The Taming of the Yandere

I received a phone call.

“Mom, where are you, are you not coming home today?”

I heard a lot of noise in the background, there seemed to be a party going on.

“Haven’t I been working on the new book for a month? It’s finally published, and the author just has to treat us editors to a meal, and I really can’t push it off. I’ll be home a little late today.” Mom’s blurred voice came from the speaker.

“Hey, Jiang Muqing is still at our house, it’s not really okay to leave her here alone with me!”

I was close to shouting.

“Idiot son, I believe in ya. Behave well, and don’t do anything strange.”

I couldn’t believe that Mom didn’t feel any sense of danger whatsoever, and only let me off with a reminder.

“You better come home soon, or else prepare to be a grandmother, Mom!”

I threatened snappily.

“It’s kind of stressful to be a grandma at this age, don’t you think…”

Mom joked half-heartedly.

“Mom!”

I really can’t stand her.

“Alright, you’re almost an adult, your mother can’t cover for you all the time. There are some things that you have to deal with yourself, but you must use the correct methods.”

Hearing my disdainful tone, Mom gave me a mini-lecture.

“Can you at least tell me what is the ‘correct method’? Your G.o.ddaughter’s been leaning on my side for a while now, Mom!”

I demanded skeptically.

“Ay, I’m not going to talk any longer. The girls over there want me to drink with them again, you take care of yourself. Don’t do anything out of place!”

Mom emphasized the last note.

It seems that she’s reiterating, but she’s really just letting me do what I need to.

What’s more, do I really look like an innocent sheep that eats whatever gra.s.s that’s put in front of it? Mom really isn’t worrying at all. Okay, even if I’m a sheep, I still can’t take the meat shoved in my mouth that is Jiang Muqing?!

Haven’t you heard about mad cow disease, where cattle develop brain disorders through eating meat?

“Then…. Don’t come home too late, and be careful on the road.”

I wanted to cry, yet shed no tears.

“Okay, I’m hanging up.”

Mom just hung up without a care.

She really can’t help me at all, I thought that she would be at home to counsel Jiang Muqing and maybe open some thoughts for her to think about. But then again, when she was at home, the only things she’ll do were work and sleep, allowing Jiang Muqing to do as she wishes.

Her words strictly ban any suspicious behavior, but her att.i.tude is clearly letting Jiang Muqing trample anywhere she wants. Although Jiang Muqing is happier now, but Mom has pushed all responsibility towards me.

“Irresponsible Mom.”

I sighed in annoyance.

“Is Auntie not coming home tonight?”

Jiang Muqing was long by my side, trying to acquire every last bit of information from our phone call.

“No, she’s just going to be home a bit late.”

I looked at her, distressed.

“If she’s going to get home late, then that means that we’ll have a long time to ourselves.”

At this time, I noticed Jiang Muqing’s queer gaze. She seemed like a starving wolf that had laid its eyes on an easy prey.

“What do you want?”

I asked a bit fearfully.

“Let’s eat dinner!”

She immediately retracted her stare, and pointed to the microwaved dishes in an easygoing manner.

Jiang Muqing’s cooking is great today.

I was incredibly famished, so I started wolfing down on the food. But after a while, I felt that the atmosphere was a bit off.

Jiang Muqing sat across me, holding her chin up with her palms. She stared at me.

The rice in her bowl was untouched. She maintained her soft gaze, watching my rather indecent table manners.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

I stopped.

“Looking at Fan eating, I don’t have the time to eat myself.”

She looked very cheerful.

“If you don’t eat, there won’t be any left.”

I raised my chopsticks ominously.

“Then eat it all, if Fan’s full, then I’m full.”

She rested her cheeks on her hands, looking very satisfied.”

“Then if you don’t eat, I’m not going to, either.”

I stopped my chopsticks with a huff, and left the bowl half finished.

Who doesn’t eat the food that they made themselves?

“Fan, how could you do this….”

Now that she’s become anxious, she started to eat.

But after a few bites, she stopped again.

“If I’m eating, I can’t see Fan enjoying my grat.i.tude, this isn’t going to work!”

She bit her lip, and spoke unhappily.

“Then, I’ll feed you as I go?”

I wasn’t aware of what I said, and let out a careless comment.

Jiang Muqing’s eyes immediately sparkled with a newfound light.

“Sure!”

Am I not just digging myself a deeper hole, here?

So, Jiang Muqing brightly sat next to me, and confidently opened her mouth like a baby bird.

“Fan, I want that piece of meat.”

“Okay, here’s the meat.”

“Fan, I want rice.”

“Mm, rice.”

“Fan, I want soup.”

“Oh, soup.”

….

My hands never stopped. I said that I was going to feed while eating, but I was actually only feeding her the entire time. My arms became sore and tired, but she was too cheerful.

Well, I guess this counts as my repayment. She waited so long behind that door for me, so I had no complaints.

Until…

“Fan, I want to eat shrimp.”

“Shrimp?”

I saw a plate with golden, stir-fried shrimp.

“Okay, shrimp.”

I quickly removed the shrimp’s hard sh.e.l.l, revealing its tender meat. Then, I raised it to the girl’s mouth.

I don’t know if she did it on purpose or not, but before I could pull back my hand, she bit on my hand.

“Hey… Wait a second!”

I cried.

Her pet.i.te lips latched on to my finger.

Latched….

On….

My throat throbbed suddenly, and swallowed.

My fingertips registered her mouth’s moisture. This strange feeling raced up the nerves of my arm to my brain, almost vaporizing my iron-willed sense of reason.

Neurons clicked in my brain, sending all kinds of thoughts bouncing in my head. I had no power whatsoever to stop it.

I quickly pulled away, and skittered backwards a little in my chair.

“Fan, we should take advantage of this time when Auntie’s not around, and finish what we started.”