Chapter 29: What’s Wrong with Me?
In a flurry, Zhao Mingyue jumped out of bed, rushed through her morning routine, barely had time to tidy up or eat breakfast. Wearing her work uniform with a piece of bread clamped between her teeth, she dashed out the door, having even forgotten her phone—thankfully, Bai Yu reminded her.
Outside the Sunshine Apartment, there weren’t any police barricades, but Zhao Mingyue spotted quite a few officers milling about. The hallway from the first to the third floor was packed with people chatting away, their voices creating a cacophony she couldn’t discern.
Once she reached the first floor, she wheeled her bicycle out without a second thought. One hand on the handlebars, the other still managing to clutch the bread, she took off.
Zhao Mingyue’s life quality was poor, especially when it came to food. The only reason her skin stayed smooth and fair was due to some pretty fantastic genes.
Usually, she had zero interest in skin care. As she often said, the money spent on face masks was better off spent on a few pounds of chicken wings—her favorite snack!
For her, even facial cleanser felt like a luxury item; the sole product she’d use was good old water.
As she munched on her bread while cycling, it was no surprise she started to choke, her face turning crimson as she finally swallowed. The problem was, she was in such a hurry that she hadn’t brought any water or milk—her mouth felt parched, and her expression was pure misery.
Choked on her bread, parched, and the kicker? She was totally exhausted!
Ding-a-ling!
The copper bell hanging on the doorframe jangled cheerfully as Zhao Mingyue stepped inside the convenience store; the wind chime by the window chimed in agreement.
“Manager, I’m so sorry, I’m late again!”
Having been late yesterday, she felt a tad embarrassed about being late today too.
“No biggie, it’s just ten minutes. I get it, you young folks have a lot of pressure,” the manager chuckled, waved her off, and got on with whatever needed doing.
In this massive convenience store, Zhao Mingyue found herself the only employee left. She was used to it; her boss trusted her, and she took that responsibility seriously, promising not to mess with any of the store’s stuff.
But today, she couldn’t help herself.
She was just too thirsty! With no other option, she grabbed a bottle of mineral water off the shelf and fished out some cash from her pocket to pay for it.
Bai Yu, lurking in the shadows, noticed that at first, Zhao Mingyue had intended to grab a bottle of milk. After a few moments of hesitation, she opted for the cheapest mineral water instead.
“Hey Mingyue, if it’s possible, I really wish you would take better care of yourself.”
Bai Yu’s gentle voice echoed in Zhao Mingyue’s mind, utterly devoid of emotion. “At least make your body stronger.”
Zhao Mingyue took a big gulp of the water, totally ruining her ladylike image. Hearing Bai Yu’s words, she slumped into a chair and sighed quietly, “But I—well, I’m broke! Making money is really tough these days.”
“I’ll let you know how to make money later.”
“Really?” Zhao Mingyue’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Just imagine—future tasks will only get tougher. With your current lifestyle of flipping day and night, can you handle it? So, I’ll do my best to help you in this regard.”
“Yay! I knew Bai Yu was the best!”
“Weren’t you just eyeing that milk? Go grab it.”
“Okay, okay!”
Zhao Mingyue sprang into action, swiftly snatching the twelve-yuan bottle of milk off the counter. She scanned it, transferred the money, and popped the cap. Taking a sip, she squinted in sheer bliss.
Sometimes it was unavoidable—this girl was utterly broke. Honestly, she probably wouldn’t splurge on that milk again for years!
Bai Yu fretted that at this rate, some shady guy might very well sweet-talk Zhao Mingyue with a snack and then whisk her away.
To share a real thought, before meeting Zhao Mingyue, Bai Yu never pictured herself in such a predicament—worrying about everything, even if Zhao Mingyue might get lured away, or if one day she might starve to d*ath.
Watching Zhao Mingyue savoring that little treat, Bai Yu chuckled unexpectedly, realizing something.
Had she just… smiled?
There are all kinds of smiles—some are mocking, some are derisive, others crazy, and then there’s a genuine one that hardly comes to her face.
She simply couldn’t wrap her head around what would prompt her to let a sincere smile slip out.
Did she smile when she killed an enemy? Completed a task? When her plans came to fruition?
In her view, none of those situations warranted a smile. Enemies never run out, and once you finish one, another is waiting for you. To be numb and careless just spells d*ath—as would the latter scenarios.
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The rest of the day dragged on, and Zhao Mingyue noticed something strange: Bai Yu seemed less inclined to engage with her. Though yesterday wasn’t much different, today it felt worse—every time Zhao Mingyue tried to chat, she either got no response or just a short one-liner.
Not just during the day; even in the evening, Bai Yu was disinterested in chatting, even her shadow seemed hesitant to appear.
When Zhao Mingyue returned to her bedroom, she carefully scrutinized her shadow, confirming it was indeed the girl in twin low ponytails and a long skirt—meaning Bai Yu hadn’t gone anywhere.
Curious, Zhao Mingyue didn’t say much. She tidied up, had dinner, finished up her remaining assignments, and after a shower, plopped onto her bed while glancing at the notifications on her black phone.
Her task was complete, and the black phone rewarded her with a lottery chance and a boost of [Strength +1]. But since Bai Yu was still being a snub, she figured she’d save her questions for tomorrow.
“Bai Yu, I don’t know what’s up with you, but goodnight! See you in the morning.”
With the bedroom lights out, the room sank into darkness. After a little while, once Zhao Mingyue had fallen asleep, Bai Yu made her appearance, sitting at the foot of her bed.
It wasn’t that she was ignoring Zhao Mingyue or that she was angry; she was simply pondering a singular question.
What was wrong with her?
Having only interacted with Zhao Mingyue for a mere few days, her mindset had shifted significantly.
What she aimed to do with Zhao Mingyue was to make the girl wholeheartedly fall for her to complete her task, while she absolutely needed to keep her emotions at bay.
The reason was simple: After completing the task, she would undoubtedly leave this world behind.
If she developed feelings for Zhao Mingyue by then, how would she leave?
And what about when Zhao Mingyue discovered that her true identity wasn’t that of a kind female ghost but rather a cold-blooded killer? The disappointment on Zhao Mingyue’s face would be unbearable.
It wasn’t about being overly concerned about the future or fantasizing about marriage with someone she’s not even officially dating; it was just that she had seen at least ten cases like this before.
In all ten cases, the protagonists—without exception—ended up dead.
The sc*m Game doesn’t give a hoot about your feelings or emotions. Refuse to move on? Then you’re toast—simple as that.
As an image of a man meeting his demise flashed in her mind, Zhao Mingyue’s phone suddenly buzzed.
Someone was calling her on a chat app, and the profile picture was of a very handsome man.
