Chapter 18: The Weight of Guilt

When provoked and humiliated to the point of losing control, how would Xia Shi react?

Would she beat her opponent into submission, staunchly defending her dignity?

Or would she coldly withdraw, maintaining the composure befitting the strongest magical girl?

What expression would she wear? What actions would she take? Would she smile? Would she cry?

Ling Wei found herself utterly unsure. She admitted she couldn’t offer the correct answer, unable to solve the puzzle before her.

However, one thing she could ascertain.

‘As soon as Xia Shi shed tears, the dear question-setter would tear up the exam paper himself.’

The cafe’s atmosphere remained lighthearted, with a cheerful anime opening theme playing softly, as clear tears traced paths down the young girl’s cheeks.

In an instant, Lu Chen forgot Silver Moon’s warnings, forgot his meticulously crafted plan; his feigned nonchalant smile vanished completely, leaving only a single thought echoing in his mind.

‘She must not shed another tear.’

He hastily rose from his seat, rushing to the girl’s side, and stammered out his defense:

“N-no, how could that be! You haven’t done anything wrong!”

The girl lifted her gaze, her delicate face streaked with tears. Disregarding the surrounding crowd, she stared at the young man.

“…Then, why did you suddenly speak in such an unpleasant tone?

“Why did you suddenly do so many unpleasant things?”

Her voice was soft, yet it brimmed with bewilderment and unease. Lu Chen dug his fingernails into his palm, instinctively intending to reveal everything.

“That’s because…”

However, before the explanation could even begin, it caught in his throat.

‘How was he to explain? What could he possibly say to her?’

‘Because of an absurd and ridiculous dream, I disregarded our long-standing trust, betrayed the countless days and nights we spent together, and suspected you were replaced by some monster?’

‘Because of a trivial suspicion, I trampled on your feelings, wantonly toying with your emotions?’

No matter how he embellished or rationalized with rhetoric, he had undeniably hurt the girl.

‘If he were to confess everything here and now… could she truly forgive his transgression?’

‘Could their relationship genuinely return to what it once was?’

A sudden sensation of weightlessness shot up his spine, and Lu Chen felt as though he had plunged into the tumultuous expanse of the open ocean, his entire being submerged in unstable, icy waters, leaving him utterly speechless.

As the young man hesitated, filled with apprehension, the girl took a step closer to him.

Her eyes remained tear-filled, yet the apprehension and grievance on her face had transformed into incredulity.

“…You can’t even tell me the reason? Have I become someone you can no longer trust?”

Lu Chen’s heart tightened, and without much thought, he apologized in a flurry:

“It’s not that I can’t tell you! It’s just, just that the reason is a bit complicated, and I need some time to organize my thoughts.

“Once I’ve thought of… thought of the reason. In any case, I’m sorry! Today’s incident was purely my fault!”

The girl scrutinized the flustered, stammering Lu Chen, and her dark eyes dimmed.

She took a deep breath, brought her shoe tips together, and bowed slightly to the young man.

“Mr. Lu, you needn’t apologize, nor do you need to pretend any longer. I was merely deluding myself with one-sided affection.

“You’ve changed so much, and yet… I still thought you were the same as before.

“I apologize for forcing you to humor my feelings all this time. I am truly very sorry.”

With that, the girl brushed away her tears, cast one last glance at Lu Chen, then picked up her handbag from the seat and clutched it tightly, much like a little girl in a fairy tale clutching her last match.

“I’m sorry, and I’ve caused trouble for you all as well.”

She bowed in apology to the staff as she spoke, then quickly jogged out of the cafe and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

The young man stood frozen in place, watching her receding figure until his mind was a complete blank.

****

Thirty minutes later, on the rooftop of the building opposite the Shin-Ko Group branch.

Ling Wei leaned casually against the railing.

She hummed the tune that heralded Jason’s entrance, gazing down at the bustling street with keen interest, her hands dangling outside the railing, swaying gently with the breeze.

A crow glided down with the wind, landing on the railing beside the girl. It was, of course, Zero.

With a wing pressed to its chest, it performed a butler’s bow for its mistress, stating:

“Mistress, you seem to be in quite a good mood.”

The girl looked at her familiar, smiling faintly.

“Zero, you’ve arrived just in time. Let’s play a riddle.

“Red nose, big mouth, a face painted with wild abandon. He’s the circus’s treasure, making the audience laugh with glee. What is he?”

“Let me see… a clown?”

“Regrettably, that’s incorrect. The right answer is Lu Chen, just now in the cafe.

“Ah—his final expression was truly endlessly captivating. It should be printed a hundred million times and sent to every melancholic person in the world, benefiting society.

“Oh, look, the poor fellow is coming out from around the corner.”

Ling Wei’s smile bloomed like a flower, her face radiant with sunshine; if one ignored the content of her words, she appeared to be a bright and cheerful beautiful girl.

The crow followed the girl’s gaze, looking down to see Lu Chen walking alone.

He ambled slowly along the street, his movements stiff, like a marionette, utterly oblivious even when bumped by passersby.

However, whether it was an illusion or not, Zero couldn’t shake the feeling that Lu Chen wasn’t merely disheartened, but had instead steeled himself with a newfound resolve.

Zero shook its head, letting out a soft sigh, and addressed the girl:

“My dear mistress, your hobbies are, as always, exquisitely vulgar.

“However, what shall we do next?

“Will you continue to stand here, lost in thought, letting my equally dear new master wander alone until he turns into a zombie?

“Might this not cause his affection to wither, causing the Heart of the Moon to sink even deeper?”

Lu Chen’s figure disappeared around the street corner.

The girl gazed remotely at the spot where he vanished, narrowing her eyes to savor the moment, a playful curve gracing her lips.

“You worry too much. Attachment, concern, intimate contact, trust… these sugary things are certainly wonderful, the righteous path to nurturing affection.

“But relying solely on them, the efficiency is simply too low.

“Only by infusing it with guilt, introducing remorse, smearing it with self-reproach and a sense of sin, can Mr. Lu’s affection truly flourish more robustly, more swiftly, more tangled and distorted… and thus, make him utterly incapable of leaving me.”

Zero pondered for a moment, then clapped its black wings as if suddenly enlightened.

“I understand. In other words, you’re engaging in a peculiar form of erotic play with him?”

“…How did you interpret it that way? Never mind.

“In any case, I intend to leave this poor soul to his own devices for a day or two, during which time I will absolutely not appear before him, nor will I reply to any of his messages.

“Once he reaches the depths of despair, I shall return to console him with a warm, soft embrace. Everyone will be delighted; it will be a truly joyous occasion.”

“A day or two? Are you giving him so much free rein? Won’t something go wrong?”

Ling Wei shrugged indifferently.

“I’m simply not meeting him; I’ll still keep an eye on things periodically with my Eye of Scrutiny.

“Besides, Mr. Lu is a strong, capable adult male with self-sufficiency, not a fragile, helpless elementary school girl who needs constant supervision.

“It’s merely a gap of several tens of hours; is he likely to be abducted or something?”

The crow was about to reply when its shoulder vibrated. It bent down, retrieved the phone hidden within its feathers, glanced at the newly received message, and was so startled that it hopped backward, falling off the railing. It flapped its wings for a long moment before flying back.

The girl asked curiously:

“The last time you reacted like that was when you were critiquing ‘Sharknado 2.’ What message did you receive?”

“– It’s from Lu Chen. He said he couldn’t make dinner tonight and told me to find some frozen worms in the fridge to eat.”

“Poor Mr. Lu. Did he see a circus recruitment ad and decide to apply?”

“– Regrettably, it seems not. He said he’d be spending time with Magical Girl Lily of the Valley and might not be able to return for the night.”