But the only thing he could be sure of was that Bai Ningbing would never just stand by and watch him die. Perhaps this was something he could use as leverage.
Lin Guanqi’s thoughts seemed to have already been seen through in front of Bai Ningbing.
She walked over to Lin Guanqi with a glass of water in her hand. Her face was expressionless, yet for some reason, it made people feel inexplicably nervous.
“W-What is it?”
Lin Guanqi stammered a little as he spoke.
“It’s nothing. If you don’t have the ability, don’t try to handle things beyond your capabilities. It won’t do you any good!”
There was anger in Bai Ningbing’s voice, but also worry.
“It’s all because of you! You refuse to help me. I can’t just watch the Rock Guardian head toward the residential area, can I?”
“But have you ever considered that you don’t have the strength to fight it at all? Your blind confidence not only causes trouble for others, but also puts yourself in danger!”
In the eyes of others, perhaps Bai Ningbing spoke this way because she was worried about Lin Guanqi, but in Lin Guanqi’s eyes, Bai Ningbing was simply looking down on her.
“So is it my fault, or do you just look down on me? Or do you simply not care about human life!”
“Bai Ningbing, at first, I just thought you were a little strange by nature, but not actually a bad person! But now I’ve changed my mind—you really are rotten to the core!”
“Mm!”
Suddenly, Lin Guanqi’s mouth was blocked by Bai Ningbing.
“You can call me rotten, or say I have no heart, but the only thing I’m sincere about is you. I have never betrayed myself! But I truly didn’t expect that after all I did, you’d say this about me. Jiao Jiao, aren’t you going too far?”
Bai Ningbing moved her hand away, and only then could Lin Guanqi speak.
“You— I don’t care who you think I am! I just don’t know you! The Jiao Jiao you’re talking about isn’t me at all. My name is Lin Qier! I have a name!”
Lin Guanqi was about to get out of bed, desperate to escape from this place of trouble, but she didn’t expect to find her ankle had been locked with a leather chain?
“Bai Ningbing! I’m giving you a chance. Let me go, you total pervert!”
Bai Ningbing didn’t realize she had done anything wrong; instead, she was utterly self-righteous.
“How am I wrong? I’m just trying to keep the one I love by my side. Where did I do anything wrong?”
Lin Guanqi couldn’t imagine what kind of monster she had provoked! This terrifying possessiveness was simply not something any normal human would have.
Bai Ningbing’s eyes looked as if she wanted to devour Lin Guanqi alive.
“You— Calm down! I really am not this Jiao Jiao you keep talking about. You can check if you want! You’ve really got the wrong person! Or are you using me as a stand-in?”
Lin Guanqi had read so many novels; even she didn’t expect substitute dramas could happen to her. This was just too bizarre!
At this point, no matter what happened next, she wouldn’t be surprised—yandere, magical girl?
Two words that made sense separately, but how could they end up together in the same sentence?
“I could never mistake you, Jiao Jiao. I don’t know what you’ve gone through, but we love each other!”
Hearing this, and from a total madwoman no less—yup, it’s exactly the substitute drama trope.
“I—”
Lin Guanqi suddenly swallowed the words she wanted to say, because she knew that saying anything else now would be useless. If she wanted to escape, she’d have to placate Bai Ningbing first.
“I… I don’t remember anymore. But if you just keep me locked up here, how would I ever remember?”
Bai Ningbing thought for a moment. That actually did make sense.
Keeping Lin Guanqi tied up like this wasn’t going to work.
“If you let me go and tell me more about the past, maybe I’ll remember something?”
Lin Guanqi’s words were slick, and Bai Ningbing was quickly led into her pace.
For a moment, Bai Ningbing actually thought she’d done something wrong.
“Almost let you fool me, Jiao Jiao. I advise you to behave. But you are right about one thing—I shouldn’t have tied you up.”
With that, Bai Ningbing actually unlocked the leather chain from her ankle.
“Don’t worry, I already let the school know. Today is the midterm, but I got your leave approved. No need to thank me.”
Hearing this, Lin Guanqi nearly snapped. She’d prepared so hard for the midterm, and now it was canceled just like that? All her hard work wasted?
She was just about to scold Bai Ningbing, but Bai Ningbing’s next words made all her resentment turn to gratitude.
“Oh, and I also told them you took down the Rock Guardian all by yourself, so the school’s giving you a direct pass.”
She might accept other things without guilt, but as for the Rock Guardian, she truly felt unworthy—if it hadn’t been for Bai Ningbing, she would have had nothing to do with that incident. Passing the test because of it? That was just wishful thinking.
So, for this, she really did owe Bai Ningbing a thank you. Even if she’d actually taken the exam, she wasn’t sure she could have passed. But Bai Ningbing had gotten her a straight pass.
“For this… Thank you. How do you want me to repay you?”
Bai Ningbing pretended to think, then asked, “Anything at all?”
“Of course not. As long as it’s something I can do, that’s fine. But if it’s too much, I won’t do it.”
Now, Lin Guanqi didn’t seem to dislike Bai Ningbing quite so much in her heart.
Bai Ningbing climbed onto the blanket and sat on Lin Guanqi’s lap. Although there was a quilt between them, body warmth couldn’t be blocked.
“Then… just hold me for a while, and I’ll count that as your repayment. How about it?”
Such a simple request left Lin Guanqi momentarily unsure if Bai Ningbing was being serious.
As she hugged Bai Ningbing, Lin Guanqi realized the other had a heartbeat too, was a living, breathing person. She started to wonder if maybe she’d gone a bit too far with her earlier words.
“Your scent makes me feel at ease.”
Bai Ningbing greedily breathed in Lin Guanqi’s fragrance.
“Bai Ningbing, I’m sorry for earlier. I… I went too far.”
Lin Guanqi mustered up her courage to say it.
“Why apologize to me? You should know by now—when it comes to your apologies, I simply can’t refuse them.”
“It’s only natural for you to hate me, and I know how terrible my personality is. But you’re the only person I can rely on. So you can reject anyone, just… please don’t reject me, okay?”
Every word Bai Ningbing said tugged at Lin Guanqi’s heartstrings, making her regret what she had just said.
“No, I just felt you were too much to me just now. You didn’t ask me anything, and you locked me up… but that’s not actually what I want to ask you the most.”