My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

Jiang Yi stared at the long message on the screen, his fingers hovering above the keyboard, not falling for a long time.

"So even if you're a liar, even if you've been lying to me from beginning to end, I won't regret it."

These words were like a dull knife, cutting into his heart again and again.

It's not pain, it's something even more unbearable than pain.

Jiang Yi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

"What a terrible thing to do."

Jiang Yi cursed under his breath, then picked up his phone again and started typing.

"Xiaoyue".

He didn't call her "baby," he didn't call her "wife," he didn't use any of those cloying nicknames that Jiang Miaomiao usually used.

He called her name.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not as good as you imagine, nor as perfect as you think. I'm just an ordinary person, so ordinary that you wouldn't even give me a second glance if I walked down the street."

"But one thing is true—I do worry about you, I really want you to be okay, and I really don't want you to get hurt."

"It's not for any other reason, it's because you're a good girl. You shouldn't be hurt by anyone, no matter who that person is."

After sending this paragraph, Jiang Yi paused for a moment, then added:

"I'll pick you up next Wednesday. Not because of who I am, but because I want to see for myself what kind of girl is willing to open her heart to someone she's never even met."

After the message was sent, the other end remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Yi wondered if Su Xiaoyue was angry, disappointed, or simply didn't want to talk to him anymore.

He stared at the screen, his heart pounding like a drum.

Then, Su Xiaoyue replied.

Little Moon: Honey, you just called my name.

Little Moon: This is the first time you've called me by my name.

Little Moon: I don't know why, but it makes my heart race even faster than when you call me baby (///ω///)

Little Moon: I've remembered everything you said.

Little Moon: But I need to correct you on one thing.

Little Moon: You said you're an ordinary person, the kind I wouldn't even glance at if you walked down the street.

Little Moon: That's impossible, because you're really beautiful.

Little Moon: I've looked at that photo so many times, and I think it's beautiful every time.

Little Moon: So don't underestimate yourself!

Jiang Yi looked at the last line of text, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.

He could almost picture Su Xiaoyue's expression when she said those words.

It's probably the kind of serious, slightly meticulous, one with a slightly furrowed brow.

"Okay, I won't underestimate myself," he typed back. "But you also have to promise me one thing."

Little Moon: What's up? (✪ω✪)

Jiang Yi: "Eat well and sleep well before next Wednesday. No staying up late. If you come to see me with dark circles under your eyes, I'll have to criticize you."

Little Moon: Okay!!!

Little Moon: Honey, you're so nagging!

Little Moon: But I like it (´•ω•`)

Little Moon: Then I'll be a good boy from now on and promise to appear in front of you full of energy next Wednesday!

Jiang Yi: "Okay, it's a deal."

Little Moon: It's a deal! Honey, you should get some rest early tonight, and no more instant noodles!

Little Moon: I'll get angry if you eat instant noodles again next time (╥﹏╥)

Jiang Yi was taken aback.

She remembered it.

She not only looked at the photo he casually took, but also remembered the details in the background.

This girl was more attentive than he had imagined, and she cared about every word he said and every picture he posted.

A complex and indescribable emotion welled up inside him.

"...Okay, I won't eat instant noodles anymore."

Little Moon: That's more like it~

Little Moon: Goodnight, honey! Mua! (*╯3╰)

Jiang Yi looked at the "mua", hesitated for half a second, and then typed "goodnight" and sent it.

Jiang Yi placed his phone face down on the table, covered his face with his hands, and remained motionless for a long time.

The instant noodles had cooled down completely, and the chili oil had congealed on the surface, looking like a pool of congealed blood.

Only one thought kept running through his mind.

Su Xiaoyue is right, she just doesn't care.

She didn't care if he was a liar, whether he had cheated her out of money, whether the person in the photo was her, or even whether he was male or female.

She only cares about one thing: that someone is there for her when she is at her loneliest.

That person was actually his sister impersonating him using his photo.

Jiang Yi suddenly stood up, his chair sliding backward and hitting the bed frame with a dull thud.

He paced back and forth in the dormitory a few times, finally stopping in front of the window, his forehead pressed against the cold glass.

The streetlights downstairs in the dormitory building were on, and tiny flying insects floated in the dim yellow light.

Two or three students walked by, chatting and laughing, discussing what to eat for dinner and whether they had classes the next day.

The lives of those normal people are separated from the absurd world he now lives in by a transparent glass dome.

He took a deep breath, sat back down at the table, and picked up the phone.

I read Su Xiaoyue's last long message again from beginning to end.

"So even if you're a liar, even if you've been lying to me from beginning to end, I won't regret it."

"The days I spent chatting with you have been the happiest time of my life."

See you next Wednesday.

"No matter what you look like, I will come to find you."

Jiang Yi stared at these lines of text and suddenly remembered the image of Su Xiaoyue in his dream, wearing a blue dress stained with blood and holding a knife.

The dream was fake, but the girl's loneliness was real.

He made a decision.

It's not about deceiving people for Jiang Miaomiao, nor is it about continuing to play the role of that "husband".

Instead, he went to see her as an ordinary person to try and calm her down.

I'll tell her the truth once I've made up the money.

Tell her you're sorry.

But before that, he needs to figure out one thing.

How many lies did that spendthrift Jiang Miaomiao tell Su Xiaoyue?

He needs a complete "character design collection"—

What's his/her name? Which company does he/she work for? Where does he/she live? Where is his/her hometown? What do his/her parents do? Where did he/she go to university? What are his/her hobbies? What does he/she like to eat, drink, and do?

If any of these details don't match, the deception will be exposed.

And his current situation is:

If he's exposed, Su Xiaoyue might call the police immediately; if he's not exposed, he'll have to keep acting, no matter how long he acts.

Therefore, he must first understand all the information before he can decide what to do next.

As for where to stay...

Jiang Yi frowned; this was indeed a big problem.

Jiang Miaomiao told Su Xiaoyue that "he" was a single programmer living in a one-bedroom apartment near the company.

Jiang Yi, a third-year student at Tsinghua and Peking Universities, lived in a six-person dormitory. His upper bunk was piled with seasonal clothes, while his lower bunk was piled with textbooks and instant noodle containers.

What would he do if Su Xiaoyue said, "I'll go to your place and take a look"?

Take her to the dorm? Impossible.

Looking to rent a place temporarily?

With his meager savings, he couldn't even afford a partitioned room in Kyoto.

Borrowing a friend's house?

None of the people he knew lived alone.

Jiang Yi rubbed his temples, feeling his blood pressure rise again.

He put this problem aside for the time being and decided to solve the information problem first.

I glanced at the time; it was 11:40 PM.

It's too late, Jiang Miaomiao must be asleep, I doubt she'll answer the phone.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning, I'll wake that girl up first thing and ask her about all the details.

then……

We'll talk about it later.

Jiang Yi plugged both phones into the charger, took a shower, and went back to bed.

The dormitory was quiet; my three roommates hadn't returned yet—school didn't start until next week, and they were still enjoying their last vacation back home.

He closed his eyes, and scenes from his dream flashed through his mind like a movie:

In my dream, there was his mother's cold tombstone, Xia Anmian's departing figure, and the knife in Su Xiaoyue's hand.

He turned over and buried his face in the pillow.

Damn it, go to sleep.

There's a whole bunch of other things to do tomorrow.

……