When Mu Jing heard Xu Ge’s question, the drowsiness that had just been creeping over her quickly disappeared. She yawned and leaned her back fully against the chair.
A cool breeze swept through a small area around them. Centered on Xu Ge, the surrounding space maintained a comfortable temperature, like a room with air conditioning.
A big shot who had chosen to lie flat really knew how to enjoy life.
Mu Jing closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “Actually, she looked pretty similar to me. I was a bit healthier than her, so… a bit darker. But only slightly darker—just one shade darker. You… why are you laughing?!”
“I’m not laughing.” Xu Ge restrained himself and straightened his expression, though a trace of amusement still lingered in his eyes.
His youthful, somewhat inexperienced appearance mixed with a mature and steady temperament. The two blended together to form the Xu Ge of today.
Whenever he stood somewhere, no matter how many people were around him for comparison, everyone’s attention would unconsciously gravitate toward him.
Mu Jing stared at him for quite a while. Only when even Xu Ge began to feel somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze did she finally withdraw her eyes.
“Forget it. Laugh if you want. I can’t go back anyway. By the way, why did you ask me that? Curious?”
“Just asking casually.” Xu Ge stood up and moved his shoulders slightly.
Just as Mu Jing thought he had grown bored and was about to join the battle and show off his skills, Xu Ge simply said two words.
“Eat.”
“??? Wait—you’re going to eat already?” Mu Jing quickly stood up as well. She moved closer to Xu Ge before she could feel the refreshing coolness again.
“I’m just saying—your ‘air conditioner’ should be able to cover a bigger area, right?”
“Yeah. Covering the whole school wouldn’t be a problem.”
“…I thought we were already friends.” Mu Jing glared at him with a wounded expression. “Yet you only keep yourself cool. And we’re even nominally boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Xu Ge bent slightly and pressed his forehead against Mu Jing’s forehead.
The sudden closeness made Mu Jing instinctively widen her eyes. Their gazes met. Her heart began to beat faster, and at the same time her face flushed with burning heat.
“If you’re not running a fever, then why are you talking nonsense? Is life stressing you out?” As expected, nothing pleasant ever came out of Xu Ge’s mouth.
In an instant, any hint of romance or pink bubbles shattered and disappeared.
A vein popped on Mu Jing’s forehead. She clenched her fists and squeezed out a few words through her teeth. “I don’t need that kind of concern from you.”
“Is that so?” Xu Ge straightened up. “Then let’s go. Today we’ll eat dumplings at Canteen No. 3.”
“You can go by yourself. I’m going to Canteen No. 4 to eat baked rice.” Mu Jing angrily stepped out of Xu Ge’s “air-conditioned zone.”
The moment she stepped outside, the hot air made her skin feel as though it were burning. The sunlight was dazzling, forcing her to squint just to see the road ahead.
Xu Ge tilted his head slightly while standing in place. He glanced at the ongoing simulated gun battle nearby and muttered, “…What’s so good about baked rice?”
Mu Jing walked away from the Training Ground without looking back. Seeing the brother value at –10, she asked, “System, did Xu Ge follow me?”
【No, Sister.】
“…Alright then. If he didn’t follow, forget it. Let’s go eat baked rice and ignore him.”
Mu Jing felt twisted inside like a knot. On one hand, she admitted she had expected Xu Ge to chase after her. But on the other hand, she clearly understood—why would Xu Ge chase her?
Xu Ge wasn’t some poor, down-and-out fool who would be grateful for a bit of kindness.
He lacked nothing and feared nothing. How could someone with no weaknesses be conquered? With a single glance he could see through everything she was thinking.
Too difficult. Mu Jing chose to lie flat.
【It’s too difficult. Let’s just muddle along. When the time comes for the Young Lady’s death in the original timeline, I’ll just submit the exam directly. By then, you can stay here if you want, or go back if you want.】
From the very beginning, the System had never struggled at all. It was even more inclined to lie flat than Mu Jing.
Mu Jing asked it, “Why do we have to wait until the death point to submit the exam?”
【Sigh. Even if we can’t pass, at least our attitude should look proper.】
“That makes sense.”
Mu Jing was convinced and even felt the System’s reasoning was quite reasonable. The mission was there regardless, and at the very least she needed the right mindset if she wanted to become brothers with Xu Ge.
Participation was what mattered. The result wasn’t important.
Having completely sorted out her thoughts, Mu Jing felt relaxed all over.
However, at that moment she suddenly heard a bang above her head, followed immediately by the sound of shattering glass.
…
Under the Teaching Building, broken glass scattered all over the ground. A window on the third floor had been shattered by a bullet fired from inside the room. Two freshmen wearing military training uniforms stood there staring at each other.
The signal device tied to one student’s arm lit up with a red light, indicating elimination.
They leaned out to look down. Fortunately, no one had been walking on the road below.
As for compensating for the broken glass, the school had already stated that any damage caused during Frenzy Operation would not be punished as long as it was reported.
【That was close, Sister. You almost died.】,
“Of course I know I almost died.” Mu Jing patted her chest, still shaken. “That scared me to death. You’re completely useless.”
【Because I detected Xu Ge’s ability fluctuation.】
That was right—Xu Ge again.
At the critical moment just now, Mu Jing’s vision had blurred. In the next second, she had appeared right in front of Xu Ge.
“I won’t even mention the life-saving favor. You clearly have no awareness of repaying it anyway.”
Xu Ge sighed coldly and walked past Mu Jing toward the Canteen. “Good deeds never get rewarded.”
Mu Jing: …
“If you just spoke to me a little more kindly, I definitely wouldn’t get angry,” Mu Jing said as she hurried to catch up with him.
But Xu Ge, relying on his long legs, also quickened his pace.
He was doing it on purpose—deliberately inviting a beating and deliberately provoking her.
“Xu Ge!”
The person in front finally stopped. When he turned around, he made a gesture for silence.
“Lower your voice. You don’t need to remind everyone every day that I’m your boyfriend.”
“If I could beat you in a fight, I’d really give you two punches.” Mu Jing ran forward to catch up. After only a dozen steps, her breathing already became difficult.
A thin layer of sweat dampened the stray hair on her forehead. She raised her hand to tidy it casually, which only made it even messier.
Xu Ge’s gaze moved downward and landed on her slightly parted lips.
“Let’s go. Weren’t you going to eat baked rice?” He looked away and pushed the surrounding heat farther away.
A cool breeze drifted past.
Xu Ge raised his hand and tidied Mu Jing’s messy hair. His voice sounded very serious as he asked,
“When I talk to you, isn’t it already gentle enough?”
Mu Jing thought she had misheard. “Don’t you know you’re very sharp-tongued?”
Xu Ge raised an eyebrow. “Sharp-tongued?”
“Yes. What else would you call it? Every time you speak it’s like you’re choking people to death. Don’t tell me you’re not doing it on purpose.”
“Sharp-tongued… what does that mean?”
Right—she had forgotten that this antique didn’t understand modern slang.
Mu Jing took out her phone and showed him the definition of sharp-tongued, pointing at the screen.
“It means the things you say are really harsh and hurt people.”
For some reason, Xu Ge looked rather disappointed.