Chapter 28: Preparing for the Date (Additional Update 8)
Time flew by, and it was Saturday. Lu Zhiyin woke up as usual.
She opened her phone and checked the chat history between her and Long Qinxin. A while ago, she had reminded Long Qinxin to prepare a stab-proof vest and pepper spray. Long Qinxin had asked Lu Zhiyin why, feeling curious.
After much thought, Lu Zhiyin decided not to tell Long Qinxin that Leng Qing Qiu intended to harm her.
If she told her, Long Qinxin would most likely send Leng Qing Qiu to prison.
Honestly, Lu Zhiyin hated the feeling of being caught in the middle, unable to lean towards either side.
She hated fence-sitting; in the end, it would only make both parties dislike her.
Knowing this clearly, Lu Zhiyin sighed silently.
To be honest, the deity was so malicious that Lu Zhiyin didn’t even know if she would keep her promise if a perfect ending was achieved.
She closed her phone, propped herself up on the mattress with her hands, and slowly sat up. The soft quilt slid off her shoulder, making her feel a bit chilly.
Beside Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu was still asleep.
Leng Qing Qiu’s sleep was not peaceful. As soon as Lu Zhiyin sat up, she was startled awake.
“Good morning… Leng Qing Qiu.”
Lu Zhiyin pursed her lips and bid Leng Qing Qiu good morning. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she slowly crawled next to Leng Qing Qiu and rested her head on Leng Qing Qiu’s shoulder.
She actually disliked this submissive pose, but acting coy seemed to offer her some convenience.
“…Mm, good morning…”
Somewhat absentmindedly, Leng Qing Qiu had another familiar dream.
In her dream, she had killed Lu Zhiyin, once again.
This was not the first time she had this dream; it should be the third time? Regardless, the dream made Leng Qing Qiu feel uncomfortable.
Why was she wearing a wedding dress and letting out such a maniacal laugh? How was that possible? It was an image that should not exist at all.
Casting a complicated look at the girl leaning on her shoulder, Leng Qing Qiu decided not to tell Lu Zhiyin about the dream.
“Um, can I go out today?”
Noticing Leng Qing Qiu’s slightly unwell expression, Lu Zhiyin hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask this rather unwelcome question.
“…Go out for what?”
Leng Qing Qiu pushed Lu Zhiyin away. She got out of bed, stood in front of the wardrobe, and chose suitable clothes.
Finally, Leng Qing Qiu put on a black sweater, black trousers, and a black trench coat.
Lu Zhiyin thought that she was probably going out to do something bad again.
“To get some fresh air.”
Lu Zhiyin squinted her eyes and struggled to reach the edge of the bed. She looked at the wheelchair, which was some distance away from the bed, and shook her head helplessly.
If she wanted to climb into the wheelchair herself, it would probably involve more pain.
“If you want fresh air, opening the window is the same. There’s no need to go out.”
After changing, Leng Qing Qiu found the door key and pushed the wheelchair to the side of the bed.
“There are leftovers from last night. Heat them up and eat them yourself. I have some things to do today and might not be back for lunch.”
As she finished speaking, Leng Qing Qiu tidied her all-black outfit again and left the bedroom on her own.
She was going to deal with those thugs. Since their living places were not adjacent, Leng Qing Qiu deliberately set aside a whole day to handle them.
Once she extracted the identity of their backer from the thugs, Leng Qing Qiu could kill Long Qinxin with a clear conscience.
Lu Zhiyin was unaware of Leng Qing Qiu’s thoughts. She simply lay in the bedroom, quietly listening to Leng Qing Qiu’s footsteps.
After confirming that Leng Qing Qiu had left the house, Lu Zhiyin took out her phone and opened the chat with Long Qinxin.
“I have time today. We can meet at the park outside the school later.”
As Lu Zhiyin sent the message, a reply came back quickly.
It was a gesture of an OK sign.
“…My luck is not too bad.”
Lu Zhiyin patted her face and slowly returned to her wheelchair.
There was no need to change her clothes; she just needed to smooth out the wrinkles.
Driving her wheelchair to the front of the bathroom, Lu Zhiyin used the mirror to comb her long hair, making it appear smoother than usual.
Whether it was voluntary or not, this was Lu Zhiyin’s first date, and she decided to be serious about it.
She scanned the bathroom carefully but found no cosmetics.
Perhaps Leng Qing Qiu’s home didn’t have any cosmetics? Well… but even if she had them, it wouldn’t matter, as Lu Zhiyin didn’t know how to put on makeup.
“Hah…”
Lu Zhiyin washed her face with cold water to become more alert. She then searched the sofa for a long time and finally found her wallet wedged between the sofa cushion and the backrest.
“…Tsk… I’m so poor…”
Looking at the few banknotes in her wallet, Lu Zhiyin couldn’t help but complain to herself.
The methods she had devised so far couldn’t earn her any money.
Both her companionship and escort services had only one client each so far, and she always canceled on them for various reasons.
As for novels… Lu Zhiyin really lacked the talent. Her writing was heavily criticized by many people, and most of those who favorited her books were there to mock her.
Well… as for manuscript fees… she couldn’t even get a contract, let alone manuscript fees.
“Perhaps I should ask that deity for help.”
Lu Zhiyin pursed her lips, not wanting to continue this fruitless endeavor.
Didn’t that so-called deity say she could help as long as the price was paid? As long as the price wasn’t too steep, Lu Zhiyin felt she could tolerate it.
With her thoughts in disarray, Lu Zhiyin took out some change from her wallet and hurried out of the house.
She closed the door behind her, not caring how she would get back. She could just sit by the door and wait for Leng Qing Qiu to return, explain things a bit, and then endure Leng Qing Qiu’s scolding, which would probably be enough to get by.
She felt like she was starting to accept being beaten.
This was not a good sign.
After leaving the house, Lu Zhiyin walked along the usual route to school. Since she was alone, she walked rather quickly, fearing she might be caught by a pervert who could appear at any moment.
As she passed by a convenience store, Lu Zhiyin used the change she had with her to buy a plastic red rose and a box of milk.
These would have to serve as gifts. She really had no money and could only afford these cheap items.
“Haa…”
Yawning, with the milk and roses in her arms, Lu Zhiyin had unknowingly arrived at the park outside the school.
The park was very quiet in the early morning.
There were no streetlights in the park, and the sky was still dim. Lu Zhiyin couldn’t see the vegetation clearly, only their swaying shadows.
A gust of wind blew, and Lu Zhiyin shivered.
The morning wind was still a bit cold for her.
