Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 1

The port city of Xuan Cheng, located at the confluence of rivers and the sea, finally welcomed its first heavy snowfall in deep winter.

Inside the spacious Xuan Yi University, a romantic Christmas atmosphere was stirring, like rich, sweet chocolate, every breath filled with an unmelting sweetness.

It seemed destined that this day had to be a happy one.

“Good morning, Associate Professor Ling.”

“Little Ling, Merry Christmas.”

“$varepsilon = (omicron`) text{ Ah… bad morning}$.” This was Ling Xi’s usual opening line.

Waking up early in the deep winter had exhausted her last bit of defiance. As a rebel among workers, having no expectations or thoughts about work, this attitude of “lying flat” and rebellion was truly damnable!

“You’re barely breathing this early morning. Who sucked out your three souls and seven spirits last night?” Jiang Xingran, her best friend, who never shied away from making trouble, chuckled and teased, then pointed to the beautifully wrapped gift box on the office desk: “You’re the only one in the room who got a Christmas gift. I’m envious, jealous, and hateful…”

“Did you get possessed by the passive-aggressive ghost?” Ling Xi retorted angrily.

She slowly walked to her desk, put down her satchel, and stared at the square gift box for a long time, looking puzzled: “Christmas gift? Who sent it?”

The box was made of genuine leather, exuding the smell of money, but it felt unusually light when picked up and weighed, as if all the weight came from the packaging itself.

Ling Xi pondered. She didn’t have many students. After all, the enrollment rate for her Paleography course this semester was zero. Which kind-hearted person would still remember her?

Jiang Xingran poked Ling Xi’s arm, urging impatiently: “Who cares who sent it, the delivery guy specifically said it was for you! Hurry up and open it, let us see what kind of good stuff is inside…”

Ling Xi unhurriedly brewed herself a cup of Tartary buckwheat tea, sipped on the steaming hot beverage to dispel the cold, and half-closed her eyes in comfort: “It’s quite fitting for it to snow on Christmas, but it’s too cold. Let me warm up first.”

“Speaking of snow, did you put snow chains on your car tires?”

“That Christmas tree the Student Union put up this year is quite nice.”

“Stop chatting, let’s quickly decide on the place for today’s dinner, so we can book a table in advance!”

The colleagues chatted idly, yet gathered around Ling Xi, joining in the excitement with a tacit understanding.

The gift box packaging was not complicated.

Ling Xi held the teacup with one hand and easily pulled off the ribbon tied with a beautiful bow. As soon as the lid was lifted, the compressed contents scattered everywhere like freshly popped popcorn.

“Oh, it’s fruit candy,” Jiang Xingran exclaimed softly, then squatted down to busy herself with picking up the scattered candies.

“Hey, mine is cola-flavored, what about yours?”

“Watermelon, mine is watermelon.”

“Strawberry flavor is not bad either…”

“We get to enjoy a little gift on Christmas, all thanks to Associate Professor Ling.”

The group noisily helped Ling Xi tidy up the floor, each grabbing a handful, and some even secretly stuffing them into their pockets.

Ling Xi leaned leisurely against the desk, sipping her tea.

Though she didn’t say it aloud, her vanity was greatly satisfied at that moment; she was beaming with pride and shared generously: “If you like them, take more. Don’t be shy, everyone.”

Saying so, Ling Xi also casually picked up a candy from the box. It felt soft and bouncy to the touch, probably a gummy candy.

She held the candy, lost in thought. Who on earth sent this? Oh well, never mind.

She tore open the wrapper with a pop, and a soft, squishy thing flew out in a beautiful arc, splatting right onto her face.

The sensation was cool and greasy. Ling Xi frantically grabbed the sticky thing and took a closer look.

“Pfft!” The hot tea in her mouth sprayed out in a rainbow.

A slippery finger cot! It was oily, bright, and reflective under the gaze of everyone, seemingly provoking Ling Xi—”Why don’t you come and play with me yet?”

Ling Xi hysterically stopped Jiang Xingran just as she was about to put one into her mouth. Time seemed to freeze like congealed lard, becoming agonizingly slow: “Don’t—eat—it!”

Ling Xi’s face was beet red with embarrassment. The finger cot stuck to her palm, and she couldn’t shake it off.

Everyone’s smile in the office turned into a capital—Holy cow, what is that thing?!

Colleagues began to play with the ‘little candies’, awkwardly trying to diffuse the tense situation—

“Uh-huh, so little sleeves can come in so many flavors.”

“Sending this on Christmas… hmm… that’s quite romantic…”

“I didn’t realize our Associate Professor Ling has so many tricks up her sleeve usually?”

“Hiss… isn’t the size of this thing a bit too small?”

Why are they studying it now? Would they die if they just kept quiet? Hey!

Ling Xi had completely lost the face to look up and be a human being. She stared at the cement floor beneath her feet, searching and searching. Damn it! Why wasn’t there a crack she could hide in?

Since her reputation was utterly ruined anyway, perhaps a three-foot length of silk for hanging herself right here wouldn’t be out of the question—a bloody Christmas, perhaps.

Finally, finally!

The face of the instigator gradually formed in her mind, fiercely trampling on Ling Xi’s nerves, wickedly shouting: “Stinky lazy fish, today is also a day to play you to death…”

Her heart felt like it was merrily breakdancing on a roller coaster, and her blood pressure surged. All Ling Xi wanted to do now was pinch her philtrum until it burst.

Ling Xi clenched her jaw, sputtering the crazy woman’s name in a low growl: “Qiao—Bo—’Er!”

It was too late to salvage the miserable situation caused by the finger cots. If she was fast enough, social death couldn’t catch up to her.

Overwhelmed by anger, she couldn’t catch her breath. Ling Xi rolled her eyes and simply fainted amidst the piles of conspicuous finger cots, escaping reality.

In an instant, the office erupted into chaos—

“Hey, hey, hey…”

“Associate Professor Ling!?”

“Quick, quick, quick… send her to the infirmary…”

…

A certain unfortunate soul sat up suddenly in her death throes: Which bastard said Christmas had to be happy? Stand up!

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