A Simulated Romance for Jealousy

“And this,” Yu Lian declared, her eyes sparkling with excitement, “is the turning point for you to win over the Second Miss. Have you understood?”

Yixiya nodded blankly. Yu Lian’s method sounded suspiciously like the ‘hunger marketing’ tactics used by street vendors to attract customers. It was designed to make people crave what they couldn’t immediately have, prompting them to wake early and scramble, even fight, for purchases, ultimately achieving excellent sales results.

Now, it was simply a change of target, a shift in perspective. Upon careful consideration, it truly seemed viable. Yixiya stroked her chin, her eyes gleaming. It was undeniably true that an outsider often saw things more clearly; the method was so simple, yet her mind had been so clouded she hadn’t thought of it herself.

“I understand, I do, but… you want me to stop doting on Ya’er? I doubt I can do it. After all, fawning over her has become my daily habit. To suddenly change is genuinely difficult.”

If Bai Muya were to appear before her, Yixiya would undoubtedly obediently rush over, circling her and chattering incessantly.

Yu Lian hadn’t intended for this to be the sole solution. Beyond simply playing matchmaker, she harbored another objective: correcting that yandere personality. After all, a yandere was truly too dangerous, in every conceivable sense.

‘If the yandere trait is gone, the dark energy will disappear too, right?’

Yu Lian thought to herself.

That dark, human-like face was utterly terrifying; she never wanted to see it again.

“Yixiya, do you trust me?”

Hearing Yu Lian’s sudden question, Yixiya was momentarily stunned before slowly nodding. “Even though you’re my love rival, you’ve earned my trust, so yes, I trust you.”

“Very well. From now on, let’s pretend to be in a relationship.”

“…Huh? What did you say? I didn’t quite catch that.”

“I said, let’s pretend to be in a relationship…”

“?”

Yixiya suppressed the urge to hit someone, forcing a strained smile. “Yu Lian, do you know what you’re saying? This joke isn’t funny or amusing, really. Apologize now, and I can overlook your slip of the tongue.”

‘Could Yu Lian actually have feelings for me? Is she using the excuse of helping me pursue Ya’er to hide her ulterior motives?’

Yu Lian was going all out to conquer the yandere and save her own skin. She bravely explained to Yixiya, “Yixiya, we’re just simulating a relationship, not actually dating. Listen to me, don’t get angry yet. Aren’t you trying to care less about the Second Miss? This method can effectively distract you, shifting your focus away from her…”

“And what’s more, a simulated relationship has an enormous benefit: it can make the Second Miss jealous! Think about it, you come looking for me every day, not for her, but to ‘feed’ me. How would the Second Miss feel then? She’d definitely be angry and jealous, believing something that belongs to her has been snatched away.”

“That’s the Second Miss’s jealousy, and it would be because of you! Just thinking about it is so thrilling… no, it’s very exciting and happy.”

Yixiya hadn’t truly listened to the first half of the explanation, but the last part resonated deeply. Ya’er jealous for her, for Yixiya, not for Yu Lian. Her heart pounded. She was completely won over.

“Alright, I agree. However, our ‘relationship’ will just be simple ‘feeding,’ with no other inappropriate actions, right?”

“None, none at all! I’m doing this for your benefit, and I won’t take advantage of you. Of course, I’ll also gain something: freedom from the Second Miss’s cage. I’m truly looking forward to you two getting together smoothly.”

Speaking only of giving without mentioning receiving easily aroused suspicion. Yu Lian chose a plausible reason to gloss over it. She certainly wouldn’t admit she was afraid of dying, afraid of dying at the hands of a yandere.

“I really don’t understand you. I could take you away right now, but you insist on waiting. You won’t get such a good opportunity next time.”

“Ah, I have my own plans.”

Yu Lian actually suspected that the Second Miss had spies placed outside the Bai Residence. If she dared to leave with Yixiya, she would quickly be recaptured, unable to travel even two miles.

After all, Yixiya had visited once, and Lingyi must have told the Second Miss about it. It would be strange if she hadn’t taken precautions.

Mad as she was, the Second Miss’s thoughts were not as simple as they appeared on the surface; Yu Lian understood that perfectly.

****

“Miss Yu, we’ve brought your lunch. May we enter now?” A maid serving the meal respectfully asked from outside the door.

Was it already noon?

Yu Lian glanced out the window; time had flown by so quickly. It felt like she hadn’t done anything yet. She looked at Yixiya with an inquiring gaze, and Yixiya glared back, annoyed.

“Why are you looking at me? That’s your lunch, and those are your maids, not mine.”

“Isn’t it just a courtesy? What if you thought I made a decision abruptly without consulting you?”

“Oh?”

Yixiya raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected Yu Lian to be so thoughtful. Her words made her feel quite pleased.

“Then let them in.”

Granted permission, the maids entered in a file, arranging the dishes, bowls, and chopsticks. One of them seemed to be secretly observing Yixiya, then turned to Yu Lian, her eyes filled with confusion.

‘Strange. I heard some commotion outside the door earlier, which is why I rushed up with lunch, hoping to check on Miss Yu. But now that I see them, Miss Yu and Miss Yixiya are both fine. There’s no sign of any struggle.’

The maids retreated.

Once outside the door.

“You said Miss Yu was being bullied, and this is the situation? I saw them getting along perfectly well. I checked Miss Yu’s hands, neck, and face; they were all fine.”

“Exactly! You made me worry about Miss Yu, rushing to call the sisters to serve lunch. Now I just hope Miss Yu doesn’t overthink it and report us to the Second Miss.”

Listening to her sisters’ complaints and seeing their resentful stares, the maid responsible for monitoring the room’s movements burst into tears. She had clearly heard something, and she wasn’t lying.

“I didn’t lie to you! I vaguely heard Miss Yixiya calling the Second Miss’s name in the room. They were probably role-playing…”

“Oh, please, ‘role-playing’! Who here doesn’t know that Miss Yixiya is solely devoted to the Second Miss? Alright, alright, let’s drop this. And don’t you dare tell the Second Miss about this, or you’ll be in for a world of trouble.”

The people inside the room, however, were oblivious to the happenings outside.

Yu Lian picked up her chopsticks and surveyed the dishes on the table. There was a mix of meat and vegetables, with vegetables making up the majority, which suited her taste perfectly. It seemed the Second Miss had been thoughtful before leaving.

“Huh, why is there no seafood in the lunch? You live here and just eat these things?” Yixiya exclaimed in surprise, scanning the plates.

“Yes, that’s right, I just eat these things. But it’s not because the Second Miss treats me poorly; it’s what I requested. I’m allergic to seafood and can’t eat it.”

“Tsk, you’re allergic to seafood too?”

Yixiya was at a loss for words.

“It’s just my constitution; I can’t help it. Let’s not talk about that. Here, take these chopsticks.”

“Why would I need chopsticks?”

‘It’s not like I’m eating…’

Yixiya was confused.