My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

"Does Jiu'er still want to cry?"

Wang Yuting pinched Lin Jiu's cheeks to prevent him from turning his head, so that she could look him in the eye.

Lin Jiu didn't know whether to turn her head or look down, so she could only suppress her shyness and look at Wang Yuting.

"If you want to cry, you can cry. You can't keep it inside, it'll hurt you. I'll pretend I didn't see it, so cry if you want to!" Wang Yuting covered her eyes with her hands, even the gaps between her fingers, so she didn't seem to be joking.

Of course, Wang Yuting didn't want Lin Jiu to cry either. She wanted Lin Jiu to always be happy, with a smile on his face. Even if he got angry occasionally, she would find a way to get his forgiveness, such as abstaining from alcohol for a week, going to bed early, getting up early, and exercising more. However, she couldn't go to too much trouble, otherwise Lin Jiu would wonder if she had hit her head.

Oh dear, Wang Yuting is really trying hard so that her boyfriend can take care of her without worry. If she doesn't slack off as much as possible, how can she satisfy Lin Jiu's desire to pamper her?

Wang Yuting found a legitimate excuse to slack off, and her argument wasn't entirely without merit.

Lin Jiu occasionally finishes all the housework and finds there's still some time before dinner, with nothing else to do. This rare moment of leisure fills her with anxiety because of the lack of anything to do. It's at this time that the appearance of Wang Yuting, this seemingly useless woman, gives Lin Jiu the motivation to make the most of her life. This clearly shows how important Wang Yuting is to Lin Jiu!

"...I didn't cry."

"Liar, Jiu'er is lying!"

Detective Wang Yuting can tell whether Lin Jiu is lying just by listening to his tone. If this ability were used to catch someone cheating, Lin Jiu wouldn't even have a chance to have a fling. However, Lin Jiu wouldn't be likely to have an affair either. Putting aside how devoted Lin Jiu is to Wang Yuting, firstly, Lin Jiu simply doesn't have the extra energy to devote to other women.

Yes, just as it sounds.

Lin Jiu had absolutely nothing left.

In order to stay by Wang Yuting's side for a long time, Lin Jiu's fitness training plan needs to be strengthened. However, he doesn't know why, despite his hard work, he hasn't grown taller or even built any muscles. When Lin Jiu finished showering, he posed in front of the mirror. However, the mirror, now dry, reflected a body that absolutely could not be seen by a third person, bearing various marks from Wang Yuting.

Thanks to Wang Yuting, Lin Jiu has given up the idea of ​​swimming during the hot summer.

Lin Jiu's colleagues at the Tea Cat Cafe wanted to invite her to the water park, but knowing her current situation, she decisively declined. As for Ling Lin's suggestion to go for a bath and sauna together, Lin Jiu rejected it without hesitation. Not only that, she repeatedly reminded Ling Lin that boys must protect themselves when they're out and about, which finally dissuaded him from going for a bath.

"I used to be rather slow-witted. I didn't know how to express my feelings when I was upset, and I would just keep everything bottled up inside."

Wang Yuting slowly lowered her hand from in front of her eyes and gently placed it on the back of Lin Jiu's head.

"You're pretty stupid now too," Lin Jiu honestly said, revealing her true thoughts.

"Hmph, I was even dumber before!" Wang Yuting proudly raised her chin, looking particularly arrogant, though it was unclear what she was so happy about. She probably felt that she had undergone a complete transformation, matured considerably, and was no longer that naive little brat.

“No matter how stupid I was back then, I had Yueyue and Yingyu by my side. With them by my side, at least I wasn’t so lonely. Even so, bad things are always hidden in your heart, and one day they will sprout and grow into strange things. For example, hatred for your parents, or excessive self-deprecation, and you will also have severe auditory hallucinations, where everyone you know tells you that you were adopted... Especially when you hallucinate that your two best friends are saying such things to you, it makes you feel like the whole world is collapsing.”

Wang Yuting murmured to herself, a bitter smile slowly creeping onto her lips.

If seeing them didn't remind her of this incident, Wang Yuting wouldn't have gone a year without contacting them.

When they reunited after a long time, Tong Yingyu had a lot to say to Wang Yuting, but Ye Yue stopped her.

Ye Yue and Tong Yingyu wouldn't bring up the matter of why Wang Yuting left without saying goodbye, and Wang Yuting herself was unwilling to discuss it. It was as if the three of them had an unwritten rule: no one could bring it up, otherwise they might never see each other again. The past was the past; from now on, they had to live well and couldn't run away anymore.

Now Wang Yuting has brought this matter to light.

Lin Jiu stared blankly at Wang Yuting, her expression vacant.

Wang Yuting met Lin Jiu's gaze. She pursed her lips and chose to look him directly in the eye.

Wang Yuting was worried that Lin Jiu would overthink things, get more and more confused, and eventually start having auditory hallucinations like her.

Rather than that, even if it meant using slightly excessive methods, Wang Yuting wanted to make Lin Jiu cry and release all the emotions she had been suppressing. If she felt pain and discomfort, she should express her feelings and vent them fiercely.

This is the lesson Wang Yuting learned during the year she ran away from home.

Cry if you need to, but you still have to live your life well tomorrow.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Lin Jiu raised his hand and touched Wang Yuting's cheek, then smiled at her.

Wang Yuting subconsciously pressed her hand against Lin Jiu's palm, rubbing it against him before realizing something was wrong.

Isn't she the one comforting Lin Jiu now?

How did it turn into Lin Jiu comforting her?

This...this isn't right, is it?

“Jiu’er…”

"Don't worry, I'm fine now."

Lin Jiu gently rubbed Wang Yuting's cheeks with both hands, as if trying to melt away her unhappy expression.

"You're here for me."

When Lin Jiu said those words, he felt particularly confident in his words.

Because he believed that even if he couldn't figure things out for a while and found himself in a difficult situation, Wang Yuting would be able to hold his hand and help him out.

Lin Jiu couldn't fathom the image of Wang Yuting speaking coldly and abusively to him. How could such a thing possibly happen? If he were to have such a hallucination, Lin Jiu was confident he could break free from this predicament; it was a testament to his trust in her.

"You won't let me get lost, I've always believed that."

Lin Jiu buried his face in Wang Yuting's chest. He realized how shameful his words had been and instinctively hid his face.

Wang Yuting was slightly taken aback, but slowly she understood what Lin Jiu meant. She realized he was saying that no matter what happened, he believed she would never betray him. And wasn't that the same for her? Although saying this might be impolite to Ye Yue and Tong Yingyu, Wang Yuting felt that if she had met Lin Jiu sooner, she probably wouldn't have been experiencing those ringing ears and auditory hallucinations.

How could Lin Jiu possibly say something like that to her? At most, he would just call her a big idiot.

No, even if Lin Jiu called her an idiot, he was just stating a fact.

Lin Jiu is definitely right.

Of course, she gets angry if other people call her an idiot.

"Are you really not going to cry?"

Wang Yuting nudged Lin Jiu and asked cautiously.

Lin Jiu wanted to shake his head, but his head was stuck and he couldn't make the movement.

"I cried when I was at my mother's house... Now I can't cry even if I want to."

"Oh, I see." Wang Yuting nodded. "Then it's my turn to cry."

"what?"

Before Lin Jiu could react, Wang Yuting hugged his petite body tightly.

Wang Yuting cried out, "I really want to play video games—"

Chapter 416 Please, you're so weak!

"You're weak! Please, you're really weak!"

The next morning, when Lin Jiu woke up, Wang Yuting was not in bed.

He pushed open the door and looked outside, only to find Wang Yuting playing games in the living room, laughing wildly.

Perhaps worried about waking Lin Jiu, Wang Yuting wore Bluetooth headphones connected to her laptop to ensure a quiet environment while enjoying the game. However, the headphones were a waste of time. Wang Yuting frantically rubbed the joysticks and pressed buttons with both hands on the game controller, almost creating sparks, and the noise level was at its maximum.

It feels like watching a game streamer play a game, and the sound of them frantically swiping the controller is louder than the game's background music.

Furthermore, Wang Yuting couldn't help but talk to herself while playing games, her voice rising as the game progressed and she became more engrossed, her eyes gleaming with excitement, showing a strong sense of immersion. She herself was unaware of this.

Lin Jiu stood silently behind Wang Yuting, wondering when the girl had gotten up. Could it be that she pretended to be asleep in the middle of the night, waiting until he was completely asleep before quietly getting out of bed and sneaking to the living room to turn on her computer and play games? If Wang Yuting really did that, Lin Jiu would never sleep soundly again, subconsciously trying to prevent such a thing from happening.

Logically, she shouldn't do that, but considering Wang Yuting's childhood habit of sneaking out to watch cartoons in the living room while her parents were asleep, it's not entirely impossible. Especially considering how she cried loudly to Lin Jiu last night about how much she had to restrain herself from playing games, needing Lin Jiu's comforting words to console her. As a result, Lin Jiu played along with her antics for a while last night, and the two played Yu-Gi-Oh! mobile game for an hour, ultimately winning thanks to Wang Yuting's incredible luck.

Even Lin Jiu's memory and logical thinking abilities pale in comparison to Wang Yuting's good fortune.

Last night, Lin Jiu had a strange dream while sleeping. He and Wang Yuting were transported to the world of a game. They checked their stats: Lin Jiu's intelligence, concentration, and dexterity were all maxed out, while his vitality, stamina, and strength were so low it made one wonder if he was a mage using glass cannons. Wang Yuting's stats were even more unconventional; she first increased her health to forty points, and then maxed out her luck.

In this strange dream, Wang Yuting picked up all sorts of items with special effects, looking like props from a comedy comic. Enemies would fall in front of them in all sorts of inexplicable ways, such as skeleton soldiers wielding bows and arrows that pierced and killed friendly troops in the front row, and the enemy necromancer summoning a three-headed hellhound, which then gleefully devoured a skeleton soldier.

Wang Yuting took out a frisbee that had been used by a dog named Xiaobai at the village entrance and threw it at the necromancer. The Cerberus's instincts were triggered, and it pounced on the necromancer, instantly killing the fragile mage.

There are many more such amazing feats. Thanks to Wang Yuting's incredible luck, she hasn't encountered any formidable enemies along the way.

The ancient ruins, legendary sites that have claimed the lives of countless thieves and treasure hunters, have fallen into disrepair, causing all their traps and mechanisms to malfunction. Wang Yuting and Lin Jiu easily reached the deepest level. The universal key they found in the starting village unexpectedly unlocked the shackles of the ancient puppet's god-slaying weapon. The Storm Blade, a weapon with special effects against the final boss, was located in a corner of the ancient ruins, just around the corner.

During the final boss fight, Wang Yuting commanded the Godslayer to act as a meat shield, while she used the Storm Blade to clean up the boss's feet. Lin Jiu, wearing a revealing sailor-style miniskirt with incredibly high defense, danced a cheerleading routine behind Wang Yuting, shouting encouragement and providing buffs. Since this game didn't have any spells Lin Jiu could use, what use were his high intelligence and concentration? His physical damage output was even lower than the newbie at the village gate. The final boss was utterly defeated, and the two of them cleared the game in a daze. Lin Jiu woke up from his dream.

In that dream, Lin Jiu didn't have much to do. His daily routine consisted mostly of gathering fruit, digging for mushrooms, and picking bamboo shoots, then cooking them with various meats to create dishes, eagerly anticipating Wang Yuting's reaction to the food. He turned a perfectly good adventure game into a relaxing Animal Crossing experience, enjoying the fun of camping in the game world.

Wang Yuting treated the adventure game like a dating simulation, finding the game far too easy for her. The game system's character affection ratings showed Lin Jiu's feelings for her at the highest level from the start. More precisely, this was because the game system's affection rating display had an upper limit, while Lin Jiu's love for Wang Yuting had no limit.

"..."

Lin Jiu leaned against the back of the sofa, watching the game Wang Yuting was playing. His thoughts drifted back to last night's dream. He didn't know why, but he could remember the dream when he woke up; as his mind cleared, it became harder to recall it.

While Lin Jiu sleeps, the Memory Library is closed for the day. If the Memory Library could even remember every dream she had, Lin Jiu probably wouldn't be able to distinguish between reality and dreams. Over time, she might even pick up a pair of scissors and stab herself in the neck in a state of mental derangement. The thought of such a thing was terrifying, and Lin Jiu subconsciously shuddered, touching the goosebumps on her arm.

"Well?"

Wang Yuting noticed the movement behind her, turned around, and found Lin Jiu staring at her.

"Good morning!!"

Wang Yuting forgot she was still wearing headphones and subconsciously raised her voice. She didn't know if this loud voice would wake up the neighbors next door, but Lin Jiu was definitely awake. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her throat was a little sore.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Seeing Lin Jiu's uncomfortable expression, Wang Yuting realized how loud she had been. Yelling at someone who had just woken up and was still groggy could easily scare them. She quickly took off her headphones, ignoring her game character, and ran to Lin Jiu's side, gently patting his back.

"fine."

Lin Jiu shook her head, but she didn't look like she was alright at all.

If it were Lin Jiu three months ago, she might have developed neurasthenia and suffered a serious health problem from Wang Yuting's fright. Now, however, Lin Jiu can sleep soundly through the night as long as she sleeps next to Wang Yuting, and her mental state is improving. Therefore, Lin Jiu is able to hold on; her heart is pounding and her legs are a little weak, but it's not a serious problem.

"call……"

Lin Jiu was placed on the sofa by Wang Yuting, and slowly maintained her breathing rhythm, gradually recovering.

He looked at Wang Yuting's obedient appearance, then glanced at the game character on the computer screen who was riding a cat back to his hometown, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm fine. It's not your fault. I'm just a coward."

"Jiu'er is quite brave! Let's watch a horror movie!"

"Please spare me then..."

Upon hearing that a horror movie was going to be shown, Lin Jiu instinctively hugged a cushion on the sofa, exuding an aura of wariness reminiscent of a small animal. However, he didn't distance himself from Wang Yuting; he was simply wary that she might suddenly quit the game and start watching a horror movie instead.

Wang Yuting, that carefree girl, could even laugh out loud while watching a horror movie, completely oblivious to how terrified Lin Jiu was beside her. Imagine, the TV screen was showing scenes that could never be described in a novel, the whole screen filled with ketchup, and at that moment, her girlfriend was laughing maniacally, even more terrifying than the ghosts in the movie. It was hard for Lin Jiu not to be scared.

"When did you start playing on the computer in the living room?"

Lin Jiu looked at Wang Yuting warily, knowing he would take a series of measures based on her answer.