Chapter 11: She Couldn’t See Through Ouyang Qing’s Thoughts
Lu Zhiyin went to the restaurant where she had her part-time job, filled with dissatisfaction.
The emotions bubbling in her chest affected her efficiency while washing dishes.
Compared to last night, she earned nearly a fifth less money tonight.
When she left the restaurant, all the small shops around the school were already closed. She didn’t even have the chance to spend money on food like bread or instant noodles to fill her stomach.
Dragging her tired body, Lu Zhiyin started making her way towards the dormitory.
Along the way, she continuously worried about money.
The money from washing dishes was enough to cover her daily expenses, but she needed to take Ouyang Qing out and solve the troubles Ouyang Qing caused. With that in mind, her meager earnings seemed stretched thin.
Especially since she still needed to prepare her tuition fees for the next semester, the financial pressure was indeed greater than before.
Today was really not a good day for her, neither the reunion with Qin An nor Ouyang Qing’s unpleasant attitude.
Lu Zhiyin looked up at the sky.
The weather was nice today, with a clear sky and sparse stars. The temperature was neither too high nor too low, and a gentle night breeze blew through the girl’s hair. Her grayish-white strands swayed slightly, brushing against her cheeks, causing a tickle and also inducing a sense of drowsiness.
Lu Zhiyin was a little tired.
She patted her face to regain her alertness.
“…It’s okay, at least it’s much better than before, right?”
Lu Zhiyin comforted herself.
The current situation was indeed much better than before. She didn’t have to self-harm to please others, didn’t have her head pushed into a basin full of water, wasn’t kidnapped and imprisoned, enduring both physical and psychological torture.
She still remembered the past, every moment clearly.
She remembered how Leng Qing Qiu covered her head with soupy rice and made her sleep in wet clothes under a coffee table full of broken ceramic shards. She remembered how Leng Qing Qiu watched her crawl on the road at her leisure, mocking her as she watched. She also remembered how Qin An pushed her head into the water basin, and how Qin An made her climb the school stairs step by step, only to kick her down from the top.
Of course, she hadn’t forgotten Long Qinxin either, especially the days she was imprisoned.
She was fitted with a collar and chains, tormented with whips and hot wax by someone who claimed to love her, and insulted with a dog house.
Lu Zhiyin remembered all these things.
As soon as she thought of the past pain, the present days felt much easier for Lu Zhiyin.
She only needed to deal with the troubles caused by Ouyang Qing and consider how to approach Zhu Qing without provoking her dislike.
Viewed this way, the financial pressure was acceptable.
“Hoo…”
Lu Zhiyin let out a breath of stale air, gathered her emotions, and stopped reminiscing about her suppressed life in the past. Constantly recalling the past made her hatred for the three female leads difficult to suppress.
It was good as it is now. Not interacting with them, not seeking revenge, playing her new role well, and leaving them all behind.
Lu Zhiyin had initially considered revenge, but upon closer thought, revenge on those people was a thankless task. Besides making her feel better, it brought no other benefits. On the contrary, it could affect her strategy.
Without dwelling on unnecessary thoughts, Lu Zhiyin focused on walking. Before long, she returned to the dormitory building.
When she returned, like last night, most of the dorms had their lights turned off, and the hallway was dark.
Except for hers.
Lu Zhiyin pushed open the dormitory door. In the light, she could see the furnishings of the dormitory.
There were no decorations, and the walls were painted white. The two beds in the dormitory were bunk beds, but the upper bunks were unused, with only the lower bunks covered with bedding.
At the foot of both beds, there were tiered cabinets, making it easier to access the upper bunks.
Moving forward, there was a washstand and a window. To the right of the window were the bathroom and toilet, divided into two small rooms.
Upon closer inspection, the dormitory was quite exquisite, only lacking a sense of lived-in atmosphere, making it seem out of place with the rest of the school.
Lu Zhiyin’s gaze shifted to the right, and an even more out-of-place figure appeared.
Unexpectedly, Ouyang Qing was not asleep. She was sitting alone on the bed, hugging her chest with her hands, her eyes closed in rest.
The turtle doll was still hanging from her waist. Lu Zhiyin noticed it immediately, as the small green turtle stood out too much against the blue and white school uniform.
For some reason, Lu Zhiyin had a continuous misperception that Ouyang Qing was waiting for her.
“…”
Pursing her lips, Lu Zhiyin shook her head.
What a joke. How could Ouyang Qing be waiting for her? This person always looked down on and disliked her. If she was really waiting for her, it was probably for no good reason.
“You’re back.”
On the bed, Ouyang Qing opened her eyes and glanced at Lu Zhiyin.
Having been in the dormitory alone for a long time, she patiently considered what Lu Zhiyin had said to her that afternoon.
She really didn’t want to attract too much attention. Using her divine power to deal with ant-like people was a troublesome and thankless task for her, bringing her no joy whatsoever.
She thought that perhaps Lu Zhiyin was right, but treating humans equally was too difficult for Ouyang Qing.
Even faking equality was the same kind of torment for her.
After careful consideration, she decided to use Lu Zhiyin as an experiment, trying to lower her stance slightly.
“Ah? …Mm.”
Ouyang Qing’s主动 engagement left Lu Zhiyin somewhat flattered. She began to doubt if the person in front of her was the real Ouyang Qing. Would Ouyang Qing say something like this? Probably not, right?
“Since you’re back, I’m going to sleep now.”
Ouyang Qing glanced at Lu Zhiyin’s leg, which she had kicked earlier.
She was not human and had never experienced human life, so she didn’t know what kind of attitude was expected between roommates.
What should she do? Apologize for what happened during the day? What a joke, how could she apologize to a toy?
But, wasn’t she supposed to try lowering her stance?
Her mind in turmoil, Ouyang Qing didn’t say anything in the end. She turned to lie on her side on the bed.
Of course, she didn’t think she had done anything wrong. She just felt that humans would apologize.
She was not human.
“Ugh… Is she really waiting for me?”
On the other side, Lu Zhiyin scratched her head, somewhat confused by Ouyang Qing’s actions.
She couldn’t see through Ouyang Qing’s thoughts, but looking at Ouyang Qing, who had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep within a second, she couldn’t ask further questions.
Lu Zhiyin went to the bathroom to take a shower. Until the smell of detergent was gone from her body, she changed into the clothes she had previously aired and returned to her own bed.
“…”
Lying on the bed, Lu Zhiyin was still bothered by Ouyang Qing’s unusual behavior.
She looked at the divine maiden sleeping not far away.
“When will I be able to see through that person’s thoughts?”
Murmuring to herself, Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.
