Oh no, my deskmate is a yandere!

"If I remember correctly, I heard it over the listening device last time. You said... you wanted to give her an answer. I'm very curious."

"What kind of answer will you give her? Can you tell me first?"

coming.

Sure enough, I had long expected this day to come.

Yang An calmed down a bit. Even so, it was still much better than discovering his private contact with Su Lingyi.

If we don't hold someone accountable, there's still room for reconciliation.

He cleared his throat, trying to soften his tone: "It was just a delaying tactic back then... In my current situation, what answer can I possibly give?"

"If I don't say that, Su Lingyi won't let me go."

"I know, what I want to ask is, do you want to stay by my side, or would you rather go with that woman?" Jiang Nianxi said softly.

"Of course I'll stay here, besides, I have no other choice."

"……Yeah?"

"Um……"

"..."

"You'd better not lie to me."

The hands that had been restrained in front of her chest were released.

The suffocating feeling that had been pervasive also dissipated considerably, and I was finally able to breathe smoothly again.

If that's the case, then lying is unavoidable, right?

Yang An couldn't imagine how crazy the woman would be if she knew that the two of them were still secretly in contact by phone.

Her controlling and possessive nature was enough to plunge him into an abyss from which he could never escape.

As for what I blurted out just now in an attempt to save my life...

How much of it is true, and how much is false?

It's hard to say for sure.

To be precise, he didn't know.

Dependence, dependence, and more dependence.

They are dependent on each other in terms of daily life and material things.

In Yang An's own clear understanding, he watched helplessly as he uncontrollably slid into a deep state of severe dependence, unable to extricate himself.

He thought that the final outcome of his dependence might have already deviated from his expectations.

Lunch was delicious.

Both of them were very quiet.

Jiang Nianxi always finished eating early, then put her bare bowl aside, rested her chin on her hand, and instead of smiling, seemed to be in a daze, but her gaze remained fixed on Yang An's face.

Her thoughts are difficult for ordinary people to fathom.

The windows were opened in the morning, and the stuffy air inside the house was finally exchanged with the outside air.

The monochrome curtains were drawn back and tied to the sides of the window with ribbons. The winter wind outside occasionally rustled through the window, causing the beautiful tassels on the ribbons to sway slightly.

Jiang Nianxi doesn't really like bright and open spaces, which is inseparable from her long-standing lifestyle habits.

She prefers the darkness of the enclosed space to the glaring light of the outside world, finding it more comforting and safe.

Two people, a secluded home—that's enough to build happiness.

Unfortunately... despite the similar environment, Yang An was not interested in this abnormal comfort.

Their long-term relationship led to a period of adjustment between them.

A few soft rays of light gently fell on Yang An's profile, highlighting the strange white color.

This white is different from Jiang Nianxi's natural white.

It highlights a more physiological pathology, which is indirectly reflected by prolonged confinement at home and frequent occurrences of marital infidelity.

As she looked at it, Jiang Nianxi couldn't help but smile.

Isn't this a masterpiece in itself?

Such a captivating work of art is enough for her to appreciate alone.

"Eat slowly. Tonight... is our New Year's Eve dinner, just for the two of us. I bought lots and lots of food so you can eat your fill. May you be happy and healthy every day in the new year."

Her voice was as light as a feather, so light it seemed weightless when it landed on the table.

"……Thanks."

Yang An paused in his chopsticks, momentarily dazed upon hearing the blessing.

Without thinking, the thank you just slipped out.

"What are you thanking me for, you silly goose?" Jiang Nianxi covered her mouth and chuckled.

Anyone can offer a simple blessing; the only difference is the weight they carry.

She felt that she had not done nearly enough.

After all, kidnapping someone's life is a debt that... is very difficult to repay.

"I'll cook dinner tonight, wait for me a bit..."

Yang An put down his chopsticks, silently pulled out a tissue to wipe away the food scraps, and listened to the woman's rambling.

The woman looked up, her expression turning somewhat wistful: "I need to go back to that house to get something... but it won't be long, maybe ten minutes, maybe... half an hour? Sorry."

"But, allow me to be a little selfish this time and wait until I get back to eat, okay?"

"..."

There's really no need to tell him about this.

Yang An thought to himself.

"Oh, by the way, give me your phone." Suddenly, Jiang Nianxi reached out her hand and asked for it with a smile.

Mobile phone.

He paused for a moment, then began to grope around beside him.

His pockets were empty.

Wait, where's my phone?

He looked around again, but there was no sign of the cell phone.

"You silly goose, look at your hands."

"what……"

He looked down and, sure enough, the phone hadn't disappeared at all; it had been in his hand the whole time.

It's so obvious, what happened just now? How could my brain have gone haywire...?

He handed over the phone somewhat awkwardly.

Jiang Nianxi took the phone, skillfully entered the password, and entered the main interface.

Originally, Yang An was not allowed to set a password, because in her opinion, since the two were already like husband and wife, there was no need to continue to use rules and regulations to maintain privacy.

But after a while, he changed his mind.

Especially when Yang An was tricked away by Su Lingyi before.

She felt that this password wasn't about preserving Yang An's privacy; it was simply about not wanting others to spy on her belongings.

Yang An belongs to her, and the things around Yang An rightfully belong to her as well.

She didn't want Yang An's phone to be lost and for others to see their sweet records.

The password is her birthday, Jiang Nianxi's own birthday.

"Hmm...no problem."

She opened a gray app that Yang An had never seen before, scrolled through it, and finally nodded in satisfaction.

The location display is working correctly.

This is a location monitoring software she bought online, which she then modified herself.

Not only can they monitor each other's phone screens and pinpoint locations, but they can also collect each other's voices even when the phone screen is off.

This is mutual between two people.

Of course... Jiang Nianxi never puts all her eggs in one basket.

Jiang Nianxi's "informants" are everywhere, in places Yang An knows and places he doesn't know, in the gaps of clothes, in the soles of shoes, in the cuffs, and even in the electronic parts on the back of mobile phones.

She smiled and pulled down the high collar of her sweater, revealing her fair and delicate neck.

The parts are so perfect they don't look human; they're more like meticulously crafted and polished works of art.

Yang An had become quite accustomed to this scene and no longer avoided eye contact.

The desensitization training was done well.

Once, Jiang Nianxi was eating one second, and the next second she took off her coat, revealing her perfect curves underneath.

(This is my first attempt at character illustration; the image is below.)