Chapter Forty-Three: Overcoming the Desire for Squeeze!
“Go out first, quickly, out.”
Sumu protected her chest with one hand, while the other gently pressed against Luo Jialan’s chest, fearing that if she stayed here any longer, her eyes would turn into heart shapes.
Sister, I really don’t smell good!
Fortunately, Luo Jialan eventually regained her clarity; otherwise, with the disparity in their strengths, Sumu wouldn’t even be able to struggle and would have been tightly embraced in this narrow fitting room.
No, the matter with the Desire Witch must be addressed promptly; it can’t be delayed for too long. It’s obvious that it is related to her.
Luo Jialan fidgeted outside the fitting room, nervously rubbing her fingers, repeatedly blaming herself in regret.
Is it possible that the remnants of that magic belonging to the Desire Witch still haven’t been cleared from her body?
Her body held the bloodline and magic of that woman, and without knowing her identity, they had lived under the same roof for over a decade.
The dark magic born of desire may have long seeped into every vein and cell within her, waiting for the opportunity to break through her mental weaknesses, causing her to lose control like she just did.
Luo Jialan’s father passed away before she was born, or at least that’s what her mother Luo Linglan said.
But Luo Jialan had never found any record of this so-called father, and she couldn’t even remember his name now.
Her memories to date mostly occurred in the Martial Arts Hall, where she was the only student, and the only teacher was Luo Linglan.
Yes, Luo Linglan insisted that Luo Jialan call her teacher rather than mother, and her training methods were so harsh that in her childhood, Luo Jialan was often worried whether she was experiencing domestic abuse at school.
Though the Martial Arts Hall only had her and Luo Linglan, the rules were extremely complex, even down to how her shoes were placed before going to bed and which direction their toes pointed, all while emphasizing efficiency.
What she feared most was hearing Luo Linglan’s often nightmarish phrase that would wake her from her sleep: “I’ll count to three.”
Even a half-second delay would result in punishment, and Luo Jialan often had to complete the command within a second of the count finishing.
This is why Luo Jialan became accustomed to counting down in that strange way—she wanted to give others an extra second to prove that she wasn’t as ruthless as that woman.
Under such high pressure, Luo Jialan was once tortured to the point of developing anxiety somatization, unable to sleep for nights, inexplicably feeling panic, and losing interest in most things.
And when she could no longer bear these rules and broke down to question Luo Linglan, the response she received was a very simple sentence.
“These are merely to restrain your inner self, to restrain your desires.”
Without any concealment, devoid of emotion, her tone was as cold as announcing prison rules to a criminal, leaving Luo Jialan with a chilling sense of coldness.
Luo Linglan sent her to the best primary school nearby, prepared every meal carefully for her, but never showed her even a sliver of warmth.
This is also why Luo Jialan felt completely indifferent towards her at this moment.
To this day, Luo Jialan occasionally thinks back to that grim time, remembering the cold, harsh scarred face of that woman.
She has imprinted those intricate rules firmly within herself, unconsciously reflecting them in her life—
When she eats, she must place her dish at a palm-width distance from the table’s edge, and not leave a single grain of rice when finished: when she goes out, she must return her slippers to the same spot in the closet, then lock the door two and a half times when leaving.
She repeatedly tried to rid herself of these lingering shadows from the past, only to see her shoes neatly pointing at the door upon waking up.
It is precisely because she excessively restricts herself that when faced with new scenes and battling monsters, she unconsciously relaxes her heart and becomes increasingly unrestrained.
She likes small animals, wanting to treat them gently, occasionally having the thought of tormenting and playing with them to make up for the tenderness she lacked inside.
But in the end, she has never kept a pet, because animal fur isn’t allowed in the Martial Arts Hall.
Perhaps everything just now wasn’t actually due to dark magic at work, but merely an excuse she found to indulge in desire.
“I’ve thought it through.”
Sumu came out of the fitting room, holding two swimsuits, dressed neatly, but with a hint of blush remaining at her neck to prove her earlier shyness.
“I’ll buy both, but I may still wear this peach pink one.”
But Luo Jialan was already disinterested in these considerations.
“Earlier… I’m really sorry, I’ll find a way to make up for it.”
Hearing Luo Jialan’s trembling apology, Sumu’s cheeks turned slightly red again, and she raised an eyebrow, looking at the blue-haired girl whose face was full of restraint.
“Make up for it, really? But you can’t go back on your word—”
She deliberately stretched her tone, making Luo Jialan’s heart lift a little.
“I only need you to do one thing, which is, remember to secretly add some coconut jelly to my daily orange drink, no extra charge, please.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Jialan’s trembling eyelashes suddenly froze for a moment, and then she looked at Sumu in astonishment, her emotions complex.
“Don’t you blame me? For doing something out of line?”
She had become accustomed to being fiercely reprimanded after doing something wrong, and no matter how many times she punched at the hand-drawn “Luo Linglan,” it could not relieve the torment within.
“Why should I? We should be friends now, right? We should be more forgiving, shouldn’t we? Besides, you initially let me off easy.”
During the brief interval of Luo Jialan’s self-reproach and Sumu changing clothes, she also pondered similar questions.
After going out, how should she treat Luo Jialan?
Ignore her or be angry?
Thinking back to that petite girl who pulled down Tang Nai’s teasingly suggestive conservative swimwear and dragged her here, she couldn’t help but feel her heart soften.
She didn’t want to push Luo Jialan away like this, because she was afraid she would miss the tea brewed by Luo Jialan and the delicate fingers that had squeezed her calves.
For Shushu Sumu, she was the first lighthouse willing to shed light for her, and once having tasted brightness, she never wanted to return to the darkness.
Back to the cold glow of the monitor.
“More than those, I’m more concerned about your state just now; is it related to the Desire Witch? Let Tang Nai take a look, or should I try scanning you?”
Upon hearing Tang Nai’s name, Luo Jialan shook her head like a rattle drum.
“Not that guy, I… I can solve it myself, or you could give it a try.”
“Do it before going to the beach; otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll want to squeeze again.”
Luo Jialan’s gaze unconsciously fell onto the notion of squeezing, quietly muttering in her heart.
It may have nothing to do with the Desire Witch, but I will try to endure!
