Chapter 8: Feeding small cakes.

Bai Linlin remained stiff in her embrace, her small mind racing at full speed.

It all felt… way too unreal.

Going straight from a thirty-square-meter box that contained nothing but blank white walls to this luxurious territory complete with pastoral scenery and defensive fortifications—the difference wasn’t small at all.

Ruan Yuan, this level-22 “big thigh”… what exactly was her goal?

While she was lost in wild thoughts, Ruan Yuan let go of her arms and instead took her by the hand.

“Come on, let me show you the inside first.”

Ruan Yuan’s voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible note of pleasure as she led her toward the main entrance of the castle building.

The door was a heavy wooden one, decorated with metal accents.

When pushed open, the interior was not the cold, empty, echoing hall of an ancient castle she had pictured—instead it was bright, warm, and could even be called comfortable.

The living room was very spacious, covered with thick carpeting.

Although there was no fire burning in the fireplace, it had been decorated very cozily.

The furniture was complete: sofa, coffee table, bookshelves, and even a large display screen that looked quite high-tech and somewhat clashed with the castle style.

Sunlight streamed in through several large windows, illuminating the tiny dust particles drifting in the air.

“How is it? Getting used to it?”

Ruan Yuan gave her a quick tour of the living room and the open kitchen next to it.

The kitchen was fully equipped—refrigerator, oven, cooktop, everything spotless like a show apartment.

“Used to it… way too used to it.”

Bai Linlin muttered under her breath. The contrast was simply too extreme.

She noticed that although there were plenty of items here, the place lacked the “lived-in warmth” of long-term residence; it was clean and tidy almost to an excessive degree.

“Linlin, you’re hungry, aren’t you?”

Ruan Yuan’s gaze settled on her as she asked.

“Ah? Oh… a little bit, yeah.”

Bai Linlin rubbed her stomach.

That earlier cake had only been a temporary filler; after running around so much, it had long been digested.

Ruan Yuan walked to the double-door refrigerator and opened it.

A wave of cold air escaped.

She took out a white, very delicately made cake.

The cake wasn’t large—round, topped with white chocolate drizzle and dotted with a few strawberries.

Carrying the cake and grabbing a small silver fork, she walked up to Bai Linlin.

Bai Linlin thought she was handing her the cake and reached out to take it, only to watch Ruan Yuan cut off a small piece herself—complete with strawberry and chocolate—then, with a flick of her wrist, bring the fork right to Bai Linlin’s lips.

“Here.”

Ruan Yuan looked at her, eyes gentle.

Linlin froze for a second.

Feeding… feeding me?

She stared at the cake held to her mouth, then at Ruan Yuan’s mostly expressionless yet clearly expectant face, and felt her cheeks suddenly flush hot.

She hurriedly waved her hands.

“N-no need, Sister Ruan Yuan! I can eat it myself!”

She wasn’t actually a three-year-old who needed to be spoon-fed!

Hearing the refusal, Ruan Yuan’s hand holding the fork paused in midair.

She tilted her head slightly. The softness on her face disappeared in an instant; her brows furrowed lightly, the corners of her mouth turned down just a bit, and her eyes were suddenly covered with a faint, rain-soaked layer of loss.

“But…”

Ruan Yuan’s voice dropped, carrying a trace of grievance.

“Before, whenever Linlin ate anything, you liked it best when I fed you. Every single time.”

“Ah?!”

Linlin was shocked, eyes widening round.

“R-really? Was it actually like that?”

Original host, did you seriously have this kind of habit?!

What kind of “favorite” is that?!

“Mm.”

Ruan Yuan nodded firmly, her expression too serious to be lying.

“Linlin, you said, ‘I only want to eat what you feed me; anything fed by other people doesn’t taste good at all.’ …Have you really forgotten everything?”

Her tone grew even more aggrieved; the hand holding the fork seemed to droop weakly, the cake teetering on the edge.

Watching this display of “a forgotten best friend grieving alone,” Bai Linlin’s scalp went numb.

Although reason told her there was definitely something wrong here, seeing that sad expression, remembering her current “amnesia” persona, and the reality that she still needed to cling tightly to this powerful thigh…

It’s just being fed, right?

What’s the big deal!

Just treat it as… experiencing the thoughtful service of a high-level player!

Better than making her angry.

She quickly found excuses for herself in her mind, then sighed, lifted her small face, and opened her mouth.

“…Fine. Ah—”

Ruan Yuan’s eyes lit up almost instantly. The loss and grievance vanished so fast that Bai Linlin wondered if she had imagined it.

She carefully brought that small piece of cake to Bai Linlin’s mouth.

The cake melted on her tongue—sweet but not cloying, the slight bitterness of chocolate blending perfectly with the sweet-tart strawberry, texture dense and soft. It really was delicious.

“Is it good?”

Ruan Yuan asked, staring unblinkingly at her chewing.

“Mm, delicious.”

Bai Linlin nodded honestly.

Ruan Yuan immediately cut another piece and offered it.

This time Bai Linlin didn’t resist anymore and obediently opened her mouth.

One bite, two bites, three… Ruan Yuan fed her very attentively, neither too fast nor too slow, each portion perfectly sized, and she even made sure to pair the strawberry and chocolate drizzle just right.

Her gaze stayed fixed on Bai Linlin’s lips—watching the cake disappear, watching her cheeks puff out slightly.

From initial awkward stiffness, Linlin gradually grew numb, even starting to distractedly look around the living room.

Until the very last bite was fed.

“All done, finished eating.”

As she spoke, Linlin subconsciously stuck out her little tongue to lick any chocolate that might have clung to the corner of her mouth.

This small action seemed to make Ruan Yuan’s gaze darken slightly.

She reached out—not with a napkin, but directly using the pad of her thumb to gently wipe the corner of Bai Linlin’s mouth.

There really was a trace of white chocolate sauce there.

The gesture was already intimate enough to make Bai Linlin’s whole body tense with discomfort.

But then, very naturally, Ruan Yuan brought that same thumb—still bearing a bit of chocolate—to her own lips.

Her tongue tip emerged and gave it a gentle lick.

Drawing that small smear of white sauce into her mouth.

Her eyes remained on Bai Linlin, the look so calm and open it was as though she had simply tasted the cake, the motion smooth and practiced as if she had done it thousands of times.

Linlin: “!!!”

Her mind went completely blank, the scene replaying on loop.

She licked it?! She actually licked it?!

Yet Ruan Yuan acted as though nothing was strange at all; she even narrowed her eyes slightly, savoring it.

“Mm, very sweet.”

Unclear whether she meant the cake… or something else.

She set down the empty plate and small fork, looked at the frozen Bai Linlin, and smiled with obvious good mood.

“Tired, right? I’ll take you to your room to rest. There’s still time before the death game matchmaking—you can sleep for a while first.”

With that, she once again took Bai Linlin’s stiff little hand and led her toward the castle staircase.

Bai Linlin was pulled along like a wooden puppet.

Just now… what… exactly was that?

This “best friend”…

It seems…

There’s a huge problem!