Chapter 18: Friends

Haotian Hui has escaped danger safely.

Let’s shift our perspective back to the rented apartment.

Mysterious Mommy is squatting at the entryway, gently tending to Li Zuhao’s knife wound on his palm, expertly disinfecting and stitching it up, stopping the bleeding quickly as a scab forms over the wound. 

Fortunately, the blade passed between his finger bones and didn’t hit any bone—he’s lucky.

After all, she’s a woman who can handle even the wounds left from gouging out an eye; this kind of knife injury is child’s play for her.

Li Zuhao sits against the wall, letting her bandage his wound. 

The pain from the stitches makes his eyelids twitch from time to time, but he doesn’t utter a single sound.

Another disaster-filled day has finally come to an end.

So, even when facing her directly, he still can’t see what Mysterious Mommy looks like?

Because her face is shrouded in black mist, with only the Tianyan Eye, which once belonged to him, shifting on her forehead.

In the memories of the original Li Zuhao, a true scumbag, he can’t find any girl with such features as Mysterious Mommy.

Because the original owner wasn’t a loli-con.

Although the original personality was quite perverted, he actually preferred to harass those cold, aloof goddesses—scumbags have their own preferences, after all.

“She’s always asking—who is she? Why did you bring her home? Why did you take a knife for her? Do you like her?” 

Mysterious Mommy is relentless, still questioning him, her tone full of resentment.

Li Zuhao feels a headache coming on. 

He’s lost his usual weakness and any trace of acting; the whole person just slumps there like a salted fish.

Even a lunatic couldn’t take this kind of torment!

“I’m tired. I don’t want to explain anything, and I have no obligation to explain to you. If you want to kill me, just do it. I’ve long since lost the will to live.” 

So Li Zuhao simply lies down at the entryway, planning to sleep through the rest of the night.

“My Tianyan Eye has already been taken by you. Why are you still hanging around here? You can go pursue your own freedom, power, and wealth.

“With your abilities, you could achieve any grand goal you want, so why do you keep hiding in my place every day?”

But the more he lies there, the more puzzled he feels, and he starts questioning relentlessly in return.

It feels like he won’t be able to sleep unless he gets these questions answered.

Besides, Li Zuhao had only just woken up from a hospital bed—not exactly sleeping, more like being yanked awake—so he’s not really tired at all.

“I have no interest in power or money. Even without the Tianyan Eye, things like that are within my easy reach.” 

Mysterious Mommy replies.

“Then what do you want?” 

Li Zuhao asks.

“I want to torment you.” 

Mysterious Mommy sneers.

“Well, that’s troublesome. What did I ever do to make you resent me so much?” 

Li Zuhao gives a bitter laugh and just lies flat.

But this time, Mysterious Mommy doesn’t take the bait; she doesn’t blurt out her reason as easily as Haotian Hui did.

“I’ll wait until you’ve rested, then come back to torment you.” 

Mysterious Mommy answers.

So the two just stare at each other in the entryway.

Although he still doesn’t know her goal, Li Zuhao has more or less figured out Mysterious Mommy’s personality.

She’s a very “twisted” girl.

People like that are full of contradictions—you never know what they’re thinking.

She says she wants to torment and abuse him, but doesn’t lay a hand on him.

She says she doesn’t care about him, but actually cares a lot.

She gouged out his Tianyan Eye, but then healed his wounds; stabbed through his palm, but immediately bandaged it, afraid he’d die.

Everything she does is contradictory, every word she says is at odds with her actions.

This must be what they call a Yandere Girl, right?

“In the future, don’t bring girls home. Next time, I’ll kill them.”

Mysterious Mommy says coldly.

Li Zuhao doesn’t say much, quietly reaching out to pinch Mysterious Mommy’s snow-white toes.

“What are you doing?” 

Mysterious Mommy pulls her foot back like a startled cat.

“That sock you took off is under my pillow.” 

Li Zuhao says, then closes his eyes and falls asleep in a second, finally resting, just too exhausted.

Mysterious Mommy watches this sleeping man, silent for a long time.

She really does go to the bedroom and finds half of her black stocking under his pillow.

Returning to the living room, she sees him sleeping peacefully in the entryway corridor, making no suspicious moves or showing any wariness toward her.

Mysterious Mommy drapes a thin blanket over Li Zuhao, turns off the light, and then disappears into the darkness of the apartment.

Li Zuhao sleeps soundly until he wakes up naturally.

It’s morning. 

He sits up at the entryway, his neck aching from sleeping crooked.

Li Zuhao pulls out his shattered phone and checks the time—it’s still early, enough to get to school, he’s not late.

Thinking back on his first day at the Academy City, he suffered blow after blow, hardly attending any classes.

Now that he’s been given a second chance at life, he’s determined to study hard and really experience life this time.

He goes to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, and finds that the soap in the wash basin has been replaced with a new bar, and clean towels are neatly stacked to the side.

Everything in his home is neatly arranged and spotless.

He’s never bothered to tidy up this little apartment, but everything is so clean.

Even his school uniform is folded and placed on the desk.

Li Zuhao puts on his school uniform, and before leaving the small apartment, says to the seemingly empty room, “I’m heading out.”

On his way to school, he feels a sharp pain in the palm of his right hand.

Although all his exposed skin is wrapped in bandages, his right eye is covered with an eye patch, and the marks on his neck are hidden by bandages, the only real injury is his palm.

Even moving his fingers slightly sends a jolt of pain through his whole arm.

Before long, Li Zuhao spots his good neighbor, Miya, walking ahead.

“Miya, good morning.” 

Li Zuhao quickly catches up and greets her.

“Li? You’re back? Are you alright?” 

Miya stops and replies politely.

“Miya, I’ve made things awkward for you lately. I came to talk to you to clear the air. Honestly, I know what you think of me—I’m a scumbag, and it’s right that you don’t want to be involved with me. I won’t bother you anymore. Sorry, I’m not qualified to be your friend.” 

Li Zuhao bows deeply, sincerely apologizing.

After speaking, he doesn’t wait for Miya’s reply and simply passes her by, heading to school alone.

“…Uh?” 

Miya is left standing there, unable to react for a moment.

She really doesn’t want to get involved with Li Zuhao, but hearing him say it so bluntly still makes her feel a little uncomfortable.

To be honest, Miya and Li Zuhao really have nothing to do with each other.

In the past, nothing—

Li Zuhao and Miya have only just met, not childhood friends or anything like that.

Now, nothing—

Li Zuhao has never harassed Miya.

Li Zuhao isn’t scheming; he genuinely wants this innocent country girl to stay away from danger.

He wants her to stay away from the powerful Yandere Girls around him, that’s why he said what he did. 

“You’re the first friend I made after coming to the Academy City.”

But an inexplicable flutter stirs in Miya’s heart.