n

n

n

nLater that night, Ling Xin left to attend the mandatory IMF meeting. There was a lot to talk about—from the defeat of the Midnight Syndicate to the rebuildment of Fragment as well as the selection of new IMF members to replace those who've fallen during the invasion, the International Magic Foundation has got a lot on their hands in recent times.

nSpeaking of… I wonder who they were going choose to replace the previous council members. I mean, the people in the Council of Arcanity weren't just selected randomly. It's not like anyone can simply join. Only the best of the best had the right to have a chance at of even applying to the position. And since the hirers were going to be the current council members… well, needless to say, the criteria was going to be strict.

nI'd imagine the position wasn't going to just simply be out for open, since there would be too many applications, but rather invitations sent to specific chosen people. That would make far more sense, and also preliminate a bunch of people right from the start.

nThe entire night, Ling Xin did not return home. The girls went to sleep, and I was left the only one awake, waiting for her to come home. Even after several hours, however, she didn't come back, and I began to worry a bit.

nHad something happened to her? There were countless dangers in this world. But Ling Xin was quite capable herself, so… even if there was an enemy she could not defeat, I had confidence that she could at the very least run away unscathed. She was a very safe, conservative person, and also someone who knew her own limits well—she would not take any fights she wasn't 100% certain she could win.

nAs the sun rose the morning after, however, I got my answer.

nDing-dong.

nI heard the sound of the doorbell ringing, and my eyes snapped open, jolting awake. Apparently, I had fallen asleep in the living room last night without even realizing it while waiting for Ling Xin, but now that I think about it, that made sense. Yesterday was quite the tiring and action-packed day for me, after all.

nStanding up from the couch, I slowly approached the door, still half-asleep. Just as I opened the door, however, I encountered another half-asleep person, stumbling into the house and crashing into me, her eyes barely kept open.

n

"Ah… so tired…

"

nI blinked in surprise as I caught her soft body in my arms, and she practically latched onto me like a baby. Her body felt strengthless, exhausted, but still carried her familiar smell on it.

n

"Woah, hey there… you alright, Ling Xin?

"

n

"Mm… take me to bed, Xuan Kai,

" she murmured, rubbing her face against my chest.

"I'm exhausted, after that dreadful meeting…

"

n

"Uh… sure.

"

nNot sure what else to do since the rest of the girls were still sleeping, I took Ling Xin up to her room and tucked her into bed after casting a cleaning spell on her. It's not like she was gonna take a bath now, so this was the best I could do.

nAs I exited from the room, leaving her to sleep, I encountered Feng Mian outside, trying to peek at what's happening in the room.

n

"… Is she fine?

" Feng Mian asked, clearly talking about Ling Xin.

nI gave a nod.

"Just… very tired, it seems. It wasn't a fight or anything, though—she has no marks or sign of combat on her body. I'm guessing the IMF meeting just took up the entire night.

"

n

"Wow… being a council member sure is tough, huh?

" Feng Mian mused, tapping on her chin.

"Well, I'll go cook up some breakfast. The others should be waking up soon as well—I'll call you when it's ready, okay?

"

nI nodded and kissed her on the lips gently, parting after a few seconds. Feng Mian smiled at this and headed for the bathroom for a shower to start the day.

n*****

nHours later, Ling Xin finally woke up. It was already afternoon, but hey—who could blame her? She fell asleep at 6 AM in the morning.

n

"Finally up?

" I asked, smirking at her by her bed. Yes, I had waited here all this time. Why? Because she was the key to our future plans and all the information I was craving, of course.

n

"Mmn… I still want to sleep, but… there's important things I need to discuss with you and the others about, so I'll get up, I guess,

" Ling Xin said reluctantly, sighing.

"But first…

"

nShe smiled wryly, tugging on my wrist.

"… Give me a wake-up kiss.

"

n

"…?

" I arched an eyebrow.

"What's with you all of a sudden?

"

n

"Don't play dumb~~

" She giggled.

"I know you kissed Feng Mian outside after tucking me in earlier. It's not fair, is it? I worked sooo hard last night… so give me a reward, mkay?

"

nWhat the hell? How do you even know about that? One, you should've fallen asleep instantly if you were that tired, and two, I had shut the door already before kissing her… but oh well. Woman's intuition, I suppose.

nAfter thinking about it for a moment, I sighed and closed my eyes.

n

"Alright, alright.

"

nThen, leaning in, I pecked her lips gently, which she savored for a few seconds before we pulled apart.

n

"There. Now, wake up before I make you.

"

n

"Heheh~ make me, then,

" Ling Xin snickered, getting more proactive and playful as of late.

nI shook my head in exhaustion, then suddenly lifted her off the bed by the arms and transitioned into a princess carry.

n

"Woah~!

" Her eyes widened in surprise, but I paid no attention to that and carried on, bringing her to the bathroom before setting her down.

n

"Now, take a shower. Or do I have to help you do that too?

" I taunted, but to my shock, Ling Xin giggled and winked.

n

"If you want, sure~

"

n

"Uh… no thanks,

" I said.

"I already took a shower earlier, and I don't feel like changing into a new set of clothes. So hurry up—the other girls and I are all waiting for your information from last night's meeting.

"

nLing Xin sighed and waved me off, like the mention of the meeting was a headache for her.

n

"Yes, yes… I understand.

"

n