Chapter 80: The Unified Exam and a Lingering Gaze

Today, the students’ most anticipated class was the homeroom meeting. If one were to ask why, the moment Zheng Yuxin strode into the classroom, clad in a sharp outfit, her high ponytail swaying, and high heels clicking, any lingering doubts would instantly dissipate.

Despite her youthful, almost naive features, a testament to her being a fresh-faced teacher, her figure possessed an undeniable allure.

The combination of these two elements exuded a charm potent enough to send the adolescent boys’ hearts fluttering wildly.

Moreover, Zheng Yuxin was typically gentle in her interactions, even with the most mischievous students.

She could calmly converse with them, a demeanor that evoked a comforting, maternal warmth in the boys.

Whenever she entered the classroom and saw the students seated so properly, Zheng Yuxin couldn’t help but feel she was quite suited to teaching.

To be able to command the entire class at such a young age—her future was surely destined for great heights!

Stepping onto the podium, Zheng Yuxin turned her back to the students and inscribed the day’s homeroom theme:

Exam Review.

Dropping the chalk, she gestured towards the gracefully written large characters on the blackboard.

“As the topic suggests, today we will discuss—the summary of the January monthly exam results.”

At her words, a slight commotion rippled through the classroom, but Zheng Yuxin firmly slammed the podium.

This action immediately quelled the noise.

“At the end of this month, which is to say, next week, we will be having our unified exams.”

Another wave of unrest followed, only to be swiftly suppressed by her.

“I know you’ve just finished one exam and are still weary, but you must rally your spirits. The true battle is only just beginning!”

Zheng Yuxin’s tone was solemn as her gaze swept across every student, ensuring that each one was paying attention.

“We teachers are fighting on the front lines with you. After your monthly exams, I’ve been busy until past midnight every day, all to release your results as soon as possible, so you can have a clearer direction for your efforts in the days to come.”

As she spoke of the results, Zheng Yuxin’s expression grew even graver, and her voice rose in volume.

Though the students below the podium appeared attentive, each harbored their own private thoughts.

Mo Qiu, for instance, rested her chin on her hand, her dark, lustrous hair cascading down. Finding the lecture utterly dull, she felt herself on the verge of drifting off.

Even if Zheng Yuxin lectured with the fervor of a Red Square military parade, complete with a bearded army, the students were hardly soldiers preparing for battle.

Any significant exam, no matter how serious—even one likened to the college entrance exam—held no particular importance for Mo Qiu.

Mo Qiu attended school solely for the sake of her elaborate deception. For the college entrance exam, she could either vanish for three days or easily score high enough to attend the same university as Bai Chen.

“Teacher Zheng is spouting nonsense again.”

“Why does she always act like an eighty-year-old teacher?”

The two boys seated beside Mo Qiu couldn’t resist whispering to each other.

“If only her personality were as gentle as her face.”

“No, no, no, I think being as fiery as her figure wouldn’t be so bad. It would still be a thousand times better than her nagging personality.”

“Thwack!”

A piece of chalk, flung from the podium, precisely struck one of their foreheads.

The boy nearly tumbled from his seat.

“You two over there, what secrets are you whispering? This is class time!”

The two boys, chastened by Zheng Yuxin, promptly shut their mouths. If they truly provoked her, even the gentle goddess would transform into a ferocious tigress.

Mo Qiu shifted her unamused gaze, resuming the task of jotting down her plans in her scratchpad.

‘Elia’s activity had decreased, and the Mysterious Person was nowhere to be found… It couldn’t possibly mean that peace was truly on its way, could it?’

Mo Qiu had already conducted experiments, confirming that history couldn’t perfectly replicate the previous life.

Some things could indeed be altered.

‘In her previous life, she hadn’t appeared in Fengling City, but this time…’

Recalling the “good deeds” she had wrought over the past two months, Fengling City’s demon forces had suffered a significant blow, yet even with their cadres arriving, she had made no waves.

‘Could it be that the catastrophic end of Fengling City would not come to pass?’

Snap!

The mechanical pencil in Mo Qiu’s hand snapped. She stared at the broken pieces on the paper, then casually brushed them away.

‘No, that was absolutely unacceptable.’

Mo Qiu’s plans included the drama of Bai Chen saving Fengling City. This was his initial step onto the stage as a heroic savior! Only by binding him with the word “responsibility” could she ensure he wouldn’t be able to retreat unscathed.

At this thought, the young girl ran her tongue over her dry lips.

‘If no one else will be the villain, then I shall. Heroes always require a villain to highlight their greatness.’

The mere thought of Bai Chen one day discovering the truth, transforming into a self-destructive, emotionless demon slayer, caused Mo Qiu’s eyelids to narrow slightly, and a faint blush to creep across her cheeks.

Beneath the desk, her black-clad thighs pressed tightly together, rubbing with a soft rustle.

‘No, stop. This was a classroom, after all.’

To divert her attention, Mo Qiu glanced towards Bai Chen. He maintained his usual posture.

The naive young virgin was always oblivious to threats from behind, completely unaware that the girl who might become his villain was currently fixated on him.

Although she saw Bai Chen almost daily, Mo Qiu noticed that his physique… seemed a little more robust than before?

Bai Chen had always been the type to appear slender in clothes, yet as she observed his back, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he had grown stronger?

‘Was it merely an illusion, or had she simply not paid enough attention before?’

Just as the young girl craned her neck, preparing to observe him more closely, Bai Chen suddenly turned his head, his gaze meeting hers.

His eyes held less confusion than they did wariness.

Mo Qiu froze.

****

As Zheng Yuxin once again loudly announced the names of the most improved students from the recent exam, Bai Chen couldn’t help but sigh.

He was, after all, fundamentally different from those students basking in applause. When would he ever receive an improvement award?

‘It’s not as if I could run to the office and hug the teacher, saying, “Teacher, I desperately want to improve!”’

Stretching his neck, he peered at Old Zhu’s test paper in front of him. While Old Zhu’s progress was not immense, it was steady and consistent.

He had also seen Mo Qiu’s scores, which remained consistently excellent.

‘Only he seemed to be regressing.’

‘Bai Chen, oh, Bai Chen, you can’t go on like this. Since you have no intention of becoming a full-time demon hunter, you ought to focus on your studies!’

Gazing at the numerous conspicuous red crosses littering his test paper, he couldn’t help but sigh once more.

He recalled how he had boasted to Mo Qiu before the exam, only to perform so miserably.

Fortunately, her eyes were like a dead fish’s, devoid of expression. Otherwise, if Bai Chen had seen her pitying gaze, he would have wished to end himself.

‘I’ve always been the one to care for her; how can I let her worry about me? After all, I am a man!’

Just then, Bai Chen suddenly felt a prickling gaze on his back, and his entire being grew alert.

His previously languid posture straightened, and the palm of the hand clutching his pen began to sweat.

‘Hold on, this is a classroom. Why is there a hostile gaze?’

‘Have demons infiltrated the student body?’

Bai Chen’s expression was grave, though his tightly furrowed brow soon relaxed.

This situation, he recalled, had occurred once before.

He slowly turned his head, directly meeting that gaze.

He saw lifeless eyes, belonging to the reclusive girl seated in the corner, staring directly at him. She resembled a silent sunshine doll, utterly still.

‘Why does Mo Qiu always stare at me during class?’

Even after being discovered, Bai Chen noticed she didn’t avert her gaze; instead, she continued to hold his stare.

Beyond his initial wariness and suspicion, Bai Chen now felt a sense of impending doom. If Zheng Yuxin caught them in the act, Mo Qiu’s standing in the class would only deteriorate further.

Bai Chen forced himself to turn towards the student behind him, asking with a strained smile:

“Excuse me, do you have an eraser?”

The classmate looked utterly bewildered but still lent him one.

Bai Chen turned back towards the podium, and the gaze from behind him receded.

He exhaled in relief, yet the wariness in his mind did not dissipate.

Bai Chen had kept the events of last weekend firmly in mind, even going so far as to make notes about them upon his return.

If there was any anomaly, it might have been the mysterious patch in his pocket. However, Mo Qiu’s appearance on the street was truly baffling to Bai Chen.

From entering the illusion to exiting it, the time elapsed was very short. How did Mo Qiu manage to return home with freshly bought groceries during that brief period, and then claim she had slept all afternoon?

If she was lying, why would she do such a thing? It couldn’t possibly be because she worried Bai Chen wouldn’t eat stale vegetables.

Could it be that she was truly hiding some unspeakable secret?

He recalled that his first encounter with Mo Qiu was when he inadvertently saved her life.

He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, simply disliking those delinquents.

Afterward, she had clung to him, and Mo Qiu’s displayed enthusiasm was truly…

Upon closer reflection, she possessed numerous enigmatic qualities. Even after two months of acquaintance, Bai Chen still felt she was like a bottomless whirlpool.

‘What if Mo Qiu is an enemy?’

This thought resurfaced in his mind, and Bai Chen clenched his fist.

The homeroom meeting concluded, just as it was time for lunch break.

“Old Bai, going to play ball or no—”

As Old Zhu turned around, Bai Chen already rose and walked towards Mo Qiu.

Just as she had anticipated, Mo Qiu looked up before he could even greet her, as if she had sensed his arrival long ago.

This behavior was somewhat suspicious… but Mo Qiu was just a sensitive person.

Bai Chen reassured himself, then grinned as he greeted her:

“Mo Qiu, how did you do on your exam?”

“Alright.”

“Is that so? Good luck next time.”

“You too.”

Then came silence, a long silence. Mo Qiu pulled out her novel and began reading it for the fifth time.

‘Awkward again. Why is it awkward again?’

Considering he was there to test her, Bai Chen didn’t know what to say.

He couldn’t just directly ask: ‘Are you my enemy?’

‘She’d probably think I was crazy.’

Seeing the test paper on Mo Qiu’s desk, Bai Chen had an idea and spoke:

“Last weekend’s review…”

“It was regrettable.”

“The unified exams are next week, so… how about we go over the test paper?”

“Alright.”

Mo Qiu put down the red novel in her hand and picked up a red pen.

Bai Chen, meanwhile, turned and darted back to his seat, grabbing his test paper and rushing back.

“Old Bai, are you really busy—”

Old Zhu only felt a gust of wind blow past him.

Bai Chen wouldn’t miss this excellent opportunity; if this issue wasn’t resolved, he probably wouldn’t even be able to sleep well.

Just as he approached Mo Qiu’s seat, another person suddenly cut in front of him:

“Mo Qiu, aren’t you going to eat now?”

“That’s good then. Lunch break is so long, let’s go over the mistakes on your test paper. Don’t worry, I got all of these right.”

Bai Chen stopped, tilting his head to observe the four-eyed boy:

“Who are you?”