I save a pathological girl with a twisted love story.

But this casual wear was something she planned to wear on important occasions.

"After what happened yesterday, I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to wear this dress again."

That's what Aoi Asahi thinks.

But today she was still wearing the school uniform of Cuiyu High School, not the school uniform of Haibin High School, nor her usual clothes.

"This way, we can avoid further upsetting Chiho."

That's what Aoi Asahi was thinking.

But Chiho only opened her eyes after she left.

The maid has washed yesterday's wet dress clean, and I can wear it now.

But this kind of thing is ultimately not good.

"What if wearing this reminds Xia Wu of what happened yesterday?"

Even though such a thing is unlikely to happen, Chiho still keeps this issue in mind.

After thinking for a moment, she took a bath and then changed into a completely different dress.

She was wearing a white dress.

After eating the hotel breakfast one after the other, the two sat on the bench from the previous night.

—Because I didn't know what to say to Xia Wuzhao.

Even though Xia Wuzhao spoke first last night, the two of them still felt awkward.

—If that had happened under normal circumstances.

These people may have long since stopped seeing each other and stopped speaking to each other altogether.

However, it was Xia Wuzhao who spoke first yesterday.

However, they still liked Xia Wuzhao.

However, they could not accept the consequences of becoming strangers to Xia Wuzhao.

That's why it's so awkward, that's why I feel so lost.

She clearly wanted to find Xia Wuzhao, but she had no reason to.

She clearly didn't want to leave Xia Wuzhao, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

So, I can only sit here and kill time.

Even though they were both there, neither of them said a word to the other.

When Xia Wuzhao found the two of them, he casually asked, "Aren't you going sightseeing today?"

"Of course I'll go!"

Chiho answered instinctively.

Aoi Asahi replied softly, "I'll go."

"Then let's go."

Xia Wuzhao didn't care about the two people's reactions, and simply said, "If we delay any longer, we probably won't be able to go today."

He was just like an ordinary tourist, and his main concern now was to see the scenery in the lake.

Chiho sometimes thinks about this too.

"Xia Wu, do you really not care about me at all?"

Sometimes she would fall into such hesitation, but she would quickly come to her senses again.

"If you really didn't care, then why would you have done something like that yesterday?"

"That resolute stance is proof enough."

"Because he likes me, that's why he used those methods to stop me and prevent me from dying."

"Doesn't this prove that Xia Wu values ​​my life more than his own?"

"He probably likes me."

Chiho thought this way, and her mood brightened.

"Does this mean I'm more important to Natsugiri than Asahi?"

"After all, he chose me, not Asahi Aoi."

So, as the maid drove the three of them to the tourist attraction, Chiho made small talk on the way, saying, "Natsugiri, do you really like this attraction? You seem so eager to go."

She was still smiling, just like she was at school, as if nothing had happened.

Xia Wuzhao replied, "Because time is very tight."

"What's the rush?" Chiho looked at Natsumi with some doubt and said, "If we miss it today, we can just continue tomorrow."

Natsugiri Kai did not answer Chiho's question.

Seeing this, Chiho had no choice but to stop asking.

Even so, she still gave Aoi a boastful look.

"See? I spoke to Xia Wu first."

Aoi, feeling annoyed by the stares, also turned to look out the window.

She didn't want to pay attention to Chiho.

"It's just a low-level show of bragging, but it's making me feel upset."

After navigating winding roads and layers of forest, the three finally arrived at the lake again.

However, it is located near the dock.

Looking at the lake, the three prepared to sit in a boat and go to the center of the lake to take a look.

There are many tourists today because it is the Ghost Festival on the 15th of August.

From the 15th of August to the following three days, a festival ceremony will be held.

Customs vary from place to place, but the hot spring town is particularly lively. During the day, before the festival begins, most tourists gather around the lake to view the sights.

Playing on the lake is even more appealing. Anyone with a little money is always willing to buy tickets in front of their female companion.

The three of them stood on the edge of the deck railing, looking outside.

Because the boat was moving very slowly and the surrounding area was calm, there was no need to worry about any danger.

When the boat slowly started moving, the tourists cheered.

Chiho looked at them with some confusion.

—What's there to be happy about?

It's just that the ship has started moving.

Regardless, the tourists were all very happy and excited. Only Xia Wuzhao and her two companions seemed out of place, maintaining a calm demeanor.

"This is a paradise for couples, buddy."

An old man who looked like a tour guide smiled and said to Xia Wuzhao, "If you're here with your girlfriend, you should be happier."

"Is this a romantic spot?" Xia Wuzhao asked back.

"Of course that's how it is!" the tour guide said confidently. "I've been a tour guide here for thirty years. How could I possibly be wrong?"

Is there a story behind it?

Chiho looked at the tour guide with curiosity, seemingly expectant.

"—After all, if this is a romantic spot, then isn't today a precious memory? Natsugiri and I are together. We're practically like a couple. Is Natsugiri's eagerness to come here a hint to me?"

She felt this was a good omen.

"Of course there's a story behind it," the tour guide said. "There was once a pair of lovers who couldn't be together and committed suicide in the lake."

"what?"

Chiho's mouth dropped open, somewhat bewildered: "Such a tragic ending? What does that have to do with a romantic paradise?"

"Because even when they were contemplating suicide together, they didn't leave each other. Such deep affection is truly enviable. Isn't this a good omen?"

"That's why I say this is a romantic paradise. Couples who come here hope their love can be as deep as that of the deceased lovers."

The old man kept talking.

Chiho nodded in agreement, wishing that her relationship with Natsume could be like that too.

Thinking about this, she felt an urge to pray.

He prayed to the couple at the bottom of the lake, praying that his and Xia Wuzhao's love would be as deep as theirs.

But does dying for love truly represent deep affection?

Chiho remained skeptical about the matter.

"Xia Wu and I have done things that were almost like a double suicide, but our feelings for each other have not changed because of it."

Xia Wuzhao glanced at the tour guide and said, "To call this a romantic spot just because of a couple who committed suicide together? That's a bit of a stretch."

"It's ridiculous to think that a couple with an unhappy ending is trying to bless other couples' relationships."

The old man seemed a little embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

He could only mutter something incomprehensible to himself before leaving.

Chiho's heart stirred, and she looked at Natsumi.

I couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"Does Natsugiri dislike the term 'couples' hot spot'?"

As the girl thought this, she felt somewhat lost and disoriented.

Just a moment ago, she seemed unconvinced. But now that Xia Wuzhao has exposed the so-called romantic haven, she looks heartbroken.

It's incredible.

After the old man left, the three of them fell silent again.

Just quietly watching the scenery in the lake.

To be honest, when I stood on the edge of the lake, I thought how wonderful and beautiful it was.

However, after arriving in the center of the lake by boat...

The lake had become quite ordinary, seemingly no different from any other lake I had ever seen before.

The same shimmering waves, the same swimming fish, the same color of lake water.

Standing in the center and looking around, I felt that this lake was so ordinary.

On the contrary, the undulating mountains and lush forests beside the lake are incredibly beautiful.

So Chiho stood on the deck, holding onto the railing, gazing into the distance.

The further you look, the more beautiful the scenery becomes.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she wanted to tell Xia Wuzhao about her discovery.

I want to share this secret with him.

However, Chiho ultimately did not say that.

"When I stood on the edge of the lake, I felt that the lake was so beautiful."

"When I stood in the middle of the lake, I was surprised to find that the forest on the lake's edge was so beautiful."

"It's not that the scenery has changed, it's that I have changed."

「···」

She still had thoughts in her mind, but she didn't say them out loud.

So she looked at Xia Wuzhao.

Try to act as if nothing happened and ask casually, as if yesterday's events had never occurred: "Xia Wu, what do you think of the scenery here?"

"It's probably just ordinary, nothing special."