Chapter 49: Are You Here to Kill Me?
After the prom ended, it seemed like we had returned to the calm days we had before.
Lan still hadn’t been found… At least, that’s how it looked for now. I couldn’t feel her gaze on me, which meant she hadn’t found me yet.
Ruanruan was serious. After she told me that absurd thing about helping me form a harem that day, she actually started helping me strategize on how to “capture” those “female leads.”
And she had a lot of information. She always managed to orchestrate chance encounters with them, improve their affection towards me through various events, and avoid the “Shura Field” where multiple female leads would appear at the same time.
Steadily and properly, she was accumulating their affection for me.
It was like playing a Galgame with a strategy guide, where there wasn’t even a need to save. We were moving step by step towards the predetermined “all harem GOOD END.”
While she didn’t prepare my lines and actions for me, so it wasn’t entirely a fake romance, it inevitably gave me the feeling of being pushed forward by someone.
I couldn’t help but ask myself, is this really okay?
These deliberately manufactured encounters and meetings felt like being placed on a stage play, becoming like a puppet… But it wasn’t Ruanruan controlling us, it was me.
Yes, it was me. It was because of my mistakes that Ruanruan had that misunderstanding.
Because I accepted them, I was now forced to accept them.
Abandoning them after starting something was not an option from the beginning, and I never thought of it. But this kind of pre-designed romance truly made me feel uncomfortable.
It shouldn’t be a reproduction of our original bond in this way…
Am I asking for too much?
Having a harem is a good thing that doesn’t harm me at all, so why am I being so sentimental?
What should I do… What should I do…
Leaning back in my chair, I stared blankly at the ceiling lamp, watching the small insects fly around it. Why are there still small flies this season… Is something wrong with my eyes? Hmm, I can still hear them, so my eyes are probably fine.
I should close my mouth. It would be disgusting if one flew in.
*Zangyuan Light Novel*
But just as I was about to close my mouth, a small strawberry appeared in my vision… Several small strawberries.
Then those small strawberries imprinted themselves on my face. My nose bridge sank into soft cleavage, and my two small legs wrapped around my neck. With a skillful shift, her little butt landed on my shoulder, and finally, her hands propped up the top of my head, then slid down my neck… landing on my lap.
I tidied my hair, messed up by Xiao An, and said with a helpless expression.
“I say, Xiao An. Please don’t treat me like a climbing frame every time you get out of bed. Use the ladder properly.”
Why do you always like to climb down me like a pillar?
Even though you’re still a child, sitting on my face as a man is too much…
“Noo~ This way is faster~”
The last time I asked, I had already told Xiao An that she couldn’t casually interact with boys like this. The answer I got was, ‘It’s okay because you’re Dad.’
I was happy, but Xiao An is already about the same age as Xue Qing, a dream girl. If this continues, it seems like…
However, Xiao An couldn’t understand my complicated feelings. She happily raised her arms, looked up at me, and pouted.
“Daddy~ I want ice cream~”
“Hmm? Ah, you want an ice pop? Or shaved ice?”
“Shaved ice~ Strawberry flavor!”
“Oh, okay, I’ll go out and get it for you… Want to go together?”
I held Xiao An’s waist and put her on the ground. Just as I was about to put on my athletic shoes to go out, Bing from next door suddenly turned around, took off her headphones, and said to Xiao An.
“Lingling~ Want to play games~?”
That fawning smile made my mouth twitch. And I didn’t know when Bing had already turned on the game console and connected the two-player controllers.
Xiao An’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the game’s startup screen. I knew I couldn’t defeat the Nintendo that bewitched children, so I could only sigh and say, holding my forehead.
“You can play games while I go buy it for you…”
“Thanks, Daddy~”
Bing gave me a triumphant look. The way she snorted was incredibly annoying.
Wow, you were bought with just one NS, Dad’s heart aches…
It was already past ten at night, and the dorms would be locked down around eleven. I couldn’t dawdle any longer. But I really didn’t want to go out alone. I glanced at the other two people in the dorm.
Ke Shen was reading a book thicker than a Xinhua dictionary, while A Ji across from me was assembling something… Neither of them seemed like they could go out with me… But how would I know if I didn’t try!
However, just as I was about to raise my hand to talk to them, A Ji and Ke Shen said in unison.
“Please buy me a Jianbing Guozi~”
“Get me a large chocolate milkshake with ice, please.”
Wow! Are you guys even my bros! You’re kicking me when I’m down!
Just you wait! Jianbing Guozi, huh? I’ll buy you an egg pancake! And I’ll buy you a hot milkshake too!
I stomped out of the dorm angrily, not noticing the “plan accomplished” look on A Ji and Bing’s faces behind me.
Exiting the dorm, I arrived at the central campus square. There were already not many people walking around the campus.
Whether it was to buy an egg pancake or shaved ice and a milkshake, I needed to go down the mountain. If I went out the west gate, it would be a long detour to reach my destination. By the time I bought things and came back, the dorm might already be closed. Although I could still get in if I told the security guard… I’d inevitably get scolded.
So, I decided to cut directly across the large lawn to the south. This would save a lot of time.
The lawn was vast, with some trees and bushes planted in the middle. The areas with bushes didn’t receive the light from the square, making them somewhat dim.
I took a deep breath. The refreshing night air in the woods invigorated me, and my mind became more alert. The earlier irritation also dissipated.
Well, a walk at night isn’t bad.
*SF Light Novel*
Suddenly, I instinctively felt a sense of danger. A chill ran down my spine. This sudden ominous premonition startled me. I looked around but couldn’t see any shadows.
I had already reached the middle of the lawn, tens of meters away from the edge of the campus square.
The feeling of danger intensified, and the surrounding atmosphere became strange. The formerly tranquil grove became dark and deep, and the refreshing environment turned cold and eerie, making me feel like the air was becoming turbid.
The further I walked, the stronger this feeling became… But turning back to escape had already become impossible.
I knew the moment I exposed my back to that person, I might be killed…
Was it Lan? Or was it Yu Hui?
Among the people I knew, only these two possessed such powerful stealth and tracking skills.
Who is it that’s targeting me? I asked myself silently, but there was no answer, only increasing unease.
Accompanying the unease was an increasingly dangerous aura.
This sharpening, skin-piercing aura… It’s killing intent!
The person hidden in the dark intends to kill me!
Is it that organization? Has the organization that wanted to kidnap Keling and the others finally made their move?
I regretted it, why did I take this shortcut out of laziness? I gave them an opportunity. I’m such an idiot…
I must leave here. Otherwise, before the other party even appears, I’ll be crushed by this terrifying killing intent.
I can’t go forward, nor can I retreat, so I can only move left or right.
So, left or right…
Men go left, women go right! I’ll go right!
Once I made up my mind, I acted immediately. I tilted my body to the right, pretending to escape to the right, but my right foot pushed off forcefully in the opposite direction, and I leaped to the left.
As soon as I jumped, I felt a silver flying object heading straight for my chest.
I hurriedly used a degraded version of Thought Acceleration. In the slowed time, I desperately bent my knees, lowered my center of gravity, and leaned back.
Deactivating Thought Acceleration, I dodged the flying silver light in a contorted posture and then rolled to the side and back.
The blade only cut through my jacket and didn’t injure me.
But before I could even get back up, another cold light descended from above, and along with a dark shadow, lunged at me from overhead.
Damn it!
I quickly used Thought Acceleration again, but the opponent was already very close. Because of the darkness, I couldn’t see their face clearly, but I could clearly see the flashing dagger.
I stretched my neck out to keep the blade away from my head, but my body couldn’t move enough in this short time to avoid the blade’s path.
There’s no other way! I’ll have to face it head-on!
Gritting my teeth, I deactivated Thought Acceleration. The blade plunged into my left shoulder. The assailant paused for a moment, seemingly surprised that they had missed.
Now!
I grunted, enduring the pain from my shoulder, and tackled the person, pinning their limbs.
But the other person’s technique was clearly much better than my clumsy attempt, which couldn’t even be called grappling. They immediately broke free and, with movements so fast I couldn’t see them and couldn’t react in time, countered and pinned me under them.
…I thought to myself. A cold sensation touched my neck. I could already feel the sharpest part pressed against my throat. Death was close, and my life was in the other person’s hands.
But for some reason, the other person didn’t act immediately. They paused… What happened? Do they have something to interrogate me about? Then why aren’t they speaking?
Just then, the moon, which had been hiding behind the clouds, finally emerged. Moonlight spilled onto the person’s face.
Although their mouth and nose were covered by a half-mask, I recognized them instantly.
It was a pair of cold, indifferent eyes, devoid of any color.
Blue and deep, containing a disregard for life and all things.
They were even more… more pure than the first time I saw her.
Without any emotion, without any impurities, that’s why they exuded such extraordinary killing intent.
Under the magic of the moonlight, I couldn’t help but murmur.
“Xue Qing–
Are you… here to kill me?”
