"Ruan... Mei?"
"That voice... it must be Ruan Mei, right?"
Though framed as a question, the voice that emanated from the phone carried an unmistakable tone of certainty, clearly audible to Lumina and Ruan Mei.
Hearing Herta's words and gazing at the expressionless, exquisite face on the phone screen, Lumina glanced at Ruan Mei, whose complexion was still flushed from her recent shower. A peculiar feeling suddenly welled up in Lumina's heart.
This inexplicable sensation caused a faint chill sweat to prickle Lumina's back, even though the room temperature was perfectly comfortable—neither too hot nor too cold.
Why am I breaking out in a cold sweat? Lumina wondered, though the urgency of the situation left her no time for deeper contemplation.
She first winked at Ruan Mei, signaling her to remain silent while she continued her conversation with Herta.
Then, parting her lips slightly, she prepared to speak.
"No... It's not..."
"Hmm, Herta, it's me."
Ruan Mei seemed oblivious to Lumina's signal. As Lumina opened her mouth, uttering barely two and a half words, Ruan Mei plopped down beside her.
Tilting her head, Ruan Mei leaned closer to Lumina's face, deliberately placing herself in the phone camera's frame. Her features were now clearly visible to Herta.
Lumina: ...
Herta: ...
Ruan Mei's sudden action plunged both Lumina and Herta into stunned silence.
For a moment, the room was filled only with the sound of Lumina and Ruan Mei's breathing. As for what was happening on Herta's end, it was likely a similar state of shock.
The room fell into an eerie stillness, as if both parties had been struck speechless by some monumental revelation.
Well... not both parties, but both individuals.
Ruan Mei glanced at Lumina, then at the phone screen where Herta sat with her head bowed, her expression hidden. In Ruan Mei's usually serene eyes, a rare ripple stirred, like a small stone dropped into still water.
As a member of the Genius Society, how could Ruan Mei possibly have misunderstood the meaning behind Lumina's earlier glance?
Ruan Mei knew, and precisely because she knew, she acted as she did.
The specific reason remained a mystery even to herself.
It was merely a sudden impulse sparked by the scene before her.
Ruan Mei never hesitated. Once an idea took root in her mind, she acted on it immediately.
No need to question why, no need for explanations.
Following her heart's desire had always been her modus operandi.
And so, the situation ultimately escalated into this.
"Quite amusing..."
Observing the pair's reactions, the corners of Ruan Mei's lips curled upward noticeably.
Perhaps she had discovered something even more intriguing than conducting experiments...
"Ahem, Ruan Mei, you washed up remarkably quickly."
In this silent competition of who could recover from their shock the quickest, Lumina regained her composure first.
Clearing her throat, she feigned nonchalance and remarked on Ruan Mei's swift bathing speed.
Lumina's faster recovery compared to Herta wasn't due to any superior prowess.
It was simply because external factors had interfered on her side.
Ask yourself: who could remain calm sitting next to a beautiful girl fresh from the bath, her entire being radiating an alluring fragrance?
Who could maintain a composed expression under such intense temptation?
Especially when this freshly bathed beauty, her body still emanating that seductive aroma, was wearing nothing but a nightgown.
Her face leaned close to mine, her body pressing intimately against my own.
In this situation, surely no one could remain composed, right?
If anyone could, they couldn't possibly be human...
Lumina certainly couldn't.
But she could pretend she could.
Forcing herself to appear calm, Lumina stubbornly kept her eyes from drifting toward Ruan Mei.
If that were all, Lumina could only maintain this charade for a short time before "breaking down."
So, while feigning composure, Lumina took deep, steady breaths, inhaling Ruan Mei's intoxicating fragrance to reinforce her inner facade.
However, because she was still on a video call with Herta, she had to keep her movements subtle.
Under these circumstances, this scene was pure torture for Lumina. The torment was almost as severe as the cruelest tortures of hell.
"It's not that I took too long in the shower," Ruan Mei replied truthfully, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear to fully expose her profile to Lumina's peripheral vision. "You two were just chatting for too long."
"..."
This has to be deliberate, right? It has to be!
Watching Ruan Mei's every move, Lumina raised an eyebrow, her mind racing with the suspicion that Ruan Mei's entire behavior had been intentional from start to finish.
Yet, based on Lumina's understanding of Ruan Mei, she couldn't possibly do something like this, could she?
Could Ruan Mei have been possessed by something? Lumina wondered inwardly.
It seemed Ruan Mei's actions had shattered the rose-tinted image Lumina held of her.
"Heh heh heh, Ruan Mei, what are you doing on the Luofu? And why are you in Lumina's room?"
"Are you conducting some kind of experiment here?"
Madam Herta's slightly unsettling laughter echoed through the phone.
Why is it "unsettling"?
Lumina sensed that Herta's words weren't a genuine greeting.
Rather than a friendly greeting or a remark between geniuses, it felt more like... an interrogation.
"I arrived on the Luofu today and happened to run into Lumina. She invited me to spend the night in her room."
Perhaps uncomfortable speaking so stiffly, and noticing that she was positioned at the edge of the screen, Ruan Mei shifted her body, resulting in an intimate brush with Lumina. This brought her face to the center of the screen, her cheek almost touching Lumina's head.
As Ruan Mei's face moved to the center, part of her clothing also came into view: a thin, disposable nightgown...
Herta: ...
A flicker of unease flashed across Herta's expression when she saw this.
Ruan Mei noticed this flicker, but she paid it no mind and continued answering Herta's question. "As for experiments... my next experiment won't be conducted on the Luofu."
"Coming to the Luofu was just a detour," Ruan Mei said.
"I never expected..." She paused, whether intentionally or not.
After a moment, she continued, "...to meet Lumina here."
"Originally, I planned to stay only one day, but I've decided to extend my visit."
Having answered Herta's question, a hint of weariness flickered in Ruan Mei's eyes. She lowered her head slightly, resting it on Lumina's shoulder. Their bodies, already pressed close, now radiated a shared warmth.
This simple gesture between Lumina and Ruan Mei served as a silent declaration to Herta:
A declaration of their profound friendship.
Only the closest of confidantes would share such an intimate moment, wouldn't they?
Anyone witnessing this scene would inevitably marvel at the profound bond between these two friends, right?
Hmm...
Madam Herta, of course, was not included in that "anyone."