Chapter 5: Childhood Sweethearts Also Have Their Own Lives

By the time the late-night study session for the seniors ended, it was already around ten o'clock.

Sometimes the two would run into each other and head home together, but more often than not, Jiang Mo would rather skip the study session than walk with Jiang Wanfeng.

That’s how a pure-hearted high school boy operates: he secretly pines for the goddess from a dark corner, and because he only crushes on one, he calls it "devotion." Back when Jiang Mo was chasing Hu Yu'en, he would deliberately keep his distance from other girls, including Jiang Wanfeng. He spent every day wallowing in self-righteous sentimentality, but in reality, he was just a pathetic, horny simp.

The path from the teaching building to the main gate was lit by dim, yellowish streetlights that eventually focused on the girl’s fair, rosy cheeks.

"The test went okay."

Suddenly having someone to talk to, even if it was Jiang Wanfeng, made Jiang Mo feel much more at ease. After all, he had completely said goodbye to his former social circle and his former self. Over the past two days of exams, besides preparing, he had been bombarded by the system’s high-density information. People need an outlet; no matter what his mood was, he had been bottling it up, not to mention that yesterday he had actually gotten into a fight with that group of private-tutor kids in class.

"Okay?"

"Let's just say I outperformed myself."

Jiang Wanfeng thought about it. Even with an "outperformance," Jiang Mo’s level was barely enough to get into a non-prestigious university. Her delicate brows knit into a worried frown.

"Can you... make it to the advanced class?"

"Why? Do you want to be in the same class as me?"

"Tsk, you’ve been disgusting lately. Who would want to be in the same class as you?" Jiang Wanfeng snorted in disdain and put some distance between them.

If Jiang Mo didn't know what was going on in her head, he might have actually been fooled by her. She said no with her mouth, but her body... well, her body was also being quite dishonest. After getting used to it over the last two days, Jiang Mo realized that Jiang Wanfeng wasn't all that terrifying—she was still a far cry from the yandere childhood friend she would become. In fact, sometimes teasing her until she blushed, only for her to remain stubborn as a mule, was quite amusing. As they spent more time together, the system stopped popping up as often; it seemed these little skirmishes were no longer enough to alter the future.

"Jiang Mo."

"Yeah?"

"You had your heart broken, didn't you?" After a few steps, Jiang Wanfeng turned back to question him. The beautiful girl with single eyelids wore a cold, detached expression. "You're like a different person."

"Nah, I have crushes on so many people, losing one doesn't count for much," Jiang Mo laughed. If you had a system, you’d change too; you’d be just as wild. Besides, this system had fundamentally altered his cognition, including his perception of Hu Yu'en and Jiang Wanfeng. He could even accept that his childhood friend and his "white moonlight" were both members of the Wanquan Department. He was grateful for the pressure of nine years of compulsory education; it had done a great job of training his resilience as a wage slave.

"..."

"You’re never serious," Jiang Wanfeng muttered. "With that attitude, it'd be a miracle if any girl liked you."

"Ah, what should I do if no one wants me?" Jiang Mo suddenly lunged in front of Jiang Wanfeng, catching a glimpse of a fleeting blush on her face. She was definitely thinking about whether he had a crush on her.

A "downer" girl is hard to deal with, but an arrogant, "downer" girl who is pretty and blushes easily... well, she’s actually quite fun to handle.

"Why ask me?" Jiang Wanfeng immediately went cold. "Go ask your Hu Yu'en."

"Hey! You're blushing!"

"I'm just angry at you."

"What did I ever do to you?" Jiang Mo gestured wildly at her. "I'm depressed, the kind of depressed where you can fast-forward to a 'try not to laugh' challenge."

"..."

Jiang Wanfeng seemed genuinely angry. She turned her head away, ignoring him, and walked briskly on her own.

"I don't like her anymore."

Suddenly, Jiang Mo blurted out a sentence that acted like a deceleration debuff on Jiang Wanfeng. The girl slowed her pace, waiting for the next sentence.

"So, I've turned over a new leaf." Jiang Mo appeared in her line of sight, swaying slightly.

"I don't see it," Jiang Wanfeng pursed her lips, starlight flickering in the depths of her eyes. "You're just getting more greasy."

"Hu Yu'en... and those friends of yours, they aren't good people."

"I told you that before, and you never listened." The girl opened the floodgates.

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of villain."

"I know, I know," Jiang Mo replied quickly. "I've cut ties with them, really. I've been studying hard for the past few days."

"If you don't believe me, let's compare our test answers. You have good grades, so you can see if I've improved."

Jiang Wanfeng narrowed her eyes, looking at him suspiciously. "Give me your papers."

Jiang Mo handed them over in one go. Knowing that English was his weakest subject, the girl immediately stared at the English paper to check it. Under the dim light, the expressions on Jiang Wanfeng’s face were quite spectacular. She even began to suspect that she had failed the exam herself, since she had chosen almost the exact same answers as Jiang Mo. After checking carefully, Jiang Wanfeng could confirm that Jiang Mo had truly mastered the material. As for cheating? She never believed he was capable of such a thing.

Having clarified reality, the arrogant little childhood friend stared at Jiang Mo, blank-faced and filled with disbelief. His last English exam had been at a seventy or eighty-point level... now he was on par with her.

And then,

[Your life trajectory has changed; the future outcome has shifted.]

[Ten years from now, while sharing an intimate moment with you, Jiang Wanfeng will recall this summer night ten years ago. She will remember how you silently proved your change through your efforts in your studies. She never expected you to be willing to sacrifice so much for her; she will view this as your confession of love. From that moment on, Jiang Wanfeng will swear to be with you forever...]

[However, she will also be struck by the realization that from that day on, you were no longer the frail, beloved soul in her eyes that needed protection.]

[Hu Yu'en will harass you time and again. In the future, you will not explain this to Jiang Wanfeng, which will deeply wound her heart.]

[It turns out that she is the one who needs protection; your body is imprisoned, and so is her soul.]

[Under Hu Yu'en's pressure, she will begin to hesitate and drift.]

[...]

[Reward obtained: Out-of-Body Experience (Soul can only move around "beautiful girls" and can only be used while the host is asleep).]

[A major life node task is available. Will you accept it? (Note: High impact.)]

[Main Task: Investigate the origins of Jiang Wanfeng’s "obsessive love" and distorted mindset, and resolve the girl's inner trauma.]

[Bonus Task: Make her blush.]

Jiang Mo was stunned. As expected, Jiang Wanfeng's way of thinking was still uniquely twisted. Was this what it meant to leave the "newbie village" and start the main quest? A major life node—it must be a point that could directly alter the future. So, the main task was clearly targeted at Jiang Wanfeng. Could it be that every girl who appeared in his future had a node like this, a main storyline?

And then, the point: besides the main line, would there be side quests? IF-lines? Goodness, my life is a galgame full of uncertainty. And here’s the kicker: turning a galgame into an adult game is... well, it’s only human nature.

"Stop smiling, it's disgusting." Jiang Mo was just about to let his imagination run wild when Jiang Wanfeng mercilessly cut him off. "You only did well on the English test, don't get arrogant." Jiang Wanfeng took the papers. "Leave them with me. I'll annotate your mistakes so you can be more efficient in tomorrow’s review session."

"Oh, I see. I thought... you wanted to use my papers for something more fun," Jiang Mo scratched his head, shamelessly.

"You pervert! I would never do—" Jiang Wanfeng punched him, her cheeks slightly flushed. Even if she did, it wouldn't be with the papers...

"You're overreacting, woman." Jiang Mo made a gesture. "Isn't learning a form of joy?"

He suddenly exclaimed: "Could it be... you were thinking of the legendary 'girls' gym'?"

"Go to hell!" The cool-faced act Jiang Wanfeng was putting on collapsed, and she chased after Jiang Mo, kicking him.

The two chased each other all the way back to the rental apartment.

[You have improved your physique through exercise.]

[Reward: Stamina Boost Pill & 100 RMB.]

Pinned to the sofa by Jiang Wanfeng, Jiang Mo suddenly felt his pocket bulge. He pulled it out and saw the hundred yuan had arrived. Does getting beaten up count as exercise?

"Jiang Mo, where did you get that money?" Jiang Wanfeng, who was currently using a scissor-lock on him, saw him pull out the hundred yuan and questioned him with a taut face. Because Jiang Mo had a history of using his living expenses to go to internet cafes, Jiang's mother had entrusted his money to Jiang Wanfeng. Every time Jiang Mo needed to top up his meal card, he had to ask her for money. Talk about being henpecked from a young age—no wonder she turned out so yandere.

"Uh... I won it from a lottery ticket."

"How much did you win?"

"Just this much."

"Give me your backpack, I'm checking it."

"You're overstepping your bounds, baby."

"Hurry up! Or I'll step on your face!"

For some reason, hearing Jiang Wanfeng's threat, Jiang Mo subconsciously looked at the girl's feet that were pinning his neck. Although they were being used as a "weapon" to restrain his upper body, being wrapped by those two nimble, white snakes made Jiang Mo feel surprisingly un-repulsed. Her toes were long, plump, and white with a hint of pink. Through the gaps between her toes, he could see the girl’s cold, aloof face. The smooth, cool skin of her feet pressed against his throat—rather than a weapon, "food" was a more fitting description.

Taekwondo really is a great thing... strong and powerful, so powerful!

Without realizing it, Jiang Mo swallowed. The movement of his Adam's apple scraped against the cool skin on the girl's instep, pressing into her sensitive nerves. Jiang Wanfeng immediately got goosebumps.

"Why are you swallowing?"

"Well, about that, if it's like this, I