(Xyrean Province- The Mermaid's Lake)
(Forested Outskirts – Training Field)
Bang!
The loud sound of a gunshot echoed through the peaceful forest as Gong Li fired at the target that was fifty meters away.
The young girl furrowed her brows in frustration as a bullet hole appeared in the outer zone of the target but not in the middle where she was initially aiming for.
Again… she needed to try again…
Liu Yifei's face flashed across Gong Li's mind as she took in a deep breath and tried to steady her racing heart.
She was not like Eve, Qin Lan, or Liu Yifei.
She did not posses an ability nor did she have incredible fighting skills or strength.
She was just an ordinary teenage girl. When those men in the supermarket had grabbed Liu Yifei… she was unable to do anything.
Never again. She would never allow that to happen again.
Gong Li frowned slightly as she raised up the pistol in her grip and aimed it carefully at the target.
The cold metal of the gun made her fingers numb but there was nothing but determination in her heart.
Bang!
Another shot rang out and this time the bullet hole appeared just two inches away from the center of the target.
Not good enough… she needed to be better…
As an ordinary person, Gong Li knew that learning how to use firearms was her greatest trump card in a world where only strength mattered.
She clicked her tongue impatiently and for a brief moment was tempted to continue shooting but eventually placed the trigger lock back on.
Sister Lan told her not to fire her weapon if she was in an unstable mindset and besides there weren't enough bullets to spare for any endless amount of practice.
Gong Li walked away from the range and sat down beneath a nearby tree.
A cool breeze brushed against her face and bright sunlight streamed down through the treetops.
A day had passed since Eve had returned and Qin Lan had told them about the decision that they needed to make.
Everyone was acting as though everything was normal.
Qin Lan held training sessions in the early afternoon and then showed them how to hunt for food in the evenings.
Eve was truthfully not much of presence and sometimes Gong Li would forget that she was even there.
She would follow behind Qin Lan like her shadow and then disappear occasionally only to come back a few minutes later.
Gong Li wasn't sure if Liu Yifei had noticed but it was clear that Eve and Qin Lan would look at each other with affection.
She had even caught them kissing once!
Gong Li was truthfully a bit jealous. It was clear that both Qin Lan and Eve loved each other and weren't afraid of what others would think.
Sigh… when would she be able to work up the courage to confess?
The teenage girl closed her eyes and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of being in a forest.
In moments like this it was good to be by herself to just relax and allow her worries to just fade away to the background.
Gong Li wasn't sure how long she had closed her eyes, but she must have fallen asleep at one point because when she opened her eyes there was a warm blanket covering her body.
"Good morning sleepyhead," a voice playfully whispered.
Gong Li rubbed her eyes and saw Liu Yifei staring at her with a mischievous grin on her beautiful face.
"What… what time is it?" Gong Li hoarsely asked as a bright red blush began to spread from the corners of her cheeks.
"It's probably late afternoon… I came to check up on you after combat training and you were fast asleep," Liu Yifei cheerfully spoke.
"Oh… what about Sister Lan? Does she know?" Gong Li asked curiously.
"Yeah, she stopped by with Eve just to check in on you and then left. She gave me the rest of the day off which was nice," Liu Yifei explained casually.
"Between you and me I think she just wants to spend the next few hours alone with Eve."
Liu Yifei sat down next to Gong Li and snapped her fingers. A blanket appeared out of thin air which she used to cover her body.
There was a brief moment of comfortable silence as Liu Yifei leaned against Gong Li's shoulder and enjoyed her soft body.
"So… um… you know that Sister Lan and Eve…" Gong Li broke the silence with a hesitant question.
"Are gay? Yeah, I'm not blind plus I mean Sister Lan is pretty open when she looks at Eve with love in her eyes," Liu Yifei replied nonchalantly.
"Oh…" Gong Li nervously stammered.
Liu Yifei turned to face her friend and saw that her ears had turned red.
Maybe it was time to finally answer the question that had been lingering in her heart.
She definitely had feelings for Gong Li.
Liu Yifei wasn't sure if this meant that she was a lesbian since she had always liked boys before but either way, she knew that what she felt for Gong Li went beyond just mere friendship.
Liu Yifei looked at her cute friend who appeared to be struggling to get the words that she wanted to say out of her mouth.
"Liu Yifei… I… I don't just like you… you as… as a friend…" Gong Li softly spoke in a voice that was no louder than a whisper.
Gong Li's throat felt dry as she stuttered out what could only be described as word vomit or the worst confession ever.
"I…I… like… you… like as in 'like' you… God… this is… stupid… I'm messing this up… I like... you… I… you are so beautiful and I… I…"
Gong Li's words were cut off by the pair of lips that crashed against her own.
She froze in shock as she felt Liu Yifei's warm body lean in even closer until they were both in a tight embrace.
The young teenage girl's brain short circuited as she tasted the sweet addicting feeling of Liu Yifei's soft lips.
This… was she dreaming? In that case… she never wanted to wake up.
The kiss was hesitant and nervous with both girls struggling to figure out how to kiss properly and yet…
It was better than anything that Gong Li could have ever imagined.
They must have kissed for just a few minutes and yet it felt like hours for the teenage girl who could not believe what had just happened.
Finally, Liu Yifei broke off the kiss and stared into her friend's eyes.
"I think… I think I 'like' you too," Liu Yifei sweetly whispered as she raised up her hand and brushed it against Gong Li's cheek.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶