They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

"However, she also said she wanted to bring Senior Chu Guyin over so that two versions could be prepared for release, in case something comes up with the student council on the day of the Hundred Regiments Battle."

"Looks like they've made up." Chen Di looked at me meaningfully, and I innocently shrugged.

"That's a good idea, but can I use a stand-in?"

Although I'm a free person, who knows, maybe one day I'll want to sneak out and slack off?

"No."

"You refused without even thinking?!"

I stared wide-eyed.

"May I ask why?"

"Hum~"

My cat friend chose not to answer, and naturally leaned over, poked my hand, and looked at me expectantly.

What does it mean?

“I won’t tell you until Ning Ruoyu pays off the amusement park’s debts.” I couldn’t understand a word Qiu Luxi said. “Besides, so much time has passed, and the interest has increased a lot.”

She nudged my hand again, then leaned forward slightly, as if preparing to lie down on my lap.

Now I understand why everyone says cats are like liquid. These creatures seem to have rickets in familiar or free environments, collapsing and lying down all the time, and there's nothing you can do about it.

I was lost in thought, and prepared to raise my hand to touch her head.

"...thump."

However, someone placed a tablet on my lap first, and Qiu Luxi was pushed away.

"Didn't you say you were going to write a book review? Ning Ruoyu, don't forget!"

An Yu said this to me, and smiled at Qiu Luxi, who had straightened up.

"Xiao Qiu is the same. After all, she's only a first-year high school student, so she might not understand. We second-year high school students actually have quite a lot to do, you know?"

……

[Everyone's laughing, but why does the atmosphere in the club feel so sinister?]

I texted Chen Di. He glanced at it, smiled, and quickly replied.

Please don't contact me for now; I'm afraid those two female classmates will misunderstand.

What's the misunderstanding?!

Chen Di didn't reply, pretending not to see the message in front of me.

Damn it, male friendships can be as hard as iron one moment and as fragile as tofu the next.

[Next chapter preview: "Hmm, is that so?"]

"But I've never found Ah Ning disgusting."

"How strange, I was the one who cheated, so why are you the one apologizing?"

But I was greeted by a policewoman.

"...That's disgusting."

Interlude: My Harem is Pure Love (An Yu's Novel) (Bonus Chapter)

You might think I'm in Versailles, but perhaps the luckiest thing in my life is meeting a girlfriend who loves me so much.

No matter what I wanted to do, no matter how foolish or whimsical, she would unconditionally encourage and support me. When we were together, we almost never argued, because no matter how unreasonable or childish what I said was, she would smile tolerantly, and that somewhat lonely smile would quickly calm me down when I lost my temper.

She really is the best girlfriend.

So, I've decided to be honest with my girlfriend about cheating.

but.

"Well, is that so?"

After listening to my nervous explanation, my girlfriend tapped her cheek with her finger, thought for a while, and then said this.

It was as if I wasn't talking about a major emotional issue, but rather what I wanted to eat that night—she didn't seem to care much?

"Ah, it's not that I don't care, it's just that I don't mind."

My girlfriend said with a smile, as if she had guessed what I was thinking.

"There's a big difference between these two words. By the way, instead of saying that, tell me what you're planning to eat tonight? I bought a lot of food today: chives, yams, chestnuts, loach, and pork kidneys..."

She turned her back and began tidying up the things on the dining table.

"No, that can't be right!"

I yelled and interrupted my girlfriend's actions.

"Ok?"

My girlfriend turned around and looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"I... I cheated on my partner! I did *that* with another woman! Even if I weren't angry, wouldn't I feel disgusted?!"

I was surprised myself when I said those words. I was wondering what I was saying, and I couldn't help but want to vent.

"But I've never found Ah Ning disgusting."

"It's different! That's the only difference!"

I shouted as if I had given up on myself.

"I know I've made a huge mistake! Put yourself in my shoes, if, if it were you, Xiao An, doing this with someone else—I, I..."

That's terrifying. Just imagining it makes me feel nauseous and want to vomit.

That's why I understand even more clearly just how outrageous my actions were.

"Oh dear, how could you think about something like that? Ah Ning is such an idiot."

Overwhelmed by emotions and emotional turmoil, I knelt on the ground. My girlfriend gently walked over and took my hand.

Her hands were warm and soft, slowly seeping into the spaces between my fingers, interlocking with mine.

"I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot accept anyone other than Aning." She pressed her forehead against mine, her warm, damp breath gently brushing against my cheek.

"Even if they are very similar to each other, to me, only Aning is Aning. Everyone else is unimportant to me."

I shamelessly wanted to cry, but she soothingly patted my back.

"How strange, I was the one who cheated, so why are you the one apologizing?"

"Pfft, yeah, what happened?" his girlfriend said with a laugh, blinking her eyes. "Maybe it's because I know that, even though you didn't say it, Aning... well, actually, 'that kind of thing' happened again, right?"

I shuddered and looked at my girlfriend.

...She's right.

Ever since I can remember, my surroundings have been strange.

I'm not some kind of incredibly handsome guy, but from childhood to adulthood, it seems like all the people I've interacted with have been women.

This might be a little hard to understand. First of all, the male-to-female ratio in the surrounding neighborhood is abnormally skewed. Even when I'm playing outside alone, the people who walk by, smile at me gently, greet me, or even play with me are all different older women, aunties, and little girls.

At first, I didn't realize anything was wrong, until one day at kindergarten, a boy said to me from afar, "You always play with girls."

It was only then that I realized how strange things were around me.

My childhood sweetheart was the daughter of a single-parent family next door. She would always pester me to play with her and would always invite me to her room. On my way home from school, I would always seem to run into older girls from high school and junior high school behind me. Even when I was shopping, the shop owner, a girl who loved to sleep, would give me a somewhat scary smile and drool.

"Hey, you can't bully Aning like that."

Even my kindergarten teacher... just like that day, she scolded that boy in a very unhappy manner. It was the first time I'd ever seen her so angry, someone who was always so gentle.

This situation became even more serious after I grew up.

Neighbors, classmates, teachers, passersby, colleagues, even leaders... Although they are all different, they all seem to be spying on me, and their eyes always make me feel dangerous.

Until I met Xiao An. Just like her name suggests. She was the first girl to treat me like an ordinary person, and she made me feel a sense of security I had never felt before.

We met, fell in love, and grew together very quickly...

However, after that day when I grew up, the abnormalities around me became even more terrifying.

"...It's okay, don't be afraid."

She held me gently, and the scent of Xiao An always made me feel so at ease.

"It wasn't infidelity—it was forced upon you, right?"

"Um... I know this is ridiculous, but..."

"You don't need to explain to me. I know everything about Aning, and I believe her unconditionally."

"My girlfriend said this with such maternal love."

My nose tingled with emotion.

You wouldn't get any understanding if you told others, would you? Like, you were working overtime with a colleague, and the next day you woke up to find yourself in her bed in her rented apartment; like, you were buying something at a convenience store, felt dizzy, and when you came to, the clerk was on top of you, all entangled; even in the park, you'd be attacked by a girl with a ponytail exercising by yours…

"I... I don't deny that I was secretly pleased at first, but... but after having you, Xiao An, I really didn't want it to be like this."

"Yeah, I know, it's okay."

"It really doesn't matter."

Xiao An said with a smile.

At first, I thought it was a misunderstanding. Xiao An also told me to observe first. But after these things happened several times while I was conscious, I decided to call the police.

But I was greeted by a policewoman.

……

Without Xiao An, I probably would have really broken down.

With that thought in mind, and comforted and cared for by Xiao An, I fell asleep in her arms like a coward.

Xiao An has always been the same—gentle and considerate. It seems she only ever has eyes for me.

———————————————————————————————————————————————— ————

I looked at the sleeping person in front of me, the one I love most, and smiled.

Ah, how adorable Aning is. She seems so confused and helpless, loving me wholeheartedly yet at a loss because of my "cheating."

I gently covered him with the blanket and left the room.

"are you asleep?"

"Ah."

"It's so cute~ Can I go take a look?"

"what?"

I stared coldly at the woman in front of me.

"I've given you thirty minutes, what are you still daydreaming about?"

"Oh, don't be so stingy," the woman said with a smile. "I'm just taking a look; it's not like you'll lose a piece of your flesh."

"And in the end, aren't I just you?"

I took off my police uniform and let my hair down, revealing a face that looked exactly like mine.

"...When were you me?"

I asked.

What does time mean to me, to us?

The woman, or rather "I," said with a smile.

"However, well, it's been about three thousand years since he left, hasn't it?"

"That long time?"

"I'm not that old yet. The six-year-old granddaughter of that old lady across the street is probably you, or me, five thousand years from now."

I squinted and licked my lips.