Volume 2 Chapter 73 / Chapter 354: Social Death
"Why don't you stay for dinner before leaving? Are you really in such a rush?"
Lily's mother's features were a little sharp, but her voice was surprisingly gentle. She smiled as she busied herself in the kitchen preparing dinner.
"Better not. We already bought our tickets."
Yan Xinya couldn't wait to get out. She glanced at the uncle standing by the wine cabinet, looking utterly heartbroken, and her anxiety spiked.
The half-empty cabinet… two bottles were her fault, but the rest? All Lily's doing.
Would they… make her pay for the damage?
"Our train's at five. We'll need to leave just past four."
Ning Chu checked the time. They had maybe ten minutes before they had to head out—any later and they risked missing the high-speed rail.
Their suitcases were already packed and waiting by the entryway next to the elevator. At any moment, they could grab and run.
"In that case, travel safe," Lily's mother said, dropping the subject.
But before relief could set in, Lily came barreling out of her bedroom. Without a word, she grabbed each of them by the wrist and dragged them inside, shutting the door with a sharp click.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"We're gonna miss the train!"
They stumbled into the room, only for Lily to plant herself against the door, blocking their way out. Her expression was icy as her eyes flicked between her two best friends.
"You're really leaving in such a hurry?"
"Well, your parents are back. Wouldn't it feel awkward staying here?" Yan Xinya tried to bluff casually.
"Yeah, plus Wen Yang's calling me home. He says he misses me." Ning Chu chimed in with her own excuse.
"..."
Lily stared at them, her mask of indifference finally cracking. She dropped her gaze, lips drooping into a pout as she muttered under her breath.
"This is all your fault… you caused trouble, and now you're trying to ditch me."
It had been Yan Xinya who suggested drinking. Lily only handled the barbecue, but somehow got coaxed into downing more than a little herself. In her parents' eyes, their "good, well-behaved daughter" had turned into a sloppy drunk, shattering the image she had kept up for years.
"It's fine, really~ You were drinking too, remember? Your dad would've found out sooner or later." Yan Xinya tried to soothe her.
Ning Chu followed up by passing the blame elsewhere: "Yeah, don't worry. You're a succubus, after all~ Last semester, didn't that succubus club get busted for hosting some silver party? Compared to that, just playing around a little in private—without even having a boyfriend—you're practically pure, right?"
Lily had no idea whether they were comforting her or roasting her alive.
"I don't even have the face to look at them anymore..." she whispered, her voice so small it was barely audible, thick with grievance.
Ning Chu made a suggestion: "Well, there's still a few days until New Year. Why don't you hide out at Xinya's place for a while? Give it time to blow over."
"My place is too far."
"Then come to mine," Ning Chu offered, frowning as she thought. "My room's a little small, but the bed's big. It could fit three people."
"Three?"
"Yeah, my little sister's there too. You know, the cat girl? The one who came with me to class?"
"Oh~ that cutie!"
It sounded tempting, but Lily still shook her head. "Forget it. It's almost New Year's."
Her parents would never let her leave now—not when she had just been caught red-handed letting loose. No way they'd risk taking their eyes off her.
"You're sure you'll be okay?" Ning Chu asked nervously. "They're not going to… you know… hit you when we're gone?"
"That won't happen. My parents dote on me."
"Oh~ so it's just social death, then." Ning Chu exhaled in relief. "That's fine, I'm a pro at this. Just grit your teeth and it'll pass."
Ever since she'd crossed over, her shame meter had been crushed by the wheels of fate more times than she could count. At this point, she was practically numb to embarrassment. Her only problem was that her bottom line kept sinking lower and lower.
"..." Lily shot her a glare.
"Lily doesn't have a thick skin like you do~" Yan Xinya teased.
"Hey, I am not thick-skinned!" Ning Chu protested.
But their worries never aligned. As Lily despaired over how she'd ever face her parents again, Yan Xinya and Ning Chu were already bickering playfully.
After a brief round of noisy bickering, Yan Xinya finally suggested a more reasonable solution:
"How about this—we just explain everything to your mom?"
"It was my idea to drink anyway. I'm the one who egged Lily on until she got drunk~ It's a simple thing to clear up."
Lily nodded eagerly, and then she and the wolf girl both turned their gazes toward Ning Chu.
"Eh…?" Ning Chu froze for a second, instinctively stepping back two paces as a pink flush spread all the way up to her ears.
Wait—hold on!
Sure, you can clear things up with just one sentence!
But what about me?! What am I supposed to say?!
Tell Lily's mom: 'That toy you saw? It was mine. I was feeling horny this morning and used it. Nothing to do with Lily.'
Like hell! Even if she never saw Lily's mother again for the rest of her life, she didn't have the kind of shamelessness required to utter those words!
Her eyes went wide, and she stammered in protest:
"I—I'm the victim here! Lily's the one who shoved it onto me…"
If Lily hadn't been so desperate to advertise and drag her into the hobby, she wouldn't have been exposed like this in the first place!
Seeing her face turn redder and redder, nearly purple with embarrassment, Lily turned her head and snickered. But then she remembered her own predicament and the laughter died in her throat.
"Our train's seriously about to leave," Yan Xinya reminded.
With a helpless sigh, Lily waved her hand and stepped away from the door, letting them pass.
Yes, her parents had caught a glimpse of her wild, not-so-innocent side… but hopefully, their emotional intelligence was high enough to pretend nothing happened.
Watching her friends leave, Lily turned back toward the nightstand. She quickly grabbed the large box, disinfected and cleaned it, then tucked it away carefully.
She'd bring it to Ning Chu once school started again.
By then, Ning Chu would definitely be her usual shy-yet-intrigued self, all "no, no" on the surface while her eyes betrayed something else…
Knock knock.
A gentle rap sounded against the door.
"Your friends left already. Aren't you going to see them off?"
Lily immediately sat upright on the bed. "No."
The door pushed open anyway, and her mother stepped inside, closing it behind her.
"Mom? Did you need something?"
In front of family, Lily wasn't her usual quiet, reserved self—she smiled more, spoke more. But even now, her hands clenched tight around the fabric of her dress, her heartbeat quickening in spite of herself.
Her mother looked at her calmly. "Why did you buy that kind of thing?"
Because I'm a succubus!
That was Lily's instinctive answer, but years of upbringing had taught her to feel nothing but shame when it came to anything sexual. Aside from joking with friends or hiding behind the anonymity of the internet, she always wore the mask of a modest, well-behaved girl.
Her face burned crimson, toes curling into the floorboards, her breaths coming quicker and quicker. She whispered so softly it was almost inaudible:
"I… I saw it online, and I was curious… so I bought one."
That was the truth. The first time, it really had just been curiosity.
Though now, of course, she had more than twenty toys of all shapes and sizes hidden away in a locked cabinet.
"..."
Her mother only let out a faint sigh.
By the time Lily looked up again, the room was empty—her mother had already slipped away.
"…Did I… just get away with it?"
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Link for character illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IxOucqi87ss3bmqfO9zI2gYiM1Gy8Hz2
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