Chapter 90: Calamities and Man-made Disasters
“Darling ~ welcome back ~ I missed you so much ~”
Another troublesome guy has arrived.
Emerging from Keling’s room, before I could even return to my own, Lanhua, who had leaped down from the third floor directly over the stairs, was none other than Lan.
I really wanted to sidestep her instead of catching her… I’ll do that this time.
Thus, with a very smooth single-leg turning motion, I retracted the foot that had already stepped onto a stair and returned to the second floor.
Lan directly pounced… If she missed, she wouldn’t be Lanhua.
God knows how she changed her trajectory mid-air and performed a second jump. This is a move only controllable characters in adventure games can achieve, yet Lan did it with ease.
Her fluid, almost gymnastic movements stunned me. Then, I saw white lace pieces rapidly approaching my face. Even though I had retreated to a safe distance, I was once again within Lan’s reach, and I was still tackled.
A strong fragrance, still damp. Lan, you… why are you always in combat readiness?
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! That’s so mean, you dodged me! My embrace full of love was so ruthlessly dodged! Hmph ~ you’re really too much!
“Mmmph… Ptooey, what’s too much? You still pounced in the end, didn’t you?”
Holding Lan’s waist with both hands and pushing her body back, I finally freed my mouth, which had been blocked, and spoke.
I propped up my upper body and casually wiped my face with the hem of Lan’s skirt, rolling my eyes in exasperation.
Lately, it feels like these lucky pervert scenarios are happening way too often. I’m not Rina, who stumbles on flat ground or makes panicked mistakes. Logically, I shouldn’t trigger these ‘divine falls’… Ah, could it be that I’m not possessed by Rina, but by the person who was stranded on an island full of women?
“You! You wiped it off! You despise me!”
“Hah…”
Utterly confused.
Why does this woman have so much drama?
I don’t even know what expression to put on.
Besides, what should I do with it if I don’t wipe it off? Should I lick it clean with my tongue?
No, isn’t that perverted…
Then Lan, with tears streaming down her face, spoke with extreme resentment, as if she were a wronged little wife.
“When you have a new love, do you forget the old? Sob sob sob, Juncheng, you truly are a bad… Why did I fall in love with such a mean man like you~ Woe is me~ This humble servant is truly pitiful, so pitiful ~”
Your tone and speaking style have changed. Who are you, a transmigrator from ancient times?
And if you’re wearing a maid outfit, don’t say such archaic lines, it’s very incongruous.
I kept all these thoughts to myself.
Seeing that I wasn’t responding, Lan’s mood immediately brightened. Her tears vanished as quickly as they appeared. With an ingratiating smile, she hugged my waist from behind, resting her chin on my shoulder, and said.
“Don’t be angry ~ I was just joking with you ~”
“I’m not angry, I’m just speechless.”
“Ho ho ho, it seems things are progressing smoothly? You’ve successfully won over Younger Sister Xinran, haven’t you?”
“…From the results, yes.”
“How did it taste?”
Even without seeing Lan’s expression, I could guess that she was definitely wearing a teasing and suggestive smile.
I understood what taste she was referring to, but I played dumb and said.
“What taste…?”
“Of course, the taste of strawberries.”
“If you say anything more, I’ll really get angry.”
Even if it’s the truth, I don’t want to hear it, especially not from someone else. Although I know it’s self-deception, I just don’t want to hear it.
“No ~ Don’t be angry ~ If you don’t like hearing it, I won’t say it.”
“No, it’s not anger towards you, it’s anger towards myself…”
“…I am guilty.”
“Yes, but we will bear your sins together.”
Lan said it solemnly, clasping her hands over my chest. Lan and Bing were the masterminds, and I was the executor. There’s no one to blame anymore, and I don’t have to bear it alone; we are all guilty.
“Ho ho ho, but Younger Sister Xinran intentionally left you a signal for ‘unrestricted entry’? Aren’t you going to take advantage of it? My lord~ Whether it’s entering her room or… further inside, you have permission now, haven’t you?”
“Maybe next time.”
Although Lan’s words were suggestive, I didn’t directly deny them. If I hadn’t just been to Keling’s place, I might have actually gone into Xinran’s room.
…I can barely resist. This must be the so-called ‘taste is addictive’. Although it’s dangerous, the taste is irresistible.
“Ho ho ho, then you belong to me today.”
“Stop fooling around. I’m very tired today and want to sleep early.”
“Mmm, how uninteresting.”
Let it be uninteresting. I’m really tired.
After returning to my room, I changed into my pajamas. Xiao An was still playing games. Has this child become addicted to games…
Forget it. She doesn’t have anything else to do usually. Send her to school? Forget it, how could she possibly be willing to go to elementary school?
Lianbing still has two weeks left. According to our agreement, when her maid’s term is over, our destined connection will be restored. Li Nai’s mission is also completed… Although I never thought I would complete this mission, and especially not in such a ‘perfect’ way.
So, next is to win over Li Nai. The condition proposed by Yang Shifan will be met.
According to the agreement, he will then lift my destined ability. This unsettling and unlucky period will finally be over.
The next thing to do is to settle the score with Qiye. Although strictly speaking, he didn’t do anything to me, and even helped me, allowing me to see Lan. But I already promised Lou Ling, and I must fulfill my promises.
“Hm? You’re back? So early. Then let me burn you a bit.”
Xiao An, who had been engrossed in her game, noticed my presence. This time, unlike before, she didn’t ignore me. Instead, she put down the game controller and walked towards me, a ball of flame igniting in her hand.
“Wait! Hold on! Why are you suddenly burning me, Xiao An! Have you joined the FFF Alliance?”
“What are you talking about? How could I join such a cult? I should be their Pope… Hmm, you came back so early this time. Are you not missing any limbs? I can burn you with the Flame of Rebirth to heal you, though it still hurts a lot.”
“I’m not injured this time!”
“Eh? Not injured?”
Xiao An tilted her head and blinked her big, cute eyes as if she found it unbelievable.
“This is really rare. That was just… Logically, it wouldn’t be strange even if you were reduced to pieces.”
Reduced to pieces, what the heck!
I raised my hands and patted my chest, presenting myself as very healthy, and said confidently.
“I’m really not injured this time! And I’m completely unharmed!”
SF Light Novel
“…It seems you did a good job this time, nya.”
“Of course. Who do you think I am? A perfect resolution is inevitable—”
Lan suddenly interjected suggestively.
“It’s a bit awkward to pour cold water on you at this moment, but Juncheng, although you might think the matter with Younger Sister Xinran is over, you can’t let your guard down yet.”
“Hm? What else is there to worry about? Our destined connection has already been established. See, the mark has appeared.”
I showed the mark on my left palm to Lan. Although she looked a little surprised, she still said.
“Even so, Juncheng, you can’t be completely at ease. At least, you shouldn’t treat Younger Sister Xinran with the same lack of reservation as you do with me… You can’t be completely open with her. She’s no longer your ‘family’.”
“Xinran has returned to her original state. She won’t do anything extreme anymore.”
“Juncheng, you don’t understand. ‘That state’ isn’t a return to her original self.”
What?
She has recovered her memories… Although our relationship is broken, Xinran should have returned to her original self…
“She’s become even more thoroughly bad.”
“You understand the principle of ‘extremes lead to a reversal,’ right, Juncheng? That’s how Younger Sister Xinran is now. Anything is possible with her, just like it was with me before—hmm, although now, if necessary, I could also pull something off, ho ho ho ho.”
“Then what should I do…?”
I don’t want to see another Lan. If this continues, my head might explode.
Speaking of which, lately, the girls have all become ‘Lanhua-fied’. It’s not just ‘yandere-fied’; even their integrity and moral boundaries have become irrelevant.
Why is this happening!
“Please, Miss Lan, give me some advice. I need help.”
“…”
No, nothing?
“Because, Juncheng, you turned her into this, didn’t you? And then you want to avoid her, refuse her, control her, command her? Is that possible? Can you do it?”
Where did you go? SF Light Novel
“ then you just have to accept it~ Ho ho ho ho~”
Perhaps this is destiny.
“What are you guys talking about?”
“…Oh, Xiao An, let me ask you, Lan just told me that Xinran is still very dangerous, so I can’t just relax. Is that really true? It can’t be… she already…”
“Yes.”
Even Xiao An says so. Could it really be true?
“Don’t forget us… we are ‘Calamities.’ This is a destiny more severe than ‘Disasters.’ If ‘Disasters’ only take your life, ‘Calamities’ do more than that.”
They make you despair even deeper.
“Hey, hey, hey. Really?…”
Is it that terrifying?
This time, I thought I was really enjoying myself. Now, I feel like I’ve used up all my good luck in advance…
“It’s true. Disasters are ‘man-made disasters,’ but Calamities are ‘heavenly disasters.’ Do you think man or heaven is more powerful?”
“Then are you too?”
Xiao An is the Calamity of Fire. She is also one of the Three Calamities. If that’s the case, she should be equally dangerous.
I was originally hoping to get a negative answer from Xiao An. When she indignantly put her hands on her hips and said, “Of course not!” I…
However, Xiao An was silent for a moment, then looked earnestly into my eyes and nodded.
“Yes, I am too.”
Xiao An gathered the fire in her palm into a small ball, spinning it as if playing. It looked effortless, but her words were not light.
“Right now, the fire in my palm is the Flame of Rebirth, but perhaps one day it will become boundless karmic fire, burning your body and turning you to ashes. Anything is possible…”
Suddenly, the fireball exploded, scattering everywhere like fireworks.
“And it’s not the first time, either.”
Gazing into Xiao An’s golden eyes, I suddenly felt a heat within me, a heat originating from inside.
Yes… ‘I’ once died in that fire.
