Unexpected Gifts and Obsessive Thoughts

In the original narrative, this day was destined to be unremarkable. It was simply the evening after school when Qin Ruoxue and Chen Sishi crossed paths. This encounter, in fact, served as a subtle prelude to the future conflicts within the protagonist’s harem. As for Lin Yiting, she did indeed visit the original male lead’s home, prepared dinner, and then departed.

Lin Ling rubbed his throbbing temples, a growing realization dawning on him that his carefully laid plans were proving largely ineffective. Perhaps giving Chen Sishi that practice book today might slightly diminish her favorability towards him, but beyond that, nothing seemed to have shifted.

A short while later, Lin Yiting appeared, carrying two plates of exquisitely fragrant dishes, which she placed onto the table.

“Alright, the rice still needs a moment. Remember to eat, Xiao Ling. I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.”

A flicker of innate disappointment crossed Lin Ling’s face upon hearing Lin Yiting’s imminent departure. Observing his expression, she let out a helpless sigh, then affectionately ruffled his hair.

“It’s not as if we won’t see each other again, so why the long face? How about I come visit you again in a couple of days when I have some free time?”

“Sis, I’m not a child anymore. Must you comfort me with such a tone?”

Lin Yiting chuckled. Just as she was about to rise and depart, she seemed to recall something, prompting her to rummage through her bag for a moment.

Curious about her search, Lin Ling leaned forward to peer into her bag. Lin Yiting then pulled out a remarkably intricate dagger, which she promptly tossed onto his lap.

The dagger itself was deceptively plain, entirely black and devoid of any ornamentation. Its keen blade was concealed by a matching black sheath, beneath which were ropes designed for discreet attachment to one’s leg.

“Xiao Ling, be careful lately. Someone’s been watching you. When school lets out, try to stick to crowded areas. Take this for self-defense.”

“Huh? Sis, aren’t you perhaps overreacting a little?”

Hearing Lin Ling’s words, Lin Yiting immediately delivered a playful, yet firm, punch to his head, her expression stern.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll just take it back. But don’t come crying to me if something actually happens!”

“Ah, haha, I… I understand, Sis.”

Scratching his head awkwardly, Lin Ling eventually took the dagger. It felt remarkably light in his grasp, leading him to suspect it was designed specifically for a woman.

Its blade, roughly twenty centimeters long, bore faint scratches, clear evidence of prior use. It was likely a tool Lin Yiting had wielded herself.

“Alright, make sure to protect yourself. I’m off.”

“Mm-hmm, goodbye, Sis!”

Lin Yiting nodded once more before departing. Lin Ling, meanwhile, toyed with the weapon in his hand, finding its balance surprisingly agreeable. He then retrieved a sheet of paper and, with a delicate touch, drew the blade across its surface. The resulting cut was remarkably fine, yet it cleaved through the paper with effortless precision.

‘So sharp!’

A thrill of surprise ran through Lin Ling; he hadn’t anticipated such a formidable edge. Clasping it gently, a strange sense of security settled over him. Yet, as he replayed Lin Yiting’s admonition, he racked his brain, utterly bewildered as to who might be observing him.

‘It couldn’t possibly be that girl, Chen Sishi, secretly watching me, could it?’ The thought sent a sudden chill down Lin Ling’s spine. Upon further reflection, it didn’t seem entirely out of the question.

‘But logically, at this point in the timeline, Chen Sishi’s favorability towards me shouldn’t be *that* high, should it? Probably?’

Rubbing his temples, Lin Ling truly felt his head was on the verge of exploding. It was clear that the sheer volume of recent events had caused his mind to short-circuit.

After splashing some water on his face, Lin Ling settled into a chair at the square dining table, which was set for four. The enticing aroma of the cooked dishes wafted to his nose, making his mouth water uncontrollably.

Picking up his chopsticks and taking a bite, Lin Ling’s thoughts drifted back to the original novel’s plotline.

So far, only Qin Ruoxue and Chen Sishi, the two main heroines, had made their appearances. As for the other minor characters, Lin Ling had largely managed to avoid any significant interaction with them.

Given the original protagonist’s restless nature, he was incapable of staying put. He would invariably sneak out after class or on weekends to flirt with girls. Lin Ling, however, had spent the past two days as a complete shut-in, confining himself to his home and classroom. For now, it seemed that avoiding contact with the minor harem characters wouldn’t trigger any significant butterfly effect.

However, the two primary heroines, Qin Ruoxue and Chen Sishi, presented a greater challenge. Both had developed an initial fondness for Lin Ling, making it considerably difficult for him to evade them entirely.

****

Downstairs, by the apartment building, the statuesque Lin Yiting produced a tiny, circular object, several times smaller than her finger. A faint red light pulsed steadily from its center.

Lin Yiting recognized it instantly: a miniature tracking device. She had discovered it on Lin Ling the moment she first saw him, which was precisely why she had cautioned him to be wary.

What puzzled Lin Yiting was why anyone would affix such a device to her younger brother. Surely, he possessed nothing that would incite such covetous attention?

After much deliberation, Lin Yiting simply abandoned her attempts to reason it out. She had, after all, just placed an identical tracker on Lin Ling herself. Now, no matter where he went, she would be able to monitor his movements at any given moment.

Should Lin Ling ever find himself in peril, she would have a means to rescue him. With a decisive stomp, she crushed the discarded tracking device, then glanced furtively left and right.

Satisfied that no one had noticed her, she mounted her motorcycle and sped away.

****

In a villa district within Xinshi, the silver-haired girl pushed open her bedroom door and flopped onto the soft expanse of her large bed.

Cradled in her arms was a crumpled practice book. While Chen Sishi owned stacks of such books, this particular one held immense significance for her; it was the very first gift she had received from Lin Ling.

Though the gift itself seemed somewhat incongruous with a young girl’s romantic fantasies of Lin Ling, the name inscribed upon it confirmed to Chen Sishi that Lin Ling had once used this very practice book.

The mere thought of possessing an item Lin Ling had once used, of imprinting her own mark upon something that had been his, sent a surge of uncontrollable excitement through Chen Sishi.

‘What did this signify? It meant Lin Ling’s possessions were hers. By extension, it meant Lin Ling himself was hers. Lin Ling was about to be branded with her mark!’

“Ah, haha, Lin Ling~ Lin Ling! It’s Lin Ling’s! It’s Lin Ling’s! Ah, haha!”

Chen Sishi’s expression grew increasingly distorted, and the practice book clutched in her arms began to tear under her frenzied grip. Yet, she seemed oblivious, continuing to savagely rip at the pages.

The unfortunate practice book endured a torment far beyond its intended purpose, until its cover finally let out a desolate shriek as the silver-haired girl tore it decisively in two.

As she gazed at the utterly ruined practice book in her hands, the deranged fervor on Chen Sishi’s face abruptly vanished, replaced by a profound sense of shock and overwhelming guilt.

Her eyes vacant, she stared at the shredded remnants of the book, kneeling on the bed as tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.

“What… what have I done?! I’m so sorry, Lin Ling, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to, I truly didn’t mean to! I… I…”

The silver-haired girl’s hands flailed wildly, gathering the tattered fragments of the practice book, desperate to piece it back together. But no matter how Chen Sishi tried to reassemble it, the book remained nothing more than a heap of ruined paper.

Dejected and forlorn, she knelt on the bed, her eyes hollow and her face a mask of terrifying gloom.

“Lin Ling… I miss you so much. Why won’t you just come a little closer to me?”