The Nightmare Experience of a Useless Person

Attending class, doing homework, waiting for a phone call.

Jiang Zhiyang's life became simpler. In order to be able to meet anytime he needed to answer the phone, and in order not to waste the 10,000 yuan a month he earned, Jiang Zhiyang quit all his part-time jobs.

However, the phone was probably broken, and there was no response for a whole week.

"Ding-dong~" Message!

There's nothing there...

In addition, Jiang Zhiyang also paid special attention to his roommate, Duan Heng, who had once frightened him quite a bit.

Duan Heng is quiet and introverted, doesn't like to talk, has excellent grades, is reliable in handling affairs, and wears a pair of black-rimmed glasses, making him look like a typical stereotypical academic genius.

"Duan Heng, are you going to eat?"

"Brother Duan, I've saved a seat for you."

"Mr. Duan, let's play games together!"

"Duanduan, do you need to use the restroom? Here's a pack of tissues for you, have a good time!"

Jiang Zhiyang didn't care much about the overcorrection in his concern. But looking at his blank expression, Jiang Zhiyang found it hard to imagine that there was once a heart in his body that had suffered so much pain.

Suicide attempt?

He suddenly realized that he seemed to be dwelling too much on his tragic experiences, pretentiously spending a lot of time indulging in self-pity.

He, Jiang Zhiyang, was just one of the masses, as ordinary as a drop of water in a vast ocean. The other drop was Duan Heng.

"Brother Duan, do you want to take a shower first?"

"You go ahead, I want to tidy up my desk first."

On Friday nights when there's no part-time work, the free time feels both strange and unsettling.

He started missing Lele again.

Thinking of this warm-hearted girl filled Jiang Zhiyang's heart with joy, courage, and confidence. He felt like a different person, or rather, like a salted fish lying on the ground that had turned over, its sun-baked half facing the earth, revealing a fresh and vibrant side.

But isn't it a bit strange to like someone who doesn't exist?

Xue Lele and Yu Qingjun clearly have the same face, one is gentle and kind, the other is aloof and serious, one is in a dream, the other is right in front of you.

I wonder if her smile looks like Lele's.

"Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz~"

The vibration of my phone disrupted my heartbeat. An unknown number? Had the person behind my back finally been discovered?

"Feed him," Jiang Zhiyang replied guiltily.

"Hello, handsome young man~"

Little fox sister?

"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hurry up and come to the milk tea shop in the business plaza, the one under the overpass."

"But it's almost curfew time."

"Hurry up, I'll take you to see Xue Lele."

"Lele?"

"You damn fox, you took my phone again! I'm going to pluck all your fur off! *beep*"

It was Yu Qingjun's voice.

The other party has hung up.

"Liu Xuyan, lend me a piece of clothing."

Before Liu Xuyan could react, Jiang Zhiyang had already opened his wardrobe, pulled out his "girl-charming outfit," and was putting it on as he ran.

"Huh? Where are you going? It's time for gate access!"

Before Liu Xuyan could finish speaking, Xiao Jiang had already rushed out of the dormitory building. The good kid had never skipped class to stay out overnight before; this was the second time.

On Friday night, the university town was as lively as a 90% off sale, so there were naturally no spare shared bikes waiting for someone to use.

What to do? My brain was thinking in the back, but my legs were already running ahead, gulping in air and my heart rate soaring.

Jiang Zhiyang couldn't tell if his heart was pounding from exercise or from the nervousness of seeing Lele. All he knew was anticipation, happiness, and eagerness.

When Jiang Zhiyang arrived, the two had just finished their milk tea.

"Have a nice weekend, handsome little guy~" The little fox lay limply on the table, looking nonchalant, with the rich fragrance of gardenias tucked behind his ear.

"My name is Jiang Zhiyang, you can just call me Xiao Jiang."

"I really don't know why I called him here." Yu Qingjun said coldly, then got up to leave.

Jiang Zhiyang felt a little awkward and looked up helplessly, unsure whether he should get up and see her off.

"It's nothing, she just went to order again."

Is it really okay to drink two cups of milk tea at once?

"It's okay, she's happy to."

"How should I address you?" The little fox sister looked young, but her mannerisms were not those of a child, so Jiang Zhiyang still held a certain degree of respect for her.

"Oh? What do you want to call me?" The little fox smiled, her eyes crinkling, her tone full of teasing.

"younger sister?"

"Little sister? Hahaha, that's quite novel." The little girl laughed loudly, her mouth almost reaching the sky.

Jiang Zhiyang felt somewhat embarrassed and anxious. "Didn't you say you'd take me to see Lele?"

"Oh, you miss her so much~"

The little fox had such an innocent look that it was quite adept at making people feel embarrassed, and Jiang Zhiyang was too ashamed to answer.

"Hahaha, I'm just teasing you. It's so close yet so far." The little fox lowered its eyes, its eyelashes casting long shadows, and its two little eyes quickly glanced at Yu Qingjun.

"The dream world is fantastic and beautiful, but also chaotic. Therefore, people who frequently enter dreams are prone to memory confusion, mental fog, and even forgetting reality, completely immersing themselves in their dream identity. In other words, the Lele you know is Qingjun, but she couldn't remember reality, so she revealed her true nature."

Jiang Zhiyang watched Yu Qingjun's back as she stared at the menu, deep in thought.

She gently pursed her lips, her chubby cheeks forming a small indentation between her fingers. Lele... Qingjun... it seemed she could truly see the undeniable cuteness beneath her mature and aloof demeanor.

"You've told me all this, so you'll have to repay me."

"repay?"

"Keep her occupied tonight and don't let her go back to the tavern," the little fox stood up, gently rested her head on Jiang Zhiyang's right shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "Don't let her find out, or you're dead."

Feeling the warmth of the fox sister's lips and the rich scent of gardenias, Jiang Zhiyang nervously gripped the ground with both feet, not even noticing that she had left, only feeling the fine hairs on his ears still trembling.

Where is she?

At this moment, Yu Qingjun's voice seemed more familiar, and Qingjun and Lele's voices gently overlapped.

"She said she had to go back to the tavern to get busy." Jiang Zhiyang's eyes were unconsciously fixed on Yu Qingjun, his gaze moving from her thick eyebrows to her high nose bridge, fair skin, the small mole at the corner of her eye, and her two big eyes—eyes that gleamed with a fierce light.

Jiang Zhiyang was startled and trembled as he pulled a paper bag from his bag. "This is for you. It has a hawthorn and a strawberry."

He saw that Qingjun's eyes seemed to change instantly, with expectation flickering within them.

So cute.

Back in Qiushui Village, Lele—no, Qingjun—often stared intently at the candied hawthorns in the children's hands. Jiang Zhiyang took note of this and made a special detour on the way here to buy candied hawthorns. He carefully observed them for a long time before picking out the two largest skewers.

Yu Qingjun took the paper bag, her eyes seemingly glued to it. Jiang Zhiyang noticed this and her lips curled up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Thank you, then this milk tea is yours."

She liked it very much. That was wonderful! Jiang Zhiyang couldn't help but smile and reached out to take the milk tea. There were cool water droplets on the cup, but he didn't open it. He just obediently handed it over to Lord Qingjun for safekeeping, in case she got tired of candied hawthorns and could rinse her mouth with the milk tea.

"Kiyo-kun, I still want to ask, what's that younger sister's name?"

"Sister, younger sister?" Yu Qingjun found it amusing, her gaze lingering briefly on Jiang Zhiyang's face.

"I don't know the exact number, but she certainly can't be your sister; she's hundreds of years old."

"How many, how many hundred years old?"

"Bai Chan is a fox. Although he is much older than you, he is still considered a young man in the fox clan."

A fox? A fox? A fox!

In an instant, "Journey to the West" played on repeat in my mind hundreds of times. If I wanted to subdue a fox spirit, I should…

Jiang Zhiyang transformed back into a ruffled little sea urchin, the sweat on his temples still damp, dripping down his skin and into his neck. He wore a small leather jacket that seemed out of place on him, still carrying a hint of dew from the grass.

Kids are so cute.

"What's wrong with foxes? This world doesn't belong to you people."

"You? Your people?"

"Aren't you human either?" This was a strange question, and Jiang Zhiyang didn't dare to ask it.

"Flowers, birds, fish, insects, birds and beasts, and humans are just one of them. It's not surprising that many races admire human civilization, strive to cultivate themselves, and transform into human form."

"No, what I mean is, what about you? Lord Qingjun, Lord Qingjun," Jiang Zhiyang probed.

"I'm a beauty, that's all," Yu Qingjun said casually, avoiding the main point.

However, she is indeed very busy right now, busy biting the biggest strawberry off the skewer, and doesn't have time to explain properly.

All night long, Jiang Zhiyang's brain was processing this information that was both scientific and very metaphysical. He didn't even have the extra ability to find a reasonable reason to pester Yu Qingjun. He just kept dragging her around the university town for a walk.

At first, Yu Qingjun was busy eating candied hawthorns and walked very cooperatively beside Jiang Zhiyang, but soon, she finished eating the candied hawthorns, finished drinking the milk tea, and ran out of patience.

Actually, she was really good-tempered, Jiang Zhiyang thought. Even though he had led her around aimlessly all night, shopping at supermarkets and internet cafes, this fairy-like woman hadn't gotten angry and smashed his head in.

Jiang Zhiyang touched his head with relief, feeling really good.