As hobbies go, light novels and online games were useless for distracting Jiang Muqing. Forcing my interests on her not only yielded minimal results but even triggered unexpected rejection.
Light novels nearly made Jiang Muqing label me a creep, while online games almost unlocked a "berserk mode" skill in her. Thankfully, I spotted the flaws in these "therapies" early and cut them off before her condition spiraled.
Since sharing my hobbies was a dead end, I’d heal her through others’ friendship instead.
…
The short-haired girl whose name I still didn’t know had picked underwear for Jiang Muqing.
A sky-blue bra, plain with no patterns or decorations. The crisp color highlighted the natural beauty of a girl’s budding figure—a youthful radiance only someone her age could possess.
Jiang Muqing was delighted and satisfied with it. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she changed into the tangerine dress in the fitting room. She stood before the mirror, studying herself for so long she refused to turn and show me.
“What’s wrong?” I called out, growing impatient as I waited on the bench.
“Maybe… this version of me is still far from what Lu Fan hopes for,” she murmured, lost in the mirror’s reflection.
“…”
Why say that? Weren’t we just happily trying on clothes?
The sales assistant noticed Jiang Muqing’s gloomy expression in the glass. Smiling, she gently turned the girl around to face me.
“Beautiful, right?” The assistant asked, hands resting on Jiang Muqing’s shoulders.
The tangerine dress fit perfectly—as if tailor-made. Its warm hue washed away the usual shadows clinging to her. Every smile, every gesture radiated grace. She looked like a princess from a fairy tale, and I, her most loyal knight.
For a split second when she turned, I thought I saw Luo Xue from years past. A flicker of joy surged through me—until reality snapped back. It was Jiang Muqing. My excitement curdled into resignation.
But I kept the smile on my face. She needed encouragement now.
“Yeah,” I said warmly to both Jiang Muqing and the sales assistant.
…
The short-haired girl could pick underwear Jiang Muqing loved. My mom’s clothing suggestions were also well-received.
The logic of female friendships needed no explanation. Shared emotions and interests naturally forged deep bonds.
Every girl needed a female confidante.
Jiang Muqing desperately needed one now.
Someone to share her heart with, to pour out her loneliness. Without that bone-deep isolation, she wouldn’t fixate on me so intensely. No fixation meant no foundation for yandere tendencies.
Even in the worst case, a true friend would prevent awkward disasters—like her coming to me when her underwear broke.
But I had no trustworthy female friends to offer. I barely spoke to girls normally. Finding one now felt impossible.
…
I lazily propped my chin up at the ice cream parlor, doodling on scratch paper while pondering potential female friends.
“Lu Fan, you’ve been off today,” Mo Shiyu said, sipping her iced juice. She lifted her eyes, suspicion sharp in her gaze.
No wonder I seemed distracted. I’d ignored her questions multiple times.
How could I explain?
Tell her I was worrying over the female classmate living with me? She’d likely call me a creep the moment I mentioned taking in a girl alone.
“Lu Fan, if you’re this out of it, let’s call it quits after this problem,” Mo Shiyu said, clearly annoyed by being ignored.
“Wait—sorry. I was just thinking. Let’s keep studying.” I took a breath, pushing Jiang Muqing from my mind. Focus on the lesson first.
We reviewed notes, solved problems, and finished our drinks. Once all academic matters were settled, we prepared to leave.
Outside the parlor, I waved goodbye to Mo Shiyu. Another ordinary, fulfilling day was about to end—until the unexpected struck.
Just as I turned toward the bus stop, a furry weight slammed into my bare calf. Claws dug into my skin.
Jiang Muqing’s black cat.
It clung to my leg, grinning smugly before licking its own fur. Then it stretched that germ-ridden tongue toward my skin.
“Stop! Get off!” I hissed. It let out a wounded *meow* and leaped away, trotting back to its owner.
Its owner stood in the bustling crowd, dazzling in her new tangerine dress.
“Jiang Muqing? What are you doing here?” My pulse spiked. Trouble was coming.
The elite class training had ended. Of course she’d come to the cram school to find me—I’d miscalculated badly. How long had she been secretly watching me with Mo Shiyu?
“Lu Fan?” Jiang Muqing stood before me, head lowered, face stiff.
“Lu Fan?” Mo Shiyu, already walking away, noticed the commotion and doubled back. She stopped beside me, glancing between us, then fell silent.
Jiang Muqing’s eyes locked onto mine, demanding the truth.
“…”
I had no words. No courage to make promises about her in front of others.
If I just pulled Jiang Muqing close now and told Mo Shiyu, *She’s my girlfriend*, she’d probably snap back to normal instantly.
“You’re Jiang Muqing, the transfer student, right? I’m Mo Shiyu, Lu Fan’s classmate.” Mo Shiyu broke the silence first, extending a polite hand. Jiang Muqing ignored it, frozen like a wife betrayed by her husband—lost, trembling.
Her accusing stare made my skin crawl. I’d done nothing wrong, yet guilt churned in my gut.
“That’s a lie.”
After a long silence, Jiang Muqing’s lips trembled as the words escaped.
Mo Shiyu’s outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air. She withdrew it slowly, voice laced with disdain.
“Jiang Muqing, are you alright?”
“Fine. Of course I’m fine. Everyone’s fine. Only I’m broken.” Jiang Muqing’s face paled as she laughed hollowly.
“Jiang Muqing, you—” Mo Shiyu reached out, sensing something was very wrong.
“Get out of my way!” Jiang Muqing shoved her hand aside violently and bolted toward the street behind her.
The black cat tried to follow but froze mid-step. A massive truck barreled down the side road.
Jiang Muqing didn’t look. She kept running straight ahead.
