Side Story 7: We Said We'd Take It Slow

"The bank contacted? I see, it was expected, but I didn't think it would happen so quickly... Mm, that's fine, I'll head back immediately." After hanging up the phone, Yu Ningmeng sighed.

"Is it about the online payment?" Xia Yu held up his tea and sipped.

This was the tea that An Siyao and Zhu Mei liked. He didn't see anything special about it, but in order to maintain his dignity, he never said anything and just drank it silently.

He successfully deceived An Siyao and the others, and gradually, the amount of cola and Sprite at home reduced, and the daily drinks were replaced with tea.

Now he could only go to Xu Youxiang's place to get free beverages.

Returning to the pavilion, Yu Ningmeng picked up her tea and took a sip: "Yes, I have to go."

She looked at Xia Yu reluctantly.

"There's plenty of time in the future." Xia Yu replied.

Yu Ningmeng's expression was first relieved, then turned shy, and she gave Xia Yu a blaming glance.

I meant that literally!

Xia Yu's thoughts were suddenly twisted, and he rubbed his waist. He thought that as long as Yu Ningmeng returned, he would be much more relaxed.

His level 3 endurance was no longer enough; he needed to find a body with related skills and level up some more.

"I'll leave now." Yu Ningmeng set down her teacup and stood up.

"Shall I see you off?" Xia Yu also stood up.

"No need, my assistant and I will go back together." After saying that, Yu Ningmeng glanced at Wen Ziying who was sitting next to her.

Wen Ziying was calmly drinking tea, looking at the flowers as if Yu Ningmeng and Xia Yu didn't exist.

She had come with Yu Ningmeng in the capacity of a translator.

"Are you coming with me?" Yu Ningmeng asked her.

"The scenery here is nice; I'll stay and enjoy it for a few days." Wen Ziying replied.

"Alright, contact me if you need anything." Yu Ningmeng turned around and blocked Xia Yu's sight with her back, making a cheering gesture towards Wen Ziying .

Wen Ziying didn't respond, unsure of how to react.

She and Xia Yu escorted Yu Ningmeng to the gate, then returned to the pavilion.

Sitting in the pavilion, they suddenly felt uneasy.

Over the years, although Wen Ziying often came with Yu Ningmeng, she had never been alone with Xia Yu.

In addition, Xia Yu had never possessed Wen Ziying 's body over the years.

The pavilion was silent and a bit awkward.

To break the awkwardness, Xia Yu tried to start a conversation.

So the question was, what would be a good topic?

The wind is very noisy today?

The weather is nice today?

Ignoring these two questions, Xia Yu came up with a more conventional one: "Where are you planning to go and visit?"

"I'm not planning to go anywhere." Wen Ziying answered.

"Then what are you going to do?" Xia Yu asked curiously.

"Write a novel." Wen Ziying spoke slowly, deliberately so.

"Didn't you stop writing?" Xia Yu asked subconsciously, only to realize that this reply was quite inappropriate, similar to asking "Aren't you on a diet?"

He quickly changed his question: "What are you writing?"

"A story about a teenager who gains superpowers." Wen Ziying toyed with the delicate teacup.

"What happens next?" Xia Yu asked further, highly admiring Wen Ziying 's storytelling ability, and believed that Wen Ziying would speak of an exciting story that he was already eager to know the plot.

"His ability is puppet manipulation." Wen Ziying looked at the patterns on the cup and touched them with her hand.

Puppet manipulation? Going to the battlefield with several puppets in hand?

Xia Yu couldn't help but think of an outdated game character.

"Superpower battle?" Xia Yu was curious about the theme of the book.

"No." Wen Ziying looked up at Xia Yu, "After discovering his ability, he became keen on manipulating women's bodies to do some bad things."

Xia Yu instinctively dodged her gaze.

No, I haven't done anything wrong; this isn't about me.

Stabilizing his emotions, Xia Yu continued to listen.

"Such as going to the bathroom, taking a bath, and so on." Wen Ziying 's gaze swept over Xia Yu.

Xia Yu felt a little uneasy; he seemed to have indeed done these things, but this was also something that couldn't be helped - the game's eight-hour period couldn't be quit midway, so he couldn't endure eight hours without going to the bathroom, could he?

As for bathing, if the bathroom had been entered, what was the difference? Besides, what did what Wen Ziyu do have to do with Xia Yu?

"Then, he completely revealed his evil side." Wen Ziying 's voice deepened.

Xia Yu's heart sank as well.

What evil things did I do? None.

However, it might be that he forgot, after all, so many years had passed.

He was anxiously waiting for Wen Ziying 's explanation, but she picked up her tea and drank it slowly, as Xia Yu's heart raced.

After half a minute, Wen Ziying finally put down the teacup.

"After he got tired of all that, he cruelly abandoned the woman, not caring at all about the tremendous psychological pressure suffered by the woman whose innocence he had ruined."

"How is it? You feel that the man did not ruin someone else's innocence?" Wen Ziying stared at Xia Yu and interrogated him.

"Well... maybe?" Xia Yu couldn't refute.

"Then do you think that man should take responsibility?" Wen Ziying asked again.

With his hands clenched, Xia Yu couldn't figure out the meaning of Wen Ziying 's words.

Over the years, he had met with Wen Ziying fewer times than he had with Yu Ningmeng, and they had hardly spoken.

Slowly probing, he replied, "This is only a novel, right? If he took responsibility, there would be nothing to write about, right?"

"No matter, if that man took responsibility, this novel would become a sweet love story." Wen Ziying smiled.

"And if he doesn't?" Xia Yu asked with curiosity.

Wen Ziying 's smile didn't diminish; on the contrary, it grew even brighter: "If he doesn't, the woman will awaken eighteen kinds of torturous powers."

"What kind of powers are they?" Xia Yu asked.

"It is the power to forcibly catch the person involved and take them to the execution ground to experience eighteen kinds of torture." Wen Ziying answered.

"That's pretty shameless, huh?" Xia Yu was astonished.

Wen Ziying continued, "Actually, I haven't figured out what those eighteen kinds of torture are yet. What do you think is good? Is dismemberment by six horses about right?"

Wasn't it five horses?

Xia Yu thought seriously, carefully analyzed, and concluded.

Goodness, that's so vicious!

Is this a threat? How should I respond to this topic?

Just as Xia Yu was struggling, Wen Ziying changed the subject again:

Of course, reality couldn't be like that. Awakening abilities were just a dream for women; she had no powers, and he never appeared again. She could only spend her life in loneliness. When she died, there was no one by her side, and her body was found half a month later by a thief.

Suddenly, the story turned from bloody to depressing.

The sudden change in tone and the lonely end surprised Xia Yu even more than the change in the drawing style.

After a moment of silence, Xia Yu asked, "How should the story develop?"

"Um... how about the man approaching the woman with his true identity, gradually building affection like in a normal romantic relationship, and then have a confession?" Wen Ziying pinched her fingers, looking a bit uneasy.

Xia Yu had completely calmed down by this point, looking at Wen Ziying , "How do you plan for him to approach her?"

Wen Ziying lowered her head, "How about a chance encounter in the garden?"

"Should we go to the backyard and check it out?" Xia Yu reached out his hand.

Wen Ziying grabbed Xia Yu's hand.

Half an hour later, in the bedroom.

"Ah, I said we should take it slow like a normal romantic relationship!"