Lin An had vaguely sensed that Su Yuejin’s personality leaned slightly toward madness and chaos. Now, it seemed he’d been right.

He’d sensed early on that Su Yuejin’s love might last a little longer than usual. But it had lasted far longer than he’d imagined.

In a way, that wasn’t a good thing.

Just as he’d predicted, Su Yuejin’s mental state would occasionally sink so low that she couldn’t control herself. Only a little self-harm could ease it.

Actually, her condition wasn’t that serious. It had become part of her personality and couldn’t be cured, but at least she could gradually become calmer and more peaceful.

At first, Lin An hadn’t wanted to step into this whirlpool.

Because right now, he could still pull away with ease.

If he hadn’t come tonight, Su Yuejin might not have sought him out again tomorrow. It was truly that real, that strange an emotion.

She was an adventurer, but she was terrible at handling relationships. She was crazy yet sincere, absolutely devoted yet so chaotic that she couldn’t control herself.

But whenever she experienced loneliness again and realized that nothing had changed, her love would sink into despair.

Most of the time, though, when she was gentle, she was still bright and adorable. She was still someone people wanted to cherish.

Lin An looked at her sleeping profile as moonlight spilled in through the window.

Xu Qinghuan hadn’t messaged him to ask anything. That meant she’d silently accepted it. She’d accepted whatever happened.

Lin An was a little tired, too.

Beside his ear, he could still hear the long stream of murmured rambling Su Yuejin had poured out earlier. He’d listened to every word and remembered it clearly.

So he let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep.

The night passed in silence.

…………………………

The next morning, when Lin An woke up, Su Yuejin had probably been awake for a while. She was still nestled in his arms, unwilling to pull away.

She seemed to be counting his eyelashes. He had no idea how many she’d reached.

“You’re awake.” The girl’s voice was sweet.

“Yeah… I’m a little tired.” Lin An released the arm around her and looked at her gentle, beautiful face.

His tone held a trace of helplessness, but Su Yuejin only smiled brightly, like a little fox.

“All right. Then it’s time to get up.”

“No.” Su Yuejin wasn’t being obedient at all. She rolled over and pinned him beneath her. “I want some morning fun, too.”

“Not happening.”

“I’m not listening to you.” She hummed twice as she said it.

But when she met Lin An’s serious gaze, a hint of grievance appeared on her face. She obediently rolled off him and onto the bed.

“Fine, fine… Then next time!”

Lin An climbed out of bed.

He didn’t bring up Su Yuejin’s condition from the night before. There was no need. At least for now, she was fine and seemed normal.

Mentioning it would only make her sad.

“What were you doing with Luo Shuishui last night?” she asked.

“I went to accompany her while she practiced singing. I had a bad feeling about it.” Lin An muttered as he got dressed. “I owe her a favor, so I might become her personal errand boy next.”

Then he stood up and opened Su Yuejin’s wardrobe.

“So, Miss Su Yuejin, what do you want to wear today?”

“You dress me. I don’t have any strength left.”

“You didn’t seem short on strength last night.”

Lin An opened the wardrobe and casually picked out a pink JK uniform. He tossed it to her, along with some underwear.

Su Yuejin said she wanted to take a shower first, then ran into the bathroom.

She was feeling a little uncomfortable, after all.

Lin An watched her helplessly. Since all the curtains in her apartment were drawn, he first boiled a kettle of water.

Then he went downstairs to the pharmacy nearby and bought some emergency contraceptive pills.

When he returned, Su Yuejin was calling his name.

Lin An opened the bathroom door. He also poured a cup of warm water and brought it over to her.

“I thought you’d left.” Su Yuejin looked into his eyes.

“Of course not. Take your shower first. I’ll wait for you.”

He went back out.

Su Yuejin soon came out again, this time fully dressed. She wore pink slippers.

Lin An handed her the cup of water and the pill.

“Will it taste bitter?” she asked.

“…How would I know? I’ve never taken one.” Lin An’s mouth twitched slightly.

Su Yuejin stared at the little pill, then looked into his eyes.

“Can I not take it?”

“If you don’t, you might end up pregnant.”

“Then if I have a baby, will you love me?”

“…Are you stupid?”

Lin An could see the madness and faint trace of reckless adventure in her eyes. He cursed under his breath.

Su Yuejin looked a little wronged, but this time, she obediently took the pill. Then she sat down beside him.

She always carried a pleasant fragrance.

The pink hem of her skirt spread over her slender, pale legs. She murmured softly, “Did I scare you last night?”

“Ah… Not really. But try a different way to relieve stress next time.” Lin An stared seriously at her face. “Don’t play with knives. Do you understand?”

His voice was firm. It sounded less like a suggestion and more like an order.

Su Yuejin nodded obediently, then wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I think… playing with you is a great way to relieve stress.”

“…Then how do you think people develop sex addictions? Most of them are lonely for too long, so their desires get redirected into physical urges.” Lin An clicked his tongue. “Can’t you buy a couple of toys and handle it yourself?”

“Don’t want to.”

“If you want to buy some for me to play with you…” Su Yuejin murmured again. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind.”

Lin An rolled his eyes and lightly tapped her forehead.

Then he asked, “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Are you going to cook for me?”

“I was planning to order delivery.”

“Then porridge. I’ll order it.”

Su Yuejin picked up her phone and placed the order.

Then she leaned against Lin An, as though simply being beside him was enough to satisfy her. Her mood seemed excellent, even a little excited.

“Why don’t we skip gaming today? Let’s go out and have fun, okay?”

Her eyes were full of anticipation.

“No. I’m going home.”

“Is there really no room for negotiation?”

Su Yuejin hugged his arm again and began to sway it gently. Her expression was coquettish and aggrieved.

Unfortunately, Lin An wasn’t falling for it.

“No.”

“You’re such a jerk,” she muttered.

Lin An simply reached out and kneaded her cheeks, shaping them into all kinds of funny, adorable forms.

Su Yuejin stayed obedient and didn’t push his hand away.

After a while, she turned on the television. Then she nestled into Lin An’s arms and watched it with him.

When the delivery arrived, she went to get it.

The two of them ate breakfast together at home.

Su Yuejin pulled out a tissue and wiped the corner of his mouth. Lin An looked at her face as she leaned close.

Her eyes were bright, clear, and sincere. When she was serious, she was especially captivating.

But Lin An sighed faintly inside.

“I’m leaving now, Su Yuejin.”

“Don’t… Stay with me a little longer, okay?”

“No. I have a date today.”

He stood up and picked up the empty delivery containers. Then he looked back and smiled at Su Yuejin.

“A date…?” Her pink lips moved slightly. She asked the question blankly.

“With someone I like,” he added.

Then he watched the light in her eyes slowly dim and go out.

“You can go.”

Su Yuejin’s lashes lowered slightly, making it impossible to see what she was thinking.

Lin An only told her to get some good rest.

But when he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something and added, “So, are we still gaming later? I won’t be heading out until this afternoon.”

“We are!”

Su Yuejin hurriedly raised her arm and lifted her face.

Lin An chuckled softly, then stepped outside and gently closed the door.

…………………………

Downstairs, the world after the rain was clean and clear.

Yet Lin An wore a troubled expression.

He was trying to repair the damage after the fact.

He didn’t want to become the person Su Yuejin depended on for her entire life. He felt that his efforts were meaningless.

A girl like Su Yuejin could love someone fiercely and for a long time. But she didn’t understand love at all.

She was simply too lonely.

So lonely that desire had filled her heart to the brim.

That was why he’d chosen to leave that morning. He’d rather stay home and play a few rounds of games. He’d rather remind her once again that he had someone he liked.

He’d remind her that things had progressed between them.

He wanted her heart to slowly sink.

It was awful, interfering in someone else’s life.

What kind of superiority did a person need to think they had the right to do that?

Perhaps Su Yuejin didn’t need his kindness. Perhaps she didn’t need saving.

Perhaps loneliness really had filled her with desire. Perhaps smoking, drinking, and becoming a social butterfly were ways for her to escape loneliness and solitude.

Why should he interfere with her choices?

Lin An sighed softly.

He felt uneasy. Or perhaps he was simply lost.

Although Su Yuejin’s condition had improved considerably, people never truly knew what they needed.

They mistook the happiness that came after empty desires were satisfied for genuine happiness.

Though perhaps that was happiness, too.

Right or wrong had always come from within oneself, not from other people’s judgments.

This world was chaotic and twisted.

No one could remain completely untouched by it.

At ten in the morning, Lin An arrived home.

The curtains had been pulled open. After the rain, the sky had cleared, and the sunlight was bright and abundant.

The room was filled with the scent of sunlight.

Lin An called out Xu Qinghuan’s name in a daze.

There was no response.

For some reason, his heart felt strangely hollow.

But as he slowly reached the doorway, the door to Xu Qinghuan’s room opened.

Xu Qinghuan stood there in a loose camisole dress, gently rubbing her eyes. She looked as though she still hadn’t fully woken up.

“Little brother’s home.” She smiled at Lin An.

“Last night… I did something, and I don’t know if I should have.” Lin An’s voice held a trace of confusion.

Xu Qinghuan lightly rose onto her toes and reached out with her small, fair hand. Then she cupped his face.

“All right, all right. Put away that confused, uneasy look first.” She smiled. “If there’s something you don’t understand, we can talk about it together.”

“I don’t understand much either, but two people are still better than one, right?”

Lin An looked into her gentle eyes.

Light spilled over him, as if he might melt beneath it.

“Yeah.” He nodded.