Chapter 19 Restless Night
It was quite difficult to find a bedroom in the pitch-black house.
Fortunately, Xue Qing was small, and I could carry her in one arm. I carried her with one hand while holding a candle with the other, searching the large house for a bedroom.
I didn’t find any rooms that looked like bedrooms on the first floor, so I went up to the second floor. To my surprise, I quickly found a bedroom on the second floor.
Because, how should I put it… it was easy to tell which rooms had been ‘used’. Most doorknobs were covered in a layer of dust, but only a few were not.
I opened those rooms with clean doorknobs, and to my surprise, the very first room I opened was Xue Qing’s bedroom.
It was a simple-looking room with white bedsheets. There weren’t many decorations, just a wardrobe and a desk. It felt like a large single hospital room.
Rather than a bedroom, it was just a place to sleep.
I laid Xue Qing on the bed, gently caressed her cheek, and called her name.
“Xue Qing? Are you okay?”
She didn’t open her eyes, her exposed skin was slightly flushed, and she let out a faint groan.
“Mmm…”
I touched her forehead; it was a bit hot. Xue Qing was indeed sensitive to heat. After soaking in that hot bathwater for a while, she looked like she had heatstroke, her whole body turning red.
Uh… next, I need to wipe her down. What should I do… should I wipe her? Only I can wipe her.
Although I knew it wasn’t entirely appropriate, I couldn’t let her catch a cold from getting chilled.
She probably wouldn’t mind, right? For some reason, I unilaterally thought so.
I first returned to the bathroom, grabbed two towels, and casually wiped myself down before returning to the bedroom with my clothes.
The bath towel covering Xue Qing had fallen to the floor. She was curled up slightly, and her usual poker face showed a clear change in expression. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her small lips parted, and the soft murmurs seemed to be amplified countless times in the quiet room.
“Mmm… Mm… So hot…”
I began to wipe her body with the clean towel in my hand. I could indirectly feel her body through the towel. It was truly smooth and soft, with no friction at all, like wiping glass.
First, I wiped the water drops from her cheeks, then gently dried her hair so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable from being wet. After that, I started wiping her back, which was a larger area.
Xue Qing’s furrowed brow smoothed out, and her groans turned into long, deep breaths. My technique shouldn’t have made her uncomfortable, right?
I suddenly fell into a strange feeling, as if I were cleaning a piece of art. My touch became unconsciously gentler, and I focused entirely on wiping her body.
When I came back to my senses, I had already wiped her entire body clean, not missing a single spot.
Then, I just stared at her small body in a daze… my head felt a bit fuzzy too… did I get dizzy from the heat…?
It was as if a switch had been flipped, and a wicked impulse took over my rational mind.
“Jun Cheng…”
Xue Qing’s voice brought me back to my senses.
“What am I doing?!”
I immediately punched myself and scrambled out of the bedroom!
My heart was pounding! I covered my mouth, wide-eyed, and leaned against the wall in a daze.
“What was I even thinking just now?!”
“Have I changed somehow?”
“Damn it, what if I can’t control myself… I wish someone could guide me right now…”
“Right, she…”
Taking out my phone from my pocket, I hesitated.
It was already this late. Normally, ordinary people would be fast asleep. Especially a young miss like her, who would value her health and sleep early.
But, for some reason, I just felt that she might still be awake…
Seeing that the battery was at only 3%, I finally dialed the phone number that had recently appeared in my contacts list.
My heart was a little uneasy. This was the first time I had called her.
I originally planned to hang up if no one answered within three seconds.
To my surprise, less than a second after I pressed the call button, the call was answered.
Was she just looking at her phone? Or… was she waiting for my call all along?
Composing myself, I spoke.
“Hello, um, it’s me…”
“Oh~ I was wondering who it was~ It’s my dear Jun Cheng~ Why are you calling me so suddenly? Are you missing me?”
My mood lightened considerably, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Heh, yeah, I miss you. Especially now that I need your help…”
Honestly, just the fact that you answered the phone is already a pleasant surprise.
“Hehehe, I knew it was the right choice to wait for Jun Cheng’s call. Hearing this, was the waiting time worth it?”
“Whoa, is it that exaggerated…”
Your words made me feel so flattered and a little overwhelmed.
“Of course, it is! This is the first time Jun Cheng has actively told me ‘I need you’! Hehehehe… I’m overjoyed right now~”
Hearing Lian Bing say that, I finally understood what she meant.
In the past, I only wanted to avoid her, reject her, and appease her… It’s true that this is the first time I’ve ever ‘needed’ her.
Uh… Unconsciously, has she occupied a considerable portion of my heart…?
But I just don’t want to admit it!
“What, can’t I have something to discuss with you?”
“No, of course not! If Jun Cheng wants to rely on me, I’m so happy I could drag a maid and dance the tango~”
Lian Bing hummed happily, her pleasant melody reaching my ears, and then she asked me.
“So, what is it that Jun Cheng wants to discuss with me?”
I thought about how to start, but I couldn’t explain the entire situation concisely. In the end, I decided to get straight to the point and said,
“Um, Lian Bing, I think I’m a scumbag…”
“Hmm? Jun Cheng is only realizing he’s a scumbag now? Hehehehe, you’re a big scumbag, tricking me into being devoted to you, even splitting my sanity. How about it, do you want me to call ‘her’ out to tell you how much she loves you?”
“No, stop joking…”
If you call Ruo Bing out, I won’t be able to say anything.
“I’m serious! I just feel like something is wrong with me… um, I sometimes have wicked thoughts.”
“Oh dear… Jun Cheng, you’re not cheating on me, are you?”
Her voice, as cold as ice, pierced my heart like an ice pick!
I immediately shivered, straightened my back, and reflexively sat up straighter, exclaiming!
“No, no, no! Absolutely not!”
“Is that so? Then Jun Cheng, where are you right now? Don’t lie to me, okay? If you lie to me… heh, heh, heh, heh…”
Her chuckles were spaced out a little longer than usual, as if hinting at something. Cold sweat began to seep from my back. I had a feeling that if I told her I was at Xue Qing’s house, the consequences would be terrifying… Ugh…
“I, I, I, I…”
I could only utter the “I,” and couldn’t say anything else, nor did I know how to say it.
“Hehehehe~ Just kidding. I know Jun Cheng, you’re at Poker Face’s house. However, you haven’t done anything to her, right?”
I was no longer surprised that Lian Bing knew my whereabouts. Miss Shirley, being all-knowing, must have found my location.
“Uh, of course not…”
Not yet, anyway… Although I almost did just now… Maybe I will later… I’ll see if you can stop me from doing it…
“I’ll believe you for now, Jun Cheng. Hehehehe…”
“Please, believe me!”
“Then, I’ll just tell you my analysis. I think Jun Cheng’s wicked thoughts are a side effect of your ability.”
“Ability side effect?”
Uh, could Lian Bing know that I have the ability to see titles? No, I only told Lily about this. I haven’t told anyone else a single word…
“Jun Cheng, don’t you have the ability to make people feel good about you? Don’t lie to me and say you don’t. The first time I met you, I was attracted by this ability… Hehehehe…”
Ah, so that’s what she’s referring to, that Charm Magic Circle that inexplicably appeared in my mind?
“Ahhh, yes, that does exist… So, you think this ability is malfunctioning?”
“Exactly… However, this is just my speculation. Because if it’s just about making others feel good about you, and you yourself don’t have that intention, then this ability is completely useless, isn’t it?”
The succubus’s Charm Magic Circle amplified others’ good feelings towards me, but also amplified my inner desires?
That seems plausible!
I originally thought it was fine to just leave it alone, but now it seems I need to find a way to get rid of it!
“Thanks, Lian Bing, that helped a lot! Ah, right, um, the homework…”
“I’ve already gathered information about the homework from others. I should say… I knew there would be a problem with Poker Face.”
“Oh, amazing…”
As expected of Lian Bing. She foresaw Xue Qing’s problem and got the homework content from someone else?
Come to think of it, if that’s the case, I didn’t need to go see Xue Qing at all! I could have just called Lian Bing directly! All these crazy things that happened tonight could have been avoided!
Argh! What was I even doing!
As I scratched my head in annoyance, Lian Bing’s final words reached my ears.
“Jun Cheng, when you feel like you’re losing control, try to think about your past. People can always confirm their existence through memories. That’s how I suppress the other me, you know? Hehehehe…”
*Puf!*
The phone’s battery died, and the call ended.
Confirming oneself through memories…
*Hoo*, well then, I should go back to the bedroom. I still haven’t put clothes on Xue Qing.
I stood up, brushed myself off, and returned to the bedroom. Taking a deep breath, I walked to the wardrobe.
I intended to open the wardrobe and take out some loungewear, but the moment I saw what was inside, I froze.
“Uh…”
They were all the same school uniform. Doesn’t she have any other clothes?
Do I have to put the school uniform on her? Hmm, she’d definitely feel uncomfortable.
Are there any other clothes… Right, my shirt.
Hmm, it doesn’t look too dirty. It should be fine to wear for Xue Qing.
I first laid the shirt flat on the bed, then picked up Xue Qing and placed her on the shirt. I put one of her hands into a sleeve with one hand, and then inserted the other hand into the sleeve from the cuff, slowly pulling her hand out of the sleeve while pulling the sleeve upwards with the other hand. Afterwards, I put on the other sleeve in the same way, and finally straightened the shirt and buttoned it up.
This process didn’t evoke any particular feelings. It was like dressing a baby… My shirt was indeed as big as a nightgown on Xue Qing.
Although this would cover her body, just wearing a shirt felt a bit… much.
“Haaah…”
Looking at Xue Qing, who was lying on my lap and whose flush had finally faded, I felt exhausted.
I sighed helplessly and gently fanned her cheek with my palm to cool her down.
“Mmm… Mm…”
Can she sleep so soundly lying in the same bed as a grown man… so unguarded…
In the flickering candlelight, I saw a faint smile appear on Xue Qing’s face.
Her rare smile captivated me.
I couldn’t help but stroke her hair. That sweet smile was so endearing.
It seemed she was having a sweet dream.
Is Xue Qing really the same age as me? She seems like a girl isolated from the world, possessing only basic common sense and completely clueless about human interactions.
I scratched my nose and moved Xue Qing’s small head onto the pillow, resting my hands behind my head as I leaned against the headboard.
Xue Qing suddenly turned over, leaning her whole body into my embrace. Her little hands clutched my chest, her expression showing unease.
“Don’t go…”
“Uh…”
Is she uneasy because she’s no longer in contact with me?
Only in her dreams can she openly express her emotions, and her expressions change so naturally.
Has she always lived her life like this, alone… never receiving anyone’s love, facing the world alone…
Can I be her ‘guardian’…?
I stroked her hair and whispered in her ear.
“I’m not leaving.”
She seemed to have found some peace, rubbing her pink face against my chest, then tilting her head up slightly, her small nose pressing against my collarbone, and her forehead resting on my throat. Her gray hair brushed against my chin, tickling me.
She didn’t use soap or body wash when she showered, meaning this is Xue Qing’s unique scent. I don’t know if it’s the special fragrance of a loli, or Xue Qing’s body odor, but it’s sweet, like honey.
She was covered in blood earlier, but after less than a minute in the bath, her body was completely clean, with not a trace of bloodstain on her…
Lian Bing’s words replayed in my mind like a sobering mantra.
Pulling the blanket up to cover her, I let out a deep sigh.
“Ah… Hoo! Hoo!”
I exhaled twice, blowing out the candle on the desk.
Darkness enveloped the room, as black as blindness.
I couldn’t sleep at all anymore.
