Chapter 32: The Shield of Paper

The dust motes danced in the shaft of light falling across the wooden table, undisturbed by the quiet turning of pages.

Flip. Flip. Flip.

Kai and Yun Xi sat shoulder to shoulder in the secluded corner of the library. The massive Compendium of Resentful Spirits lay open between them, its pages filled with grotesque illustrations of ghouls and phantoms.

Kai scanned the text with a frown.

Type A: The Shrieking Hag - Induces fear. Type B: The Shadow Walker - Strangles victims in sleep.

Nothing.

They had gone through three chapters on auditory manifestations. There were spirits that screamed, spirits that whispered, and spirits that mimicked crying babies. But there was absolutely no mention of a spirit that moaned in pleasure or targeted male libido.

Kai slammed the book shut, a puff of dust rising into the air.

"Fuck," he grunted, leaning back in his chair. "There's nothing useful here. Just the same old ghost stories."

Yun Xi flinched at the curse word, but she nodded in agreement, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"It... it makes sense, though," she reasoned softly. "If the answer was in a textbook, they wouldn't have assigned it as a Rank D investigation quest to a new group. It would just be a standard extermination."

She looked at the closed book, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Whatever is in that dormitory... it's an anomaly. Or maybe..." She hesitated, biting her lip. "Maybe it's not a spirit at all. The moaning... the perfume... it sounds more like a demonic beast or a cultivation deviation effect."

Kai looked at her. Beneath the shyness and the stuttering, she was sharp.

"You're smart, Yun Xi," Kai said, turning his body toward her. "You're right. We're going in blind, but that makes it more fun."

Yun Xi blushed at the compliment. She pulled the book off the table and immediately hugged it to her chest again, burying her chin in the leather cover.

"Thank you, Kai," she whispered, looking at him sideways. "And... sorry. For earlier. I was scared of you. I'm not very talkative, and I get frightened easily. But... you helped me reach the shelf. You aren't as scary as Gu Ling says."

Kai chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. He shifted his chair closer. His knee brushed against hers under the table. She didn't pull away.

"I can be scary to my enemies," Kai murmured, leaning his chin on his hand, staring right into her eyes. "But to my friends? I'm very helpful."

He let his gaze drop.

Yun Xi was clutching the thick tome against her chest with both arms. The book was pressing deep into her cleavage, practically disappearing between the massive, soft mounds of flesh. The cover was visibly straining against the pressure.

"Tell me something, Yun Xi," Kai asked, his voice taking on a teasing lilt.

"Y-Yes?"

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

Kai gestured vaguely at her chest. "That. You always have a book, or a bag, or your arms crossed right there. You're always covering yourself. Like you're hiding a shield."

Yun Xi froze. Her face turned a shade of red that rivaled a ripe tomato. She hugged the book tighter, if that was even possible.

"I..." She looked down, her voice trembling. "Because... because of them."

"Your breasts?" Kai asked bluntly.

Yun Xi squeaked, nodding frantically. "They... they are too big. Everyone stares. The boys look at them like pieces of meat, and the girls look at me like I'm a cow. They're heavy, and they bounce, and I just... I feel insecure. I just want to hide them so people will look at my face."

She looked miserable. It was a genuine confession. To her, her greatest asset was a curse.

Kai didn't laugh. He reached out.

Yun Xi flinched, thinking he was going to grab the book.

But he didn't.

He extended his index finger. He bypassed the book entirely. He pressed his finger into the side of her left breast, right where the soft flesh spilled out from behind the leather cover.

Poke.

His finger sank deep. It was impossibly soft. It felt like pressing into a cloud wrapped in silk.

"K-Kai?!" Yun Xi gasped, her eyes widening behind her spectacles.

Kai didn't pull back. He pressed again, watching the flesh dimple and rebound. Squish.

"Why hide a treasure, Yun Xi?" Kai whispered, his voice dripping with charm.

He moved his finger, tracing the curve of her breast through the robe.

"You shouldn't be insecure," Kai said, his dark eyes locking onto hers. "They're magnificent. Soft. Heavy. Feminine. Any man with a brain wouldn't just stare... he would worship them."

Yun Xi’s brain short-circuited. Worship? Magnificent?

The heat in the library aisle spiked. She could feel the imprint of his finger on her breast like a brand. Her nipples hardened instantly, rubbing painfully against the fabric of her robe.

"I... worship...?" she babbled, her head spinning.

"Don't hide them from me," Kai said, leaning in until their noses almost touched. "Next time we meet... leave the book on the table. I want to see you."

That was the breaking point.

Yun Xi stood up so fast her chair scraped loudly against the stone floor. She was hyperventilating, her face burning, her legs shaking together.

"I... I have to go!" she squeaked. "I have... class! Yes! Class!"

She clutched the book even tighter—though now it felt like she was protecting her heart, not her chest—and turned to flee.

"Bye, Yun Xi," Kai called out lazily, watching her run down the aisle.

He watched the way her heavy chest bounced violently with every step she took, despite the book. He watched the sway of her wide hips.

He leaned back in his chair, smiling.

[Affection Updated: Yun Xi (+10)] [Status: Flustered / Self-Conscious / Curious]

"She'll be thinking about that finger all day," Kai murmured.

He stood up. The library research was a bust on the ghost, but a massive success on the girl.

"Now," Kai said, checking the time. "Where to next?"