Hah…why must I endure the torment of attending classes?
Xia Mengxi gazed wistfully out the window at the scenery, a scene that felt strangely familiar.
Logically speaking, she could have skipped classes or even school altogether-by feigning illness.
Yet she chose to attend anyway, all to maintain a strong persona in front of Lin Xue’er.
She knew Lin Xue’er preferred gentle, obedient types.
But given Xue’er’s latent tendency to darken, blind submission might only encourage her to push further-potentially triggering her dark side even without the influence of “option side effects.”
Thus, Xia Mengxi decided to adopt a resilient demeanor to assert more agency and balance their dynamic.
Of course, she also had a tiny, very tiny, ulterior motive: preserving her pride as the “top” in their relationship.
Hey, hey, hey!
It’s not like she lacked confidence or was trying to cover anything up!
And she definitely wasn’t seeking petty revenge just because her little notebook was filled with records of Xue’er bullying her!
Everything, absolutely everything, was solely for the sake of perfectly winning over Lin Xue’er.
After all, she wasn’t wrong-Xue’er might appear serene and refined on the surface, but beneath lay an intense possessiveness.
This was evident from past events, like when Xue’er had imprisoned her and the incidents tied to the “options” before the timeline reset.
To temper Xue’er’s possessiveness without triggering an extreme outburst that could lead to her darkening, Xia Mengxi needed to display a dominant side to mediate.
That way, even after successfully winning Xue’er over, she wouldn’t darken just because Xia Mengxi befriended other women.
Heh, after being imprisoned for months, she’d become quite the strategist.
Honestly, she had to thank Xue’er for that imprisonment— otherwise, she wouldn’t have grown this much.
Ding → ding ↘ ding ↗ ding →, ding → ding ↗ ding ↘ ding→
The ringing bell signaled the end of a grueling morning, ushering in a lunch break that felt neither too long nor too short.
Due to Xia Mengxi’s frail constitution, Lin Xue’er, seated beside her, didn’t invite her to the cafeteria. Instead, she asked what she’d like to eat and offered to bring it back.
“Then some lean meat porridge, please. Thanks, Xue’er.”
Truthfully, she craved many things, but unsure if her body could handle varied foods like a normal person’s, she settled for something light after some thought.
“Got it. Wait here in the classroom, Xiao Xi. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay~”
After cheerfully seeing Xue’er off, Xia Mengxi immediately deflated like a balloon, slumping onto the desk.
Even now, after months of imprisonment, Xue’er’s mere presence exerted an invisible pressure on her.
Only when Xue’er was away could she truly relax.
Alas, this blissful solitude didn’t last long.
Xue’er soon returned with the food, forcing Xia Mengxi to quickly slip back into character, donning her mask to greet her.
“I’m back, Xiao Xi.”
“Welcome back, Xue’er!”
Having already experienced Lin Xue’er’s doting care, Xia Mengxi thanked her as she returned to her seat and moved her own lunch to her desk.
This seemingly ordinary action held many subtle intentions.
Because Lin Xue’er had previously engaged in small gestures like feeding her, Xia Mengxi needed to assert her independence to avoid becoming overly reliant or letting Lin Xue’er take such acts for granted.
Even if it might cause a hint of displeasure in Lin Xue’er, she had to curb such behavior.
Accommodating Lin Xue’er without being overly submissive-this was the first step in establishing an equal relationship between them.
Following the principle of “a slap followed by a sweet date,” since she had already caused Lin Xue’er some discomfort, it was now time for reconciliation.
Thus, after taking a sip of the still-hot porridge, Xia Mengxi casually suggested to Lin Xue’er beside her:
“Hey, Xue’er, how about we take a walk after lunch?”
“Well… that’s not impossible, but you’ve already exceeded your physical activity limit today, Xiao Xi. It’s best to take a nap in the classroom, or you might faint from exhaustion in the afternoon.”
Xia Mengxi nodded.
“Mm! Then I’ll listen to you, Xue’er. We can explore the new campus next time when I’m feeling better.”
After speaking, she subtly glanced at the girl beside her.
Seeing her smile, Xia Mengxi curled her lips slightly in satisfaction.
Heh, got her!
This move of hers was truly masterful—even she had to admire her own grasp of human psychology.
Not to boast, but she was practically a psychological genius.
With just a small trick, she had perfectly managed a girl with latent yandere tendencies.
Who else could pull that off? Hmm?
It seemed she wasn’t just worthy of the title “Oscar-worthy actor” but also a certified master of psychology.
…Ahem, she shouldn’t get too cocky.
This was just the beginning—she absolutely couldn’t let success go to her head.
The consequences of celebrating too early last time were still fresh in her mind.
She had to learn from that lesson.
Speaking of which, this morning’s opening ceremony in the auditorium had been a close call!
With her current frail constitution, if Lin Xue’er ever turned yandere and locked her up again, she’d have no means of resistance whatsoever.
So this issue couldn’t be ignored…
Xia Mengxi carefully considered the situation.
As for the other three targets, she still had no idea who they were.
But based on the fact that she hadn’t encountered them on the first day of school last time, it was likely they weren’t in the same grade.
Of course, that was just a possibility—not a certainty.
But in other words, as long as she didn’t wander around the school aimlessly, the chances of running into them would be minimal, if not zero.
Meaning, it could be avoided.
Thinking this, Xia Mengxi sighed in relief at her earlier interaction with Lin Xue’er.
Otherwise, she might have already left the classroom to roam the campus, potentially encountering one of the other targets and triggering Lin Xue’er’s dark side.
From now on, every step had to be taken with even greater caution.
The butterfly effect of each action was beyond her control and could even plunge her into irreversible ruin.
So… now there’s only one problem left, and that’s Li Siqi, the target to be pursued.
Her class is right next door, so they’re bound to run into each other eventually.
This isn’t something that can be avoided by simply staying in.
How can she minimize the chances of encountering Li Siqi…
Xia Mengxi furrowed her brows.
This was a difficult problem to solve, since chance encounters between people aren’t something that can be controlled…
Wait! She was overcomplicating things!
Why was she obsessing over avoiding Li Siqi when she could instead think about how to handle their encounters when they do meet?
More importantly, this approach could be applied not just to Li Siqi, but to the other three targets as well!