Chapter 18: Lin Mu’s Fear
A Quiet Walk
Time passed, and the tedious theory class had ended. Yu Li walked alone down the corridor, unsure of her destination.
(So… how are you going to handle it?)
Liu Li’s voice echoed in Yu Li’s ears. Curious about Yu Li’s promise to resolve the situation, she asked through their mental connection.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
(Wow, you’re keeping secrets even from me!)
Yu Li ignored Liu Li’s complaints, giving only a mysterious smile. A faint black flame flickered in her hand. She pulled out an empty bottle, making a gesture as if pouring something from it.
“Found you…”
Yu Li murmured to herself, then quickened her pace, rushing forward to push a male student ahead of her.
“Who’s that?”
The student, caught off guard by the shove, turned around and shouted.
“Sorry, sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going. You okay?”
Yu Li immediately put on an apologetic expression, looking at the student as if it was an accident.
“Uh… it’s fine, it’s fine.”
The boy, initially annoyed, softened when he saw Yu Li’s apologetic and strikingly beautiful face.
“Really sorry, I’ve got something urgent to deal with, so I’ll head off now. I’ll make it up to you next time!”
Yu Li said, giving a slight bow before quickly running off.
The male student watched her leave, scratching his head in confusion.
“What was that about… but, she’s kinda cute…”
Unseen by him, a black flame burned on his back, yet strangely, it didn’t ignite his clothes. Over time, it slowly faded away.
(What were you just doing?)
Now that Yu Li was far enough away, Liu Li’s puzzled voice sounded in her ears.
“Just making him… feel it for himself.”
(Huh? What does that mean?)
Liu Li grew even more confused.
“You’ll see after school.”
(…Has anyone ever told you you’re really good at keeping secrets?)
A Haunting Voice
The first class after lunch always made people drowsy, especially the boring theory lessons. Lin Mu was no exception, dozing off and on the verge of sleep.
“Why… are you looking at me like that?”
A woman’s voice, filled with deep resentment and pain, suddenly rang in Lin Mu’s ears.
“Wah!”
The sudden voice startled Lin Mu, banishing his sleepiness. He instinctively stood up, letting out a cry, but lost his balance and fell to the floor.
“Lin Mu, what’s this? Falling asleep in class and having nightmares?”
The teacher’s mocking tone made Lin Mu realize he was still in the classroom.
The previously quiet class erupted in laughter.
Feeling embarrassed, Lin Mu tried to stand, but suddenly noticed everyone in the class staring at him. Their gazes made him uneasy, and he instinctively lowered his head.
“Why… are you looking at me like that?”
The same voice echoed in his ears again, clear and unmistakable, not a hallucination.
Overwhelming Fear
Lin Mu lifted his head, a trace of fear in his eyes. The rest of the class seemed oblivious to the voice, still staring at him without moving. Their gazes felt suffocating.
In an instant, confusion and fear flooded Lin Mu’s heart, paralyzing him. He remained sprawled on the floor, his face growing paler.
“Lin Mu?”
The other students finally noticed something was wrong and approached to check on him, but this only heightened his terror.
“Don’t—don’t look at me! Stop it, stop looking!”
Fear made Lin Mu incoherent. He suddenly felt terrified of others’ gazes, as if under their eyes, he had become a filthy insect.
“Stay away! Don’t look at me!”
Lin Mu shouted, flailing his fists wildly, his hands glowing with the light of his abilities.
Smack—
“Take him to the infirmary.”
Before things escalated further, the teacher stepped forward, knocking Lin Mu out with a swift strike. He then instructed a few students to carry him to the infirmary.
As Lin Mu was taken away, a few students began whispering among themselves.
Ye Sheng’s Search
Meanwhile, regardless of what was happening to others, Ye Sheng was unaffected. During what should have been class time, he seemed to be searching for something.
“Found you at last.”
Ye Sheng said, spotting a white-haired girl quietly reading a book near a group of boisterous students.
Her class must have had an outdoor lesson, which explained why Ye Sheng was searching outside the classroom. He approached and playfully ruffled the white-haired girl’s hair.
The girl frowned instinctively and looked up. Seeing it was Ye Sheng, her delicate brows relaxed.
“Brother Ye, what’s up?”
“Can’t I just come see my dear fiancée without a reason?”
Ye Sheng chuckled, teasing her.
“But didn’t Brother Ye say he liked Lan Yi and refused the engagement?”
The white-haired girl’s face remained expressionless, as if discussing something trivial and unrelated to her.
“Don’t mention that woman. She’s bad luck.”
The girl tilted her head, still expressionless, just looking at Ye Sheng.
“I just woke up a bit late, that’s all.”
Ye Sheng explained with a hint of helplessness.
“So?”
“So your Brother Ye is here to make up for it. Here, a gift for you.”
Ye Sheng held out his hand, pulling a hair tie from somewhere. It glowed faintly, clearly no ordinary item.
“Let me put it on for you.”
Ye Sheng moved to place the hair tie on her, not waiting for her consent.
Before he could touch her hair, the girl snatched the hair tie, as if unwilling to let him help.
“Brother Ye, I can do it myself.”
She said, raising her book to signal she wanted to keep reading. Though her face remained expressionless behind the book, a closer look would reveal a faint blush.
“Alright, alright. I’ll head off then.”
Ye Sheng, somewhat oblivious, didn’t notice. Seeing she accepted his gift, he smiled and prepared to leave.
A Quiet Affection
Unbeknownst to Ye Sheng, the white-haired girl kept her eyes on his retreating figure through the cover of her book.
“Brother Ye… getting so close all of a sudden… it’s not good for my heart.”
Her hand rested lightly on her chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken.
“Brother Ye never paid attention to me before… maybe he really doesn’t like Lan Yi anymore.”
She murmured, looking down at the hair tie. A faint, satisfied smile crossed her lips as she carefully tied it into her hair.
Ye Sheng’s Reward
Meanwhile, Ye Sheng was in high spirits. Before his eyes floated a transparent panel, invisible to others, displaying:
[Fú Qīngyuè’s favorability has reached a certain level. Reward: One Energy Ring.]
Ye Sheng casually reached into the air, and a ring appeared in his hand.
He thought about how no matter how much he tried to please Lan Yi, she never responded, yet a simple hair tie for Fú Qīngyuè had boosted her favorability enough to trigger a system reward. He gave a wry smile at the irony.
Though Fú Qīngyuè’s thoughts were sometimes hard to read, both now and in the future, this stunning white-haired girl seemed utterly devoted to him.
“This time, Brother Ye won’t let you down again.”
The thought of her beauty, no less than Lan Yi’s, made Ye Sheng want to slap himself. Why had he ignored such a devoted girl to chase after Lan Yi like a fool?
He couldn’t understand his past self. Perhaps he had been inexplicably bewitched.
Ye Sheng shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside.