Will the plagiarism girl be a substitute for the preference for women?

That does fit the characteristics of someone who manipulates others, making the person being manipulated not care about her, even if China herself is unaware of it.

In short, Xiangzi felt he needed to avoid falling into this trap.

After this experience of storing the bento boxes, I must not pay any more attention to anything related to China.

However, just as Xiangzi was about to leave, Qianna grabbed his hand.

Looking back, China's previous vulnerable and nervous demeanor had vanished, replaced by a composed and unhurried air.

She held Xiangzi tightly with one hand, while unpacking the lunchbox with the other.

Didn't you take your medicine today?!

Xiangzi shouted but did not try to break free, because Qianna was opening the bento box with her other hand, and if she pulled like this, she was afraid that Qianna would accidentally spill the bento box.

"Okay, but don't worry, I'll go to the hospital this afternoon and lock myself in my room so I won't cause you any more trouble," Qian Nai replied casually.

As she spoke, she took out the disposable chopsticks that were still stuck together, held one end with her hand, and bit the tip of the other end with her teeth to separate them.

Then, she took a piece of beef from Aine's bento box.

"When we ate together yesterday, I noticed you didn't order any meat dishes. Was it because they were too expensive?"

"A long-term vegetarian diet is not advisable."

"You've kept my lunchbox safe for so long, let me share a bite with you."

Chika said with such concern, then picked up a piece of meat and brought it to Shoko's mouth.

It's like this again... Xiangzi looked at Qianna's sick appearance and felt a sense of helplessness.

She knew that after a series of outrageous actions, China would once again fall into self-blame and regret.

At this moment, she kept her mouth tightly shut, revealing an expression of utter annoyance.

She'd had enough of China's unpredictable behavior.

However, as the beef held by the chopsticks got closer and closer to her face, the spiciness of the black pepper and the fresh aroma of the meat became increasingly intense.

...We must not waste food.

She slightly opened her mouth and took the piece of beef that China handed her.

The moment the beef touched Xiangzi's tongue, she felt as if she were enveloped by a warm current.

The beef is tender and juicy, and when you bite into it, the juices burst in your mouth.

The spiciness of black pepper dances on the tongue, blending with the savory aroma of beef to create a distinct flavor profile.

Xiangzi unconsciously lost his initial annoyance and began to savor the delicate texture of the beef in his mouth, as well as the slight tingling sensation brought by the black pepper.

Even though he tried his best not to show any enjoyment of the food, the way he chewed slowly still revealed his high regard for the bento box.

At that moment, China also tasted a piece of beef.

"Is this... Ai-yin's home-cooked food?" she exclaimed, tilting her head back. "It tastes so much better than takeout..."

"Alright, that's all for now."

Xiangzi took the opportunity to shake off Qianna's hand, his eyes lingered on the bento for a moment, and then as he left the classroom through the back door, he happened to run into Aine, who was carrying a bento.

"Ah, it's China's older sister! Cough cough... let's just call her Shoko-kun."

Next, Aine took a piece of black pepper beef from the bento box.

"Have a bite, it's delicious."

Chapter 35 It's alright

"No need, thank you," Xiangzi said, turning to walk towards the door.

"Um... okay then." Aine shifted her position.

At this moment, China, who was in the classroom, felt somewhat uneasy.

In her high spirits, she shared her lunchbox with Xiangzi; I wonder if Aine noticed this action.

If you pay attention, then Aine's act of sharing her bento with Shoko just now might have three motivations.

Perhaps, what Aine was thinking was, "The bento I gave you is being fed to someone else?"

Or perhaps, fearing that China would notice him if she shared her bento with someone else, causing her unease and panic, he also shared his bento with Shoko to calm China down a little.

Another reason is that they simply want to share the food. They see that Xiangzi takes so long to savor a piece of meat, so they share a piece with her. There are no complicated thoughts or entanglements involved.

China only guessed in her heart and did not ask Aine.

On the other side, watching China sitting by the window eating her bento, Aine couldn't help but think of the howling night wind on the other end of the phone last night.

"China, I want to confirm this again..."

As Aine spoke, she walked to China's side.

"The bento is delicious!" China blurted out before Aine could even ask.

"That's not it."

Aine sat down in the chair that Shoko had forgotten to push into the table because of what had just happened.

She pointed to the window next to her and asked, "Why did you need to let the wind in at that time?"

Although Aine didn't directly mention words like suicide, China knew that Aine wanted to confirm whether she had any suicidal thoughts last night.

However, to explain this problem, one must acknowledge one's own medical condition.

In the past, it was believed that saying something was better than not saying it.

If she doesn't say anything, people will just assume she has a lot of mood swings.

If she were to say it, the label of "mentally ill" would be inextricably linked to her.

Even if her performance hasn't changed much from before, people will unconsciously keep their distance from her because of this label.

When she confessed to Xiangzi before, she only thought about apologizing and making amends after telling the truth, and then leaving the school, not caring about her future social interactions.

Now... it's because of Shoko's suggestion that China should live like a normal person that she has chosen to continue going to school.

However, explaining my situation to Aine... shouldn't be a problem, right?

This world may not be perfect, but there will always be someone protecting you.

She uttered this particular phrase to herself, which means she had a fairly accurate guess about her situation.

Although there was a misunderstanding in the process of guessing—misinterpreting opening the window to feel the wind as suicidal—…

But since Aine has already guessed the general situation, let's give her a detailed explanation.

"Xiao Aiyin..."

China stopped eating with her chopsticks, gently placed them on the bento box, and slightly adjusted the angle so that they were parallel to the side of the box.

After holding her breath for half a second, China exhaled, nodded, and whispered:

"I am a patient with bipolar disorder, or you could say bipolar disorder."

"Yesterday I really wanted to know why Ai Yin left the karaoke bar, but I happened to have a depressive episode, and I was also feeling weak from taking too much medication, so I chose to go out in the cold wind to stimulate my nerves."

"So this is ah"

Aine continued to smile, showing no fear or wariness.

"Many geniuses have this, like Van Gogh, Hemingway, Handel... and who else?"

Chika wanted to say helplessly that they were not famous because they had bipolar disorder, but simply because they happened to have bipolar disorder as celebrities.

But she remembered what Aine had told her last night, how much she admired and even envied Chinatsu's abilities.

Then, with a slight upturn of one corner of her mouth, she said, "And me, this bipolar disorder is the price of being a genius."

To become a genius, one must pay the heavy price of becoming a bipolar disorder patient. Perhaps this way of putting it will resonate with Aine and help her find some balance.

"That's right. You're a genius, and I don't want to witness another genius fall from grace, so we should live well."

Ai-yin picked up a piece of meat.

"Besides, there are so many delicious foods in this world that we haven't tried yet. Golden Week is coming soon, how about we go to Osaka together? We can check out the Expo preview."

When she said the second half of the sentence, Aine felt that the suggestion had not been thought out sufficiently.

Traveling and staying at hotels with Chinatsu wouldn't feel like a vacation; it would feel more like being a babysitter, which would be quite troublesome...

Although I care about Chika, I am not a god and cannot be perfect. I can only apologize.

So, before China could reply, Aine changed the subject.

"Let's talk about this later. Before that, Xiaodeng said she met with some old classmates and they want to invite us to form a band. Guess who they are?"

"Are you a member of Crychic?"

"You guessed it! It's Su Shi and Li Xi from Crychic. They invited us to a place called RING this afternoon. Is Xiao Qian Nai free?"

"Forehead……"

A note on the bedside table that read "Please shine in the band" flashed through China's mind.

Performing with everyone can heal my soul—that was what I said to the interviewer at the time, and also a guess about the true intention of the person who wrote the note.

As for how I view this matter...

Perhaps it's because she's not romantic enough, but China is taking a wait-and-see approach to the idea that "performances can heal the soul."

But the contents of that note... China had an obsessive desire to fulfill it, almost like a mission.

Besides, how will you know if you don't try?

I just won't be able to meet with them this afternoon.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Aiyin, I took too much medicine yesterday and I have to stop taking it today. It would be best if I were hospitalized for observation."

"Going to meet them without taking your medicine... it doesn't feel good..."

As she spoke, China's voice trembled with the sudden surge of emotion.

She gripped the curtains tightly, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down.

"Qianna!"

Aine immediately stood up and grasped China's hand, feeling the latter's strong grip.

"It's okay...it's okay."

While comforting her, Ai Yin thought to herself that the frequency and severity of the attacks after stopping the medication meant that it would be better to go to the hospital to recuperate. She would have to keep her appointment alone today.

After China's condition improved slightly, Aine still held her hand and said:

"I told you today that you couldn't come because of something. By the way, Nagasaki Motoyo said that you and she are friends from the brass band club. Is there anything you want me to ask her?"

After calming down, China speculated about her relationship with Su Shi.

We're friends, but we don't have each other's contact information...

Was it for some reason that the original owner deleted Su Shi's friends list?

The original owner chose to bleed to death, a slow process in which consciousness gradually faded.

Could it be that during the process of fearing suicide, Su Shi kept calling out of worry, and he answered the phone in a daze, thus leaving an indelible shadow on her...?

If this is the case, then the two parties must have a very good relationship.

So, China made her decision.

"Hmm?? Just tell Su Shi not to worry about me, I'm fine."

Chapter 36 Musical Instruments

China finished her bento, leaving not a single piece of vegetables or meat, and as usual, she rinsed the rice with boiling water and drank it.

However, this usual behavior, in Aine's eyes as the one delivering the bento, shows that she attaches great importance to the things she is delivering.

This made Aine a little flustered. If China were to send her a bento box next time, would she have to eat it all up just as cleanly...?

"Goodbye, Ai-yin!"

After finishing her meal, China strode out, afraid that if she was too late, she might cause trouble at school due to her emotional state, but she couldn't run because she had just finished eating.

"Um...yes, goodbye."

While we were eating, Aine asked Chinatsu how interested she was in forming a band, and Chinatsu just said "I can give it a try," without seeming particularly enthusiastic.