Holy shit!
Lin Qingyue let out an earth-shattering scream in her heart.
Son of a... I just took a freaking nap, how did I suddenly end up becoming a mother?!
Is there something wrong with this progress bar?!
When other people date, they hold hands, hug, and kiss. Meanwhile, I'm skipping all the steps and going straight to the end—I even have a child now?!
She felt that her worldview had been blasted into absolute nothingness by the Elven Race's outrageously absurd "one-click baby-making" black technology.
"So..."
Lin Qingyue's voice was incredibly dry.
She swallowed hard, looking at Ilanier, and sought confirmation in a tone that was on the verge of a breakdown.
"In Aeldara... or rather, in the eyes of all Elves, me sleeping in the same bed with you last night..."
"Mhm."
Ilanier's cheeks turned even redder.
She looked away, a bit embarrassed, but still gave a gentle nod, confirming Lin Qingyue's speculation.
"In our Elven concepts, love is not limited by gender."
"And inviting someone of the opposite or same sex to share a bed... is in itself... a ceremony to establish a romantic partnership."
Lin Qingyue: "..."
She was completely speechless.
She felt like a native who had accidentally wandered into an otherworldly civilization.
She had accidentally clicked "Agree to the User Agreement and Bind," and ended up directly selling herself off, complete with a free child thrown in.
It's over, it's all over.
My lifelong reputation! My pure revolutionary comradeship!
Now, in the eyes of all the Elves, it has turned into a love story between the queen and her mysterious lover!
And a flash marriage with a kid, no less!
She looked at Ilanier's stunningly beautiful face, which bore a hint of shyness and a trace of a dark, scheming smile, and a strong wave of powerlessness suddenly welled up inside her.
"So, in the eyes of others, our relationship is already..."
"Mm."
Ilanier nodded again.
This time, she turned her head back, her wine-Red eyes sparkling with a sly light, like a Xiaohu that had stolen a fish.
That single "Mm" was understated, yet heavy as a thousand pounds.
It completely confirmed all of Lin Qingyue's suspicions, and firmly welded shut her identity as the "queen's partner"—a label she couldn't wash clean even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
Lin Qingyue leaned back in her chair, feeling completely hollowed out.
She finally understood now why Aeldara had had that devastated expression.
Putting herself in those shoes, if her own younger sister, Lin Xiyue, suddenly brought back a woman who popped out of nowhere...
Then the next day, that woman was holding a baby in her arms, and even said it was born to the two of them...
Lin Qingyue shivered.
She felt that she might just swing her staff right then and there, and beat that woman of unknown origin to death first.
Thinking about it this way, the fact that Aeldara merely broke down and ran away could already be considered very cultured and highly restrained.
Lin Qingyue took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the absurd "flash marriage and becoming a mom" scenario in her head, to prioritize dealing with the immediate emergency.
"Ahem..."
She cleared her throat, trying to pull this wildly off-track topic back a little.
"Um... let's put the matter of our relationship aside for now. The most pressing issue is, can Cyrene... change back?"
She pointed at Cyrene in her arms, who had already started attacking her third cupcake, her face filled with worry.
"If I bring a little fairy back, I could still explain it away as a pet I caught in the Dungeon."
"But if I bring a four or five-year-old little girl back to the dorm..."
"I can't exactly tell our teacher that I went on a special training trip and incidentally gave birth to a child in the Dungeon and brought her back, can I?"
If she dared to say that, she guaranteed her parents would take an express flight to storm the school that very day!
"This... I'm not sure either."
Ilanier shook her head; it was also her first time seeing such a situation.
"Why don't you just ask her directly?"
Lin Qingyue looked down at the little foodie in her arms.
She took a deep breath and used an unprecedentedly gentle tone, like the big bad wolf holding a lollipop to coax Little Red Riding Hood.
"Cyrene, are you enjoying your food?"
"Mhm!"
Little Cyrene took a moment from her busy schedule to look up and nod firmly, cream still smeared on the corner of her mouth.
"Then... can you... turn back into that fluffy, pink form from earlier?"
Lin Qingyue coaxed patiently.
Cyrene blinked and tilted her head, seemingly trying to understand what "fluffy" and "pink" meant.
A few seconds later, she seemed to understand.
Then, she shook her head.
Lin Qingyue's heart skipped a beat and sank to the bottom.
It's over, she can't turn back!
However, Cyrene's next actions took her on a roller coaster ride again.
The little one raised the small cake in her hands and stuffed it to Lin Qingyue in a "hold this for me first" manner.
Then, she broke free from her arms, jumped to the ground, and closed her eyes.
The next second, the little one's body was enveloped in a soft pink light.
The light dispersed, and that 4 to 5-year-old little girl disappeared.
In her place was that fluffy, long-eared, big-tailed pink little fairy—Mem.
Mem did a spin in the air, then flew back into Lin Qingyue's arms, accurately snatching the little cake from her hand with its mouth to continue munching away.
Lin Qingyue: "..."
She felt that in just a few short minutes, her emotions had wildly oscillated from hell to heaven, and then back to earth. The sheer rollercoaster had left her practically numb.
"That's great! As long as you can change back, it's fine!"
She let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as though a massive boulder weighing on her heart had finally been lifted.
"Then... can you go back into the book on your own?"
Lin Qingyue asked another crucial question.
She couldn't just carry it around in her arms all the time, right?
Mem seemed to understand her question.
It stopped eating and pointed at [As I've Written] in Lin Qingyue's hand.
Then, its small body turned into a streak of pink light and darted into the book with a whoosh.
On the page, right next to the [Memosprite Excursion] skill icon, a chibi avatar of Mem appeared.
There was also a tiny "Zzz" sleep symbol over the avatar.
With a thought, Lin Qingyue tried to communicate with it.
"Mem? How do you feel in there?"
Soon, a soft, sweet thought was transmitted directly back into her mind.
"Mem!" (It's great here, very comfortable. I'm going to sleep!)
Lin Qingyue was completely relieved.
It could freely switch forms.
It could return to its "bedroom" autonomously.
This was simply the perfect solution!
Crisis averted!
Having resolved the biggest trouble, Lin Qingyue's tense nerves finally relaxed.
Then, another more outrageous, and even more infuriating matter came to mind.
The atmosphere in the garden suddenly changed.
The previous relief and ease vanished, replaced by an aggressive, playfully scrutinizing silence.
Lin Qingyue slowly, inch by inch, turned her head.
Her gaze fell onto the Elf Queen opposite her, who was holding a cup of black tea with a leisurely "see, the problem is solved" expression on her face.
Those beautiful peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly, emitting a dangerous signal.
"Ilanier."
She spoke, her voice uncharacteristically calm.
"Hmm?"
Ilanier looked at her, the smile in her wine-red eyes yet to fade, clearly unaware of the impending storm.
The next second, Lin Qingyue stood up abruptly.
The chair scraped against the floor, letting out a sharp screech.
With a swift stride, she crossed the distance between them.
"Qingyue?! What are you do—"
Ilanier's exclamation was abruptly swallowed back. She only felt her body become weightless as her vision spun.
Lin Qingyue stretched out her long arms, slipping one under the crook of her knees and steadily supporting her back with the other.
She had actually swept the tall, voluptuous Elf Queen up into a princess carry in one swift motion!
The firm, powerful arms conveyed a startling sense of strength and security.
Caught off guard, Ilanier's physical instincts took over, and she subconsciously wrapped her arms tightly around Lin Qingyue's neck.
She was completely dazed.
Her heart almost leapt out of her throat, and a wave of heat burned from her neck up to the tips of her ears.
The refreshing scent of Lin Qingyue, mingled with a faint trace of sweat, lingered right at her nose.
Filling her vision was the other woman's face, now mere inches away, bearing an expression that was three parts faint anger and seven parts wicked smirk.
The Queen's heartbeat completely spiraled out of control at this moment.
Lin Qingyue looked down at the stunningly beautiful face in her arms, an expression woven with astonishment and a crimson blush, the curve of her lips both wicked and charming.
She leaned down, her warm breath brushing against Ilanier's sensitive ear.
Her voice was low, carrying a hint of gritted-teeth intimacy.
"Your Majesty, having fun watching the show? Hmm?"
Before Ilanier could organize her words from the chaos, Lin Qingyue held her close, taking long strides as she marched directly toward the massive bed in the bedchamber, which was soft enough to swallow everything whole.
That fierce sound of grinding teeth rang clearly by the queen's ear.
"Since our relationship has already been tacitly acknowledged by all the elves..."
"Since Aeldara has even given her seal of approval, saying we even have a child together..."
"Then wouldn't it be too much of a loss if I didn't do something!"