After putting down the exercise book, there was no more need for a draft notebook or pen, so there was no reason to keep sitting at the desk.
Qianling, carrying the Ocean Creatures Illustrated Guide, simply went and sat on the bed.
That way, there was also a spot beside her for Yang Mo to sit.
She placed the illustrated guide on her lap and examined it carefully.
From the outside, its cover was made of sturdy cardboard, just like any other ocean-themed book. The cover was a deep blue, decorated with a collage of various fish, with a giant sea turtle at the very center of the illustration.
As Qianling opened the illustrated guide, Yang Mo, sitting beside her, showed a look of enthusiasm.
“The book says this kind of fish had gone extinct, but later, a surviving group was found in the same river system.”
She pointed at a type of silver fish.
That fish was shaped like a feather; it was said to have been a famous delicacy in the past.
Flipping to another page, she pointed at a familiar illustration and said:
“Look, Qianling! This was the main character from that movie we watched before!”
While looking through the book together, Yang Mo would often offer Qianling extra explanations, and before they knew it, the two of them were sitting so close that they were pressed up against each other.
From the side of her thigh and arm, Qianling could clearly feel Yang Mo’s body heat.
Unlike a doll’s body, the unique warmth of living flesh flowed into her without end.
They were so close!
Yang Mo’s unconscious actions left Qianling uneasy and unsettled.
Fortunately, her ever-expressionless face performed its usual function—nothing could be read from it.
Thinking back on her previous interactions with Yang Mo, even when she was pulled into bed, the two of them had never been this physically close.
Of course, the scene she woke up to this morning had to be excluded—that was a separate matter altogether.
Qianling’s mind was in complete disarray, but her hands didn’t stop moving.
As she was about to turn to the next page, she suddenly felt something different, as if there was a thin layer caught between the pages.
Sure enough, when she looked, there was a square sticky note sandwiched in the book.
On it was handwritten information not mentioned in the illustrated guide.
Besides that, there was a simple doodle drawn in a few strokes. It was clearly a whale, matching the content on that page.
Yang Mo introduced it to Qianling with confidence: “I made this. There are quite a few of these notes stuck in the book.”
“Mm, you’re just like the Professor in Hatching Chicks,” Qianling commented, her words coming out of nowhere.
Yang Mo shot her a puzzled look.
“Qianling, what’s Hatching Chicks?”
“Don’t mind it. It’s a game. Anyway, I’m saying you’re knowledgeable.”
“Re~ally?”
Yang Mo deliberately dragged out the syllable, clearly not believing Qianling’s words.
“It’s true. Though, your drawing skills could still use some improvement,” Qianling replied, pointing at the doodle on the sticky note.
The lines Yang Mo used for the whale were so smooth that you could hardly see the whale’s form, and the tail was drawn curled up into a ball—if you added four legs, someone might even mistake it for a lizard.
Qianling could tell it was a whale at a glance only because it was put together with that page of the illustrated guide.
Yang Mo pouted in protest, “Qianling, you’re so strict, that’s not the point.”
“But if you look closely, it’s still kind of cute.”
“Exactly! Actually, I think so too…”
Before she finished her sentence, Qianling suddenly changed the subject: “I was just kidding this time.”
“…Qianling.”
Yang Mo called her name in a plaintive tone, then alternated her fists to playfully thump Qianling’s back.
Yang Mo’s strength was very gentle; after three taps, she stopped. It seemed she was just joking around.
Looking at her puffed cheeks and frowning face, Qianling quickly apologized, “Sorry, sorry.”
At the same time, she couldn’t help but let the corners of her mouth turn up just a little.
In truth, whether it was calling the doodle cute or saying Yang Mo was knowledgeable, those were Qianling’s sincere feelings, not at all exaggerated.
In the original work, Yang Mo was just a minor character who appeared briefly before quickly leaving the stage, so the audience didn’t get to know much about her personality.
Only now did Qianling understand what the official setting of “likes animals” really meant.
And…
To have made so many of these notes so seriously, she must have really looked forward to days when she could flip through this guide with someone else.
Then I have to respond to these feelings just as sincerely.
How could I think about irrelevant things at a time like this?
Qianling gradually calmed down inside, and the nervousness caused by the physical contact faded away completely.
At first, Yang Mo had been displeased that Qianling smiled while apologizing, but as she stared at Qianling’s face, her expression suddenly grew much calmer.
“What’s wrong?” Qianling asked, noticing her change.
Yang Mo thoughtfully pressed her index finger to her lips, then leaned in so close that her face was nearly touching Qianling’s, as if she was studying a rare animal.
After she pulled away, she answered Qianling, “For a second just now, it felt like your expression became really serious.”
Qianling denied it: “You must have imagined it.”
But Yang Mo wouldn’t let the topic go: “Maybe. But if I could read your expressions, maybe I wouldn’t get tricked so often.”
“I don’t trick you that much. It doesn’t matter if you can or can’t read my expressions.”
“That’s true.”
Hearing Yang Mo reply without thinking, Qianling’s conscience pricked her again.
Do I trick Yang Mo that much? I don’t… right? Really… don’t I?
If she ever could read my thoughts from this face, that would definitely be my downfall.
Qianling was sure of it.
Next, they turned to a particularly special page of the guide.
This page showed a creature called the “giant isopod.”
Its entire body was oval, covered in gray segmented armor plates. It looked like an insect, but it was an authentic deep-sea animal.
There were three sticky notes on this page, obviously more than any other page, and the doodles were drawn with much more care—at least, the lines were definitely more complex.
It was clear Yang Mo was especially enthusiastic about this creature.
She pointed to one of the pictures and said, “This is my favorite animal. Isn’t it cute?”
“Cute? …Maybe,” Qianling replied, a little troubled. The giant isopod definitely wasn’t as creepy as a real insect, but no matter how she looked at it, it just didn’t seem cute.
Yang Mo continued with a smile, “The city’s aquarium is upgrading its equipment. In a while, we’ll be able to see it there. Can we go together when the time comes?”
“Of course.”
Getting a positive answer, Yang Mo’s face bloomed with a bright smile.
But, unlike her, Qianling was suddenly caught up in serious thoughts.
So it’s finally come up? Going to the aquarium… that’s when “that” event will happen.
In the original story, Yang Mo was killed by me (Number Zero) after visiting the aquarium.
Even if I would never do such a thing, and this world isn’t just an offshoot of the “original work”…
But what if? What if the script from the original could still influence how things played out? That would be the most likely time for something unexpected to happen.
The only thing to be thankful for is that it’s still before the story’s timeline, and Qianling still had plenty of time to prepare for all kinds of possible crises.
For now, what she should do was simply enjoy her time with Yang Mo.
With that, she brushed away her tangled thoughts and finished looking through the rest of the illustrated guide together with Yang Mo.