"Don't overthink it." Yixinxue wrapped her arms around Lingyuan’s neck, whispering softly, "You’ll be a good boy and listen to me, won’t you?"

"I..."

Hearing those words, Lingyuan froze, unsure how to respond.

This feeling of déjà vu—it echoed that self-mocking whisper from Saturday. *They’re just 2D characters. They’ll never like you. Only I truly love you, right?*

A nameless dread slithered up his spine.

"Okay?"

"Okay..." Trapped, Lingyuan could only agree.

"Mmm~ Good boy~" Yixinxue brushed a light kiss on his lips.

Lingyuan walked her downstairs.

"This is far enough. I doubt you’d dare come up anyway," Yixinxue said suddenly, back still turned. "Oh? Lingyuan."

"What is it?"

"Do you really not have anyone you like?"

"Haven’t you asked me that already, class rep…?"

After a few seconds of silence, Yixinxue spoke again.

"Never mind. Goodnight, Lingyuan."

"Ah… goodnight…"

…

"I’m back."

"Huh? Earlier than I expected." Yiyingnan blinked curiously, but her sister’s gloomy expression was unmistakable. "That look… did you and Lingyuan fight, Xue’er?"

"Not really." Yixinxue shook her head. "What’s wrong with my face?"

"It’s awful! You scared me." Yiyingnan shrugged helplessly, pulling a convenience store rice ball from a bag on the table. "Haven’t seen you this down in ages."

"...Maybe I learned something I shouldn’t have." Yixinxue’s eyes dimmed. Yanxi’s words haunted her, dragging her mood into an abyss.

"Try this bulgogi rice ball~ Your favorite. Still warm." Yiyingnan offered a soft smile, stroking Yixinxue’s long hair to comfort her.

"No appetite…" Yixinxue gently pushed her sister’s hand away. "I’m showering."

"Huh? Seeing you this upset makes me sad too." Yiyingnan sighed inwardly, bewildered.

"Just eat it yourself. Or save it for breakfast tomorrow." Yixinxue grabbed pajamas from her room and vanished into the bathroom, leaving Yiyingnan frozen in the living room.

"What’s gotten into her…" Yiyingnan stared at the rice ball. "Tsk tsk. It’ll go stale by tomorrow. Guess big sis’ll have to eat it for you~"

Water gushed from the tap, warm and clear, filling the wooden tub as steam fogged the bathroom.

A bath relaxed the mind—a good way to unwind.

But it wasted time. She only indulged once or twice a month.

Her fingers traced ripples across the water’s surface, her gaze heavy with sorrow.

An hour later, Yiyingnan—watching TV in the living room—frowned. *This shower’s taking way too long.*

"Xue’er? Still not done?" She hurried to the bathroom door. No answer after several calls. Panic flared. Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked. She pushed it open to find Yixinxue lying motionless in the tub, eyes vacant.

"Xue’er? Are you okay?"

"Huh… Jiejie?" Yixinxue slowly turned her head at the sound.

"The water’s ice-cold! Get out before you catch a fever!"

"Mmm…"

Only now did she feel the chill…

Yixinxue watched dully as Yiyingnan frantically dried her off.

"What’s wrong? You used to tell me everything."

"Nothing…" Yixinxue shook her head. "Don’t worry about me."

"You silly girl." Yiyingnan planted her hands on her hips, scolding gently. "Your health matters, understand?"

"Understood…"

Watching Yixinxue retreat to her room, Yiyingnan puzzled over the mystery. *Tomorrow, I’ll ask Lingyuan what he did to my sister.*

…

*Will Yanxi even be home today? What exactly did she tell the class rep?*

Lingyuan pursed his lips, replaying every possible scenario. At least the class rep’s "punishment" hadn’t happened.

"Help!"

"Shut your trap! Screaming won’t save you tonight."

*What was that?*

The strange exchange caught Lingyuan’s attention. This newly built district had few pedestrians at night. *Robbery?*

Hand hovering over his phone’s emergency call button, he crept toward the sound.

The noise came from a dimly lit alley.

Before he could see clearly, a pink-haired girl darted out and hid behind him.

"Save me, please…"

*What’s happening?*

Lingyuan stood bewildered until seven or eight thugs swaggered into view, making his blood run cold.

"They tried to rob me… and worse… please help…" the girl begged pitifully.

*Holy crap! You’ve got way too much faith in me!*

They outnumbered him badly. Some even carried iron pipes. This was a total stomp.

"Well, look who’s playing hero," sneered the lead thug, cigarette dangling from his lips. He eyed the stranger with contempt.

*Hero? More like free XP for them.*

Lingyuan forced a bitter smile, trying to pull the girl away—but the thugs had already encircled them.

"Wanna fight one-on-one? Or all at once?"

"I… I’ll pay. How much do you want?"

The thugs froze.

"Hah! Smart kid." The leader burst out laughing. "You’re just a broke student, right? Fine. One grand, and we’ll let you both go."

*One… thousand?* His phone balance showed exactly ¥1000…

"Deal." Lingyuan gritted his teeth. "I’ll pay."

"Bold! Haven’t met someone this bold in ages." The thug glared at the girl behind Lingyuan. "Be more like her, and we wouldn’t have wasted so much time!"

With the cash secured, the thugs dispersed. Lingyuan sighed. His freshly received allowance—gone in an instant.

"Thank you." The girl bowed deeply. "Though… I kinda expected you to take on all eight of them."

"Seriously? You overestimate me." Lingyuan deadpanned. Sure, he knew basic grappling—maybe enough for one thug. Eight?

*Total stomp, obviously.*

"Huh? Wait… aren’t you that guy…?" Lingyuan suddenly recognized the pink-haired girl.