these shimmering fungi, muttering to herself: "'Ghost Glow Mushrooms' from the lower reaches of the Forgetfulness River? The form is similar, but the color is too vivid, one can tell it's non-toxic at a glance."

Lin Ran couldn't help but laugh, and casually popped a few pieces of popcorn into Shang Wan Ning's mouth.

Shang Wan Ning chewed instinctively, the sweetness melting on her tongue. She blinked, then reached out and grabbed another handful.

"Crunch... crunch..."