Chapter 41.4: The Second Day
[Lanhua]’s Perspective:
Ugh, my body feels so sticky and uncomfortable, but it’s almost time for the assembly. I don’t have time to shower.
I quickly wiped myself down with a bath towel, clearing away the sweat, and left the bathroom to return to my room. I found that woman gone.
She probably went to find Juncheng first. Wanting to get a head start? What a pointless endeavor.
Speaking of which, my underwear is wet, and I need to change. Fortunately, I took off my clothes, so I don’t need to find a whole other set.
Did I just feel a pang of… what? Seriously, has she really gotten used to playing with women?
Ji Lianbing suddenly doing something like this, and then talking about a truce, surprised me quite a bit.
For a proud woman like her to proactively seek peace must have taken considerable resolve. And she even deliberately shared a room with me… when she should have found me quite disagreeable, just as I dislike her.
Although I wouldn’t put on a fake smile like her, being able to do these things is truly impressive. I don’t think I could do it. Even jealousy wouldn’t let me sleep peacefully, let alone make me proactively reconcile with her.
But she did hit the nail on the head.
Our constant bickering is indeed meaningless.
She won’t give up, and neither will I.
To put it bluntly, it’s not about winning anything tangible, but about saving face. And it comes with the side effect of lowering Juncheng’s favorability towards us.
So, her true objective in seeking peace this time is to steal Juncheng’s virginity.
Yes, without my obstruction, she can then have a relationship with Juncheng. The first person to make the deed happen leaves a deep impression and is effectively leagues ahead, or rather, becomes the mistress of the harem.
At this point, excluding other women to monopolize Juncheng is impossible.
But I never intended to do that in the first place. For me, who was a step behind, establishing a harem is necessary to regain the initiative.
With other women around, I can break Juncheng’s rigid mindset. He’ll think, “Since I’ve accepted the second, the third and fourth won’t be so unacceptable.” Only after being rejected once like this can I have a chance at his love, and… more.
Although, Juncheng might be trembling with fear, even risking his life.
After all, the one most against establishing a harem is none other than Juncheng himself.
And we women are dangerous troublemakers for Juncheng. He’s been caught up in abnormal incidents multiple times. Although I’ve always thought that the women and guys causing Juncheng trouble are truly damnable, it seems I am one of them.
But if I can continue to erode his will, I can change his mindset and make more room for me by his bedside.
This seems wrong, but I love him. As long as I can gain Juncheng’s… I can do anything. Having even a part of his heart is better than none at all.
Besides, it’s come to this point. Even if I regret it, there’s no turning back.
“Just because I was a step behind, I’ve paid a huge price to catch up?”
Then, as if appearing deliberately to mock me, she floated in mid-air. BT
“You had the chance once, the chance to monopolize Juncheng, but you wasted it? How foolish, foolish, foolish!”
It’s always like this. She only says things that annoy me, things that shake my spirit.
At first, I completely fell into her verbal trap, becoming neurotic from her words. I even cried in front of Juncheng. Although I felt like I gained something when he carefully doted on me afterward, revealing such a side in front of him was already losing composure. It was truly… but, hehe, he kissed me. Juncheng’s hands touched various parts of my body while he was wiping me down.
“Are you satisfied with just this? Then your emotions are truly cheap, Lanhua, Lanhua. If you don’t even have that impulse, what else do you have left?”
She’s clearly interfering with my “inner demons”!
Zihua isn’t always present. Sometimes she disappears suddenly, and sometimes she appears suddenly, completely randomly, with no relation to my emotions or thoughts.
Sometimes, after appearing, she’ll sit in the void with a parasol without saying a word. If Juncheng is present, she’ll stare at him. If Juncheng isn’t there, she’ll stare at me.
Sometimes she’ll speak, but her content is usually like the aforementioned, with sharp, sarcastic words.
But she doesn’t interfere with my actions, nor does she force me to do anything. In the end, she’s just like a ghost that only I can see.
So, I just need to pretend she doesn’t exist.
Then, as if reading my mind, she chuckled and said.
“Hoo, just keep pretending I don’t exist. Although the distant memories are like a fleeting dream, making it hard to recall clearly, I remember most of it.” Sometimes she’ll say such inexplicably sentimental things. Of course, since I can’t understand what she means, I can’t give any answer.
“It’s okay. It’s natural that you can’t understand now. The time isn’t ripe yet, so you naturally won’t understand. I’m just speaking my mind. Whether you listen or not, it doesn’t make much difference. Oh dear, why am I laughing like that woman?”
She floated upside down in the air, spinning around. Her skirt rippled like waves, and finally, she disappeared like ripples on water.
I shook my head and continued to dress. Maybe she’s more than just a split personality of mine.
I left the room and went to the hall, where I found Juncheng with Lianbing clinging to his arm.
As expected, she got here first. I should hurry too.
“Good morning, Juncheng, and Phil-sempai~”
“Yes, good morning, class Lanhua…”
This tacit acceptance is a very good reaction. It means Juncheng already considers me his. Hmph, hmph, hmph~
Normally, Ji Lianbing and I would start bickering at this point, but today she didn’t provoke me. This must mean she wants to get along peacefully.
Today, I deliberately chose a very thin dress. The feeling of physical contact will be especially pronounced. Hehe~
Juncheng is also wearing a Hawaiian shirt today. The top button of his collar is unfastened. I need to calm down. Lanhua, you can lick him however you want later.
To cool down my excited brain, I shifted the topic to today’s itinerary.
“There are several optional sightseeing spots this morning. Which one should our group choose?”
“I’m fine with anywhere, it’s up to you two.”
Actually, I’m fine with anywhere. Ji Lianbing probably is too. But if possible, a place with fewer people would be best, so we can do some lewd things discreetly.
Then Phil raised his hand and suggested.
“Ah, um, can I go here?”
The three of us looked together at a picture of an optional attraction on the itinerary table that Phil pointed to. It was a church.
“Hm? A church?”
“Yes, it’s the famous Chapel of the Water. I’d like to visit it. Of course, it’s just a suggestion. If it’s not possible…”
“Sure, I think it’s quite nice. And I don’t really have any place I particularly want to go. Ah, Lianbing, Lanhua, what about you two?”
Juncheng immediately agreed. Since that’s the case, the decision is made.
“I’m fine with anything as long as I can be by Juncheng’s side~”
I said that before Ji Lianbing could.
“Hehehe, me too~ And a church is also a place that girls long for. It’s good to see it in advance, right? Juncheng~”
“Cough, cough, y-yes.”
I’ve gained an advantage.
Finally, our group decided to go to the Chapel of the Water.
The journey was quite harmonious. After all, it’s much quieter when Ji Lianbing and I aren’t fighting. Juncheng seemed relieved.
Phil didn’t feel like a third wheel either. What a pure soul. And he even has the intention of blessing us. Truly a heavenly…
SF Light Novel.
”
As it turns out, we just happened to arrive during a wedding ceremony.
“Oh, it seems a wedding is in progress. In that case, we probably can’t tour it, right?”
Phil also nodded in agreement.
“Yes, it wouldn’t be right for us to barge in without an invitation. It would be a sacrilege to such a sacred ritual.”
“Oh my, what a shame.”
“Other students seem to be turning back as well. Shall we switch to another place? Let me see what other attractions are nearby.”
Just as Juncheng took out the itinerary to look for a new destination, a black car drove up and stopped at the church entrance. A woman with her hair tied up and wearing a formal dress got out.
Seeing us standing at the entrance, she said with some surprise.
“Oh? Are you students here for a tour? My, my, you seem like a couple in love~ Hehe, it’d be nice to have more witnesses. Come in together~”
Juncheng, surprised to be invited, asked back.
“Ah, is that okay?”
The woman’s gaze lingered on Juncheng for a moment, then swept back and forth between me and Ji Lianbing beside him. Finally, she smiled meaningfully and said.
“Of course~ The bride is my friend, so it’s fine if I say it’s okay~ Besides, I kind of want to see which of you two can catch the bride’s bouquet. Hehe.”
“Tsk, you still have your wicked sense of humor, and you’re so late.”
At this moment, a man with glasses and dyed yellow hair walked out, sighing.
“Annoying, do you have a problem with that!”
“No, I dare not. Anyway, hurry up and come in, the wedding ceremony is about to begin.”
“That’s right, children, let’s go in together~”
Since we have this opportunity, we naturally can’t miss it.
And so, we entered the church together. It was truly a beautiful place.
I heard that this Chapel of the Water is a specially designed wedding chapel, made entirely of reinforced concrete, glass, and steel frames, integrating nature indoors. The magnificent sea is right before our eyes. Being inside the chapel, one can feel as if they are atop the sea.
It’s so beautiful just to look at; it’s a wedding destination many girls dream of.
If only I could get married to Juncheng here.
After waiting for a while, the bride and groom entered. After taking vows before the cross, they exchanged rings and kissed.
Enviable.
Finally, when it came time to throw the bouquet, the bride, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, looked around. Seeing us, she smiled and threw the bouquet she was holding.
Perhaps the woman who invited us said something, leading her to throw it in this direction deliberately.
Ah, although catching the bouquet doesn’t mean anything, I still want it.
But in the end, the bouquet landed in Ji Lianbing’s hands.
Everyone applauded and congratulated her. She then took that opportunity to kiss Juncheng right in front of us. Ugh.
Even luck isn’t on my side. Hateful, hateful.
My tears are about to flow uncontrollably. Honestly, when did I become so easily moved to tears? For such a small matter, at such a beautiful wedding venue, what would it mean if I cried?
Plus, it would make Juncheng worry. Lanhua isn’t someone who can’t take a loss. It’s just being a step behind, not like I haven’t overcome this before. I just need to catch up again.
“Truly self-deceiving.”
At that instant, the world stopped.
It felt as if I was submerged in “water,” and everything became blurry.
Then she appeared before me again. But this time, even I couldn’t move.
That’s right. It was a small matter, yet I still… It’s not something I should do, but it can be considered as making amends for…
She had no intention of talking to me, just lazily lying in mid-air, idly twirling her index finger counter-clockwise.
Then, I felt my tears…
The tears that were about to stream out of my eyes retreated back into my eyes, becoming as if they had never formed!
The bouquet in Ji Lianbing’s hand returned to mid-air, following a parabola, and came to her. It paused in mid-air.
As she touched the bouquet, she said with a smile.
“Hoo, Lanhua, did you really want this bouquet? You don’t need to answer, I know you did. After all, I wanted it very much back then.”
What does “back then” mean?
“—Let’s do ‘one more time’.”
Then she poked in the void, and time flowed once more. The bouquet flew over again, but its direction was altered by her touch.
Finally, it landed in my hands.
“Oh! The girl who caught the bouquet! Congratulations!” “Congratulations!” “May you have a good marriage!” “Anyway,
It’s the boy next to you, isn’t it?”
“My, my, hehehe, you caught it, congratulations, little Lanlan.”
I was still in shock.
Not because I received the bouquet, but because…
Zihua had actually rewound time!
