Volume 1 Chapter 81: The Young Lady Chooses to Go to the Mental Hospital
The girl did not think too much about it.
Instead, she felt excited that Shen Jingyi was actively following the topic.
“Because I said it just now too. The young lady looks fierce on the outside, but inside she is actually a very gentle and kind person!”
“And that is exactly what touched the soft part inside the heroine’s heart!”
“She is as delicate and cute as a doll, but also very fragile, so she needs to be carefully protected.”
“Ah, speaking of that, there was one time when the young lady was being chased by her enemies. The heroine desperately protected her!”
“In the end, they escaped safely. But when the heroine looked at the weak young lady in front of her, she remembered seeing the young lady acting sweetly with other girls. Feeling jealous, she could no longer suppress her feelings...”
The girl purposely dragged out her words, waiting for her senior to ask more.
But no one replied.
She looked up in confusion and saw Shen Jingyi seriously staring at the computer screen. Her clear eyes were shining strangely, and no one knew what she was thinking.
The bill on the screen had stayed on the same page the whole time. The black words were as dull and boring as always.
But Shen Jingyi looked as if she had become completely absorbed in it, not blinking for a long time.
The girl carefully asked, “Senior... are you daydreaming?”
“Ah?”
Only then did Shen Jingyi come back to herself. She gave the girl a polite smile.
“No... I’m still checking the accounts.”
But although she said that, every item on the screen felt familiar yet impossible to understand.
Her thoughts seemed caught by something, as if wrapped in fog.
Delicate, cute...
Needs careful protection?
The reflection in the water cup showed Shen Jingyi’s figure.
She repeated those words in her mind again and again.
Then the corner of her lips lifted by itself into a faint smile of self-mockery.
Heh.
It was true that Miss Bai was beautiful and delicate.
But with her status, she could have as many beautiful and outstanding people around her as she wanted.
How could it ever be the turn of someone like herself, plain, boring, and someone who even needed time just to think of what to say, to protect her?
The girl in the water reflection had a slim figure.
With a little makeup, her face did have a charm people would remember.
But that was all.
Shen Jingyi was fairly confident in her looks. But she was not arrogant enough to believe beauty alone could solve everything.
She could only buy cheap discounted makeup.
Those beautiful and expensive dresses were completely beyond her reach.
Even now, the best clothes in her closet were the ones Bai Muxue had given her.
Shen Jingyi had barely dared to wear them. She had only tried them on once before carefully putting them back into the closet.
It was not that she had never lived the life of a rich young lady before.
But that was a memory from long ago.
When precious Bai Muxue was surrounded by people and wore different outfits every day, Shen Jingyi was running around doing part-time campus jobs until she nearly fainted, calculating how many more days the little money left on her campus card could last.
To a spoiled young lady like Bai Muxue, who knew little of hardship, she was probably only a prettier toy.
The only special thing she had might be her identity as a magical girl...
Oh.
But Bai Muxue was a magical girl too.
So even that was not special.
So for a bright and beautiful rich girl like Miss Bai… would she really lack pretty girls around her?
Who would treasure a doll that was so easy to get?
She had once imagined things because of Bai Muxue’s magical girl identity.
She thought maybe it could become a chance for their relationship to change.
But every time afterward, when she tried discussing those incidents with Bai Muxue, the other girl’s careless attitude shattered her hopes.
To Bai Muxue, protecting the world probably was nothing important at all. After all, in her eyes, having fun was the biggest priority.
As long as it did not interfere with the young lady’s entertainment, that was enough.
So, ever since she signed that agreement, she had only been a source of fun for Miss Bai to pass the time. That should be the truth.
But until now, Bai Muxue had not even touched one finger of hers.
Shen Jingyi thought she was only a decoration, but the way Bai Muxue treated her did not seem like that at all.
On the rooftop, even though it was dangerous, Bai Muxue still rushed over without hesitation to save her. When the leader of the Disaster Management Bureau invited Bai Muxue to a dinner, Shen Jingyi said she did not want to go, disregarding her social standing and making things awkward, yet Bai Muxue hadn't said a word of complaint.
All the small moments from the past few days kept appearing in Shen Jingyi’s mind. The thick blanket after the rain, the lollipop brought to her lips when she felt dizzy...
The girl’s bright smile seemed right in front of her, making Shen Jingyi feel absent-minded for a moment.
Bai Muxue really had not crossed any line with her. Although she sometimes teased her, it felt more like the bad taste of a spoiled young lady. Besides, compared to the debt Bai Muxue helped her mother repay, what were those small jokes worth?
Bai Muxue was rude, willful, arrogant, and overbearing, like every stereotype people had about rich girls who knew nothing. Back then, she even made Shen Jingyi sign that kind of agreement, and every word in it felt insulting. Then why...
Why had she never done anything too much to her?
Shen Jingyi could not understand.
“Ugh, what is wrong with this weather? It’s so hot early in the morning. I can’t live without air conditioning...”
Just then, Sister Li walked in carrying breakfast while complaining. She greeted them both.
“Oh, you two came so early?”
Shen Jingyi came back to her senses and nodded gently.
Sister Li changed into her work clothes and handed each of them a cup of soy milk.
“Uh... Sister Li, I already drank one...” the younger girl said awkwardly.
“Hah, child, drinking more soy milk is good for your health!”
Sister Li snorted, then turned to Shen Jingyi.
“Xiao Shen, don’t forget the volunteer activity this afternoon. You’ll be taking the children to visit the emotional care center in the suburbs.”
The suburbs...
A small wave rose in Shen Jingyi’s heart. She pressed her lips together and answered softly,
“Okay.”
…………………………………
At noon, Bai Muxue adjusted the sunglasses on her nose and shut the car door with a click. She nodded to the driver inside.
“It’s fine, you can leave first. I’ll contact you after I finish my business. No need to wait for me.”
“Uh... Miss?”
The driver leaned out and looked at the large words beside the gate: [Wangdu Emotional Disorder Care Center]
Her face immediately became awkward. Then she looked back at the pretty young girl in front of her. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke.
“Miss… If... you feel something is wrong, the family can contact more professional people to help. There’s no need to come to a place like this, um...”
You mean you think I’m crazy, right... It’s okay, you can just say it. I’m not going to scold you...
The corner of Bai Muxue’s mouth twitched. She tried hard to stop herself from complaining inside. She only shook her head at the driver, said nothing more, then turned and walked through the gate.
Sigh... Coming to a place like this in broad daylight... maybe there really is something wrong with my brain...
The girl quietly tightened her grip on the music box in her pocket and sighed in her heart.