Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

“That’s just because you drank too much water in one go,” Chang Rong immediately denied, cutting off An An’s hopes.

“Eh…” An’an blinked, stunned and at a loss.

Just as the atmosphere became extremely awkward, Chang Rong's phone finally broke the stalemate and rang, with the voice of the instigator, Bao Shengma, coming from the other end of the receiver again.

"【Oh dear... As expected of Miss Wenhao, she effortlessly defied all my preconceived notions and drank both glasses of water in one gulp... I originally just wanted to see your true reactions to this predicament, but what I witnessed was this bizarre and indescribable scene... Anyway, is it good news? Actually, neither glass of water contained any strange potions. After all, this is a prison used for executing and imprisoning prospective witches, so how could there be such strange drugs here, right~?】"

Marge's voice revealed a rare hint of embarrassment, indicating that An An's overly reckless and radical actions had even exceeded Marge's expectations.

Marge, who originally intended to appreciate the interplay of human nature in extreme circumstances, almost accidentally created an 18+ filming scene herself. To be honest, the difference was quite significant for her.

"what……"

After hearing Mag's explanation, An'an, who was waiting for the primordial power to erupt, was completely dumbfounded. She stared wide-eyed at her phone in disbelief.

"It's all just plain water...? Then, doesn't that mean—"

An An looked at the empty water glass on the table, then looked down at herself, and finally looked at Chang Rong, who had a subtle expression on her face.

"Doesn't that mean we passed this trial, and even discovered a hidden speedrun version? As expected of An'an, a literary genius and gaming expert, she easily discovered a speedrun route that others could never have imagined!"

After a brief hesitation, Chang Rong quickly took over the conversation in this way, trying to smooth over this extremely awkward farce of "you can't leave the room without doing XX".

"...That's not how it is."

However, the excuse that Chang Rong was desperately trying to find didn't seem to appeal to An An. The white-haired girl, dressed in a long dress that looked like a bathrobe, lowered her head and her tone became much more gloomy than before.

"Hey, An'an...?" Chang Rong noticed An'an's unusual behavior and sensed that something was wrong.

"That's not it... You stupid monster! What is this? This is just a prank and torture on me! I, I will not accept this ending!"

What's more upsetting than accidentally ingesting steroids and doing something indecent?

The answer is to act with the awareness that you'll drink the drug and engage in indecent behavior, only to find out that the other person was just teasing you.

Having finally mustered the courage for an outgoing and proactive action, An'an never expected to lose so decisively, which was completely unacceptable to her.

I had clearly considered it repeatedly in my mind (actually, not that repeatedly), put all my resolve into it (actually, it was just a moment of impulsiveness), and was prepared to cut off all escape routes and burn my bridges (this really meant leaving no way out), but in the end, I failed completely?

If it ends here... then I'll forever be the idiot Xiao Chunu who 'drank two glasses of water in one go until my stomach was bloated while alone in a room with the idiot monster'... I will not allow such an ending!

"An'an? An'an—what's with this rapid increase in her subservient female power?! Calm down, An'an—whoa, such a powerful witch factor fluctuation! Mag, quickly think of something!!"

Seeing the gloomy bean sprout girl in front of him surging with magical power, looking like she was about to go berserk, Chang Rong panicked and hurriedly dialed Marge's number to ask for help from outside the game.

"No need to 'think of a way,' you stupid monster—I am very calm, and... my heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, and everything I do... is for Cesium...!"

An An suddenly raised her head to interrupt Chang Rong. She covered her left eye, which was not covered by her bangs, with one hand, spread her middle and ring fingers, and glared at Chang Rong through the gap.

"Obey my command! My command—I am currently suffering from severe O drug poisoning and must rely on the stupid monster's detoxifying and heat-relieving constitution!"

"...Huh?" Chang Rong, who had originally planned to dodge and escape in an attempt to resist the hypnosis, was stunned after hearing An An's words. It wasn't until he saw An An's face turn red instantly, her breathing become rapid and labored, and her chest heave violently that Chang Rong realized that Natsume An An had just hypnotized him and forcibly transformed him into the state he was supposed to be in after drinking the O drug.

Chang Rong considered himself to be quite knowledgeable. He had witnessed people intentionally poisoning others, poisoning themselves, and even unlucky souls accidentally swallowing poison from others.

However, Natsume An'an's current act of 'pretending to be poisoned even when he isn't' has truly broadened his horizons.

As expected of the literary giant, Teacher An An, she easily came up with a setting that even science fiction wouldn't dare to use!! Self-hypnosis and self-induced arousal—this is a mystery that ordinary suspense works could not possibly come up with!

"Huff...huff...good, so hot...I, I finally know, so this is what it feels like...I must be able to use it next time—no, I must enjoy it all this time, all at once...!!"

An An staggered and trembled as she walked toward Chang Rong. She breathed heavily and shook her head repeatedly to confirm her mission: right now, in this moment, in this library, to pounce on the white-haired boy in front of her and take advantage of him.

"Please allow me to refuse seriously, An'an! Your current state is really abnormal; you need to calm down!"

Chang Rong swallowed hard as she backed away, while simultaneously reaching out to soothe An An as if taming a beast, trying to prevent her from getting any closer.

“I… am very calm… because I know very well… someone as clumsy, willful, and always throwing tantrums as me… if I don’t become one of the idiot monster’s ‘special people,’ I will definitely, definitely be abandoned by the idiot monster…”

"—"

Chang Rong, who was retreating, paused for a moment after hearing An An's somewhat melancholy words.

“I know very well that you, you stupid monster, will not belong to me alone. You will definitely be taken away by someone much better than me… I have to do something, I have to make myself a ‘special existence’, but… I have never had the courage or ability to do so. So, so… only now can I muster the courage to try to become the most special one for you.”

"An An..."

Chang Rong's expression wavered. After hearing the girl's words, he suddenly realized... no, he should say that he already knew. In fact, An An and Mag were very similar, both girls who lacked a sense of security.

An'an, who has always kept her heart closed off, reveals an inherent sense of inferiority about her own existence. Her current actions may be the best way for An'an to "break through" this problem after countless thoughts and struggles.

She knew that she had nothing to offer as she was 'unsuccessful', so the only way she could offer Chang Rong the existence of 'Natsume An'an' herself as a gift was to perhaps draw his attention to her more.

She is moving forward and growing, but she has not completely gotten rid of that inferiority complex. She needs someone to pat her head, give her a push at this moment, and tell her that she can be proud of herself now—instead of taking off her pants and risking being electrocuted later to roll around with her and stomp on her back.

"Marge, Marge—open the door quickly! We need to calm An'an down first! Marge—"

"【Oh dear... I, I wasn't really planning on watching this kind of scene...? Chang Rong, you, you'd better pray for yourself, okay? I'm outta here...】"

"Marg? Marg!? Marg—you tricked me!!!"

On the other end of the phone, although Marge's voice was unusually filled with panic, Chang Rong felt no satisfaction in having made Marge suffer.

thump!

"You stupid monster... are you willing to accept someone like me who is full of flaws, has a bad temper, never finishes what I start, is physically weak, and is always sulking...?"

An An tackled Chang Rong to the ground in front of the closed library door, knocking the phone out of Chang Rong's hand. At this moment, all that remained in her sight was the deep purple eyes of the girl in the nightgown straddling her, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming in gasps.

"I think... there are many ways to express acceptance, and we don't necessarily have to stick to this method—"

"You... still can't accept someone like me, Chang Rong...?"

Before Chang Rong could finish speaking, An An's eyes welled up with tears, which quickly condensed into a clear liquid that seemed ready to drip at any moment.

"—"

Damn it, is this the art of speaking possessed by a top-tier literary master? They've gone this far, how am I supposed to refuse?!

From vowing to 'survive and speedrun the main storyline' by Shirley's bedside to being invited by An An while riding on top of her, Chang Rong took less than 40 minutes, which could also be considered a speedrun.

Thanks to Chenguang Moxin for the salted fish spike!

265. A loose tongue increases attack speed.

Although she is a homebody who spends most of her time at home and avoids the world, even so, An An, like other girls, has fantasized more than once about the most exciting and happy moment of her life.

What kind of person will my other half be? Since he/she is someone who catches my eye, he/she must at least be tall, strong, and handsome—that's the most basic requirement! After all, I am a literary giant who will one day shock the entire literary world; ordinary people are not good enough for me! At the very least, he/she must be a civilized person who can understand and appreciate my groundbreaking works!

As for his job or special skills... I don't really care. After all, I'll be publishing many globally popular books in the future, and the royalties will be more than I can spend. Even if I had to raise him, it wouldn't be a problem... So I don't care what he does, as long as he takes good care of me, treats me like a princess, a work of art, or a piece of fluff, and devotes 1000% of his energy to me, that's enough. I'm worth that guy risking his life to take care of, hmph!

Last but not least—my other half must be an exceptionally gentle person! He must unconditionally indulge me, pamper me with love that goes beyond mere spoiling, and fulfill any unreasonable request I make immediately. He absolutely, positively cannot disobey me, and he certainly cannot be harsh with me! Only someone like this deserves to be my other half!

While Natsume An'an's fantasies certainly portray her as willful and capricious, it wouldn't be wrong to say she's overly naive and inexperienced. However, one thing is clear: this future literary giant, who still hasn't completed a single work, has already conceived her ideal fantasy boyfriend's image in her mind.

A handsome guy who appreciates and likes his own work, a gentle guy who will unconditionally tolerate and indulge him, and who would never be mean to him.

Although the conditions might be a little harsh, An An wasn't in a hurry at all. After all, she was still afraid of her own hypnotic magic at that time, and she also knew very well that she was the kind of person who would rather not touch it than compromise her own existence. This kind of thing definitely needed to be perfected.

And it was this very An An who, on the Witch Island, which she herself never expected, encountered her 'destined other half' who finally made her heart race.

However, the only minor problem is that this partner, whom I personally chose and who I admire, doesn't seem to match any of my long-held requirements for a spouse.

"I...I command you...stop right now—I will never...never mock you again—Waaah!!"

"Reconciliation? At this moment? Miss Literary Master, are you joking?!"

"Waaaaah...!!?"

In a corner of the library, where no one but Marge reads, a horrific and inhumane murder is unfolding.

The girl with long, silver-white hair lay sprawled on the table, trying to raise her overly loose sleeves to cover her face and mouth. However, her body trembled violently and twisted uncontrollably, making even the simple act of 'raising her arm' impossible. Without the sleeves to conceal her face, her already broken ability to control her expressions was laid bare. All that remained were panting breaths and occasional tongue protrusions. Her purple eyes, which usually seemed half-asleep yet also held a disdainful air, darted about aimlessly, frequently revealing the whites of her eyes.

"I'll teach you to dig a hole and not fill it in!" "Yes, I'm sorry... I'll never be a pigeon spirit again..."

"I told you not to be so spoiled and willful!" "Ugh... I... I admit my mistake..."

"I'll teach you to call me a nobody!" "Stupid monster isn't a nobody, we are the noobs... Waaah!"

"I'll teach you a lesson for always being disobedient!" "From now on, feel free to scold me—waaaah?! But, but at least not this time..."

At this moment, the white-haired boy seemed more like a strict teacher, severely disciplining a disobedient problem student, except that instead of hitting the back of the hand with a ruler, he was whipping An'an hard with a cane.

No matter how much An'an begged for mercy, her little face was already messy and tearful from panting and losing her pearls, but Chang Rong remained unmoved, maintaining his ruthless instructor persona.

Actually, the real reason for this situation isn't Chang Rong's fault... probably. The main mastermind behind it all is actually An An herself, who is currently being subjected to intense torture.

In any case, after battling a large number of prospective witches for the past few days, even if Chang Rong really was a rabbit in heat, her vigorous starry sky would be somewhat relieved by the high-intensity seeding behavior.

Especially when facing Natsume An'an, who is like a delicate rag doll and seems fragile, Chang Rong would be deliberately careful and cautious, using 'caresses' as the main method to slowly express his love.

Chang Rong knew very well that what An An lacked right now was the sense of security of being loved. At the same time, An An also hoped to make it clear through this method that she would not be abandoned. Therefore, all Chang Rong needed to do was give her this warmth and real love, and there was no need to interfere too much in other matters.

At this moment, Chang Rong's actions were so gentle that even Xiluo Keke and the others would probably exclaim that it was impossible. Industry insiders such as the young lady, detective, artist, and nun would even call it fake. After all, when it was their turn, they didn't receive such a gentle caress and wrapping. It was more like being plowed by a pile driver. Even if they wanted to run away, the driver would grab them and shove them back in front of the pile driver to continue pounding away.

But everything changed because of one sentence from An'an—

"Hmm... You stupid monster, you're really nothing special... I thought you'd be something more monstrous, but you're just... this is all you're capable of... Hmph, this level is hardly worthy of me, you worthless monster, you worthless monster~"

Having no experience whatsoever and having never known the bloody battles Chang Rong had fought along the way, An An, after experiencing Chang Rong's overly gentle and comfortable guidance, instead revealed an arrogant expression.

An'an, who has always been a flower in a greenhouse and carefully nurtured, has gradually matured a lot during this time, but she still lacks the delicate feeling of understanding the concessions of those around her in her interactions with others.

The reason why great writers are great is that they can activate the hearts of readers with a single sentence; this is the power of words.

And it's quite obvious that An'an, sticking out her tongue at Chang Rong and teasing him with a "That's it?" expression, did indeed display qualities similar to a literary master, successfully activating all of Chang Rong's hidden primal desires with just one sentence.

"We thought you were something special, but it turns out you're just a nobody—huh?"

Before An An could finish her taunt, she suddenly found herself being lifted up and put into a magnetic levitation mode.

Moreover, the originally comfortable and just-right vibration, like the vibration of a massage chair, suddenly turned into a violent charge as if it had been hit squarely by an ideal.

"Waaaaah—wait, wait a minute… Waaaaah!? I, I haven't even—waaaah!!"

The boiling of a frog in lukewarm water at least involves a process of the water gradually turning into hot water, but what An'an is experiencing right now is like taking a bath in an old-fashioned shower. One second it's icy cold water, and the next it turns into scorching magma that can melt steel.

Just like many of the unfinished stories she wrote, An An ultimately failed to properly say the "I'm sorry" that could have been used to conclude the story.

The moment she realized something was wrong, she had completely lost control of her body, face, and mouth, instantly transforming from a mischievous kid who dominated the rhythm and complained that the process wasn't interesting or exciting enough into a thermos cup that Chang Rong could use at will.

A crucial lesson in the journey from naivety to maturity: don't take others' kindness for granted. At least for Miss Pigeon, currently sprawled on her desk uttering meaningless wails, she has already learned this valuable lesson firsthand.

The prince charming in her heart, who should have been gentle, unconditionally doting, and fond of her work, was now violently and relentlessly pounding into her, ignoring her pleas for mercy and hurling accusations of being a eunuch.

What people can't teach, experience can teach in one go. Miss An, the future literary giant who was lying on the table with her legs dangling like a rag, finally realized the true power of words on the eve of her complete ascension to the literary planet—not only can it turn people into ghosts, but it can also turn herself into a non-spineless person.

Even when Hiro lost her death reversal magic that could create miracles, she still possessed the physique of a hexagonal warrior, enough to barely put up a fight against Chang Rong.