Chapter 517 : No, I Refuse!
“Ling Ning, it’s freezing out here! Let me in!”
Zhou Xiaoxiao stood shivering outside her own house, her small hands knocking on the door repeatedly. Why had it come to this? This was her home—why was she locked out?
All she did was doze off while studying!
After what felt like an eternity, she finally heard Ling Ning’s amused voice from inside. “You’re wearing plenty of clothes; you’ll be fine. A bit of cold wind will wake you right up!”
“Waaah, Ling Ning, you can’t do this to me!”
Despite Zhou Xiaoxiao’s wails, Ling Ning remained unmoved, refusing to open the door. It wasn’t until the ten-minute punishment was over that Zhou Xiaoxiao was let back inside.
Seeing Zhou Xiaoxiao’s pitiful expression, Ling Ning struggled to suppress her laughter.
Zhou Xiaoxiao sighed in defeat. “I know you’re just trying to help me, but couldn’t you come up with a better method?”
“Oh, there’s an alternative. If you don’t want to stand outside, I can spank you ten times every time you nod off~”
At those words, Zhou Xiaoxiao instinctively covered her backside, looking at Ling Ning with a mixture of horror and suspicion. But Ling Ning thought she glimpsed a flicker of... anticipation? No, that must have been her imagination. Who in their right mind would look forward to being spanked?
“You scared now? Then stay focused and no more dozing off, got it?”
“I... I get it.”
However, once the study session resumed, it became clear her agreement hadn’t sunk in. Barely any time had passed before Zhou Xiaoxiao was dozing off again, completely ignoring Ling Ning’s earlier warning.
“Ahem. Xiaoxiao, do you remember what I said earlier?”
Startled awake, Zhou Xiaoxiao blinked at Ling Ning with exaggerated confusion, clearly pretending not to know. Ling Ning, oblivious to the act, frowned.
“Earlier? I don’t think you said anything...”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Resigned, Zhou Xiaoxiao sprawled over the sofa, muttering, “Fine, just get it over with.”
Her straightforward reaction surprised Ling Ning. She had expected resistance, even some bargaining. Yet here Zhou Xiaoxiao was, volunteering. Well, if that was the case, who was she to refuse?
The sound of ten crisp slaps echoed through the room. Zhou Xiaoxiao sat back up, seemingly unfazed. Wait—did she look... satisfied? Ling Ning shook her head. She must be imagining things again.
“That was so light; I barely felt it...” Zhou Xiaoxiao mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing! I just said even my dad’s never done this to me!” Zhou Xiaoxiao huffed.
“Well, then, get back to studying!” Ling Ning scolded.
Yet despite the reprimand, Zhou Xiaoxiao’s behavior didn’t change. Every few minutes, she’d start nodding off again, prompting another round of spanking. After an hour, Ling Ning lost count of how many times she’d done it.
Watching Zhou Xiaoxiao obediently lie back on the sofa yet again, Ling Ning sighed. “I’m done. I’m not spanking you anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m starting to think you’re doing this on purpose just to get spanked!”
Zhou Xiaoxiao’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly composed herself. “What? Who would want that? Only a masochist would enjoy being spanked.”
Ling Ning sighed and got up. “Let’s take a break. Do you have coffee at home? I’ll make us some.”
As Ling Ning walked to the kitchen, Zhou Xiaoxiao blinked in realization. Maybe she’d gone a bit too far. After all, she’d invited Ling Ning to help her study, not to play around. If this continued, she wouldn’t even get through half the material she needed to review.
Ling Ning’s coffee-making skills, honed under Zhou Xiaoxiao’s guidance, had improved significantly over time. Though not as perfect as Zhou Xiaoxiao’s own, it was still delicious.
Taking a sip, Zhou Xiaoxiao nodded appreciatively. “You’re really good at this, Ling Ning. Not quite as good as me, but still excellent.”
“Xiaoxiao, how can I get you to take studying seriously?”
“Um, well, maybe after I finish this coffee, I’ll feel more focused... probably.”
“Let’s hope so.”
During their break, Ling Ning idly turned on the TV. The screen lit up with an episode of the classic anime *Kiss x Sis*. It wasn’t a broadcast, but something Zhou Xiaoxiao had downloaded onto the TV to catch up on.
Watching the on-screen sisters using creative methods to tutor the protagonist, Ling Ning’s expression changed. Her face alternated between embarrassment and intrigue as she briefly considered whether such methods might work on Zhou Xiaoxiao.
Ultimately, she dismissed the idea. Writing on someone’s body to help them study? That was far too shameless. Even if Zhou Xiaoxiao could focus, there was no way Ling Ning would have the dignity to teach her that way.
Noticing Ling Ning’s flushed face, Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!”
“Is that so?” Zhou Xiaoxiao squinted suspiciously at the TV, then leaned closer to Ling Ning. “Ling Ning, were you thinking about using those methods to teach me? If you are, I promise I’ll learn everything really well~”
“W-What?! As if! If you want to try that, do it yourself. I’d never use such methods!” Ling Ning declared firmly.
“Aw, come on. We have heating, so it won’t be cold even without clothes. And I’ve got makeup remover—any marks would come off easily!”
“No, I refuse!”
“Please? Don’t you want me to pass my exams? Imagine me failing, getting scolded by my parents, laughed at by classmates, and ending up a failure in life. I can already feel the chill of the rooftop breeze...” Zhou Xiaoxiao’s voice grew increasingly pitiful, tears brimming in her eyes as she painted the tragic picture.
“...”
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Author’s Note:
Ah, so many things going on lately. The struggle is real.