Observing Jiang Qianhe’s agile form as she flipped back into her own room, Chu Xin couldn’t help but sigh. ‘This girl truly hasn’t changed a bit,’ he thought.
After securing the window and drawing the curtains, Chu Xin settled back onto his bed.
He had been completely unaware of the Kendo Club’s advisor change until now.
Was Jiang Qianhe’s peculiar behavior that afternoon genuinely due to his impending departure from the club, which would lead to its early dissolution?
He simply didn’t know. The logic in Jiang Qianhe’s explanation had been impeccable, leaving him no room to detect any underlying motives.
He could only accept it as the truth.
Chu Xin lived by the creed that every situation would eventually resolve itself, and a solution would always emerge.
This conclusion, at least, offered a definitive explanation for Jiang Qianhe’s strange behavior.
‘Though I wasn’t particularly wary of her to begin with,’ he mused.
It was precisely because of this that he had deliberately chosen to distance himself when confronted with the “no escaping being cuckolded” outcome of the original gal game simulator.
Ironically, this led him to first become “good brothers” with that person – the ‘blond guy’ from the original story – and then, eventually, “lovers.”
There was no longer any need to trust the gal game simulator’s predictions. The plot had undoubtedly diverged from its original course.
No, perhaps it was more accurate to say that this was inherently a complete world, brimming with countless variables.
This included [Task 2], as well as the mysterious, unnamed task that had already registered as completed.
If even a supernatural phenomenon like a ‘cheat’ was subject to so many variables, then the world itself must surely be even more unpredictable.
Sometimes, Chu Xin wished his ‘cheat’ software, which was fundamentally similar to a ‘system,’ possessed a stat allocation feature. This would grant him a clearer, more tangible understanding of his current circumstances.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Chu Xin felt a flicker of anticipation for these ‘variables’ to emerge. Yet, he knew that no matter what changes came, his relationship with her would remain constant.
It was a bond he had chosen for himself.
All he needed to do was live out their days as a couple and navigate his own life peacefully.
However… Jiang Qianhe’s words and actions just now had been incredibly bold. If she hadn’t suddenly regained her senses later, who knew what might have transpired?
Fortunately, she had claimed it was all a joke afterwards. He truly couldn’t fathom the thoughts of girls like her; her personality deviated wildly from the one depicted in the original gal game simulator.
‘It seems I’ll need to be a bit more guarded in the future,’ he thought.
Yet, the mere recollection of Jiang Qianhe’s recent actions, and how his small, thin blanket had momentarily encompassed both of them, made Chu Xin’s face flush crimson.
‘Good heavens… what am I even thinking?’ he chastised himself. ‘I already have such a lovely, beautiful girlfriend!’
With this self-reprimanding thought, Chu Xin drifted back into slumber.
****
While Chu Xin might have been lost in such thoughts, others certainly weren’t.
Take Jiang Qianhe, for instance, who had just retreated to her own room. She was currently peering through a slit in her curtains, using the moonlight to secretly observe Chu Xin’s every move.
Yet, upon seeing that Chu Xin had simply closed his window and drawn his curtains after she left, making no further movements, a wave of petulance washed over her.
‘Damn it all… Am I truly so utterly uncharming in your eyes, Chu Xin?’ she fumed.
Her midnight raid had been meticulously planned long in advance. However, it seemed her mind had been a little muddled that afternoon, or perhaps, after several days without attempting such a feat, she had subconsciously believed Chu Xin would have lowered his guard.
Consequently, she had forgotten that Chu Xin always secured his doors and windows before going to sleep.
‘Honestly, who forced Little Xin to become so cautious?’
Yet, this unexpected turn of events had allowed her a considerable amount of alone time with Chu Xin.
Moreover, she had witnessed Chu Xin’s heart waver, if only for a moment, because of her.
This only strengthened her resolve regarding Chu Xin. She would, in time, breach Ji Yue Xuan’s steadfast defenses and reclaim Chu Xin’s heart for herself.
‘I wonder, though… what kind of reaction will you have then, you who pride yourself on being Chu Xin’s “good brother”?’
‘Heh, today was quite satisfying,’ she mused. ‘I re-explained my state, ensuring Little Xin’s suspicions wouldn’t solely fixate on my “personal reasons.”
‘And… I even bravely spoke such provocative words to Little Xin…’
‘Hee.’
‘When a tsundere stops being tsundere, their impact is considerable, wouldn’t you agree, Little Xin~’
While it diverged significantly from her initial objective, she considered it a satisfactory collection of ‘interest.’
Her initial, unwavering goal had been to ‘seize’ Chu Xin.
While ‘seize’ might not be the most precise term, in this context, it was perfectly apt.
Her objective was far from the typical anime trope: a tsundere childhood friend arriving in the dead of night to apologize for daytime impudence, confessing their feelings, and even ‘offering benefits.’
No, her original intent had been to directly incapacitate Chu Xin and spirit him away to her own residence.
‘Once he’s there, what does it matter how I ‘torment’ him♡?’
Furthermore, she could leverage the student council during the day to fabricate ‘scandals’ involving them both. It didn’t matter if others believed them; as long as Ji Yue Xuan reacted, that would be enough~
Once a person possessed something they cherished, desire would inevitably follow, and with desire came weakness.
She could exploit this vulnerability in Ji Yue Xuan to incrementally, but endlessly, drive a wedge between Chu Xin and her.
To this end, fearing she couldn’t directly overcome Chu Xin, she had even prepared a handkerchief, dabbed with a potent sedative designed to lull anyone into a peaceful sleep.
‘As long as I quietly open his window and gently place the handkerchief over a deeply sleeping Chu Xin, I can claim him as my own,’ she had thought.
Unfortunately, she had miscalculated. She had nearly failed at the very first step, barely even making it into Chu Xin’s room.
For ease of movement, she had dressed in a midriff-baring crop top and blue hot pants.
This outfit not only visually enhanced her 1.58-meter height but also expertly highlighted her figure’s assets.
But… on a second-floor balcony in a coastal city like Tianhai, in the dead of night, she shivered uncontrollably from the cold, unable to gain entry.
Left with no other option, she tucked the handkerchief into her shorts pocket and exerted all her effort to rouse Chu Xin.
Thankfully, she had eventually managed to wake him. Though the process had been convoluted, it was a success. Otherwise, all her effort – setting an alarm and rising in the dead of night to preserve her energy – would have been utterly wasted.
In truth, during her conversation with Chu Xin, and even while evading Su Jin, she had still found opportunities to act.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a strange reluctance in her heart prevented her from making a move.
The ‘light’ she desired was one that would shine upon her due to her own radiance, accompanying her throughout her life, not one she had to forcibly seize.
Moreover, Chu Xin’s actions and words had ultimately erased any lingering thoughts she had of resorting to such measures.
‘Indeed… compared to Little Xin, I’m the truly hopeless fool~’
‘I’ll just have to try even harder in the future,’ she resolved. ‘Still, hearing Chu Xin’s words, I feel satisfied for today.’
With that thought, she casually tossed the handkerchief from her hot pants into the trash bin and drifted off to sleep, a sense of contentment settling over her.
****
The night passed uneventfully.
Awakened by his alarm clock, Chu Xin yawned. It was half-past six. As he drew back the curtains, the calls of birds and the morning sunlight simultaneously enveloped his senses.
His mind, still groggy from Jiang Qianhe’s unexpected visit late last night, began to clear.
Normally, he wouldn’t rise so early. However, today he not only had to walk to school with Ji Yue Xuan but also prepare lunchboxes for both of them.
After a quick wash and tidy, Chu Xin prepared to tackle the ‘task’ his girlfriend had assigned him.
It also served as his apology for making her angry.
He wasn’t skilled at making elaborate, heart-shaped bento boxes. Instead, he filled a thermal lunchbox with rice, fried chicken pieces, stir-fried broccoli, and pan-fried pork cutlets, creating a luxurious meal.
He simply needed to repeat this process.
After preparing two servings, he found he had much more time than anticipated. So, he made an identical lunchbox for Su Jin and also prepared breakfast for all three.
These lunchboxes also saved Su Jin the trouble of reheating her meal at noon.
After finishing all three, his mind still felt a bit fatigued, so he took a shower. After drying his hair, he changed into his Mariya Academy uniform.
This had once been his daily routine.
With everything in order, Chu Xin checked the time; it was almost eight o’clock. To be safe, he still needed to allow more time.
Of course, preparing the lunchboxes had taken up the bulk of it.
After hastily devouring his breakfast, he messaged Ji Yue Xuan: [Good morning, I’m heading to your place now.]
A reply came swiftly: [Okay~]
Seeing her response, he went to knock on Su Jin’s door. “Little Jin, I’ve made the lunchboxes. Breakfast is with the lunchboxes, both are on the table. If you’re going to school, take them with you. If not, eat them at home for lunch. I’m leaving for school now. Call me if you have any questions.”
What answered him wasn’t the ‘hmph’ of a girl unwilling to wake up, but rather the sound of the door being pushed open.
Soon, Su Jin, clad in a nightgown and slippers, appeared before Chu Xin.
She simply stared at him, her expression blank.
She wanted to greet him, but her thoughts were consumed by the girl’s voice she had heard from Chu Xin’s room last night.
Chu Xin was a little surprised by her appearance. “Little Jin, are you going to school today?”
Su Jin shook her head, her gaze still fixed intently on him.
Chu Xin, unsure what to say, finally offered, “Alright then. If you’re sleepy, go back to bed for a bit. There’s breakfast and a bento on the table; remember to eat them.”
Seeing Chu Xin about to leave, Su Jin quietly took a deep breath and asked, “You… what was that girl’s voice in your room last night…?”