Chapter 208: From Now On, I'll Call You Ren-Ren

Fear and dread, once buried too deep, become harder to overcome.

That's why a malevolent spirit's lure of fear serves as a channel to make one face it head-on.

A weak malevolent spirit lures fear at a relatively slow pace.

On paper, Ren Amamiya's plan was a good one.

But heaven alone knew that running into acquaintances on Moon Shadow Island had shattered that gradual process, turning it into an in-your-face ambush.

"Still, the result wasn't bad."

"Not bad my foot!"

Mao Li Lan couldn't hold back this time either and blurted out a swear.

"I really was about to be scared to death just now."

Recalling the image of Mao Li actually crying from fright, Ren Amamiya's smile faded a little.

"Sorry."

"I gave you a pretty bad experience this time."

After venting a bit, Mao Li Lan's emotions had stabilized considerably.

"Mm, I'll accept that apology."

"Amamiya, if something like this comes up again, give us a heads-up first."

"Getting scared like that over and over really can scare a person to death."

A malevolent spirit's scaring truly is a scare-to-the-death kind of thing.

Mao Li Lan had basically no resistance to the supernatural to begin with, and just now she'd gotten the fright of her life from a face-to-face encounter.

If her mouth hadn't been covered just now, her father, who had walked off, might have rushed back to check on her.

"Next time, I'll be careful."

With a touch of apology on his face, Ren Amamiya promised not to spring it on them so suddenly next time.

"That's good then."

Mao Li Lan's temper flared fast and faded fast.

"Ah, that malevolent spirit really scared me to death…"

"The way a malevolent spirit looks is how it looked at the moment of death; it's hard to imagine what those people ended up like."

She finally understood why Amamiya hadn't let her and Sonoko tag along.

If the back hills of this island were all in the state those malevolent spirits had been in at death, she was sure she'd have nightmares for sure after seeing them at night.

"Don't feel too sorry for them."

Hearing Amamiya's warning, Mao Li Lan turned around and shot him a withering look.

"They're drug dealers—why would I feel sorry for a bunch of drug dealers?"

Drug dealers don't deserve a shred of sympathy.

She was kind, but that didn't mean her kindness had to be extended to drug dealers.

Some criminals may be driven by circumstance, by having no choice, but drug dealers absolutely don't fall into that category.

Drug dealers are a bunch of people who chose to fall themselves.

She puffed out her cheeks and stared at Amamiya.

"Amamiya, I'm not the type in the story who'd sympathize with criminals, am I?"

"…More or less, yeah."

Getting an affirmative answer, Mao Li Lan let out a sigh.

She felt like she'd just figured out why she turned into a mascot in the later parts of the story.

She herself hated characters in stories who burst into Mother Teresa mode.

Characters like that in a story definitely wouldn't sit well with the audience.

And it was precisely because of that that her presence in the later story had been reduced.

"Amamiya, is it that in the later parts of the story, I became a really annoying person?"

"…"

"So that's how it is, after all."

She didn't need Amamiya to answer; the moment she saw his silence, Mao Li Lan understood.

Because of her off-putting personality, her part of the story had been cut down.

Most likely, her later story was bound to Shinichi, wasn't it.

Not a story focused on her, but one describing Shinichi's deep devotion to her.

Thinking of that, Mao Li Lan felt uncomfortable all over.

She was certain of Shinichi's devotion to her.

That was just like how, in the past, she had cared so much about Shinichi.

Could he please not tie her together with the story version of her devotion to Shinichi?

"Amamiya, please don't conflate me with the me in the story."

"I am the Mao Li Lan who is truly alive."

"I may be kind, and I may sometimes do things that go too far."

"But I will absolutely never sympathize with criminals."

"Especially drug dealers!"

"This is a very important point—please don't forget it."

Mao Li Lan was utterly serious.

Ren Amamiya could also feel that sincerity.

This was the second reminder: a story is a story; a story is not reality.

Some contrivances exist within stories, yet many contrivances in reality do not exist.

For instance, some people's personalities.

For instance, Sonoko Suzuki rarely encounters stories of a hero saving a beauty, because the Suzuki family's bodyguards are quite capable.

For instance, Kaguya Sigong would not choose Bai Yin under the knowledge that she bears the Sigong responsibilities and constraints; that is a choice destined to have no result.

Then there is Mao Li Lan.

She would not be a girl who only constantly gives and constantly waits in devotion; she would also get hurt, she would also feel disappointed, she is also just one of the ordinary girls.

Taking a deep breath, Ren Amamiya lowered his head slightly, reflected a bit on himself, raised his head again, and extended his hand toward Mao Li Lan.

"Nice to meet you, Mao Li Lan."

Glancing at Ren's hand, Mao Li Lan generously reached out and grasped it.

"Nice to meet you, Ren Amamiya."

Neither was stiff; after a brief pause, both withdrew their hands.

"Oh ho~"

Sonoko Suzuki, with a teasing expression, leaned close to Ren.

"This time, the reaction doesn't seem so big."

Nor were there signs of a flushed face.

Ren Amamiya felt rather helpless.

"Sonoko, I'm just not good at interacting with girls, and not very good at handling girls taking the initiative."

"I can interact normally with girls."

Sometimes, when facing girls, he is prone to blushing and his heart racing.

But the problem is that in his past life, he truly had not had much contact with the opposite sex.

A girl like Sonoko taking the initiative was something he had encountered for the first time.

As for last night, come on, seeing the part Fujihara exposed, any man couldn't resist.

Did you really think watching a little movie makes you such an experienced driver?

When it's time for an innocent reaction, he's just as innocent.

When it's time to be at a loss, he's just as at a loss.

"Sigh~"

Sonoko Suzuki clasped her hands behind her back and walked to Ren's side.