Snuggling for Survival: A Quick Transmigration Tale - Chapter 18

Li Qing had already left for work. The curtain separating the two beds was half-drawn; Yu Yu guessed that when Li Qing woke up this morning, she had specifically checked on her condition.

Touching her forehead, Yu Yu realized she had absolutely no memory of how she got back into bed. Her mind was a total blank.

[Host! You were so brilliant yesterday! You pretended to be asleep so the mission target would carry you back to bed. You earned another chunk of experience points! You are quite the schemer!]

The “scheming” Yu Yu: “…”

She knew absolutely nothing about what happened after she fell asleep last night.

She got up and washed her face obediently. On the small refrigerator, she found a note left by Li Qing.

— Remember to take your medicine after you wake up.

Aside from that, there was not a single extra word of instruction. It fit her character perfectly; except for Ye Zi, she was ice-cold toward everyone else.

This made Yu Yu a bit distressed.

What happened yesterday was an accident. She could not get sick every day, and even if she did, she could not rely on Li Qing to take care of her forever. Forced attempts to get close would only breed resentment, especially with someone like Li Qing, who was both indifferent and vigilant.

This is so hard…

With a long sigh, Yu Yu felt she was out of options.

Given the current state of things, she could only wait for a better opportunity. Yu Yu stayed very well-behaved, carefully maintaining her character’s persona. After her fever broke, she did not bother Li Qing for several consecutive days.

Life seemed to return to its previous state. Aside from simple greetings, Yu Yu had no chance to even get near Li Qing.

Yu Yu felt a bit defeated, but she did not dare act rashly. She could only try to use minor daily interactions to close the distance between them.

Half a month passed quickly. There were only fifteen days left until the plot point where Li Qing would leave this shabby little apartment.

During this time, Li Qing’s attitude toward Yu Yu softened slightly, but she remained just a casual acquaintance. The two had not even added each other on WeChat. Thinking she would be leaving soon, Li Qing had no intention of forming a deep connection with Yu Yu.

However, because their relationship had improved slightly, Li Qing became fully aware of just how fragile her roommate was.

A few days after the fever subsided, Yu Yu caught a cold. She took medicine for several days and only recovered two days ago. Li Qing did not understand how someone with such a weak constitution dared to rent an apartment alone. She originally wanted to ask, but decided it would be meddling and held her tongue.

Lately, Li Qing’s own emotions had been subtle and complicated. Her two best friends seemed to be acting strangely.

When they went out for dinner last time, Ye Zi had been unusually quiet. Usually, Ye Zi was the life of the party, her lively and active energy remaining unchanged since childhood. Li Qing had no idea what was wrong with her lately.

Yu Yu did not dare speak either. She sat there holding a cup of hot water, taking small sips while watching Li Qing’s increasingly solemn expression. She could not say a word.

This plot point was likely around the time Ye Zi started developing feelings for Liu Xu. In a couple of days, Ye Zi would probably confess this to Li Qing. Then, the story would move toward the “right” track—the one that does not hurt the male and female leads, but tortures the female supporting character instead.

Li Qing is truly pitiful.

As Yu Yu watched, Li Qing’s face suddenly stiffened while looking at her phone screen. The change in her expression was very obvious.

[The female lead asked her out for a drink!] The system’s little ball of light flew around in circles, explaining the reason for Li Qing’s reaction. [It is over, it is over! If the plot follows the script, the mission target is going to go abroad.]

Even if it did not follow the script, Li Qing was scheduled to leave in half a month anyway.

Yu Yu pouted, feeling miserable. These past few days had been physically taxing; being sick every other day made her mood sour. She almost did not want to do the mission anymore, but unfortunately, this was the setting of her character and could not be changed.

With a long sigh, Yu Yu got up, went to the room to grab some clothes, and headed to the bathroom to change.

Counting it up, she had not absorbed any energy from Li Qing for nearly half a month. It would be a waste to give up now. With such a rare identity, if her character setting in the next world was poor, she might not even be able to touch the target character at all.

She still did not want to give up so soon.

“You are going out?” Li Qing’s eyes showed a hint of shock. She was replying to Ye Zi’s message when she saw Yu Yu all dressed up. Her frail, sickly roommate was actually going out?

Yu Yu nodded and smiled, a faint blush appearing on her pale face. “Mainly, I have been lying down for too long. I want to go out and find some inspiration. I… I am a full-time writer. If I do not start a new story soon, I will starve to death.”

Li Qing paused before nodding. She had never paid attention to what her roommate did for a living, nor had she ever asked. This was the first time she had heard it.

She wanted to ask if Yu Yu was going out alone or meeting someone, but after thinking about it, she felt it was not her business. Li Qing remained silent. With such a poor physical condition, surely she would not go out alone? Perhaps a friend was waiting outside.

After coming up with a few reasons for Yu Yu’s departure, Li Qing went back to replying to Ye Zi.

Yu Yu headed out with a small bag, wearing a mask and a hat. Walking slowly down the street, she asked the system, [Six-Six, where did the female lead send the location to Li Qing?]

The system understood immediately and sent the location to its host.

After receiving it, Yu Yu did not go there directly. Instead, she wandered aimlessly. Having been sick for half a month since arriving, the fresh air outside felt wonderful.

Not long after Yu Yu left, Li Qing also headed out. She was worried because Ye Zi’s mood seemed off.

Li Qing: [I am almost there. Wait for me.]

She sent one last message before leaving the apartment. She took a taxi straight to the destination. While she was on her way, the system quickly reported to Yu Yu.

Taking a sip of milk tea, Yu Yu nodded calmly. “Good.”

The system could not figure out what its host was thinking, so it decided to project the scene from the other side.

As soon as Li Qing walked in, Ye Zi took her arm and led her to a corner table with a sad expression on her face. Seeing their linked hands, Yu Yu felt a surge of envy. [Six-Six, when will I ever get to be a female lead? It would be so much easier to complete missions…]

The light from the system’s round orb dimmed significantly. [Host, I have only just upgraded. I finally moved past being a nameless passerby. We cannot reach the top in a single bound…]

The human and the system sighed in unison.

“Qingqing… I am so frustrated lately,” Ye Zi complained, grabbing Li Qing’s hand. “I feel like I have been acting so strange these past few days.”

Li Qing looked at her with concern. She did not look sick. “What happened?”

“Didn’t I ask Liu Xu out for drinks a while ago? I got really drunk—the ‘wasted’ kind of drunk. Then, Liu Xu took me back to his place…” Ye Zi spoke with a guilty tone. Usually, the three of them played together, but that one time it had only been her and Liu Xu, and she had not told Li Qing.

“Did he do something to you?” Li Qing’s heart tightened. She gripped Ye Zi’s hand, her emotions rising.

Ye Zi waved her hand quickly and shook her head, her voice dropping. “No, no! Nothing happened. He slept on the sofa that night. It was just me…”

She was too embarrassed to say that when she woke up, she accidentally saw Liu Xu half-naked and her heart suddenly started racing. They had grown up together; logically, if she were going to like him, it should have happened years ago. Yet, in that one moment, Ye Zi felt her heart throb.

However, she was not certain, so she secretly tried a few “experiments.” Perhaps because of her guilty conscience, every time she asked Liu Xu out with a hidden motive, she felt embarrassed. Her expressions and actions became awkward, she messed up every time, and Liu Xu would end up teasing her.

This problem had been bothering her for days. Unable to solve it herself, she turned to Li Qing. Although Li Qing had never been in a relationship, she was very beautiful and had been pursued by many people since childhood; maybe she would understand these feelings.

With that thought in mind, Ye Zi had called her out.

As Li Qing listened, her mood soured. She did not know what she was angry about, but a sense of discomfort persisted. It was not until Ye Zi hesitantly shared her suspicion—that she might be in love with Liu Xu—that Li Qing’s irritation flared up.

Keeping a straight face, Li Qing drank half a glass of alcohol to hide her emotions. Subconsciously, she lied. “I think you should test it a bit more. Perhaps it was just because of the awkwardness.”

Her chest felt tight and heavy. Li Qing was confused; she usually saw emotional matters very clearly and could often sense the subtle chemistry between couples. Yet, when it came to herself, she seemed slow. But no matter how slow she was, at this moment, she felt like she was finally touching the truth of her own heart.

“I think so too, but I fail every time. I tried a few times before and something always went wrong. Can you help me, Qingqing?” Ye Zi pleaded with a pained expression, placing all her hope on her best friend.

Li Qing smiled, though the smile did not reach her eyes. “Yes. It is better to make sure. Do not confess blindly.”

“I know! Otherwise, if it turns out to be a misunderstanding, it would be so awkward and it would ruin our friendship!” Ye Zi nodded vigorously.