Chapter 69: The Allure of the Obsessive

“Lin Qing, see you on Monday.”

After Su Yao’s invitation to go shopping with Lin Qing was declined, she observed him looking as wilted as a frost-bitten eggplant. She knew too much had happened today, and it was better for Lin Qing to rest.

They could, after all, meet again at school; there was no need to push him too hard.

Men, she mused, were much like ropes.

The more force applied, the tighter they became.

A constant state of tension was never a good thing.

Thus, Su Yao waved a graceful farewell, then settled into her waiting private car and departed, leaving Lin Qing to watch the vehicle disappear into the distance.

Once he was certain Su Yao had gone, Lin Qing leaned against the wall, a profound weariness washing over him.

His body felt utterly drained, as though hollowed out.

He lifted a hand to remove the black cat-ear headband from his head. Its fluffy texture and upright ears gave it a distinctly adorable appearance.

Yet, he mused, white cat ears were arguably cuter than black.

Lin Qing gently squeezed the black cat ears, then let out a soft sigh. He raised his gaze to the bustling crowd passing by, and the lively cacophony quickly restored a sense of calm to his heart.

‘No matter what temptations arise in the future, I will not make the same mistake again.’

‘Going out with Su Yao, as expected, is incredibly dangerous!’

‘Not that Su Yao poses a threat to others, but solely the threat she poses to me.’

‘A different kind of threat: madness coupled with obsession.’

‘Yet, it carries an inexplicable allure.’

Lin Qing was merely a person who had experienced something different from others, but he remained a perfectly normal human being.

Himself possessing the emotions of any ordinary person, even he could be swayed by temptation.

His affections and aversions were clearly defined.

Su Yao was like an irresistible, colossal torch, drawing countless moths to their doom.

Even knowing the flames would incinerate their wings, they couldn’t control their impulse.

Lin Qing’s feelings for Su Yao had evolved from initial fear, gradually fading into a sense of habit. Now, surprisingly, a flicker of affection had arisen due to some of her words.

This insidious, gradual shift was not a good omen.

Emotionally, curiosity drew him closer; rationally, caution urged him away.

It was a profound contradiction.

Unable to escape, Lin Qing was uncertain what the future held.

All he could do was continue to guard his heart.

And be even more careful.

‘I must not waver because of Su Yao.’

****

The two days of the weekend swiftly passed, and soon it was time to return to school.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Qing glanced at the clock’s face and promptly left his house.

He was ready to begin a new week of campus life.

Aside from the exhaustion from Saturday’s amusement park visit, Lin Qing had spent Sunday at home, reading and enjoying bento meals. This leisurely existence had allowed him to forget all his worries.

His mood had settled, devoid of the previous indecision and unease.

Consequently, he had returned to his normal self, having placed a new lock upon his heart.

It was incredibly sturdy, impossible to unlock without a key, and unbreakable by force.

It would safeguard him.

“Aiyo, which cursed scoundrel is it this time, stealing again?”

“Exactly, the scoundrel! Old Lin’s dog went missing, and he’s nearly fifty, crying every day; he’s lost so much weight.”

“What’s the property management doing? Dog thieves haven’t just appeared overnight, why aren’t they doing anything?”

“Even the police are helpless, what can property management do?”

Before Lin Qing had even left the residential complex, he saw a group of people gathered, chattering animatedly. Some were excitedly slapping their thighs as their fragmented conversations drifted into his ears.

This reminded Lin Qing of Auntie Wang, a neighbor he had met previously, who had mentioned the frequent dog disappearances in the complex.

‘It seems to be getting worse.’

“This won’t do. To catch these dog thieves, we need to rely on our own strength. I’ll create a WeChat group and add everyone. If anyone sees a suspicious person loitering, we’ll catch them together!”

“Sounds good, I think it’ll work.”

“Right, let’s catch these dog thieves together.”

Lin Qing maintained his pace, the voices fading from his ears.

He didn’t dwell on the matter. Rather than worrying about the neighborhood’s pets, he felt it was more important to consider how to distance himself from Su Yao at school.

After their private encounter at the amusement park, Lin Qing understood Su Yao more intimately.

Beyond her already known madness and obsession, he now realized Su Yao disliked defiance and possessed an impressive ability to improvise, capable of handling all sorts of trouble.

For instance, in Liu Hong’s carefully laid plan, no one had anticipated Su Yao would suddenly knock out the female ghost.

It was completely unexpected.

And utterly impossible to guard against.

It also demonstrated Su Yao’s incredibly strong initiative.

Faced with such a Su Yao, Lin Qing knew that if he continued to confront her directly, he would likely face a terrible outcome.

He was, simply, no match for her.

Nor did he wish to be her opponent.

Currently, he was merely a novel toy in Su Yao’s eyes. Once she found other playthings, she would abandon him.

Therefore, all Lin Qing needed to do was patiently await that moment.

During this time, he must not defy Su Yao.

It would be best to indulge her.

This approach, he hoped, would make Su Yao tire of him more quickly.

‘As long as those dark, profound eyes of Su Yao no longer fixated on him…’

“What are you thinking about?”

As Lin Qing was deeply lost in these thoughts, Su Yao’s voice suddenly chimed in from beside him, pulling his mind back to reality.

He then saw Su Yao walking with two other girls, smiling as she greeted him.

Her full figure and beautiful face.

She was the focal point of every male gaze around them.

Su Yao, an undeniable fount of alluring charm, no longer possessed the deep, shadowed eyes he remembered. Instead, they sparkled with a light, innocent smile, as if she were truly a naive teenage girl.

Yet, Lin Qing was no ordinary person; he would not be fooled by Su Yao’s facade.

“Studying.”

In response to Su Yao’s proactive greeting, Lin Qing replied blandly, then quickened his pace, intent on reaching his class as soon as possible.

Although Lin Qing had just resolved to go along with Su Yao in everything, his plan, while sound in theory, proved incredibly difficult to implement.

He needed time to adjust.

He couldn’t adapt instantly.

“Hey, Lin Qing, Su Yao is talking to you nicely, why are you so impatient?!”

Just as Lin Qing tried to hurry away, his sleeve was suddenly tugged. The girl who had been standing next to Su Yao frowned with an unpleasant expression, speaking to him.

Seeing this, Su Yao, who stood nearby, subtly raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes glinting. Her gaze on Lin Qing held a hint of anticipation, wondering how he would handle this sudden trouble.

Unlike his true self when he was with her, Lin Qing maintained a quiet demeanor at school, perceived by others as a taciturn and gloomy individual.

Lin Qing was well aware of this persona and had no desire to break it.

He loathed being the center of attention.

‘But if I get entangled with someone now, I won’t be able to maintain it, even if I want to!’

‘She’s quite looking forward to this!’

‘It’s bound to be very interesting.’

“Lin Qing!!!”

However, as if fate decided the situation wasn’t dire enough, Liu Hong’s urgent voice suddenly rang out at that very moment.