A Riverside Stroll and Lingering Fears

On the bustling street, two seemingly slender girls were holding onto a devilishly handsome young man. Everywhere they passed, they drew the curious gazes of passersby.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Just fifteen minutes prior, Lin Yi had believed he’d run far enough and had decided to hide in an alley for a short rest. However, as he felt sufficiently recovered, he looked up only to find the two girls standing right before him.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Lin Yi hadn’t anticipated that the two would join forces to capture him. Sensing trouble, Lin Yi immediately tried to slip away. But Qin Ruoxue was incredibly swift, and the two girls quickly cornered him.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}The inevitable outcome was that Lin Yi had his joints restrained by them and was led along as if he were a criminal under arrest.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}After crossing the zebra-striped pedestrian crossing, they escorted Lin Yi to a bus stop. This was the route Chen Sishi usually took home. Uncertain of their intentions, Lin Yi obediently settled onto a nearby bench.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Horrific scenes flashed through his mind. Lin Yi felt that his chances of escaping this predicament unharmed were slim.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Chen Sishi leaned down and sat beside Lin Yi, her affection for him almost palpable. Contrary to Lin Yi’s expectations, Chen Sishi simply sat calmly next to him, showing no signs of wanting to drag him to some desolate wilderness.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Chen Sishi, why did you bring me here?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}After pondering for a moment, Lin Yi decided to ask.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Chen Sishi merely offered a faint smile, resting her head gently on Lin Yi’s shoulder.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”I just find waiting for the bus alone quite boring. I wanted Lin Yi to keep me company.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Lin Yi couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. As long as Chen Sishi didn’t ‘flare up’ at him, he was fine. As for Qin Ruoxue, Lin Yi wasn’t particularly worried.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}After all, it wasn’t yet the critical point for her ‘condition’ to manifest. Even if her current actions hinted at yandere tendencies, she wouldn’t fully transform into one instantly.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}After waiting for about ten minutes, a crowded bus slowly pulled up to the stop. Through the windows, a dense mass of people was dimly visible inside.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}The moment both doors hissed open, a tide of people poured out, instantly alleviating the bus’s congestion. Perhaps the trio’s playful antics had caused them to miss the peak hour, as now only a sparse student and an elderly person remained at the platform.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}With a brief word to Lin Yi, Chen Sishi stepped lightly onto the bus, then turned and waved to him.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”I’m heading back!”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Lin Yi stood up and nodded back at her. As he watched the bus slowly pull away, Lin Yi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Given Chen Sishi’s family background, it was likely she had never experienced such a crowded bus before. To imagine a young lady, accustomed to being chauffeured since childhood, suddenly blending in with ordinary people and riding a packed bus, must have been quite a challenge for her.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}****{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Once the bus had completely vanished from sight, Lin Yi shifted his attention to Qin Ruoxue.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Alright, tell me. What do you want? You can’t possibly be here just to wait for the bus with Chen Sishi too, can you?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Qin Ruoxue lightly tapped Lin Yi’s head, then haughtily tilted her own.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Of course not! Come on, Lin Yi. You’re not planning on standing here all night, are you?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Oh, right. Coming.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}A beat behind, Lin Yi turned and quickly fell into step with Qin Ruoxue.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Upon reaching the intersection where their paths diverged, Qin Ruoxue paused, turning her head to look at Lin Yi.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Lin Yi was puzzled. He couldn’t discern Qin Ruoxue’s intentions. Fearing she might also act out intensely, Lin Yi dared not make any sudden moves.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Observing his reaction, Qin Ruoxue offered a helpless smile.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Fancy a walk? I think the weather’s quite pleasant today.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Aren’t you going home?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Home?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}She cocked her head, glanced towards the end of the road, then shrugged indifferently.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”I’ve already told my family I’ll be back a little later tonight. So, how about it? Want to go for a walk by the river?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”The river?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}To Lin Yi’s knowledge, there was no river nearby. He was still trying to recall if the original novel had mentioned any, when he suddenly felt a small, delicate hand slip into his palm.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Come on, I’ll lead the way.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}With that, Qin Ruoxue hailed a taxi, pulling Lin Yi along. About fifteen minutes later, the taxi stopped on a somewhat desolate street.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}The street wasn’t very busy, and only a few scattered streetlights illuminated the area. It ran alongside a wide river, with a low dam lining one side of the road.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Below the dam stretched a sandy beach, carved out by the river’s flow. On the opposite bank, lights twinkled like stars, likely from the buildings and streetlights across the water.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Using these distant lights, Lin Yi could roughly gauge the river’s width. The sight of it, however, brought back chilling memories from before his transmigration: the bus he was on had plunged into a large river.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}A wave of panic washed over him. Gazing at the wide expanse of the river, he instinctively took a step back.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Lin Yi, are you afraid of water?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Qin Ruoxue naturally noticed Lin Yi’s reaction. She even caught the profound fear lurking in his eyes.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”No, no, not at all. I just think it’s a bit too quiet here.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Is that so…”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Qin Ruoxue rested her chin in her hand, asking no further questions. She led Lin Yi to the riverbank. The sandy ground here was quite dry, likely due to the low water season, as the riverbed had been parched for a considerable time.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}The brown-haired girl walked ahead, the scattered lamplight casting a gentle glow upon her beautiful face. After wandering aimlessly for a bit, she realized Lin Yi hadn’t followed, and turned back to look for his familiar figure.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}When she saw Lin Yi still lagging behind, Qin Ruoxue slowly walked back, and smiled at him.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”What do you think? This place isn’t bad, is it?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Lin Yi looked around. It was mostly sandy terrain. In some spots, shrubs grew, and the gentle murmur of the river could be heard nearby.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}The reflections in the water, along with the nearby streetlights, illuminated the golden sand. A cool breeze brushed against his face, like a tiny, icy hand playfully caressing his skin.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”It feels quite nice.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Right? I come here often.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}They walked side by side, as a few scattered cars sped past on the road, stirring up gusts of wind.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”So, why did you bring me here? I still need to go home for dinner.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Lin Yi didn’t want to engage in much conversation with Qin Ruoxue. Lin Yiting was waiting at home. If he returned late, he’d likely be subjected to another lecture from her.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}As they walked, Qin Ruoxue subtly observed Lin Yi’s expression. The surrounding light was too dim for her to clearly see his face. Yet, she could tell from his tone that he was now quite relaxed.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”It’s about Chen Sishi. I think this matter should be quite important to you.”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Her words successfully captured Lin Yi’s attention.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Seeing Lin Yi react, Qin Ruoxue felt a pang of discomfort. When she spoke to him, Lin Yi had shown no reaction at all. But the moment Chen Sishi was mentioned, Lin Yi’s reaction was significant.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Although she knew Lin Yi’s attentiveness stemmed from his fear of Chen Sishi, Qin Ruoxue still felt a subtle irritation. Too embarrassed to voice it in front of Lin Yi, she could only turn her head away discreetly, muttering.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”Lin Yi, do you browse the school forum?”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}”No…”{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Lin Yi shook his head. He had never made a habit of looking at such things, finding them utterly pointless. Especially the so-called ‘Confession Wall’ on the school forum, which Lin Yi had glimpsed during his school days.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}He always felt it was something the school used for entrapment. After all, puppy love was something they cracked down on very strictly at his school.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}He’d heard that once, a boy successfully confessed his feelings by name on the Confession Wall. The very next morning, the student council caught wind of it, and Lin Yi had laughed about it for half a year.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Wasn’t that just asking for trouble? He truly didn’t understand the purpose of a Confession Wall.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}Of course, it was also possible that back then, he was too engrossed in saving money for gacha pulls for his 2D waifus, which was why he couldn’t comprehend such things.{{NEW_PARAGRAPH}}After all, 2D waifus would never leave him, but 3D wives were a different story.