Chapter 3: Struggle

“Are you asleep?”

A soft hand pressed against Jiang Ran’s forehead and was quickly withdrawn as if struck by an electric shock.

Jiang Ran’s forehead, which he hadn’t had time to tuck back under the covers, was exposed.

His eyelids, thin as cicada wings, were tightly closed, and his nose twitched slightly.

More importantly, the voice didn’t belong to Su Nian from earlier.

It was another unfamiliar woman.

Her voice was sticky and soft, like adhesive tape stuck together, leaving Jiang Ran’s mind in a mess.

‘Dammit… why is there another woman? And the strength in her fingers isn’t light at all. The touch of her soft fingertips carries an undisguised sense of aggression.’

Her fingernails scraped against his eye sockets, causing a dull pain, but he had to endure it.

He didn’t dare make a sound; he had no idea who this woman was.

‘Could she be a woman from the APP? Why is she acting so fast?’

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Jiang Ran really wanted to complain about why a grown man like him was acting so humiliated, not even daring to open his eyes.

‘Damned eyes, move!’

His consciousness was slowly swallowed by a tide of timidity.

As his reason began to fade, his eyelids twitched unnaturally.

A subtle curve bloomed at the corners of the woman’s lips, tugging at the beauty mark near her eye.

Her smile deepened, and she whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

“You’re actually pretending to sleep, aren’t you?”

*Thump —*

‘How did she find out?’

Jiang Ran gripped the bedsheets.

His fair calves felt a bit numb, so he shifted them slightly, pretending to still be asleep.

Unexpectedly, his shoulders were pulled up.

Jiang Ran reflexively opened his eyes, his black pupils meeting the cunning expression on the woman’s face.

It was an exquisite face, breathtakingly beautiful.

A stray thought bubbled up from the bottom of his heart:

‘I didn’t know a person could look like this.’

Her porcelain face had a faint peach-pink glow.

The beauty mark at the corner of her eye was exceptionally clear; it didn’t detract from her beauty but rather added a touch of charm.

Jiang Ran remembered who she was.

She was the neighbor who lived next door.

Usually, he called her Sister Gu Ge.

She had been taking care of him in the hospital lately.

She was also the one who had found Jiang Ran after he fainted at home and brought him to the hospital.

“Little guy, you’re awake? Still trying to play possum with me?”

The woman’s voice was gentle, as if the force from her fingers earlier had been an illusion.

She looked like a refreshing, kind older sister — the type who would probably cry for a long time if someone punched her.

Jiang Ran’s lips moved slightly, and he instinctively lowered his head.

“I… I’m sorry.”

His reason wanted to resist just a little bit, but an endless wave of regret inexplicably welled up from his heart.

It was as if a person like him, who only caused trouble for others, deserved to die.

Small pearls fell as if they cost nothing; this frail body couldn’t even withstand this level of scolding.

‘This body is too sickly.’

Jiang Ran clenched his small fists, only to release them weakly.

He was exhausted.

It turned out that the person who would cry for a long time if punched was actually him.

*Sob.*

‘This isn’t how things are supposed to go. I’m so useless.’

Gu Ge’s lips curled into a playful arc, and her gaze cleared.

She stroked Jiang Ran’s fluffy black hair and said softly, “Why the sudden tears? A little crybaby like you could easily be kidnapped by a bad sister.”

*Ugh…*

Jiang Ran bit his lip, his gaze falling on the Contract hidden under his pillow.

His pupils suddenly contracted.

It was the one Su Nian had made him sign earlier.

As a duplicate, one copy remained in Jiang Ran’s hands.

Originally, it was meant to prevent his gambling-addict father from welshing on the debt and causing him trouble, but now it felt like a sharp needle piercing his heart.

He… had already been sold, and by his own father’s hand.

Now, hearing Gu Ge’s gentle words, he felt an indescribable sense of alienation.

A damn wall had risen between them.

Jiang Ran straightened up and sat directly on the Contract, pushing it further under the pillow.

Sister Gu Ge must never see this document.

It was the only way Jiang Ran could think of — stupid, yet desperate.

There were too many things to deal with; it was hard to keep track of every detail.

Gu Ge’s eyes fell on Jiang Ran’s awkward posture.

She chuckled.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable sitting like that? Let me help you shift.”

With that, she reached out.

Jiang Ran’s gaze sharpened.

Sensing trouble, he pressed down harder on the Contract.

Gu Ge also noticed he was hiding something.

She reached out to pull him, but he resisted even more fiercely.

“I’m fine. My back just felt a bit unsupported, so I shifted positions.”

Gu Ge froze for a moment.

She could tell he wasn’t being honest, but it didn’t matter anymore.

She pulled a small plastic box from her bag.

“Ran, today is the day you’re being discharged. Did you forget? Before, you were always staring blankly at the cakes other people had. Look, I brought you the exact same kind today as a reward for leaving the hospital.”

Jiang Ran’s mouth opened slightly.

“That looks expensive. It costs thirty yuan, doesn’t it? Sister Gu, you didn’t have to do this.”

Gu Ge shook her head.

“The fact that you know the price means you’ve thought about it a lot. This is a gift from me, so just take it. Besides, didn’t I tell you? I found a high-paying job recently. Get some rest. I want to taste your noodle soup again in the future.”

“Oh, I see. Then once I’m better, I’ll make noodles for you.”

Jiang Ran nodded blankly.

Memories of him making noodles for Gu Ge surfaced.

In his spare time, he would cook for this neighbor.

Back then, because he was working while studying, his time was tight, so he could only make simple noodle soups.

Later, a neighbor moved in across the hall.

Once, Jiang Ran bumped into her while buying groceries.

Out of apology, he offered her a bowl of soup noodles on credit.

The past was like a fishhook, pulling up a string of long-buried memories.

Jiang Ran felt a sense of dissociation; after all, having these foreign memories barge into his head was always uncomfortable.

‘Why do the characters in this Yandere Game all have such eerie backstories?’

He straightened his back and accepted the cake under Gu Ge’s expectant gaze.

It was just big enough to cover his entire palm, and it wobbled slightly as he held it with one hand.

He unhooked the clasp at the bottom of the box with one finger and reached for the spoon somewhat awkwardly with his other hand.

He took a bite. It was quite sweet.

“Is it good?”

Gu Ge sat down by Jiang Ran’s legs, her voice cool.

“Yeah, it’s good. It’s very sweet.”

Jiang Ran didn’t particularly like overly sweet things, so he only took a small bite. He felt that cake would taste better with bitter coffee.

“You’re only eating that much? Is it not to your liking?”

“No.”

Jiang Ran shook his head.

His gaze swept over the lingering pink interface of the APP.

In a low, raspy voice, he said, “I just feel like you being this good to me is a bit surreal. I can’t give you anything in return, so… this kindness… it makes me a little afraid.”

Jiang Ran looked up, facing Gu Ge directly for the first time.

The information that had popped up on the APP earlier and those Blood-stained Clothes had left him unsettled.

He wasn’t in the mood to eat cake.

He was just trying to gather more evidence without breaking character.

With this sickly body, if things truly blew up, he would probably end up with a BE in this Yandere Game.

Gu Ge’s kindness was definitely off.

How could a mere neighbor do so much?

‘It doesn’t seem real.’

Jiang Ran fumbled for his phone and, without Gu Ge noticing, quietly turned on the recording function.