READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 7: Why Don’t You Just Live With Me?
As Feng Fan sat on his futon, pondering his next move, a sudden knock at the door broke his concentration.
'Have they already distributed the resources? I thought it would be tomorrow...' he wondered.
Feng Fan rose from the futon and opened the door, only to find Xue Qiang standing there with a smile.
"Qinqin, how did you know I was here?" he asked, surprised to see her.
"Can I come in first? It's not good to talk out here," she replied.
"Of course," he said, stepping aside. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
Xue Qiang stepped into the room and immediately furrowed her brow, clearly displeased. "Fanfan," she said, her voice tinged with frustration, "I can't believe they're treating you like this. Compared to my room, yours is... absolutely terrible!" She didn't hold back her words.
Feng Fan had already anticipated her reaction, so he wasn't surprised. Honestly, he didn't mind much, so long as he had food and wasn't tossed aside to die, he was content.
"Don't worry, Qinqin," he said with a reassuring smile, "This room has everything I need. I'm used to sleeping on futons anyway."
But Xue Qiang wasn't convinced. She frowned, clearly upset on his behalf. "Fanfan, why don't you just live with me? My room is spacious, and there's even a waterfall. The senior sister who guided me said there's a qi-gathering array too, which will help me cultivate faster."
Feng Fan blinked. 'Damn, the difference in treatment is unreal!'
He cleared his throat, feeling a bit embarrassed by her suggestion, before replying, "No need, really. I don't want to trouble you. Besides, I don't have the talent to cultivate, so what's the point of using your qi-gathering array?"
Xue Qiang's expression fell, and for a moment, a trace of sadness flickered in her eyes. Feng Fan, unable to resist the pull of his curiosity, couldn't help but activate his mind-reading ability.
'Ah, Fanfan... How wonderful it would be if you stayed with me. I could have you all to myself, never worrying about some vixen stealing you away... If I see you with another girl, I might end up killing her… I want to keep you by my side every day, so I can watch you. Is that too much to ask? Maybe I should be more direct... But no, I can't scare you off... Not yet...'
Feng Fan felt a shiver run down his spine as the depth of Xue Qiang's thoughts became all too clear.
'Shit! This girl is a Yandere! How did I not see it before?' Feng Fan thought in horror.
Xue Qiang's melancholic expression soon transformed into a gentle smile. "Alright, but I'll come to visit you every day, okay? I need to make sure they're not mistreating you," she said, her tone sweet.
Before, Feng Fan thought her smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but now, knowing her true nature, that smile made his skin crawl.
He nodded quickly, silently promising himself he would keep his distance from any other girl as long as Xue Qiang was around.
As his thoughts turned to something else, he finally decided to ask her the question that had been bothering him for some time. He had always wondered why Xue Qiang was so unusually kind to him, but she never gave him a clear answer.
"Qinqin," he said cautiously, "why are you always so good to me? Since the moment you arrived at this school, you've always looked after me. I don't understand why..."
As he spoke, Feng Fan activated his mind-reading ability, curious to hear her true thoughts behind that serene expression.
Xue Qiang's cheeks flushed lightly, her thoughts turning inward as she tried to find the right words.
'Ah, Fanfan... How could I tell you the truth? Ten years ago, you were the only one who ever cared about me. Even though I was so awkward and ugly, you always stood by me. All the boys used to tease me, but you were the one who always defended me…'
Feng Fan's heart skipped a beat as he heard her thoughts. 'Little Duck! That's her!'
He was stunned!
Feng Fan remembered his childhood friend, the girl he had met when they were both just kids. He had only known her for a month before she had to move away because of her father's job.
She never told him her real name, and he never thought to ask.
'How could I not recognize her?' Feng Fan thought in disbelief. 'Little Duck was Xue Qiang? But how could someone change so much over the years?'
The nickname "Little Duck" had been given to her by the other children, comparing her to the Ugly Duckling from the storybook.
The bully always made Feng Fan feel bad, but he stood up for her, fighting off the bullies, even though their time together was short. It was strange that all these years later, she had turned into the imposing and beautiful woman before him.
Xue Qiang smiled, "I won't tell you," she said, "That's a secret."
Feng Fan nodded, satisfied with the answer he had already gotten. He felt a little bad invading her privacy, but so be it.
"All right, Qinqin, if you don't want to tell me, then that's fine. I trust you," Feng Fan said with a warm smile, trying to keep his tone light.
At his words, Xue Qiang's cheeks flushed a deep red, and she lowered her gaze with a shy smile. Feng Fan assumed she was flustered because she appreciated his trust in her, but the thoughts running through her mind told a very different story.
'Ah, Fanfan, you're so cute. I want to keep you all to myself, never let you go… But mother said I shouldn't take away the freedom of the boy I like, otherwise, he might end up hating me…'
Feng Fan's heart skipped a beat, and a chill crawled up his spine. 'Damnit! This girl is definitely crazy!' he thought, his hand twitching as he mentally added her to his rapidly growing list of things to avoid.
'Wait, I can't just avoid her. Despite her... eccentricities, she's still a good friend. And as long as she's controlling those... impulses, it should be fine, right?'
Feng Fan sighed, trying to rationalize the situation. It wasn't like she was outright dangerous, just a little too intense at times. He would deal with it, one step at a time.