Chapter 173: Have You Reached Your Limit?

Su Li didn’t stand up until two in the afternoon.

Her gaze lingered on that burly figure inside the café, finding it somewhat odd.

A figure like that was certainly easy to remember.

So Su Li recognized the person at a glance.

It was the same one who had made trouble for Miss Cat at the hospital before.

She’d also encountered this person just as she left the classroom.

Now, running into them again in the café, recalling that unsettling feeling of being followed, Su Li quickly pieced it together.

The one stalking her was precisely the burly figure in front of her.

Ever since the conflict at the hospital, this person had somehow found out her school and address.

Now they were following her, probably to get revenge.

Su Li considered this, but wasn’t particularly concerned about it.

Even though the other person was much bigger than her, Su Li felt that if they tried anything, she could easily take them down.

“Come with me.”

The Assistant entered the café at a measured pace, and seeing Su Li had already finished her coffee and was gazing out the window lost in thought, spoke up.

“Mm, someone’s following me.”

Su Li said this, as if giving the Assistant a heads-up.

The Assistant’s demeanor grew alert, but only nodded slightly.

Then, the Assistant led Su Li out of the café.

Watching Su Li’s departing figure, Xiao Yuyu also slowly stood up.

Her eyes were filled with wariness as she regarded the beautiful woman in professional attire.

There was another bad woman by Su Li’s side!

At this moment, Su Li was like Little Red Riding Hood tricked away by Wolf Grandmother, or like Snow White being coerced by the Witch to eat the Poisoned Apple—so pitiful in Xiao Yuyu’s eyes.

She had to protect Su Li!

She couldn’t let Su Li get bullied by other bad women!

This was her duty as a Knight, to protect the Princess!

Xiao Yuyu quietly followed behind the two of them, ready to act when the time was right.

Although her body had become out of shape from lack of exercise and taking Special Medicine for so long,

She still had her own way to protect Su Li—with her body.

In her mind, Xiao Yuyu pictured herself pinning that bad woman down with her body, urging Su Li to run away.

The corners of her mouth curled up; she had secretly guarded her beloved Princess before.

It was just that last time, she couldn’t let the Princess see it.

But this time, the hero-saving-the-beauty scene she’d carefully planned would surely move the Princess.

Even though Su Li couldn’t accept her appearance for now, but…

But as long as she knew Xiao Yuyu had a sincere, passionate heart, that was enough.

Hehe!

Thinking this, Xiao Yuyu hurriedly followed behind Su Li and the Assistant MOKA.

But after only a few steps, she was already gasping for breath.

The two ahead moved too quickly; even trying to keep up was difficult.

“Xiao Yuyu, are you just going to give up like this?”

Xiao Yuyu panted heavily, both hands resting on her knees, her eyes brimming with unwillingness.

If only…

If only she had tried a bit harder before.

Wouldn’t she be able to protect Su Li now?

Wouldn’t she not have to watch Su Li be taken away by someone else, so full of regret?

Xiao Yuyu thought of all those Novels, those Anime she’d read and watched.

How, because the Protagonist wasn’t strong or diligent enough,

In the end, the Female Lead couldn’t stay by their side, and they could only watch as the Female Lead was taken away.

“Aaaahhhhh—”

Xiao Yuyu howled in her heart, tears streaming down her cheeks and mingling with the oil on her face as she stared at the direction where Su Li had left, fists clenched tight.

“Hold on a bit longer, just a bit longer!”

“At the very least, I need to make sure Su Li escapes from that bad woman’s grasp.”

……

When the cherry blossoms scattered across the cobblestone path, Xiao Yuyu was hiding behind a ginkgo tree, panting for breath.

Sweat soaked through her black sweatshirt, staining it in cloud-like patterns; her hand gripping the phone trembled.

Su Li was walking side by side with the girl in a high ponytail and school uniform; the two seemed to be chatting about something, but in Xiao Yuyu’s eyes, just standing together was an eyesore.

Crabapple flowers were blown by the wind, fluttering into the fountain, where the koi nibbled the petals and blew out a string of bubbles.

She watched the cherry blossom fall onto Su Li’s hair, and saw the other girl gently brush it off for her.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palm; the pain couldn’t muffle the corrosive sting in her heart.

She pictured Su Li smiling softly and tenderly at the person beside her—that smile should have belonged to her!

Beneath the dappled shade, Xiao Yuyu leaned against the ginkgo tree, looking down at the photo of Su Li’s profile she had just secretly taken.

Her heart was full of grievance and unwillingness. She zoomed in on the photo again and again,

until the pixels blurred the smile lines at Su Li’s mouth.

Why?

Why was Su Li right in front of her,

yet she couldn’t keep Su Li by her side?

Heaven had given her this chance!

[Log in!]

[Log in!]

[Log in!]

[Log in!]

[Log in!]

She sent message after message to Su Li like a madwoman, but could only watch Su Li’s figure walk further and further away.

Why?

Why couldn’t Su Li just look at her phone?

Xiao Yuyu gasped for breath, eyes filled with unwillingness.

“Is this my limit?”

Xiao Yuyu thought, bitterly.

If I were the Protagonist!

If I were the Protagonist…

I could do it!

I could push past my limits!

With this resolve, she gritted her teeth and forced her uncooperative body to follow after the two.

Her throat felt like she’d swallowed a burning coal, a fierce pain.

Every step felt as if someone had poured lead into her knees.

Yet her heart was still burning with unwillingness.

She wiped at the sweat blurring her vision; the salty liquid, mixed with sunscreen, dripped into the corner of her mouth, making her stomach churn with sudden nausea.

The sourness shot up from her stomach, and she had to clutch the street tree to retch.

The bitter liquid rolled up and down her esophagus, making her chest ache.

She bit down hard on her molars, her fingernails digging into the bark and scraping off shavings, forcing the nausea back down.

“No, no, I must protect Su Li!”

“I must protect her!”

Sweat dripped down from her triple chin, soaking dark stains into her collar.

Her legs moved forward mechanically, every step dragging her shoes with a scraping sound.

Xiao Yuyu felt like rusted gears were grinding inside her knees, making a grating sound only she could hear.

She fixed her gaze on Su Li’s swaying skirt a hundred meters away, bit her tongue till it bled, letting the iron tang and salty sweat fill her throat, finally pushing herself to start running.

But soon, with a thud, she collapsed and began to vomit.

Her body had reached its limit.

She… was burnt out!