Chapter 60: Loss and Promise
I quickly got up from the ground and dusted myself off, asking.
“It’s really you… why are you out here?”
I was really drunk. The protagonist of the welcome party wasn’t here and I hadn’t even noticed.
After I came out, I told those wearing sunglasses.
“I slipped out midway. By then, you were all already drunk, so why would there be any staff in the shop? Do you think this shop would still be open now? Do you know what time it is?”
I see. That’s why no staff came to refill our drinks. Looking around the shop now, there wasn’t a single customer left. Not just the other shops, only the light in our private booth was on. Through the sliding door, I could see a messy scene of [Zi’ai] and the others sprawled out in various poses.
Zi’ai averted her face and pointed to a set of clothes on a table near me.
“Put on some clothes first. But I didn’t expect even your innerwear to be taken off.”
Huh? They even prepared clothes for me? How thoughtful.
“I understand. I’ll go change first, and then go to the bathroom… Uh, Zi’ai?”
“I know. I won’t let them out, and in their current state, they probably can’t get out anyway.”
“…Please wait a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Holding the clothes to cover myself, I hurried to the restroom.
After emptying my bladder, I felt much better. It seemed I wouldn’t get drunk even without using my Spiritual Power for self-suggestion.
Relaxing my spirit and feeling no discomfort, I began to dress.
— Did you expect me to be stripped bare long ago? Then why… It’s just a simple outfit, you can just put it on. Speaking of which, Zi’ai… perhaps she was afraid of suffering the same fate. The drastic transformation of the girls after going through that was truly astonishing. I don’t know what to say. Their thoughts were there, but their actions were a bit too much. Although there were some cute aspects to it.
Drinking to build courage, as the saying goes. If they knew what they did when drunk, I wonder what would happen. When they sober up tomorrow, they’ll probably want to die. Even if Lan has thick skin, she’d be a bit… Lianbing would definitely be very unhappy, and Lily would probably be upset. Then Yu Hui might even go down on her knees. I’m silently predicting this in my mind. But you must have seen it. Zi’ai was sitting on a chair at the front counter, staring blankly at her phone.
After I finished dressing and washing my hands, I came out of the restroom wearing slippers.
Strange moaning sounds came from the cubicles. The shadowy figures inside were… different. It seems even without me, they were having fun on their own.
I walked over with a helpless smile and said to Zi’ai.
“…Thanks, Zi’ai. Thanks to you, I was able to escape from there.”
My fake smile must have been too obvious.
She also gave me a big smile, but it could be described as a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Just as this thought crossed my mind, her voice rang out.
“Why are you thanking me? I should be the one apologizing to you. For pulling you out of that crowd of women and ruining your good time. I’m so sorry?”
Hmm? I feel a hint of sarcasm in her words.
Zi’ai tossed her hair and walked out of the shop. I followed her outside and saw her sitting on the steps in front of the door, hugging her knees.
Looking at her back, I sighed and scratched my head, saying.
“Don’t say that… I can smell a lot of jealousy.”
“I came out for some fresh air, but I was exposed to too much of it, and it turned into jealousy. There’s nothing I can do about it. So, it felt good to be in that situation, but it was also terrible.”
“…It’s just your conscience hurting again, isn’t it?”
“Well, if this is a disease, I’d probably be dead by now.”
“Indeed, that’s just your personality. But it will get better with time.”
“I’ll become a walking harem. You’ll be surrounded by women, left and right.”
“Then I’ll be a manufactured harem.”
“You’re not now?”
“No, you’ll be a fake in the future too. Because it’s fake, that’s why I haven’t just dropped dead. ”
Zi’ai jokingly turned her head and made a throat-slitting gesture with her thumb, making me chuckle. It seems she’s finally come to terms with it.
I walked over and sat on the steps next to her. I turned my head to look at her face. Although Zi’ai didn’t turn to look at me, the smile on her lips was no longer as fake as before.
“You consented to us drinking. I thought you’d definitely refuse.”
“After all, I hate drinking so much, and she, of course, also… Why do you think I wanted to drink?”
“For someone who doesn’t drink, the only reason to drink is to be with her.”
“That’s an honor I never expected.”
“Does that have anything to do with drinking?”
“Old Mr. Gu Long once wrote that vinegar can sober you up, and alcohol can also cure vinegar! That’s why I wasn’t drunk.”
“Hehe, that’s what I say, but actually, I’m lucky I escaped midway. Otherwise, a free-for-all party would have started by now.”
“Don’t be so explicit.”
“I wish I had never come out here.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Guess for yourself? We’re the same existence, you should know me pretty well, right?”
“I can’t guess a girl’s thoughts.”
“Indeed, I am a girl too.”
Zi’ai pondered for a moment, then leaning her upper body as close as possible to me, not quite touching me, but our noses were almost touching. I could feel her breath, and she could surely feel mine.
The alcoholic breath added a touch of intoxication. I couldn’t help but lightly kiss her lips, and she didn’t refuse.
Suddenly, I realized I might have done something I shouldn’t have. I tried to pull back, but she leaned in, continuing to look directly into my eyes.
“…They held a welcome party for me and were willing to share their living space with me… Although they accepted me so quickly because of Juncheng, I could feel that they genuinely wanted to accept me.”
“It’s hard to underestimate this problem, but they are all good girls. It’s a shame I got them…”
“It’s not a shame. Only you can have relationships with them, and they don’t seem to mind.”
“But their attitude is like, even if I really…”
“You’re so smug.”
“It’s my hard-earned harem.”
“Let me be smug for a moment? This is also my hard-earned harem.”
“I know you’re working hard, but everything you’ve done is just… ordinary daily life.”
“Then, who do you see reflected in your eyes? Them? Me? — Or yourself?”
“Of course, you and them—”
“You big liar, you’re still lying. You don’t care about anyone.”
“And you’ve even fooled yourself.”
“But I like this lie. I guess it’s the only serious lie you’ve told in your life.”
“Lying?”
“The lie that I love everyone and that my love is enough to be shared with everyone.”
“…Zi’ai…”
“You’ve already discovered it, haven’t you?”
About my “feelings constantly draining away.”
It’s not that I’m becoming emotionless like a robot, but something is changing. My heart is growing colder. The feeling of coldness all over my body and my heart growing cold was not an illusion.
I even asked Li Nai later, and she felt the same way.
“Every zombie has this symptom. The line between desire and emotion becomes blurred. This is what’s called the ‘turbulent period,’ a phenomenon the Zombie Virus causes.”
“The Zombie Virus doesn’t want hosts to have independent consciousness, so it occasionally spreads. The goal is to make them eat flesh. As long as they eat flesh, there won’t be a virus outbreak, but I can’t help but be affected.”
“Have you been fighting against this loss of emotion all these years?”
“Who knows? Did you purposefully make yourself like this?”
“That overly optimistic personality… is truly amazing.”
Her hands were warm, unlike mine. Zi’ai held my hands.
“Then… please love me too?”
“Ah, you are my true love.”
“Hehe, I like to hear that.”
“I’ve sobered up quite a bit. Let’s go back and see how they are.”
Moving so many people will be difficult. I should call for some help. Maybe they’ll fall asleep from exhaustion after all that ruckus, but it’ll be hard for just me and Zi’ai. Let Eddie send Ai over.
A soft voice came from behind me. The speaker was probably Xuan’er, who was still half-asleep.
Before I could turn around, a soft body pressed against my back.
“Found you—”
It seems she hasn’t fully woken up yet, but she found me with her blurry consciousness.
I pulled her closer and held her in my arms.
Xuan’er instinctively wrapped her arms around my neck. I patted her back a couple of times and said.
“Let’s go back and see how they are.”
When Xuan’er came out, she must have opened the door. So others might come out and act crazy. That kind of behavior isn’t suitable for others to see, especially Lan, who was completely undressed.
“Juncheng!”
“Yeah.”
Zi’ai looked at me, hesitated for a moment, and then said.
“I think this child is very dangerous… or rather, extremely dangerous!”
“Don’t tell me you don’t feel it. Your sensitivity to danger has been very sharp since you were young, right?”
“Didn’t you once hold Keling and dodge a car accident at the last second?”
“That’s right. Once…”
“I’ve always been highly resistant to abnormal and dangerous things… So I’m very sensitive to danger. Even a slight hint can let me know something is wrong. I can feel danger, so I can avoid it. My intuition for danger is very accurate. When I was young… there was a time when Keling was almost hit by a car, and I felt it just in time and ran over to pick her up. Even though my body was covered in scratches and my leg was broken, Keling was fortunately unharmed.”
“Perhaps this is related to that ‘precognition’ and Spiritual Power. Xue Qing is also like this, which is why I say they are ‘dangerous girls,’ inherently possessing a dangerous abnormality.”
“The one who made me feel ‘absolutely not to approach’ among those who appeared in my life was Xuan’er, who is currently in my arms.”
“The first time was the night we met. Her appearance was unsettling. The second time was in the principal’s office. She licked my body, and I was so scared I couldn’t move.”
“Xuan’er hides immense abnormality within her. I’m afraid that hair is just…”
“I know you are!”
“There’s one thing you’re mistaken about, Zi’ai.”
“You also told me earlier to keep the lie going. However, there’s one thing I need to clarify.”
I looked down at Xuan’er, who was sleeping soundly on my shoulder, and naturally smiled as I looked up at Zi’ai.
“The feeling that I want to love them is definitely not a lie.”
Zi’ai seemed to want to say something but eventually stopped. She knows me too well to stop me.
“Xuan’er is, of course, among them.”
“You, you’ll get into danger again like this—”
“I’m willing.”
Zi’ai’s expression faltered upon hearing this, and she sighed heavily, saying.
“…Alas, I have no right to say that to you either.”
“You must have done a lot of reckless things yourself.”
“Then, from now on, we’ll supervise each other?”
“Okay.”
“Then it’s settled! I’ll keep supervising you from now on, including inappropriate interactions with the opposite sex!”
“I couldn’t ask for more.”
With Zi’ai around, the other girls wouldn’t go too far. She’s like another Miss Shirley, effectively able to keep them in check.
“…So delicious…”
“Heh, you’re talking about eating something?”
The word ‘eating’ sends shivers down my spine.
But the current… it must taste even worse.
I hope you don’t really eat me (bitter smile).
