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Cen Lingqiu eventually agreed.

In the days following her move, she felt out of place. Every time she stepped out of her room, she would often see a groggy Yu Mingjiao wandering into the living room for a drink of water. Their eyes would meet, and they would both pause, before realizing, Oh, we're living together now.

Sometimes Cen Lingqiu found it hard to believe how unpredictable life could be. Who would have thought that she and Yu Mingjiao would end up living together one day?

After getting over the initial awkwardness, Cen Lingqiu gradually became accustomed to Yu Mingjiao's presence.

In the mornings, she would get up to prepare breakfast and then go to wake Yu Mingjiao. Yu Mingjiao was notoriously difficult to wake up—she could sleep the entire day if left alone, with alarm clocks ringing one after another.

They would quietly finish breakfast together, after which Cen Lingqiu would drive her to work before heading to her own job.

In the evenings, they would return home together, often stopping by the supermarket to pick up ingredients for dinner.

On the surface, it seemed like they were just two close friends living together, their lives calm and peaceful.

It had been a long time since Cen Lingqiu had experienced a normal relationship with another person. She had no friends, no lover, and aside from work-related interactions, she was usually alone. Her life had become dull and monotonous, but she had grown accustomed to it. She had no desire to form deep connections with anyone; she simply wasn't suited for living in close proximity to others.

As a child, she had depended on her parents, feeling heartbroken whenever they left for work. Every day spent at her grandmother's house, she longed for her family to take her back home. She wanted to go home.

But the more she loved her family, the more pain she endured. Her parents, whom she adored, didn't care about her at all—they only cared about her brother. She was insignificant.

When she finally realized this, Cen Lingqiu locked herself in a room and cried until she could cry no more, her eyes dry and exhausted.

A child's first experience of love had brought only a torrential downpour, leaving nothing behind.

Cen Lingqiu remained at her grandmother's house like an abandoned puppy, bullied, disliked, and often beaten.

The happiest time of her childhood was during the Spring Festival when everyone in her grandparents' house would leave for a vacation, leaving her alone.

She loved having the house to herself.

No one was there to force her to do chores, and no one would pull her by the ear to scold her.

She truly enjoyed the feeling of being the only person in the world.

As a result, even after coming to this new world, she had never made any friends and rarely socialized.

Cen Lingqiu was afraid of, disgusted by, and resistant to letting anyone into her life.

She was like an iceberg on a deserted island—vast, lifeless, and too cold for anyone to approach.

She had believed she would spend the rest of her life in an empty house, surrounded by emptiness.

Until now, when someone had walked into her barren, desolate space. Instead of being buried in the sand, this person had walked right up to her side.

For the first time, Cen Lingqiu caught a glimpse of the pleasure that comes with normal human connections, and she found herself enjoying it.

Being with Yu Mingjiao always made her feel relaxed. As long as Yu Mingjiao was by her side, Cen Lingqiu felt as though she was wrapped in a soft cloud.

She even entertained the absurd thought that it might not be so bad to stay in this world indefinitely, without completing her mission.

After living with Yu Mingjiao for a while, Cen Lingqiu began to notice more about her.

Yu Mingjiao was a late riser, often staying in bed all day on her days off. She was a homebody who didn't enjoy going out, but Cen Lingqiu, unable to tolerate being cooped up all day, would always find an excuse to drag her out.

Yu Mingjiao would initially show reluctance, but whenever Cen Lingqiu called her "Jiaojiao," she would grudgingly agree, with a cold expression on her face.

Ever since Cen Lingqiu discovered that Yu Mingjiao liked that nickname, she would use it whenever Yu Mingjiao was being difficult. Miraculously, Yu Mingjiao would calm down every time.

Cen Lingqiu couldn't help but smile to herself.

How cute.

In addition to that, Yu Mingjiao had several bad habits: she wouldn't dry her hair after washing it and would go to sleep in an air-conditioned room, and she wouldn't eat properly. If Cen Lingqiu was too busy with work to cook dinner, Yu Mingjiao simply wouldn't eat.

Yu Mingjiao was a girl with a short temper.

She often had a bad mood upon waking up, and every time Cen Lingqiu tried to get her out of bed, she would be visibly unhappy. If Cen Lingqiu forgot about her while talking to a client, Yu Mingjiao would sulk, staying outwardly calm but acting cold and distant.

But at the same time, she was easy to console.

All Cen Lingqiu had to do was stroke her hair and gently call her "Jiaojiao," and her anger would quickly dissipate.

Living with her was like opening a blind box; Cen Lingqiu never knew what kind of cute or stubborn behavior Yu Mingjiao would display next.

Each day, Cen Lingqiu would go through a cycle of exasperation, disbelief, and finally, amused resignation.

The system even remarked once that she seemed much more lively lately.

Cen Lingqiu was taken aback for a moment. "Have I?"

The system replied, "You just don't notice it. It's like…"

The system paused for a moment before finding the right words.

"It's like you didn't start living until you met her."

Cen Lingqiu was silent for a long time, unable to find the words to respond.

–

Today, Wen Zhi had just returned from abroad and specifically asked Cen Lingqiu to come out and hang out with her.

Before leaving, Cen Lingqiu told Yu Mingjiao, "I might be back late tonight. Remember to blow-dry your hair after you shower."

Yu Mingjiao quietly watched her leave. "Where are you going?"

"Wen Zhi's back. I'm going to have dinner with her," Cen Lingqiu said as she put on her shoes.

Yu Mingjiao lowered her eyes. "When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure, probably late," Cen Lingqiu replied as she picked up her bag. "I'm leaving now."

Yu Mingjiao went to the balcony and watched as Cen Lingqiu's car slowly moved away.

Cen Lingqiu always had many people in her life—parents, a brother, and friends.

She had so much.

In comparison, Yu Mingjiao was just an ordinary person in Cen Lingqiu's life. She knew there was a gap between them, and perhaps they weren't even close enough to be considered friends.

She wanted Cen Lingqiu to be like her.

Alone, with no one but her loneliness for company.

Maybe then, Cen Lingqiu would focus all her attention on her.

The short time they had lived together made Yu Mingjiao greedy and even more possessive. She relished having Cen Lingqiu by her side, enjoyed the way Cen Lingqiu constantly worried about her with her slightly stern voice.

She wanted Cen Lingqiu's complete and undivided attention.

She couldn't explain why she had such a strange desire; it felt as though something invisible was consuming her mind, driving her to the brink of collapse.

Some unseen beast was pushing her toward a terrifying mirage, and she was lost in it, unable to break free, and unable to control herself.

Sitting in her wheelchair, Yu Mingjiao stared straight ahead as the car disappeared from view, her eyes growing darker.

—

Cen Lingqiu arrived at the bar Wen Zhi owned, and as soon as Wen Zhi saw her, she ran up to hug her.

"Wow, you really surprised me!" Wen Zhi exclaimed, full of emotion. "I thought you'd never wake up."

Cen Lingqiu found herself being hugged tightly. She couldn't help but wonder why everyone seemed to hug so hard.

Especially Yu Mingjiao—when she hugged her, it was with such force that Cen Lingqiu often felt like she might be crushed.

Cen Lingqiu patted Wen Zhi's back, signaling for her to let go.

Wen Zhi realized her mistake and quickly released her.

"Is your body okay now?" Wen Zhi asked as they sat down.

"It's fine," Cen Lingqiu replied.

Wen Zhi ordered a few bottles of alcohol. "You have no idea how shocked I was when I heard you'd woken up."

Cen Lingqiu smiled faintly.

"Thank goodness you're alive," Wen Zhi said, still shaken. "How did you end up in a car accident? And to think they still haven't found the driver."

The surveillance cameras on the road where Cen Lingqiu had her accident had coincidentally been malfunctioning that day, and the driver responsible still hadn't been found.

Half a year later, Cen Lingqiu had nearly forgotten the incident. She could only remember the sharp pain, and she didn't want to dwell on it. "It doesn't matter now; there's no point in talking about it."

"True." Wen Zhi nodded. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"But are you living alone now?" Wen Zhi asked, crossing her legs. "I'm thinking of settling down here in the country. Do you want to move back in with me?"

Cen Lingqiu replied calmly, "That might be difficult."

"Why?" Wen Zhi asked.

"I'm living with Yu Mingjiao," Cen Lingqiu said.

"…"

Wen Zhi looked like she had just heard a horror story. "When did your relationship with Yu Mingjiao get to this point? Did the accident mess with your brain, or has Yu Mingjiao been possessed?"

Cen Lingqiu thought to herself, The one who's been possessed is your friend, Lin Qiu.

Wen Zhi's curiosity was piqued. "How did you and Yu Mingjiao suddenly get so close? Do you both just forget what your relationship used to be like?"

Cen Lingqiu also found her relationship with Yu Mingjiao to be quite inexplicable, even verging on the bizarre. No one could have predicted that they would end up living together, practically inseparable.

But beyond reason, both she and Yu Mingjiao had been swept away by emotions and hidden feelings, causing them to forget many things, which allowed them to maintain their current relationship.

The bartender brought over their drinks, placing two different glasses in front of them.

Cen Lingqiu, feeling a bit thirsty, picked up the glass in front of her and took a sip.

Wen Zhi had been looking at her phone and only noticed what Cen Lingqiu was drinking when she looked up, her expression turning to shock. "Hey, that's my drink—it's super strong, you can't handle it."

Unfortunately, she spoke too late; Cen Lingqiu had already drunk half of it.

Not long after drinking it, Cen Lingqiu felt a burning sensation in her throat and chest, and her head began to spin.

"What kind of drink is this?" Cen Lingqiu frowned.

Wen Zhi rubbed her forehead. "It's a new one we're offering here, the strongest one. I just wanted to try it, but somehow you ended up with it."

Wen Zhi had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol and rarely got drunk, but Cen Lingqiu's tolerance was just average—she couldn't handle anything too strong.

Cen Lingqiu's dizziness grew worse, and she felt like she was about to topple over.

Wen Zhi noticed that she wasn't doing well and quickly decided to take her home.

As they walked down the hallway, Cen Lingqiu pointed to a girl up ahead and slurred, "Jiaojiao?"

"Who?" Wen Zhi asked.

"Mingjiao, Yu Mingjiao," Cen Lingqiu mumbled incoherently. "I saw her… But why isn't she in a wheelchair?"

Wen Zhi followed her gaze and saw only a woman with long hair walking away.

"You must be seeing things," Wen Zhi said, exasperated. "Yu Mingjiao can't just stand up and walk like that. Anyone who didn't know better would think she's your wife or something."

Cen Lingqiu mumbled in confusion, "Wife…?"

Cen Lingqiu didn't behave much differently when drunk, except that her hearing got worse, and she started talking nonsense.

Wen Zhi brought her back to Yu Mingjiao's house, and when the door opened, Wen Zhi found herself face-to-face with Yu Mingjiao's cold, gloomy stare. For some reason, Wen Zhi felt awkward, though she couldn't quite explain why.

"She's drunk," Wen Zhi explained. "Is it okay if I come in? It'll be hard for you to get her to bed on your own."

Yu Mingjiao nodded slightly and stepped aside to let her in.