Chapter 44 - Self-Rescue Manual of a Villainess

Chapter 044: No Improprieties Allowed! "Nan Yin... If... if you don't mind, I would take responsibility for you." When the young girl sitting duck-like on the bed finished her sentence, her face reddened as if uttering those words had drained all her energy. Nan Yin was stunned. She stared blankly at Xia Yi Yi in front of her, her heart churning with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "Yi Yi, what are you babbling about? I’ve already told you that it doesn't matter, it was just a kiss, not... not a night of passion. Moreover, you were drugged the first time, and I merely saved you the second time..." "So... if it was a night of passion... should I be responsible for you?" Xia Yi Yi cocked her head, her innocent face betraying her softly whispered question. A question mark sprang to Nan Yin's forehead. Without hesitation, she reached out and flicked Xia Yi Yi's forehead. "No inappropriate thoughts!" "Okay… I got it..." Xia Yi Yi's eyes brimmed with tears as she held her throbbing forehead. "Alright, sleep some more." Nan Yin tucked Xia Yi Yi back in bed and adjusted her blanket. She blamed Xia Yi Yi's unusual behavior on the lingering effects of the knockout drug. "I've had the police notify the school that you'll be taking leave tomorrow. Stay here and get plenty of rest, understand?" Nan Yin added, trying to look stern as she placed her hands on her hips. "Mm-hmm..." Xia Yi Yi obediently agreed. With that, Nan Yin left the bedroom. In the living room, two bowls of steaming instant noodles were ready. Jiang Mi showed excellent culinary skills in preparing such simple fare, a pleasing revelation Nan Yin had only recently discovered. Indeed, a delightful in-house cook +1. But... Nan Yin met her next challenge. There was only one bed in her house. The last time Xia Yi Yi came over, they had managed with sleeping bags, but now, Xia Yi Yi was partially injured and couldn't sleep on the floor. So, the lowest ranking member of the household, Nan Yin, made a speedy arrangement: Jiang Mi and Xia Yi Yi would sleep on the double bed in the bedroom, while she would humbly sleep on the living room couch. Considering her former life in the military where she had endured all kinds of adverse conditions, sleeping on the couch was nothing. But when she informed the others of this arrangement, she encountered unexpected opposition. "I don’t want that…" The girl with attractive blue hair, now dressed in Nan Yin's pajamas, was clutching a pillow. "I want to sleep with Xiao Yin." Before Nan Yin could respond, Jiang Mi, standing behind Xia Yi Yi, puffed out her cheeks in anger. She always felt embarrassed asking to sleep with Nan Yin, fearing Nan Yin might tease her for being clingy like a little girl unable to leave her elder sister’s side. She absolutely wasn't a child, so while Jiang Mi was close to Nan Yin, in all their days together, she never took the initiative to ask to share a bed with her. "Uh..." Nan Yin looked at Xia Yi Yi, her face set in determination, and then at Jiang Mi, looking sulky behind her. She found herself at a loss. "But... shouldn't the focus now be why Xia Yi Yi is being so clingy?" Perhaps sensing Nan Yin's confusion, Xia Yi Yi hesitated before whispering, almost imperceptibly, "I just... want to sleep with Xiao Yin..." This statement went unheard by Nan Yin, but Jiang Mi caught it clearly which ended up irking her further. How shameless, for someone her age! Obviously, Jiang Mi seemed to have forgotten that she herself was only a sixteen-year-old girl. "..." Nan Yin didn't catch Xia Yi Yi's words, but she could guess why Xia Yi Yi was acting clingy. It was likely the result of Victim Dependency Syndrome. When a person experiences great physical and psychological trauma, they become extremely dependent on the one who rescued them from their predicament. The victim's instinctive dependency on their rescuer often evolves into fondness, leading to reckless decisions, much like the old trope of "saving my life and I will offer mine in return." Ahem... speaking of Xia Yi Yi’s circumstances: initially sold to the lecherous Shang Qi by her stepfather and brother, then forcefully drugged and nearly driven to suicide before being saved by Nan Yin... Additionally, prior to these events, Nan Yin was one of the few friends Xia Yi Yi had. Considering all these factors, it was normal for Xia Yi Yi to display symptoms of Victim Dependency Syndrome. Nan Yin's guess was accurate. Since waking up, whenever Xia Yi Yi couldn't see Nan Yin, she felt isolated and insecure. The discomfort led her to instinctively seek closeness with Nan Yin, to an extent where she wished to be near her all the time. "…Alright. Tonight, we all three will sleep in the same room," Nan Yin suggested, sighing at the sight of Xia Yi Yi's frightened, animal-like eyes. She only hoped that the old bed could accommodate all three of them... ... Dressing, washing, going to bed, turning off the lamp. The actions flowed seamlessly into the next. When Nan Yin extinguished the last light source in the room, the place immediately fell into a tranquil darkness, filled only with the soft breaths of the three young girls. Thankfully, Jiang Mi, Nan Yin, and Xia Yi Yi were all slim and beautiful; sharing a bed didn't feel cramped at all. Nan Yin didn’t drift to sleep right away. She kept her eyes open, staring at the ceiling, her mind agog with scattered thoughts. Her actions throughout today from morning to now were simply outrageous to contemplate. Had it not been for Brother Chen Yi’s support and Shang Dong Chang's unexpected appearance, she might be lying at the bottom of the city’s protective river by now. Or worse... considering Shang Qi’s nature, he might have tormented her until life became a hellish existence. Thinking back on it, she felt embarrassed. Why did she react so rashly and lose her wits then? Was it because of the inexplicable task from System? No, it couldn’t be as even now, that mission only rewarded her with a similarly absurd "Heroine Detector." It didn't seem to mean much at all. So, what was it then? Was it sympathy for Xia Yi Yi? The pitiful girl sold by her own stepfather for trivial gains did invoke anger. But was that it? Or was it more… did she consider Xia Yi Yi... a friend? A somewhat… kindred... friend? Even Nan Yin herself didn’t realize that she had been in this new world for quite some time. Unbeknownst to her, she had developed a sense of belonging. "Umm..." A movement from the girl beside her interrupted Nan Yin's thoughts. Xia Yi Yi gently placed an arm over Nan Yin's head and embraced her. "Xiao Yin... thank you..." That’s when Nan Yin belatedly noticed that Xia Yi Yi had seamlessly switched to calling her 'Xiao Yin' instead of 'Nan Yin'. "Go to sleep." Nan Yin turned around and gently brushed her forehead against Xia Yi Yi's face before closing her eyes. Yet, she remained alert, staring at a floating screen in her mind. Displayed on it was an object that resembled a handgun. This was the random reward from the mission she had completed for. Nan Yin had been so occupied with Xia Yi Yi's affairs that she never got the chance to examine it until now.