20

Time passed slowly, and before anyone realized it, summer had ended. Lancheng skipped autumn entirely as temperatures plummeted like a roller coaster, and people on the streets were already donning thick coats.

Yu Mingjiao passed the preliminary test without any surprises. When Cen Lingqiu heard the news, she gave her a look that seemed to say, "I told you so." Yu Mingjiao stared at the notification on her phone, feeling a bit bewildered.

In that moment, her near-dead heart skipped a beat, and the numb, despondent emotions she had long harbored were tinged with a bit of color.

It had been a long time since she felt this kind of joy, the kind that made her heart race. Her life had been one failure after another, leaving her numb to any sensation of happiness. Numbness and despair had corroded her spirit, making life feel like death.

Most of the time, she thought she might as well die—after all, there was no happiness, no hope, no love of any kind.

When she saw that she had passed, she thought calmly and numbly:

Oh, so someone as worthless as me can still experience a little bit of luck?

A sense of accomplishment and recognition flowed through Yu Mingjiao like spring water, revitalizing her rusty body.

And she couldn't deny that this feeling of joy was all because of Cen Lingqiu.

Cen Lingqiu had once caused her so much pain, but now she had given her the opportunity to find value in herself.

Both pain and joy stemmed from this woman.

The system's voice chimed in Cen Lingqiu's mind.

[Self-destruction level has decreased by 30%. Current self-destruction level is 50%. Cen Lingqiu, your task completion is just around the corner!!]

[Shh, quiet.]

Happiness must be contagious, or why else would Cen Lingqiu feel a bit of joy too?

Yu Mingjiao.

Just live on, filled with hope and purpose.

To celebrate her passing the preliminary round, Cen Lingqiu decided to take her to Wen Zhi's bar, where Wen Zhi's band was performing that night.

Yu Mingjiao disliked crowded places and initially wanted to refuse, but this time, she surprisingly didn't decline Cen Lingqiu's invitation.

Cen Lingqiu brought her to a VIP spot where there weren't many people, making Yu Mingjiao feel more comfortable.

Wen Zhi's band was very popular, and even in the corner, Yu Mingjiao could feel the crowd's wild cheers.

Cen Lingqiu handed her a glass of lime soda and, because of the noise, leaned close to her ear and said loudly, "If you want to leave, just let me know!"

Yu Mingjiao didn't hear what she said; all her attention was on the breath by her ear and the coldness of the woman's body next to her.

Cen Lingqiu's body was very cold. Even the slightest touch sent a chill to Yu Mingjiao's hand.

"Did you hear me?" Cen Lingqiu noticed she was distracted and repeated her question.

Yu Mingjiao finally nodded.

The bar had the air conditioning on, but Cen Lingqiu still felt cold. She was always afraid of the cold, and once autumn and winter hit, she practically turned into ice.

No matter which world she was in, no matter who she became, this trait never changed.

Recently, she had noticed that Yu Mingjiao's body was warm. Despite being so thin, with a cold and gloomy face, Yu Mingjiao's body was warm. Whenever Cen Lingqiu got close to her, she could feel a bit of warmth.

She especially liked Yu Mingjiao's hands—long, pale fingers that were always warm, no matter the weather. Dry and warm.

Cen Lingqiu loved all things warm, so as the weather got colder, she unconsciously got closer to Yu Mingjiao, sometimes even reaching out to touch her hand.

But only just a touch; Yu Mingjiao wouldn't let her hold it.

The two sat close to each other. Yu Mingjiao, feeling a bit warm, took off her coat, revealing a black, thin-knit sweater underneath.

When Wen Zhi came down, she saw the two of them sitting close together.

Cen Lingqiu's face was slightly turned, her expression gentle as she spoke to Yu Mingjiao, who was quietly sipping her soda. Her indifferent expression was hidden in the dim light, making it hard to read her emotions. She didn't speak, only occasionally nodding.

Although Wen Zhi had long known that the relationship between Cen Lingqiu and Yu Mingjiao had become strange recently, seeing the two former enemies suddenly sitting together, calmly chatting, was still something she found hard to accept.

She didn't let her surprise show and greeted them with a smile, "Lin Qiu, you're here."

Wen Zhi met Yu Mingjiao's gaze and nodded with a smile. "Hello."

Yu Mingjiao responded with a simple "Hmm."

A few other band members arrived, and upon seeing Yu Mingjiao, they couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, Lin Qiu, is this your friend? She's so beautiful."

Cen Lingqiu was used to people being amazed by Yu Mingjiao's appearance. After all, she also found Yu Mingjiao stunningly beautiful.

More beautiful than any protagonist she had encountered in any world.

But Yu Mingjiao's constant cold and gloomy expression gave her beauty a forbidding air.

However, when she smiled, she was especially adorable.

Cen Lingqiu's thoughts wandered.

She wondered if she would get to see that smile again before she left this world.

"Let's have a drink together," a guy suggested, pouring drinks for everyone.

"She can't drink," Cen Lingqiu quickly stopped him from pouring Yu Mingjiao a drink.

"Hmm?"

"She can't drink." Cen Lingqiu smiled. "She's not in good health, so let's give her a pass."

Wen Zhi laughed. "Lin Qiu, you're only five years older than her, not ten. Why are you treating her like a child?"

Cen Lingqiu was almost thirty in reality and often forgot that her current body was only twenty-five. She couldn't help but see Yu Mingjiao as a much younger person.

"Drink your drink." Cen Lingqiu pushed a glass of wine to Wen Zhi's mouth. "Stop talking so much."

Wen Zhi laughed heartily and, without thinking, blurted out, "You're so protective of her now, but why did you bully her so much before?"

Yu Mingjiao's hand froze mid-drink, and Cen Lingqiu immediately sensed the shift in the atmosphere. Her tone was even, "You're talking too much."

Wen Zhi realized too late that she had misspoken and tried to laugh it off. "I guess I'm a little tipsy."

"Hey, Lin Qiu—" Wen Zhi changed the subject. "Why don't you go up on stage and perform? Didn't you say you wanted to give it a try?"

Cen Lingqiu had never said that—it was the original owner's idea. She shook her head. "No."

"Come on, go for it," Wen Zhi urged. "I'd love to see it. Maybe your friend would too."

Cen Lingqiu looked at Yu Mingjiao again and asked softly, "Would you like to see it?"

Yu Mingjiao met her gaze for a couple of seconds before looking away.

"Whatever."

That sounded like a yes.

Cen Lingqiu didn't refuse anymore and leaned in closer. "I'll go up and play something to celebrate your passing the preliminaries."

She got on stage. A female singer was performing, but Cen Lingqiu couldn't sing—she only knew how to play the guitar, a skill she had picked up during a previous mission.

Yu Mingjiao set down her drink and looked up at Cen Lingqiu on stage.

She sat on a high stool, her long hair tied up loosely. Perhaps because she was cold, she wore a blue wool coat, the waist cinched by a belt that accentuated her slim figure.

Her posture was relaxed, her expression calm and laid-back as she played the guitar.

As if sensing Yu Mingjiao's gaze, Cen Lingqiu looked out at the crowd, her eyes finding Yu Mingjiao's.

She smiled at her, her amber eyes like misty glass beads, clear and serene.

Yu Mingjiao's hand trembled as she gripped her glass, spilling a few drops on her hand.

She looked away, her gaze unfocused.

——

After passing the preliminaries, the next step was the finals. The X.R. organizers had already given out the topic, with a deadline set for mid-December. Over the next month, Yu Mingjiao buried herself in design work, producing numerous drafts. With exams at school on top of that, she barely left the house during this time.

Cen Lingqiu was also busy. Zhang Li's health had deteriorated, her chronic gastritis flaring up, and she constantly needed Cen Lingqiu by her side.

Work was piling up for Cen Lingqiu as well. After work, she had to care for Zhang Li, so she and Yu Mingjiao had fewer opportunities to see each other over the past month.

But Cen Lingqiu still made time to cook at Yu Mingjiao's place. Although her own kitchen had been repaired, she found it too much trouble to carry dishes back and forth, so she cooked at Yu Mingjiao's place instead. Yu Mingjiao no longer coldly rejected Cen Lingqiu's presence; she had come to silently accept having her around.

They would have meals together and then return to their respective homes to continue their work.

If Cen Lingqiu finished early, she would sometimes pick Yu Mingjiao up from school.

Without them noticing, the weather had grown colder.

One night, Cen Lingqiu looked out at the first snow and murmured, "Winter is already here."

Had time really passed so quickly?

Yu Mingjiao also looked at the snow outside.

"I want to go out."

She suddenly said.

Cen Lingqiu turned. "You want to go out and see the snow?"

Yu Mingjiao nodded.

Cen Lingqiu loved when Yu Mingjiao expressed her desires. She was usually so silent, burying all her emotions deep inside, never saying anything, completely shutting herself off.

Moments like this, where she expressed what she wanted, were a good sign.

Although Cen Lingqiu didn't like snow, she respected Yu Mingjiao's wishes.

She wrapped a scarf around her, covering half of her delicate, snow-white face. Cen Lingqiu had been taking good care of her, and her face was no longer gaunt. Her skin was a healthy pale, and her once sickly appearance had faded, making her look more youthful.

Cen Lingqiu felt a sense of accomplishment and couldn't resist running her fingers through Yu Mingjiao's increasingly long hair.

She took Yu Mingjiao downstairs to the courtyard.

Yu Mingjiao quietly watched the snow fall under the streetlights, snowflakes landing on her long eyelashes, trembling. Her expression was pure and serene, nothing more than that.

Cen Lingqiu leaned against the streetlamp, her gaze fixed on Yu Mingjiao.

The system had recently informed her that Yu Mingjiao's self-destruction level had dropped to twenty-five.

Now, Cen Lingqiu just needed to ensure that Yu Mingjiao made it through her birthday, and her mission would be complete.

Her task was already three-quarters done.

She would be leaving this world soon.

There was a twinge of reluctance.

These past few months with Yu Mingjiao had brought her more feelings than any other mission.

Yu Mingjiao was gloomy, reserved, rarely spoke, and was overly sensitive and straightforward, which often gave Cen Lingqiu headaches.

But the more she got to know her, the more she saw that Yu Mingjiao was just a bit of a stubborn, contradictory child, never saying anything nice, yet occasionally showing her vulnerable, childish side.

She was like a wary, beautiful cat that had been hurt too many times.

Perhaps because they had spent so much time together, even though it wasn't always pleasant, Cen Lingqiu had developed a bit of affection for her, like one might feel for a stray cat they had been feeding. If one day that cat were gone, she might feel a bit of sadness.

Cen Lingqiu brushed the snowflakes off her hair and asked, "Mingjiao, does your wrist still hurt?"

She was referring to the scar from Yu Mingjiao's suicide attempt.

The scar was old; it had long since stopped hurting.

Yu Mingjiao: "What are you trying to ask?"

Cen Lingqiu smiled, standing behind her, lightly playing with her hair.

"In the future—" Cen Lingqiu hesitated for a moment before continuing in a joking tone, "you'll live well, right? Don't do anything foolish like that again."

Yu Mingjiao didn't notice the odd tone in Cen Lingqiu's voice and responded in her usual cold manner: "As long as you don't bother me."

Cen Lingqiu replied calmly, "You're always so harsh."

Just as expected.

"Your birthday is coming up." Cen Lingqiu watched the snow falling all around. "I'll spend it with you."

Yu Mingjiao: "I don't need that."

Cen Lingqiu: "I can't hear you."

Yu Mingjiao: "…"