After bathing, Xia Zhi returned to his room.
A while later, Xia Ci knocked, going door-to-door collecting phones—she said she was upgrading them with new functions.
Xia Zhi handed his over.
"And?" she said.
"And what?"
Xia Ci closed her eyes.
Xia Zhi leaned over and kissed her.
Click.
They separated. Xia Zhi noticed Xia Ci now holding a phone that hadn't been there before—already upgraded with a camera.
The sound had been a snapshot.
"You were secretly taking pictures?"
"That wasn't secret!"
"What are you gonna do with it?"
"I think it'd make a great phone wallpaper."
"Show me."
"No."
"Just to check the clarity."
"I'll send it later."
"…Forget it."
Xia Ci left with a grin.
This was only their second kiss.
The first had been when Xia Zhen was resurrected—caught red-handed right in front of her.
Since then, Xia Ci hadn't pressed the advantage.
Xia Zhi felt it wasn't like her.
What was she scheming now?
—
House of Daena.
Suddenly, Nahida felt a tingling pleasure on her lips.
She blinked in confusion.
But right away, she thought of her sister.
That strange sensation was all too familiar—almost nightly, in fact. All over her body.
Last time she asked, her sister had said she was giving someone a Massage.
Because they were both incarnations of Irminsul, they shared a strange resonance.
When her sister experienced intense stimulation, Nahida felt it too.
So just now…
Nahida was still mulling when her phone buzzed.
She opened it.
A message from her sister.
She tapped it open—
And nearly dropped the phone.
It was a photo.
A very intimate, very ambiguous kiss photo.
Way too much!
Staring at a face nearly identical to her own, Nahida's heart clenched strangely.
Another message popped up.
From her sister:
[Xia Ci]: Looks good, right?
Nahida : ???
[Xia Ci]: Special treat just for you. Save it.
Nahida : !!!
[Xia Ci]: Oh, by the way, Cousin already cured Collei's Disease.
Nahida : I know.
[Xia Ci]: I've got phones to modify. Talk later.
Nahida : …
Nahida sighed, glancing again at the photo.
The other half of that kiss was Xia Zhi.
So that's what Brother Xia looks like…
---
Palais Mermonia.
Furina was lying in bed, listening to music, when a message popped up.
From [Xia Ci].
Curious, she tapped it—
And exploded.
"You shameless witch!!!"
Focalors appeared in the mirror, puzzled. "What's got into you now?"
"See for yourself!"
"See what?"
"Look!"
Focalors floated over, glanced at the phone—then went silent.
Yeah… that kind of photo would rattle anyone.
She wanted to curse too, but her role wasn't like Furina's. Hers was more… Tsundere.
So she only sneered. "That's it?"
Furina gawked. "That's it? She's like this! Isn't that outrageous? Infuriating!"
Focalors sniffed. "It's just a kiss. Shenhe and Ganyu roll around in his bed every night. You don't see me fussing."
"That's different! Shenhe doesn't send me photos of it!"
"If she did, you'd probably short-circuit again."
"You slanderer!"
"Am I wrong?"
"Yes!"
"Besides, Xia Ci doesn't know who you really are. She only knows you as [Cream Puff]."
"She must've guessed! Otherwise why send it to me?"
"How should I know? You're the one who added her."
"I only wanted to nag her to update faster!"
Focalors had enough, slipping back into the mirror.
Furina sat fuming on the bed, then opened her phone, found Nahida's contact, and sent her the picture.
Nahida : Why are you sending me this?
Nahida : Where'd you even get it?
[Cream Puff]: Obviously your sister sent it to me.
[Cream Puff]: Well? Great photo, right?
Nahida : Impossible! My sister wouldn't spread something like that!
[Cream Puff]: Then go ask her.
Furina chuckled to herself, hugging her phone.
—
Nahida was really panicking now.
It was bad enough that her sister had sent such a private photo to her. But to others too?
And who was this "Cream Puff" person, anyway? She didn't even know!
She messaged her sister—no reply. Probably busy upgrading phones.
Nahida hugged her phone, fretting.
Then another ping.
Not from her sister, but from Cream Puff.
She opened it—
A mysterious zipped file.
Her brow furrowed.
What's this?
[Cream Puff]: Sending you something good. Take a look!
She hesitated, then unzipped it.
It was… a novel bundle.
Living with My Cousin, My Domineering Cousin, My Cousin is a Fox Spirit, Cousin Conquest…
This is the "good stuff"?
Nahida had no interest in novels.
But curiosity won. She opened one—
[Author: Xia Ci]
???
Her sister wrote these?!
No way.
But now she had to read them.
Not for the stories, but just to share a little more common ground with her dear sister.