Want to play cards? I'll use my King's Deck!

Chapter 10 Are you coming to my house?

The rain pattered softly, making a crisp sound as it hit the ground.

The moon and stars disappeared behind the dark clouds due to the sudden weather, and the streetlights illuminated the surrounding area, maximizing visibility.

In the rain, the blonde girl Xing Yewu held an umbrella, her pretty face showing a hint of surprise as she looked at the boy sheltering from the rain at the supermarket entrance.

The same expression appeared on You Xi's face.

"Miss Xingye?"

"What a coincidence, Yu Xijun."

Xingye Wu had already changed out of the sparkly clothes she wore during the day and was now wearing a comfortable yet stylish hoodie.

Compared to her idol persona during the day, she's more like a friendly and easygoing girl next door.

She raised her fair hand and waved it, then smiled and said, "I didn't expect that we would meet here again so soon. It seems that we might be quite destined for each other."

"It really is a coincidence."

The unexpected encounter with an acquaintance improved You Xi's mood, which had been ruined by the rainy day.

While echoing Xingye Wu's words, he asked curiously, "Miss Xingye, are you here to buy something? Do you live nearby?"

"Yeah, it's less than 500 meters from this Magic Puppet Supermarket. I usually come here for a big shopping trip. But it suddenly started raining halfway there. Luckily, I always bring an umbrella, or it would have been terrible."

Xingyewu took a few steps and entered the protection of the supermarket's eaves.

She folded her umbrella, vigorously shook off the raindrops, and watched the people and cars coming and going in the rain with You Xi beside her, seemingly in no hurry to do the "big shopping" she had mentioned.

It seems that Youxi is currently more interesting to her than "Buy, buy, buy!"

"You too, Yu Xijun? Judging from your appearance, you just finished shopping, right? My umbrella is quite big, why don't you wait for me a bit? I can take you home after I finish shopping."

"No, no need."

Anyone could see Yuki's current predicament, and Hoshino's well-intentioned suggestion was nothing short of a timely help. But Yuki still had to cruelly refuse the girl's kindness.

After all, such an option could never have existed in the first place.

“Unlike Miss Hoshino, my home is very, very far away… I only came here by chance, so I won’t trouble Miss Hoshino.”

"Oh, I see. There's nothing we can do about it then," Xingyewu said regretfully.

"By the way, after I left, Miss Hoshino was still performing her duels, wasn't she?"

Feeling a little apologetic towards Xing Yewu, Youxi decided to quickly change the subject, which was somewhat awkward and silent: "So, how did it go afterwards? Was the event a success?"

"Oh, this one? It worked!"

Upon hearing You Xi mention this, Xing Yewu immediately revealed a sly and playful smile.

"Speaking of which, we have to thank you, You Xijun, for this."

"I?"

"correct."

Xingyewu nodded and explained in a light tone, "It was because of that duel with you that the atmosphere was heated up to its peak - everyone felt that since even you could win, they weren't without a chance either."

"Ah this..."

You Xi was speechless, and instantly understood what Xing Yewu meant.

Indeed, looking at the entire duel, if it weren't for the incredible draw from the final "Monster Recycling," Yuuki would have had no chance of defeating Hoshino Mai. And what deck did Yuuki use?

It is filled with a large number of ordinary bones, which is fundamentally contrary to the concept of rationality.

It's understandable that subsequent challengers might think Yuki won by luck, and Yuki herself would agree with that view.

"So, we don't need to worry about awkward silences anymore. Everyone is signing up enthusiastically, it's almost overwhelming."

As Xing Yewu spoke, a slight headache appeared on her face, but the joyful smile on her lips remained undiminished.

"I played for about two more hours before someone else took over. By the end of the event, all three first prizes, including Yu Xijun's, had been awarded. We also took the opportunity to sell a lot of our stock. It was a success that far exceeded our expectations."

"That's great."

You Xi sincerely congratulated her, "Congratulations, Miss Xingye. Since you've been so successful, the shop must have given you a raise, right?"

"Yes, and you also deserve some credit for this, Yu Xi-kun. So let me thank you properly."

As Xingye Wu finished speaking, she glanced at the rainy scene outside.

The rain was pouring down, showing no signs of letting up, and it seemed unlikely to stop anytime soon.

"I can't take you home, but You Xijun, you probably haven't eaten yet, right? How about I treat you to a meal?"

"Is Miss Xingye treating us?"

"Yes, I highly recommend a ramen shop nearby. Their ramen is amazing, and the portions are huge and filling. I guarantee you'll love it."

You Xi was tempted.

He originally planned to make do with bread and mineral water for the night, but if he could save the money for this meal, he could save these two food supplies for when they were needed more.

Moreover, he urgently needs to eat something to warm his body.

"Well then, I'll respectfully comply... Ahh... Ahhh, achoo!!"

Thinking of this, You Xi wanted to agree to Xing Yewu's suggestion, but he didn't finish his sentence.

Before she could even utter the word "fate," You Xi's expression suddenly changed. She opened her mouth, turned her head, and sneezed violently.

"Huh? Is You Xijun catching a cold?" Xing Yewu asked in surprise.

"No, I just caught a bit of a cold..."

As she spoke, You Xi sneezed again, making her seem completely unconvincing.

Only after a closer look did Xing Yewu notice that You Xi was actually soaked in places all over. Although the weather was gradually warming up, it was still quite cold at night, and the rain on top of that only intensified the chill, quietly stealing away body heat.

"That's not okay."

Hoshino Mai's expression suddenly turned serious, and she said to Yuuki with displeasure, "Catching a cold is dangerous. If you don't treat it soon, you'll definitely catch a cold and get a fever. You'll feel awful then... No. I'm sorry, Yuuki-kun, I probably can't take you to eat ramen. But..."

"but?"

Xingye Wu's apology was interrupted halfway through when she suddenly changed the subject, leaving Youxi slightly disoriented. Before he could even feel disappointed about the ruined hot spring dinner, the girl's next words made his eyes widen.

"But, Yu Xijun, would you... like to come to my house?"

"what?"

The answer in Chapter 11 is the same.

"Please come in, please come in. It might be a little messy inside, please don't mind."

"excuse me."

The key was inserted into the lock and turned, and the door to the entrance was opened.

The pattering rain outside hadn't stopped, and it even seemed to be getting louder. Along with the sound of the rain, the homeowner's casual invitation and the boy's clear but slightly reserved voice also intruded into the room.

"Click."

As Xingyewu pressed the switch button on the wall, the cold light from the ceiling instantly dispelled the darkness, and Youxi took the opportunity to have a clear view of the entire room.

At first glance, the room was quite tidy, not as messy as Xing Yewu had described.

It's not very big in terms of area. After entering from the foyer, there's a small living room. Next to the living room, the kitchen is separated by a glass wall, and further inside are two doors.

"My bedroom is on the left, and the bathroom/shower room is on the right. You Xijun, why don't you take a shower first? I have some clothes here that you should be able to wear. I'll go back to my room and look for them."

The umbrella was put away on a shelf, and with a gesture, Xing Yewu casually described the connected areas behind the two doors. After giving You Xi a brief instruction on her task, she placed the things she had bought and the bags on the coffee table and prepared to head to the bedroom.

Gazing at the blonde girl's slender, decisive back, Yu Xi finally couldn't help but speak.

"Wait, Miss Hoshino!"

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Xing Yewu turn around, You Xi asked the question that had been bothering him: "Is this really okay?"

"What are you referring to, You Xijun?"

"You just brought me back. Bringing a guy home at night, that's not really appropriate."

While it might seem strange from You Xi's perspective, Xing Ye Wu's actions were far too outrageous. Who brings someone they've only known for less than a day home? It's incredibly unguarded.

"No problem, no problem. If You Xijun really dares to have bad intentions, I'm confident I can subdue you. Don't let my appearance fool you, I exercise diligently every day, and I even got a high score in women's self-defense."

Is this the problem?

Youxi stared blankly as Xingye Wu patted her arm, showing off her biceps that were completely unmarked, and hesitated to speak.

"Besides, don't just criticize me. I think you, Yu Xijun, were more rash."

But Yu Xi remained silent, while Xing Ye Wu launched her own attack.

"What? You're saying I'm rash?"

"Isn't it?"

Lowering her arm, Xingye Wu gazed at Yu Xi, whose expression was one of surprise at her words, and said, "You're being very dangerous, Yu Xi-kun, by following along so readily after a girl's casual remark. What if you run into a bad woman? Your life will definitely be a mess—when you came along, did you never consider that I was lying to you?"

"No, I just trust Miss Hoshino. I don't think you're that kind of person."

You Xi shook her head.

He had certainly considered this possibility, but after several encounters, Xing Yewu left a very good impression on him.

You Xi couldn't see through people's hearts, but his childhood experiences gave him an instinctive sense of good and bad. The kindness Xing Yewu showed him was not a fake pretense.

After hearing Yuki's answer, Hoshino Mai closed one eye and said with a smile, "That's what I wanted to say too, Yuki-kun. My answer is the same as yours, so are you satisfied? If you are, hurry up and take a shower, or you'll really catch a cold!"

As she spoke, Xing Yewu moved closer to You Xi from behind and gave him a forceful push on the back, as if urging him on. Affected by the force of the push, You Xi involuntarily took a few steps forward.

"ok, I get it."

The first time was fine, but as the one who benefited, it would seem pretentious to keep nagging. You Xi wisely stopped talking, and without further hesitation, feeling grateful to the girl, stepped into the bathroom.