Chapter 33: The Reliable Mom, the Injured Wife, and the Bewildered Yiyue

To avoid forgetting like last time, Yue Yiyue carefully wrote down the Rules that would trigger this time on a piece of paper.

She meticulously folded the paper and placed it in a book she looked at every day.

She still felt a bit melancholic.

She had thought that choosing to live somewhere else might allow her to avoid it.

In the end, she had still underestimated the plot.

After that, Gu Nanqiu would definitely go through the mess at the School Instance and have to rush back to her hometown…

Yue Yiyue let out a long sigh.

The most important thing right now was to let Nanqiu suffer a little less.

Those who claimed to like Nanqiu ended up harming her in various ways out of their selfishness.

Even though she knew that Gu Nanqiu, as the “protagonist,” wouldn’t meet with any mishaps.

But afterward, as a background character, she could only watch from the sidelines, which made Yue Yiyue somewhat anxious.

Would someone replace her and stand by Gu Nanqiu’s side?

But if the other person was very capable, then it would be understandable, just like those people in the original work…

Urgent footsteps sounded from outside the door. Yue Yiyue placed the book on the table, pushed open the door, and saw Gu Nanqiu with a listless expression.

“Nanqiu, what’s wrong?” Yue Yiyue walked up, concerned. “Does your stomach hurt?”

Gu Nanqiu nodded, lazily leaning into Yue Yiyue’s embrace, and said weakly, “My stomach hurts, just like someone kicked my gut.”

Her internal organs had all dissolved and were still reorganizing—in short, it felt just like a stomachache.

This was punishment.

The Main God’s punishment for her breaking the Game Rules.

She couldn’t seduce Yue Yiyue.

Instead, she had to make Yue Yiyue say it herself—”love.”

She had skirted the line by saying “like” before without issue.

Could it be that Yue Yiyue really only liked her as a friend?

At this thought, Gu Nanqiu’s face paled even more.

All her human emotions came from Yue Yiyue.

Even when she had no name or status, she had coaxed Yiyue into doing many things…

Now it felt like she’d hoisted a rock only to drop it on her own foot.

“I’ll go make… buy some high-protein food, stomach medicine, and hot water for you.” Yue Yiyue picked her up, placed her on the sofa, wrapped her in a fluffy blanket, and put a doll beside her.

After watching her take the medicine, Yue Yiyue somehow pulled out a hot water bottle from somewhere and filled it with warm water. “I’ll go buy breakfast. Wait for me at home.”

————

After the sturdy security door closed, Gu Nanqiu coughed violently a few times. She looked at her mother standing on the balcony, who had concealed herself.

“Mother, I won’t violate the Rules anymore. I know I was wrong.” Her voice was unusually weak, as if Yue Yiyue’s departure had taken her energy and spirit with it.

The god on the balcony opened its third eye and seriously examined the “daughter” curled up on the sofa. “Human…..intent”

This was the new information It had obtained while observing Yue Yiyue just now.

“You…..learn……emotions……from her?”

Higher-dimensional beings disdained learning human terminology, but It was in the mood today and squeezed out a few human words, awaiting an answer.

“Yes, it was because of her that I learned emotions, understood love, jealousy, fear, confusion, happiness, and other feelings.” Gu Nanqiu recalled those days.

“Understand……continue.” After saying this, It vanished from the balcony.

Gu Nanqiu collapsed on the sofa, somewhat baffled about what It intended to do.

But it wasn’t a big deal anyway.

Her mother was great; she had saved Yue Yiyue.

She had promised that as long as the Game proceeded to the end, everything would go as she wished.

Her mother had never deceived the family.

The top priority now was for her to repair herself. Her body had melted to a point where this skin could no longer hold…

She couldn’t let Yiyue see…

————

Gu Nanqiu shut herself in her room for two days, and Yue Yiyue had nightmares for two days.

In her dreams, she often felt like she was being watched by something.

She always felt like a tiny ant.

It had been raining continuously for several days. Yue Yiyue tried to make some nutritious food in the kitchen.

But after producing a pot of astonishingly unpalatable soup according to the tutorial, Yue Yiyue honestly ordered takeout instead.

Looking at the frequency of her recent takeout orders, she began to wonder if she should return to her old job. That way, she could weed out some unclean takeout places.

At that moment, Yiyue somewhat missed that shop she had stumbled upon after the College Entrance Exam. The Boss there made incredibly delicious food, but it didn’t open often.

She had passed by once and coincidentally smelled that wonderful aroma. Seeing her, the other smiled warmly and invited her to drink a bowl of soup.

That taste was unforgettable to this day.

Unfortunately, not long after, she fell seriously ill. After she recovered, the shop had moved away.

“Ding dong—” The doorbell rang; the takeout had arrived.

Yue Yiyue realized she’d been zoning out right there for so long.

“Ah, customer, here’s your soup.” The delivery person in a helmet handed it over, then lowered her voice. “When I arrived just now, I saw someone standing at your door for a long time. They entered that door right after seeing me.”

She pointed to the fire escape beside them. “Put some trash bags by the door, prepare an axe, chainsaw, or whatever.”

“Stay safe.”

After saying that, the delivery person grinned. “If convenient, please give a five-star review.”

Then she hurriedly dashed into the elevator, afraid of being late for the next order.

Yue Yiyue stared at the heavy fire escape door. She first messaged Property Management, asking to check the surveillance.

Then she returned to the dining area, packed up Gu Nanqiu’s portion of food, and placed it at the door.

Gurgling sounds came from inside the house, as if some strange thing was wriggling.

There was also the patter of water, like someone showering.

Yue Yiyue knocked on the door and placed the tray of food on the ground. “Nanqiu, I’ve left the food at the door. Remember to eat it later.”

After that, Yue Yiyue went back to the secondary bedroom, watched online classes, and casually bought a chainsaw.

This thing was more convenient to use.

After several hours of study, Yue Yiyue leaned tiredly on the chair, hugging the soft doll in her arms. Looking at the empty bed, she felt a sense of desolation. She hadn’t slept with Gu Nanqiu for several days and wasn’t quite used to it.

But Gu Nanqiu’s condition these past few days had really been off.

Moreover, whenever she got close to Gu Nanqiu, her phone would receive messages and vibrate wildly, reminding her.

Somewhat irritated, she switched to the messages app. The number that had been blocked countless times still sat at the top, with the first message: “Independence, independence, independence, independence, independence, independence.”

Yue Yiyue slumped over the desk, feeling stifled.

Could it be that she had affected the plot, causing Gu Nanqiu to get sick?

It seemed entirely possible.

She instantly wilted like a frost-struck eggplant.

Her phone vibrated twice more.

But this time, the notification was from X.

Yue Yiyue picked up the phone, and a message from Property Management popped up.

“We will increase patrols. If the owners notice anything wrong, immediately call the security booth at xxx-xxxx.”

It didn’t spell it out, but Yue Yiyue immediately understood that what the delivery person said was true.

Was it a student thinking this was a place to sneak into?

Or Gu Nanqiu’s crazy stalker?

She couldn’t tell Gu Nanqiu about this yet.

Yue Yiyue immediately ordered a video doorbell and a door stop.

After handling all that, she hesitated and then called her mom.

————

The other end of the line was still noisy.

There were strange sounds, lots of murmurs.

“Baby, what’s up? Did something happen?” The tone carried confusion, but Yue Yiyue felt the other knew the situation and was just going through the motions.

The last time she got this feeling was in the School Instance, with that Ye Qiu.

“Mom, at the house we’re living in now, a stranger appeared at the door.”

The moment she dialed, Yue Yiyue somewhat regretted her words.

But the other picked up too quickly, so fast she hadn’t hung up in time. She could only awkwardly squeeze out that statement.

What to discuss with “Mom” afterward?

“Have you bought the necessary things, filed a report at the nearby police station, and talked to Property Management? I checked, and your gated community is fairly high-end. Generally, it comes with corresponding security measures.”

Mom gave her daughter serious advice, just like any ordinary mother.

After that, she paused.

Strange gurgling sounds came from the other side, a bit like what Yue Yiyue heard standing at Gu Nanqiu’s door.

But it didn’t feel quite the same.

“Baby, don’t be afraid. Believe that home is the safest place.”

“Home is the safest place.” Yue Yiyue subconsciously repeated it.

Afterward, the panic in her heart washed away.

Yeah, home was the safest place.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m not scared anymore.” Yue Yiyue mimicked the tone she had heard other classmates use with their mothers. “Mom, my friend has been feeling unwell lately. I keep feeling like it’s related to me.”

The voice on the other end was overly gentle, giving Yue Yiyue strength. She subconsciously poured out her troubles to Mom.

She omitted the parts about the book and emphasized that they had encountered a pervert who scooped out hearts not long ago.

Yue Yiyue leaned on the ergonomic chair Gu Nanqiu had chosen for her. “Mom, I only have Gu Nanqiu as a friend here. She’s sick now, and I don’t know how to handle some things.”

The person on the other end fell silent for a moment. “I understand… Baby, don’t you have class tomorrow?”

“Maybe your friend is just unwell and worried about infecting you, so she’s isolating. That’s very normal. She might be better by tomorrow.”

Yue Yiyue wanted to retort that she hadn’t even delivered medicine to Gu Nanqiu.

Before the words came out, she felt “watched” by something again.

That chilling sensation made Yue Yiyue instinctively turn to look at the floor-to-ceiling window.

Nothing was there.

Not even a bird flying by.

But that feeling just now was definitely not an illusion.

“Baby? What’s wrong?” Mom’s gentle inquiry came through the receiver, somewhat unreal. The wind grew louder on the other end.

“Baby, don’t worry too much.” A light laugh came from the phone. “Don’t be afraid. You’re very safe right now.”

The gurgling sounds grew louder, as if some colossal thing was shifting.

Yue Yiyue tried to figure out what it was, but her mind grew foggy.

She was thinking, but not about what she should be thinking.

Thoughts like “Don’t be curious” kept popping into her head.

“Don’t overthink.”

“Do your own things properly.”

“Don’t be curious.”

“Don’t overthink.”

“Don’t overthink—”

“Mom—will protect you—”