Chapter 8: A Moment of Vulnerability

A gentle breeze ruffled her peach-pink short hair. Her slender figure, clad in a school uniform, was huddled silently in a corner of the rooftop.

Hearing the door open, Qichuan Feng’s tightly coiled body flinched. She instinctively looked up, revealing a startled expression.

“Uh…”

Bai Yuliang was quite surprised; it was the first time he had seen such an expression on her face.

Previously, Qichuan Feng had always carried herself with an air of haughty arrogance, as if everything came effortlessly to her.

Even since the ‘death assignments’ began, not a trace of panic had ever marred her face; she had maintained her usual composure since enrollment.

But now, her pale face, swollen eyelids, distinct tear tracks, and bewildered expression all revealed a different side to the young girl.

She was scared.

“You…” Qichuan Feng quickly buried her head again. After a moment, she spoke in a thoroughly displeased tone, “How dare a commoner like you be here!?”

Bai Yuliang chuckled. “Would you believe me if I said I came here for lunch?”

“Wasn’t the rooftop door locked?”

“I just happened to open it.”

“You—”

Bai Yuliang could almost hear her grinding her teeth in frustration, yet she did nothing more than that, remaining still for a long while.

He glanced at the time, noting that lunch break was almost over. He decided to ignore everything else and simply fill his stomach first.

Coincidentally, he sat down right beside Qichuan Feng, cross-legged on the ground.

He turned his head to observe, finding the young girl still curled up on the ground, her head buried between her knees, resembling a perfectly round little ball.

However, he didn’t see her lunchbox.

Bai Yuliang remembered she had a pink lunchbox adorned with a My Melody design. Her cutlery was also pink, making her as adorable as her belongings.

‘Did you eat?’

Of course, Bai Yuliang wouldn’t ask that, or rather, it would be useless to ask. While he genuinely wanted to show concern for the young girl’s well-being, a quick analysis of the situation told him that speaking up now wouldn’t be a good idea.

It seemed this young girl had sought out a secluded corner to vent her emotions for some reason, only to be accidentally discovered by him.

The usually arrogant girl would absolutely not want anyone to see her in such a state. She was likely still trying to compose herself.

If he were to ask questions or offer comfort, she would most likely dismiss him with a cold sneer or retort with sarcasm.

In anime, the male protagonist might use various gentle methods to win over a girl.

But reality…

It was a far cry from animated plots.

So, Bai Yuliang decided to pretend nothing was amiss, focusing on his meal and making audibly delicious sounds.

His lunch today was spicy chicken rice made by his dad. He wasn’t sure if it was because too many chilies were added, but it made his eyes water profusely, causing him to frequently gasp.

“Ugh—”

Qichuan Feng, who had been silent until now, seemed to be irritated by the noise.

“Hey, you commoner…” She couldn’t help but lower her voice. “Are you a pig? Can’t you even eat gracefully? Your chewing is deafening!”

“Hiss~ My dad must have added ghost peppers, cough, cough, cough…” Bai Yuliang said, his eyes watering. “Do you think I want this? I’m crying more than you are right now!”

“Eh?”

At his words, Qichuan Feng, who had kept her head down, couldn’t help but lift her small head to peer at Bai Yuliang.

Bai Yuliang seized the opportunity to observe the young girl. He had to admit that while Qichuan Feng was indeed a bit arrogant in her daily life, her appearance was impeccably cute.

Even after crying, her cheeks remained soft and rosy, adding an extra layer of vulnerability that stirred a protective instinct.

He actually wanted to offer some comforting words, but his rationality told him that given their current relationship, no matter how sincere his comfort, it would likely be perceived as mockery by her.

Just as he was lost in thought, Qichuan Feng suddenly leaned closer.

This sudden proximity felt like a heavy drumbeat in his heart. The fragrance from her hair even drifted into his nostrils, smelling wonderful.

But before he could react, Qichuan Feng nonchalantly reached into his lunchbox, pulled out a chili, and popped it into her mouth to chew.

“Hey, you can’t eat that—”

“Mmph—”

Qichuan Feng’s face quickly contorted into an expression of profound doubt, as if wondering how anything in the world could be so spicy. Her body instinctively wanted to spit out the contents of her mouth.

However, she quickly covered her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut, forcibly suppressing the urge to spit, and held the chili in her mouth for a good while.

Bai Yuliang didn’t understand what she was trying to do; he even forgot about his own lunch.

A minute later, Qichuan Feng was teary-eyed from the spice. Only then did she take out a tissue, elegantly spit out the chili, and dispose of it.

“Hmph…”

She then took out another tissue, wiped her tear-streaked eyes and nose, and stood up.

“You trashy commoner…”

She stared at Bai Yuliang, speaking in a warning tone.

“You’d better forget everything you saw here this lunchtime, or else…”

“Or else what?”

“Hmph…”

Qichuan Feng suddenly let out a cold laugh, then grabbed Bai Yuliang’s hand and pressed it against her chest, simultaneously feigning an expression of terror and distress.

This…

While Bai Yuliang was still bewildered, her phone clicked, capturing a photo.

“Hmph… Evidence collected. If I send this out, you’ll be expelled directly, or even thrown into prison, hehehe…” Having done all this, Qichuan Feng offered a lukewarm smile and turned to leave.

****

When Bai Yuliang returned to the classroom, he found Qichuan Feng surrounded by a circle of her close friends.

“Eh? Feng-chan, your eyes look a little red? Did you cry just now?”

“How could I?” Qichuan Feng said indifferently. “It’s just that my bento today had too much spice, and it made me uncomfortable.”

“Oh, I see. I thought Feng-chan was sad about this terrible assignment, just like me…”

“Yeah, I’ve cried several times since yesterday…”

“Feng-chan is truly an elite of the Qichuan family, just like your older sister.”

“Of course.”

Qichuan Feng maintained her composure as always. However, Bai Yuliang couldn’t shake the feeling that her expression seemed slightly unnatural when her sister was mentioned.

“Hey, Yuliang-kun.” Nishionji Mitsuki turned to speak to Bai Yuliang as usual. “Look at Keita, he’s already back.”

“Yeah, I see him, but why does he look so relaxed?” Bai Yuliang asked, puzzled.

“Sigh, because Teacher Takeda came to the classroom again just now…” Nishionji Mitsuki said helplessly. “We thought Teacher Takeda would severely reprimand Keita, but it seems she’s forgotten everything now, despite being humiliated by Keita earlier.”

“Huh?” Bai Yuliang exclaimed in surprise. “She… doesn’t remember anything?”

“That’s right, she even… greeted Keita!” Nishionji Mitsuki said, filled with worry. “Don’t you think that’s terrifying? Teacher Takeda lost her memory so quickly after Keita completed his task, and this time it was just a small matter. If the next task is even more extreme…”

Nishionji Mitsuki didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear. This mysterious force, while compelling students to commit evil, also acted as a shield, protecting the perpetrators from punishment.

This was not a good thing, because apart from Bai Yuliang, everyone else around them were high school students in their adolescence. Their values were not yet fully formed, and their restless minds were highly susceptible to influence.

Unpunished wrongdoing would inevitably slowly corrupt their souls, eventually making them more twisted and increasingly insane.

Bai Yuliang harbored a faint suspicion that the upcoming tasks would become progressively more extreme…