“It’s not like that, you know. I didn’t hope for you to serve or obey me. I just wanted us to be friends,” Jilianbing said, releasing one hand and wagging her index finger teasingly in front of my face, her tone light and easygoing.

“Alright, then we’re friends now. Since we’re friends, can you give me the photo back?”

Friends… That’s just a term for people who use each other—wait, I meant people who *help* each other, right? Since that’s what friends do, it shouldn’t be asking too much for me to request that you hand over a tiny little photo, should it?

“Friends help each other out… or, maybe, they simply make use of each other? If so, then this picture—what’s it worth to me, hmmm?”

You did mean to say "make use of" just now, didn’t you! What the hell, her definition of friendship is the same as mine?! I never could have guessed that someone like Jilianbing—a stunning, top-of-the-pyramid goddess—is in the same boat as my friendless self. That’s... kind of tragic (lol).

No, no, forget this train of thought. More importantly, unless I come up with an exchange she’s happy with, there’s no way I’m getting that photo back.

But what do I even have to offer...

In my pocket are two crumpled bills—fifty and twenty yuan—and a few coins for coffee. My phone's a piece of outdated junk that lags if I so much as open QQ, plus I’ve got a ten-yuan coupon for the cheap supermarket near my apartment.

This stuff isn’t even worth calling a bargaining chip! We’re talking about Jilianbing here—a bona fide rich and beautiful goddess. She wouldn’t even spare these things a second glance!

Does this mean my only remaining option is to sell myself?

But…

Snuggled into Jilianbing’s arms, I tilted my head back to look at her, my cheek pressing into the softness of her chest.

Wow. So soft. Never would’ve guessed she's got this much hidden under there… Wait, wait, let’s not get distracted! I’m talking about her title here.

No matter how many times I look, the words [Necrophiliac Killer] are right there in blatant green. Forget the "Necrophiliac" part for now—just the “Killer” is enough to send shivers down my spine. The word “Killer” doesn’t get thrown around lightly. It means she’s got an *obsession* with taking lives.

Kill one person, you're a murderer. Kill ten, you're a mass murderer. So just how many has Jilianbing killed to earn the title of a "Killer"? Dozens? Hundreds?

If she really is some deranged, blood-hungry murderer, then it wouldn’t be surprising for her to have a morbid obsession with corpses. That would make sense.

Do I really want to agree to this? No, forget that—I never had a choice in the first place.

Jilianbing toyed with the photo in her hand like some master puppeteer pulling strings. She was the absolute ruler in this scenario, and I was just a pawn.

Realizing my internal struggle, she chuckled lightly and ran her fingers through my hair, patting my head like she would a pet.

Adopting a haughty, queenly demeanor, she said with a condescending smile, “But, of course, if our relationship were to deepen, there’s a chance this photo might magically find its way back to you.”

“A deeper relationship…” I muttered, panic rising in my chest. “You mean as in… boyfriend and girlfriend?”

There it was again—back to that question. But why? Why was she so hellbent on making me her boyfriend? Did she want a convenient scapegoat? Maybe she’s sick of being bombarded with confessions and decided to pick any random nobody to act as her buffer, and I just happened to give off the vibes of the least interested guy she could find.

Or... could it be… she’s looking for a stand-in? A patsy. When all her killing catches up to her, she can simply frame me for everything. Her fall guy, her sacrificial pawn.

My limited brainpower could only conjure up those two possibilities.

But just as I was about to question her further, Jilianbing’s next words smashed my entire theory to pieces.

She shook her head softly and said, tuning her voice to a sing-song lilt, “Because I like you~”

What the—?! Pink again!

What kind of witchery is this! Can she really just decide to love someone on the spot and make it authentic? This... this is not normal! She’s out of her damn mind!

Tightening her embrace around my neck, Jilianbing’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she murmured, “Because I want to hold you~”

The pink aura around her deepened in intensity like a glowing blush from hell itself.

I swear, I could almost *see* little hearts shimmering in her pupils.

She rubbed her cheek against my head, cooing softly, “I want to cuddle with you, Master Cheng~”

Damn it! Why does she have to be this cute?! Something about this has to be a mistake, doesn’t it?!

“I want to have your babies, Master Cheng~”

Gahhh! That light—this overwhelming adorable glow—it's going to kill me!

I-I’m hopeless! Even though she’s threatening me, I can’t believe I’m actually getting charmed by her! I hate myself! And I hate this world where cuteness reigns supreme!

Snap out of it, damn it! Snap out of it! She can control her emotions freely, remember? Don’t let her fool you—this is just an act!

Right, I need leverage. If I can grasp her secret and turn the tables, I'll have a shot at survival.

“Why… Why do you even like me? What’s so special? Why would someone like you be into me?”

I might sound self-deprecating, but I know who I am—an utterly ordinary guy with zilch appeal. I'm fully aware of my place in the social hierarchy. If I was a girl, I wouldn’t date me either.

Wait… Could it be what Lily said? That damned charm spell that set up shop in my head? Could it have something to do with this whole mess?

No, that’s unlikely. Lily herself said it only makes people think *better* of me. It’s not some magical love potion that turns rivals into swooning lovers. Otherwise, I’d be living like the main character in some adult anime, spreading chaos and seed in equal measure, instead of squabbling with a psychotic school-perfect bishoujo here.

I snuck a glance at Jilianbing, trying to decipher what she could possibly see in me.

She noticed my gaze and smiled sweetly, a faint pink blush lighting up her flawless cheeks.

“I love everything about you~”

*Cough!*

*A critical hit...!*

If only… If only she didn’t have that title! If only she wasn’t some deranged necro-loving killer! Having a girlfriend this adorable would make me the happiest dude alive…

If only she weren’t a frightening necrophiliac killer.

Wait, necrophiliac...

Could it be?

“You love everything about me?” I prodded hesitantly.

She nodded gently. “Yes. Everything.”

“What about my… my soul?”

“Mm-hmm,” she murmured, her aura flickering green.

“My body?”

“Oh, absolutely~” she purred, pink blooming anew.

“My personality?”

“Of course~” She beamed, and then the green shone again.

“…My corpse?”

“Definitely~” Her pink aura radiated like wildfire.

I knew it!

“Noooo!!!”

Summoning every bit of strength, I burst out of her embrace and scrambled backward in a frantic retreat.

She—she only loves me for my corpse!

Her title changes colors because, in those fleeting moments, she’s picturing me as a *dead body*!

In her eyes, that’s all I am! A lifeless, soulless corpse!

This is beyond terrifying!

“Oh dear, it seems I’ve let that slip,” Jilianbing half-sighed, yet her tone was still teasing. “But Master Cheng, you seem to have known about my preferences for quite some time now. How did you find out?”

“You, you really are!” I stammered.

She admitted it! No, she didn’t explicitly say it, but the way she’s speaking—it’s as good as a confession!

“So it’s true, Master Cheng,” Jilianbing said, inching closer. Her smile was serene, but her eyes glinted with madness. “I love your body. I want your body. I want to keep you by my side... forever. After death.”

My teeth chattered uncontrollably, my body seized in the icy grip of the killing intent radiating from her.

This isn’t just some crazed yandere! Jilianbing is a whole new breed of terror!

If yanderes go, ‘If you don’t love me, *I’ll kill you*!’, then Jilianbing is on another level: ‘Only after *you’re dead* will I love you.’

The former is a desolate end; the latter is the gateway to hell.

She sauntered toward me as I scooted helplessly backward until I was cornered. Finally reaching me, she straddled my lap and clasped my face with her delicate hands.

“Oh, I could kill you anytime I want… But that’d be so boring, don’t you think? Hehe… So, Master Cheng, how about we make a little wager?” she asked, tilting her head coquettishly.

“…What kind of bet do you have in mind?” I managed through gritted teeth.

Smirking devilishly, she tucked the photo down the collar of my shirt.

“Let’s say, if you manage to avoid my pursuit until the end of this week, I’ll give you back the negatives—and delete every backup while I’m at it. Sound fair?”

“And if I don’t… well, I guess I’ll end up dead.”

“Oh, come now,” she giggled. “Don’t you see, Master Cheng? This is actually an *opportunity* for you. If I were to send this photo to your parents or plaster it all over the internet, what would happen, hmm?”

…Do I even need to answer? Nothing short of a fate worse than death, obviously! And what’s worse... even Xinran would get dragged into this! I can’t let that happen—not in a million years!

Damn it all, she’s playing me like a guzheng musician plucking at soothing strings.

“Basically, either way, I’m dead... So you’re telling me to gamble my life?” I spat bitterly.

“When you’re pushed to the edge, with all other paths blocked, what will you do? I find myself so curious about you, Master Cheng,” Jilianbing said, almost lovingly.

“But this is ridiculously unfair! The hunted is at such a disadvantage, while the hunter gets to set traps and use all kinds of methods. How is this even remotely fair to me?”

“Ah,” she smirked, as understanding seemed to dawn on her, “I did mention earlier that if you became my boyfriend, you’d have the *privilege* to restrain me, right?”

“…Oh.”

Suddenly, I pieced it together. So that’s the deal... That’s why she’s offering to make me her boyfriend.

If I accepted, Jilianbing would technically be my “girlfriend,” and that fact—and that alone—would put a giant roadblock in the way of her killing me outright. See, she’d revel in the sheer thrill of the hunt made infinitely harder by self-imposed handicaps.

How messed up is that?

Oh, wait. Why am I even asking? Of course she's a bloody maniac.

Placing her hands gently on my shoulders, Jilianbing peered deep into my soul, her eyes brimming with an eerie mixture of affection and something... darker.

“What do you say? From this moment onward, we’ll be… lovers destined for love and death,” she crooned, an angelic smile betraying her devilish intentions. “So, will you be my boyfriend, Master Cheng?”

I took a deep breath.

My voice was shaky, but I knew I had no other choice. “...I will. I’ll be yours, Jilianbing—I’ll be your ‘boyfriend.’”

I might as well have been shouting, but Jilianbing only looked delighted.

The green hue of the title above her head shifted to blue, as if she had claimed me entirely, body and soul.

“Then from now on, call me Lianbing,” she purred, her voice dripping with affection and menace. “I love you, Master Cheng~”

Her lips landed on my cheek, but instead of warmth, it felt like the cold kiss of a death sentence.

And just like that, I became Jilianbing’s boyfriend.

Thus began the three-day escape game of life and death.