Chi Meng looked at Hua Xian, who was sitting side-by-side with Nan Zhi and smiling, and she could barely maintain the expression on her face.
“Didn’t you say you were feeling unwell and going home to rest?”
Hua Xian naturally stood up, walked to Chi Meng, and took her hand, saying, “I was originally going home, but Nan Zhi had a minor issue, so I came to check on it.”
Nan Zhi clearly knew Chi Meng and was even a little afraid of her. When Chi Meng’s gaze fell upon her, she hid behind Hua Xian.
Chi Meng withdrew her gaze, her beautiful eyes looking at Hua Xian: “Since when did you become so close to my fiancé’s little lover?”
Fiancé’s little lover—although it sounded awkward, that was indeed the case.
As Chi Meng’s favorability reached its peak, Hua Xian was no longer as attentive to her as before. She felt she didn’t need to report her social circle to Chi Meng.
“Don’t you have an engagement this afternoon? I’ll take you back.”
Hua Xian stepped forward, wrapped an arm around Chi Meng’s waist, and led her toward the exit. Chi Meng’s eyes dimmed slightly, but she softly said, “Okay.”
Before they took a few steps, Nan Zhi grabbed the corner of Hua Xian’s clothes and said ambiguously, “Sister, don’t forget our promise.”
Hua Xian nodded slightly: “Mhm, I know.”
Nan Zhi curved her lips into a smile. Feeling Chi Meng’s icy gaze, she quickly suppressed her smile, lowered her head, and hurried past the two.
Chi Meng’s expression was utterly terrible, yet Hua Xian was completely oblivious. She tried to lead her out, but the person next to her wouldn’t move.
Hua Xian turned to look at her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Chi Meng struggled to control her emotions and asked in a calm tone, “You haven’t answered my question yet. Are you very close to her? Why does she call you ‘Sister’?”
“Not very close, just ordinary friends.” Hua Xian carefully chose her words.
In fact, she could feel Chi Meng’s current emotions. According to the original plan, she should have said something more excessive at this point, but seeing the other woman on the verge of tears, Hua Xian couldn’t bring herself to be ruthless.
“Then what did you two promise each other?” Chi Meng sniffled, suppressing the sob caught in her throat.
Hua Xian slightly frowned, and her tone hardened: “That’s between her and me. I shouldn’t need to report it to you, should I? Just because we’re together, does that mean I have to tell you every tiny detail?”
It wasn’t a big deal, just that it concerned the romantic progression of the male and female leads, so it was inconvenient to tell Chi Meng.
“That’s not what I meant. I just…” Chi Meng bit her lower lip, tears welling up in her eyes, her hands tightly clutching her skirt.
“Mengmeng, I don’t interfere with your friends, so please don’t interfere with mine, okay? She and I really are just ordinary friends. I won’t do anything to betray you. So, can you be a little sensible?”
Chi Meng’s eyes changed drastically. She stared at Hua Xian in disbelief: “But you said we wouldn’t have any secrets between us, that you wouldn’t hide anything from me! Have you forgotten those words?!”
“Circumstances change. People can’t stay the same forever.” Hua Xian ignored Chi Meng’s reaction, her gaze rational and cold, as if the person in front of her, filled with utmost grievance, were a stranger.
“So you take me for granted once you have me?! We haven’t been together that long, and you’re already tired of me?!” Chi Meng was agitated, her body trembling slightly.
Her voice was sharp and piercing, causing the coffee shop patrons to frequently turn their heads. Hua Xian noticed the looks and, not wanting to become fodder for gossip, pulled Chi Meng toward the exit.
“Let’s talk outside. Don’t disturb others.”
“Explain yourself clearly! Why are you friends with her when you know I hate her?! Why did you let her call you ‘Sister’?! Why do you have a promise with another woman?!”
Chi Meng’s entire body trembled violently, her breathing ragged, her face pale as paper. Tears rolled down one by one, and her lower lip was bitten, leaving two deep bloody marks.
Hua Xian felt a momentary twinge of compassion, but it was fleeting; rationality quickly overruled emotion.
“I already told you she’s just an ordinary friend. If you choose to think otherwise, there’s nothing I can do. I never realized before that you were such an unreasonable person. You’re not sensible at all.”
After speaking, Hua Xian walked straight out, leaving the emotionally unstable Chi Meng to endure the stares and speculation of various people.
Chi Meng watched the gradually receding Hua Xian, feeling the old darkness slowly closing in. The so-called light she found, after briefly illuminating her, ultimately led her into a deeper darkness.
“Why? Why does everyone keep telling me to be more sensible? If I’m sensible, will you love me? No, no, no! You were the one who lied and deceived me, meeting the woman I hate behind my back, yet why does it seem like I’m the one at fault…”
Chi Meng’s voice was initially sharp and piercing, seemingly loaded with immense pain, but it grew softer and softer, turning into what sounded like a delirious murmur.
After speaking, she lowered her head, motionless like wood. Her long hair obscured her face, making her expression unreadable.
The customers were only watching the spectacle; no one went up to check on her. An eighteen or nineteen-year-old waitress sensed that something was wrong. She stepped forward to check and saw the bloody cuts on her arms.
The waitress had never seen a scene like this. She was so frightened she couldn’t speak, but she instinctively managed to seize the knife from Chi Meng’s hand.
“Are you crazy! No matter what happens, you can’t hurt yourself!”
Chi Meng heard her words, looked up at her, and her eyes were blank.
“Is she abandoning me? I should have been more sensible…”
After all, both were relatively well-known actresses. Although the coffee shop had decent privacy, there were still many people and loose tongues. Hua Xian waited outside for Chi Meng, but when she didn’t come, she reluctantly returned. Seeing the scene upon entering, she couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise.
The waitress gave her a cold look, her tone hostile: “How could you leave her alone and walk away? Do you know that if I hadn’t found her in time just now, that cut would have been on her artery!”
Hua Xian quickly rushed forward and pressed down on the wound on Chi Meng’s arm. Seeing her, Chi Meng wrapped her arms around Hua Xian with her bloody hands, her tone humble.
“Sister, don’t be angry. I won’t lose my temper anymore. I’ll be good.”
Listening to her soulless voice, Hua Xian felt a slight pang in her heart.
Only at this moment did Hua Xian realize that the rumors were not groundless. Due to her childhood experiences, Chi Meng had a persistent mental illness. Her aloofness and inaccessibility were all means of self-protection.
Chi Meng received no response. She tightened her arms around Hua Xian. Blood spurted from the cuts on her arm, a shocking sight.
“Mengmeng is the most sensible. Sister, please don’t ignore me…”
Hua Xian’s heart throbbed with a dull ache.
This pain was what woke her up.
The room was pitch black, and nothing could be seen, but Hua Xian was absolutely certain Chi Meng was there. No other reason was needed; she just felt uncomfortable.
The black mist formed by Chi Meng’s blackening value consistently had a negative effect on her.
The consciousness in the dream was connected to reality. Hua Xian didn’t feel like she was dreaming at all; rather, it was as if she was re-experiencing the details she couldn’t recall before.
Thinking of her excessive actions toward Chi Meng, she felt that a blackening value of 1,200 was not excessive at all.
The fact that she hadn’t been killed was pure luck.
After all, Chi Meng had been harboring thoughts of mutual destruction from the start.
Hua Xian heavily sighed. Remembering Chi Meng might be there, she forcibly held the sigh back halfway.
What a disaster!
If she had known it would cause such a huge impact, she should have used a gentler way to break up, instead of constantly provoking her when she clearly knew the other woman’s mental state was unstable.
Hua Xian tried to turn over, but was restrained halfway. A sharp pain came from the chafed skin on her wrist, and she quietly turned back.
She hurt everywhere, but thankfully, the stickiness from before was gone; she was clean and refreshed.
Did Chi Meng clean me up while I was asleep?
Hua Xian was filled with mixed emotions. She turned her head toward the window, her voice barely audible.
“I’m sorry.”
This apology was spoken by Hua Xian from the bottom of her heart.
She didn’t think she was a particularly upright person, but this degree of ‘scumminess’ truly crossed the line—to the point where she wanted to slap herself twice.
Shortly after she spoke, Xiao Jiu’s voice sounded in Hua Xian’s mind.
[Congratulations, Host! After your unremitting efforts, the target’s blackening value has dropped by two points. The current total blackening value is 1,198.]
Hua Xian: ???
I don’t think I did anything.
Although it was only two points, it opened up Hua Xian’s line of thinking.
She asked: “I only said ‘I’m sorry’ to Chi Meng just now, and her blackening value dropped by two points. Does this mean that as long as I genuinely repent, her blackening value will continuously decrease?”
[Theoretically, yes, but not entirely. Xiao Jiu really wants to tell the Host, but Xiao Jiu cannot say. Host, please figure it out yourself. I believe that your intelligence will surely allow you to smoothly leave this world.]
Hua Xian: …
She wanted to punch this useless system. Let’s all just die. No one gets to live!
Hua Xian recalled that ever since she took this mission, she had been subjected to many restrictions, and the system itself was also suppressed. Xiao Jiu’s current state must be due to some restriction placed upon it by those old geezers.
Hua Xian slowly raised her hand and flipped the middle finger toward the sky.
I know you can feel this. Fuck you! Did you hear that? Fuck you!
After venting her frustration, Hua Xian reconsidered how to lower Chi Meng’s blackening value. Since sincere repentance worked, she should start by addressing the things she did to hurt her and make amends one by one. This should hopefully alleviate her pain and resentment.
Hua Xian felt unsure, but could only set a general direction first. If it didn’t work, she would try another.
However, her movements were currently restricted, and there was truly very little she could do.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration went through her mind; a realization struck Hua Xian.
Since, in this world’s current plot, she hadn’t left, if Chi Meng had abducted her right in front of Nan Zhi, would Nan Zhi try to find a way to save her?
Although their friendship wasn’t that deep, she had “helped” Nan Zhi so many times; the other woman should at least repay her, right?
Thinking of this, hope reignited in Hua Xian’s heart. She didn’t want Nan Zhi to take her away, but…
Hua Xian narrowed her eyes and glanced toward Chi Meng’s location. The plan in her mind was gradually taking shape.
“You still have the energy to think about useless things. It seems your body has recovered. How about we continue?”
Chi Meng’s voice rang out in the darkness, making Hua Xian’s heart tighten. The iron chains on her hands made a crisp sound, breaking the silence of the night.