Chapter 43: The Demon’s Plan

Time seemed to freeze.

Su Qing stood at the door, her phone still lit in her hand. She had completely forgotten what was on the screen.

Her gaze was fixed intensely on the two people in front of her.

Lin Mo was sitting in the booth, his body leaning back slightly, a suspicious flush coloring his face.

Shen Qingyue stood before him, bent over, her face less than 2 centimeters from Lin Mo’s. Their noses were almost touching.

Her face was incredibly red, her chest heaved, and she was breathing slightly heavily.

The scene looked exactly like something that would only appear in a certain type of movie.

(；¬＿¬) ……

A “buzz” went off in Su Qing’s brain.

10,000 images flooded in an instant.

‘What were they just doing?’

‘Why are they so close?’

‘Why is Shen Qingyue breathing like that?’

‘Why is Lin Mo blushing?’

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

She had already conjured up an entire TV series in her mind.

【’What are you still standing there for!’】 Demon Su Qing’s voice rang out sharply. 【’Hypnotize them! Now! Ask them exactly what just happened!’】

Su Qing’s fingers twitched.

Right, hypnosis.

She could do it.

She could have Lin Mo explain everything that had just occurred.

If things had exceeded her expectations, she could make Su Qing forget all of this, make Shen Qingyue forget it too, and return everything to the way she wanted it to be.

She took one step forward.

Then she stopped.

Another image flashed through her mind.

The Student Union Office.

Shen Qingyue collapsed on the floor, her forehead bleeding.

The way Lin Mo looked at her…

That cold, detached, and stranger-like gaze.

And that sentence: “Su Qing, how am I supposed to believe you?”

(；一_一) ……

Su Qing forced herself to be calm, calm, calm.

No.

She couldn’t do that.

Not this time.

She took a deep breath, trying her best to return her expression to normal.

Then she walked over, a natural smile plastered on her face.

“Oh, I’m back.”

Her voice was a bit too light and forced.

Lin Mo and Shen Qingyue snapped back to reality at the same time.

Shen Qingyue practically bounced away, taking two steps back and nearly colliding with a nearby chair.

Lin Mo also sat up straight and let out a dry cough.

“You… you’re back,” he said.

Su Qing looked at them.

Both of their faces were as red as cooked shrimp.

The fire in her heart flared up again.

But she suppressed it.

“Mhm.” She nodded and returned to her seat. “What were you two chatting about so happily?”

“Well… Class Academic Representative said she wanted to give me a reward.”

Su Qing was stunned for a moment.

‘A reward?’

“What reward?”

“It’s just…” Lin Mo paused. “To congratulate me on scoring 630.”

Su Qing looked at Shen Qingyue.

Shen Qingyue nodded, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Mhm… just to congratulate him.”

Su Qing stared at her.

“Does a congratulation require being that close?”

Shen Qingyue’s face turned even redder.

“I… I just wanted to…”

“Wanted to what?”

Shen Qingyue bit her lip and remained silent.

Lin Mo tried to smooth things over from the side.

“Maybe she just… wanted to give me a surprise? She had just walked over and hadn’t given it to me yet when you came back.”

Su Qing looked at him.

Lin Mo couldn’t read the look in her eyes.

But she didn’t say anything.

She simply nodded.

“Oh.”

Then she sat down next to Lin Mo.

She picked up her cappuccino and took a sip.

It was bitter.

The atmosphere became even more awkward than before.

None of the three people spoke.

Shen Qingyue kept her head down, tracing circles on the rim of her coffee cup with her finger.

Lin Mo pretended to look out the window.

Su Qing stared at the milk foam in her cup, but her mind was a complete mess.

【’Do you believe them?’】 Demon Su Qing asked.

Su Qing looked at them.

Both of them had their heads lowered, not daring to look at her.

(；一_一) Fine, just fine.

Over the next period of time, the three of them finished their meal, each harboring their own secret thoughts.

Shen Qingyue made an excuse that she had things to do and left first.

Lin Mo and Su Qing headed home together.

On the way, Su Qing was unusually quiet.

Lin Mo stole glances at her from time to time, sensing that something wasn’t quite right today.

But he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

“Um…” he started.

“Mhm?”

“Are you… alright today?”

Su Qing turned her head and looked at him.

That gaze was a bit complicated.

“I’m fine,” she said.

Then she smiled.

“I’m just a little tired.”

Lin Mo nodded.

The two continued walking forward.

That night, Su Qing lay in bed.

The two little people in her mind were arguing incessantly.

【’Did you see that?’】 Demon Su Qing said, crossing her long, black-silk-clad legs. 【’The two of them almost kissed! They were only 2 centimeters away! Who knows what they did while you weren’t there!’】

‘Maybe… it was nothing,’ Angel Su Qing said weakly. ‘It was just a coincidence…’

【’A coincidence?’】 Demon Su Qing sneered. 【’A coincidence that they were blushing? A coincidence that they were breathless? A coincidence that they were that close? Do you really believe that?’】

Angel Su Qing fell silent.

【’You have to do something.’】 Demon Su Qing leaned in closer, her voice becoming seductive. 【’Otherwise, she’s going to steal him away sooner or later.’】

‘Do what?’ Su Qing asked.

【’Hypnotize them?’】 Demon Su Qing winked. 【’Ask them what exactly happened?’】

Su Qing shook her head.

“No. Not after what happened last time… I don’t want to see him look at me like that again.”

【’Then what do you want to do? Just stand by and watch her steal him away?’】

Su Qing didn’t speak.

【’I have an idea.’】 Demon Su Qing’s voice dropped low, carrying a hint of cunning. 【’Get him drunk.’】

Su Qing was startled.

‘Get him drunk?’

【’Yes.’】 Demon Su Qing laughed. 【’Haven’t you always wanted to confirm his feelings? He might lie when he’s sober, but when he’s drunk… that might not be the case.’】

【’And — ‘】 She dragged out her voice. 【’When he’s drunk, won’t he just be obedient no matter what you want to do?’】

Su Qing’s face flushed.

“What… what are you talking about!”

【’You know exactly what I’m talking about.’】 Demon Su Qing winked. 【’Haven’t you always wanted to know just how powerful the Destined Person Weapon on him actually is?’】

(°△°|||)

Su Qing’s face turned even redder.

“I… I have not!”

【’Fine, fine, you haven’t.’】 Demon Su Qing waved her hand. 【’But don’t you want to try? Just once. Get him drunk, and then…’】

She didn’t finish her sentence, but her eyes said everything.

Angel Su Qing grew anxious.

【’No!’】 she shouted. 【’Brother doesn’t want you to force him! He said he would take the initiative to express his feelings in the future! You can’t do this!’】

Demon Su Qing curled her lip.

【’Take the initiative to express his feelings?’】 She sneered. 【’Him taking the initiative? If he were going to take the initiative, he would have confessed long ago. Look at him, wavering between two girls, not wanting to hurt anyone, but ending up hurting everyone in the end.’】

【’How long are you going to wait? Until Shen Qingyue makes the first move?’】

Angel Su Qing opened her mouth but found herself speechless.

Su Qing remained silent for a long time.

She remembered what Lin Mo had said when they were children.

‘I’ll tell you when I grow up.’

She had been waiting.

She had waited for so many years.

But all she got was him and Shen Qingyue getting closer and closer.

All she got was that distance of less than 2 centimeters today.

【’So?’】 Demon Su Qing asked. 【’Are you going to keep waiting?’】

Su Qing closed her eyes.

Two images alternated in her mind.

One was Lin Mo as a child, saying seriously, “I’ll protect you.”

The other was him and Shen Qingyue today, face to face, their hearts racing and faces flushed.

She opened her eyes.

“…What kind of alcohol… doesn’t taste like alcohol?”

Demon Su Qing smiled.

【’That’s the spirit.’】