Chapter 71: Did the Porridge Bar Call?

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After all, asking her good bestie to do this made her feel a little embarrassed on one hand, and a bit disrespectful on the other, Bai Ning was already having second thoughts about it.

But Ning Xue's reaction after hearing her words was way over the top. She patted her chest and immediately said:

"No problem, I'll wipe it right now!"

Afraid that Bai Ning would change her mind, she didn't hesitate for even a second as she looked down at the scene below her.

Ning Xue's eyes lit up.

She lunged forward all at once, and before Bai Ning could even react, her hand shot out and grabbed Bai Ning's ankle.

[Ning Xue: comfortable, excited, happy, feedback value +213]

Bai Ning was caught off guard by Ning Xue's sudden move.

Something felt a little off here.

Ning Xue didn't seem to mind at all. If anything, she looked like she was having the time of her life.

And the juice had spilled on her foot, so why was Ning Xue hugging her leg so tightly, practically pressing her face all the way in?

Watching Ning Xue's face get closer and closer, Bai Ning felt her face flush with embarrassment, her toes curling up instinctively.

"J-just use a tissue to wipe it."

"That won't do."

What Bai Ning didn't expect was for Ning Xue to flat-out refuse.

"Juice usually has sugar in it, so if you just wipe it with a tissue, it's going to get all sticky later. Xiao Ning will be really uncomfortable."

Hearing Ning Xue's reasoning, Bai Ning paused for a moment, looking down at Ning Xue's completely serious expression. Maybe she was just being too sensitive.

Ning Xue was such a good person, she was probably just thinking about what was best for her, more thoughtful than anyone else would be.

"T-then, how about using a wet wipe instead?"

Even though she wasn't as embarrassed anymore, having someone holding her foot the whole time still made Bai Ning stumble over her words.

"We can use a wet wipe first, then I'll go get a basin of water and wash Xiao Ning's feet properly."

There was something held back in Ning Xue's voice as she spoke, the corners of her lips curling up slightly while she looked at Bai Ning with a completely straight face.

"Ah, I, I don't think that's necessary..."

At the mention of washing her feet, Bai Ning instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but Ning Xue's grip was firm and tight, and she couldn't pull free.

"I'm the one who made the mess, so I'm responsible for cleaning it up. Xiao Ning doesn't need to feel awkward about it. Let me wipe it first, then I'll go get the water."

Before Bai Ning could refuse, Ning Xue quickly grabbed a wet wipe from the nearby table and got to work.

"Mm!"

The warm, damp sensation hit all at once, and Bai Ning couldn't hold back the sound that escaped her.

The moment she realized what kind of noise she had just made, Bai Ning's face went completely red. She covered her mouth, not daring to look in Ning Xue's direction at all.

Ning Xue kept going. This was Bai Ning's first time having someone else touch her feet like this, and even though she was trying her best to hold it in, hand clamped over her mouth, strange little sounds kept slipping out anyway.

Was this right?

She was pretty sure she had only wanted Ning Xue to give it a quick wipe. How did it jump straight to a full foot wash?

She glanced over at Ning Xue, who had a look of total concentration on her face, cheeks a little pink, probably from embarrassment, since it must have been her first time wiping someone else's feet too.

If it hadn't been for that expression, Bai Ning would almost have thought Ning Xue was doing this on purpose.

Ning Xue stared at the soft, rounded little foot in front of her, unable to stop herself from swallowing, her breathing growing slightly unsteady, a flush creeping across her face.

Ever since Bai Ning got into trouble, everyone else had been able to help her in some way, while she had been stuck doing absolutely nothing.

But now she had figured it out. After testing the waters, it seemed like Bai Ning had feelings for her too. In that case, she wasn't going to keep holding herself back anymore.

"Is it... is it done?"

Bai Ning's voice drifted down from above, slightly unsteady.

"Almost done."

At that, Ning Xue picked up the pace, though she still wiped gently, carefully, as if she were handling some rare and precious treasure.

[Ning Xue: excited, happy, feedback value +258]

"Done. I'll go get the water now. Wait for me here, Xiao Ning."

Ning Xue's soft voice reached her, and Bai Ning felt a little dazed. Only a few minutes had passed, but it had felt like forever.

Watching Ning Xue's retreating figure, the embarrassment faded and was replaced by confusion. Bai Ning was baffled again. She was a little slow on the uptake, sure, but that didn't mean she was clueless. She had been lying to herself this whole time, but now that Ning Xue wasn't even trying to hide it anymore, how could she possibly miss it?

And the system, useless as it usually was, at least had a pretty accurate read on people's emotions. The feelings Ning Xue just showed were definitely not the kind that belonged between normal friends.

There was no way Ning Xue was also thirsting after her, right?

Thinking back on how Ning Xue had been treating her, and connecting it to the milk tea incident that one day, Bai Ning swallowed hard. If Ning Xue really did like her, and had been hiding it this well the whole time, hadn't she basically been inviting the wolf into her own house?

And the tasks the system kept handing out were getting more and more bizarre. It really was throwing every dirty trick straight at her.

Just as Bai Ning was still lost in her own thoughts, Ning Xue had already filled the basin and was walking back over.

Watching her approach, and remembering what had just happened, Bai Ning's foot instinctively shrank back.

"Xiao Ning, put your foot in. Feel the temperature first, if it's not right, I'll go adjust it."

Ning Xue still had that same gentle smile on her face as she spoke to Bai Ning in a soft voice.

[Ning Xue: expectant, excited, feedback value +306]

If the system didn't announce it every single time, Bai Ning might actually have believed that Ning Xue's mood was perfectly calm right now.

She extended her pale little foot and gave the water surface a light splash.

[Ning Xue: excited, thrilled, feedback value +136]

The corner of Bai Ning's mouth twitched. She was now pretty much certain that Ning Xue had feelings for her.

Either that, or the porridge bar had called.

"How is it?"

Ning Xue asked, her voice a little eager, like she could barely wait.

"J-just right."

Even though she was a little nervous, Bai Ning didn't refuse. Her face was red as she answered, partly because the task still wasn't done, and partly because she genuinely had feelings for Ning Xue too.

"Good, then let me wash it for you."

Before Bai Ning could react, Ning Xue took hold of her little foot and started washing.

"Mm!"

The foot has some of the highest concentrations of blood vessels and nerves in the human body. Bai Ning never wore sandals and rarely had her feet exposed, plus her body had always been on the sensitive side to begin with, which was why the slightest touch made her face go red so easily.

But she was pretty sure she hadn't always been this sensitive. It seemed like sometime over the past month, she had mysteriously ended up this way.

Ning Xue washed carefully and attentively, though she would occasionally zone out staring at Bai Ning's foot, then her breathing would get a little unsteady, Bai Ning even thought she heard the sound of swallowing at one point. Even without anything being done deliberately, Bai Ning's face was still completely flushed.

System: [Ding! Correction Quest complete. You have successfully given them a taste of their own medicine, allowing the villainess to experience what it feels like to be on the receiving end. You have demonstrated the true power of the female lead.]