After washing up and changing into soft pajamas, Qiu Mian buried herself in the fluffy, warm comforter.
The mattress was soft, the pillow carried a clean, pleasant scent, and the quilt was light yet warm, gently enveloping her entire body.
This body seemed to have an instinctive attachment to comfortable beds. The moment her head touched the pillow, a sigh of relief spread through her limbs.
Haa… So comfortable…
Qiu Mian unconsciously curled up a little, burying half her face into the pillow so that only a pair of misty, sleepy eyes remained visible. Her long lashes cast small shadows beneath her eyelids.
The chaotic thoughts from the day seemed temporarily shut out by the warmth of the comforter.
If only there weren’t all those annoying problems… Just living as an ordinary female high school student like this might not be so bad…
The thought flashed through her mind.
Sleepiness surged in, and her consciousness gradually sank into darkness.
However, the peace did not last long.
The darkness slowly condensed and twisted, forming a familiar scene.
The quiet corner of the school.
The yellow-haired girl’s laughter echoed as she and her two lackeys cornered Qiu Kui against the wall.
Qiu Kui hugged her head, curled up, her long hair disheveled and covering her face.
“You little bitch! As cheap as your mother!”
“Look at how disgusting you are!”
Qiu Mian stood not far away. She wanted to rush over, push away the abusers, and shield Qiu Kui behind her.
But her feet felt nailed to the ground, unable to move.
Her throat was also gripped tightly by something, preventing any sound from coming out.
She could only watch helplessly as Qiu Kui was shoved and malicious hands reached toward her.
“Hey! Let her go!”
She roared in her heart, struggling with all her might, but it was useless.
Then the scene suddenly shifted.
The rooftop. The wind howled.
The girl wearing the plain white ceramic mask stood quietly before her, short knife in hand.
In the next second, the knife mercilessly stabbed into her abdomen.
At the same moment she was stabbed, in another direction, Qiu Kui had somehow appeared there. The girl raised a heavy stone and smashed it viciously toward Qiu Kui’s head!
“!!!”
Qiu Mian bolted upright in bed.
The left side of her abdomen still throbbed with lingering phantom pain.
Outside the window, the sky was already turning pale. The early morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, dispelling the darkness in the room and gradually calming her wildly beating heart.
It was a dream… Just a nightmare…
No… Absolutely not!
Qiu Mian clutched the edge of the blanket tightly.
The fear in her eyes slowly faded.
She could not let that kind of thing happen!
She must protect Qiu Kui at all costs!
And… find that bastard with the white mask before she strikes again!
She took several deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, then threw off the covers and got out of bed.
Her body was still a little weak, but her eyes had regained their clarity.
When she walked out of the room, the aroma of breakfast was already drifting over.
Qiu Kui was still busy in the kitchen. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head. With a faint smile on her face, she said softly, “Good morning, Jie-jie. Breakfast is almost ready.”
Her eyes were bright, her cheeks carried a healthy flush, and she looked to be in a great mood. There was no trace of the miserable scene from Qiu Mian’s dream last night.
Good… It was only a dream.
Qiu Mian breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
She nodded without saying anything and went to wash up.
During breakfast, Qiu Kui seemed to notice that Qiu Mian was even quieter than usual and somewhat distracted, but she didn’t ask any questions. She simply pushed another fried egg toward Qiu Mian’s side in silence.
Then she ate her own portion in small bites, occasionally stealing glances at Qiu Mian.
Gotta speed things up…
Qiu Mian ate without tasting anything, her mind calculating rapidly.
I can’t just passively wait for the plot or rely on that unreliable “original story” information. I need to take the initiative.
The Drama Club is one direction. Xia Qingkong… might be usable too, but I have to be careful not to let her get too close or interfere with the plot… Or at least, I can’t let “myself” and Xia Qingkong’s relationship stray too far from the main “opposition” line…
As for Qiu Kui… I need to find a way to increase her ability to protect herself, or at least make her more used to my “protection,” so that when real danger comes, she’ll know what to do…
The meal ended amid Qiu Mian’s heavy thoughts and Qiu Kui’s quiet companionship.
The two of them packed up, grabbed their schoolbags, and walked out of the apartment door as usual.
However, the moment they stepped out of the building entrance, a figure that absolutely should not have been there appeared, brimming with sunny energy and entering their sight.
Xia Qingkong was leaning against the mailbox in front of the apartment building across from theirs, a light backpack on her back and what looked like a piece of toast still in her mouth.
The moment she saw them come out, her eyes brightened. She immediately straightened up, waved vigorously, and broke into a brilliant smile.
“Qiu Mian classmate! Qiu Kui classmate! Good morning! What a coincidence!”
Qiu Mian: “……?”
Qiu Mian froze, her footsteps halting in place, finding it somewhat unbelievable.
Coincidence? This apartment building is quite a distance from school, and at this time of day…
Xia Qingkong quickly finished the toast, dusted the crumbs off her hands, and walked over to them with light steps, her smile radiant.
“What’s wrong? Are you that surprised? Ah, didn’t the landlady tell you?” She pointed at the building they had just exited, then at the similar-looking apartment building behind herself.
“We live right across from each other! We’re neighbors! I just moved in yesterday!”
Neighbors?!
Qiu Mian’s pupils contracted slightly.
Neighbors?! Are you kidding me?! There was no such thing in the original story! The female protagonist and the villain living across from each other?! What kind of ridiculous development is this?!
And she moved in yesterday? So coincidentally? On the exact same day I transferred and transmigrated?
Is this the world automatically fixing a bug, or… is someone doing this on purpose?
She couldn’t help but re-examine Xia Qingkong.
The girl in front of her was still wearing the Holy Iris Academy uniform. Tall and slender, with a clean, refreshing smile and bright, clear eyes. There was no visible malice or scheming, only pure sunniness.
But… was it really just a coincidence?
Seeing that Qiu Mian was only staring at her silently with a somewhat dazed expression, Xia Qingkong smiled as if finding it amusing, then naturally turned to Qiu Kui, who was also a little stunned.
“Good morning, Qiu Kui classmate! Did you sleep well last night? By the way, what did you two have for breakfast? I almost overslept and only managed a piece of toast. I’m so hungry…”
Qiu Kui wasn’t very good at dealing with such overly familiar enthusiasm. Her face flushed slightly as she answered softly, “G-Good morning… We had fried eggs and toast…”
“Wow, that sounds delicious! Qiu Kui classmate must be really good at cooking, right?” Xia Qingkong’s eyes sparkled even more. She very naturally began chatting with Qiu Kui, asking about good bakeries near the school and what time they should leave in the morning to avoid traffic — all ordinary daily topics.
Although Qiu Kui’s answers were brief, Xia Qingkong’s questions were all very normal and her attitude friendly, so she gradually relaxed and even added a few quiet comments here and there.
Qiu Mian watched the two of them chatting happily and felt a complex, heavy emotion rise in her heart.
Neighbors… Going to school together every day…
How am I supposed to maintain an “oppositional” relationship like this?
Is Xia Qingkong really this free of any darkness, or is it just her personality?
She walked silently a little ahead and to the side of the two girls, listening to Xia Qingkong’s light, cheerful voice and Qiu Kui’s soft replies behind her. The morning sunlight fell on her body, yet she felt almost no warmth.
My plans… need to be adjusted.
The appearance of Xia Qingkong as this “unexpected variable” had made the situation even more complicated.
But no matter what, the direction of investigating and advancing the plot could not change.
She would start with the Drama Club and Qing Shui You.
As for Xia Qingkong… she would observe her for now and maintain some surface distance. She couldn’t let her become too deeply involved.
After all, in this crisis-filled world, there might not be only sunlight behind that bright smile.
And she… had to remain vigilant at all times.
Qiu Mian tightened her grip slightly on her schoolbag strap.