Chapter 41: Companionship Brings Peace of Mind
Lu Zhiyin did not want to return to the classroom, as there was someone she disliked in there.
She hid in the library for the entire day.
Lu Zhiyin didn’t say much, claiming she just wanted to talk to Zhu. She realized she had nothing to say.
She simply lay on the table blankly, quietly watching Zhu.
Unexpectedly, Zhu stayed in the library, accompanying Lu Zhiyin the whole time.
As Lu Zhiyin and Zhu had hoped, she began telling interesting stories about people and events from Zhu’s past experiences helping others.
After finishing the somewhat interesting stories from her memory, with plenty of time before school ended, Zhu looked at the still listless Lu Zhiyin. She rested for a few minutes and then started telling a story from a book she’d read before.
Zhu had a good memory, but she couldn’t recite the entire book. She summarized the story, embellishing or altering the less pleasant details herself.
Zhu thought that for someone who was about to fall apart, the story should have more truth, goodness, and beauty, and less conspiracy and betrayal.
“Mmm… the ending is quite good…”
Lu Zhiyin shook her head.
The story Zhu told was about an elf princess from a fallen kingdom striving to restore her kingdom, ultimately avenging herself and merging with the World Tree to achieve eternal life.
Lu Zhiyin didn’t particularly like such cliché stories.
However, having someone tell her stories and try to cheer her up was already a great thing. Lu Zhiyin couldn’t be picky.
“Yes, it really is good.”
Zhu smiled silently.
“Speaking of which, after resting here for so long, has my junior’s mood improved at all?”
Zhu felt uncomfortable from talking almost non-stop to cheer Lu Zhiyin up.
Her mouth was dry, and she now only hoped that the girl in front of her would feel a little better.
Zhu was worried that the girl might have bad thoughts, which was why she stayed, trying her best to lift Lu Zhiyin’s spirits, at least to prevent her from self-destructing.
“Mmm… I guess so…”
Her mood had indeed slightly improved, not because of the stories Zhu told, but because of Zhu herself.
Lu Zhiyin was very surprised by Zhu’s willingness to stay by her side, an unresponsive puppet, and talk to herself all day.
With surprise came a touch of emotion.
She didn’t understand why Zhu was being so kind to someone she wasn’t that close to. They were supposed to be friends, but they spent very little time together. Zhu’s willingness to accompany Lu Zhiyin like this made Lu Zhiyin feel overwhelmed.
“Speaking of which, doesn’t Senior have her own things to do? You’ve been accompanying me the whole time.”
Lu Zhiyin sat up slightly, nodding absentmindedly.
“…Yes, I do, but accompanying my friend is more important right now. What do you think, Junior?”
Zhu smiled, her smile brighter than sunlight.
Lu Zhiyin’s eyes were stung by Zhu’s bright smile.
“…I’m not worth it…”
She liked being near Zhu, but Lu Zhiyin felt unworthy of Zhu’s salvation.
Zhu was completely kind, but what about her? Lu Zhiyin considered herself a victim, but she wasn’t perfect either.
Her hands were stained with quite a bit of sin.
Lu Zhiyin lowered her gaze.
Her heart was a mess, full of contradictions. She wanted to return to a normal life, but she no longer dared to hope, feeling unworthy.
Lu Zhiyin hated deities, hated Qin An, hated Leng Qing Qiu, hated Long Qinxin… and hated herself.
“…”
Clearing her throat, Zhu swallowed her words.
Self-deprecation, self-loathing? Zhu’s eyes darkened.
This was a bad sign.
“Nothing is worth it or not worth it. I never ask for anything in return.”
Standing up, Zhu moved to Lu Zhiyin’s side.
Up close, Zhu could smell Lu Zhiyin’s faint fragrance and see her fair skin. She remembered the words she had written on Lu Zhiyin’s skin last time.
Zhu pursed her lips.
“Ah… Senior…”
Her body was enshrouded in shadow, and Lu Zhiyin once again didn’t know what to say.
She looked so dazed, it was almost cute?
Her vacant expression was amusing, but Zhu couldn’t bring herself to laugh.
“I’m here.”
She tousled the ends of Lu Zhiyin’s hair.
“…I can’t repay you, so please don’t worry about me, don’t help me. Just talking to me is enough.”
As if afraid Zhu would anger the two devils by helping her, Lu Zhiyin muttered.
Though her words were a refusal, Lu Zhiyin didn’t move; she let Zhu stroke her hair.
“…”
Hearing Lu Zhiyin’s words, Zhu fell silent again.
“Sigh…”
After a long while, Zhu sighed.
The girl in front of her refused her help, but Zhu couldn’t stop. If she let the girl continue like this, she would probably walk into the abyss without looking back.
Having a kind heart might not always be a good thing.
Zhu closed her eyes.
“Don’t you consider me a friend?”
Zhu slowly massaged Lu Zhiyin’s shoulders.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be friends with me? Why are you pushing me away now? I know maybe you have many unspeakable difficulties, maybe you just don’t want me to worry about you. But I can’t just watch you walk on the path of self-destruction.”
Zhu saw Lu Zhiyin’s attempt to isolate herself as a form of self-destruction.
“Heh… Besides, I haven’t done anything yet, I’ve only told you some stories.”
Not wanting to pressure Lu Zhiyin too much, Zhu smiled.
“I will help you in my own way. Even if I don’t interfere with the troubles you face, I will find a way to make you more cheerful.”
Zhu made a grand promise.
“I won’t let you walk on the path of self-destruction.”
Walking slowly to the cashier, Zhu opened a drawer and took out a red marker pen.
She returned to Lu Zhiyin’s side, grabbed Lu Zhiyin’s right hand.
“…”
Glancing at Lu Zhiyin’s eyes, Zhu took off the cap and wrote “Believe me” on the back of Lu Zhiyin’s hand.
“Believe me.”
She said, looking at the conspicuous red writing on the fair skin, then put away the marker pen.
“…Do you really need to do this?”
Feeling the cool ink on the back of her hand, Lu Zhiyin was in a daze.
She still couldn’t understand Zhu’s actions.
Did she really need to care about her this much? It was completely unnecessary… their relationship was clearly so shallow.
Closing her eyes, Lu Zhiyin still felt unworthy of Zhu’s concern.
Silently, Lu Zhiyin rubbed the skin on the back of her hand.
The ink dried quickly, and her fingertips did not get stained with red ink.
“…Yes… Ah, class is over.”
Zhu was about to say something else when the dismissal bell rang unseasonably.
“Yes… class is over…”
Lu Zhiyin slowly stood up and glanced at the clock in the library.
School was out, and it was time for her to face her destiny.
Leng Qing Qiu was probably waiting at the school gate by now.
