Chapter 10: Thinking of Ways to Break the Deadlock

Imprisoned Xia Mengxi had only one thing to look forward to the passage of time, because only with the arrival of the next meal could she briefly escape the torment of being alone in the darkness.

At first, this anticipation was merely a way to pass the time, but as her spirit was gradually eroded by the darkness, her inability to sleep properly and the mounting mental pressure forced her to cling to something to maintain her sanity.

“Damn it! This place is worse than the brick cell!”

The same number of days, but a different environment, inflicted a completely different level of suffering.

Xia Mengxi had always considered herself mentally resilient. 

Surviving the brick cell didn’t mean she could endure the metal one—after all, the psychological damage here was far worse.

“No, absolutely not! If I stay here any longer, it won’t just wear down my sanity. I have to find a way to escape again!”

The thought of escaping surfaced in her mind for the second time, but unlike before, there were no multiple-choice questions to aid her this time.

So… how could she escape?

The trick of using a bathroom break had already been played once. 

Lin Xue’er wasn’t stupid-she wouldn’t fall for it again. 

The only other excuse to leave temporarily was bathing.

Would Lin Xue’er let her out to bathe? Clearly not. 

Last time, she had essentially exhausted both excuses.

Ask to see her parents? 

No, no-if she was already imprisoned, there was no way she’d be allowed contact with the outside world.

It seemed… the only way out was to figure out what she had done to provoke Lin Xue’er’s imprisonment, earn her forgiveness, and then be released. 

But… wasn’t that a dead end?!

Wait-maybe not?

Taking a step back, what had led to her imprisonment in the first place?

Was it love? Or friendship?

Either way, the same thing would trigger anger-even a descent into darkness—and that was… betrayal!

“Betrayal? Did I ever make any promises to her? I don’t think so…”

Perhaps… to someone with an unusual personality, even an ordinary remark or action could be seen as a promise. 

So it wasn’t about whether she had explicitly said anything.

Ugh… wasn’t that still a dead end?!

“Damn it! Calm down, stay calm, think carefully.”

Xia Mengxi took a deep breath, steadying her restless emotions, then focused her thoughts.

First, she could analyze the multiple-choice questions and options she had been given before.

The first question was about running into an old friend outside and greeting them warmly-the keywords being “old friend” and “warm greeting.”

“That’s no good. I don’t know her well enough to analyze this…”

After a pause, Xia Mengxi’s eyes suddenly widened-she seemed to have found a clue.

“Reverse-engineer from the side effects!”

Why would Lin Xue’er’s corruption level increase because of a “warm greeting”? 

Did she dislike affectionate people? 

Or was it because seeing Xia Mengxi act warmly reminded her of someone else who had been warm…?

That’s it! Lin Xue’er must have had some unforgettable experience with an enthusiastic person. 

That’s why when she chose to greet her warmly initially, it reminded the other person of those painful memories, causing the darkening level to rise.

“I’m such a freaking genius!”

Excitement aside, this first multiple-choice question wasn’t actually helpful for the current situation. 

If she could get out later, she might be able to use this direction to reduce Lin Xue’er’s darkening level.

So, she extended her train of thought to the second multiple-choice question, which took place in class.

“The second question was about admitting how cute I am and then praising my cuteness to the skies.”

Cute? What does that have to do with Lin Xue’er’s darkening…

Wait! Maybe ‘cute’ isn’t the key-it’s ‘myself’!

Right, when she was praising herself excessively, Lin Xue’er suddenly had a dark expression and exuded an overwhelming oppressive aura. 

At the time, Xia Mengxi was surprised and even a little scared, but due to her personality, she brushed it off and chose to ignore it.

So, what conclusion can be drawn from this multiple-choice question?

Xia Mengxi scratched her head, feeling like her brain was about to grow out from thinking so hard, but she still couldn’t figure out why ‘myself’ and ‘cute’ would cause Lin Xue’er to darken.

“Hmm… Come to think of it, she did say something at the time… Oh right, she asked if I would abandon her if I became popular.”

 Could it be that because she was too cute and popular, she might make many new friends, and Lin Xue’er was worried she’d be abandoned, leading to the darkening?

This conclusion was highly plausible, especially since she didn’t yet know Lin Xue’er’s true personality and thoughts.

If that were the case, then in Lin Xue’er’s eyes, she had unintentionally committed an act of ‘betrayal.’

That noon, hadn’t she made an excuse not to stay with Lin Xue’er and gone to the rooftop alone? 

During that time, she met the second girl she needed to win over, Li Siqi. 

If the above conclusion held, someone as sensitive as Lin Xue’er would definitely assume she had lied to go make new friends.

“Holy crap… I freaking get it now!”

Xia Mengxi suddenly straightened up. 

She now understood why Lin Xue’er had imprisoned her!

“Oh my god! I can get out!”

Unable to contain her excitement, she jumped up from the bed. 

But since she couldn’t see anything, she obediently sat back down, afraid of falling.

Even so, her mood remained high as she sat on the bed. 

After all, soon, she would see the light of day again.

“Hurry up and be mealtime… Hurry up, Lin Xue’er!”

It wasn’t that Xia Mengxi had never wished for time to pass quickly before, but today was the first time she was so full of hopeful ‘anticipation.’

Finally, after who knows how long, the light that only appeared on the stairs shone again. 

Seeing this, Xia Mengxi immediately moved to the limit of the chain’s length.

To avoid any mishaps, she suppressed her excitement and put on a calm expression, looking at the figure emerging from the light.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Xiao Xi. I brought you food.”

After taking the tray, Xia Mengxi didn’t immediately start eating as usual, which surprised Lin Xue’er.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Xi?”

“Xue’er, the reason you’re angry with me is because of that noon, isn’t it?”

Lin Xue’er froze for a moment, then wiped the smileless expression from her face. 

The next instant, however, she revealed an eerie grin.

“Xiao Xi, it’s good that you can remember now, but… it’s too late. It doesn’t matter anymore.”