Chapter 160: Art and Design

“Slap!” Lü Yang got a slap on his face.

The dazed Lü Yang looked around, feeling a bit confused. Could it be… he still hadn’t left the Mysterious Domain? Did he get hit for forcing a kiss on Yi Ya?

No… Lü Yang found himself in his rented room, sitting on his worn-out sofa, while Yi Ya sat beside him, glaring at him angrily with her beautiful big eyes.

“What are you doing!?” Yi Ya wiped her cheek with her hand. Clearly, something like a forced kiss had just happened between them.

He hadn’t kissed her lips, just her cheek.

“Did I kiss you?” Lü Yang looked at Yi Ya strangely. Didn’t the forced kiss happen in the Mysterious Domain? Why did she remember it?

“Are you denying it right after you did it!?” Yi Ya replied angrily, then stood up and walked to the other side of the coffee table. It looked like she wanted to go to the bathroom.

“Where were we just now?” Lü Yang looked at Yi Ya across the coffee table and asked her.

“Where were we? Weren’t we always here? Are you daydreaming?” Yi Ya looked at Lü Yang strangely.

“Do you know about Death Killer?” Lü Yang then asked Yi Ya.

“Is that a movie or a game?”

“A game.” Lü Yang finally confirmed that Yi Ya really didn’t know about the Mysterious Domain.

In a way, the Mysterious Domain was fair. While it made ordinary people forget everything that happened inside, it also made Lü Yang, who could remember everything from the Mysterious Domain, unable to know what had actually happened to his real-world self.

“Game? I only know about Mind Killer, not Death Killer.” Yi Ya was clearly puzzled by Lü Yang’s disjointed questions.

“Same thing!”

“I think you’ve traveled to a parallel world again, haven’t you? Why are you suddenly talking so weirdly?” Yi Ya looked at Lü Yang with a confused expression.

“Ahem…” Lü Yang could only force a dry laugh, still not fully recovered from the Mysterious Domain.

He finally saved her… Could all this be an illusion? Was she the real her? If she was, then… with Death Killer gone, what was their relationship now?

It seemed like he had just tried to kiss her. At least their relationship was closer than he had imagined, right? Why was he so foolish to get slapped by her? Before, whenever she wanted to hit him, she never succeeded…

Right, he must have been mentally stunned the moment he returned from the Mysterious Domain, and couldn’t react in time…

Yi Ya gave an annoyed snort at Lü Yang and then walked to his bathroom.

Lü Yang watched Yi Ya enter the bathroom and close the door, his mind starting to wonder again…

Could she be Zhou Ling in disguise?

Why was she so mysterious in the Mysterious Domain? What was she doing hiding in the women’s restroom stall?

Forget it, better not think about it now…

While Yi Ya was in the bathroom, Lü Yang closed his eyes and quickly brought up the Eerie Computer screen, searching for related news using the keywords ‘Death Killer’ and ‘Death Livestream’…

There was no longer any news online about ‘Death Livestream’ or ‘Death Killer’. Lü Yang also logged into Han Cheng’s blog, but found nothing related either.

Later, Lü Yang even used a VPN to check foreign websites, but still found no information about Death Killer or Death Livestream. Even if there was any, it had nothing to do with the previous news.

…

“What are you doing?” Yi Ya came back from the bathroom and looked strangely at Lü Yang, who was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed.

“Wait…”

Lü Yang found a new website with some related keywords and wanted to check further, but Yi Ya had already returned from the bathroom. After thinking for a moment, Lü Yang decided it was better not to show anything unusual in front of Yi Ya. He could do more investigation after she left.

“If you keep sitting there with your eyes closed pretending to be mysterious, I’m leaving!” Yi Ya was getting angry.

“I’m not pretending to be mysterious!” Lü Yang opened his eyes and grinned at Yi Ya. Whether he had truly escaped the Mysterious Domain or not, and whether the Yi Ya in front of him was real or not, he should treat her as real for now. It wouldn’t be good to scare her.

“What were you doing?”

“Nothing…”

“Were you thinking about Sister Mei? You’re even drooling…”

“I was thinking about whether I should take you tonight!”

“You wouldn’t dare!?”

“Don’t look down on migrant workers. We migrant workers have strength…”

“Go away!” Yi Ya checked the time and seemed ready to leave.

“Xiao Ya, sit down here.” Lü Yang patted the worn-out sofa beside him.

“It’s almost time. I need to go. I’m telling you, our class is organizing a cultural history field trip to Millstone Mountain. We’re leaving at noon today, so I won’t be coming over to cook with you these evenings.”

“Cook?”

Lü Yang chuckled smugly. It seemed their relationship hadn’t been too negatively affected by the erasure of Death Killer.

“All you think about is eating?” Yi Ya rolled her eyes at Lü Yang.

“Haha… You’re going to Millstone Mountain? For how many days?” Lü Yang laughed but then frowned. Having just rescued Yi Ya from near death, he now had a bit of ‘loss’ phobia. He didn’t even want Yi Ya to leave his sight.

“About a week? Or… do you want to come along?” Yi Ya probably guessed what Lü Yang was thinking.

“You art and design students are going on a field trip. What would I do there? Be your porter?” Lü Yang shook his head. Of course, he knew he couldn’t watch over Yi Ya 24/7. Before, Yi Ya and Lin Yin would sometimes disappear from the residential area for a few days due to social research or design practice, but they never told him. He only found out they were away when he occasionally called them.

This time, Yi Ya told him in advance, which confirmed that their relationship really was different from before.

“Not coming? I think you just can’t bear to leave Sister Mei, right?” Yi Ya pouted at Lü Yang.

“Nonsense! Why do you always drag her into this? There’s nothing between us, absolutely nothing.” Lü Yang felt frustrated to find that erasing Death Killer Zhou Ling hadn’t changed Yi Ya’s opinion about Sister Mei…

“Would you dare swear to it?”

“Of course I would! But… let me check if the sky has cleared up outside first…”

“Why check the weather?”

“I’m afraid of getting struck by lightning…”

“Hmph! You really do have a guilty conscience!”

“Hahaha… I do have a ghost in my heart, but it’s only you, you little ghost!”

Because Death Killer was erased and many things in the real world were altered, Lü Yang had ‘forgotten’ many things again and hadn’t had time to sort them out.

He couldn’t remember at all what progress he and Yi Ya had made in the past two days or what they had talked about. This made handling their relationship quite a headache.

What exactly was their relationship now?

If there had been no Death Killer, there wouldn’t have been the madness on the anniversary night of torrential rain. They probably wouldn’t have passionately kissed at the entrance of Jing’an Residential Area, nor held hands chatting all night in the community hospital. So then…

Damn it! This is getting more and more complicated!

“Go! I’m saying this for your own good. Those older women are mean and perverted. I’m just afraid a little virgin like you might fall into their trap and get taken advantage of without even knowing it…” Yi Ya defended herself to Lü Yang, obviously trying to cover up a hint of jealousy.

“Won’t happen. I know what I’m doing! And Sister Mei really isn’t that kind of person. If you’re worried, I can offer my virginity to you right now…”

“Ew! Who would want you!?”

“Haha…”

“I’m ignoring you, you old pervert! Big lecher! I’m leaving.” Yi Ya blushed and walked toward the door.

“Um… Xiao Ya, be careful during your trip this week… Don’t separate from Lin Yin and the others. Don’t go out at night either. It’s pretty dangerous out there.” Lü Yang quickly followed and grabbed Yi Ya’s hand. He didn’t expect to be separated from her so soon after returning to the real world, and for a whole week at that. It was really depressing.

“You’re even more nagging than my mom…” Yi Ya pouted at Lü Yang, clearly acting coquettishly.

“Who told you to be so pretty? Wherever you go, it’s impossible for people not to be attracted to you… sigh…” Lü Yang looked at Yi Ya’s beautiful face, his heart fluttering. He couldn’t resist pulling her closer into his arms.

“You big lecher!” Yi Ya raised her small fist and swung it at Lü Yang…

Of course, Lü Yang ended up catching her little fist.

Yi Ya blushed and stared at Lü Yang, wanting to say something but not speaking.

Lü Yang pulled Yi Ya closer into his embrace and leaned in toward her cheek…

“I should go back. I need to gather at the school later. I have a lot to prepare before leaving, and it’s getting late!” Yi Ya suddenly pushed Lü Yang away hard, turned around, and ran toward the door.

“I’ll walk you.” Lü Yang quickly followed her out the door. Why wouldn’t she even let him kiss her? Had they not established a romantic relationship yet?

“No need. It’s broad daylight, and there are many people in the residential area.” Yi Ya refused Lü Yang.

“Oh…” Seeing Yi Ya so insistent, Lü Yang didn’t want to force her. He just went to the door and watched her go downstairs.

Yi Ya quickly ran down. After Lü Yang closed the door, he went to the window and saw her figure appear downstairs, walk along the path below, and then disappear around the corner of the opposite apartment building.

For some reason, Lü Yang felt a sense of loss.

Since there was no passionate kiss at the residential area entrance or that night of hand-holding and talking, were his earlier offers of devotion and attempts to force a kiss on Yi Ya too abrupt?

Was she angry? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have run off suddenly and not even let him walk her.

Sigh… Lü Yang, when did you, a grown man, become so sentimental? And started having so many little thoughts!

Love really does change a person’s nature, making them worry about gains and losses.

It’s better to be like before, just watching her be happy. Let the future take its course. Why overthink it?

Lü Yang smiled and quickly shook off his earlier melancholy, returning to his usual calm demeanor.