Chapter 30: Two Eyes Black Out

“Xiaoxi, are you okay?”

“Ah… I, I’m not feeling too well…”

Xia Mengxi really wanted to say she was fine, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to lie even a little when she was with Lin Xue’er.

Was it because of the habit formed during those months when the other girl had imprisoned her?

No, she had to adjust quickly. 

Otherwise, given what she knew about Lin Xue’er, the other would definitely notice this subtle attitude of hers. 

One accidental slip, and it might trigger Lin Xue’er’s dark side again.

“Maybe you should take the day off, Xiaoxi. The teacher should know about your condition and would definitely understand.”

“Huh…?”

Her condition? What did that mean?

Xia Mengxi looked puzzled, not quite understanding what Lin Xue’er meant. 

The latter then explained, 

“Xiaoxi, you’ve been frail and sickly since childhood. There was even a time when you had to take half a semester off because it was so severe. So the teacher handling our new class would definitely know about it.”

“Oh… oh, I see!”

Wow! So this option came with background settings too? 

That was… well, not exactly miraculous, since God was a real existence here.

But wasn’t the constitution brought by Option A only supposed to last a week? 

Did that mean after a week, the people connected to her would also have their memories altered?

Or was it that this time…

Just as Xia Mengxi was pondering the side effects of Option A, Lin Xue’er beside her continued the conversation, “I’ll personally talk to the teacher about your leave. You just rest well in your room, Xiaoxi.”

“Okay… ah, no, Xue’er, that’s not necessary.”

“Not necessary? Do you still plan to go to school, Xiaoxi?”

“Mm! I don’t want to take leave on the first day of school…”

Lin Xue’er looked at Xia Mengxi with concern, but the words died on her lips when she saw the determined look in Xia Mengxi’s eyes. 

“Alright then, let me help you change.”

“Huh?”

Before Xia Mengxi could refuse, Lin Xue’er had already walked to her desk. 

She glanced at the white stockings on the chair, decided they weren’t suitable, then turned to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of opaque white tights.

“Come, Xiaoxi, sit on the bed. I’ll help you put them on.”

“Eh…! N-no need, Xue’er… that’s too much trouble for you.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Besides, changing clothes by yourself would be difficult for you. With my help, you’ll save a lot of time.”

“W-well… okay.”

She had told herself not to be too obedient to Lin Xue’er, and Xia Mengxi had kept that firmly in mind and acted accordingly. 

But habits, once formed, took time to change. 

So when interacting with Lin Xue’er, Xia Mengxi still found her tone unconsciously tilting toward pleasing the other girl.

And Lin Xue’er was strange too. 

Despite having a gentle and considerate personality, her actions carried a hint of assertiveness even when not in her dark mode. 

Was this the so-called “when two tops meet, one must bottom” rule?

Damn! Did that mean she was the bottom? 

But she was an absolute top! She absolutely refused to accept that!

No matter what, she had to take the dominant role in their interactions. 

Otherwise, she’d easily be led around by Lin Xue’er.

While Xia Mengxi was lost in her thoughts, Lin Xue’er had already helped her put on the white tights and taken her school uniform from the hanger, starting to assist her in wearing it.

Accustomed to Lin Xue’er’s care, Xia Mengxi’s body instinctively cooperated with her movements even in her distracted state. 

In no time, she was fully dressed in her uniform.

It had to be said that Lin Xue’er’s care was especially invaluable given Xia Mengxi’s frail constitution. In fact, Xia Mengxi even found herself enjoying it.

As expected, her initial assumption had been correct-as long as Lin Xue’er didn’t turn dark, her life would remain smooth and comfortable.

It seemed Option A was indeed the right route to guide Lin Xue’er.

“Alright, Xiaoxi, how are you feeling? If it’s too much, we can still ask for leave.”

“I’m fine, Xue’er! Look, I could take down ten tigers with my bare hands!”

To prove how strong she was, Xia Mengxi flexed her arms, showing off her nonexistent muscles.

Lin Xue’er couldn’t help but giggle at the sight, though she quickly suppressed it to avoid hurting Xia Mengxi’s pride and changed the subject.

“Then let’s head to school. But Xiaoxi, if you feel unwell at any point, you must tell me, okay? Don’t push yourself.”

“Mm! I will!”

Compared to the eerie, forced smiles Lin Xue’er had worn during her dark phase, this current smile of hers was undoubtedly the most beautiful.

Not only beautiful, but also reassuring, comforting, and soothing.

This time, Xia Mengxi was determined to keep Lin Xue’er smiling like this—even if not for the sake of her kindness, she didn’t want to relive those unpleasant memories again.

*   *   *   *   *   *

The journey to school wasn’t long, but with her frail constitution, every minute for Xia Mengxi felt like ten for a normal person. 

Take the moment they left home, for example. 

After barely walking fifty meters, she was already out of breath and had to rest for several minutes before continuing. 

Then, after another fifty meters or so, she’d hit her limit again. 

Her stamina was truly worse than a weakling’s!

Still, this was manageable—after all, she could recover with a bit of rest. 

Moreover, the more she adapted to her fragile body, the farther she could walk before needing a break. 

Even if her endurance plateaued at some point, it was still better than the alternative.

The alternative, however, wasn’t something sheer willpower could overcome. 

The “frail” in her constitution wasn’t just about weakness—it also meant sickness.

That’s right. Compared to the “sickness,” her pitiful stamina was actually the lesser evil. 

Because when an episode struck, Xia Mengxi felt like she had one foot in the grave-it was downright lethal!

Fortunately, her condition rarely flared up. 

According to Lin Xue’er, it only triggered if she “overexerted” or “got overly emotional.”

So after suffering one episode on the way to school, Xia Mengxi stopped pushing herself to the absolute limit before resting.

She had to admit—she’d underestimated just how fragile this body was.

“Finally… we’re here.”

With Lin Xue’er’s help, Xia Mengxi barely made it into the school auditorium just in time for the opening ceremony. 

Thanks to Lin Xue’er having already informed their homeroom teacher, the two smoothly made their way to their class’s seats without any obstacles.

If nothing unexpected happened, after the opening ceremony, Xia Mengxi would be able to return to the classroom she shared with Lin Xue’er and endure those torturous lessons.

Yet, this utterly ordinary turn of events had now become a wish for Xia Mengxi, because at that moment, a figure was approaching from not too far behind them.

Though she wasn’t very familiar with that person, she felt extremely agitated just from the direction they were heading.

Damn it! 

Li Siqi! You… don’t come over here!!! 

Don’t trigger God’s text and cause Lin Xue’er’s corruption level to increase!!!

Ugh, my head… so dizzy… damn it!

As Li Siqi drew closer, Xia Mengxi suddenly found it hard to breathe, her vision spinning until she could no longer hold on. 

In the end, everything went black, and she fainted.