amaotonovel Chapter 69 Learning to Deceive Oneself Like Humans
Chapter 69 Learning to Deceive Oneself Like Humans
"Why...why..." Ding Xuehui opened her mouth in pain, but she couldn't understand a single word.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Jiang Lin reached out and grabbed the girl's arm, forcing her to stand up. "Don't worry, this position is the left lung of the human body. It avoids the major artery and won't kill you instantly. You still have a lot of time to think about this problem."
Tears welled up in Ding Xuehui's eyes: "You lied to me?"
"Xuehui, aside from that, I actually really admire your ambition." Jiang Lin looked at the girl's tearful face, his smile widening. "You've done a lot to marry into the Ji family, haven't you?"
The file that Zhang Hui gave to Jiang Lin contained all of the girl's family information, as well as a series of actions that Ding Xuehui had orchestrated to have a chance encounter with Ji's mother.
As the eldest son of the Ji family, Ji Xing's marriage partner is destined to be from a wealthy family of the same class, or at least someone who can greatly benefit the family. For example, someone from a prominent family, the son of a high-ranking official, or someone with top-notch skills in a particular industry.
Although Ding Xuehui was outstanding, her excellence was limited to that of an ordinary person, so she secretly resorted to some schemes to gain Ji's mother's favor.
It was obvious that Ji Xingyi also knew this, which was why he was extremely disgusted by Ding Xuehui's closeness to Jiang Lin.
As for why Ji Xingyi didn't say anything, Jiang Lin knew the reason: his childhood friend was just too kind-hearted and didn't like to explain.
Every breath was so painful that the girl wanted to die immediately, but she was unwilling to give up: "I love you... why... why are you killing me?"
"You really like me?" Jiang Lin chuckled softly.
"It's just because Koichi doesn't like you, it's just because you need a powerful ally to help you clear the game!"
"Your liking is based on weighing the pros and cons; you love yourself!"
Many things have clues. When they met in the first instance, the girl deliberately obscured her relationship with Ji Xingyi to get closer to Jiang Lin, subtly hinting at her feelings for Xingyi while simultaneously not rejecting Jiang Lin's advances. Wasn't she also hoping to rely on Jiang Lin's strength to safely complete the level?
Using Yang Bin, abandoning Tao Tao, and clinging to Jiang Lin's coattails—each step may seem like a coincidence, but they are actually the smartest choices the girl could make at that moment.
From beginning to end, it was clearly self-centered.
Putting aside their antagonistic relationship, Jiang Lin actually quite admires this aspect of the girl.
Only those who are ruthless and selfish enough can be considered qualified players.
"Oh right, and Ruan Qing too." Jiang Lin's lips curled into a mocking smile. "You locked the box for her, and you said it wasn't intentional. But didn't you really consider the possibility of her dying?"
When the game of hide-and-seek began, the other players were unaware that fear could materialize. Except for Jiang Lin, all the players assumed that being caught in hide-and-seek would trigger a death trap.
But the girl still chose to lock Ruan Qing up.
"The power of a witch only amplifies the evil thoughts in people's hearts, but does not cause evil thoughts to arise in them."
0 multiplied by any number will always result in 0.
Jiang Lin: "If you didn't have even the slightest intention to kill her, would she really die?"
Ding Xuehui's eyes flickered, but she shook her head painfully, "It's not like that...it's not...I, Xia Huan, you...Jiang Lin..."
"You like me, so you made a deal with the witch?" Jiang Lin glanced at Green Xia Li, who was quietly watching the show. "Let me guess, you helped her kill someone, and she promised to give you 'The Sleeping Girl'? If it comes to the worst, you might choose to kill me too?"
Ding Xuehui's face was pale, and her eyes showed fear.
"How should I know? You haven't cried out in pain in a long time." Jiang Lin grabbed Ding Xuehui's shoulder, which was the hand that Ji Xingyi had broken.
Even with Yang Hua's simple bandaging, how could a delicate little girl like Ding Xuehui possibly endure such pain? The most obvious sign was that the girl was also presenting him with a large bouquet of blue roses, making it hard not to suspect something.
In this world, only Green Xia Li's magic can restore a girl's hand to its original state.
"Heh..." Ding Xuehui lowered her head and gave a bitter laugh, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth and pattering onto the ground: "I really do like you, since you don't believe me... then..."
"Die!" The girl suddenly became fierce, as if in a final burst of energy, and stabbed Jiang Lin in the abdomen with a folding knife hidden in her sleeve.
However, this desperate struggle before her death was exactly what Jiang Lin had expected. Jiang Lin caught the blade with his bare hands, pushed hard, and the girl lost her balance, staggered a few steps, and fell backward to the ground.
The blood flowing from her chest gradually pooled into a pool, and the last trace of color drained from Ding Xuehui's face. Desperately, she looked at Jiang Lin and pleaded, "If I...kill three people, she'll...give me the items. I want to...complete the game with you..."
Jiang Lin crouched down and reached out to grab the seven-colored gemstone dagger stuck in the girl's chest: "Stop pretending. Do you think I don't know you want to kill Xingyi?"
Who created the counterfeit Jiang Lin in the Otherworld?
You hurt him.
Ignoring the pleading in the girl's eyes, Jiang Lin drew his blade directly.
Make the blood flow faster, and make death come faster!
"Isn't it obvious enough who I like?"
"I don't like other people touching my things."
“You…” Ding Xuehui finally understood the meaning of these two sentences. Her eyes, no longer feigning in her dying moments, were filled with hatred as she looked at Jiang Lin.
But she could no longer speak, and could only silently curse in the final moments of her life.
Jiang Lin stood up gracefully, wiped the blood off the blade with her sleeve, walked over to the blonde girl, and handed it to her.
Green Xia Li smiled and did not take the seven-colored gemstone dagger. Instead, she raised her hand and waved the painting covered with a white cloth in front of Jiang Lin.
Seeing this, Jiang Lin readily put away the seven-colored gemstone dagger, took the portrait, and smiled, saying, "Thank you."
[System notification: Congratulations, player, you have obtained the quest item "The Sleeping Maiden".]
Having obtained the item to clear the level, Jiang Lin turned to leave, but was interrupted by Green Xia Li just as he took a step.
“I can sense that you and I are the same kind of people.” Green Xia Li looked at the young man’s tall and slender back and revealed a meaningful smile.
Jiang Lin turned around, her smile unwavering: "How could that be? I am human."
"Then, human, can you answer my question?" Green Xia Li stood up, her long golden hair trailing on the ground, and walked with elegant steps towards the attic window:
"From here, you can see the entire castle, and once you could see the whole kingdom."
"He stood here and told me that he wanted me to be free."
"What does this sentence mean?"
"Human, Jiang Lin, can you answer me?"
Green Xia Li turned her head, seemingly regarding the young man in front of her as her last hope.
Jiang Lin lowered her eyes and chuckled softly: "Why do we have to know? It's not so bad to deceive ourselves like humans do."
Green Xia Li's light blue pupils widened in shock. She turned her head and looked out the window again. As a deity, she clearly saw Mo Xi Zheng and Liang Yuan walking hand in hand.
Jiang Lin left the attic and saw Ji Xingyi, Chen Jiangqiao, Wang Liang, and Zhao Ruoxi at the corner of the stairs.
"Got it!" Wang Liang excitedly held the pear-shaped cat above his head, while Zhao Ruoxi was still peering into the attic: "Hey, what does the witch look like?"
Jiang Lin smiled and said, "If you want to see, go in yourself."
Zhao Ruoxi immediately shut up. How could she possibly come out upright after going in?
Ji Xingyi strode towards Jiang Lin, who casually tossed "The Sleeping Girl" to him, then raised her injured hand, feigning grievance, and said, "It hurts so much."
"Ding Xuehui is dead?" Chen Jiangqiao asked, frowning as he vaguely saw the girl's figure lying inside.
"You want to see her?" Jiang Lin looked at Chen Jiangqiao with amusement.
"I'm just asking, aren't you guys pretty close?" Chen Jiangqiao felt a chill creep up his spine.
Jiang Lin pointed to the prop in Ji Xingyi's hand: "This was obtained through Xuehui's sacrifice. You can go to the witch and make a wish to exchange your life for Xuehui's."
Chen Jiangqiao gasped, his tone instantly changing: "Then I am very grateful for her sacrifice."