Chapter 97: Gu Nanqiu: ?

Gu Nanqiu’s reaction truly puzzled Yue Yiyue. Based on her understanding of the other woman, she should have first keenly noticed the oddity of the word “medicine.”

Then wondered who in the room had sent it—instead of fixating on the netizen’s identity.

And she and this netizen clearly had nothing between them!!!

Yue Yiyue looked at Gu Nanqiu sitting beside her with an indescribable expression that said, ‘Do you even know what you’re saying?’

Her head was already so muddled, yet Gu Nanqiu seriously studied these things.

Meanwhile, Gu Nanqiu had veered way off track.

Under such a gaze, Gu Nanqiu protested without a hint of guilt, “I’m just concerned about you—”

“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, the priority is that you’re being treated as ‘medicine’!” Yue Yiyue emphasized the word “medicine.” “Do you understand what that means?”

At this point, Yue Yiyue lost control and grabbed Gu Nanqiu’s shoulders, shaking them. “What if the other person is some lunatic who drains all your blood?”

“What if this netizen’s sister finds out and captures you?”

Tears overflowed from Yue Yiyue’s eyes, like beads off a broken string. The nerves she had strung tight for days snapped in that moment, leading to a complete breakdown.

The teardrops fell onto Gu Nanqiu’s hand like fiercely burning embers, solidifying into tiny, thrillingly hot scorch marks.

Such a Yiyue was so beautiful.

So, the negative emotions plaguing Yiyue stemmed from her—

Gu Nanqiu looked down at the teardrop on her hand and lifted it to her mouth. It tasted somewhat salty.

But the emotion within was exceptionally pure.

“Yiyue, no need to worry.” Gu Nanqiu tilted her head, gazing at her arm. This was the first mark Yue Yiyue had left on her since their reunion.

She had to preserve it well—later, she’d secretly peel off this patch of skin and store it properly. This didn’t seem too bad.

What would Yue Yiyue do?

Lock her in this room for safety?

Could she only watch her and keep her company?

Or something more extreme, like chaining her at home with iron chains.

She seemed to recall buying a set earlier and storing it in the utility room. How could she let Yue Yiyue see it?

Gu Nanqiu’s fingertip traced under Yue Yiyue’s eye, gently tapping the dark circles. In a sweet, cloying voice, she softly asked, “It sounds so dangerous outside. Yiyue, you wouldn’t lock me in this room to protect me and forbid me from going out, would you?”

“Though that would be very safe, I still hope to face them together with you.”

“Even death— as long as I’m by your side, I wouldn’t mind.”

Following Gu Nanqiu’s words, Yue Yiyue felt as if she had discovered a new world, but her mind quickly rejected the idea.

If that were true, Nanqiu would be so bored here.

She had considered it before, but she was still the one footing the bills.

But if she achieved financial independence later, that step would indeed be possible.

The situation was different now.

Had Gu Nanqiu foreseen something?

Why mention death?

Had she sensed something?

Yue Yiyue could feel that Gu Nanqiu was different from her, but she had decided to accept her fully regardless.

But what if Gu Nanqiu had realized she was nearing death?

In a flash, Yue Yiyue connected the phone message with the novel in her memory.

How had she forgotten this?

in the original work, the side character “Yue Yiyue,” driven by jealousy or perhaps love—overly complex emotions anyway—couldn’t bear Gu Nanqiu going out and interacting with others, so she made a deal with the monster.

As for the details of that deal, Yue Yiyue would have seen them after delivering that takeout.

But she had been inexplicably chased by the Fish Head all the way here.

She had stayed here too long, grown too comfortable by Gu Nanqiu’s side, and nearly forgotten this plot point.

The Original Work’s events were supposed to happen in her junior year.

It seemed that her constant interference with the plot had prompted this world to end her storyline early?

If so, everything made sense.

She cautiously rubbed against Gu Nanqiu’s hand. “That would truly be awful.”

“Nanqiu, tell me—if I did something bad, would you hate me?”

“Or rather, could I ask you not to hate me?”

Yue Yiyue pleaded softly, standing on tiptoe to kiss those soft lips she had tasted many times.

No lust at all, only guilt.

This kiss wasn’t sweet.

Gu Nanqiu, who could sense emotions, tasted a sourness.

Laced with faint reluctance.

Gu Nanqiu responded skillfully, her nimble tongue exploring the slightly feverish warmth of the other’s mouth.

They tangled, pulled.

Then playfully moved to the brow, the eyes, and finally back to those rosy lips.

Yue Yiyue’s hands weakly gripped Gu Nanqiu’s arms. Whenever she couldn’t bear it, she squeezed slightly, and Gu Nanqiu would slow her pace, giving the clumsy Yiyue who could only cling a moment to breathe.

Of course, only for an instant.

The next moment, Gu Nanqiu pursued, savoring Yue Yiyue bit by bit until she was thoroughly tasted.

Sensing Yue Yiyue nearing her limit, Gu Nanqiu wiped her glistening lips. “You’ve worked hard—thank you for the reward, Yiyue.”

As usual, she prepared to stop there and shift the topic elsewhere. But then, Gu Nanqiu puzzledly watched as Yue Yiyue’s trembling hands undid the first button.

The second…

The third…

The cotton loungewear soon slipped off, pooling at her feet on the dark floor mat.

“Yiyue—” She yanked down the nearby bath towel and draped it over Yue Yiyue. “No need.”

“Yiyue, I think we don’t need this between us.”

“I hope that after everything ends, you’ll feel ready to advance our relationship further and explore pleasure together.”

Not now, when Yiyue was still somewhat confused.

Later, Yue Yiyue would surely regret it and, out of shyness, run to Ye Qiu’s place—that would be too great a loss.

“Yiyue, just having you with me makes me so happy already.” Gu Nanqiu’s tea-brown eyes held only Yue Yiyue’s tiny figure; the concealed love in them was bottomless, drawing Yue Yiyue willingly into the river of love named Gu Nanqiu.

“You are my most precious.”

The fluffy bath towel brushed her skin, stirring a thread of reason in Yue Yiyue.

Clutching the towel, Yue Yiyue stood in place. “I… I’m sorry.”

Gu Nanqiu still smiled gently. “Why apologize?”

It was clearly I who led you, drawing you to sink with me.

You who should have had a beautiful life, now forever entangled with a monster.

Life after life, never to part.

Gu Nanqiu raised her hand slightly. “Yiyue, good child, my dear good child—no matter what decision you make, as long as you’re by my side, it’s the best decision.”

Her jet-black hair fell into Yue Yiyue’s hand, bringing back that sensation of being firmly bound by something.

But Yue Yiyue didn’t dislike it—in fact, she willingly embraced it.

She let herself fall into Gu Nanqiu’s arms. “Mm, I will.”

She didn’t want to part from Gu Nanqiu.

Even if it defied this world’s consciousness, so what?

As long as there was the slightest chance.

No one could take Nanqiu away unless Nanqiu left herself.

Someone back from A City?

The message sender—was it the World Consciousness?

Or the Main God?

Or Greed?

Their goal was to lead Gu Nanqiu to the novel’s end, so she would be fine in this plot.

Yue Yiyue listened to Gu Nanqiu’s steady heartbeat and steeled her resolve.

Nanqiu would live well, very well, in this world.

Even without her, she would live very, very well.

————

At the appointed time, Yue Yiyue looked at Gu Nanqiu sleeping soundly on the bed, the Silver Chain locking her to the bedframe.

She had deliberately switched to the master bedroom two days ago, complete with a bathroom for Gu Nanqiu’s convenience.

For meals and such, she had instructed Yu An to come by in the evening; the key to unlock it was on the living room table.

Yue Yiyue glanced at the empty medicine blister pack in her hand and quietly sighed in relief, apologizing to Gu Nanqiu in her heart.

This medicine was what she had obtained from the Coroner yesterday.

The Coroner said this dose could knock out her wife for five hours; for Gu Nanqiu, it should last four.

The Coroner had added that if she wanted to do something, now was the time; if she planned to run, better forget it.

Humming something about chasing you to the ends of the earth, she had shaken her head and left.

Yue Yiyue looked at her Little Sister sitting in the living room and squatted before her. “Do you think I’ll see you after I die?”

“Oh, right—you’re just my hallucination.” Yue Yiyue muttered to herself. “But you’re so well-behaved at this age.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize earlier that you were Gu Nanqiu.”

“I secretly wondered what you’d become when you grew up.”

“Little Sister, thank you for accompanying my past. Now, I’m heading to my future.”

She subconsciously reached to touch her sister’s hair but recalled something and withdrew her hand. “I love you…”

Though I can’t say it directly to you, I truly… love you.

Even with fragmented memories, from that first glance, her heart had already answered—with a single, belated beat.

Including that first meeting under the osmanthus tree.

It wasn’t lust at first sight, for in the instant she fell in love, Yue Yiyue hadn’t even clearly seen Gu Nanqiu’s face.

Come to think of it, Gu Nanqiu’s birthday was approaching—February 14th, a romantic holiday.

The gift was already bought.

She hoped to return and deliver it personally.

If not, it didn’t matter.

Yue Yiyue opened the door, glancing back at the home they had spent half a year collecting cute trinkets for, decorating bit by bit.

Every corner bore traces of their time together.

She pulled her hat brim low and stepped firmly into the elevator.

A sweet male voice chimed: “Welcome home, esteemed owner—”

The elevator screen played ads, just like the ones before she arrived.

Ding—a sweet female voice rang: “Safe travels—”

Had this been here before?

She didn’t know; she’d never noticed.

As she exited, the auntie exercising nearby greeted her with a smile. “Yo, little miss, heading out?”

Yes, heading out.