Jiang Yingxiao paused and looked into the void, but she didn’t see that semi-transparent light sphere.
【Are you 076?】
【No, substitute mission system 000 at your service. Please complete the mission promptly, Player.】
The mechanical voice was calm and steady, as if completely devoid of emotion.
【Mission remaining time: 9 minutes 32 seconds.】
What a terrifying Game—even with the System down, she still had to complete the mission.
Jiang Yingxiao hesitated for a moment, her fair, delicate fingers clutching the heel of her shoe while her other hand rested on her ankle. With a gentle press, the small leather shoe fell to the ground.
The white cotton sock slid off her foot, and the girl curled her toes from the cold.
The partition of locker room number 3 next to her was being rubbed against even more fiercely. As if suddenly growing clever, he discovered a gap beneath the partition and slid his large hand through, stealthily reaching for the sock tossed aside.
His wheat-colored skin carried a restless heat, and as soon as he got hold of it, he grew excited, his fingers wandering wildly across the floor until they touched her cool ankle.
Jiang Yingxiao was startled by him and tugged her skirt, moving her foot aside.
Fortunately, the boy’s hand looked normal, not the terrifying shape of a ghost she had imagined.
Unconsciously, she projected the image of those foolish jocks from her past onto him, so her courage swelled. She picked up her shoe and smacked him with it, putting all her strength into each strike.
“Go away, go away. You’re not allowed to take my things.”
The mission really wasn’t so easy to complete—someone was even stealing her props.
The other person, hurt by the blows, panted heavily with hot breaths, trembling as he withdrew his hand. The young lady set down her shoe, pressed his hand, and tugged at the sock. “Give it back to me.”
The boy seemed to have learned his lesson and obediently let go, though he couldn’t resist grabbing one last time.
But the sock had already been cleverly stuffed into Jiang Yingxiao’s pocket by then. The clumsy sock thief only managed to brush against the girl’s soft, slender fingers before trembling and retreating.
Soon, deep, heavy breathing sounds came from the other side—muffled, as if someone was covering their mouth to let it out.
Did she really hurt him?
Back when she accidentally bumped her hand, she would blow on it to feel better.
“Are you in pain?” Jiang Yingxiao leaned close to the partition and asked softly, her voice tinged with regret.
She had been too impulsive just now. It was better to be careful.
After all, who knew if this strange Game had something like a resentment value? What if she angered him and he barged in to attack her?
The girl grew restless, as if she would naively blow on that dirty hand if he said yes.
【This Instance does not have value accumulation.】
A cold mechanical voice echoed in Jiang Yingxiao’s mind, and on the other side of the partition, that mischievous hand moved over, flattered by the attention.
Her courage surged again. Amid his eager, expectant sounds, she picked up her small leather shoe and smacked it down. “Who said you could steal my sock? Serves you right.”
【Mission remaining time: 6 minutes.】
That wretched sock thief had wasted her time for nothing.
Jiang Yingxiao slipped on her shoes and stood up unsteadily. After sitting for so long, her legs had gone a bit numb.
The old wooden sliding door slowly opened a narrow crack. Her round, lovely eyes pressed against it, scanning up and down. Seeing no one, she cautiously peeked out.
There shouldn’t be any danger. The priority now was to open the main door and complete the mission.
Suddenly, a chilly breeze swept across Jiang Yingxiao’s face. She held her breath and slowly turned her pale neck.
The blind spot within the cubicle now lay unobstructed before her eyes. The door swung inward, fully revealing the brightly lit corridor.
What? It was open?
A hand extended straight into the doorway, fingers probing into the room.
It was the man who had just died.
His neck craned upward, his dark pupils shrunken to tiny dots, his lips curling upward as he stared at her with a grin.
Jiang Yingxiao gasped, instinctively pulling her head back, but the half-opened door was forced open by brute strength.
The girl was dragged forward by momentum, stumbling out as the door behind her slammed shut with a loud thud.
A gaze as cold as a reptile’s pinned her in place. A hand, icy and chilling, gripped her wrist. Jiang Yingxiao turned her head, her mind blank.
The boy wore his uniform neatly, buttoned up to the top, the collar resting just below his Adam’s apple. Broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, his features were handsome.
His eyes were curved, yet they held no trace of warmth. Jiang Yingxiao felt a chill run through her entire body.
[Stuff the socks into his mouth.]
A mechanical voice reminded her in her ear.
[Mission time remaining: 5 minutes and 5 seconds.]
The girl’s round, cat-like eyes stared straight at him, fear seeming to overflow from their depths. Her lips parted slightly, her moist, pink tongue resting inside her mouth.
A sweet, cloying fragrance wafted from her, enticing one to lean closer and breathe it in.
“Unauthorized entry into the opposite gender’s locker room. Severe violation. Deduct 50 points.”
Yu Chi’s voice was icy as his gaze swept over her, settling on her sockless feet. Her slender, pale ankles bore several red marks, as if bitten by some dog.
His brow furrowed, his tone indifferent. “Improper attire. Severe violation. Deduct another 50 points.”
“Your Usual Score for this semester is now zero. Sign here.” He handed the notebook to Jiang Yingxiao, who took it with trembling hands.
This is it. If the Usual Score drops below 40, you die. With zero points, wouldn’t she die even more horribly?
Yu Chi’s eyes narrowed slightly. The girl in his sight was drawing three circles on the paper, diligently coloring them in, with no intention of signing.
…Her fingers holding the pen looked like congealed cream.
White and tender, they flushed pink at the slightest pressure.
Utterly lacking in survival skills. If he hadn’t arrived earlier, she’d likely have been devoured by some other ghost.
Outside the door, the corpse lay on the floor, dragging itself forward inch by inch, its clothes scraping against the ground like a mop.
Jiang Yingxiao’s ears perked up, and she snapped the notebook shut with a “thud.”
“Chase him away first. I’ll write after you chase him away.”
Instinctively, the girl hid behind the person who seemed safer in this environment, tugging at the corner of his clothes without letting go. Her voice trembled terribly, yet her tone was commanding.
The scraping sound on the floor grew closer. Too afraid to open her eyes, she slid her hand down to grasp his, terrified he might run away.
So much for being afraid of him just moments ago.
Her warm palm tugged at his little finger. The boy tensed instantly at her touch, his expression unyielding. “Why should I help you?”
Jiang Yingxiao was stumped.
One was a horror Game NPC, the other a Player. It would be a miracle if he didn’t push her into the fire.
“I,” the girl seemed to summon every brain cell she had, her voice growing firmer, “am the young mistress. You must obey me.”
“Fine,” Yu Chi chuckled softly, emphasizing the words, “young mistress.”
Even though she was clearly terrified, she still tried to throw her weight around because of her status, like a little kitten.
The corpse shifted its posture, scrambling backward on its hands and feet, inevitably turning into a pool of blood halfway, spilling messily across the floor.
Before Jiang Yingxiao could relax, another sound echoed through the hallway—squelching footsteps, as if someone were wearing waterlogged shoes.
Why was there another one?
Like an ostrich, she buried her head back into the boy’s slender back, her view now limited to the dark blue uniform jacket.
“There’s another one, hurry up.”
The boy in front felt his jacket hem being tugged twice, and his fingers were squeezed.
“How many times do I have to say it? No playing with water in the locker room!” The door was knocked twice with something metallic, and the janitor entered, dragging a mop with an impatient expression as he wiped the floor.
Under the light, the boy’s shadow trembled slightly, as if shivering.
The man’s crouching motion suddenly stopped, his head jerking upward. His blood-red mouth opened and closed as he said, “Minister Yu, behind you… there wouldn’t happen to be a girl, would there?”
Though the words were directed at the boy, his gaze seemed to pierce through the barrier, seeing right through Jiang Yingxiao.
The girl scratched lightly in Yu Chi’s palm, her breathing unsteady.
The janitor moved forward with the mop, his grin widening until it nearly reached his ears, revealing two rows of stark white teeth.
“Girls aren’t allowed in the boys’ locker room. Minister Yu, you can’t play favorites.”
“How could that be?” The boy’s large hand clamped down on the restless one, as if about to toss her aside. “I treat all students equally.”
The breathing behind him grew heavier, the warm body pressing closer against his back, her fingers trying to slip free from his grasp.
Hearing this, the man with the twisted body grinned even wider, leaning on the mop as he slowly approached, nostrils flaring as he sniffed hard.
“However,” Yu Chi spoke again just before the man got too close, “there really isn’t anyone here.”
The girl behind him gradually steadied her breathing.
The janitor’s mouth closed unpleasantly, his eyes darting around. After a moment, he took a step back. “It better be true.”
The bloodstains on the floor were wiped carelessly, and he left several large footprints as he followed the man’s steps, disappearing down the hallway.
Squelch, squelch.
The sound of waterlogged shoes gradually faded, and the surroundings finally fell silent.
The girl squinted as she peeked out from behind the boy, leaning against the wall with her mouth open, panting softly. Her soft, rosy tongue peeked out, releasing little puffs of warm air.
Yu Chi pulled the notebook from Jiang Yingxiao’s embrace, his brow slightly furrowed. “You really don’t know who I am?”
[Mission Time Remaining: 2 minutes.]
Jiang Yingxiao’s pupils lost focus, her pink-white fingers still clasped in his palm, yet she instinctively put on a bold front. “I don’t know. How would I have time to know?”
She had only been here for less than an hour—how could she possibly know so much information? If he knew what was good for him, he should introduce himself.
The boy was stunned for a moment, then gently brushed her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
The girl’s beautiful face was exposed to the air, her dark lashes curled, her fair skin marked with tear stains, as if she had been made to cry by someone in this cramped cubicle.
“I’m Yu Chi,” his cool voice whispered in her ear, “your husband.”
…Husband?
The System never told her that.
[Mission Time Remaining: 1 minute.]
Yu Chi lowered his eyelids, his cold gaze falling on the girl’s pink-and-white ankles, which were bare. “So, baby, tell your husband, where did your socks go?”
Dogs with decent looks outside could easily charm innocent young girls, coaxing them into willingly taking off their socks and offering the scenery beneath that small piece of fabric into their mouths.
Jiang Yingxiao blinked.
Marriage alliances in the Aristocratic Academy should be quite normal, so it didn’t seem strange for her to have a husband. Since he was her husband, he probably wouldn’t blame her, right?
It was just that she felt too embarrassed to say the term out loud, so she simply called him by his name. “Yu Chi, come here and open your mouth.”
His name slipped from her moist, pink lips, intoxicating him. The boy instinctively opened his mouth, leaned down, and began fantasizing about unrealistic things.
Then, he was stuffed with a wad of white fabric.
“My socks are right here,” Jiang Yingxiao replied.
[Mission completed. Congratulations, Player Number 23411, you have earned 2000 Points.]
The boy’s originally pale face flushed pink, hot air puffing from his nostrils as if he were about to faint.
Really, it was sweet.
[System 076 at your service.]
A clear, mechanical voice replaced the previously cold and dull male tone, and a flood of Bullet Comments crashed into her mind.
[Finally back! [Donation: 10 Points]]
[What just happened? Does anyone have a recording?]
[The screen went black, zero people could see…]
[Baby, be good, Mommy gives you a kiss [Donation: 10 Points]]
[Darling, I’ll never resent other men again, please come back [Donation: 10 Points]]
The Bullet Comments fell silent for a moment upon seeing the wad of white fabric stuffed into the man’s mouth, then erupted in disbelief.
[Ahhh! Yu Chi, what did you do to my darling?!]
[Baby, what are you rewarding him with?]
[Socks? I thought it was… never mind, I’m being a bit inappropriate, I’ll leave now.]
[? 666, there’s a second level?]