She is jealous of the original host.
The guests finished their shopping and returned in batches.
The small boat swayed gently in the autumn wind, and the lake’s surface rippled in circles.
Yu Luo was no longer holding the cub’s hand, and Qi Song was no longer teasing her. She just pinched and played with the lemon doll in her hand.
Ever since the topic of 「how many times a night」 was mentioned just now, Qi Song hadn’t spoken to her again, and her whole person seemed to be immersed in a kind of lingering sourness.
So, Yu Luo glanced at her and squeezed the lemon.
She kneaded and flattened the lemon haphazardly, playing with it to the point that Qi Song felt an inexplicable ache and itch on her own body.
But she was determined not to speak, and her gaze moved away from Yu Luo, drifting far across the lake’s surface as she became lost in thought.
The original host and Yu Luo in the past…
Although it was early autumn, the aquatic plants here were still lush and abundant.
Yu Luo poked the lemon with her fingertip, lounging lazily and unguardedly by the side of the boat.
As the small boat passed a patch of flourishing aquatic plants, a sudden 「buzzing」 sound arose, and a flying insect shot out from the patch, heading straight for Yu Luo.
Just then, the wind blew fiercely, and the boat rocked. Yu Luo subconsciously tilted her head back to dodge, and her body was about to fall backward—
“Teacher Yu!”
The cameraman following Yu Luo cried out in alarm. Just as he was about to put down his camera and move forward, he saw that the young woman who had seemed to not be looking at Yu Luo at all reacted faster than anyone. Quick to see and swift to act, she wrapped an arm around Yu Luo’s waist, averting the crisis.
In Qi Song’s arms, Yu Luo blinked a beat too late, not quite having processed what happened.
She felt the hand on her waist tighten, and Qi Song’s breathing by her ear was heavy. The person who had been unwilling to speak to her just a moment ago was now muttering with a bit of lingering fear:
“Be careful, what would you do if you fell into the lake? This boat is so small and light. Next time you get on a boat, sit right in the middle. You’re not allowed to sit on the side anymore…”
With the danger having passed without incident, her heart began to beat quickly in hindsight. But someone was more anxious than she was, so Yu Luo’s mood strangely and quickly calmed down.
“Alright.” She curled her lips and raised a hand to pat Qi Song’s head. “I’m wearing a life jacket, it wouldn’t be a big deal even if I fell in.”
“But you still have a cold,” Qi Song emphasized, not very pleased.
“Then I’ll listen to you and sit in the middle next time.” After Yu Luo gently comforted the big one, she turned to comfort the little one, telling the cub who was hugging her leg worriedly that she was fine.
The cameraman, who had witnessed everything, said subconsciously, “Teacher Qi, your reaction was so fast. You weren’t even looking at Teacher Yu just now, but you caught her in the next second.”
Yu Luo’s gaze immediately turned to her, full of meaning.
“……” Qi Song, who was still holding Yu Luo’s waist in a state of lingering fear, quietly loosened her grip after being unintentionally exposed by the cameraman like that.
Yu Luo couldn’t help but smile, and she squeezed the lemon in her hand again.
Upon arriving at the inn, Qi Song was the first to go ashore, turning back to lift Taotao up.
Then she extended her hand to Yu Luo, intending to help her off the boat, but saw Yu Luo standing on the boat without moving for a moment, her gaze directed toward a certain direction to the side of the inn.
Qi Song subconsciously followed her line of sight and saw three children, around twelve years old, playing a game in the courtyard next to the inn.
A girl of about the same age was squatting in a corner, looking up at them with a look of longing and timidity.
A moment later, the girl slowly stood up and cautiously went over to speak to the playing children.
The children all frowned at the sight of her, pointed at the back of her neck, said a few words, and then ran away as if avoiding the god of plagues1.
The girl stood where she was, stroking the back of her neck, her lips trembling and her eyes turning red.
Seemingly noticing from the corner of her eye that people were coming ashore from the inn, she took a few steps back and hurriedly left.
The inn had temporarily stopped receiving guests due to the arrival of the program team. Therefore, those children should all belong to the inn owner’s family.
Yu Luo retracted her gaze, her brow slightly furrowed. She thoughtfully placed her hand in Qi Song’s palm and used the support to step steadily off the boat.
After all, it was the inn’s twenty-first anniversary, so the owner’s family was also participating in decorating the main hall.
Qi Song noticed that the three children who had been playing together earlier were all there, but the rejected girl had not come.
Ren Zhi and the owner worked together to move a sculpture at the entrance, striking up a familiar conversation: “Your three sons all look quite alike. Are they triplets?”
The boss’s hands paused for a moment. He was silent for two seconds before pointing to the two boys beside him and saying with a smile, “No, I have a pair of dragon-phoenix twins2. These two are my sister’s children.”
Ren Zhi was slightly surprised: “Dragon-phoenix twins? Then where is your daughter?”
The boss’s eyes flickered, and he said vaguely, “Oh, her. Let’s not talk about her.”
Ren Zhi interpreted his words to mean that his daughter was too fond of playing to come and help with the decorations, so she didn’t ask any further.
Yu Luo was hanging the small lemon doll next to the wind chime by the entrance, so that if the wind blew in, the lemon would sway along with the clear, tinkling sound.
She had initially curled her lips into a slight smile, finding the scene somewhat cute. However, upon hearing the conversation between Ren Zhi and the boss, the smile at the corners of her lips faded a little.
After decorating the inn, it was already close to dinnertime.
The inn owner had started his career by opening a restaurant and was an excellent cook. To thank the guests for helping with the decorations in the afternoon, he personally took charge of the kitchen and made dinner for everyone.
Warm, soft lights lit up the main hall, driving the twilight gloom outside the door.
The guests and the owner’s family sat around a table full of sumptuous dishes, their juice glasses filled to the brim, clinking glasses and laughing merrily. It was a lively scene.
Yu Luo scanned the room but still didn’t see the girl.
The three boys sat together, laughing and fooling around, drinking juice as if it were wine.
“Mommy, I want to eat fish roe,” Taotao stretched out her short little arm, pointing to a fish far across the table.
“Okay.”
Just as Yu Luo was about to turn the lazy susan3, she heard a boy next to her exclaim, “Dad said kids can’t eat fish roe, or they’ll become ordinary people4!”
“That poor wretch just couldn’t control her mouth and secretly ate too much fish roe…”
The inn owner’s brow furrowed, and he quickly tapped the boy’s head with the end of his chopsticks, “Shut up and eat!”
Then, he smiled apologetically at Yu Luo, “Kids don’t know any better and talk nonsense. Teacher Yu, please don’t take it to heart.”
Yu Luo tightened her grip on her chopsticks.
As she continued to pick up fish roe and place it in Taotao’s bowl, she said with a seemingly nonchalant smile, “And what’s wrong with being an ordinary person?”
The moment these words fell, the entire table fell silent for an instant.
And in that silence, Qi Song’s heart skipped a beat as she sensed something.
…So this world is this unwelcoming to ordinary people?
Yu Luo unhurriedly put down her chopsticks. There was no emotion in her beautiful eyes as she lightly swept her gaze across the table.
Tang Yu saw that the atmosphere was off and quickly interjected, “Hahaha, that’s right.”
As if to cover up some unspoken understanding5, everyone began to chat even more heartily and cheerfully after the subtle silence.
Yu Luo gently pressed her lips together and turned her head to glance at Qi Song.
“Come outside with me for a bit,” she said in a low voice.
Yu Luo used the excuse of going to the restroom to leave with Qi Song and the cub, signaling to the camera crew that wanted to follow that there was no need.
Then she took a roundabout path, heading straight for the courtyard from before.
Qi Song had a faint guess in her heart as to who Yu Luo was looking for.
That girl was probably the boss’s daughter, and judging from the reactions of the boss and the boy, she might be an ordinary person who couldn’t differentiate6—but, could she really be forbidden from eating at the table for just that reason?
The moment this thought crossed her mind, she froze.
At the junction of dusk and night, the twilight was dim, making the peeling side wall of the courtyard appear even more dilapidated. And the girl who had stood here with red-rimmed eyes in the afternoon was now squatting by the wall, holding a bowl in her hands, silently burying her head in her food.
Her thin figure looked as if it was about to be swallowed by the night, or something else.
A sudden pain shot through Qi Song’s heart. Just as she was finding the scene a bit familiar, she felt Yu Luo, who was holding her hand, tighten her grip.
Someone had entered the courtyard gate. The girl looked up alertly and saw two women with outstanding looks standing not far away, holding the hand of a little milk dumpling7.
They were the celebrities who were recently filming a variety show here.
Her whole body trembled. Like a frightened fawn, she was filled with timidity and got up, wanting to flee.
A clear, pleasant voice rang out: “Little friend, can you wait a moment?”
The girl’s steps faltered. She looked up stiffly at Yu Luo and took a timid step back. “Excuse me, do you need me for something?”
“Don’t be afraid.” Yu Luo spoke to her in a soft voice, her expression very gentle. She bent down in front of her, bringing their eyes to the same level.
“Why are you eating here all by yourself, instead of in the inn’s main hall?”
The girl’s lips quivered. She clearly didn’t want to and didn’t dare to say, only shaking her head.
“Is it related to differentiation?” Yu Luo asked softly, observing her expression.
The girl’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
She had just recently turned twelve and went to the pheromone center for a pre-test. The companions who went with her all tested as ABO of some kind, but she was the only one whose test failed—
There was a 99% probability that she would be unable to differentiate when she turned fifteen, becoming one of the dozen or so ordinary people who appear in the country each year.
She said, trembling, “I… although I can’t differentiate, I’m really not a bad person…”
Everyone said that ordinary people were ominous and would bring misfortune to those around them. From the day of the test, her family began to treat her coldly, and her companions stopped playing with her.
Recently, the inn was filming a variety show. They said she absolutely could not appear on the show, so she was not allowed in the shot, nor was she allowed to eat at the table.
They treated her like a demon. But she hadn’t done anything.
As the girl spoke, she began to sob. “You… you all should stop talking to me, you’ll become unlucky…”
“It’s not like that.” Yu Luo raised a hand and gently patted her shoulder, her gaze warm and tolerant. “Can I tell you a story?”
The woman’s clear, cool voice became gentle, like a trickling stream that could soothe one’s heart:
“I know an ordinary person. Like you, she failed her pre-test at twelve. At fifteen, she really didn’t differentiate. The heaven’s favored child, once praised by everyone, fell from grace overnight and was despised by all.”
Qi Song looked at the woman’s back and couldn’t help but press her lips together.
The girl’s breathing hitched. She was so engrossed that she forgot to cry and subconsciously asked, “What happened later?”
“Later, she lived a very good life.” Yu Luo gave her a faint smile. “She did well in her studies, succeeded in her career, someone loved her very much, and she also brought happiness to others.”
“Can you guess how she did it?”
The girl’s mouth opened, but she didn’t speak for a moment.
Ever since she returned from the pre-test, she had been gloomy every day, feeling like she was a person punished by heaven. She didn’t want to go to school and had no hope for the future.
Could an incomplete ordinary person still live a good life?
“Because she never gave up on herself.”
Yu Luo said to the girl seriously, word by word: “Not being able to differentiate isn’t your fault, nor will it affect your ability to experience the world. Without glands and pheromones, you can still appreciate colors and music, you can read and write, you can travel across mountains and rivers… As long as you accept yourself, you are whole.”
The girl stared blankly at Yu Luo.
It’s not my fault?
After the pre-test, the way the doctors, friends, and family looked at her changed drastically, making her feel as if she had committed a terrible crime.
But this woman before her, as beautiful as a fairy, was telling her that this was also allowed, that it was accepted, that she could receive love, and that she could even bring happiness to others.
The girl choked up and asked in a hoarse voice, “Really?”
“Really.” When Yu Luo spoke, she was like a gentle, persuasive teacher, and she naturally possessed a convincing ability.
She slowly explained: “Being an ordinary person doesn’t mean you’re unfortunate or ominous—it’s just that people subconsciously reject minority groups that are different from themselves, and they call this justice.”
“So…” Yu Luo said, “study hard, and never, ever give up on yourself, okay?”
The girl stood there in a daze, watching the family of three that had, at some point, already walked far away.
Tear tracks stained her cheeks. In the hand holding her chopsticks, there was now an extra slip of paper—a number left by Yu Luo.
—“If you are sure that you have never given up on yourself, but you find you can’t go on because others have given up on you, you can call this number.”
A small bird with colorful feathers chirped and flew past, its wing brushing against her shoulder, causing a lock of her hanging hair to stir.
The little bird didn’t shun her like a viper or a scorpion, and neither did the woman just now.
…Does that mean that, in the future, there will be others?
“Are you unhappy?” Yu Luo suddenly stopped walking and turned her head to ask Qi Song.
Qi Song, who was lost in deep thought, subconsciously said, “Why would I be unhappy?”
“I was worried the scene might stir up old feelings8.”
Yu Luo raised her arms to hug her, speaking softly in her ear, “Seeing that girl, it was like seeing how pitiful you looked back then.”
Her tone carried a faint, doting smile: “Her eyes were red-rimmed too, like an abandoned puppy, which I picked up and brought home.”
Qi Song’s eyelashes fluttered lightly. Her mood felt as if it were being hooked by the tail end of Yu Luo’s voice, stirring up a boundless melancholy and softness.
The world she came from before transmigrating was very tolerant of ordinary people. So after she arrived, she never had a real sense of the fact that the original host had once been an ordinary person who only suddenly differentiated at the age of 22.
She also didn’t know what the probability of delayed differentiation was in this world.
But—the boy’s words about 「eating fish roe will make you an ordinary person」, the inn owner’s flickering gaze when he mentioned his daughter, the girl not being allowed in the shot or at the dinner table, and the subtle silence from the whole table after Yu Luo said, 「what’s wrong with being an ordinary person」.
All of these things suddenly made her realize, in this world which had already surpassed 「fingerprint payment」 and 「face-recognition payment」 to develop 「pheromone-recognition payment」 technology, in this society with an extremely strong desire for procreation, what kind of deep water and scorching fire9 an ordinary person with no pheromones and no reproductive ability signified.
Was it Yu Luo who pulled the original host out of that?
Yu Luo said she had picked up the original host and brought her home, but at what age was the original host then? So, besides those three years of romance, did they have an earlier, deeper bond?
At this very moment, she realized as never before—what Yu Luo and the original host meant to each other was perhaps far more than just three years of love.
She lowered her eyes and saw the woman’s pale white profile and her gentle, water-like reminiscent expression.
Her heartbeat couldn’t help but accelerate.
Immediately after, a sour, astringent feeling welled up, surging as never before, making her eyes grow warm.
In that instant, Qi Song very reluctantly, yet unavoidably, realized—
She was jealous of the original host.
The author has something to say:
Yesterday, many little cuties asked exactly how many times. This editor was also very curious, so I risked my own skin, took a risky path, and pressed my ear to the corner of the wall on a dark and windy night to explore the results for everyone. In the end, I was satisfied to get a precise answer from the two teachers’ mouths: Get lost.
This editor suspects that the two teachers became angry out of shame because they have been unable to ‘do it’ for so long. So, as for the specific number, we will naturally find out next time the two teachers get to indulge10. (leaves with a bruised and swollen face) (Eavesdropping is a bad habit, don’t learn from it)
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