Lei Nuwa's first life was the most draining. She vividly remembered always being tired, always feeling like half a person, never sleeping well, and she always had migraines. It got better in her next lives, most likely due to a built tolerance, and the migraines eventually went away. Besides her perpetual tired feeling, Lei Nuwa had become physically and mentally accustomed to the waves that life threw at her.
Or so she thought. For every word that Zhou Lan spoke, Lei Nuwa could feel her migraine growing stronger and stronger. She knew that Zhou Lan's stress was because of her, so she did not protest. But she considered knocking herself unconscious.
"I mean, how could someone be against us? We don't have friends! We don't even know rich people! Do you think it was Lin Cheng? I bet this is because of your stupid plan, that pig is getting back at us." She continued to rant and rave until Lin Cheng snuck up behind her.
"Who's a pig?" Zhou Lan froze.
"Lei Nuwa, please tell me you are good at impressions."
"Huh?" Nuwa did not even acknowledge Lin Cheng's presence.
"Hm?"
"Zhou Lan, I sneezed earlier, who would have thought it was you talking about me!" Zhou Lan was not amused.
"You bastard, how do we know it was not you who talked about us? The one who threw water at us was probably one of your fangirls." Lin Cheng was confused. He turned to Lei Nuwa, who gave him a 'don't speak' look. But Lin Cheng decided to ignore her.
"I don't know what you're talking about." His voice held sincerity and he reached to put his hand on Zhou Lan's head. She ducked, and walked away grumbling.
"Lei Nuwa, I will see you back at the dorms. Don't bring home the smell of him." Lin Cheng was mystified as he watched her walk off. He turned to Nuwa, who looked very tired.
"Are you okay? You don't look well." Nuwa shook her head.
"I'm fine, nothing to be concerned about. What did you need?" She would never admit it, but she was glad to be relieved of Lan's rambling.
"Nothing anymore. What happened?" He sat across from her and picked at the food Zhou Lan left behind. Without thinking, he threw the rest to a grassier area for the animals to eat. Lei Nuwa gave Lin Cheng a look but didn't respond. She wondered if he did have something to do with it; maybe not intentionally, but being seen around someone as popular as him was bound to attract some unwanted attention.
"I think you should stay away from me and Zhou Lan." Lin Cheng was blindsided by her sudden statement, and threw Lei Nuwa a questioning expression.
"What? Weren't you the one that was just trying to set me and Zhou Lan up? I didn't even do anything!" His exasperation was evident in his tone, and he looked at her with large, watery eyes. Once again Lei Nuwa thought he resembled an innocent dog- she quickly erased the image and hardened her resolve.
"Regardless of if you did anything, you being seen around us only brings us trouble. You'll live." Lei Nuwa then got up and walked away from the silent Lin Cheng.
Lin Cheng's frustration and confusion permeated the air around him. He felt as if Lei Nuwa and Zhou Lan's existence was a personal joke played on him by the gods. He didn't know why he felt so close to the two girls, or why he felt pain at the thought of not being around them. As a player, he understood lust and desire. This was not that. As he was lost in thought, his face began to twist in a painful manner, which was noticed by Lei Nuwa. For some reason, this face reminded her of Zhang Fengge. At the reminder, she looked down at her bracelet. Many nights she had stayed awake, refusing to sleep, in the hope that the bracelet even flickered– but there was nothing. She could not help but feel wronged, at her only friend neglecting her, but she quickly stopped herself.
'Lei Nuwa, you have become spoiled. You are alone in this world, in every world. You cannot let a good deed haunt you. If he has forgotten you, you must forget him too' She internally cursed at herself. She did not want to miss anyone, yet she missed Zhang Fengge. No matter what, she couldn't get herself to remove her bracelet.
Lin Cheng watched her thought process curiously. He knew she was thinking of someone else, but he didn't know who. His fists tightened at the idea that she was thinking about the man who had hurt her. However, he wiped the anger from his face and dejectedly sat down against the wall.
"Lei Nuwa, you and Zhou Lan have become a storm that has destroyed my life. You bring light only to take it away. Did I do something?" Lei Nuwa sighed and folded her arms.
"No. But you need to be more careful. I cannot make Zhou Lan a victim of bullying because of the jealous girls you surround yourself with. Lin Cheng raised his eyebrow.
"How do you know I am the one to blame? Girls flock to me, but they know I am to be shared." He winked. "And anyways, why would they go after you specifically? They could easily go after Zhao Li, or Yu Li, or–" Lei Nuwa cut him off.
"Okay, okay, I get it. I didn't have any alternative, so I suspected you." Lin Cheng could not help but feel hurt, but he didn't show it.
"Sister Nuwa, how could you think such things of me?" Lei Nuwa glared slightly.
"Since when have we been on familiar terms?" Lin Cheng laughed.
"But don't you want me to see your Sister Zhou Lan? Does that not make us family?" Lei Nuwa gaped, and blushed at being discovered. She quickly said her goodbyes and ran away. Lin Cheng laughed and leaned his head against the wall.
'Cheng, you have condemned yourself to pain.' He closed his eyes and breathed before getting up and walking to class.