Chapter 102: Coma
Jian Yu’s eyelashes trembled.
She couldn’t open her eyes, nor could she wake up.
Wisps of mist gathered at her fingertips, spreading out until they hit a sound-dampening shield.
The strands twisted together and slipped through a tiny opening.
The voices around her gradually grew clearer. Her mind was lucid, but her body felt strangely paralyzed, like sleep paralysis.
"Family rules?"
The corner of Ling Yanzhi’s lip curled into a scornful chuckle.
"Qin Xianzhao has probably guessed that Jian Yu is the one with the necklace. He can’t get to her, so he’s trying to beat around the bush and ask for a private conversation."
"It’s not like they’re close relatives anyway. Even if she is somewhat related to them, with Jian Yu’s personality of finding everything a hassle, she wouldn’t necessarily want to go back to the Qin Family."
"He’s gambling on how much Jian Yu cares about this, and on whether we’d turn a blind eye to his little schemes for her sake."
If they met privately, Qin Xianzhao would be the one controlling the narrative.
’He’s not even bothering to put on an act anymore.’
Listening to Ling Yanzhi’s lazy, languid voice, Jian Yu’s body relaxed.
’That’s right. I’ll stay far away from the Qin Family.’
’It’s wrong to be stubborn. The female protagonist said it’s dangerous, yet I’m supposed to go anyway? It’s not like I have a death wish.’
"He guessed? What, did he use two brains to figure it out?" Pei Yin frowned.
"How obvious could Xi Yu’s neurotic, cold, and wooden expression possibly be in front of Qin Xianzhao?"
’Who does he think he is, trying to set conditions with us?’
Jian Yu’s thoughts began to drift uncontrollably.
’Is Xi Yu really that wooden around outsiders? I don’t think so, right?’
Pei Yin turned his head, about to speak to Xi Yu.
The sight before him made his gaze tremble slightly.
He grabbed the back of Xi Yu’s collar and yanked him backward. "Get up. You’re crushing our baby."
Jian Yu’s thoughts were pulled back to the present.
She was confused.
’I don’t feel anyone on top of me.’
Xi Yu spoke up. "I’m not crushing her."
His voice was a little faint and absent-minded.
He had been hovering lightly, half an inch above Jian Yu’s chest, when his body was pulled back.
Xi Yu couldn’t understand. "Why do I feel like her breathing has gotten weaker?"
"Are you sure?" Ling Yanzhi’s expression changed in an instant.
He was certain she had just been sleeping before.
"Let me see." Pei Yin walked around to the front of Xi Yu.
He bent over to check, then squatted down after a moment.
"Strange. Why has she suddenly become so weak?"
This was the complete opposite of their earlier speculation.
’She’s had enough emotional fluctuations today, so why is her body getting worse instead?’
Pei Yin’s gaze met Ling Yanzhi’s.
He was confident in what he had said before.
As for why this unexpected situation had occurred...
Pei Yin clenched his cold fingers, his throat tightening slightly. "I need to check again."
Xi Yu rarely used his brain for people or things that didn’t interest him.
He was too smart; once he started thinking, he could spot many things that others missed.
It would make other people look stupid.
Even though Pei Yin and the others hadn’t had a chance to tell him about Jian Yu needing emotional stimulation to trigger her Awakening...
Xi Yu could vaguely piece it together.
He clarified, trying to keep them from going down the wrong path, "It’s not my fault. She likes it when I treat her like that."
Xi Yu’s gaze turned cold, his pale features taking on a sharp, unapproachable edge.
His words were cryptic. "It’s those criminals. They’re providing her with bad things."
Pei Yin frowned. "Is it the trauma from killing? Over a death row inmate? Is it that serious? Should I have her kill a few more next time?"
’Kill enough of them, and she’ll become immune.’
"..." Xi Yu looked up at Pei Yin.
Confirming the other man was serious, he opened his mouth, then closed it again.
’He doesn’t share my brilliant brain. It’s understandable.’
Ling Yanzhi recalled Jian Yu’s micro-expressions after she had acted. "It probably has nothing to do with the killing."
’Although, it might be slightly related.’
He didn’t avoid the topic in front of Xi Yu. "Since her body’s Awakening and recovery are related to emotions, is it possible that other people’s emotions can affect her too?"
Jian Yu was listening, captivated.
Xi Yu squeezed her finger with a hint of resentful force.
She could just imagine the tone he would use to say it: ’You secretly checked on her, got results, and didn’t include me.’
Jian Yu wanted to laugh, but the corners of her mouth were stiff, refusing to move.
After so long of not being able to open her eyes, she started to feel a strange sense of panic.
She calmed herself and tried to focus on their conversation.
"Are there records of her recent emotional fluctuations? Let me see."
Ling Yanzhi’s question came out of nowhere, his voice low and slow.
Pei Yin clearly knew what he was asking.
He quickly replied, "Yes, the earring is still on her. Her emotional levels are all recorded in real time."
Jian Yu froze.
’The earring isn’t a tracking device, it’s an emotion monitor?’
’I put the earring on this morning after the exam.’
’Does that mean Pei Yin also recorded my mood when I was reading the love letter?’
Jian Yu felt a strange sense of embarrassment.
Her body was lifted into the air, placed on a platform, and various tubes were attached to her.
’Calm down, calm down.’
’What’s there to be embarrassed about? My life is on the line.’
’The system said it would come back to take me back to the real world once the plot is complete.’
From the very beginning, confident that she had two lives, Jian Yu had been coasting through this world with a sense of unreality.
’Anyway, the 2D male leads are handsome, so I’ll just treat it all as a beautiful dream.’
’But... what if the system doesn’t come back?’
’So much of the plot is missing, and the female protagonist’s personality has completely changed. What will it take for the plot to be considered ’complete’?’
’Is it when the female protagonist develops a medicine that allows ordinary people to become Awakened?’
’Or is it when the seven male leads take the academy’s students and teachers to support the fallen Emperor Source Star?’
Jian Yu’s consciousness began to fade.
She heard Pei Yin say in a very cold voice, "The low-level emotions radiating from the criminal count as poor-quality emotions. She probably can’t filter them out on her own yet. We need to solve this problem of her indiscriminately consuming emotions."
’My body falling into this deep sleep has something to do with the criminal’s emotions?’ Afraid she would forget, Jian Yu quickly repeated this thought in her mind three times.
’So I’m not purely human, but not like an Alien Beast either. Just some background character who feeds on emotions?’
’How is that any different from transmigrating into an ancient setting and absorbing the emperor’s ’dragon energy’?’
Dazed and confused, she still didn’t dare to let herself fall asleep, afraid she might never wake up again.
Not until Pei Yin assured Xi Yu and the others, "She’ll definitely wake up tonight."
Her body relaxed, her consciousness let go.
Jian Yu lost consciousness completely.
’Liar!’
When Jian Yu woke up, three days had already passed.
She felt like her bones had turned to mush from lying down for so long.
"Baby." Xi Yu, who had been slouched in a corner, immediately straightened his long legs.
He used Instant Teleportation to appear by the bed, carefully taking hold of one of Jian Yu’s fingers.
Jian Yu’s gaze shifted, landing on the split corner of Pei Yin’s mouth behind him.
"I already told you it was just physical weakness caused by a minor disorder. That she’d definitely wake up in one to three days."
Pei Yin poked his swollen right cheek with his tongue.
He walked over and began to remove the equipment from Jian Yu’s body.
Jian Yu stared intently.
Cyan wisps of mist spread out, swirling once around the man.
Pei Yin noticed it and looked at her. "Don’t bother next time. I can heal on my own."
’He’s too perceptive.’
Jian Yu pressed her lips together.
’I just wanted to test the effect.’
’I thought he didn’t notice the first time, so if I concealed the scent the second time, he wouldn’t realize it.’
She had underestimated his alertness.
Her weak fingers brushed against the tassel earring by her ear.
Jian Yu lifted her eyes slightly. "I want to take a shower."
"You can." Pei Yin was blocked.
Xi Yu picked Jian Yu up and walked toward the bathroom.
A tentacle snatched her nightgown and followed after them.
The door closed.
Jian Yu quickly opened her Star Brain to search for "emotion recognition devices."
Catching the date in the corner of her eye, her gaze went blank.
November 15th.
’I was unconscious for three days.’