Volume 6: Days of Being Zapped in the Lab
Coming Out
You’d best not use that Puppet Card.
Shen Maomao1 had very good parents and a harmonious, happy family.
Spending time together these past few days had almost made her forget this.
Moreover, Shen Maomao was only in her early twenties, hadn’t graduated from university yet, and felt confused about her sexual orientation and future life. Although same-sex marriage was already legal, in the eyes of the older generation, it wasn’t exactly the proper path…
Lou Jingmo2 felt like a timid snail, finally managing to extend a small feeler, trembling as she tried to touch the person she wanted to connect with, only to always want to retreat back into her shell for various reasons.
She looked at Shen Maomao, who was huhu3 fast asleep, her eyes seeming to brew a storm. Unfortunately, after the storm, everything would eventually return to calm, including her soft and delicate heart.
It’s best to let nature take its course… She couldn’t be that selfish.
She wouldn’t actively tease Shen Maomao, but if Shen Maomao actively teased her… she definitely wouldn’t let go of her hand.
Just as she was thinking this, Shen Maomao suddenly opened one eye and winked at her.
Lou Jingmo: “!” Totally worth it4!
Lou Jingmo’s beauty was a very aggressive kind, like an overlord flower5 that could only be admired from afar and not trifled with—the kind that could transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex at any moment. But when this aggressiveness softened, it was a beauty absolutely no one could refuse, including the two Shen elders.
Father Shen and Mother Shen practically treated her as their own daughter—no, even better than their own daughter.
That afternoon, Mother Shen cooked a table full of dishes, and during the meal, she kept putting food into Lou Jingmo’s bowl, piling it high like a small mountain.
Shen Maomao looked at her own completely empty bowl and said helplessly, “Ma, there’s nothing in my bowl, you know?”
Although she knew it was because Lou Jingmo was a guest that her dad and mom were so enthusiastic towards her… but this difference was too obvious, wasn’t it? It simply couldn’t stand comparison.
Mother Shen glanced sideways at her. “What’s your build? What’s her build? You should just eat less!”
So angry, Shen Maomao furiously scooped a large spoonful of food from Lou Jingmo’s bowl.
Lou Jingmo maintained a ladylike smile throughout, her disguise excellent. There was no hint of the sharp-tongued manner she had when alone with Shen Maomao. She even returned the favor by picking up two chopsticks’ worth of food for her.
Shen Maomao, feeling delighted, said, “Lou-jie still dotes on me the most!”
Mother Shen narrowed her eyes, watching their intimate actions, her thoughts unknown.
That night, naturally, the two of them slept in the same room again. Having slept the whole day, and it not being very late now, neither of them felt particularly sleepy. Lou Jingmo was in charge of writing her new book, while Shen Maomao was in charge of reading a novel. The two of them snuggled on the bed, not disturbing each other, the atmosphere harmonious.
Halfway through the novel, a knock sounded on the door, and Mother Shen’s voice came through, “Um, Maomao, where did you put that whatsit?”
Shen Maomao opened the door. “? Which whatsit?”
Mother Shen: “Just that whatsit, come help me look for it…”
Shen Maomao, her head full of question marks, said a quick word to Lou Jingmo, then walked out of the room and closed the door. “What on earth is it? Why can’t you say it clearly?”
Mother Shen mysteriously grabbed her, pulling, dragging, and covering her mouth as she hauled her into their bedroom, then shut the door with a backhand motion.
Father Shen was already sitting bolt upright on the bed, his eyes, lined with fine wrinkles, seemed to carry an electric charge, looking at her with a piercing gaze. Mother Shen also sat beside him. The old couple seemed to be planning a joint interrogation6 of her.
Shen Maomao was intimidated by this setup, couldn’t help but lean her back against the door panel, and asked, “What are you doing? If you’ve been kidnapped, blink your eyes?”
“Stop being so glib with us!” Mother Shen said with a stern expression. “What exactly is your relationship with your friend?”
Shen Maomao: “? Good besties, good sisters, huh?”
Mother Shen went “Pei!” “You think I don’t know you? With that fussy personality of yours, you stopped eating things from under relatives’ chopsticks7 when you were five!”
Shen Maomao, calm and composed, said, “People’s habits can change, ma.”
Father Shen also joined the fray. “And your room! Before, when your Uncle Liu’s kid wanted to stay at our place, you rolled all over the floor wailing for three days, absolutely refusing to let that child sleep on your bed. How come you’ve now put someone on your bed without a second thought?”
Shen Maomao: “It’s because I’ve grown up, ma.”
Mother Shen: “Look at how your leg is shaking! You shake your leg whenever you’re nervous, you think I don’t know you?”
Shen Maomao immediately controlled her leg that was going like a sewing machine and said helplessly, “What do you want me to say? If I say it, won’t you beat me to death?”
Mother Shen clutched her chest. “Get lost, let me calm down.”
Shen Maomao also felt a bit upset. She didn’t leave. Instead, she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Mother Shen’s shoulders. “Ma, actually, I can’t quite describe how I feel, but I know I can’t live without her.”
It wasn’t just because she needed to cling to Lou Jingmo’s thigh in the game; it was that after experiencing so many hardships and dangers with her, she couldn’t imagine how she would get through the future without Lou Jingmo.
Everyone says that companionship is the most lasting confession of love. Lou Jingmo could do without her companionship, but she couldn’t do without Lou Jingmo. Through countless days and nights together, and under the influence of the suspension bridge effect8 so many times, even the straight girl Shen Maomao couldn’t help but start considering their relationship, beginning to actively examine her own heart.
Mother Shen’s eyes reddened. “When did you become like this? If word gets out, all the neighbors will laugh at us…”
“Who would dare laugh at us?” Shen Maomao said exaggeratedly. “Same-sex marriage has been legal for so long. If anyone laughs at our family, I’ll show up at their door with a team of lawyers the very next day and sue them for discrimination!”
Mother Shen broke into a smile through her tears. “You’ve really gotten something, haven’t you?”
Shen Maomao had a heart-to-heart with her. “Besides, as long as I don’t say anything, who outside would know we’re girlfriends? You can just tell everyone we’re good besties, wouldn’t that do?”
Mother Shen was a little dissatisfied. “How can you be with someone so vaguely, without any proper status? What does that child, Xiao Lou, think? Why don’t we call her over and you two can talk it out?”
“No, no, no!” Shen Maomao quickly refused. “Please don’t do that. Lou-jie doesn’t know I like her…”
Mother Shen immediately showed an expression of exasperation, like hating iron for not becoming steel9. “What’s wrong with you? Does that child Lou Jingmo like boys or girls? You haven’t even won her over and you’re telling us?”
To prevent her family from having a negative opinion of Lou Jingmo, Shen Maomao said bluntly, “Lou-jie… she’s straight.”
Mother Shen picked up a slipper. “You little rascal10, do you think I can’t spank you just because you’re grown up?? Trying to turn11 someone else’s child is such an unscrupulous thing to do, and you, you little rascal, actually dare to do it for real?”
“Shhh—!” Shen Maomao said sternly, “Ma! You’re my own mother! If you don’t consider your own daughter’s happiness, why are you considering someone else’s child?!”
Mother Shen almost died of anger. Father Shen, beside her, quickly restrained her, avoiding a tragic scene of blood splashing on the electric lamp.
But after the scolding and the (threatened) beating, all parents under heaven still hope their children can live well.
Their own girl liked another girl; of course, they didn’t want it all to be their child’s unrequited love. Moreover, Lou Jingmo looked like a good kid. Mother Shen, a terminal case of face-complex12, thought of her own daughter’s glib-tongued13 ways, and then considered her daughter’s plan to try and turn the other girl; her favorable impression of Lou Jingmo couldn’t help but rise cengcengceng14. In the end, she could only sigh and say, “Scram and go back to sleep. Next time you come back alone, see if I don’t beat you to death.”
Shen Maomao silently apologized to her mother in her heart, hugged her, gave her a “bachi”15 kiss on the cheek, and then rushed out of their room as if her butt was on fire.
In her room, Lou Jingmo was leaning against the headboard, the lower half of her body covered by the quilt, holding her phone and chatting with someone unknown. Upon seeing her, she naturally said, “You’re back?” making Shen Maomao’s whole heart warm up.
Adding to that, because it was time for bed, Lou Jingmo had gone braless16. Certain parts showed no signs of sagging, looking perky and upturned, making one wish they could bury their head in there and see if they could smell anything…
Shen Maomao gave a dry cough, quickly turned off the lights, and slipped into the quilt, saying, “En, found the thing.”
Lou Jingmo: “Your cousin is being cremated tomorrow, right?”
“En en.”
“Fang Tian17 won’t come again.”
“En en.” Shen Maomao paused. “En? How do you know?”
“The thing is already gone,” Lou Jingmo said. “There’s no need for her to come again. You’d best not use that Puppet Card; keep it safe.”
“What’s wrong?” Shen Maomao’s expression also turned serious. “Is there something special about the Puppet Card?”
Lou Jingmo said, “I looked into it. Owners of the Puppet Card always seem to die an unnatural death for various reasons after using the card, and then become Simon Peter’s new puppet.”
Shen Maomao: “En??”
She handed her the phone to look. On the screen was an anonymous post. The original poster18 said their friend had obtained a Puppet Card by a fortunate coincidence. Everything had been fine until, due to an accident, she used the card. She returned from that instance, but who would have thought she would die in the next one.
Shen Maomao: “…So where did you get this friend?”
That’s right, the original poster of the thread was Lou Jingmo.
Lou Jingmo said, “Just casting a brick to attract jade19. Keep reading.”
At first, she was the only one constantly bumping20 the post, along with some sock puppet accounts21 that were either worshipping a master22 or being sarcastic and eccentric23. Later, a few different IDs gradually appeared, also talking about Simon Peter.
【Anonymous User Orange: Speaking of this card, I also think there’s something wrong with it. Normally, all the cards we know of so far have angel-like images, only Simon Peter looks more like a demon. I have one in my hand right now; it was dropped by my Shifu. He didn’t go as quickly as the OP’s friend; he died two games after using the card. After he died, the card dropped, and the puppet in Simon Peter’s hand turned into his face.】
【Anonymous User Apple: This card is really uncanny. It seems like it can’t actually prevent death, only postpone it. I personally saw a teammate who used this card die in the very next instance for a very minor reason. His level was at least Lv6, and he was the leader of our team. We never expected him to die so quickly…】
The author has something to say:
Lou-jie: I can’t be that selfish
Rabbit: wink~
Lou-jie: Totally worth it!
Sorry! (＞人＜；) I didn’t realize today’s chapter was on my computer. I took my phone to class and only just got back to the dorm. I rushed to update as soon as I returned, without stopping my horse’s hooves24!! To show my apology, the first fifty comments on this chapter will receive a small red envelope!
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