At 3 a.m., the landmines in front of the station

"An Qing, what did you do today?"

During meal breaks,

Su Che picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and looked at the girl who was resting her chin on her hand and staring at him.

"Practicing singing, and... drawing."

Her eyes flickered, and she brought up the act of using a casual tone, referring to it as a "forbidden word."

"draw?"

Su Che narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, even though I dropped out of school, I still don't want to waste this skill, so I pick it up occasionally. After all, I used to be an art student..."

"is it?"

Listening to her seemingly hurried tone, and savoring the subtle fluctuations in her emotions,

Su Che hummed in agreement, gave her a meaningful look, and then continued to enjoy his food.

"Oh right! You asked me to choose a song today, and I've made my choice. I've also been practicing the singing style of that songstress you recommended! I've been practicing very diligently! Cheche, would you like to listen to her sometime?"

An Qing tried to change the subject, her mind in turmoil—

[Trying to lull him into a false sense of security was a mistake... I shouldn't have tested him, nor should I have tried to get him to accept my daily drawing at home without him being on guard...]

The risk was too great; we were almost discovered.

She was terrified.

Incorrect operations are often accompanied by huge backlash.

After all, the job-related content wasn't taught in the manual.

Blindly applying anything not written in textbooks is likely to lead to mistakes.

One wrong move and you're doomed.

"It's too late, and the apartment isn't very soundproof. Even when I exercise, the neighbors can hear me through the walls, let alone singing in the middle of the night."

Su Che shook his head. "How about this? I'll take you to a karaoke bar this weekend, and we can check out your recent work there. What do you think?"

As he ate his thick-cut pork chop, he casually made a suggestion: "I won't be home during the day, so you can practice on your own. If you encounter any problems, tell me and I'll help you solve them. Then we can go out for lessons regularly, and if necessary, I'll take you to a more professional place to record songs."

"What! Cheche... finally agreed to go on a date with me?"

The girl opened her beautiful eyes wide, completely missing the point, and didn't understand what he was saying at all.

"...If karaoke and recording studios count as dates, then so be it."

Su Che turned his head away, trying his best not to look at the girl's excited and adorable little expression, lest she penetrate his defenses again.

Isn't that suspicious?

I felt something was off last time.

He swallowed the steaming hot rice and began to think deeply.

At the same time, he glanced back out of the corner of his eye.

I wonder if the perfection of the girl is just a filter.

After all, it has maintained a sense of novelty and been flawless for so many consecutive days.

It's simply unbelievable that they like it even more.

I've seen beautiful girls before.

On the contrary, Yuan Xiao's innocence and purity, and Gu Zhi's wicked and alluring beauty, are both captivating charms that can mesmerize one in an instant.

Even the aloof and unapproachable senior Yu tide had an imposing aura, and her looks were a complete knockout compared to her peers.

How come I almost got completely outmaneuvered by An Qing?

How strange.

Su Che began to review the situation:

An Qing said she had been following me for two years.

What was I doing two years ago?

The answer can be obtained in almost a second.

I'm writing my next book.

At that time, I was in the process of starting the book, which was a high-intensity period of creating character designs and building the world-building.

Working until the wee hours every day, I throw myself into the project, gathering materials from all over the place, all to create the image that best matches my expectations under insanely strict standards.

To achieve true originality, all characters need to be imbued with soul, and to do so, a multi-dimensional brilliance must be created.

Therefore, image becomes the primary setting in this process.

That year, to help the female lead obtain her Arcana, we commissioned many artists to create numerous artworks. I remember Hare was the artist we ultimately chose for long-term collaboration. Even though we lost contact due to some factors, her words still left a deep impression on me.

Su Che has worked with more than one artist.

Large red, medium red, small red, ghost picture artists, habitual window scammers, outsourced scammers, AI scammers—you name it, they have it all, it's definitely not a small collection.

Hare is simply the most unforgettable one in this long journey of commissioning articles.

Why did I block her back then?

Su Che looked at An Qing in front of him.

I feel that, in certain moments,

The woman before me,

It did match the image of Hare in my mind.

Similar ways of speaking

The same level of cuteness,

That sense of vitality can permeate even the darkest parts of your being, through the internet.

—Hare is being too enthusiastic.

So enthusiastic that it made me feel overwhelmed.

Unable to provide a response that transcends the virtual world.

Entangled and bound by an emotion called "attachment," which is constantly intensifying, expanding, and spreading.

His own life, however, was the opposite.

"Such fervent feelings are unworthy of my bat-like darkness."

Su Che chewed the fried pork chop vigorously.

Minced meat stuck in my throat like a fishbone.

【it is a pity.】

I saw An Qing's phone before.

The selfies posted on his friend's social media were not the same batch that Hare had made available to him only once every three days.

Even if they have similar body types, voices, feelings, and the atmosphere they create—

Su Che also has ample evidence to argue that the two are not one and the same.

Hare is not a landmine.

Back then, her style was all sweet and girly.

[The account ID on her WeChat Moments is different, and although her face isn't shown in her posts, it's clear she's more outgoing and enthusiastic than An Qing in front of me, rather than as timid as a wounded kitten, taking even a casual compliment from me as gratitude.]

pity.

"Ugh."

Thinking of this, Su Che felt even more pity for the person in front of him for some reason.

“Anqing, sometimes I’m too busy when I’m out and about and can’t take care of my family.”

But I see that you keep the house spotless every day, and the air is filled with the scent of perfume, which is very pleasant and makes me feel comfortable and satisfied.

He said, "So, if you have any needs, besides what you eat, wear, and use at home, as long as it doesn't affect our lifestyle and principles, you can ask me for them. I can basically meet all your needs."

The earnest suggestion was intended to provide the girl with an extra layer of warmth.

I don't want those around me to experience the same sense of "unworthiness" I once felt. This applies to both Hare and the former sunset-colored songstress.

"!"

Thoughts not yet finished,

Upon hearing this, An Qing suddenly stood up.

Wearing bunny ear slippers, she walked around the dining table and came to her arm.

He bent down and said pitifully:

"It doesn't feel like summer yet, the weather's been strangely chilly... You've been sleeping by the window vent, it must be really cold..."

……

……

Chapter 52 "Face Blindness".

Su Che didn't expect the girl to make such a direct move at this timing.

She made such an impolite request in a very natural way.

When he came to his senses,

The act of nodding already reveals that, deep down, she doesn't seem to be resisting anything.

I naturally cleared away the dishes, and naturally watched her take her blanket away.

It was natural to notice that there was no bed on the sofa, and naturally, after washing up, she grabbed my wrist.