Chapter 50: The Unintended Drenching

Back at school, I found myself inexplicably distracted.

Perhaps it stemmed from the earlier incident; a lingering sense of dread on one hand, and on the other, the matter concerning the senior student. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong with me; it just felt profoundly strange.

I sighed softly, forcing my attention back to the lecture. My classes were the most important thing right now; other matters could wait.

With my focus sharpened, time indeed flew by swiftly.

The class ended quickly, and though I had been quite energetic during it, once the bell rang, all my vitality seemed to drain away. This was the complete opposite of most people, who usually came alive after class. I was truly an anomaly.

However, just as I twisted open my water bottle, preparing to take a sip, a girl suddenly bumped into me. Whether it was intentional or not, I couldn’t tell.

Hiss! Oh no.

The bottle had been filled to the brim, and with the sudden impact, its entire contents cascaded over my head. Though the bottle wasn’t massive, it held a good 800 milliliters, instantly drenching my clothes.

Droplets trickled down my silver hair, pooling on the floor beneath me. Following the splash, the once bustling classroom fell into an abrupt, stunned silence.

“Mu Rong Luo Ye!”

“I’m fine.”

Hearing Huang Beifeng’s voice, I turned to reassure her, then fixed my gaze upon the girl who had bumped into me.

Yet, the expression on her face betrayed her, revealing that this was no accident. It was meticulously planned, an act of deliberate malice.

“My apologies. Some people just don’t watch where they’re going. Next time, be more careful, and perhaps drink your water when no one is around.”

The implication was clear: the fault lay entirely with me. She could bump into me without consequence, but my failure to see her coming was why I was drenched?

Hah, that had to be it.

Unbeknownst to Mu Rong Luo Ye, his eyes had slowly grown cold, their intensity utterly at odds with his usual demeanor.

“What exactly do you mean by that?!”

At her words, Huang Beifeng slammed her hand onto a desk, rising sharply to her feet.

“The literal meaning.”

“It’s merely a warning, and as for why, some people know full well in their hearts.”

“What’s your game? Are you targeting Mu Rong Luo Ye simply because he’s new?”

Huang Beifeng struggled to quell the fury simmering within her. She knew they were in school, where violence was out of the question; otherwise, with her martial arts training, she could easily subdue ten girls like that, let alone one.

“Hmph, interpret it however you wish. I’ll only say this: some people know exactly what they’ve done.” With that parting shot, the girl strode away, yet for some inexplicable reason, the other students in the class seemed to harbor a subtle fear of her.

“It’s alright, Huang Beifeng. Really, I just need to change my clothes.”

“Huh? Look at you! And that’s all you have to say? Mu Rong Luo Ye, you’re nothing like your old self. Weren’t you the most assertive one back then?”

“I remember in middle school, your parents were constantly called in for ‘upholding justice’ or some such reason. If you hadn’t always been at the top of your class, you would have been expelled long ago.”

“It’s not like I could just watch those hooligans bully people and do nothing! When I saw it, I had to step in, to save them. Who knew why, but every time I saved someone, it was twisted into an ‘off-campus brawl.’ It’s outrageous.”

He grumbled indignantly, then glanced back at Huang Beifeng. “And can you please stop bringing up my embarrassing past? That chuunibyou phase was truly mortifying.”

“So, is it because you’ve been feminized to some extent that you didn’t ‘A-rank’ them this time?”

“Nonsense. But I am rather curious about that person’s true motive. What ‘I know myself’? I’ve only been here a few days; how could I possibly know?”

‘Never mind that. I should hurry and change. These wet clothes clinging to me were utterly uncomfortable.’

Fortunately, the school uniform was a dark color, so it didn’t become transparent when wet. This spared me the worry of my gender being revealed.

However, just as Huang Beifeng and I stepped out of the classroom, intending to head to the changing room, the class bell suddenly rang.

“You two, class has started. Are you planning to skip?”