Collapse Iron: Today's mount is the female protagonist.

Page 4

After kicking Kiana, who only caused trouble, out of the kitchen.

Raiden Mei picked up the broken plates from the floor, carefully sweeping the glass shards into the trash can: "Honestly, when will Kiana stop being so reckless?"

Suddenly, her gaze fell on a plate with burnt food residue on it on the side of the counter. A feeling quietly crept into her heart, making Raiden Mei's eyes dim slightly.

Actually, this wasn't the first time she had cooked.

"Dad, I... I prepared dinner for you."

As a child, Raiden Mei looked at the middle-aged man returning home and spoke cautiously and hopefully.

The old-fashioned man who called her father gave a cold "hmm," changed his clothes, sat down at the table, took a bite, and gave her a cold and heartbreaking response with his expressionless face.

"It's far worse than what your mother made."

To this day, Raiden Mei still remembers that man's indifference.

Her mother died early, and Raiden Mei has lived with her father, Raiden Ryoma, since she was a child. Her father manages ME Corporation and is busy every day, so she can hardly see him. In the few times they spend together, all she feels from her father is his rigid and cold-heartedness, as if they are not family.

But she also knew it.

"Raiden Mei, you are a swordsmanship genius, one in a million! The most outstanding girl in the world! Under the tutelage of me, the Sword Saint Houmu, you will surely become a Sword Saint!"

That exaggerated and quirky Houmu Sword Saint, wearing a Houmu headgear and poorly disguised, is also him.

He cared for her without daring to show his face.

When will you finally let go of that ugly air about you?

Raiden Mei clenched her fists tightly, memories of the past flooding her eyes. A wave of sorrow rose in her nose, and tears slid down her cheeks.

In the end... there wasn't even a chance to say a proper goodbye.

In the bathroom, Kiana quickly rinsed off and then lay down in the bathtub.

Her body was completely naked, with glistening, round water droplets sliding down her fair and delicate collarbone, revealing large expanses of skin outside the bathtub, and her smooth, long white hair tied up with a towel.

Kiana let out a comfortable sigh as she felt her body sink into the steaming bathtub.

"You and Mei have a really good relationship," Qi Shi said.

It's clear from their daily interactions that Kiana and Mei's relationship has long surpassed friendship; they're more like family living together intimately.

They met each other when they were at their loneliest. One was cautious and the other was overly intimate. They regarded each other as their only warmth and became dependent on each other.

Kiana said smugly, "Of course!"

"No, you're not allowed to call me Mei. Only I can call Mei by that name!"

She reacted alertly, like a kitten guarding its food.

Qi Shi rolled his eyes.

However, Kiana soon found herself enjoying the warm and comfortable hot water: "Phew~ Taking a bath is such a great invention, it feels so good."

“Yes,” Qi Shi agreed.

"Yes, taking a bath after a day of exercise is so relaxing. It's a pity that you, the ghost, can no longer feel it."

Qi Shi: "?"

Kiana, who was feeling smug, suddenly lost control of her body, and Qi Shi changed her position to lie down comfortably.

"Taking a bath is so relaxing."

"Wait, you bastard! I'm not finished soaking yet! Give my body back!" Kiana yelled angrily, immediately fighting back for control of her body.

Outside, Mei, who had composed herself and was passing by the kitchen, looked at the splashing water in the bathroom with a helpless expression.

Kiana is so energetic!

That evening, after clinging to Mei for a long time, I finally returned to my room to rest.

Kiana, with her fair and delicate arms wrapped around the blanket and her smooth shoulders exposed, began to breathe evenly in less than two minutes and drifted into a sweet dream.

Enviable sleep quality.

However, not long after she closed her eyes, Kiana suddenly opened them again, but this time the expression in her eyes was completely different from before.

After putting on some clothes and tying up her loose white hair, Qi Shi came to the table, and soon the screen lit up the dimly lit room.

With fingers tapping, I searched for the information I wanted on the computer.

"The daughter of a fraudster!"

"What kind of young lady is this Raiden family! You're a criminal! Do you know how many people in Changkong City went bankrupt because of your family!"

"You should stay in prison!"

Countless jeers and insults enveloped Raiden Mei, and the hateful and distorted faces around her gradually eroded her heart, causing her to retreat incessantly.

Cold, merciless crimson eyes would appear from time to time, casting a gaze that filled her with fear.

"What a coward, what a wimp."

"No, I am not……"

With tears in her eyes, Raiden Mei pleaded desperately, retreating under the pressure of the hurling insults and hatred from the crowd. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the hateful crowd and pushed her off the rooftop, plunging her into an abyss.

"Ah!" Raiden Mei woke up with a start from her sleep, gasping for breath and looking around blankly.

Was it all a dream?

Recalling the scenes from her dream, Raiden Mei curled up and stayed alone in the darkness, her body trembling slightly.

What should I do...?

I don't know how long it took, but I finally calmed down a bit.

Raiden Mei crawled out of bed. The nightmare had left her drenched in a cold sweat, and she felt sticky and uncomfortable. She wanted to take a bath to relax.

However, when she left the bedroom and walked down the hallway, she found that Kiana's room was still lit.

"Is Kiana still awake?"

Chapter 6: Kiana is Sleeping

Did you forget to turn off the lights when you went to sleep? Or were you playing games all night again?

Mei was puzzled, so she walked over and gently opened the door.

However, the scene that came into view was completely different from what she had imagined.

Her white hair was tied into a high ponytail. The girl sat quietly on the windowsill, gazing at the moon outside. The light was reflected in her pure blue eyes. The bright moonlight shone on her, making her appear even whiter and more serene. The beautiful scene made Raiden Mei think of a word.

Just like... the Goddess of Moonlight.

The stunning scene left her speechless for a few seconds.

However, her arrival also drew attention.

"Did you have a nightmare, Mei?" Kiana looked at her with a smile and then comforted her.

"Don't worry, this is at home, nothing will happen."

Her voice was soft and pleasant, soothing her emotions. Raiden Mei relaxed involuntarily, and hearing the word "home" seemed to instantly give her a sense of security.

"It was just a little nightmare," she replied softly.

"Want to talk?" Kiana asked as she approached.

"I..." Mei hesitated, but her body still sat down.

The room was quiet. After a moment, she spoke with a somewhat somber expression.

"Kiana, as you know, my father illegally transferred a large amount of assets, committed a crime and went to prison, which had a very bad impact."

“I’m no longer the young lady of ME Club. Everyone at school knows about me, and I see their disgusted looks every day.”

"Kiana, have you ever met someone who was condemned by everyone before?"

Raiden Mei's eyes were dim, and her words didn't sound like she was expressing her inner pain, but rather like she wanted to hear a word of judgment from someone else.

What kind of fate awaits such a person?

"What do you mean by being condemned by everyone? Does it mean destroying the world, or causing some unforgivable disaster?"

But Mei only heard this answer, and looking around blankly, she saw Kiana's face with a gentle smile.

"There's no such thing as being condemned by everyone, Mei. They're just jealous of you."

"Look at you, you're beautiful, have a great temperament, and come from a wealthy family. The way you radiate makes those people jealous and creates twisted malice in them. But they don't dare to show it normally. When you're down on your luck, these people finally find an opportunity to vent their dark side and their previous jealousy, kicking you when you're down and hurling all sorts of vicious words at you."

"Huh?" Raiden Mei was taken aback by the completely unfamiliar angle of comfort. She felt a little better about her self-blame, but she was still somewhat uneasy.

Isn't that just using completely malicious thoughts to speculate about others?

Kiana, standing before her, seemed to know the deep sorrow in her heart, her words gentle yet conveying a convincing truth.

"Mei, you need to know that not everyone is as gentle, beautiful, and understanding as you."

“Those people have no right to be condemned by everyone, and their malicious ridicule is not on the side of justice. You are classmates, so you should know them a little. Before your accident, did you see them do anything particularly righteous?”

Every word from Kiana's gentle voice went straight to the heart. Listening to Kiana's words, Mei's mindset changed, and she found that the knot in her heart that she had been keeping buried for a long time was suddenly relieved.

"Besides, if Mei were a bad girl, how could we have gotten together and become so close?"

"I am very righteous and hate evil."

Kiana smiled and winked at her.

Mei paused slightly, looking at the other person's face, which was now beaming with an even brighter smile, as if she was happy to see Mei emerge from the shadows.

A warm current suddenly rose in my heart, spreading throughout my body like warm sunshine.

"Kiana..." Mei murmured as she looked at the other's smile, feeling a lump in her throat. But she managed to hold back the tears in her eyes and gave a bright smile in return.

"Thank you."

Kiana, thank you for always being by my side, thank you for giving me courage.

The gloom in my heart dissipated and was illuminated by the sunlight.

"It's just a small matter."

"But being ostracized at school must still make you feel lonely."