*Gu Sheng POV.*
Life has become monotonous.
Every day I go to the company and work twice as hard to make up for the lost time.
And just when I finally thought things were getting back on track, Bai Yue started avoiding me.
She says she doesn't have time to see me, always busy with family matters, and whenever I ask what it is so I can help, she changes the subject.
We don't even sleep in the same bed anymore.
I'd love to have someone keep an eye on her for me, but I want to respect her wishes. If she wants to hide something from me, then so be it.
But I can't help feeling bothered, a sensation deep in my chest, the same feeling that has always guided me.
Right now, I'm in a park in the city center.
For the past week, I've been coming here every morning and every afternoon. Maybe I come here out of fear, fear of going home and finding a silent, empty house.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like noise.
I just miss that presence that always whispered her dreams into my ear.
Whenever I see that empty house, I get this unsettling feeling in the back of my mind, as if something incredibly important is missing.
That something should be Bai Yue, since all of this started when she began avoiding me.
But... my heart knows it's not that simple.
It keeps telling me I've lost something very important, something that should be here.
Sitting on one of the benches in this park.
But I don't know what it is.
It should be here.
What is it?
Shaking my head, I sat down on an empty bench.
My presence there was almost out of place. Among the ordinary people dressed so casually, I was the only one wearing formal clothes.
They were loud and chaotic.
I hate that.
I don't want to be here, but I feel like I have to stay and wait for something.
One hour.
Two hours.
Three hours...
"..."
Enough!
I'm leaving.
*End POV.*
...
I sprinted through the forest at full speed, barely avoiding the obstacles in my path, though not everything could be avoided.
Within minutes, my white lab coat was covered in tears and dirt stains.
I didn't notice at first. The only thing on my mind was the road ahead.
My legs only stopped moving when a familiar place revealed itself before me.
People chatting, vendors shouting about their products, and couples...
Well, they're couples.
'I can't believe it.'
I'd come back to where it all began, the place where I first met Bai Xue.
'How long have I been running?'
I wandered aimlessly until I stopped in front of the same bench where Bai Xue had once cried.
Even the time of day seemed to be the same, and I could almost see the ghost of Xue crying there again.
I sat down on the empty bench.
Memories of the fight with the gangsters flooded my mind.
I went way too far, but I don't regret it.
I'm just surprised that the gravel path is completely clean now, without a single trace of blood.
What exactly was I doing here?
Reliving the past when I should be running away?
But... running away to where, exactly?
Maybe Bai Yue...
But let's check my options first.
"System, what about my rewards?"
[Here you go, Host.]
Immediately, scenes began playing in my mind, almost like watching a movie.
I saw the moment Bai Xue was cast out, when Gu Sheng saved her, and when she stabbed him.
I also watched Bai Xue rebuild her life, open a bakery, and create incredibly beautiful and delicious cakes with her talent.
Meanwhile, I watched Gu Sheng sink deeper and deeper into paranoia because the person living with him no longer resembled the one he remembered.
Ridiculous, right?
I was surprised too when I found out he had been conscious throughout the entire coma.
But after that, the story loses its charm.
It's just Gu Sheng regretting everything and trying to make up for his mistakes, while Bai Xue grows stronger and more independent.
A true dog-blood drama.
I even felt a little sorry for Gu Sheng, because even if I hadn't been here, it doesn't seem like he would've ever been forgiven.
If I hadn't known the story beforehand, I'd have thought Bai Xue was the protagonist.
This Gu Sheng really is something else.
"You're here?"
A surprised voice reached my ears.
My eyes widened when I saw who had called out to me...
Simply incredible.
I think about the bastard for a second, and he shows up.
"Gu Sheng."
The two of us stared at each other for several seconds.
He looked me up and down, shamelessly sizing me up.
It felt strange being looked at like that by another man.
Very uncomfortable.
"Your stare is way too intense... Gu Sheng, don't tell me you're into that kind of thing?!"
I said, crossing my arms beneath my chest and putting on a shocked expression.
Hahaha...
My turn to make you uncomfortable, Gu Sheng!
The reaction was immediate.
His eyes narrowed, his lips curled with disdain as he opened his mouth.
"I'm not checking you out. I'm— Ah! Forget it."
An inexplicable glimmer crossed Gu Sheng's eyes before he looked away.
What the hell is this guy thinking?
After everything I saw, Gu Sheng is no longer a mystery to me—or at least, not entirely.
Although he may seem cold and ruthless on the outside, he's actually an incredibly upright and fair person.
Even so, that only highlights just how far his obsession can push him, to the point of abandoning his own principles and morals.
But that look...
It sent chills down my spine.
...
*Gu Sheng POV.*
Unexpectedly, on my way back, I ran into Bai Ryuu sitting alone on a bench, away from everyone else.
That makes me wonder.
Shouldn't he be in the hospital?
And why does he look like he just escaped from an asylum?
Yet even wearing a tattered lab coat, his golden hair softly framed his bright eyes, and the dirt on his cheeks only added a touch of fragility to that beauty.
He almost looked like a...
'...Cat?'
The image appeared in my mind on its own, associating this ragged Ryuu with a mischievous little kitten that had run away from home.
???
I guess I've been working too much lately.
I'm even starting to hallucinate.
"Your stare is way too intense... Gu Sheng, don't tell me you're into that kind of thing?!"
This effeminate little dwarf is implying that I'm...
"..."
Look at the nerve of this guy.
We barely meet, and this little brat is already picking a fight with me.
"I'm not checking you out. I'm— Ah! Forget it."
Damn it.
I almost admitted I was comparing him to a cat.
That would've been humiliating.
I guess that's one more reason to leave now.
"Wait!"
I had already turned around to leave, but I stopped when Bai Ryuu called out to me.
"What do you want?" I asked, glancing back over my shoulder.
"Gu Sheng, my friend."
He smiled and stood up, walking toward me with light steps.
Even his voice sounded more relaxed.
"I need your help."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
What does this guy want?
"What makes you think I'd help you, some stranger who looks like he escaped from a hospital?"
Bai Ryuu's expression froze for a moment before his lips spread into a smile, and he burst into laughter.
Genuinely confused, I asked,
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. It's just that you're right. I did escape from the hospital, and now I'm being hunted."
?
A huge question mark appeared in my mind.
"You're kidding, right?"
In response, Bai Ryuu simply spread his arms, his smile growing even wider.
"Gu Sheng... look at me.
Do I look like I'm joking?"
The way he said it made him sound like someone who had genuinely escaped from an asylum.
I scratched the back of my neck, a gesture completely beneath me, yet somehow fitting for the current situation.
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"...Okay."
I shrugged and agreed.
Even though I still had no idea what was going on, Bai Ryuu didn't seem to be lying.
That's strange.
No...
What's even stranger is that I don't feel uncomfortable around him.
Before, I'd get irritated just looking at him.
But now I don't feel that anymore.
In fact, looking at him now, I realize he's actually handsome...
"This..."
A shiver ran down my spine.
I'd better not think about that.
*End POV.*
...
Right now, I'm in Gu Sheng's car, a black Rolls-Royce.
We're heading to his house...
At first, I wasn't sure what to do, but I realized this Gu Sheng is much calmer than he was the other day.
Actually, he almost seemed... lonely.
Though maybe that was just my imagination.
I had planned to deceive him to gain his support.
I even imagined the showdown:
Protagonist VS Supreme Yandere.
It would've been a clash of titans, and whoever ended up getting hurt would've been good for me.
However, as shown in the original story, Gu Sheng possesses almost supernatural intuition.
The moment I opened my mouth, he'd know I was lying.
So I took a different approach.
After all, if I was honest, judging by Gu Sheng's personality, he wouldn't leave me alone.
"..."
That's what I thought.
But I never expected it to be this easy.
I figured he'd question and interrogate me, wanting to know every little detail before making a decision.
I was already prepared to use emotional blackmail, explaining that Bai Yue would never forgive him if he let something happen to me.
Speaking of Bai Yue, she's another one who feels more like the protagonist than the actual protagonist.
She gets away with almost everything throughout the story, then fakes her own death and disappears.
As for Bai Ning...
In the original story, she never even appears.
Bai Xue isn't even cast out, because it was Xue's father and his second wife who were there instead.
Bai Ning is never mentioned.
Almost like a ghost...
That bothers me.
Why doesn't she appear in the original plot, but she exists now?
The only difference between the two versions is my presence, something that didn't exist in the original.
But that alone shouldn't be enough to cause such drastic changes.
After all, two relatively important characters disappeared—the strict, hypocritical father, and the poisonous, greedy mother.
This System has been awfully quiet too.
So far, it hasn't made a single annoying comment.
'System.'
[Quiet, Host. I'm hiding.]
'Hiding from what?'
[From the Meta-Fictional Police. I can't explain for now, but all the functions are still fully accessible. Goodbye.]
I stared blankly at the empty space where the blue screens had disappeared.
'The Meta-Fictional Police?'
The System didn't answer.
"..."
Damn it.
Now who's going to answer my questions?
No...
The real question is:
What happens to me if I lose the System?
Not that this System is especially useful, but it's all I've got.
If I lose it, I'll lose every advantage I have and end up at the mercy of those yanderes...
I'm scared.
"Bai Ryuu, are you really that scared?"
A voice cut through my thoughts, making me jump.
"Me? Of course not."
I answered calmly, though my voice sounded fake even to my own ears.
"But you're shaking."
"It's cold."
"...Sure it is."
Gu Sheng simply nodded, staring at me intently before looking away.
Damn it.
Besides being a human lie detector, can this guy read minds too?
All of a sudden, I don't want to go to his house anymore.
But I have to.
Because I don't just want his support.
I also want to finish what I started with Bai Yue.
She's the queen of the underworld.
Having her on a leash would be incredibly useful.
"..."
I actually feel sorry for Gu Sheng.
He's taking me into his home without realizing he's opening the door to the wolves.
****
Sorry for not posting any chapters these past few days. It's just that with this new college course, I haven't had any time to write.
Man, I'm genuinely impressed by the people who can write three chapters in a single day. Meanwhile, I can barely finish one chapter in an entire week.