Chapter 227 Epilogue - New World Arc (Twenty-Four)
So, you still can't guess?
A muffled voice came from below the neck.
That's not good.
Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but think, because this way, there's no way to pretend it's a cat.
Although, the other party could not have originally been...
What did you guess?
Following E027's question, Yu Qingzhou moved her head slightly with some difficulty.
The area from my neck to my chin felt itchy, pressed against me by the slow, even breathing of someone already asleep, accompanied by unexpectedly soft, fluffy strands of hair.
Once I was able to control my initial panic and calm down, it wasn't as hard to accept as it had been at first.
Or rather, most humans are well-adapted creatures, and as long as the bottom line isn't crossed... the body will give way to the heart.
Whether it's a room filled with orchids or a market stall selling abalone, one can become so familiar with it that one doesn't notice it after a while.
As long as you don't think back to how you were before you ended up in this situation.
Even he himself, if it weren't for the continuous bombardment of new and exciting things during this period, would have almost forgotten what happened outside before.
The events before he left Nancun and came here are like a well-sealed can.
Even if there are rotten apples inside, you won't be able to tell at all, and they won't smell.
However, once a small crack is pried open, even if it's immediately taped back up, the smell will still waft out in wisps.
The cloyingly sweet, rotten smell was just like the feeling E027 gave Yu Qingzhou.
In fact, E027's scent was surprisingly refreshing.
Of course, it's not that the boy deliberately tried to smell it, but given their current distance, even if they tried to turn their heads and breathe softly, they would still be able to smell some sweetness, which was hard to describe as either fruit or flower fragrance.
Thinking of this, Yu Qingzhou suddenly remembered the way the other person had slowly chewed nuts in their mouth when they met in the corridor before.
So, could it be that one...?
Of course, it's what you asked me about before, what I wanted.
The cat perched on the shoulder spoke again, raising its head and its voice becoming clearer, the airflow from its voice gently brushing against the side of its face.
In this way, neither of them can continue to regard the other as the harmless cat they imagined.
After all, cats could never speak human language, nor could they possibly grow to that size. And... the ideal cat, after all, has to be...
It must have green eyes and be entirely white.
Noticing Yu Qingzhou's distraction, E027 frowned slightly, then smiled indifferently as before.
While it's somewhat impolite to be distracted even when face-to-face, it also suggests that you're getting more used to it than before.
Yu Qingzhou didn't know exactly what the other person meant by "habit," but given their current state, she guessed it was probably the other person's existence itself.
—That's not true at all.
The boy silently refuted in his heart. He didn't say it out loud. E027's actions that night were really impressive. No, even with his current clear-headed judgment, it would be hard to say that the other party was normal.
That being said, if things were normal, it wouldn't be here in the first place.
Both E027 and E027 himself are people who cannot be accepted by normal human society, and are therefore being kept under centralized surveillance for some humanitarian reasons.
Don't secretly curse me in your heart.
The voice rang out against the side of her scalp, a gentle tone that contained a hint of laughter, yet it made Yu Qingzhou's heart skip a beat.
How did this guy know—
Seeing Yu Qingzhou's surprised and uncertain expression, E027's smile grew even more delightful, tinged with a smug and mischievous air.
Judging from that expression, he really guessed right.
[...]
So it was just a guess?
Yu Qingzhou regretted her overreaction, which inadvertently confirmed the other party's thoughts.
Do you regret it?
E027 feigned surprise and asked, then shrugged and sighed dramatically, "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm just not good at lying; my thoughts are always written all over my face."
[...]
This was the first time Yu Qingzhou had received such an evaluation, and her feelings were somewhat complicated.
In fact, for a long time living in the Yu family, he was accused of being a melancholy and gloomy little devil.
—He always has a gloomy face, and I don't know what kind of crooked thoughts he's up to.
This was a complaint that the woman he called his aunt used to utter most often.
While not the whole truth, it reflects the general perception of Yu Qingzhou among outsiders.
Some enthusiastic classmates also subtly suggested to Yu Qingzhou that she could try participating in more group activities.
[Or try smiling more, letting everyone feel Yu's kindness. Over time, those misunderstandings will dissipate on their own.]
What misunderstanding?
Well... it's because Yu never expresses herself proactively, always hiding in her own shell, making her seem unpredictable and difficult to approach... For example, if it weren't for today's unexpected event, I wouldn't have realized that Yu is actually a very gentle person.
[...]
In the infirmary bathed in the glow of the setting sun, a girl with bandages tentatively gave him a friendly smile.
The hopeful gaze reflected in the orange glow caused Yu Qingzhou, who was standing to the side, to momentarily lose her composure.
Yu Qingzhou thought of her deceased mother, who had a similar smile on her face as she envisioned a bright future after leaving the village.
Now that I am standing in that future, I find that the Yu family in reality is very different from the family my mother remembers.
Because they want to escape their current suffering, they go to great lengths to romanticize another possibility in life.
They mistake gray for white, and consider a mediocre existence as paradise.
Yu Qingzhou was all too aware of the dangers involved, but upon hearing those words, she couldn't help but be moved by the light in the girl's eyes.
perhaps……
So why not try opening up to the people around you?
The girl smiled slightly, meeting Yu Qingzhou's silent gaze. As if belatedly realizing it, she became shy, and two blushes suddenly appeared on her cheeks, which were radiantly glowing in the rosy light.
Ah, I seem to have been too presumptuous, launching into a long-winded speech without considering Yu's feelings. Hearing such words suddenly... must have felt rather presumptuous.
As she spoke, the girl lowered her head and quickly stuck out her tongue.
No, it won't.
Yu Qingzhou really wanted to answer like that.
But my lips felt like they were glued on, inexplicably dry, and my heart was pounding.
Just as he had finally mustered the courage to speak, a head suddenly popped in through the open window: "Shuangshuang, so you're here! I've been looking for you for ages! I was even thinking of calling the police!"
These words were spoken to the girl beside Yu Qingzhou.
She seems to be a friend from the class next to the girl's.
The girl's friend chattered away, then, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the silent boy standing beside her, she seemed startled: "Isn't that the one from your class—"
At the same time, the girl suddenly called out to her outspoken friend.
The latter also seemed to suddenly realize something and abruptly stopped.
"There was a little accident earlier, and Yu kindly brought me here," the girl explained to her friend.
Amidst the other person's gaze, which was a mixture of surprise and suspicion, he turned to Yu Qingzhou with an apologetic smile, seemingly apologizing for his friend's impetuous attitude.
Yu Qingzhou didn't feel there was anything to apologize for.
But this interruption suddenly dispelled my previous eager and excited mood.
Everything returned to calm, as if I had suddenly woken up from a beautiful, illusory dream and realized what the unbreakable reality was.
Later, for some reason, some unfounded and ambiguous rumors suddenly began to circulate in the class.
Regarding Yu Qingzhou and that girl—
It seems that someone saw her on her way to the infirmary, which led to that unsubstantiated rumor.
Yu Qingzhou noticed those gazes—suspicious, curious, jealous… but none of them were to be disliked by Yu Qingzhou.
He doesn't like being in the public eye, whether for good or bad.
Those gazes also included the girl's hesitant look.
Finally, one day, Yu Qingzhou met the girl while walking alone on the road.
There was almost no one else on the street at the time, and the girl was accompanied by her friend whom she had met briefly at the infirmary.
They met face to face.
Upon seeing Yu Qingzhou, the girl's eyes flickered slightly, and she stopped in her tracks, looking as if she had made up her mind to say something.
However, Yu Qingzhou had no intention of stopping and walked straight past the two people.
As they brushed past each other, Yu Qingzhou seemed to catch a glimpse of the girl's smile momentarily froze.
But he didn't hesitate at all. Rather than being seen by others again and confirming the current rumors, it was better to cut it off at the source.
It wouldn't be accurate to say there's absolutely no regret.
But Yu Qingzhou knew all too well when to stop.
Hey, you're really too arrogant!
A voice suddenly rang out from behind, calling out to Yu Qingzhou without any politeness.
Then, the girl's friend jogged over, stretched out her arms to block Yu Qingzhou's path, looking as if she was determined to get an explanation for her friend.
Completely ignoring the girl's worried cries from behind.
You've heard all those rumors lately, haven't you?
[...]
Do you know how much Shuangshuang is troubled by this? You're a guy, so you probably don't understand how terrible this is for a girl. And, well, someone like you, a gloomy guy with no friends, might even be secretly gloating about it.
[...]
Are you still going to pretend you can't hear or hear anything now? Didn't your parents teach you basic manners? Or are you simply—?
So, what do you want me to say?
Yu Qingzhou calmly interrupted the other party.
Perhaps because the boy had been silent for too long, his sudden question caught the aggressive man off guard.
Yes, of course we'll respond directly.
The friend paused for a moment, then said matter-of-factly, "After all, the fault for today's situation lies entirely with you. If you hadn't acted on your own initiative, Shuangshuang wouldn't be in this predicament."
"...Is that so? It's entirely my fault."
Yu Qingzhou spoke softly to herself, without any extra emotion, but instead asked aloud: "Do you really think so?"
As he said this, he was looking at the girl behind him.
Upon hearing this, the latter showed a clear wavering expression, but before she could speak, her friend, who considered himself her protector, immediately stepped forward again.
[Now that you can't reason with me, are you trying to resort to threats? Let me tell you, with me here today, I won't let anyone hurt Shuangshuang.]
"No, I didn't..." The girl finally found a chance to speak, whispering as if she were extremely ashamed.
Seeing this, the friend looked at him with exasperation: "You're just too easygoing, which is why you've been taken advantage of by unscrupulous people, and you're still foolishly thinking it's your fault—"
As he said this, his friend glanced meaningfully at the boy opposite him.
They seemed to want to see Yu Qingzhou look ashamed or angry, but instead they heard a soft sneer.
The other party clearly did not expect that Yu Qingzhou could still laugh at this time, with an incredulous expression as if he had seen a rare species.
You actually... can still laugh?!
Judging from that, he probably meant he'd never seen such a shameless person.
—But it doesn't matter anymore.
Yu Qingzhou smiled and said, "I understand. I'm sorry for doing something unnecessary. I'll be more careful next time."
He paused, then looked at the girl and said, "You have a good friend, but I think not everyone needs such a close friend... so, let's forget about the suggestion from last time."
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