Chapter 22: Lost Goal
Lu Zhiyin slept for a long time on the bed. Although she wasn’t sick, she did not wake up.
She was deliberately escaping, escaping the terrible fate of a nightmare.
She thought, if only she could keep sleeping, she wouldn’t have to be threatened by Leng Qing Qiu or be played with by deities. In her dreams, she wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to go home; a peaceful sleep would be enough.
“Hah…”
Panting, Lu Zhiyin sat up. Her back was soaked with cold sweat, and her bangs were damp with it.
The bedroom was very bright, a stark contrast to the dark nightmare of last night.
Lu Zhiyin got out of bed. Her body still retained the sensation of being torn apart and pierced through.
She looked at the bedroom window. Bright sunlight was streaming in from outside.
The sun was high in the sky. It was expected that classes would have started long ago.
“Sigh…”
Sighing, Lu Zhiyin looked at Ouyang Qing’s bed.
The messy bed was empty.
Her mood was as gloomy as ever. Lu Zhiyin stood up, washed her face with cold water, and left in a daze.
She went to the cafeteria to get some food. When Lu Zhiyin arrived at the classroom, she was surprised to find it empty.
It was only then that she remembered it was the weekend.
“…What should I do…”
Leaving the classroom, Lu Zhiyin wandered aimlessly in the hallway. Ouyang Qing was nowhere to be seen; she didn’t know where she had gone.
She didn’t want to go to a restaurant to wash dishes for now. It was still early. The physical fatigue and pain had not subsided. Going to a part-time job now would only be asking for trouble.
She thought, she should be a little kinder to herself. If she didn’t care about herself, then no one else would.
Touching her thigh, Lu Zhiyin finally chose to go to the school library.
The library on Sunday was very quiet. There were not many people who loved to read in the first place, and now it was empty.
Oh… it couldn’t be said to be completely empty; at least the librarian was there.
Zhu was currently sitting behind a computer, playing a game on the library’s computer.
This was probably one of the few times Lu Zhiyin saw Zhu resting.
“Senior Zhu.”
Hiding her emotions, Lu Zhiyin smiled and greeted Zhu.
She probably knew that even if the mission was completed, she couldn’t go back. Her strategy was no longer effective.
Losing her goal had plunged her into temporary confusion. However, even if it wasn’t related to the mission, Lu Zhiyin still wanted to build a good relationship with Zhu.
After all, she was one of the few genuinely good people in this world.
“…Hmm, ah? Lu Shiyu?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Zhu looked up, feeling a little surprised.
“It’s the weekend today, isn’t the school closed? Aren’t you going out to play, Lu Shiyu? I remember you’re from another city, so you can take advantage of the holiday to get familiar with this city. Though there’s not much to do here.”
There was no need to inquire specifically. Lu Zhiyin was a celebrity at school. Even in the higher grades, Zhu occasionally heard news about her.
Sunshine, cheerful, positive, and diligent, a beautiful girl who worked part-time to support herself—there was no doubt that Lu Zhiyin’s current persona was likable.
The people at school generally had a good impression of her.
“…I’ve encountered some minor trouble and I’m a bit confused now.”
Lu Zhiyin walked slowly into the library and sat down at a long table, quietly looking at the window not far away.
The sunlight outside was exceptionally bright. The lush green new sprouts glistened under the sunlight, growing sturdily.
“Senior Zhu, I’m so tired…”
Lu Zhiyin slumped onto the table. She no longer had the motivation for her strategy, so she didn’t care as much about maintaining her persona in front of the person she was strategizing against.
She closed her eyes and complained to Zhu.
“Hmm… Is it trouble at work? Or a conflict with your friend?”
Zhu got up from behind the counter and sat down opposite Lu Zhiyin.
She had long noticed that Lu Zhiyin was not as perfect as she seemed, and she had always felt that Lu Zhiyin was hiding her difficulties.
Although she didn’t know why Lu Zhiyin suddenly became willing to share her troubles, it was good that she could finally express them.
Zhu thought that holding back emotions would only harm a person.
She rested her arms on the table, quietly looking at the girl lying in front of her.
“Um… it’s nothing with work, everything is fine except for lack of sleep. As for my friends… my relationship with her has never been good, and I don’t know if she considers me a friend. Probably not.”
Lu Zhiyin did not tell the whole truth. Being treated as a toy was something she shouldn’t tell others.
“Sigh…”
She sighed again.
Lu Zhiyin recalled her life in her original real world.
“This place feels completely different from where I lived originally. It’s so chaotic, and I often encounter perverts.”
Lu Zhiyin was not good at sharing her thoughts and feelings; she was not good at expressing herself in the first place.
She had indeed improved in the past few months, but it was only because she was forced to do things.
“Is that so… The public order in this city is indeed a bit too chaotic…”
Zhu also often saw inappropriate things happening at street corners, but she had seen such things since she was a child and had almost gotten used to them.
She hated it but couldn’t change it, so she could only adapt little by little.
“Um… I miss home a little.”
Lu Zhiyin buried her head in her arms and rubbed it.
Zhu remained silent.
She often helped others, but at this moment, she was uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
She didn’t know how to comfort the girl in front of her. She had never been to other cities and didn’t know how they differed from this one.
However, Zhu could feel the girl’s loneliness. Despite being liked by most people, she was still lonely.
Well, this was normal. After all, all the girl’s qualities were almost acted out. She also knew that what everyone liked was the mask she wore, not her true self.
“…”
With some hesitation, Zhu reached out and gently stroked the girl’s hair.
Such an action was a bit of overstepping. Zhu anticipated that Lu Zhiyin might get angry, but it was better for her to be angry than to be sad alone.
“…? Thank you.”
However, Lu Zhiyin’s reaction exceeded Zhu’s expectations.
She did not get angry because of the head-patting; instead, she sincerely thanked her.
Zhu withdrew her hand.
“By the way, why did Lu Shiyu come to find me?”
The soft touch of the girl’s hair still lingered on her fingertips.
Zhu blinked.
She was somewhat curious about the girl’s answer since they hadn’t met many times.
“This? Because Senior Zhu is very kind.”
Lu Zhiyin looked at Zhu and smiled slightly.
The girl’s genuine smile was sweeter than her fake one, especially under the bright sunlight.
Zhu didn’t know why Lu Zhiyin was happy, but her heart was touched.
Her face turned slightly red, perhaps because of the girl’s smile, or perhaps because of her compliment.
Her cheeks felt a little hot, and she pushed her bangs aside.
“Actually, I’m not very good at comforting people.”
Zhu was a person of action.
