Chapter 8 – Obsession and Jealousy
It was already the end of the second class when I returned to the classroom.
The gazes I received along the way were a bit sharp, especially from the male students in the class. But somehow, they weren’t the usual envious, jealous, and hateful glances; the colors of their titles indicated as much. Most of the gazes carried pity, in addition to jealousy.
Huh? Why pity? I thought the much-anticipated Bai Xue plot that everyone expected hadn’t unfolded. Instead, the Shura Field had been easily resolved, turning into a harmonious harem development. Shouldn’t I be met with more glares now?
Yet, as someone passed by me, they sighed and patted my shoulder as if to comfort me about my misfortune. Look, another one’s patting me. Honestly, I just came to buy a drink…
I shook my shoulder, flicked the hand away, and turned around with a troubled expression. “Don’t do that, I don’t need comfort.”
“If I have made you unhappy, please scold me as you wish.”
It turned out to be Yu Hui. At school, she wore glasses just like me, but she wasn’t dressed as plainly as before. Her glasses were a fashionable model, she wore light makeup, and her hair was down, giving her a pure and lovely appearance.
“It’s you, Yu Hui. Why would I scold you? Lift your head.”
“Seeing as you seemed to have something on your mind, I came to ask. Did something happen?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just that I don’t know why everyone seems to be pitying me now.”
“Pitying you?”
Yu Hui lowered her head in thought. I bought another can of iced coffee and handed it to her.
“Ah, thank you. So, this was also part of your plan? Senior Lanhua.”
“Oh my, I don’t have Precognitive Ability, you know. It’s just that after that incident, I ‘went with the flow’ and gave it a little nudge. Juncheng, I want one too~”
Lanhua walked out from behind the vending machine with her hands behind her back, smiling as she explained while reaching out to me. I was already used to her suddenly appearing out of nowhere like a stalker. She probably had a signal generator on me, so she knew my location at all times.
I bought another can of melon soda and handed it to her, then frowned and asked, “What’s going on? Did you do something again, Lanhua?”
“Senior Lanhua inserted lines during the livestream to mislead the viewers, causing misinformation to spread. Everyone misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood what?” I asked, taking a sip of my drink.
“Specifically, it was that ‘Ji Lianbing only approached An Juncheng for Jiang Xueqing.’ Then it spread and became rumors like ‘Ji Lianbing and Jiang Xueqing ditched that guy and went to make out.’ Everyone thought you had been abandoned, so that’s why they felt sorry for you.”
“That’s right, exactly~ Ah, I don’t like carbonated drinks! Let’s swap~”
No way. You’re just going to collect my used drink can, aren’t you? I flicked her forehead, then drank the soda in one gulp. After wiping it clean with a tissue, I crushed it and threw it into the trash can. If I didn’t do that, I was certain Lanhua would try to ‘recycle’ this can.
Lanhua’s gaze followed the flying can, and she pouted in complaint. “Aww, what a waste~ I would have reused it.”
It’s precisely because I’m afraid you’ll use it that I’m being so careful! Although it might be a drop in the bucket.
“Why did you do this?”
Although Lanhua said she hadn’t livestreamed the important part, it seemed like everything until Lianbing grabbed Xueqing and kissed her was broadcast. Just seeing that scene, no one could possibly understand why Lianbing would do such a thing. Even I, who was there, hadn’t guessed Lianbing would do that. But deliberately steering public opinion in that direction, what was the purpose?
“Of course, it’s for you! This way, everyone’s hostility and attention towards you will lessen. Thank me, Juncheng!”
It certainly was a good thing for me, but Lanhua, the way you did this, it feels like there’s some hidden conspiracy.
Then, Yu Hui, who was holding a can of soda and had taken two sips, calmly revealed the truth for me.
“And then, at this time, Senior Lanhua, you would approach Juncheng. The rumors would once again turn into ‘The abandoned An Juncheng embraced another woman.’ Thus, Senior Lanhua would become the host, wouldn’t you? Plus, if you said ‘This way I’ll have a chance’ during the livestream, you would gain the support of most people who don’t know the truth. Is that right?”
“Oh dear~ Kouhai-chan, I’m not that calculating~”
She was still all smiles, but a dangerous aura emanated from Lanhua, with a madness spreading. However, Yu Hui remained indifferent. The fact that she deliberately addressed Lanhua as ‘Senior Lanhua’ and could clearly analyze Lanhua’s motives showed that she was quite accustomed to dealing with Lanhua. Initially, Yu Hui had been very resistant to Lanhua, scolding her unsparingly. But somehow, Lanhua had worked some magic to make Yu Hui lower her guard.
Seeing Yu Hui like this, Lanhua lowered her head and sighed deeply, saying, “I’m defeated by you.”
“?” x2
I didn’t quite understand why Lanhua suddenly lost her spirit, and Yu Hui and I both questioned her. She then raised her head, and with a helpless look, held up her index finger and said, “I’ve wanted to ask for a while, but I’ve been holding back. Say, Kouhai-chan, don’t you have any jealousy at all?”
“Jealousy? Everyone has it, of course, and I’m no exception.”
“Then why do you look so indifferent? Your ‘Lord Juncheng’ is surrounded by many girls. Didn’t you want to drive the others away before?”
“That’s because before, whether it was Ji Lianbing, Jiang Xueqing, or Senior Lanhua, any of you had the potential to harm Lord Juncheng, so I wanted to eliminate you.
“Oh? You mean you don’t want to eliminate us now?”
“The potential danger still exists, but at this stage, with you around, Lord Juncheng can be protected more comprehensively.”
“I see. It’s remarkable to consider it from that perspective.”
Listening to their conversation, I just realized that Yu Hui had indeed been showing less reluctance towards others recently. Perhaps my transformation into a zombie had brought about some change in her?
“Kouhai-chan, if you continue to hold such naive thoughts, you’ll regret it later!”
“It’s you, Senior Lanhua, whose love for Lord Juncheng has become a way to satisfy your own selfish desires!”
“A person lives to satisfy their own desires.”
The conversation took a strange turn. They started debating something on their own, and I really didn’t know how to interject. In the end, I could only say something mostly useless.
“Hey, hey, have you considered my feelings?”
They both turned to look at me. Yu Hui directly expressed with her expression, ‘Of course, I consider Lord Juncheng at all times.’ I believed that. Lanhua, however, with her expression still carrying a dangerous aura, said, “I told you before, you can have a harem, Jun, but you must treat every member of the harem fairly. But you’re being biased now.”
“People are always biased. Who wants their heart to be on the left?”
Though my heart doesn’t beat anymore! I can’t treat Lanhua the same way I treat Lianbing or Xueqing. It’s a good thing that such beautiful girls like me, and if I said I didn’t like her at all, it would be too insincere. But more than feelings of liking, a sense of wariness and fear dominates. Lanhua has helped me a lot, but I’ve also paid a price, so in my eyes, it’s just a transaction. I still can’t truly like her. In the end, she’s the type of girl I’m most incompatible with. I hate being confined in my freedom, and she’s precisely the type who tries to cage me. The fact that she’s always monitoring me makes me extremely disgusted. But as a stalker, she’s unlikely to stop doing these things. I’ve told her not to monitor me anymore, but she’s still the same, showing no intention of stopping. This has become an irreconcilable contradiction.
“That’s not an excuse. Hoohoo, don’t forget you’ve already promised me something, haven’t you, Jun? I’ve been looking forward to it.”
She waved and walked away. There was an air of madness emanating from her back, making me increasingly uneasy. When a person can completely suppress their desires, what would they be like? The Lanhua before me is the answer. She’s like a volcano about to erupt, harboring a terrifying heat. Compared to the Lanhua I met on the subway, she has become more mature, and more dangerous. Mentally and spiritually, she has achieved a leap in growth. The initial naivety has been washed away, yet she has become more twisted and fanatical. Once a fanatic falls in love, they become a prisoner of themselves, and then want to make me their ‘accomplice.’ Oh no, could she be planning to imprison me?
“Don’t worry, Lord Juncheng. If Senior Lanhua tries to do anything to you, I’ll stop her in time.”
“Oh, with you here, I can rest assured. Yu Hui, when did you become so close to Lanhua?”
“We’ve gotten familiar after several encounters. Besides, getting your location from her is also a source of information.”
“Senior Lanhua… I can understand her feelings.”
“Understand what?” Yu Hui looked up at me earnestly, holding her soda can. At that moment, I seemed to vaguely see the figures of others.
“I said earlier, all women, including Lord Juncheng, have jealousy.”
“Jealousy?”
“Loving someone deeply also means being intensely jealous of others.”
Seeing Yu Hui unconsciously tighten her grip on the soda can, I couldn’t help but call out her name softly. She snapped back to attention, quickly bowed repeatedly, and took the tissue I handed her. “I’m very sorry, Lord Juncheng. Your break time is almost over, you should return to class.”
“Ah, ah.” After saluting me, Yu Hui left before me. I stood there watching her back and suddenly felt that perhaps, when so many women gathered around me, my ending was already predetermined. A harmonious harem? Non-existent.
