Chapter 53: Two-Way Love.

In the hotel room, the dim bedside lamp cast an intimate glow.
Lin Qingya’s heart pounded like a drum, its thundering rhythm shaking her to her core.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
The madness and resolve of tonight’s judgment had ignited an unprecedented urge to seize the warmth and salvation before her.
She was afraid.
Afraid that having stepped onto this path against the world, she’d never get the chance to say the words buried in her heart for a decade.
Afraid that waiting would turn into eternal regret.

Courage surged in her chest, only to falter at her lips.
“I… I…”
“I l-like…”
Her voice trembled, her tongue tripping over itself in panic.
She knew that if Sister Xiaobai saw her only as a little sister, their carefully maintained balance of nearly ten years would shatter tonight—by her own hand.

Seeing the desperate resolve and hidden fear in Qingya’s eyes, Bai Wanting’s pupils quivered.
Her heart raced, mirroring Qingya’s nervousness.
Is Xiaoya about to…

Qingya caught the subtle shift in Bai Wanting’s reaction.
Oh no.
Is Sister scared? Does she think I’m weird?
A flurry of chaotic thoughts exploded in her mind, threatening to swallow her last shred of courage.
No!
She couldn’t back down!
Biting her tongue, the sharp pain snapped her back to clarity.
She lifted her head, her teary almond eyes blazing with fierce determination, locking onto Bai Wanting’s fathomless gaze.

Finally, no longer stuttering, she poured out the feelings that had defined her youth, her voice ringing with every ounce of her strength.
“Sister Xiaobai, I love you!”
“I want to be your girlfriend. Please let me be yours!”

The words spilled out in one breath, draining all her strength.
She stared into Bai Wanting’s eyes, her gaze burning with unyielding resolve.
Success would mean everything.
Failure would mean shattering into pieces.

The world fell silent, as if muted.
In that moment, Bai Wanting felt the universe spin—time, space, and countless versions of herself converging.
Her vision held only the petite girl in her arms, eyes red but spine straight with stubborn courage.

She heard it.
The confession she’d dreamed of.
From the lips of the girl she’d raised, guided, hypnotized, loved, and vowed to save.
Lin Qingya had loved her secretly for ten years.
But who could know how long Bai Wanting had loved Lin Qingya?

She’d thought it would take more time, more schemes, to fully draw this pure little rabbit into her “trap.”
She never expected happiness to arrive so suddenly.

Tears welled up, unstoppable.
Not tears of a plan succeeding, but of a long-held wish fulfilled.
Bai Wanting, the witch abandoned by the world, had finally found her only light.
Hope.

The overwhelming joy and excitement nearly tore her apart.
She pulled Qingya up from the bed, positioning her to straddle her lap.
She needed to see her.
To clearly see the face she loved to her very bones.

Their eyes locked. Bai Wanting cradled Qingya’s shocked, anxious face, her voice steady despite the trembling emotion.
“Okay.”
“Sister loves Xiaoya too.”
Her voice cracked with unsuppressed tears, yet her gaze was unwavering.
“I love Xiaoya the most.”
“I’ll love Xiaoya the most in this lifetime.”

Unable to hold back, she pulled Qingya into a tight embrace, as if to meld her into her very being.
She knew her luck was rotten—cursed, hunted, despised by the world.
She’d thought everything she touched would fail, like flowers doomed to wilt.
But Lin Qingya had never let her lose.
She was her only hope, her only salvation.

Qingya’s ears echoed with “I love Xiaoya the most,” over and over.
Her mind blanked.
Did I… succeed?
Sister Xiaobai… loves me too?

The sudden, fierce happiness overwhelmed her.
It wasn’t unrequited.
Her sister felt the same.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking Bai Wanting’s robe.
They clung to each other, silent, letting tears dampen their shoulders, drawing warmth and breath from one another, unwilling to part.

After what felt like an eternity, their emotions settled.
They pulled back slightly, gazing into each other’s eyes.
Bai Wanting gently wiped the tears from Qingya’s eyes.
Their warm breaths mingled, the air thick with the scent of post-shower mist and their unique fragrances.
Both flushed, they saw their reflections in each other’s pupils.

Then, as if following an ancient ritual, their lips met.
The moment their soft lips touched, a faint memory—etched countless times by Bai Wanting’s hypnosis—stirred in Qingya’s subconscious.
How strange…
It was her first kiss.
She should’ve been clueless, awkward.
Yet her body moved on its own, responding instinctively, clumsy but precise, to her Sister Xiaobai.

Lingering, deepening, entwining.
Mmm… Sister Xiaobai is so gentle.
So sweet…

She didn’t know that, through countless hypnotic sessions, they’d rehearsed this kiss thousands of times.
This response was already carved into her soul.
The kiss, tentative at first, grew deep and lingering.

When their lips parted, a fleeting silver thread glinted in the dim light.
Qingya, weak and flushed, collapsed into Bai Wanting’s arms, panting, her eyes shimmering with emotion.
Bai Wanting, cheeks pink, stroked her face, savoring the smooth skin, her heart filled with immense satisfaction.

“Since Xiaoya’s ready to be my girlfriend…”
Her voice, husky from the kiss, carried a bewitching allure.
“You’d better brace yourself for all of Sister’s love.”
She narrowed her eyes, like a fox finally carrying its prey back to its den.
“You know, Sister’s possessiveness is very strong.”

Far from scaring her, the words filled Qingya with reassurance.
She nuzzled into Bai Wanting’s arms like a pampered kitten, murmuring softly.
She looked up, her watery eyes meeting Bai Wanting’s.
“Okay.”
“Sister Xiaobai can possess me however she wants.”
“I’m hers… for this lifetime.”

The words filled Bai Wanting with unparalleled satisfaction.
She sighed contentedly, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on Qingya’s forehead.
“My precious girl.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind Qingya’s ear, her warm lips brushing her ear as she whispered a spell only they could hear.
“Barbie doll.”

As expected, Qingya’s body stiffened.
Her once-shy, love-filled eyes turned blank and hollow, sinking into the deepest hypnotic state.
Bai Wanting tenderly kissed her delicate earlobe, her warm tongue grazing it lightly.
Her voice, soft yet laced with obsessive madness, murmured.
“So…”
“I can’t allow my precious girl to face any danger.”
“Anyone who dares harm Xiaoya…”
“Sister will make them… all disappear.”