In the past, Uzuki had not known that Gao Sijin was kidnapped to Tokyo by Tsukiyuki Rio. Originally, she had always thought that the love between Sijin and Rio was mutually consensual. It was not until she saw that video on Yu Qingxue’s phone inside the Mirror World that she realized her cousin had completely stripped Sijin of his freedom and reduced him to a captive lover.
Actually, as early as that morning, when she accompanied Sijin to the private airport to meet Rio, a fierce impulse had surged through Uzuki’s heart. She wanted to walk up to Rio and beg her cousin to return genuine happiness to Sijin, to let Sijin learn the whole truth, so that he could choose his own future path with his own heart.
“Sister Yu, I want to talk to Cousin Rio.” Uzuki hung her head low, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. Even without a tattoo, her complexion was clearer and more translucent than before, but deep down, Uzuki still radiated an aura of insecurity.
“I know what you want to talk about, but I think it’s pointless.”
Yu Qingxue stepped on the gas pedal, and the BMW threaded through gaps between cars on the road, speeding away.
“Back then, Sijin willingly risked danger going to the old school building for me. And on the way there, he kept holding my hand and shielding me. I want him to be happy, not like this… He’s too pitiful…”
“As for whether leaving Young Lady Tsukiyuki would be happiness or misfortune for Sijin, nobody can really say.”
Uzuki ached for Gao Sijin. She wanted to do something for him, even if it cost her life. She would not mind. In the girl’s fantasy, dying in his arms would be such a romantic and dramatic ending—just like the stories Sijin often told her at night.
She liked tragedies. Tragedies were always more profound. If death could ensure that a small corner of Sijin’s heart would forever belong to her, then death would no longer be frightening, just like the quiet, cold caress of the evening breeze.
“Uzuki, I know what you’re thinking, just as I know what I’m thinking.” Yu Qingxue glanced at the girl who had been her accomplice inside the mirror not long ago. “All I can say is, living well is the finest way for us to keep our prideful, disdainful posture.”
Uzuki lifted her head. Yu Qingxue’s profile was gorgeous and dashing.
Uzuki was convinced that sooner or later, Yu Qingxue would snatch Gao Sijin away and break free from Tsukiyuki Rio’s control.
If being with Yu Qingxue brought Sijin happiness, Uzuki would support Qingxue. If in the end, Sijin still preferred Cousin Rio, then Uzuki would support Rio.
But what if—just one in ten thousand—he ended up liking her?
Uzuki touched her plump, elastic lips with a fingertip. The lingering warmth of kissing him seemed to remain. The black cat, visible only to her, lay on her lap meowing. If she wanted to, she too could seize supernatural power. Though it was an ominous power, if it meant she could do things for Sijin, she was willing to do anything.
“We’re home, Uzuki.”
Without realizing it, they had returned to the apartment. They took the elevator upstairs and found that Gao Sijin and Tsukiyuki Rio had not come back yet.
“The young miss is probably off somewhere having wild outdoor fun with Sijin again. Despite looking like an elegant Yamato Nadeshiko, the young lady is actually surprisingly wild and unrestrained.” Yu Qingxue sat on the sofa. Though a smile still hung on her lips, it looked like a mask that could shatter at any moment.
During the week or so that Tsukiyuki Rio had gone to the state of Georgia, Yu Qingxue had fulfilled what she had always wanted to do but never dared—she had made up for the regret from Bincheng. Yet the love that had been ignited could no longer be easily extinguished. She went into Gao Sijin’s room, gently stroked his pillow with her hand, hugged it to her chest, and pressed her delicate nose to it.
“Bastard…”
Gao Sijin, forcibly taken by Tsukiyuki Rio, was exactly like a princess kidnapped by a wicked dragon. Although Yu Qingxue knew she herself was no saint, and her twisted love for Sijin might even surpass Rio’s.
Buzz buzz buzz.
Her phone vibrated. Another text message.
No number or contact name. Yu Qingxue could be sure it was from Qu Xiqian again.
The content read:
When you finally decide to rebel against Tsukiyuki Rio, stand in front of a mirror at exactly two in the morning and smile into it. We will help you.
Yu Qingxue stared at the message on the screen. After she finished reading, the text vanished by itself.
Up to now, although Yu Qingxue was extremely dissatisfied with Rio and wanted to claim Gao Sijin for herself, she still lacked the courage to openly break with Rio.
For now, she might as well play a round of the game. The opponent’s top laner picked Nasus. A cold smirk crossed Yu Qingxue’s lips. Playing Nasus in the King-tier rank on the Japanese server? Utterly reckless. A hero with zero combat power early on was bound to get his dog’s head smashed in.
Snowflake locked in Darius.
The opponent’s ID was obviously that of a fellow countryman, and it was the kind of emo name straight out of the 90s Zang’ai Family—Prince of Love.
[T/N: Zang’ai Family refers to a 2000s Chinese emo/goth internet subculture, literally meaning ‘Buried Love’]
Out of consideration for a compatriot, she wouldn’t fountain-camp them.
Inside a villa in a wealthy area of San Francisco, Country A, the Gu Clan Patriarch, Gu Shuhan, sat in a bathrobe, a blonde woman massaging his shoulders from behind.
When the opponent picked Darius, Gu Shuhan slightly narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly:
“Little girl, let me teach you how to play under pressure.”
Prince of Love locked in Nasus.
At level one, Gu Shuhan’s champion hid in the corridor behind the second brush on the top lane. The aggressive Darius searched inside the brush but could not find any trace of Nasus. After leisurely last-hitting, the shamelessly sneaky Nasus crept out of the brush and retreated under his turret to farm and scale.
At level six, Gu Shuhan’s champion entered its power spike. After tricking the opponent into getting hit by the turret, he immediately seized the chance to chase and successfully solo-killed her. Smugly, he began lecturing in all-chat.
Prince of Love: Sometimes in life, you need to play it safe.
Snowflake: You can only be smug now. Soon I’ll destroy you.
Prince of Love: Isn’t your life also in a pressure-handling phase? Some people are only strong early. After you play safe and scale, you can definitely crush them.
Yu Qingxue realized this was no ordinary top laner. She had to strike with full force. But every time she tried to force a fight, the opponent would effortlessly deflect her aggression with minimal effort. Yu Qingxue, who had almost never lost in solo queue, faced a nightmare in the late game.
The enemy top laner was one of the strongest scaling champions.
As the Nexus exploded, Yu Qingxue’s mood hit rock bottom. Gu Shuhan, who had smashed her in lane, laughed with immense satisfaction. Yu Qingxue was a person Gu Xiarui had ordered him to recruit. According to Gu Xiarui, Yu Qingxue’s growth potential was far more terrifying than Tsukiyuki Rio’s—she was one of the strongest late-game champions in this game called Earth Online.
The prerequisite was that she first had to learn how to survive the pressure phase.
