Chen Sishi’s Alarming Messages and Lin Yiting’s Unexpected Visit

“Ah!” Saying this, Lin Ling sat up abruptly, as if resurrected from the brink of death. He clutched his throbbing head, his eyes darting around the room, still reeling from a lingering fear. The light filtering into the room was perfectly soft, suggesting it was around eight in the morning. He cautiously moved his limbs, only for a searing pain to instantly make him gasp sharply. It was particularly intense in his legs, a sensation akin to something tearing at his muscles from within. This agonizing ache was a feeling Lin Ling hadn’t experienced since graduating from school. He vividly recalled the last time he’d suffered such a severe muscle strain—it had been after a physical education exam, and he’d almost been unable to get out of bed the next day. This time, however, the situation felt slightly better, perhaps due to the superior physical constitution of this new body compared to his old one. As he shook his slightly numb arms, Lin Ling instinctively reached for his phone. The time read 8:30 AM, and it was Saturday. However, the messages displayed below instantly sent a chill straight to his core, startling him. Scrolling down, he found a relentless stream of messages, all from Chen Sishi. [Chen Sishi: Lin Ling?] [Chen Sishi: Lin Ling, where are you?] [Chen Sishi: Lin Ling?] [Chen Sishi: Hello? Where did you go?] [Chen Sishi: Did… did I do something to make you hate me?] [Chen Sishi: Speak to me?] The screen was filled with these dense messages from Chen Sishi, along with dozens of missed voice calls. A cold sweat broke out on Lin Ling’s palms as he mechanically scrolled through the screen. The time Chen Sishi had sent these messages perfectly coincided with when Lin Ling’s phone had lost signal. “Hiss~ What’s going on?” Lin Ling drew in another sharp breath. ‘This frequency of messages, it’s not something a normal person would send, is it?’ he thought. Yet, a closer consideration suggested otherwise. In this timeline, he hadn’t confessed to Chen Sishi, so she shouldn’t be showing symptoms of her ‘illness’ yet. He reviewed Chen Sishi’s messages again, and apart from the sheer volume, she seemed relatively normal. At the very least, her messages weren’t interspersed with bizarre phrases like, “I’ll drag you back…”, “Imprisonment…”, or “I love you…”. Mostly, she was asking what was wrong with Lin Ling, or if he had encountered any trouble. From this perspective, Chen Sishi might indeed be starting to exhibit her symptoms, though they weren’t overtly obvious, at least not in Lin Ling’s presence. Rubbing his temples, Lin Ling’s hand trembled slightly as it hovered over the screen. Finally, he typed out a line, checked it repeatedly, and then sent it to Chen Sishi. –Ah haha, my phone was off yesterday, I didn’t see your messages. It was as if she had been glued to her phone, waiting for his reply. No sooner had Lin Ling sent his message than he received a response. –Oh, Lin Ling, you don’t hate me, do you? His typing hand paused. How was he supposed to answer this? If he said he didn’t hate her, it would undoubtedly increase her affection. But if he said he did, given the ‘yandere’ tendencies Chen Sishi had displayed in the original novel, she would surely say something like: ‘Ah haha, so Lin Ling hates me, Lin Ling hates me. Then if I gouge out Lin Ling’s eyes, he won’t be able to see me, and then he won’t hate me anymore, right?’ The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine. Yet, if he didn’t reply, Chen Sishi would likely conjure even more terrifying scenarios. ‘Damn it, why did my cursed hand reply to her!’ At that moment, Lin Ling truly wished he could chop off his own hand. If he had just left Chen Sishi hanging, and then if she asked him at school, he could have simply claimed he was busy helping his sister and didn’t have time to check his phone. After a long hesitation, Lin Ling sighed. ‘Fine, so what if her affection grows? Before I completely cut ties with Chen Sishi tomorrow, she probably won’t do anything too outrageous.’ It was then that an idea struck Lin Ling. He deleted the message he had typed, wrote a new one, and sent it. –Why do you ask? –Ah, it’s nothing, nothing. I just wanted to know what kind of impression I leave on others. –I have to go do some work now. Talk later, bye. Closing his phone, Lin Ling chuckled to himself, thinking: ‘I’m a genius! I’ve finally dodged a bullet.’ Patting his chest, Lin Ling was about to get out of bed when the bedroom door suddenly opened. “Oh, you’re awake?” “Eh? Sister?” Lin Ling was still somewhat bewildered as to why Lin Yiting was there. From his memory of last night, Lin Yiting was supposed to have left, wasn’t she? “What? Are you surprised to see me?” Lin Yiting let out a soft laugh, setting down the plate she was carrying. Lin Ling glanced at the plate; it held freshly prepared food, its delicate aroma stimulating his taste buds. “No, no, it’s just… I thought you left, Sister?” Hearing this, Lin Yiting affectionately flicked Lin Ling’s nose, causing a faint blush to spread across his face. “Hehe, little Ling is truly adorable.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lin Yiting scrutinized Lin Ling’s physique with interest, then clicked her tongue twice. Lin Ling felt a prickle of unease under her gaze and quickly grabbed the blanket, pulling it tightly around himself. “Wh-what are you looking at! I’m not cute at all!” “Ahem, alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.” With a light cough, Lin Yiting ruffled Lin Ling’s stray hair and then said, “I saw you in such a state yesterday, so I didn’t leave. Did you have a nightmare? I think I heard you cry out last night.” Hearing her words, Lin Ling lowered his head in shame. This was utterly mortifying. To think, he had been scared half to death by some inexplicable thing in the middle of the night, and then begged a girl to stay with him. Even if that girl was his own sister, it felt incredibly spineless, completely devoid of any masculine dignity. “Uh… that… thank you, Sister.” “Thank me for what?” Lin Yiting tilted her head, looking at Lin Ling with a hint of confusion. “Ah haha, it’s nothing, nothing.” Touching Lin Ling’s nose again, Lin Yiting pointed to the food nearby. “Alright, alright, let’s eat first. Later, I’ll take you out for a walk to clear your head.” Upon hearing Lin Yiting’s suggestion, Lin Ling opened his mouth but found himself unable to speak, so he simply nodded obediently. Lin Ling knew his mental state had been poor recently, or rather, ever since he had transmigrated. He had actually considered going out for a stroll to clear his mind. However, today was the day he was supposed to encounter one of the supporting female love interests. If he went out, wouldn’t he run right into her? “What are you thinking about?” “Um… Sister, could I perhaps go out tomorrow instead?” “Tomorrow?” After a moment, Lin Yiting sighed and shook her head. “Sister has plans tomorrow. Do you have something to do today?” Now this was problematic. Lin Yiting wouldn’t be free tomorrow. Lin Ling pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and agreed. “No, no, then let’s go out in a bit.” ‘After all, it’s just a minor supporting character. As long as the female lead isn’t around, the plotline shouldn’t be triggered,’ he thought. Just as he was thinking this, Lin Yiting’s voice suddenly chimed in. “Hey, I’m going to a women’s clothing store in a bit. Little Ling, would you like a set too?” “Eh?” Lin Ling’s expression was one of utter bewilderment. (Stunned emoji)