Chapter 69 - A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life

Given Nangong Mengxiang's healing rate, the bandages were hardly necessary, and with some additional ointment, they might not even be needed at all. As Luo Xue deftly cut each bandage, Nangong Mengxiang stood up swiftly. The strips fell away to reveal her youthful, graceful figure completely. "Whew, seems like I'm healing faster than before!" Nangong Mengxiang remarked, unfazed by her nudity, as she stretched her body. "Luo Xue, are you a doctor?" Although Luo Xue was also a woman, the sight before her was so enticing that her gaze involuntarily shifted away, a faint blush warming her cheeks. "I'm... not a doctor, actually. It's just that I've been injured often enough to become quite skilled at treating wounds." "Wow, that's impressive! I get hurt a lot too, but my solution is just to sleep it off," Nangong Mengxiang replied, scratching the back of her head with a giggle. "I used to have to sleep for several days with injuries like this, but this time I was only out for a bit. You're really something, Luo Xue." "Sleep... for several days?" Wait a minute, has she had these kinds of injuries before? Luo Xue's eyes widened as she stared straight at Nangong Mengxiang, as if she were looking at a miraculous creature. With such self-healing ability, it's no wonder she never bothered to learn how to tend to wounds. "This time we scored quite a bit. Let me tally it up, and then we can split the spoils." Nangong Mengxiang sat cross-legged, producing a heap of storage bags from somewhere and began skillfully sorting through them. It seemed that she had experience with this sort of thing. "Um, Nangong, ahem... clothes, clothes," Luo Xue coughed softly, reminding Mengxiang. "What clothes?" Nangong Mengxiang looked up, genuine confusion written on her alluringly mature yet childlike face. "Is something wrong with your clothes?" "I mean your clothes," Luo Xue sighed, lacking the energy to elaborate. To be honest, if the person involved wasn't embarrassed, why should she be? If Nangong Mengxiang wasn't a bit scatter-brained, she'd be a real legendary beauty; her every gesture was charming, yet she had this clueless air to her. "Oh yeah! I bought a special night kit, and it was quite pricey..." Mengxiang slapped her forehead and hurriedly began searching for it. "The night kit was cut up while tending to your wounds," Luo Xue admitted, rubbing her nose, "It was already torn. I'll replace it for you." Then again, why would she need a night kit for a daylight heist... Oh right, it's Nangong Mengxiang, never mind then. "That's just how it is, no big deal," Mengxiang sighed but didn't press the issue with Luo Xue. "You really don't need to compensate me; I'll just save up for a new one." She paused, her smile returning, "After all, you were saving me, Luo Xue." For some reason, Luo Xue suddenly recalled the moment Mengxiang had charged bravely toward her. Silly woman... "But we can't go without clothes forever. Let's see if I have something suitable for you." Luo Xue began rummaging through her storage ring, unsure herself of how much was hidden within. "Honestly, it doesn't really matter. We’re both women, there’s no need to be so bashful." Mengxiang waved dismissively, then watched as Luo Xue's expression turned peculiar, seeing her pull out a little dress. "... Seems my senior sister forgot to take this with her." It was a light pink short-sleeved skirt, elegantly cut, quite trendy, exuding a youthful charm. It was clearly the favored style of young girls in the mortal realm. However, the size... decidedly wasn't meant for a young girl. "Ah, Luo Xue, who would have guessed you had a dress like this!" Nangong Mengxiang's eyes lit up as she eagerly took the dress from Luo Xue’s hands, holding it against herself. "Huh, seems like a perfect fit..." Luo Xue, standing just over four feet tall, while Nangong Mengxiang was a statuesque figure over five and a half feet, should logically not be able to fit into Luo Xue's clothes. "That's because it's not mine, it belongs to my... friend," Luo Xue swallowed back the words "senior sister," knowing better than to disclose her past so openly in a place like this. Not that Mengxiang, with her mental clarity, would necessarily notice. "Still, it does suit you quite well," Luo Xue conceded, an idea striking her as she lightly tapped her own head, "Hold on, maybe I should adjust it. The top part may be a little snug..." But before Luo Xue could finish her thought, Mengxiang had already slipped into the dress, beaming with satisfaction. "I’ve wanted a dress like this for so long! My master always said it didn’t suit me, buying me only leather outfits instead... Oh, what were you saying, Luo Xue?" Luo Xue watched as Mengxiang put on the little dress, which seemed custom-fitted for her, even on the top half. Luo Xue extended a shaking hand for comparison, as a troubling suspicion crept into her mind. What if senior sister also had this kind of figure... Thinking back, every time they met, senior sister was either in a classical gown or loose robe, both obscuring any telltale signs of her figure... "I’m still young, no problem, there’s time to grow," Luo Xue reassured herself, taking a deep breath to steady her thoughts. "Does it look good?" Nangong Mengxiang divided her long hair into two and fashioned them into cute pigtails, looking expectantly at Luo Xue for a response. Honestly, a mature and alluring woman like her, in such a youthful dress making innocent gestures, was... indescribable. "It... it looks nice," Luo Xue responded, albeit sheepishly. It did look nice. With Mengxiang's beauty and figure, even wrapping herself in bandages would be fetching. But the overall look was quite strange, with an indescribable sense of discord. Suddenly, Luo Xue understood why her senior sister never wore such dresses. Mengxiang, pleased with the approval, let down her pigtails, tying them back into a practical high ponytail. "Pigtails get in the way when fighting," Mengxiang lamented, her tone a tad disappointed, "And this dress will too, especially since it’s yours. I don’t want to ruin it." "Don’t worry about it getting ruined; I have a few more like this," Luo Xue reassured, feeling a bit like she was consoling a child—when she was supposed to be the child here! *Knock, knock, knock...* Suddenly, there was a tap at the door. In an instant, Mengxiang's demeanor changed, her eyes sharpened like blades, and her aura flared slightly. Pure instinct took over, a fierce presence emanating from her. Luo Xue, noticing, reached for the short sword on the table, her expression turning serious. "Guest, may we come in to clean the room?" Two sweet voices chimed in unison, maintaining a professional tone. Hearing the voices, Mengxiang relaxed, her expression softening, "I'm here, I'm here. Come in and clean." She turned to Luo Xue, “It's okay, it's just the innkeepers.” Luo Xue nodded, setting the sword back down and allowing herself to relax. "We're coming in~" The door swung open, revealing two identical petite figures—a pair of twins. Dressed in matching simple long skirts, their faces nearly indistinguishable, they seemed like shadows of one another. Judging by their age, they appeared older than Luo Xue, likely sixteen or seventeen. Their cute, round faces and sweet smiles instantly made them likeable. "Miss, how come the smell of blood in your room is much stronger than usual? Though at least it’s not as messy as last time." The older one spoke first, carrying a basin of clear water, sniffing delicately as she entered. "I faced a tough opponent, got hurt more than usual, but I'm nearly all better now." Nangong Mengxiang flexed her shoulder and rolled her arm. The pain was mostly gone, save for a faint ache in her back. "Just be careful, we rely on your patronage for this little inn." The older twin teased, chatting casually with Mengxiang while tidying the room, "But why the sudden change in style today?" "Does it look nice?" Nangong Mengxiang tilted her head slightly, clearly relishing the compliments directed at her. Just then, the younger twin nudged her sister, who was busy scrubbing the floor, with a bit too much urgency, causing some of the water in the basin to spill over. "I'm working here, you know. What's the matter with you?" the older sister asked, looking up with a slight frown of annoyance. The younger one simply pursed her lips and made exaggerated facial expressions, staying silent all the while. This only fueled the older sister's irritation. "We've got a guest here! Can you be a bit more professional?" "Pro-professional..." the younger sister stammered. "That's exactly what I mean!" "Professional in what way?" the older sister retorted, now fully annoyed, rising to her feet. But as she did, she caught sight of another figure in the room out of the corner of her eye and turned her head. Luo Xue was sitting silently on the bed, watching the twin sisters intently. The older sister's mouth fell open slightly, "Now that's professionalism..." Witnessing this, Luo Xue's expression turned awkward. When they first entered, because she was sitting on the bed and owing to her petite stature, they hadn't noticed her initially. Luo Xue then realized that when the younger twin spotted her, she had shown a noticeable expression of surprise. She was puzzled, wondering if this sister recognized her somehow. Then suddenly, the sister had started exclaiming about "professionalism". Luo Xue had chalked it up to the sister being odd, but then the older sister, upon seeing her, also began with the "professionalism" talk. Were these sisters playing some sort of new and peculiar game? Luo Xue glanced at herself—she was still dressed in the standard servant garb, which hardly seemed professional for an innkeeper or anything related... "What’s going on?" Nangong Mengxiang poked her head out, "She's my partner, named Luo Xue!" "Partner..." The older sister's eyes widened, her breathing suddenly becoming a bit strained. Oh heavens... how can the target be Nangong Mengxiang's partner...