Chapter 52: Mental Illness

She had been waiting for his reply this whole time.

She had always truly loved his books.

But why, for what possible reason, would he say such hurtful things?

Was this still the same Xiaobai?

Her eyes, wet with tears, remained fixed on her phone screen.

The indoor climate control system hummed quietly, the only sound in the air being the faint, steady flow of the vents.

Yet, she couldn’t feel even a hint of warmth.

She understood Chinese.

She knew it because a Chinese girl had once walked into the deepest part of her heart.

That girl had helped the originally reclusive Mio learn, little by little, to reach for the sunlight and try to build connections with others.

But at this moment, she wished she understood nothing—that she could go back to the time when she couldn’t read these characters.

She recognized every single word.

Yet, when they were put together, they felt like sharp blades that easily sliced through her consciousness, causing her breathing to become erratic in an instant.

For a fleeting second, the thought of ending everything right then and there even crossed her mind.

[Baiye Duxing]: I hate you. You’re a vain, shallow person.

[Baiye Duxing]: My novel isn’t for someone like you to read.

[Baiye Duxing]: Get out of my life forever!

[Yukino]: You aren’t Xiaobai at all! (Red exclamation mark)

Sending failed.

This meant the other party had completely deleted her.

She had been deleted by Xiaobai.

“No way…”

“This isn’t real.”

“How could something like this happen…?”

She subconsciously sat up straight, her silk nightgown slipping slightly off her shoulder.

But right now, she had no time to worry about such things.

She repeatedly chewed over the last few sentences the other party had left before deleting her.

‘Am I a… vain, shallow person?’

Perhaps it was because she always liked to take photos of street scenery.

Brightly lit streets, neat shop windows, and the quiet, clean night air.

But that was really just because they were beautiful.

She simply thought she wanted to show them to everyone.

How could that be called vanity?

This was too much.

If she were truly vain, she could easily take much more ostentatious photos to make people envious.

His novel wasn’t for someone like her?

But Xiaobai never truly knew her.

He didn’t even know her real gender.

He didn’t know that in reality, she wasn’t actually a flippant person.

Get out of his life?

Why?

In his QQ group, there were people far more annoying, noisy, and lacking in boundaries than her.

And yet, the one who was hated, rejected, and kicked away was her.

‘Am I really… that hatable?’

Himuro Mio sat on the bed, hugging her knees tightly.

In the bedroom, which was spacious to the point of being empty, only the sound of her own breathing felt exceptionally clear.

Even though she didn’t want to cry, tears wouldn’t stop falling.

“Hey, why do you hate me, Xiaobai…?”

“Is it because I’m always pressuring you to update and it made you unhappy?”

“Or is it because your life… has been too stressful lately?”

“I can give you more money.”

“As long as you don’t hate me…”

That nonchalant sentence seemed like a primitive instinct to solve the problem.

Besides him, she truly had nothing left.

She absolutely could not lose him like this.

She suddenly looked up.

On that stunningly beautiful and delicate face, no emotion could be seen.

The tears had stopped.

But that was only on the surface.

Her inner self was more turbulent than anyone else’s.

‘Even if you think I’m clinging… I must make up with you.’

‘If even you won’t acknowledge me…’

‘Then there really is no point in living.’

With trembling fingers, she clicked the request to join the group chat again.

At the same time, she sent another friend request.

The expensive phone felt slightly hot in her palm.

Her heart pounded uneasily.

It felt as if she were waiting for a sentence that would decide her fate.

She got out of bed and pulled back the curtains, letting the sunlight flood the room.

Inside the Japanese-style estate in Shoto, Tokyo, the entire building appeared solemn and dignified.

This was one of the Himuro Clan’s residences.

The surrounding area was once a gathering place for the Imperial family, old nobility, and descendants of pre-war capitalists.

The Himuro family was a branch of that old nobility that had grown stronger through constant intermarriage with those capitalists.

The butler and maids were busy in the courtyard.

Gardeners were trimming the Himuro family’s golf course.

Security personnel in black suits stood perfectly upright.

Himuro Mio’s eyes watched all of this quietly.

It felt so empty.

Normally, she gave people the impression of an emotionless porcelain doll.

But in reality, that wasn’t the case…

When chatting with Xiaobai, she always had endless things to say and stories to tell…

She really wished Xiaobai would come to Tokyo.

She took out her phone again and refreshed the novel website page.

[Baiye Duxing] still hadn’t updated.

“If you don’t acknowledge me, I’ll really want to die, Xiaobai…”

“But if I die, what kind of world will I go to?”

“Xiaobai, if you don’t like me, I have many ways to force you to like me.”

“But I don’t want to go that far.”

“So please, hurry up and accept my friend request.”

“Okay?”

She stared at the screen, murmuring in a low voice.

Suddenly, she remembered something important.

Supposing [Baiye Duxing] really refused to accept her—

Then she would have no choice but to do that.

She dialed a number.

On the other end of the line was her maid and psychiatrist.

She was a graduate of the University of Tokyo with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.

She was also an expert in Aikido.

Himuro Mio had once suffered from a severe mental illness.

It was precisely because of this illness.

It had allowed her, in her earlier years, to become the one who stood out among the children of the Himuro Clan.

“Good day, Shirozakura.”

The moment the call connected, Himuro Mio’s voice was very soft.

So soft it was almost devoid of warmth.

She was not a girl who liked to talk much.

“I want to consult you about something.”

She paused, as if weighing her words.

“Suppose there is a person.”

“A foreigner.”

“His mental state is unstable.”

“His mood is persistently low, his social skills are extremely poor, and he has a clear tendency to escape reality.”

“In emotional relationships, he also displays strong dependency and passivity.”

“He cannot receive adequate treatment in his own country. Could we first designate him with a psychiatric diagnosis from our end?”

A soft, beautiful voice came from the other end.

“Please continue, Lady Himuro.”

“I’m not saying I want to hurt him.”

“I hope he can receive the most proper and safe care because he is… an important friend.”

“The country this person is in does not have sufficiently established mental healthcare conditions.”

“His guardian environment also has obvious defects.”

“If we intervene and use the H.M. Psychosomatic Medical Welfare Co., Ltd. under the Himuro Clan to transfer him into a long-term care facility controlled by our family…”

“Under strict supervision, receiving continuous treatment and observation, I believe he will surely recover.”

“I believe I understand. You wish to imprison him.”

Shirozakura saw right through her.

“Is there a way to do it?”

Himuro Mio didn’t deny it.

Yes, it was all a front.

The core objective was indeed long-term control.

“We can try. For instance, we could first rely on China’s internet addiction treatment centers to achieve the initial physical control, and then we take over to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

“May I ask, do you have that person’s specific information?”

If [Baiye Duxing] refused to accept her friend request…

She would have to be prepared to do what was necessary.

“Wait a moment.”

Himuro Mio stared at the QQ screen on her phone.

“If it really becomes necessary, I will call you again.”