Chapter 41: User 190245: Goodnight

It was already deep into the night. There was no chirping of cicadas or buzzing of insects in the surroundings.

Ji Xiao rolled over in her bed two times, her lingering bitterness in her throat made it difficult for her to fall asleep.

She picked up her comic book on the bedside table and flipped through the pages, eventually landing on the last one. She then instinctively picked up her phone next to her and tapped the screen to open the campus forum.

The campus forum wasn't as lively as last week, with boring new posts pushing the older and less popular ones to the bottom of the page. Ji Xiao glanced at the front page and noticed that her own posts were no longer there.

However, she wasn't interested in finding her own post and instead tapped on the message button.

Her message list was empty, except for one pop-up ad for the campus forum app, and a bright pink avatar of a bunny.

Ji Xiao glanced at the colorful avatar and typed out a message: [Boss, are you there?]

The moonlight shined through the window and illuminated the room, where a young girl sat on the window seat and read a thick black-covered book.

The light, loose-fitting cotton, and linen nightdress covered her slender figure, revealing only a small section of her smooth, fair ankles, which were well-proportioned and beautiful, enough to spark imagination

‘Buzz buzz…’

The silent room was suddenly interrupted by two vibrations.

Wei Qingyu hugged the book and picked up the phone from underneath. When she saw the notification on the push bar, she raised her eyebrows slightly.

That familiar profile picture popped up, unabashedly calling her "Boss"?

Wei Qingyu was curious about why Ji Xiao was looking for her, so she simply typed a word in response: "[Mm]."

Ji Xiao saw the almost instant reply from her phone and couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised.

She sat up straight on the bed, and said, [It's so late, Boss, aren't you going to sleep?]

[No, aren't you either?]

Wei Qingyu replied casually, glancing at the clock.

It was almost midnight, and even though tomorrow was Saturday, according to her usual habits, Ji Xiao should be asleep by now.

Wei Qingyu remembered that Ji Xiao suddenly wanted to chat with her tonight, and she couldn't help but wonder if something was bothering her, so she asked, [It's almost midnight, is there something on your mind?]

Ji Xiao rolled around in bed and held her phone up as if complaining to Miss Rabbit, saying, [I just took some medicine earlier, it tastes so bitter, I can't sleep now].

After saying that, a crying little penguin appeared in Wei Qingyu's chat box.

She suddenly remembered that just now, this young girl had picked up the bowl of Chinese medicine from her bedside, which was still full, and took a big gulp.

The bitter taste filled the mountains and rivers between her brows.

Wei Qingyu tapped the screen gently and asked calmly, [Why are you taking medicine?]

[I wasn't, I was just testing medicine for someone.] Ji Xiao explained.

After some thought, she added, [To show my sincerity].

Wei Qingyu suddenly became curious about Ji Xiao's true feelings and asked: [Why?]

The sound of typing came from the room, and Ji Xiao explained to Miss Rabbit in simple and understandable words: [Boss, as you know, what I did in the past was not humane, especially to the person I'm testing the medicine for. She's not in good health, so I had the doctor prescribe her some medicine. I know she doesn't trust me, so I want to prove with actions that I have changed and won't harm her anymore].

Wei Qingyu looked at Ji Xiao's words, feeling complex emotions.

Prescribing medicine for her and testing it from the beginning was Ji Xiao's genuine act of kindness.

It turns out, she really was overthinking things.

Wei Qingyu looked at the green plant by the room's entrance and suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

She gazed at the screen with a heavy heart and tentatively asked: [Do you think she appreciates your gesture?]

Ji Xiao pondered for a moment and replied: [It's hard to say. But I don't know if it's just my imagination, I feel like she's been nicer to me than before.]

[That's good enough.]

She really hoped to gradually make up for the harm the original owner caused to Wei Qingyu through her own efforts. Then, she could survive in this world until the end with a complete gland.

Not sure if they had reached this crucial point in their conversation, Ji Xiao continued speaking to Miss Rabbit on the other side of the screen: [Actually, I don't know if you'll believe it or if you'll think I'm just making excuses for myself. But those things I did in the past were really not my intention, and thinking back on them now, I regret it deeply].

Ji Xiao sighed as she spoke.

This seemingly similar place to her original world had a long and difficult chasm cut through it by biology, requiring great effort to cross.

The number "190245" might be just a meaningless string of random numbers to many people. But for Ji Xiao, it was a small comfort in this unfamiliar world.

Perhaps because she knew that Miss Rabbit, who stood up for justice, was a trustworthy person, and there was no worry about meeting in the future, Ji Xiao found it easier to let down some of her guards and subtly confide in the other person about the biggest secret she had been holding in her heart.

[But after all, it was the harm I caused to others, so I'll try to make up for it little by little.]

After saying that, Ji Xiao sent Miss Rabbit a sticker of a cat drinking alcohol.

The fluffy little cat with beer should have been cute, but Wei Qingyu felt a lump in her throat as she looked at it.

From the little black room to Liu Meina, and now to the little peach basket on her wrist, Ji Xiao had indeed done a lot, as she said.

But back then, she kept doubting and unwilling to truly believe in Ji Xiao's actions.

Wei Qingyu tapped the keyboard gently and said to Ji Xiao: [Don't be discouraged, she can see it].

[If you do things with sincerity, the other person will definitely feel it].

Ji Xiao didn't know that Miss Rabbit on the other side was Wei Qingyu, she just thought she was comforting herself like an ordinary person would comfort someone showing signs of despair.

But Ji Xiao couldn't help but smile, feeling warmth in her heart: [Mm-mm, I'm like Invincible Ji, who can't be beaten].

She said it to Miss Rabbit, but also to herself, as an encouragement.

A breeze slipped in through the window, gently lifting the strands of hair by Wei Qingyu's temples, causing a slight furrow in her brow.

As she looked at Ji Xiao's message, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was a hint of melancholy in the words.

Taking a cue from Ji Xiao's habit, Wei Qingyu navigated to the built-in emoji function on her keyboard and found a cute encouragement emoji to send over.

Almost simultaneously, a gray-and-white rabbit appeared on Ji Xiao's screen.

The image lacked the vintage texture of an ancestral emoji, but in exchange, the bunny looked soft and lively, holding a crisp carrot in its raised hand. Above its serious expression were the words "charge on” giving it an extra motivated look.

Ji Xiao couldn't help but smile at it.

Truly worthy of being called Miss Rabbit.

The deep, solemn chime of the antique clock downstairs filled the room, signaling the start of a new day.

Time had unknowingly slipped past midnight.

Ji Xiao was concerned about keeping Wei Qingyu up too late, so she quickly typed: [It's late now, it's already early morning. I won't disturb you anymore, Boss, go rest quickly.]

Wei Qingyu, however, still felt a bit unsatisfied. As she looked at Ji Xiao's closing words, a hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, she seized on the closing thread and asked again, "[Is the bitterness still in your mouth now?]"

Ji Xiao's eyes lit up with surprise at Wei Qingyu's continued concern, rare indeed for Miss Rabbit to remember what she had said earlier. She gently clicked her tongue and shook her head, "[No, it's not bitter anymore. Chatting with you for so long has made it go away]."

Wei Qingyu looked at the line of text Ji Xiao sent, and her eyes involuntarily softened.

Her facial expression relaxed, and she replied, [That's good, then go to sleep early.]

[Mm-mm, Boss, you too!]

After chatting with Miss Rabbit for a while, Ji Xiao's feeling of frustration towards this world greatly diminished.

With that, she reached up and turned off the switch controlling the room lights above her head, preparing for a good night's sleep.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Wei Qingyu once again witnessed another patch of brightness disappearing from the lawn.

She knew Ji Xiao was getting ready to sleep.

Wei Qingyu, who was sitting by the bed, once again witnessed the light disappearing on another lawn.

She knew that Ji Xiao was getting ready to sleep.

It seems that chatting with herself for a while just now indeed relieved some of the girl's melancholy.

But Wei Qingyu was somewhat puzzled. What did she mean by "not her intention"?

The girl pondered over Ji Xiao's words from earlier, her brow furrowing slightly.

Could there be something she was keeping from her?

‘Buzz…’

The phone beside Wei Qingyu vibrated again, interrupting her thoughts.

A message popped up in the messaging app on the phone screen: [XwX: Goodnight.]

Moonlight gently filtered through the window, casting a soft glow on the girl's face. The turquoise eyes curved slightly with a hint of a smile.

Her jade-like fingers danced happily across the screen.

In the dimly lit room, Ji Xiao, who was already lying in bed ready to sleep, didn't notice the faint glow from the phone placed on the bedside table.

Like a lullaby floating softly in the darkness, it drifted into the girl's deep slumber.

[User 190245: Goodnight.]

….

As the final exams approached, Ji Xiao followed the schedule Wei Qingyu had planned for her biology review. Even during the free activity period in a physical education class, she found a secluded spot near the bleachers to work on problems, ensuring minimal disturbance.

Although discussions about Ji Xiao on the forum had decreased, it didn't mean that the Omega admirers at school had diminished.

As soon as Ji Xiao sat down, a girl holding a math workbook approached from nearby.

"Ji Xiao, I don't understand this problem, can you help me?" The girl's voice was soft and gentle as she spoke near Ji Xiao's ear.

Ji Xiao looked at the workbook the girl handed over, noticing a red circle clearly marked on the last question.

Without minding the interruption to her own problem-solving train of thought, Ji Xiao nodded with the professionalism of a reserved math teacher. "Okay."

"Thank you, Ji Xiao." The girl's face lit up with joy at Ji Xiao's agreement, and she didn't hesitate to sit down next to Ji Xiao.

A gentle breeze fluttered the edges of the girl's skirt, casting a view of youthful beauty from afar.

It's just that, while some were earnestly explaining problems, others were lost in their own thoughts.

The girl's timid eyes occasionally stole glances from the workbook to Ji Xiao's profile.

The smooth flow of formulas was written in black ink on paper, while the girl's gaze traced Ji Xiao's features in her mind, stroke by stroke.

Her full head was topped with a high and dense black ponytail, with a sharp nose like a sculpted blade.

A few strands of loose hair hung on her forehead, casual yet elegant, making her the most handsome Alpha the girl had ever seen.

"Now do you understand?" Ji Xiao put down her pen and asked again.

The young girl looked at the paper filled with writing and shook her head, "I still don't quite understand..."

Ji Xiao frowned upon hearing this.

This was the second time she had explained it, yet she still got this confused expression from the girl.

Ji Xiao looked at the draft paper with the solution process written twice and felt a bit troubled.

She didn't know where she went wrong with the detailed and understandable teaching steps from her original world, explaining it twice, but the girl still didn't understand.

The originally planned biology review wasn't done, adding a sense of crisis to her career.

"It's this step, I don't know how it was deduced, could you... again..."

The girl saw Ji Xiao's good temper and wanted to trouble her to explain again.

But before she finished speaking, someone interrupted.

"I suggest you go look at the derivation methods of these math formulas."

Wei Qingyu stood on a slightly lower step, looking expressionlessly at the little girl sitting beside Ji Xiao.

Her turquoise eyes were filled with cold indifference while speaking bluntly.

"I..." The little girl wanted to retort.

But when she met Wei Qingyu's S-class Omega eyes, she couldn't say anything. She picked up the exercise book she had placed in front of Ji Xiao, hurriedly said, "I'm leaving," and quickly walked out of the audience seats.

Wei Qingyu watched the young girl flee in panic, then walked around to the other side of Ji Xiao where no one had sat.

While putting down the book she was holding, she said, "Weren't you very good at putting people in their place before? How come you've learned to be so gentle now?"

The girl's voice was emotionless, but Ji Xiao felt a bit guilty.

Her patient attitude towards the little girl just now indeed didn't match her usual persona.

Ji Xiao's mind raced as she forced an explanation, "This Young Miss... was just being polite because she was an outsider."

"But with you... and Qi Qi, Fang Yiming, there's no need to be so polite!"

Wei Qingyu listened as Ji Xiao distinguished her from the "outsider" she mentioned. She could clearly feel her heart being heavily struck by something.

Even though she later heard the names "Qi Qi" and "Fang Yiming," her abnormal heartbeat never completely settled.

What was going on?

"Alright, stop chatting here. You've already wasted fifteen minutes. If you don't finish today's paper, you can't read comics this weekend." Wei Qingyu interrupted Ji Xiao, cutting off her own abnormal heartbeat as well.

Without any more interruptions, Ji Xiao sat on the steps and worked on the paper by Wei Qingyu, while the girl beside her quietly flipped through an English newspaper.

The afternoon sun wasn't as glaring as at noon, gently filtering through the untrimmed branches of dry trees and casting a warm glow on the audience seats.

Not far away, the sounds of the card club rehearsing their program could be heard, mingling with the rustle of pens across paper.

Wei Qingyu never imagined she would spend a day studying with Ji Xiao like this.

She still remembered when her father used to make both of them practice calligraphy. Even with the temptation of protein candy, little Ji Xiao would only sit for two minutes before running out to chase after the Corgi's tail.

The scent of peach brandy wafted gently past Wei Qingyu's nose, bringing a hint of autumn comfort.

Wei Qingyu surreptitiously set aside her English newspaper and inexplicably glanced at Ji Xiao sitting beside her.

In the flickering light and shadow, the girl was focused on the complex and difficult question, patience evident in her golden-orange eyes.

Whether it was the play of light and shadow or not, Wei Qingyu suddenly had a feeling that the person earnestly studying in front of her seemed like Ji Xiao yet not Ji Xiao.

"Classmate! Lower your head!!"

A loud, urgent shout came from nearby.

Before Wei Qingyu could even raise her head to see what was happening, Ji Xiao, who was working on the questions, reacted faster than her, quickly shielding her underneath her.

For a moment, the wind rustled through the fallen leaves.

A pen fell from the gap between the steps to the ground.

Wei Qingyu, sheltered beneath Ji Xiao, lost her focus.

All she could sense was the warm scent of peach brandy enveloping them.

Author's Note:

Coward Ji: Mom! I finally did it for once!!

Pigeon: Set off fireworks! Set up a banquet! Play music!!!

Cold Wei passed by indifferently.

Let me tell you about the update rhythm: daily updates are for sure, broken updates will chop off the pigeon head. Then there must be double updates or two combined updates on weekends. Irregular updates from Monday to Friday. My hand speed is relatively slow, so it’s not easy to update twice every day.

Sexy pigeon acts cute and rolls around online, begging for forgiveness OWO