This Is Too Drastic!

What on earth happened?!

Right now, facing this unbelievable situation, only two possibilities exist:

① My brain’s broken.

② Jilianbing’s brain’s broken.

Sadly, I can’t tell which—or if both are true.

This transformation was absurdly dramatic. Jilianbing seemed like a completely different person. Even Lily’s changes hadn’t shocked me this much!

At least Lily only changed on the outside. Inside, she was still the Teacher Yang I knew. Sure, we’d had awkward moments lately, but that was all because of *that* contract. Given time, the awkwardness would fade, and we’d return to our easy teacher-student harmony.

But what about Jilianbing?!

Had her personality changed—or had her soul been swapped?!

If titles reflected one’s true nature… did her changed title mean she’d fundamentally transformed?

“Mmm…”

A soft whimper pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.

Jilianbing before me had tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. She tilted her head shyly to the side, sucking her fingertip. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

“Master Cheng… it’s too soon… I-I’m not ready yet…”

No!!!

I still couldn’t believe it!

This soft-spoken girl—was she really *that* Jilianbing?!

What the hell?!

Wait… oh! I get it!

Ah, of course! She’s acting! That vicious woman must be pretending to be the perfect, devoted girlfriend to make me fall for her—only to shatter my heart later!

Yeah. Right now, she’s probably laughing inside at how utterly fooled I look. (I’d already demonized the Jilianbing in my mind.)

Fine then… I’ll play along.

Wanna act? Hmph. I’ll match you move for move. Time to show you the charm of a mature (mentally) man!

I braced my hands against the wall on either side of her—trapping her in the classic “wall-pinning” pose. My right hand lifted her chin, forcing her gaze to meet mine.

So close our breaths mingled. Hot air moistened our lips. The air thickened with tension.

My heart pounded, but I kept my expression perfectly calm.

Next: a teasing smirk.

I had no clue how to pull that off. I’d need a reference… Ah. I’d mimic Jilianbing’s old smile—that unsettling, magnetic curve of her lips.

But I failed miserably. My attempt came out as a half-smile, half-grimace. Hopefully not too weird.

Then I locked eyes with her. No words yet. Just an unblinking stare.

Seconds ticked by. Exactly as I’d predicted, Jilianbing looked away first, her cheeks flushed crimson.

Perfect.

I followed her gaze, turning my head until my lips brushed her cheek. I trailed them to her ear, flicked my tongue against her earlobe. She shivered. Then I whispered:

“Don’t worry, my little kitten…”

Soft, but not gentle. Laced with playful arrogance. Barely audible. After the line, I exhaled lightly into her ear.

“I won’t devour you… until you beg me with a ‘I want you.’”

Ugh… so gross…

Even I cringed after saying it.

I’d stolen this whole routine—wall-pinning plus ear-whispering—from shoujo manga in the library. Half the manga section was shoujo, some *very* explicit ones… Well, I was bored. Might as well read them. Surprisingly fun.

But who could blame me? If Jilianbing insisted on playing the classic shoujo heroine…

I’d counter with the classic shoujo villain-hero!

Jilianbing’s blush deepened. The red in her title seemed to fade—maybe just the moonlight dimming behind clouds.

“Thank you…”

“No problem. Let’s get you to the library before you catch a chill.”

I offered what I hoped was a tender smile, shrugged off my uniform jacket, and wrapped it around her waist. Then I held out my hand. She nodded shyly and slipped her fingers into mine.

Her steps were small, hesitant. Her right hand stayed perfectly still in mine. Her left clutched my sleeve lightly.

Every gesture radiated fragile innocence—a magnet for protective instincts.

If the old Jilianbing was elegant and poised, this one was delicate and demure.

Her pride and confidence had shrunk, replaced not by gloom, but by a trembling vulnerability.

Honestly? This was the dream girlfriend every guy fantasized about.

The power dynamic had flipped. For once since meeting Jilianbing, *I* led. The peasant-turned-landlord rush flooded me with dizzying triumph.

This woman… her acting skills were terrifying.

Who knew Jilianbing hid Oscar-worthy talent? Was she even human? What kind of upbringing created such perfection?

…Though her necrophiliac killer values kinda canceled that out.

I guided Jilianbing to the library, reclaiming her torn dress along the way.

She made a call—probably alerting her family. Suspicious, but I played it cool, testing her with questions.

Shockingly, she answered everything, obedient as a lamb.

Her docility made me wonder: *Is she really my girlfriend?*

I even asked her measurements, trying to provoke her into breaking character. Instead, she whispered the numbers, steam practically rising from her blushing face.

This didn’t feel like acting. Had she truly changed?

My throat tightened. I swallowed hard.

“Lianbing.”

“Yes?”

“Can I… hold you?”

“…Mm.”

She agreed!

All suspicion vanished. If *that* expression was fake, nothing in this world was real.

Dazed, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her—gentle, deliberate.

I’d held her before, but this felt different. Nerves fluttered in my chest. Was it the intent? Last time, I’d carried her. Now… why had I asked?

No time to think. The soft warmth against my chest erased every thought.

Unlike touching Xinran, my heart hammered like a trapped bird.

*So this is butterflies in your stomach.*

They say a maiden’s skin is silk-soft. True.

“Master Cheng… I love you…”

Unlike every other time, this “I love you” held raw, trembling sincerity.

I didn’t reply. Only thought: *I wish I could hold her like this forever.* The thought startled me.

This urge to *possess* someone… was this greed?

Why *her*? That Jilianbing… Yet now she felt so tender, so pure—a lamb in wolf’s clothing.

If this was Jilianbing… I wanted to hold her.

Time blurred. Minutes? Hours? It felt endless.

This couldn’t last. I should let go.

“Is my body… comfortable?”

Her voice jolted me. Cold sweat slicked my spine. I snapped my eyes open.

Jilianbing’s title flashed violently before my face—then snapped back to its hidden grid pattern.

But this time, the invisibility didn’t last. The letters reappeared instantly. Clear. Terrifying.

[Necrophiliac Killer].

She was back.

Undeniably the original Jilianbing.

“You really took care of me just now… didn’t you, Master Cheng?”

She shoved me hard. I crashed to the floor. She knelt on my diaphragm in that duck-sitting pose, palms planted on my chest. Her fingertips traced my collarbone. She hadn’t even touched my throat yet—but ice flooded my veins.

“What… what’s wrong with you?!”

Controlling emotions? Fine. Changing titles? Acceptable. But core values? Principles? Those didn’t flip like switches! Titles didn’t change that easily!

“What’s wrong?” She chuckled, rubbing her temples. “Let’s see… I fell for your body *and* your soul~ Hehehe~”

How could she still laugh?!

“I deliberately embraced those surging feelings. Didn’t expect them to shatter my principles in just two days. I can’t even kill you now.”

Her smile turned pained.

“Now I crave killing you… but something keeps stopping me. Sometimes it even takes over completely. Such a nuisance, isn’t it?”

So the [Devoted Girlfriend] Jilianbing was the “I love him” persona dominating her mind?

My first guess was right. Her brain *was* broken.

Jilianbing had developed split personalities.