I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 100
Chapter 100: Childhood Dream
Just as it’s said online, a girl’s matters are not just for one or two days but rather a process similar to the ebb and flow of tides. I suspect that my situation actually began on the first day I arrived at the maid cafe, but I didn’t feel anything at that time. I just felt particularly tired on the way back at night and fell asleep behind Miss Grim Reaper.
On the first day, my body was tired. On the second day, I felt extremely weak, with aching stomach and irritable mood. On the third day… I started bleeding. However, I have to say that the quality of products related to girls’ matters nowadays is quite good. Because I did my draft in advance and wore sanitary pads, I didn’t feel anything wrong after a night. It’s just a bit troublesome to change the pad from time to time.
Moreover, for the first time in days, I didn’t dream at night. Wearing a nightgown, I lay on the small bed, hugged the quilt, closed my eyes, and entered the dreamland, sleeping until dawn. When I woke up, I could clearly feel that my body had recovered quite a bit, although I still looked a bit weak.
As of now, the information I have is that the Miss Grim Reaper is obviously interested in me. She set me up with a body similar to an ordinary person’s and even searched online for topics like “how do lesbians have children.” Although I currently don’t know how two girls can have children given the current technological level on Earth, if the future really reaches that point, or if Yin Xiamo has some special way, such as using magic-related props, I might really be pushed down, and then…
Become the little pampered wife of this grim reaper.
Is this good? No, it’s not.
You can’t have a grim reaper suddenly influencing the basic biological reproduction rules of Earth, can you? Or is it a sudden patch—
?Dear Earth Online players, this game will undergo non-stop hot updates on May 10, 2022. The expected update time is up to 8 hours, during which there may be issues such as item clipping, widespread appearance of the Mandela effect in crowds, etc. Please plan your time wisely and play the game healthily.?
?In this update patch, we fixed the bug where the “human” occupational group of dual females couldn’t reproduce, reduced the time for females to conceive new life, and added the “natural childbirth” talent to all female occupations. Our development designers think that romance between girls is very cool, so we have modified the game’s basic settings. After the update, all female players can freely pursue romantic relationships.?
Currently, Yin Xiamo’s “offensive” towards me is still quite mild, giving a feeling of “boiling a frog in warm water.”
I can already foresee that someday in the future, I will become the pitiful little pet pressed beneath her.
Is this reasonable? No, it’s not.
Especially that… catnip.
That guy is serious.
My body does indeed react to that kind of grass, although it’s mild and not as intense as the reactions of those cats in the cat cafe, but it’s… really something!
Most cats, when they smell the scent of catnip, can’t help but approach the aroma and then exhibit reactions like getting “high.” Specifically, they roll on the ground, expose their belly for pets and hugs, continuously rub their heads against surrounding objects, and so on.
If you reach out, especially with a hand scented with catnip, to pet these cats during this time, they will grab your hand like they’ve found their favorite toy, constantly rubbing and licking it.
A few cats that are particularly sensitive to catnip may even experience hallucinations and enter an extremely excited state when they smell this scent. If you try to pet them during this time, you might even get bitten.
Most cat cafes offer similar services. Do you have customers who naturally receive cat disdain? No problem, bring in some catnip, and guarantee that the cats won’t shake you off after ten minutes.
Cat cafes in the capital city also have similar fee-based items: catnip snacks, five yuan for a bag, catnip lollipops, ten yuan each, potent catnip concentrated spray, thirty yuan per bottle.
Spray the cat, and it’s yours. Spray yourself, and you become the cat king of the cafe for the next half hour.
It is said that the reason cats like this plant is somehow related to “mosquitoes” because catnip is a potent mosquito repellent. Where there’s catnip, there are no mosquitoes. Cats are natural nocturnal predators, and if they crouch in the grass at night for hunting, the buzzing of mosquitoes around disturbs their focus.
Any slight movement can scare away their prey. To successfully catch prey, cats choose places with fewer mosquitoes for hunting. Over time, these cats discovered that there are almost no mosquitoes around catnip. In other words, as long as they find this plant, their success rate in hunting significantly increases, triggering the body’s reward and punishment mechanism. Smelling this scent means they can eat and enjoy themselves, so they get excited when they smell it.
Last night, when I smelled that scent, it was almost like the feeling of being “catnip poisoned”: I wanted to roll on the ground, my eyes sparkled with many shiny things, like eating the wrong mushroom. Then, facing Yin Xiamo’s teasing beside me, I really wanted to bite her.
Not for any reason, just really wanted to use my fangs to bite her.
“Ah… another day filled with hope!”
Because I had agreed with the manager to take a day off today, I set my alarm for exactly 8:00 am. When I got up, Yin Xiamo, wearing a sleep cap and pajamas, had just pushed open the door on the opposite side of the room: “Good morning, Nuo’er!”
“Good morning…”
I yawned, “You’re on vacation today, why are you up so early?”
“Because usually, this is the time I can eat the breakfast my Nuo’er makes.”
The girl had a hopeful expression, “What are we having today?”
“When I came back from the market yesterday, I noticed they were selling dumpling wrappers and dumpling filling.”
I walked straight to the bathroom, “Let’s buy some and make dumplings.”
It’s really inconvenient during a girl’s menstrual period, I hope it passes quickly.
After tidying up in the bathroom, washing my face, applying skincare products, and dispelling most of my drowsiness, I changed into clothes on the balcony, took my rabbit backpack, and faced Yin Xiamo inside the room, “What kind of filling do you like?”
“As long as it doesn’t have mushrooms.”
“Don’t like mushrooms?”
I chuckled, “Didn’t you eat my mushroom chicken soup once before?”
“Mushroom chicken soup is different from shiitake mushrooms.”
Yin Xiamo explained, “I don’t like the taste of shiitake mushrooms.”
“I didn’t expect our dignified Miss Grim Reaper to be picky sometimes.”
“You’re so annoying! Go on, go on, I’ll help with the chores.”
While saying this, Yin Xiamo pushed me out the door, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll have to borrow concentrated catnip spray from the manager!”
“If you bring up catnip again, I might just start biting people!”
“Come on! Those little milk teeth of yours are nothing compared to a cat’s bite!”
“……”
After packing up the day’s garbage and taking it outside to throw it into the large trash bin, I followed yesterday’s route through the vegetable garden behind the Starry Garden community and arrived at the retro market on this side.
Yesterday when I came here, I noted the locations of various stalls and the types of vegetables they sold around. I didn’t expect to use this information today.
As I expected, the morning market here had a completely different style from noon. Yesterday at noon, they mainly sold meat and vegetables suitable for dinner. However, at this time, the vendors selling pork, beef, and seafood had not yet arrived. The tanks with fish and shrimp were just covered with a piece of cloth, as if not at all worried about someone stealing their fish.
In their place, many small vendors selling special “morning snacks” had set up shop in the morning. They sold items such as rice noodles, rolled noodles, dumpling wrappers with dumpling filling, zongzi, sticky rice, sausages, as well as stalls selling corn, sweet potatoes, yams, and various cooked food, including the “spicy hot soup” Ai Luodi mentioned.
What on earth is this?
Curious, I approached the vendor selling “spicy hot soup.”
It looked somewhat like… a mixed dish? Or maybe oden? But it didn’t seem exactly the same.
The soup looked very thick, and it seemed to contain gluten, meat, wood ear mushrooms, or maybe tofu skin. The color was slightly lighter than that of yellow bean sauce. Judging by appearance alone, my initial reaction to this breakfast was “a rich soup with many ingredients.”
“Little sister, want a bowl?”
Perhaps noticing my gaze, the husband and wife selling the spicy hot soup warmly handed me a bowl. “It’s delicious, we’re not lying. We’re here every morning. If you like it, you can come often.”
“Oh…”
I nodded. “Then… two bowls, please.”
These days I’m on my period, so I definitely can’t eat anything spicy. However, it’s different for Yin Xiamo and Ai Luodi at home, especially Ai Luodi. She’s quite adept at eating spicy food. Buying a portion for her should be no problem.
“Come again next time!”
With two bowls of spicy hot soup packed, I headed towards the vendor selling dumpling wrappers and dumpling filling, purchasing enough ingredients for the three of us.
Carrying bags big and small back to the house, I saw Yin Xiamo actually helping with the cleaning at home, as she had promised.
“Are these the dumplings?”
Seeing me bring the dumpling wrappers and filling into the kitchen, Yin Xiamo curiously approached, “Not shiitake dumplings, right?”
“No, one with chives and minced meat, another with cabbage and minced meat, and one with shrimp.”
Seeing her cautious expression, I found it amusing, “Why do you have such strong opinions about shiitake dumplings?”
“Last year or the year before, the grocery store owner gave me a bag of cooked dumplings, and the shiitake flavor was weird, like it had gone bad. I have a psychological shadow…”
“The grocery store owner?”
I brought the dumpling wrappers and filling to the living room and started wrapping them one by one, “Now that you mention it, I rarely hear you talk about them. How are those people treating you?”
“I don’t know how to describe it either.”
Yin Xiamo sat down beside me, placing the spicy hot soup into a large bowl and undoing the knot on the bag, “I’ve only worked this job… is this meant to be drunk?”
“I don’t know, it should be for drinking, or maybe try using a spoon?”
I arranged the wrapped dumplings one by one onto a nearby plate, “Two thousand five hundred yuan per month?”
I learned the skill of making dumplings in high school. Or rather, almost all the kids in the orphanage I was in at the time knew how to do it.
Relying solely on the subsidies from the Shenzhen city government, the orphanage couldn’t afford the expenses for so many kids’ meals, clothing, and textbooks. So, when we returned from school, during long breaks like summer and winter vacations and holidays like May 1st and National Day, we would be sent to do “subsidized” work at the orphanage.
This “work” included running a shop, helping with moving things, and also tasks like making dumplings or picking chicken bones, relatively safe “assembly line” jobs.
In short, after summer vacation, the kids from our orphanage would be sent to these small workshops, such as a dumpling factory. A designated person would come to “train” us, teach us how to make dumplings, and once we learned, we would be put directly into the assembly line to “work.” The finished dumplings would be sterilized, frozen, packaged, and labeled as “authentic handmade dumplings” or something similar, then sold on the market.
Back then, kids who wrapped dumplings well and quickly could earn a certain commission. In order to make money to buy food, I practiced the skill diligently. As a result, I now disdainfully ignore pre-wrapped dumplings in the market and insist on buying dumpling wrappers and filling to manually make them myself.
“Yes, two thousand five hundred per month. There’s a fast-food restaurant near the grocery store and two bun shops. Eating there costs around twenty yuan a day, and with a few hundred yuan for rent here, I can save around a thousand yuan a month.”
Under my gaze, Yin Xiamo took a sip of the purchased spicy hot soup, appearing somewhat unclear in her speech, “Is this salary very low? I… hmm hmm hmm, Ouyang Xue said it seems very low.”
“The base salary at the cafe is 4000. Compare that.”
I quickly finished wrapping a large plate of dumplings and took it to the kitchen, placing it in the steamer.
“For a regular grocery store clerk, a salary of around 3000 yuan is about right. But you… how many hours do you work, from 9 in the morning to what time at night?”
“Until 8 in the evening.”
Yin Xiamo pondered for a moment, “I used to work the evening shift, but I didn’t like it. Later, it was all morning shifts.”
From 9 in the morning until 8 in the evening, with a monthly salary of two thousand five hundred. This is indeed the current state of society.
Well, although the pay for this job is low, working 11 hours a day, without any social security or benefits, no labor contract, activities like watching the store and clocking in are tasks that most people can handle. However, jobs that “everyone can do” are destined to be unrelated to “high pay.”
In any case, no education or experience is needed. “If you don’t do it, there are plenty of others who will.”
“Such a delicious smell.”
At this moment, Ai Luodi, still dressed in a sleep gown and white stockings, walked down from upstairs, “Did you buy spicy hot soup?”
“Yes.”
Looking at Ai Luodi’s asymmetrical white thigh-high stockings, I was curious, “Boss, do you wear these socks to sleep?”
Some people have a weaker constitution, making their feet susceptible to getting cold, or they might kick the blanket a lot. People like this might choose to wear short socks to bed, which is fine. However, aren’t thigh-high stockings usually worn to showcase legs when going out in a cute skirt? Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable to sleep in thigh-high stockings?
“Oh… you’re talking about this.”
Upon my reminder, Ai Luodi noticed that her left sock had already slipped down to her knee, “Forgot to take it off before going to sleep.”
“Forget to… take it off?”
“There are too many black mosquitoes.”
Ai Luodi stretched lazily and unabashedly sat on the table, taking the spicy hot soup, “Don’t you have mosquitoes there?”
“Uh…,” I quickly explained, “Both of us take a shower and go to bed as soon as we get back, and using a mosquito net works.”
Whether the editorial department had something going on or Ai Luodi forgot, last night, she didn’t “apply for a maid position at the cafe” as mentioned. When Yin Xiamo and I came back, we saw her holed up alone in her room with no sign of movement, and we thought she might have been heartbroken.
“When playing games at night, sitting in the computer chair, my legs get covered in mosquito bites. I have to wear longer socks.”
Ai Luodi pulled up the sock that had slipped down to her knee a bit, “When playing games and getting sleepy, I just go back to bed and don’t bother taking off the socks.”
There’s such a thing? Long socks to guard against mosquitoes?
No wonder in the past few days, every morning when I saw Ai Luodi coming out of her room, she had a disheveled appearance, and her socks were mismatched, one high and one low.
“Did you buy this bowl of spicy hot soup at the main entrance? From that couple’s stall?”
After just taking a sip, Ai Luodi showed a slightly delighted expression, “Next time you buy this, ask them to make it spicier.”
“Having spicy food so early in the morning?”
“I’m used to it.”
Ai Luodi took out her phone, “Give me your payment code. You brought me so much food…”
“No need,” I quickly waved my hand, “It’s not something expensive.”
You’ve provided me with such a quiet place to live, bought skincare and cosmetics for me, and even waived the water and electricity bills, you’ve already been a great help. Making a meal and bringing breakfast every day is not a big deal.
“Oh, really…”
Seeing my clear refusal, Ai Luodi didn’t insist. While sipping the spicy hot soup, she sighed lightly, “Last night, I had a voice call with my in-game partner.”
In-game partner?
Seeing that it was almost time to cook the dumplings, I went to the kitchen, took out the cooked dumplings, and placed them on the classroom’s dining table, “So that’s why you didn’t go to the cafe?”
In-game partner, a term frequently used in MMORPGs like Sword Art Online 3, Gujian Qitan, and Moonlight Blade, typically referring to “couples game.”
As early as the first day when I moved here, I heard that Ai Luodi really enjoyed playing online games and had an in-game partner.
“In the game, I play as a Husky, and my in-game partner is a little chick. We both claim to be male, and then we engage in a romantic relationship in the game. Others think we’re a gay couple, and I also thought… that my little yellow chick in-game partner was male.”
While enjoying the spicy hot soup, Ai Luodi continued, “We’ve known each other for several years. We agreed to have our first voice call last night. However, after getting on the voice call, I realized… my in-game partner is actually female.”
Huh? I, eating dumplings on the side, found this somewhat unbelievable.
Isn’t this the plot commonly found in novels?
“It’s no big deal whether it’s a man or a woman. At most, it’s just a shift from yaoi to yuri. I’m not someone who’s very attached to gender. The main thing is, my in-game partner…”
Drinking the rest of her hot soup in one gulp, Ai Luodi had a dreamy expression, “We know each other in real life too.”
“Huh?”
I became even more curious, “Who is it?”
“Lan Jiajia.”
“Huh?”
Hearing this name for the first time, I asked, “Is she your friend in real life?”
“Not exactly friends, but you also know her.”
Ai Luodi fell silent for a moment and then said, “She works as an editor at Honeydew, and her pen name is Tuzi.”
Huh? Tuzi… and Ai Luodi have been a couple in the game for several years? What have you both been doing during these years? Just playing games without voice chat or discussing life but focusing on your professions… exclusively gaming?
“Editor Tuzi’s name is Lan Jiajia?”
The image of the “gentle and virtuous” elder sister from the previous comic convention appeared in my mind. “It can’t be that coincidental, right? You two met through gaming?”
Based on my experience, in shooting, naval warfare, especially games related to machinery and mechs, the proportion of female players is the lowest. For example, games like World of Warships, World of Tanks, or CS:GO, especially EVE, where it’s nearly impossible to find a female player.
However, in dress-up, cultivation, ancient-style fantasy, and dance games, the gender ratio is reversed. Games like Love Nikki, Audition, and the one Ai Luodi plays, “Sword Art Online: The Legend of Swordsman,” belong to online games with a relatively high proportion of female players. The game’s forum is even known as a super-gossip gathering place, with almost daily posts revealing love triangles, women pretending to be men to deceive others for money, and veteran players pretending to be newbies to receive gifts from mentors.
Ai Luodi and Tuzi are both editors, both involved in the world of anime and manga. They are women who can understand and accept contemporary youth internet gaming culture. Generally, the probability of girls like them playing fantasy online games is high. However, even with that probability being high, it’s still incredibly coincidental for two people who are in a romantic relationship in a virtual world to know each other in real life.
“I find it unbelievable too.”
After finishing the last few sips of the spicy soup, Ai Luodi looked at me, seemingly noticing my clothes. “Are you going out today too?”
“Yes, I want to go to the previous rental apartment and tidy up the things that haven’t been organized, and clean up the place a bit.”
Feeling quite full after just a small plate of dumplings, I took a sip of soy milk. “Things might get a bit busier lately.”
After cleaning up the rental apartment, it would be around the time when Lu Xinjian would come over in his car. I planned to accompany him to the hospital to visit his daughter, Xinmeng. I vaguely remembered her name. Maybe I could chat with the little sister for a bit. I wondered how the father would introduce me when the time came.
“This is the sister of the person who donated the heart to you” — something like that?
Come on, when the time comes, Lu Xinjian should say that this is Daddy’s good friend, and during your illness, she helped a lot with various subtle words. Moreover, I’m quite curious about which individuals the miss grim reaper donated my various organs to. If there are connections like Xinjian’s, investigating such matters would be very easy.
“Why… why are you looking at me?”
Perhaps noticing my gaze, Yin Xiamo on the other side seemed a bit uneasy. “Just be careful outside,” she said.
“Got it.”
After finishing the soy milk, I took the Rabbit backpack containing various daily necessities. “Well, I’m heading out.”
“Yeah, see you, Nuo’er.”
“Goodbye, little pet!”
Taking the elevator downstairs, following the path outside to the Ring Road, and entering the subway station, I purchased a ticket to go back to the “Wujia Apartment.”
On the way, I took some time to look through the messages in my QQ groups. Aside from the reader group still discussing things like “The loli maid in the Cat Cafe in Shenzhen City is so cute, Uncle must guide us when the time comes,” and “When will the group owner post pictures of himself in women’s clothing,” most of the groups were pretty normal.
?Why are you all so obsessed with this uncle’s crossdressing??
?Seriously, don’t come to Shenzhen City. The loli photos you guys posted were all photoshopped, you know? Heavily photoshopped, definitely not good-looking.?
?Listen to me, focus on reading. My new book is about to enter a new phase. When the time comes, I’ll need your recommendations, and everyone, please vote for it. Don’t let the editors think I’ve been writing for years and still end up as a nobody.?
Replying to a few messages in the group, I switched to the novel-writing app and started typing.
Then came the quiet time of writing and drafting inside the subway.
“……”
Half an hour later, I emerged from the subway station and followed the familiar route back to Room 301 in the Wujia Apartment.
“Ding, ding, ding” — entering the password, I opened the door, and a faint scent of cleaner mixed with the fragrance of wooden furniture greeted me from the now nearly empty room.
I took a look around. There were still quite a few awkward items left, like all the towels and toothpaste and toothbrushes used during the Uncle era, as well as cleaning agents and toilet cleaners in the kitchen.
And there was this computer desk by the bed. The nearby bookshelf held various small items, such as notes and notebooks from Uncle’s student days.
I began to categorize and pack these seemingly useless daily necessities into garbage bags.
This… the certificate from university days.
This… the poster from club activities.
And this… the chuunibyou diary from student days?
While organizing these “relics,” I always find numerous memories attached to these personal items. Like this notebook, if I remember correctly, it should be the one I used in high school to record my feelings.
?My grades have declined a bit. I don’t know if I can get into any university at this rate.?
?Seems like university isn’t compulsory education anymore. I’ll have to worry about tuition then.?
?Let’s set a small goal: try to date in college.?
?Cancel the previous goal, I’m too poor. Dating in college isn’t realistic. I’ll focus on earning money and not cause trouble for other girls.?
?College is about to graduate, I’ve taken on many part-time jobs these years. Hopefully, entering society will bring in more money.?
?Finding a job is so difficult, and the wages are so low. It feels like every day I come back, I have no energy left for studying.?
Looking at the crude words on these notebooks, scenes from the past flashed before me like a slideshow in my mind.
?Saved 960 yuan this month, making progress. Another two months, and I can buy a decent computer.?
?Seems like I’ve been sick a lot recently, even though I exercise every day… Looks like I can’t eat so much instant noodles next month.?
?Computer in hand, very happy. It can run many games. Looking forward to playing Battle Royale with Marisa and others.?
?Tenants in the WeChat group discussed cars all day today, but I don’t seem to have a strong desire for a car. My bicycle can last another ten years.?
?Housing prices are getting higher. Is there hope for me to buy a house in my lifetime? A smaller one will do.?
?Feeling so desperate. I really want a place of my own to rest.?
?When will I have “family” of my own??
?Lost my job… The goal of buying my own little haven seems even farther away…?
“……”
Flipping through this “emotional diary” that accompanied me for many years in the rented apartment, unsure what to call it, I looked at the words on it and fell silent for a while. I rummaged under the bookshelf, pulled out a water-based pen, and began to write.
?Tested the pen to make sure it still works. I bent down and wrote the “postscript” in a girlish font that was noticeably different from the previously scribbled words on this “emotional diary”?
?I found my family. The next step is to work hard to find a “home.”?
After writing these words, I tucked the notebook into the bunny backpack behind me.
“Beep beep beep…”
In a soft knocking sound, I saw Yang Kun, the building 3 manager, walking in through the open door in the living room.
“What’s going on? Are you guys moving?”
“Ah… yes.”
I quickly turned around. “My brother has something urgent and can’t come back, so he asked me to come here to clean up… it’s okay if he’s not present when checking out, right?”
“This… it’s okay.”
The apartment manager looked somewhat regretful. “Why are you not staying?”
“My brother has some sudden matters and can’t come back.”
“Well… okay.”
Yang Kun looked around the room. “No wonder I’ve seen you guys coming back these days. Be careful with the cleaning. There have been more frequent thefts recently, and that thief has been lurking around the area for half a day. With your door open while cleaning, be cautious about safety.”
“Ah?”
I was puzzled. “Haven’t they caught him yet? Isn’t there surveillance footage?”
“There’s footage, but the amount involved is small, and the police haven’t focused much on this. We, the apartment management, patrol every day to see if we can catch him red-handed,” Yang Kun explained as he turned to leave. “I won’t disturb you. Clean the kitchen and bathroom while you’re at it.”
“Okay.”
As I watched the manager leave, I walked to the door. Just as I was about to close it, a figure suddenly whooshed down from upstairs, forcefully shoving the 1.7-meter-tall apartment manager to the side and sprinting down the stairs.
“Catch him!”
Following closely, another house manager’s voice echoed from upstairs.
“It’s that guy! He stole 603’s shoes this time!”
“……”
……
[End of Volume 2]
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