"Mommy, mommy, you're awake? Anna missed you so much~"
Just as Chu Lian opened her eyes to the dim, dusky sky, a small figure leapt toward her from a distance, tackling her to the ground. The adorable girl rubbed her soft cheeks against Chu Lian's lightly clothed chest, then spoke a sentence that made Chu Lian's face darken instantly: "Even though mommy's chest is so flat, it still feels surprisingly comfy to nuzzle!"
So she really was her good daughter—when not acting like a yandere, she was a total airhead; and when she was being an airhead, she was naturally savage.
Your mommy just hasn't developed yet—hasn't developed yet—hasn't developed yet! It's not that she doesn't have a chest, okay? It's just... not here yet!
"Anna, mommy's chest isn't flat. It's just... not developed yet. Once I grow up, it won't be like this anymore." Chu Lian lifted Anna up high into the air, smiling warmly as she spoke.
"But mommy's mommy said that if you still haven't developed by now, it means you'll stay like this for life. Mommy's mommy told Anna this is called... um... called 'flat-chested.' Anna doesn't really get it, but it sounds kinda nice!" Anna spread her arms happily, her bright smile completely unaware of how deeply her innocent words wounded Chu Lian.
"Pfft... hahaha... Lian'er, she's really your daughter. When she's not a yandere, she's naturally black-hearted! Hahahaha! Oh, my sides..." In the system space, Ayase—who had been trying to suppress her laughter—finally gave in. She collapsed onto the sofa, rolling with laughter.
Even Shiroha, who rarely reacted to anything, emitted a few crisp "ha ha" sounds, as if silently mocking a certain flat-chested loli.
"So should I start looking for a time machine or something? Speed up my time flow, jump to the future, and see if I ever actually grow anything?" Chu Lian, though long used to these emotional beatdowns, could never get used to being reminded that she was flat. She would never admit that she'd be flat-chested for life!
Flat-chestedness is a grave sin, mortals! There is no future for flat chests!
Think about it—imagine being the senior, the elder sister, or even the mother, yet your chest is smaller than your junior's, your little sister's, or your daughter's! What a humiliation that would be!
So, everyone, remember this: only the well-endowed speak with confidence. The flat-chested will always be looked down upon!
"Even if you went, it wouldn't work. The system automatically blocks any external energy from altering your body—unless it's something beneficial to you, like Tírnas's Blessing. Otherwise, it has no effect. Whatever your body is like when you enter the time machine, it'll be exactly the same when you come out." Ayase's words were calm, but they completely shattered Chu Lian's delusion in one blow. The system's protection mechanisms were far too thorough.
"Fine, fine. If that's the case, I'll just have to let time answer for me." Chu Lian sighed helplessly. She knew the system's rules were made to protect her—it wasn't something she could really complain about.
So she decided to drop the topic altogether, before she got mentally crushed any further.
"Anna, let's not talk about this anymore, okay?" Chu Lian sat up, placing Anna beside her, and gently pinched the girl's nose with a smile.
"Okay~ but mommy, you have to give Anna some jam bread. Anna's hungry!"
At those words, Chu Lian's smile instantly froze. If Anna had said that this morning, she would've happily pulled out a pile of treats for her.
But now, with barely any points left, she couldn't afford to fulfill her daughter's request. She couldn't even cook something herself—her dark cuisine was a disaster, and she didn't even know how to make it properly.
Left with no other option, she looked around nervously, trying to find some way to distract or deflect the situation.
Fortunately, Anna was quite understanding when it came to her mother. Seeing Chu Lian's awkward expression, she immediately knew there wouldn't be any food this time. She simply pouted in mild dissatisfaction. "Mommy, next time you have to keep some in stock, okay? Otherwise, when Anna's hungry again and there's nothing, she'll starve~"
Those words immediately reminded Chu Lian of something crucial—she knew all too well what happened when Anna got hungry. The last time, she'd left a pile of food for her daughter...
But somehow, after eating a little, Anna had stopped halfway—and instead decided to eat everyone on an aircraft carrier. When Chu Lian found out afterward, she was utterly horrified.
By now, she had more or less figured out Anna's eating habits. It was never about how food tasted—it was always about nutrition and energy.
Ordinary dishes were far too bland and weak for her. Only food with high nutritional value and strong energy levels could satisfy her.
The reason she loved Misuzu Kamio's Juice, Sanae Furukawa's Bread, and Aunt Akiko's Jam so much was precisely because they contained some mysterious form of high energy—exactly what Anna craved.
Even though Chu Lian couldn't figure out how such dark culinary creations could possibly contain high energy, she was absolutely certain she would never try making them herself. Not in this lifetime.
"Uh, mommy doesn't have what you want to eat right now... but mommy's mom does! How about I ask her to make some for you?" Chu Lian's eyes darted around as she realized she couldn't find Chu Chu or Inori anywhere. Where had those two gone?
Still, she had to calm down the slightly hungry Anna at all costs. If Anna's hunger got out of hand again, tonight might just turn into a Sucheng version of Tokyo Ghoul.
"Okay~ but mommy, you have to promise Anna that tonight we'll take a bath together and sleep together. Then I won't be mad anymore." Anna sounded much more obedient and reasonable than expected—perhaps because she had been drowsy these past few days and was starting to mature a bit.
"Alright, alright, mommy promises. We'll bathe together and sleep together, okay?" It was a small matter anyway. As long as she could keep the little one happy and fed—well, metaphorically speaking—it was worth it.
"Yay! Mommy, Anna loves you the most!" Anna once again tackled her to the ground, rubbing her face against Chu Lian's chest like a kitten. Chu Lian couldn't help but laugh helplessly. Flat-chested problems, indeed—at this point, even being used as a pillow was uncomfortable.
"Big Sis! Chu Chu brought some fruit!" came a cheerful call from behind. Chu Lian tilted her head back, looking toward the rooftop door, and saw Chu Chu carrying a tray of sliced fruit. Behind her, Inori was holding snacks in both hands, and Fyu-Neru's mechanical arms carried another plate of food.
So that's where they'd gone—they were just fetching something to eat. Chu Lian sighed in relief. For a moment, she'd thought they'd disappeared somewhere dangerous.
"Chu Lian, it's been a while." Suddenly, a calm, slightly cold voice came from the side. Chu Lian turned her head and saw a tall, slender white-haired girl dressed in a black sailor uniform—Kurosaki Satsuki.
Seeing her, Chu Lian's expression brightened mischievously. "Ah~ it's only been half a day, but Satsuki-chan says 'it's been a while'? So I'm that important in your heart, huh? Like they say—one day apart feels like three years!"
"..." The girl fell silent, her crimson eyes flicking briefly toward Chu Lian before she quietly turned away, sitting on the edge of the rooftop railing and gazing out at the setting sun.
"Big Sis," Chu Chu said softly, "ever since Mother confined Satsuki to her room and forbade her from doing anything except rest, she's been like this ever since we saw her again. I don't know if she's gotten over something... or if she's still upset."
Chu Lian glanced at the white-haired girl and sighed softly. "Looks like our young lady's got something weighing on her heart."
She didn't know the details, but she could tell Satsuki must've been struggling with some thoughts or emotions she couldn't resolve. It wasn't something that could be fixed in a single day—or with a few comforting words. Still, she could at least say something to keep her from overthinking for now.
After all, people trapped in their own thoughts couldn't be freed just because someone told them to be.
"Hey, hey, you—girl staring at the sunset—time to eat! If you don't, your sixteen-year-old flat chest will never grow!" Chu Lian said this with a completely straight face, her gaze level with the white-haired girl who was three years older than her—but whose chest was only slightly larger. It was, frankly, the one source of confidence she had left.
The white-haired girl didn't respond. She continued gazing at the slanting rays of the setting sun, the scarlet glow of dusk painting her pale cheeks with a hint of vivid color—beautiful, yet faintly melancholic.
Still, Chu Lian noticed that when she'd said those words, the girl's slender hand had tightened around her skirt for a moment before slowly relaxing.
That meant she had heard—and that it had hit home—but because of her reserved nature, she couldn't bring herself to respond.
"Even if you don't want to eat, at least come and talk with us. You've escaped that life of constant pursuit. What you should be doing now is strengthening yourself so you can avenge your parents. But if you don't eat, you'll have no strength to train. Without strength, how will you ever take revenge? So, young lady—eat first. Only with food in your belly can you do anything else."
As she spoke, Chu Lian picked up a slice of apple and took a crisp bite. Mmm—sweet and refreshing. Not bad at all, even though she wasn't really fond of apples.
"If you still won't come, I'll ask Mother to seal your spiritual consciousness every day and force you to sleep. Then you won't even be able to train in your dreams—let's see how you'll catch up to us then."
If her earlier words had merely stirred something in the girl, this final line completely shattered her pride.
The white-haired girl turned sharply, glaring daggers at Chu Lian's smug face. Then she set her katana down and strode over, her black leather boots tapping against the rooftop.
"See? You do care about your chest size after all. Come on, drink this milk—it'll make your boobs grow." Chu Lian said teasingly as the girl approached. Without thinking, she reached behind her and grabbed a random bottle, only to realize it was labeled Papaya Milk. She handed it over without hesitation.
"Wait... why do I even have papaya milk?" Chu Lian froze midair. If it had been something Inori brought, that'd be one thing—but she'd checked earlier, and there hadn't been anything like this.
"Lian'er, that's something mommy specially prepared for you," came Li Mingxue's gentle voice from behind, instantly delivering a fatal blow to her daughter's pride. "Look at Chu Chu—she already has the same figure I had at her age. You're older than her, yet there's no sign of growth. Mommy's really worried, you know?"
"Mom, you're the best, but please stop talking about chest size. I'm still growing—it's perfectly normal not to be big yet," Chu Lian said, her heart heavy with despair. Why did every conversation today have to circle back to breast size?
She'd already been teased all morning by everyone except Anna—and even the system itself had joined in! She thought she'd escaped the humiliation by entering the Origin Land, only to be struck again before leaving.
Now that she was back, she'd hoped the subject would finally die... yet she herself had reopened it. And now, with her mother right there to deliver the finishing blow, it was just—too much.
"Alright, alright, I won't bring it up anymore," Li Mingxue said sweetly. "But you have to finish this milk, okay? It's full of mommy's love." She took the papaya milk from her stunned daughter's hands, shaking it gently as she licked her lips playfully.
"Mom, could you not sound so seductive when you say that..." Chu Lian wanted to retort so badly, but considering their relationship—and the massive difference in power—she wisely chose silence. Instead, she quickly changed the topic. "Mom, papaya milk doesn't actually make your chest grow, you know. There were reports about that before—it's all fake. So giving me this is pointless."
Li Mingxue smiled knowingly, her eyes gleaming. "Other people's, yes. But this one's special. Mommy had it custom-made. It's exclusively supplied to our family. Haven't you noticed the label?"
"Custom-made? Label?" Chu Lian blinked, realizing she hadn't actually looked at it properly. She focused her gaze on the bottle in her mother's hand, and there, written in big bold characters, were the words: Drink Milk, Get Bigger.
"..." A moment of stunned silence fell over the rooftop.
Then, except for Anna—who didn't understand—and the stone-faced white-haired girl, everyone burst out laughing.
Even Inori, usually so reserved, covered her mouth and giggled softly, her eyes curved in amusement. That alone was already merciful compared to the others.
Just look at Chu Chu and Ayase—both were literally rolling on the floor, laughing uncontrollably.
Forcing a strained smile, Chu Lian could only feel overwhelming sorrow inside.
"Truly... flat chests have no future. Just look at them—every last one of them! I swear... I will win hearts someday!" It was probably the thousandth time she'd made that vow. If a Kyubey appeared right now, she might've become a goddess on the spot.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon began to rise, laughter echoed across the rooftop, lingering in the air long after twilight faded...