Chapter 4
Jiang Tingche opened the door and fixed his long, handsome eyes on me. “No. What is it?”
I chose my words carefully. “I’ve rented a room from you for exactly a year. I’m thinking of moving out. Would that be all right?”
He went still. “Moving out? Where will you go?”
I invented an excuse on the spot. “I have a boyfriend now. We’re going to live together.”
After a short silence, he asked, “You’ve already discussed that with him?”
The lie came easily. “Not yet. I’m about to.”
His lips curved into a faint smile. “All right.”
The next morning, Jiang Tingche left for work while I took half a day off.
I had gotten rid of many belongings during my last move, so I didn’t have much to pack this time. Two large suitcases held everything I owned.
Once I finished packing, I cleaned my bedroom and the living room. Sweat soaked through my clothes by the time I was done. Since I still had time, I decided to shower before leaving.
And while I was at it, I could use Jiang Tingche’s body wash one last time.
He had generously told me before, “Use whatever is in the apartment. You don’t need to buy your own.”
I had always been too embarrassed to take advantage of him. Now that I knew he was my online boyfriend—even if I had only dated him as someone else’s stand-in—he no longer felt quite so distant.
Surely one secret use wouldn’t hurt.
I carried a towel into the bathroom, squeezed some body wash into my palm, and worked it into a rich lather with damp fingers. That distinctive, clean fragrance unfurled around me.
I liked listening to music in the shower. As I turned it on, my phone chimed with a new message.
Crystal Clear: [Baby, what are you doing? Did you miss me?]
A Feather: [I’m showering. And yes, I missed you.]
Crystal Clear: [Baby, should we meet in person?]
I was returning the account to Xia Yu today, and she would certainly meet him sooner or later. There was no harm in agreeing on her behalf.
A Feather: [Sure. I’ll choose the time and place and tell you once I’ve decided.]
Crystal Clear: [All right. I can’t wait.]
[Finish your shower, baby. Don’t catch cold.]
A Feather: [Mm. Mwah~]
I restarted the music, but a thread of disappointment wound through my heart.
If only the man Xia Yu wanted hadn’t been Jiang Tingche. Then I wouldn’t have needed to leave.
I had moved too many times over the years. The thought of moving terrified me. Without a permanent home, I never felt safe; I was always waiting for the next landlord to force me out.
That was why I kept throwing things away. The less I owned, the less helpless I would feel when it was time to move again.
The comment feed called Jiang Tingche a yandere, but he certainly didn’t look like one.
Would dating a yandere be exciting? Would being loved by someone like that finally make me feel safe?
[Is the supporting character actually interested in yanderes?]
[Don’t say no one warned you. When you meet a yandere, run.]
[She’s probably only curious. Being loved by a yandere isn’t a good thing.]
[It can make you feel safe, but it can suffocate you too.]
[Besides, years of insecurity taught her to discard anything at a moment’s notice.]
[Once you begin a relationship with a yandere, you’ll never be allowed to end it.]
[Jiang Tingche demands absolute love—the kind that will never abandon him.]
[Ideally, he wants to be glued to his lover twenty-four hours a day.]
[So don’t even dream about it, supporting character.]
[Jiang Tingche isn’t right for you.]
Those comments smothered my budding curiosity before it could grow.
After my shower, I dragged my suitcases to a hotel near the bank where I worked and checked in.
Using my personal account, I sent Jiang Tingche a message.
[Jiang Tingche, I’ve moved out. Thank you for everything.]
His reply came instantly.
[That quickly?]
[Yes. I don’t want to keep my boyfriend waiting.]
The chat showed that he was typing, but the words disappeared. In the end, he replied with only one word.
[Okay.]
That afternoon, I went to the bank and logged out of A Feather, returning the account to Xia Yu.
She promptly transferred the rest of my payment.
“Not bad, Sheng Ning.” She smiled. “I never knew you had such a talent for pursuing men. Tell me how far the two of you have gone so I know what I’m dealing with.”
I kept my answer brief. “We’ve talked about everything an online couple normally would. He wants to meet in person, so you can arrange the rest yourselves.”
“Fine. I’ll sync the recent chat history and see how you usually talk. I don’t want to give myself away when we meet.”
She logged into the account on her phone and enabled the chat-history sync.
Her thumb flew over the screen. “Wow. Who knew you had such a wild side? You really do know a few tricks. No wonder you won him over.”
The farther she scrolled, the stiffer her smile became.
“Sheng Ning, your conversations got pretty explicit. What if I’m a little jealous?”