Uneasy daily life

In a flash, the white figure's eyes flashed, and he grabbed one of their hands. With a quick movement, he pressed Toyohama Kazuka's hand onto Sakurajima Mai's chest, and Sakurajima Mai's hand onto Toyohama Kazuka's chest. At the same time, Sakurajima Mai's right foot stepped on the white figure's left foot, and Toyohama Kazuka's left foot sprang up and kicked the white figure's right leg.

The air was quiet for a few seconds.

Feng Bin and Hua subconsciously moved their paws and pinched something they didn't have.

Mai Sakurajima's brow twitched slightly, and she quickly withdrew her hand from the barren ground.

Remember, you have to accept the consequences of your bets!

Taking advantage of the moment when the two were still confused, Bai Ying rushed out of the room in the blink of an eye.

And politely close the door to ensure the awkwardness in the air is locked away.

Chapter Twenty-One: The Explosive Client and the Genius Contractor

"That bastard recognized me, didn't he? He definitely recognized me, right?!"

Feng Bin and Hua clenched their fists and gritted their teeth, then involuntarily loosened their grip, as if they could still feel some soft touch lingering on their hands. Embarrassment only fueled their anger.

“Probably.” Mai Sakurajima remained calm and composed. Perhaps because she didn’t feel anything special, she didn’t feel embarrassed. “In a face-to-face situation, Black Fan is quite perceptive. He probably noticed it as soon as Miss Yu replaced the portrait.”

Feng Bin and Hua muttered to themselves, "Uh... it shouldn't be a problem with my acting, right? What 'disgusted yet fond' expression—it's clearly an expression of disgust and anger."

"That's probably how the haters see the flowers."

Mai Sakurajima turned her head and laughed, "Miss Yu lost. She couldn't fool the hater at all."

Xi had appeared in the hotel room at some point, holding an ink-stained calligraphy brush in her hand, her face aloof: "Do you really think he recognized you?"

“Hmm…” Sakurajima Mai paused, then said strangely, “Even if it’s fake, it seems normal for the hater to do what he just did.”

“That’s why I didn’t lose,” Xi said calmly. “Bai Ying didn’t say he recognized you. On the contrary, it’s more likely that you were provoked into a habit by him, one stepping on the foot and the other kicking, which made him think you were real people and not portraits…”

"He definitely recognized me!"

Feng Bin and Hua said with certainty, "The bastard must have recognized us as real people before I kicked him!"

Xi snorted: "Where's the evidence?"

“That guy…” Feng Bin and Hua hesitated for a moment, then said with a sneer, “If it were a dummy, he wouldn’t be deliberately acting strangely; he would just sprint from the spot and deliver a flying kick.”

"What kind of ridiculous guess is this?"

Xi clearly didn't agree.

"Uh... when that guy suddenly grabbed my hand, he secretly tickled my palm!" Feng Bin and Hua Yi gritted their teeth and presented compelling evidence to argue, "If it were a dummy, why would it do such strange things? So you lost, didn't you?"

The air fell silent for a moment, and Feng Bin and Hua quietly shut their mouths, guiltily averting their gazes.

Xi added casually, "Heh, you usually act all tough and aggressive, but now you're protecting him so fiercely. The you I drew is indeed different; being too smart and calm is your weakness."

Feng Bin and Hua's cheeks twitched slightly, a mouthful of anger stuck in their throats, unable to spit it out or swallow it—Ugh! This person is so annoying!

"It's quite gratifying that the hater can distinguish between the real and the fake," Mai Sakurajima said with a smile. "Miss Yu will probably have a hard time fooling him."

"The competition is not over yet."

Xi smiled slightly, her face radiating confidence.

……

……

Bai Ying left the hotel and sped along the street, arriving at the film set in no time.

"Hey, little brother."

Nian sat cross-legged on the chair, wearing a pair of large sunglasses that accentuated his aura, and asked with interest, "My homebody sister is not easy to deal with. Were you kicked out on the spot?"

"Boom? I came out openly and honestly, and I've already finished gathering my materials!"

Bai Ying sat down smugly: "I've already figured out how this drawing master should die."

"Hmm?" Nian reached into the snack bag next to him, pulled out a few packs of spicy strips, and handed them over, saying with great interest, "Come on, tell me in detail."

"Terrified."

Bai Ying took the spicy strip, tore it open, and said, "According to the script, the artist was passively added to the team of twelve heroes. Driven and forced by external forces, she was pulled out of the painting that was about to grow mushrooms. She had both the negative thought of 'the ending is already determined, why bother to waste her energy' and the passive thought of 'since I'm forced to participate, I might as well participate'... In other words, she was decadent and depressed, but she was also unwilling to accept it."

"A pessimistic and melancholic person is not despondent and decadent because she likes pessimism and melancholy—she has seen too much vitality turn into sorrow, and she has seen time erase sorrow. The world goes on and on like this, so she has become accustomed to solitude and contemplation, looking at her destined fate. Her fighting spirit and unwillingness are gradually worn away, and she only wishes to spend the rest of her time in her inner world, disgusted with the world..."

"Hmm..." Nian tore open a bag of spicy strips, "Keep going, keep going."

"Because she was pulled out of the painting and half-heartedly embarked on the path of battle, in the process of gradually gathering her brothers and sisters, she unknowingly shed her solitary, introspective state, which had gradually become one of sadness and devoid of joy..." Bai Ying licked the chili pepper on her finger, seemingly immersed in the weaving of the character's story, and slowly uttered Xi's aloof voice, "I feel so relaxed. The giant monster doesn't seem so scary anymore. As long as I'm with everyone, even if we fail, I'll be happy. It's just turning into the giant monster again..."

As the inner voice murmured softly, a sudden and urgent self-doubt arose.

"No—we might win! As long as we unite, we can win!"

Gradually, the dull and gloomy emotions were swept away, and the buried resentment and fighting spirit were revitalized.

Bai Ying clenched her fist and said in a deep voice, "Sister Nian! We can definitely win!"

"Okay, okay!" Nian licked his lips and stuffed several spicy strips into his mouth with great relish. "Come on, yell a few more times!"

“She couldn’t call out.” Bai Ying regained her original voice and described smoothly, “According to the plot, at this moment the giant monster finally appeared. Her pupils dilated, and fear instantly overwhelmed her fighting spirit. She wanted to resist, but because of her long-term despondency, a fatal flaw appeared in her heart. The giant monster took away her power and her name. She vanished into thin air on the spot… I vaguely heard the protagonist shouting, ‘The time for the final battle has come. We, the eleven siblings, have been waiting for a long time!’—She disappeared, as if she had never been here.”

Nian's expression was strange: "What kind of plot is this? Did she tell you that?"

"Hmm? Tell me what?" the white figure asked curiously. "You mean the setting that if you die, you will cease to exist? Because the answer to the theme of 'Who am I' is the point that 'I don't exist,' so to highlight the tragedy, this setting—this setting can't be true, can it?"

"Probably," Nian shrugged. "If we get eaten by a giant monster."

Bai Ying paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Nian asked curiously, "What did you remember wrong?"

Bai Ying's expression changed, and she said in a low voice, "Actually, there are thirteen of you siblings in total, but you only remember twelve."

"?" Nian opened her eyes wide and was stunned for a moment. After realizing what she meant, she rolled her eyes and tore open a bag of spicy strips and poured it all into her mouth. She puffed out her cheeks and swung the spicy strips around, saying in a muffled voice, "Hey bro, you're going to get beaten to death if you keep doing that."

"Exactly, you could easily slip and fall into a long-neglected sewer."

The voices coming from behind were filled with even deeper resentment.

"Hmm?" Bai Ying frowned and turned around. "9527, you've not only been disrespectful to me lately, but you've even started to make veiled threats—do you perhaps want me to give you a professional full-body massage?"

Angelina immediately stepped back, shielding Chongyue in front of her, baring her teeth and glaring warily at the white figure: "(＃｀皿′)!"

When my muscles were sore before, they felt less sore after a short warm-up, and I even felt a warm, energetic feeling all over my body...

I only realized what it was called a "last gasp" when I almost couldn't get up today.

If someone suddenly presses your thigh or touches your shoulder, you'd probably kneel down on the spot!

But that's a bit strange.

Angelina stared at the Assassin Queen, who was back-to-back with the white figure, and a bunch of question marks popped into her head—what was the commander doing? Weight training?

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Eleventh Sister."

Chongyue sighed for some reason and stepped forward.

"I find it quite interesting; it's a mix of truth and falsehood, and truth hidden within falsehood."

Bai Ying finished the last spicy snack and wiped the oil off her hands: "The greatest fun lies in this feeling of enjoying the journey in a hazy, dreamlike state."

As soon as he finished speaking, the white figure quickly became transparent and disappeared like a wisp of smoke and rain. Chongyue, who was about to walk over, was stunned and stopped in his tracks.

"Huh?!" Angelina gasped in horror, "The commander exploded? Gone to ashes?!"

"Bai Ying is fine. That was just Eleventh Sister's drawing... it means she used superpowers." Chong Yue shook his head and said, "Given her personality, she'll probably be sulking for a few days."

"The world is vast, and there are countless talented and extraordinary people."

Nian chuckled and said, "It wasn't for nothing that I brought her out with a truckload of firecrackers to broaden her horizons. She's a real sweetheart, isn't she, brother?"

Chongyue could only sigh at the complicated relationships among his siblings.

……

……

"From real to fake, it becomes a painting, an interesting experience, but unfortunately, external forces cannot defeat the Killer Queen."

Bai Ying stepped out of the drawing paper in Xi's hand and appeared in the hotel room. She said regretfully, "My brother looks like he's going to send me back again. I guess I'll have to end the experience early. Drawing master, can you use a drawing to disguise one person as another? Give me a chance! I want to become a hero plus!"

Xi remained silent with a dark expression, simply pushing aside the clutter on the table and reaching out to grab a large sheet of drawing paper from thin air.

Mai Sakurajima and Kazuka Toyohama were stunned. Although they had seen some incredible things before, this was the first time they had ever seen such a mysterious, peculiar, and fantastical display of superpowers.

"What do you want me to do by turning into a hater?" Mai Sakurajima squinted. "You're not planning to get into a fight with some extreme fans, are you?"

“On-site online debates lose the fun and essence of online discussion. Those who still have some rationality can only pretend to be civilized and harmonious and engage in pretentious and grandiose discussions. Those who lack rationality will only revert to being animals, expressing their emotions through shouting and body language. That would be too boring. Only online debates can give full play to the strengths of both civilization and animality.”

The white figure stroked her chin and said, "If I were to impersonate you... first, I'd let the stick figures play a game of 'who's the older sister,' then I'd challenge the hero to a duel to see who likes you more..."

"I didn't agree to something so pointless."

Xi said with a sour face, "Anyway, what kind of painting do you want? Tell me quickly, so I won't be dissatisfied after I finish it."

"Let me gather the client's feedback."

Bai Ying took out her phone and pressed a button.

[White Shadow: Brave One, what kind of house do you like?]

[Under the Snow: The house? Why is Haku asking this?]

[Bai Buliang Baiying: Planning for the future.]

[Yukinoshita: While long-term thinking is a good thing, isn't this kind of long-term thinking a bit absurd? Let's focus on doing the things in front of us well one step at a time, and things will naturally fall into place eventually.]

[Bai Buliang Baiying: The tranquil bamboo forest, the wind rustling through it, sitting on the veranda of the small bamboo house, closing your eyes to listen to the sounds of nature, is a place you'll never want to leave.]

[Under the Snow: There's an adorable panda in the bamboo forest.]

[White Rogue White Shadow: One is enough?]

[Yukinoshita: Hmm, we need a group of pandas, preferably two giant pandas and seven or eight red pandas. Shiro-kun, let's work towards that goal~]

The white figure changed its target.

[Bai Buliang Baiying: 9528, what kind of house do you like?]

[Above the Snow: I want the Leaning Tower of Pisa.]

[White Shadow: The kind that's tilted at a 90-degree angle?]

[Above the Snow: I want to be able to see the sea from the tower.]

[White Shadow: Should I keep a few sharks?]

[Snowy Above: That's too dangerous, let's switch to a Tyrannosaurus Rex.]

[Bai Buliang Baiying: Anything else?]

[On Snow: Another group of mermaids are coming, and they'll grow up to look like Yukino, Hana, and Nijika—in short, the little mermaid sea! When I climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa and play my guitar on the huge balcony with a view of the sea, they'll jump out of the sea and sing along with my guitar playing!]

[Bai Buliang Baiying: OK.]

[Snowy Above: Hmm? What fun thing are you planning? Shouldn't you be bringing your girlfriend along?]

Bai Ying looked up at Feng Bin and Hua, and asked with a friendly smile, "Stickman, what kind of house do you like?"

"A house? If I had to choose, a detached house would be fine."

Feng Bin and Hua asked, puzzled, "Why are you asking this?"

"It must be related to Miss Yu's bet, right?" Mai Sakurajima looked at Yu, who was waiting with a sour face.

Xi Yuan accepted his loss and said calmly, "The prize is for me to paint a usable picture for him."

"What do you mean by a usable painting?!"

Feng Bin and Hua's expressions turned wary, various images flashing through their minds... Can it be used?!

"It means it's usable in the literal sense. The drawing master's portable home-use design is truly amazing. Its shelf life will outlive us without any problem." Bai Ying said knowingly, "Oh... Ah... I think I understand what the stick figure wants in a house."

Toyohama and Hana took a step back, shielding Sakurajima Mai in front of them: "What do you understand?"

The white figure looked at Mai Sakurajima, who spoke first: "A simple house will do, like my house, nothing weird or strange!"

"Ok."

Bai Ying looked at Xi, organized her thoughts, and described in detail: "I need a house situated between mountains and the sea. The mountain should have a bamboo forest, with two giant pandas and seven or eight red pandas in the forest. Part of the house should be a traditional Japanese-style house built of bamboo, and another part should be a leaning Leaning Tower of Pisa with a large balcony overlooking the sea. In the sea, there should be a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a group of mermaids. Some of the mermaids should look like stick figures, and some should look like two other people. Specifically, one is a girl with long, straight black hair, and the other is a girl with a yellow ponytail. In addition, there should be a modern reinforced concrete house, decorated like a hotel room, but with a warm and ordinary feel. The other part should resemble a modern detached house, with a hidden, narrow, and mysterious architectural layout, like alleyways..."