"Ah, Big Sis, what's wrong?" Chu Chu, who had planned to sleep a bit longer, was startled awake by Chu Lian's sudden exclamation. Thinking something had happened, she sat up nervously and looked at her.
"Cough... n-nothing." Chu Lian instinctively covered her chest, not wanting them to notice anything unusual.
She was wearing only a white lace-trimmed nightgown. Although nothing was exposed, she could still see what was beneath through the collar—and that was precisely why she felt awkward.
"Oh, okay. Then Chu Chu will sleep a bit longer." Hearing that, Chu Chu didn't think much of it. With a yawn, she flopped back down and quickly drifted off again.
She had been exhausted these past few days. Last night, she had tried sleeping in her own bed, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. So she had snuck into Chu Lian's room, claimed the last spot on the bed, and finally slept soundly.
"Mommy, Anna's so sleepy..." Anna, ever since the battle with the dragon, had fallen into a strange state of constant drowsiness. After dinner yesterday, she had gone straight back to her room with Kurosaki Satsuki and the others to sleep.
She had slept through the entire day, and even after returning to their home in Sucheng, Chu Lian had to wake her up just to get her to bathe. But the moment Anna touched the bed again, she immediately fell back asleep. Chu Lian wasn't sure what was causing it.
Gently stroking the little girl's head, Chu Lian said softly, "Be good, Anna. Sleep well. Mommy has something to do now, okay? When you wake up, remember to brush your teeth and wash your face. Otherwise, Mommy won't like you anymore."
"Mm... Mommy... Anna... Anna..." Anna mumbled drowsily before drifting back into deep sleep.
Chu Lian shook her head. She didn't know how long this condition of Anna's would last, but she hoped it wasn't anything serious.
If only the system could scan her status... Then she'd immediately know what was wrong and how to treat it.
Unfortunately, even Ayase had been unable to detect any of Anna's attributes. With no other option, Chu Lian could only shelve the thought for now and look for answers later.
"Lian, it's time to get to work," said Inori, who wasn't one to sleep in. Normally, she woke up on time unless she was sharing a bed with Chu Lian—then she'd sleep however long Chu Lian did.
Seeing Chu Lian getting up, Inori followed suit. As she passed the sleeping Anna, she carefully lifted the small girl and placed her where she had just been lying, making it easier for Chu Lian to get out of bed.
"Yes, time to get busy—but we still have a few days before school starts, so there's no rush." Their study trip had been cut short halfway through due to various incidents. Those who had returned home didn't need to report back until the other classes had finished their own vacations, so they were free for now.
"I wonder how Satsuki's doing. Mother kept her behind last night—what could've happened?" The night before, only Kurosaki Satsuki and Anna had returned with her; the other girls had all gone home.
Cai Ya's sudden reappearance had greatly surprised Ning Zhiyuan and the others, but Chu Lian and Cai Ya had made up a plausible excuse to cover it.
As long as everyone returned home safely, that was what mattered most. Whatever else had happened, as long as it caused no further trouble, there was no need to pry.
That was probably what Ning Zhiyuan had been thinking at the time.
Her calm acceptance had saved Chu Lian and the others a lot of explaining and cover-up trouble. All they needed to do was provide her with a clear enough answer to report to the school administration.
"Satsuki should be fine." Thinking of the pale-haired girl, whose cold demeanor always set her apart from the others, Inori couldn't help but worry. But she knew that Li Mingxue wouldn't harm Kurosaki Satsuki—most likely, she had only wanted to ask her some questions.
"Yeah, I'm not worried about Mother rejecting her. I just want to know what they talked about. But since Mom won't tell, and Satsuki won't either, we can only guess," Chu Lian said, brushing her teeth with a mouthful of foam.
"Mm..." Inori nodded softly, brushing her teeth beside her in the same rhythm.
One in white, the other in pale pink—one tall, one short. The two girls stood side by side before the mirror, brushing their teeth in sync. The scene radiated a quiet, wordless harmony.
"Ah, nothing feels better than being home. No matter how luxurious the hotels are outside, they just can't compare to the warmth of home." Putting down her towel, Chu Lian stretched lazily and sighed with satisfaction.
"Maybe it's because I've always been with you," Inori said as she hung up both her towel and Chu Lian's beside it. Her answer didn't surprise Chu Lian in the slightest.
Washing her hands, Chu Lian looked at the reflection in the mirror. "Inori, you should try to get used to life without me around. There may be times when I'm not by your side."
"I don't want to get used to it. I don't want a life without you, Lian." Inori's refusal was immediate and firm. She had no intention of ever getting used to life without Chu Lian, not even hypothetically.
"Alright, alright, no need to get used to it. I'll stay by your side forever. Nothing wrong with that." Chu Lian smiled, realizing how foolish her earlier suggestion had been, and quickly changed the topic. "Hey, Inori, take a look—does it seem... bigger?"
As she spoke, she slipped off her nightgown, baring her upper body in front of Inori so she could take a closer look. She wanted to confirm whether it was just her imagination—or if there really had been some change.
"Hmm... maybe a little bigger." Since Chu Lian had asked her so seriously, Inori naturally took a good look.
After some thought, comparing what she remembered from their recent group bath, she still couldn't quite tell if there was any difference. But since Chu Lian herself felt it, Inori decided to go along with her.
"Ahaha! I knew it! I'm not flat-chested after all! Being flat-chested is the path of misfortune—it's something to be pitied!" Chu Lian cheered with genuine joy. Ever since she began living under this identity, her chest had never shown any signs of growth.
Almost a year had passed, and she'd looked exactly the same all this time. She had nearly resigned herself to the idea that she'd be stuck with this size for life.
In the past, she hadn't cared much—she didn't make many friends, and there wasn't anyone to compare herself to.
But recently, as her mindset shifted and she began to integrate into this world, she found herself paying attention to such things.
After all, none of her peers had a figure like hers. Even those with smaller builds still showed signs of development.
Just look at Cai Ya, Li Xiu'er, Lux Lyle, Ruriko Nana, and Liu Yanran—girls her age, yet all far more developed. Chu Lian might not have said it out loud, but deep down, she was brimming with envy.
Worse still, her own little sister Chu Chu seemed to have inherited their mother's genes perfectly. At such a young age, she was already developing outrageously well.
If Chu Lian was a flat board, then Chu Chu was a full-blown milk cow. How could she not feel resentment over such an unfair comparison?
Were they even born from the same mother?! Their faces shared similarities, yet their bodies were worlds apart! This was unfair—utterly unfair!
To Chu Lian, the size of one's chest was the most direct expression of a woman's battle power.
That said, she wasn't entirely without confidence. Even if her chest was lacking, she convinced herself there were other features that set her apart.
Her legs, for instance—shapely, smooth, exquisitely contoured from hip to heel. Her thighs, in particular, were flawless and perfectly shaped. When wrapped in sheer stockings or black lace, they possessed an allure that could rival, or even outshine, a larger bust.
Still, If hers remained small forever, she would never stand on equal ground with the others—she'd be forever suppressed!
Fueled by this thought, her determination to become a woman of overwhelming power grew even stronger. And it was precisely that conviction that triggered a new hidden system function.
"Congratulations, Host, for awakening the conviction: 'Without great breasts, how can one win hearts?' You have received a system reward—transformable-level skill: 'Takao's Blade.' Please continue working hard to awaken your next conviction."
This time, the system voice was no longer emotionless. It carried a playful, coquettish tone—almost like that of a teasing girl.
"'Takao's Blade'? What kind of skill is that?" Chu Lian blinked in confusion. She had no idea what the name referred to, but she prayed that this first-ever 'transformable-level skill' would be something actually useful.
Taking advantage of the time as she changed clothes, Chu Lian opened her system interface to check the description of Takao's Blade.
One glance was all it took for the corner of her mouth to twitch violently.
That Shiroha! This was pure bullying!
"Takao's Blade: One of the unique transformable-level skills. Its power scales with the user's bust size. For the flat-chested, it is utterly useless—if not an outright insult. But for someone with a 36E, it becomes an S-rank skill worthy of praise. Of course, I have no expectations for you. In your lifetime, reaching A-rank performance with this skill would already be your limit."
Reading that description, Chu Lian could practically picture a blonde twin-tailed girl, her expression haughty and tsundere, one white-stockinged leg propped on a desk as she looked down at her with a gaze full of contempt. It was so vivid it almost felt real.
Shiroha, that's definitely your personality setting!
"Must... hold it in... must stay calm... after all, she's the system lady. Offending her would be bad. I'll just pretend this skill doesn't exist. Yes, it doesn't exist. It doesn't exist..."
She tried desperately to suppress her frustration, whispering to herself over and over—but the sense of humiliation just wouldn't go away.
Was being flat-chested such a crime?! Before 'Without great breasts, how can one win hearts?' there was another saying—'Without a flat chest, how can one bring peace to the world!'
Was being flat-chested something to be mocked?! She could grow too!
Just you wait! Chu Lian clenched her fists, eyes blazing. "I'll make Takao's Blade reach S-rank power one day! Then we'll see what you, that smug, flat-chested, tsundere little loli, can say about it!"
However, what she didn't see—within the system space—was Ayase lounging elegantly on a sofa, legs curled to the side, her eyes gleaming with knowing amusement.
Flat-chested queen—you were destined for that title.
"Hehe~ Don't get cocky, Miss System. When you gain your own body and I can face you in person, that'll be the day I can laugh at you properly," Chu Lian muttered, comforting herself. The thought of one day walking proudly past a certain flat-chested tsundere loli, basking in her envy and frustration, instantly lifted her mood.
"Bust size truly determines a woman's status—and her combat power!"
Perhaps hearing her unspoken thoughts, Ayase glanced down at her own chest, then mentally compared it to Chu Lian's. After doing a quick calculation and confirming that the other girl would never catch up to her in this lifetime, she nodded in satisfaction.
You're right. Because no matter what, you'll always be beneath me.
Of course, Chu Lian knew nothing of this. If she did... she'd probably cry for real.