This kiss lasted a long time—so long that the girl's breathing stilled, a blush spreading across her face as emotion stirred within her.
Slowly swallowing the saliva in her mouth that was mingled with her scent, Chu Lian released Inori, whose gaze was still dazed, and said softly while catching her breath, "I won't allow it. You're not leaving..."
"You..." Her body felt weak, yet she could feel that the hand holding hers had tightened, as if afraid she would refuse. But how could I ever refuse her? Even if I denied my own heart, I would never deny yours.
Because it was you who made me whole. It was you who made me realize why I exist. You are not merely the person I love—you are the faith rooted deep within my heart, something that can never be worn away.
"It's me. It's me. It's me..." Chu Lian leaned forward, resting her head against her shoulder as she murmured. She truly feared that Inori would reject her. Though that was almost impossible, she was still afraid—an uncontrollable fear.
"Lian... I won't leave..." How could she possibly say no in the face of such an attitude? Do you know how domineering you're being? Why won't you even give me the chance to feel hurt? If I had just quietly worked through it myself, everything would have been fine.
As if hearing the thoughts in her heart, Chu Lian inhaled the scent of her hair and said in a low voice, "Because I will never let you be hurt. And even if you are, it can only be by my side—not far away from me. Only like this can I hold on to you and leave you nowhere to run."
"Mm..." Inori could not answer those words. She did not know what to say. She could only respond softly.
"Ahem, ahem. You two should at least consider the emotional tolerance of an old woman like me. Doing this so openly right beside me—I'm going to be unhappy, you know." Seeing the situation, Li Mingxue knew it was time for her to speak up. Otherwise, this would definitely turn into a full-blown romance drama.
Let them bicker, let them get jealous, let them be fickle—but as long as there was no rift between them, that was enough. All she could do was support them. With her support, no matter how many hardships lay ahead, she would not allow them to be hurt.
"Mommy..." At her words, Chu Lian immediately felt embarrassed and turned around to act spoiled.
Inori, meanwhile, turned her head away, not looking in their direction. She was well aware that what had just happened had gone a little too far. She was embarrassed as well.
"You two... I don't oppose whether you like boys or girls. The key is that you need to understand the situation." Li Mingxue flicked her lightly on the forehead, utterly helpless.
Perhaps this was the greatest compensation she could offer. No matter what you choose to do, as your mother, I will give you my full support. Even if it's something the world calls taboo, so what? In my eyes, there has never been any such thing as taboo—only whether you want to do it.
"I know. I'll restrain myself in front of outsiders. I won't let anyone find out." Of course Chu Lian understood what Li Mingxue meant. She was destined to walk the path of a star. If such scandals broke out at this early stage, one could imagine how difficult her future would become.
As long as she did not admit it, no matter how others speculated, without proof they could do nothing to her. And besides, a single, pure idol was what people liked most. After all, for young fans, the thought that their goddess already had someone she loved was simply too heartbreaking.
In front of others, Chu Lian would maintain her usual demeanor—not deliberately restrained, not affected. She would do whatever she wished. That way, the group of beautiful girls around her would not become a burden but instead a driving force that elevated her popularity even further.
Wasn't the hottest discussion on the official website authorized by Chu Lian and produced by members of The Heart of First Love alliance precisely about who her ultimate coupling should be?
The homepage had even opened a dedicated voting section, allowing fans to choose the best coupling for Chu Lian in their hearts.
At present, Ayase still ranked first. Inori was second. Third had become Chu Chu. Fourth was Cai Ya. Fifth was Li Xiu'er. Sixth was Liu Yanran. Seventh was, unexpectedly, Anna.
As for Lux Lyle and Ruriko Nana, everyone believed the two of them were already a coupling themselves, so they had not been included.
Regardless of Chu Lian's attitude, the rankings reflected the combinations most people enjoyed. From another angle, it also proved that these girls were indeed a boost to her growing fame.
"You still need to be careful. Whether in public or private, if someone truly wants to dig up information, they can. As for those kinds of people, don't be soft. If anything happens, Mom will bear it for you. Even if they disappear from this world, no one would care." As Li Mingxue said this, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from her. It felt as though heaven and earth themselves were being crushed beneath her. Chu Lian even felt her breathing grow faint.
Fortunately, this aura was deliberately released. It was a warning to the reporters still lurking around the house, hoping to snap a few photos and create some sensational headlines.
Not targeting Chu Lian did not mean she would spare those people. When that pressure descended upon them, they were instantly forced to the ground. It felt as though the end of the world had arrived, or as if a ferocious beast had fixed its gaze upon them. It was the scent of death—a power so terrifying they could not resist it.
When the pressure, lasting less than a second, faded, they realized their clothes were soaked in sweat. Their bodies felt weak and drained. Only one thought remained in their minds: run. Run. Run. Run as far as possible. Never get close again. Otherwise, you will die.
"Whew... Mom, if you do that, won't it draw attention?" Of course Chu Lian knew who she had targeted. But wouldn't this also alert powerful figures to her presence? Wasn't that just inviting trouble?
"Sometimes, properly revealing your fangs doesn't make people think you're easy to bully. It declares that you are dangerous. They've gone too far. I'm simply telling them this place is dangerous. If they still want to keep their lives, they'd better leave."
Li Mingxue had her own plans. She had long grown sick of those reporters squatting around the house. Did she not know what they were plotting? Nothing more than tarnishing her daughter's reputation.
Before, she could tolerate it. Now that her daughter had returned, there was no need for further restraint. It was time for them to leave.
"Mm, that works too. After all, it seems like Mom is about to reenter the world." At that, Chu Lian let out a soft laugh. The way she phrased it sounded strange—like announcing to everyone just how powerful she was.
Though, she truly was.
"Reenter the world? When your strength reaches the Heaven rank, then Mom will truly be at ease. Your talent is the highest I've ever seen. Once you reach the Heaven rank, you might even become the first in all of history. Work hard. Mom has that confidence in you." Li Mingxue raised her hand into the air. Understanding immediately, Chu Lian lifted her own and met it.
Smack.
The crisp sound shattered the heaviness lingering in the air and made Chu Lian understand just how much those who cared about her truly expected of her.
"Mommy, hug..." Once she sat back down, Anna opened her arms, asking to be held.
Earlier, in order to steady the emotions of the two girls, Chu Lian had been prepared. She had relied on her mother's presence to suppress Anna while she herself held on to Inori. Only then had things not turned into something painful.
Now that her obedient daughter wanted to return to her embrace, Chu Lian naturally complied. She picked her up, settled her in her arms, kissed her on the cheek, and asked softly, "Be good, Anna. Are you sleepy?"
"No. I want to keep listening to you talk." Normally, she would have grown drowsy by now. But it had already been over an hour since Chu Lian returned, and Anna did not look like she had before entering the dungeon space—always appearing unable to get enough sleep. It was clear that her mother's specially tailored adjustments lately had been effective.
Anna's discomfort before had likely been nothing more than issues with appetite and preference. Being able to correct her habit of excessive sleep meant she had worked very hard.
"Anna has been very obedient. At least while you were gone these past few days, she made an effort to do her own things. She gets up in the morning and washes up by herself. She bathes on her own. She doesn't even rely on anyone to fall asleep anymore. She's growing quickly and she's very smart—her temper is just a bit poor." Li Mingxue described Anna's recent situation in a tone that was not entirely praise. As for that last sentence, Chu Lian naturally understood.
This little one truly had a bad temper. Her obedience and sweetness only appeared before people she could not handle, such as Chu Lian and Li Mingxue. In front of others, she was not nearly so well-behaved. If she disliked someone, she would never be polite.
One could imagine how much the other girls feared her. Even Chu Chu and Inori had likely suffered quite a bit in her absence.
"Anna didn't bully them. When Mommy wasn't here, I just didn't want to deal with anyone. Only when I'm beside Mommy do I have any motivation." As if aware of what Chu Lian might think after Li Mingxue's words, Anna spoke aggrievedly.
She did not deny that she disliked them—but that was only when Mommy was around. When Mommy was not there, the only thing she wanted was to stay quiet, to do what she was supposed to do, and ignore everyone else. She was like a child with autism.
Fortunately, Li Mingxue's intimidation toward minors was far too strong. Many times, Anna had been forced to wear all sorts of ridiculously cute outfits so she could be photographed and posed.
In this way, most of her idle time passed. She was not bored, and once Li Mingxue obtained what she wanted, she would be satisfied and stop tormenting her.
Though Anna knew those clothes were not proper attire, in front of this woman she simply could not suppress that strange fear and obedience rising from deep within her heart.
She could not describe that feeling. But she knew one thing clearly—never go against her. Otherwise, something very terrible would happen. So terrible that she did not want to think about it, did not dare to think about it, even forcing herself not to think about it.
If Chu Lian knew what she was thinking, she would probably understand. It was the mentality of a tamed beast fearing its trainer.
"Mm. Speaking of which, school starts again tomorrow. Whew... After not going for so long, I'm actually looking forward to what might happen." Holding Anna, Chu Lian began talking with Li Mingxue about what lay ahead.
"Then we'll just have to see. I think it might be the beginning of another wonderful chapter." She smiled softly, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Chu Lian carrying a hint of something unusual.