" ...decided by myself?"
"Yes."
Although I was not good at persuading others, at this time, due to the need to clear the game, I must convince her and help her out of the psychological dilemma.
After more than ten times of replay, I have roughly understood her plight----
She has been living under the instruction of her mother. Her mother was a perfectionist with a strong desire for control. She expected her to be a star, and her character was terrible.
Shuiyuan Weina not only had no future plans of her own, but she also dared not express herself... If she continued to be forced to be an idol with such a character, it would not work.
Maybe it would be too late when she wanted to resist one day.
"Impossible."
She shook her head.
"My mother said, my future will be meaningful only if I practice singing hard, hold a good concert and become a star."
"So, do you really want to do this?"
"I..."
"I just want to know what you think."
She looked at me with wide eyes.
"...my thoughts?"
"Yes, what you think."
"But no one has ever wanted to know what I think..."
Shuiyuan took a few steps backward subconsciously and didn't seem to want to continue this topic.
"That doesn't actually mean you have no thoughts, right—"
Of course, I wouldn't stop here. Not only because I wanted to clear the game, but also because this girl who was expected to become an idol was now in such a painful plight.
"I'm going back."
"Don't escape this question, think about what you really want to do? Not as a daughter, but what you want to do as Shuiyuan Weina!"
Holding Shuiyuan who wanted to leave, just when I thought the victory was in sight——
"Stop asking!"
Her sudden personality change really startled me.
"Even if I told Classmate Gaocheng, what's the use of it?- My mother would refuse to buy me candies when I was young on the grounds that I would get fat. When the children next door were playing in groups, my mother would always tell me 'it's time to practice piano'- over time I understand that there is no point in thinking about those things."
"So, stop asking me..."
She turned her face away, breathing quickly.
"I also understand these things... But if I get rejected, I will still fight for it myself."
Except for being rejected by a girl...
But was this the tenth time I said this exact sentence?
Anyway…
You can do this! I encouraged myself.
No matter what theories were used, even if it was a false one, as long as I could persuade her. Even if it was AI, I couldn't stand them living such a tangled life. It was something I couldn't ignore.
By the way, it was the same when facing Minghai Lily later on.
"For my mother, that would not work."
She shook her head, her mood seemed to have calmed down.
"My mother always said to me, 'Everything I say is for your future, you just have to do what I say'... For me, it's right to do what my mother says."
"But you like cooking, don't you? Is it really okay to obey your mother and never cook again?"
"..."
If it were in the animation, her pupils must have become swirling.
"Aren't you happy when you play games? Doesn't this go against your mother's words?"
"I..."
"Studying hard at school is also a wish from your heart, right?"
"...!"
Seeing such a "how do you know" look, it seemed that what the two girls said earlier was not an exaggeration. She must be studying seriously in the class every day.
"...Classmate Gaocheng, you are right."
Sure enough, she put down the console and turned to face me.
"I like cooking, playing games here, and like them more than being an idol... But even if I know this, what can I do to change it? To me, I still don't know, I live as simple as a puppet. It's easier that way... I've said too much today, so Classmate Gaocheng just pretends that I didn't say this, okay?"
It turned out that she had already given up, but--
"Classmate Shuiyuan, Since you have said your true thoughts, I will not pretend that I don't know. Stop thinking that you are alone, I will help you."
"...Why do you want to help me like this?"
"Classmate Shuiyuan is my friend. Isn't it the right thing to do to help friends?"
"Friends... I have never had friends, should they be like this?"
"A friend is someone who listens to you and helps you when you are in trouble."
"..."
Her eyes were a little red.
"Why..."
She hurriedly rubbed her eyes.
She was moved by my words? This girl from the rich family was too innocent...
Besides, I only said these words to clear the game. In reality, I would never say such mushy words. This made me a little bit embarrassed.
"My mother, she said, although this concert is only a campus concert, she has invited very important people to come... She told me not to make any mistakes. If they like me, I will probably need to give up my school life and go to rehearse and record the show."
"But I don't want that... I want to study and then go to university with my own strength. Maybe I will still follow this path in the end, but at least now I want to live a high school life that is no different from others!"
She finally told her true thoughts.
I finally succeeded in persuading her to make a historic breakthrough.
"I agree with you."
"Thank you..."
I stroked her head.
Of course, this action was purely inadvertent, and it didn't mean that I had any special thoughts about her... Even if I had special thoughts, I had to wait until I got the hidden ending before considering it.
As a result, after I stroked her head, her body became stiff as if she had lost her soul... and Ying also seemed to have this reaction as well.
How to put it, it was really cute but...
No, no... I shook my head. I should stop thinking about having a harem ending. My goal now was to get the hidden ending.
Since I wanted to get the hidden ending, I couldn't confess to her... at least in this game play it was destined that there would be no results between us.
So it was better to think about what to do next and how to solve this problem.
The time now was after school.
The school gate was full of students leisurely preparing to leave the school. Everyone in the game seemed to be so happy...
I suddenly remembered that a sage once said: Things that can be solved by talking should never be solved by money.
But for me, who had neither money nor talking skills, all I could rely on was my talking skill.
I had specifically asked Shuiyuan to exchange school duty dates with other Classmates in the class, so we could come out first and have a good conversation with her mother.
I walked to the luxury car that was out of place in this town.
"Who are you?"
After I knocked on the glass a few times, the window slid down.
Ms. Shuiyuan put her hair in an up-do today, and the crystal pendant on her neck and earrings were shining in the sun.
"Hello, Auntie."
I decided to start with a generic title.
"I'm Shuiyuan Weina's friend, and my name is Gaocheng Yuan. Sorry for coming here all of sudden, but may I ask will Classmate Shuiyuan have a concert on Saturday?"
"Are you here for the concert ticket?"
Her sight remained on the magazine in her hand.
"No, I came for Classmate Shuiyuan's own thoughts. I want to ask, as her mother, do you know her thoughts?"
"...It has nothing to do with you."
Impatient, she was preparing to roll up the car window, but I quickly pressed the glass.
"I am a friend of Classmate Shuiyuan. She is very upset now, so please allow me to talk to you about something."
"If she is upset, she will tell me, I am very busy."
Such a cold retort almost made me very angry.
"No, I don't think you understand what she thinks. Because she feels more and more inferior under your pressure, and she doesn't dare to express herself at all."
"What did you say?"
She finally put her gaze on me, but the expression was not friendly.
"Classmate Shuiyuan is living a miserable life every day, being forced to do things that she doesn't want to do. She is alienated by everyone at school."
"How do you know that she is living a miserable life? And she doesn't need to be friends with ordinary people. Being friends with the weak will only drag her down."
"No, I'm her friend, she told me this personally. Originally, she had the interest in cooking, but now you took that interest away from her as well. I have seen her being happy and sad. That is the real her. Although I am only a high school student, I know that she will collapse eventually if she continues to live like this."
"You don't understand anything at all. You can endure any pain. When she becomes a popular star in the future, she will definitely appreciate what I did for her."
Such remarks were difficult to refute without sophistry.
"If she becomes a star and feels happy, of course, she will be grateful to you. But is it really her wish to become a star?"
"Who doesn't want to be a star?"
"She is not your shadow, Ms. Shuiyuan. She doesn't like the daily publicity and social life you planned for her. She said that she wanted to be like a normal child like other people, going to class, participating in clubs, and going home with classmates after school. Go for a coffee, go shopping and watch a movie with friends… you must not know these..."
"Wait until she becomes a star, she can have as many friends, food, and beautiful clothes as she wants. Do you know these?"
"This kind of Shuiyuan Weina is just a soulless person, I don't want to see..."
"This is our business... She is my daughter. Please leave."
Even after saying so much, did I still fail? And being treated as a naive boy made me very upset. I must find a way to convince her...
But think about it, after all, would anyone accept a stranger's words easily?
——
[Eleventh Day]
What I didn't expect was that Shuiyuan did not come to school today.
If she was not sick, then something must have happened, such as being forbidden to go to school by her mother.
Damn it. Why was this happening?
Anyway, I should go visit her after school. I needed to know what was going on and how to process her plot line.
With the help of Bantian Yuaner, I got her home address from her head teacher.
But what I didn't expect was that when I actually came to this address, I found out that her house was not a mansion like I thought it was- but just one of an ordinary apartment building.
Ms. Shuiyuan's life didn't seem to be as glamorous as she looked. That was why she desperately wanted her child to be stars and live a better material life? The so-called life of the daughter of a wealthy family was actually an illusion deliberately cultivated by her mother. Maybe Shuiyuan Weina had made a lot of effort in daily life to keep the truth from being known, right? At the same time, she was still accepting the ridicule and isolation of her classmates. I didn't know how she was able to survive until now.
"Ding Dong—"
I pressed the intercom.
"Who are you?"
It was her mother who answered the intercom, and she did not seem to recognize me whose voice was slightly changed by the intercom.
"Hello, I'm looking for Shuiyuan Weina and I need to give her today's test paper."
"Thank you, please put the test paper in the mailbox."
"...There are some topics that need to be explained to her in person."
"She is sick, I am afraid it is a little inconvenient now. I'm sorry."
"...If that's the case. Okay."
Her mother's attitude was very determined, and it seemed that I would not be able to get her open the door.
I should go home.
I have completely failed, and was ready to meet the Gameover pop up tonight again...
——
[Twelfth Day]
I opened my eyes in confusion.
The game that I thought would end did not show Gameover, and it was the morning of the 12th day.
This was a situation that I had never encountered before. Was it because I accidentally made the right choice?
Now it was unpredictable how the plot would develop… I should go to school first...
...
Shuiyuan Weina still didn't come to school.
Should I go to visit her house after school?
The answer was yes, otherwise I would not be able to know what would happen to her.
But what I didn't expect was that at the school gate after school, her mother took the initiative to find me, but she did not drive that luxury car today.
"Classmate Gaocheng!"
Ms. Shuiyuan accurately remembered my last name and said in a rare eager tone--
"Do you know where Shuiyuan Weina is?"
I thought about the meaning of this sentence. If she didn't know where your daughter was, it meant...
"Shuiyuan Weina is missing?"
"...Yes."
Ms. Shuiyuan hesitated, and reluctantly admitted.
"But isn't she sick and resting at home?"
"Actually it was to prepare for the concert. I took her to the rehearsal yesterday, and she was practicing singing in her room at night. But this morning I found out that she was no longer at home. She must have sneaked out while I was sleeping. Tomorrow is the day of the concert, but something like this happens..."
"As a mother, what you care about at this time should be the safety of your daughter, right?"
"How do you know that I didn't care about her safety! ... I have been looking for her since this morning, but I still didn't have any clue. You said you are her friend, then you must know where she will go, right?"
So she admitted that I was her friend now?
"I do not know."
"You must know, please think where she might go."
"I have known her for less than two weeks. We only met at school. I really don't know where she will go."
I spread my hands and shrugged my shoulders. This was the truth.
"Her head teacher and other classmates have no clue. I can only ask you for help."
After losing her daughter, she finally lowered her proud head.
"...As a friend, I will naturally look for her. But this is because I am worried about her safety, and I don't want her to live in suffering after coming back. The reason why a child like her runs away from home must be the pressure is too great at home and she can't take it anymore. Please think about it."
"I will consider this matter. As long as you can help me find my daughter, I can give you money."
She obviously hasn't realized her problem. I did think that it was not enough. I could foresee that once Shuiyuan Weina got back, she would be treated more harshly.
However, Shuiyuan Weina looked like a girl who rarely went out alone, so she might starve to death by herself. From my personal point of view, I think I needed to find her first.
"I don't want money. I care about her because I am her friend, not because of any payment or identity. I will try to find her now. I believe she will be fine. Please don't worry too much."
Saying goodbye to Shuiyuan's mother, I began to think about where to start looking.
Where would she go, what would her interest be...
I should start with the commercial street...
The shops and movie theaters in the commercial street of the small town were all closed when I went there. It really was a small town with no nightlife. The few shops that were still open were coffee shops, movie theaters, and game halls.
In the cafe and movie theater, I did not see Shuiyuan Weina. Only the game hall was left.
But having said that, if it weren't for most of the shops to close in the evening, I wouldn't have noticed a game hall here. The entrance of the shop was very inconspicuous, and the entire shop was also located upstairs from a game store.
Shuiyuan Weina... would she be here?
I went up the stairs and entered this game hall. This game hall was much larger than what I could see outside, and it had everything from racing, fighting, shooting, music games, and dancing games.
Probably it was Friday evening, as the weekend was about to begin, there were still many students here.
Such game machines with a huge size and physical screen were very old, I have never seen it except in games and animations. Maybe I should give them a try now… No, I should be looking for Miuna Shuiyuan.
By the dance machine over there, many people gathered together... I suddenly had a bad feeling.
I walked over and saw the middle of the crowd, it was--
The blue-haired girl was dancing to her heart's content, and the frequency was so fast that I could not see her movements clearly.
"She is doing it so well! I must have practiced for a long time, but I have never seen her in this game hall. Is she from outside the town?"
"It's also the first time I saw her here. She has been dancing all afternoon. Give her a glass of water."
"So beautiful! SHe looks a bit familiar, I forgot where I saw it..."
"Is it Shuiyuan Weina who will have a concert tomorrow?"
"That said, she looks a bit like her...but I don't think she will have time to play dancing games here if she has a concert tomorrow."
"That's right, I must be wrong."
Passers-by's comments on Shuiyuan Weina were completely different from those of her classmates in school.
"Nana, rest for a while."
When she finished dancing a song, I stopped her.
"Classmate Gaocheng?"
She was soaked in sweat. I didn't know how long she had been playing here.
"Your mother and I have been looking for you, why did you...leave home?"
When I reached a place where no one was, I asked her in a low voice.
"...I don't want to attend that concert."
"But didn't you prepare for the concert for a long time? Wouldn't it be a pity to give up?"
"After the rehearsal, I found that I was too nervous... If I go to a concert like this, it will only become a farce. I don't know what to do. My mind is completely blank. I don't know what to do after I leave home. When I got to this place...I know that my mother did a lot to hold the concert well, and my giving up is unfair to her. But with the current state, I am really unable to perform on stage..."
"Then don't do anything deliberately, just express yourself like usual singing. Just like when you were dancing, you didn't deliberately perform anything, but everyone praised it?"
"...Really?"
"I heard it all, and I saw with my own eyes how outstanding Classmate Shuiyuan's dance is. If you perform on stage in that state, I don't think it will be worse than any form of performance you had in your past."
"But, this is my first concert, which is different from the previous live broadcasts or other..."
"What about the first concert? If you can have a wonderful performance, that is the proof of your strength. If you perform poorly, you can leave the star road and do what you want. The result is uncertain anyway. Only by trying will you know."
"Since Classmate Gaocheng said so..."
She nodded.
"Feeling nervous is a normal reaction that everyone will have. You just need to know that I am your fan and I will always support you."
"...I know."
"Hey? Stop crying, your eyes will be swollen tomorrow."
I saw that her eyes were slightly red, so I immediately found the tissue and handed it to her.
"Okay..."
She wiped her teary eyes with a tissue.
"That... I'll take you home."
"... But I don't want to face my mother today, I'm afraid I will be more nervous facing her."
"Classmate Shuiyuan can stay at my house for one night. It just so happens that my parents are traveling outside recently… I promise that I will not do anything to you! If I do, I will go to hell!"
She put away her skeptical eyes when she heard me say this.
"Pff...I believe in you, Classmate Gaocheng."
Fortunately, she didn't know that I had touched Ying's breast… otherwise, she would think I was some kind of pervert.
I helped Shuiyuan Weina call Ms. Shuiyuan told her that her daughter's condition was well, and spent some time persuading her not to worry, and Shuiyuan Weina would rush to the concert venue tomorrow. Although Ms. Shuiyuan was very dissatisfied, she had no choice but to agree to it.
——After taking a bath, Shuiyuan put on the pajamas I found at home. Until today, I finally understood why this house prepared female pajamas for the male protagonist. This was a disguised spoiler, right? It was a pity that I didn't realize this at all when I saw women's pajamas. I thought it was for some players with special hobbies to entertain themselves...
"Class Gaocheng, tomorrow's concert... will it really be a success?"
"Well, if you can rest well, you will be successful."
This kind of nervous feeling in her could not be eliminated, I could only comfort her as much as possible.
"Anyway, thank you for today, Classmate Gaocheng.
"She closed the door gently.