Chapter 18: The Cultural Festival of Killing Men! (Part 1)
For Dongfang Cheng, time flew by, especially with Lin Feng acting out of character, quieter and less lively than usual, making the days oddly dull.
In the blink of an eye, Saint Flower Saint Love Academy’s annual campus festival arrived, bursting with youthful energy and festive spirit.
The school building was decked with streamers and balloons. The field buzzed with stalls and crowds, the air thick with the scent of takoyaki, cotton candy, and the excitement and hormones of teenagers.
Amid this frenzied atmosphere, Dongfang Cheng, under relentless pressure from class leader Fengxiang Hong and homeroom teacher Mizuse Kazuha, had memorized the lines from the cringe-inducing, Mary-Sue-level script—A Thousand Blood-Red Roses at Dawn (Kirara’s Official V3.0).
Of course, he delivered them with a deadpan face, devoid of emotion.
What bugged him most these days wasn’t the script or the festival, but Lin Feng.
He talked less, his gaze grew heavier, his energy seemed drained. Dongfang Cheng’s gut told him something was off with his friend.
On the day of the festival, the sun shone clear.
In the VIP ward of Duhuang City’s First General Hospital, Tao Gong Qi sat by the window, gazing at the pristine sky. She scrolled through photos and voice messages from classmates, itching to move. “Sis, I’m craving the crepe from that shop across the street—strawberry with double cream. Can you grab one for me?” she whined, tugging at Tao Gong An’s arm with a sweet pout.
Tao Gong An smiled helplessly, tapping her sister’s forehead. “You and your sweet tooth, when your leg’s not even fully healed.”
“Hmph, it’s just a little hurt, not broken! I can walk fine. Even if I limp, I could queue up myself!” Tao Gong Qi pouted stubbornly.
“Alright, alright, I’ll go. Stay put and don’t wander off.”
“Got it!”
Watching her sister wheel out of the hospital from the window, Tao Gong Qi’s obedient smile vanished. She swiftly pulled a spare crutch from under the bed, limping but moving with surprising agility as she slipped out of the ward, heading straight for the academy.
No way was she missing the annual campus festival!
Saint Flower Saint Love Academy had transformed into a carnival wonderland.
Haunted houses, maid cafés, goldfish scooping, shooting games, runway shows… even the faculty joined in. Each class pulled out all the stops, and a tide of students and visitors surged through the field and halls.
Tao Gong Qi, leaning on her crutch, wove through the crowd, watching couples stroll hand-in-hand with blissful smiles. As the pink magical girl embodying “love,” she felt genuine joy for them, her own lips curving into a smile. This was the beauty the world should have!
“Oh, isn’t that Tao Gong?” A gentle, magnetic voice sounded behind her.
She turned to see a tall, handsome man approaching with a smile—Teacher Dan, the new guy. She remembered Hoshino-senpai’s excited messages a few days ago:
[Kira☆Ro: Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi, huge news! Our class got a new math teacher, so hot it’s unfair! (Attached: a sneaky photo of Dan smiling at the podium)]
[Kira☆Ro: I’m telling you, Mr. Dan’s not just gorgeous, he’s SUPER gentle! His voice is to die for! I’ve decided—he’s the male lead for our class’s festival play. You HAVE to come watch!]
[Tao Gong Qi: Wow, he’s really handsome! Good luck, Hoshino-senpai! (cute bunny nodding emoji)]
Since she’d already tagged him as “Hoshino-senpai’s crush,” Tao Gong Qi wasn’t easily swayed by his deliberate charm like other girls meeting him for the first time. She just found him genuinely handsome and kind.
“Thanks for your concern, Teacher Dan. I’m much better. Are you checking out the festival too?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Dan’s eyes. This girl was so immune to his charm? An interesting woman.
But as a pure-love warrior, Tao Gong Qi had no interest in her senpai’s man.
“Of course, I’m here to support Class 2-4’s play.” Dan handed her a candied apple with a warm smile. “Our star, Hoshino, has been pouring her heart into it. The show’s about to start. Want to swing by backstage? I know a secret spot with a perfect view, no crowding.”
Tao Gong Qi’s big, pink eyes blinked, tempted, but after a moment’s hesitation, she shook her head gently, her tone apologetic.
“Thank you so much, Teacher Dan, but I want to visit my friends in the junior high section first. It’s been ages, and they’re probably worried about me.”
“I see, that’s a shame.” Dan’s face showed just the right amount of regret, without pressing further.
“Take care then, Tao Gong.”
“Thanks, Teacher Dan!” She smiled, hopping toward the junior high section on her crutch.
Meanwhile, on the third floor of the old school building.
The computer lab was dim, with only slivers of sunlight slipping through, illuminating dust motes in the air. A screen at the front was connected to a purple-gold flip phone, an “antique” decades out of style, crunching data at a scale most couldn’t fathom.
Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes locked on the main screen, waiting for the latest simulation results against “Lover’s” abilities.
Dealing with “Lover” alone was too tough. His heart-manipulating power was bad enough, and that exaggerated second ability…
If Lin Feng could act like the organization’s conscienceless maniacs, charging in with his Ashura armor and no regard for consequences, Dan wouldn’t be a huge problem. But good guys always had a gun to their heads, didn’t they? Not that he was exactly a good guy.
Lin Feng gave a self-mocking smile.
With restraints on his actions, his options were limited. Plus, he had to worry about the other magical girls at school. Leaving any clue that could expose his identity would be trouble.
He eyed the Ashura engine’s latest simulation data. It was better than before but still far from perfect. He shook his head, adjusting parameters and variables.
He had to find Lover’s weakness before it was too late.