8:40 PM, Shibuya Station
Kiyono Lin, dressed in a white trench coat, a shirt, and jeans, was surprised to see Jiutiao Meiji walking beside Dubian Che, and immediately smiled with an "I knew it" expression.
"Oh, what a coincidence," Kiyono Lin greeted with a smile.
"A coincidence?" Jiutiao Meiji didn’t even look directly at her.
"Jiutiao, I knew you would come," she confidently smiled, "After all, for such a beautiful girl like me, I would certainly worry that my boyfriend couldn’t control himself."
"Don’t be ridiculous," Dubian Che couldn’t stand their narcissism, "Even if you were beautiful, I wouldn’t do anything to you."
"Mr. Dubian, that statement is true," Kiyono Lin said in a condescending tone.
Listening to Dubian Che’s words did not bother her.
She had almost completely figured out this man named Dubian Che, knowing what he was thinking.
"It doesn’t seem like you’re nervous about getting caught cheating at all," Jiutiao Meiji mocked, "Shameless to go to someone else’s boyfriend’s place, I don’t know how you can do it."
"We’re all selfish people; let’s not talk such boring talk." After speaking, Kiyono Lin looked at Dubian Che and sighed, "I didn’t care about going, but since you wanted to go, I had to follow and keep an eye on you."
"Watch over me?" Dubian Che retorted, "Am I a child?"
She didn’t answer his question but said insightfully:
"By telling Jiutiao that you went to Iwate Prefecture, you must have suffered quite a bit just now, huh?"
"You seem very dissatisfied?" Jiutiao Meiji, arms folded, gazed at Dubian Che.
"No matter what, pulling a gun..."
"What? You bring another woman home to your hometown, and as a girlfriend, I can’t get upset?"
"It’s not that I can’t get upset..."
"Dubian Che," this was the first time Jiutiao Meiji called him by his full name, "If I really wanted to kill you, would I let you babble? I’d have thrown you out of the car already."
The return home season, the station was full of people.
The three of them were already noticeable, but seeing Dubian Che being scolded drew even more curious glances.
"Meiji, if you want to scold me, wait until we’ve..."
Dubian Che was interrupted by Kiyono Lin’s light laugh.
Her laugh was very pleasant, even more so than that of a nightingale—considered the most melodious bird in the world.
But just as they were immune to Dubian Che’s smiles, Dubian Che had also almost become accustomed to their sporadic charming graces.
"Think who caused me to be scolded? How can you laugh about it?"
Jiutiao Meiji stomped on Dubian Che’s foot.
Because Dubian Che was mimicking her conference tone, with the phrase, "Since it’s our company’s property and you owe money, how can you laugh about it?"
Kiyono Lin sighed softly, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Mr. Dubian, you voluntarily told Jiutiao about you taking me to Iwate Prefecture, which shows you are a responsible person."
"Responsible?" Jiutiao Meiji glanced sideways at Dubian Che, "You were probably just afraid I’d find out afterward."
"Meiji, you’re wrong. It’s absolutely not because I was afraid you would find out that I told you voluntarily. I can swear on Shibuya Station," Dubian Che raised his right hand.
"It’s true," Kiyono Lin repeated in her condescending tone.
"No one asked for your opinion on truth or lies," Jiutiao Meiji coldly spoke to her and glared again at Dubian Che, "At least you have some conscience."
"Meiji," Dubian Che said helplessly, "I promised you, I’ll always stay by your side."
Jiutiao Meiji ignored him and said to Kiyono Lin:
"Did you hear that, Kiyono? He will always stay by my side."
"That is true, but Jiutiao, you wouldn’t think he’s doing this because you’re more attractive than me, or because of your threats, would you?"
"My main rival has never been you, but Dubian Che’s misguided sense of responsibility."
"Misguided is one thing, what do you mean by wrong?" Dubian Che said discontentedly.
Kiyono Lin smiled confidently, "How could a soul that isn’t free perceive the clarity of whether the path it adheres to is right or wrong?"
"Freedom? What a joke!" Jiutiao Meiji raised her voice in denial.
"Do you think Mr. Dubian is free?" Kiyono Lin asked.
Jiutiao Meiji, arms folded, stated her belief about love with conviction:
"I want to twist his life so that he has no freedom, from the moment he wakes up in the morning, to the moment he lies down at night, whether resting or working, his mind should have only me, and only allow me."
Kiyono Lin was right; Jiutiao Meiji was indeed like her—both were fanatics who adhered strictly to their personal principles.
What did conventional opinions matter to them?
Cruel? Tyrannical? Acting on whims? Just thorns on a rose.
She would bloom, magnificently more than anyone else.
Whether people liked her or not, she didn’t care.
"Very good," Kiyono Lin laughed again, this time a joyful laugh, "Only such a resolute will has value in being defeated. Jiutiao, congratulations, from now on, you are also a subject I will observe for a long time, I look forward to your expression after your failure."
"Failure?" Jiutiao Meiji sneered scornfully.
"In relationships, lasting companionship relies on commonalities and attraction, not oppression, binding, or pleasing—this is my belief, Mr. Dubian, who do you think is right between Jiutiao and me?"
"Meiji, don’t believe her," Dubian Che said, "Beautiful women love to deceive."
"What do you mean?" Jiutiao Meiji narrowed her eyes.
"I wasn’t talking about you!"