Chapter 244 : Hair Weakens Fire, Bulk Weakens the Gate, and Weight Weakens the Base
“Oh, come on! Why’d the water heater have to break now?!”
Ling Ning had just come home soaking wet, ready for a nice hot shower, only to discover that her water heater had stopped working. What terrible luck! She was already undressed, just to be greeted by the sight of this busted heater.
With a sigh, Ling Ning wrapped herself in a towel, deciding to head next door to Xia You’s place for a shower. Living right beside Xia You sure had its perks.
Being a girl, she needed to be a bit more cautious—if this were her previous life, she’d have just braved the cold water in this hot weather. But since she’d only recently recovered from a cold, she wasn’t about to risk it again.
Ling Ning exited the bathroom and noticed her daughter wasn’t in the living room; she was probably in her room writing. Ling Ning headed to the door, peeking through the peephole to check that no one was outside before stepping out. After all, she was wearing nothing but a towel, and if the delivery guy or someone saw her, she’d be mortified.
Just as she reached Xia You’s door, the elevator chimed and a man’s voice came through, talking on the phone. Panicked, Ling Ning tried to hurry back to her own apartment, only to realize she hadn’t brought her keys. Even if she rang the bell, it would take her daughter some time to open the door. This was a disaster!
Hearing the footsteps getting closer, Ling Ning could feel her anxiety rising.
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In Xia You’s Room
Xia You was in the middle of recording a gaming commentary when the doorbell rang. She was in the final moments of a boss fight, with just a sliver of health remaining, so she didn’t get up right away. After delivering the finishing blow, she exited her room to answer the door.
At this hour, it could only be Ling Ning at her door.
“Xia You, open up!”
She’d barely reached the living room when she heard Ling Ning’s voice, sounding rather urgent. Xia You hurried over to open the door, where she found Ling Ning standing in nothing but a towel.
“Excuse me, is this Miss Xia You? I have your delivery!”
Before Xia You could respond, a delivery man in a brightly colored uniform appeared at the doorway, holding her food. She had ordered takeout since she didn’t feel like cooking.
Ling Ning, hiding behind the door, let out a sigh of relief at the close call. After this experience, she vowed to always put on proper clothes before stepping outside, no matter the circumstances.
“L-Ling Ning, are you okay?” Xia You asked, holding her takeout with a puzzled look.
Ling Ning gave an embarrassed smile and explained the whole mishap to Xia You.
“Go take your shower before you catch a cold.”
Xia You could only shake her head at Ling Ning’s story. Normally, Ling Ning was the kind of person you could rely on, but occasionally, she could be quite careless. If the delivery guy had seen her like that… humph!
For some reason, the delivery guy, now back by the elevator, felt a sudden chill down his spine, as if something dangerous was watching him. He glanced around but saw nothing.
He shook his head, brushing it off as his imagination.
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“Did I step in bad luck today or something? How can things go so wrong?”
Fresh out of the shower, Ling Ning realized she had only brought a nightgown with her and had forgotten to bring any undergarments from her own bathroom.
With a sigh, she slipped into the nightgown and left the bathroom. After all, she was in Xia You’s place, so not wearing underwear shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
From Xia You’s Recording:
“This boss is simple—just ‘stay under it and live beneath it.’ If all else fails, ‘follow its tail and go for the grab.’”
“We Sunlight Knights always face our foes head-on. You lowlifes think you can gang up on me? Take this, my righteous poison throwing knife!”
“Remember, hair weakens fire, bulk weakens the gate, and weight weakens the base. Keep these in mind, and the difficulty of this game goes down a notch.”
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Ling Ning had just approached Xia You’s room when she overheard this commentary.
Peeking in, she saw Xia You engrossed in her recording. Although she’d watched Xia You’s commentary videos on Bilibili before, this was her first time seeing it live.
Ling Ning studied Xia You closely and noticed the intense confidence on her face. To Ling Ning, she looked like a valkyrie dominating the battlefield.
“Huh?! Ling Ning?!”
Once Ling Ning got closer, Xia You finally noticed her and turned to see her standing behind with a cheerful smile.
“Am I interrupting?”
“N-Not at all,” Xia You stammered, instantly reverting to her usual shy demeanor.
“Do you mind if I watch? I’ve never seen someone do live gaming commentary before,” Ling Ning asked, blinking her big, doe-like eyes to make her request impossible to refuse.
“…S-Sure.”
Xia You had no defenses against Ling Ning’s cuteness and was relieved that she’d hidden her private stash of items just in time. If Ling Ning had seen them, she’d be doomed.
Normally, Xia You couldn’t record commentary if someone was watching her—it would make her stammer. But somehow, Ling Ning’s presence was different.
Knowing Ling Ning was watching made Xia You’s heart race, a blush creeping across her cheeks. She shifted her long legs nervously, then continued her commentary.
The video she was narrating over was prerecorded, so there wasn’t much gameplay involved; she only had to add her voiceover. But Xia You still needed to have a script prepared; otherwise, the commentary would end up disorganized.
Ling Ning settled onto Xia You’s bed, quietly watching her commentary. She thought Xia You looked truly captivating as she narrated the game.
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Author’s Note:
Ah, FGO needs grinding, Honkai 3rd needs grinding, mahjong games to play, and I still have to write… Life is exhausting!