Chapter 3: I Don’t Understand, Even in Death

A Joyful Confession

During the annual school festival, a boy stood by the window in an empty classroom. His emotionless eyes observed the lively crowd below. The classroom door slid open with a whoosh. “Hey… I knew you’d be here.” A girl entered, her mood bright, a smile playing on her lips.

“Why are you here?” The boy softened his cold expression, flashing a quick smile as he turned to her.

“Hehe, I came to share good news, of course!” The girl’s cheeks flushed, her demeanor shy and excited. “Just now, he confessed to me! We’re finally together!” Her words brimmed with happiness as she recounted the moment.

“Congrats! You’re finally with the one you like.” The boy seemed genuinely happy for her.

“Hehe, I owe it to you, my strategist! Without your help, he wouldn’t have noticed me.” The girl covered her warm cheeks, openly thanking him for aiding her romance.

“I didn’t do much. It’s your effort that paid off. But if you insist on thanking me, go enjoy the festival with your boyfriend. Don’t waste my work!” “Ugh, I know, I know! I just wanted to share my joy with you first.” The girl pouted, turning to leave with light steps.

A Sudden Shift

“You… don’t have anything else to say?” At the doorway, the girl stopped abruptly. Her voice lost its earlier cheer, turning serious, devoid of humor.

The boy froze, staring at her back as she stood still. His lips moved, almost involuntarily. “What’s it like… to be in love?”

The girl turned, surprised, but gazed at him intently. “You feel happy, blissful, and your heart races uncontrollably.” She smiled faintly, stepping closer with each word. “You also feel sad, pained, and deeply disappointed.” Now standing before him, she had never looked so serious.

“Pfft, as expected… you don’t get it, do you?” The girl suddenly laughed, perhaps mocking him—or herself. She leaned closer, gently touching his stunned face. “I regret it…” Then, she rose on her toes and kissed him forcefully.

A Shocking Betrayal

“Mmph!” The sudden kiss snapped the boy out of his daze. Common sense screamed this was wrong. He instinctively tried to push her away. Thud— Pain shot through him as something pierced his abdomen. Stunned, he shoved her back, clutching his stomach. His hand came away covered in red.

Clatter— The girl stumbled back, the knife slipping from her hand to the floor.

“Cough…” Blood loss brought dizziness, and the boy slid down the wall, eyes fixed on her. He couldn’t comprehend why she’d done this. “Why…?” His vision blurred as he sank lower, her tear-soaked eyes filled with pain and despair, yet her lips held a strange smile.

“You’ll never understand.” Her voice was hoarse, her smile fading into gloom. As his sight dimmed, he still couldn’t grasp it. In his final moment, her last words echoed. “Stop mimicking others, you emotionless monster.”

A Rude Awakening

“Yu Li! What time is it? Get up!” “What?!” Yu Li jolted awake, hand flying to her abdomen. Finding no blood, she sighed in relief.

“Yu Li! Was I not clear? Look at the time! It’s your reporting day. Get up now!” A flustered blonde girl stood before her, clearly annoyed at Yu Li’s laziness. She reached to yank off Yu Li’s blanket. Fresh from a nightmare, Yu Li decided to tease the blonde girl. She gripped the blanket tighter, rolling over to wrap herself snugly. “Ugh, reporting’s no big deal, right? It’s not even the start of school. Besides, with you taking care of me, Xiao Ai, do I need to go?” She closed her eyes, feigning a return to sleep.

“What?! You! Get! Up!” Ai Xinglan’s face reddened with frustration. She lunged at Yu Li, grabbing the blanket and tugging hard.

“It’s not ‘no big deal’! You promised to listen to me, and we agreed…” Ai Xinglan’s voice trailed off, likely recalling their awkward arrangement. She yanked harder to cover her embarrassment.

“Hm? What’d you say?” Yu Li rolled over, smirking playfully, staring at Ai Xinglan.

“Nothing!” Yu Li’s teasing loosened her grip, and Ai Xinglan won the blanket tug-of-war, sending it flying. Caught off guard, Ai Xinglan fell onto Yu Li.

An Embarrassing Mishap

“Ah…” “Ah!!” Without the blanket, Yu Li lay exposed, her fair skin and slight flush in full view. Her silver eyes showed a mix of surprise and mischief. “You… why aren’t you wearing clothes?!” Ai Xinglan gasped, stunned to find Yu Li completely bare.

“Xiao Ai… so naughty…” Yu Li’s cheeks flushed pink, her eyes half-lidded as she glanced away shyly. Yet, she made no move to cover herself, as if inviting Ai Xinglan’s gaze.

“W-What?!” “You know I sleep naked… but… if it’s you, Xiao Ai, it’s okay~” Yu Li’s lips parted, her voice dreamy, hinting she didn’t mind Ai Xinglan’s reaction.

“N-No way! I’m not doing anything! I only… because you wouldn’t get up… Just get dressed already!” Ai Xinglan scrambled up, stammering, her face crimson. Her cherry-red eyes darted around before squeezing shut, steam practically rising from her head.

Bang— She crashed into the door.

“Ow…” Ignoring the pain, Ai Xinglan seized the chance to flee, grabbing the doorknob.

“Xiao Ai.” Yu Li’s voice stopped her, despite her urge to escape. “Whatever you ask, I’ll do~” Ai Xinglan’s ears turned pink, but she huffed softly and left, closing the door.

“She got me again!” Ai Xinglan stomped, muttering angrily. “Hmph! I’ll let it slide this time, but next time, you’re done!”

A Mischievous Fox

Inside, Yu Li watched Ai Xinglan’s flustered retreat, dropping her coy act. She sat up, licking her lips. “Thanks for the treat, Xiao Ai,” she murmured. Suddenly, a black shadow darted out, lunging for Yu Li’s fingers. She dodged easily. The shadow, a small black fox with golden eyes and faint red markings, looked at her aggrievedly. Its expression was almost human, glaring at her fingers where a pink aura lingered.

“Go get your own.” Yu Li stared blankly at the fox, grabbing its muzzle with practiced ease, clearly used to its antics.

“Yip!” The fox whined, pointing at itself as if to say, I’m just a little fox, how could I trick anyone?

Yu Li dressed unhurriedly, stretching lazily. “Well, too bad. This is mine.” “Yip yip yip!” The fox’s golden eyes stayed fixed on her fingers, plopping onto the floor as if refusing to leave without food.

“Ugh, fine.” Yu Li sighed, offering her finger. “That’s all you get.” The fox pounced, stuffing the pink aura into its mouth, too engrossed to notice Yu Li closing in.

“Gotcha.” Yu Li smirked threateningly. “Your cries sounded different a few days ago. Why ‘yip yip yip’ today?”

The Fox’s Secret

The fox froze, caught off guard by Yu Li’s sneak attack. It wanted to flee but couldn’t bear to abandon its prize. “Next time, try human speech?” “!!!” Panicked, the fox prepared to bolt. (She knows? No, she’s bluffing!) A crisp female voice echoed in Yu Li’s mind, like a secret transmission.

“Of course I know. You’re part of my ability, aren’t you? Are you an idiot?” (She… she can hear me? It’s a fluke, right?) Yu Li shook her head, eyeing the fox like it was a fool. The air grew tense.

(Fine, I’m… the great Fox God! Of course I can speak human language. Hmph, you caught me!) After a long silence, the fox struck a comical pose, paws on hips, stammering through a hastily crafted excuse.

“…” (Say something!) The fox, unable to bear the awkward silence, broke first, looking ready to die of embarrassment.

Yu Li shook her head at the flustered fox. “Keep acting if you want, but… is this really okay?” (…What?) Yu Li sighed, handing over the remaining aura. “Take it and eat.” Relieved, the fox grabbed it and vanished in a puff of black smoke.

Yu Li’s Nature

The fox was a product of Yu Li’s awakened ability, a sort of summon. A month had passed since her awakening. The fox, part of her power, only appeared for “meals” and otherwise stayed hidden. Yu Li let it be. Curiously, it was obsessed with perfecting its fox persona, even tweaking its cries—hence Yu Li catching it out.

Yu Li pushed the fox from her mind and stood before a full-length mirror. The reflection showed a black-haired girl, about 1.5 meters tall, with delicate features and striking silver eyes. A teardrop mole under her left eye added a hint of allure. Her figure was perfect, her modest curves, slender legs, and delicate feet wrapped in white stockings. Save for her height, she was flawless.

She faced the mirror, pulling her lips into a smile. Despite mastering expressions, she practiced daily, as if engraving them into her mind. For Yu Li, perfecting expressions and matching behaviors was a daily necessity. Through years of practice, she could react appropriately in any situation, even if she didn’t understand why.

A Transmigrator’s Burden

Yu Li, a transmigrator, was once a boy with an emotional deficiency, killed by a girl he thought was a friend. Even now, as a girl, she couldn’t fathom that betrayal. Ai Xinglan was special. At the Yu family, Yu Li planned to use her to escape. But when Ai Xinglan appeared, something changed—not because of her halo, but her emotional aura.

Ai Xinglan’s intense anger that day felt different. Yu Li instinctively grabbed and… consumed it. Unlike others’ unusable emotions, Ai Xinglan’s could be absorbed. That anger, belonging to Ai Xinglan, let Yu Li feel true rage for the first time. She was captivated.

Whether it was that anger or Ai Xinglan’s uniqueness, Yu Li’s immersion in those emotions triggered her ability’s awakening. Even now, Yu Li absorbed Ai Xinglan’s emotions daily, experiencing her feelings and gaining slight strength boosts. Therefore, no matter what, Yu Li needed to stay by Ai Xinglan’s side.