"Mr. Feng Yun?" Yan Chi felt uneasy under Feng Yun's gaze. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Just say it directly. Staring at him like that makes me uneasy.
Feng Yun: "...Nothing."
Clearly, Yan Chi knew nothing about his abilities or actions, but explaining it would be too complicated and would require a lot of talking.
Feng Yun thought for a moment and decided to call Xing Zhinan later to explain to Yan Chi.
Seeing that he was unwilling to elaborate, Yan Chi didn't press the matter.
Perhaps because it was Yan Chi's bedtime, he felt very tired, his eyelids drooping. He forced himself to walk to Ahui's side, placed his hand on her shoulder, and carefully checked her over. "Are you alright?"
Ahui had a few drops of blood on her face, which Yan Chi gently wiped away. Aside from that, Ahui was clean, even her braids were neat.
"I'm fine," Ahui thought for a moment, looking at Yan Chi. "Thank you, teacher."
Yan Chi instinctively assumed she was referring to wiping the blood from her face. He shook his head. "That's good."
Heaven knows how nervous he was when he heard the news that Ahui had gotten into a fight with a player, fearing she might be hurt. Seeing her safe and sound, Yan Chi finally relaxed.
"What happened? What happened?" A hurried footstep came from behind.
Yan Chi turned around and saw Song Qian rushing over, Zheng Yu following leisurely behind him.
Song Qian greeted Yan Chi first, then looked down and saw Yuan Manzhi lying dead on the ground. Feng Wang and the others looked grim, and Yan Chi was protecting a little girl in his arms. He knew something must have happened.
The player on the ground must have done something to anger Yan Chi and the others.
"Yan Chi, let me make this clear beforehand, I have absolutely no connection with this person," Song Qian hurriedly distanced himself from Yuan Manzhi, afraid Yan Chi would misunderstand.
Zheng Yu didn't even ask what Yuan Manzhi had done to deserve being killed. "Do you need us to clean up the body? The blood all over the corridor is unsightly."
Lu Yuanming recovered from his shock. Seeing Song Qian, his face became excited. He already knew Song Qian was in this instance, but seeing his idol, whom he'd been watching livestreams, in front of him still left him speechless with excitement.
Hearing his idol call an excessively beautiful NPC "Yan Chi," Lu Yuanming's mind exploded.
Yan Chi… a golden thigh…
Seeing Yan Chi, you have to cling to his thigh!
Lu Yuanming rushed to Yan Chi with lightning speed.
Xingluo only felt a gust of wind pass before his eyes. He quickly put away the half-written paper, secretly glanced at Yan Chi, and swiftly folded the paper, stuffing it into his pocket.
Lu Yuanming suddenly knelt on the ground, pounced forward, and hugged Yan Chi's leg, shouting loudly, "Yan Chi, waaaaah… I finally saw you, Yan Chi. I… I'll cling to your thigh, will you protect me?"
Perhaps still frightened from the previous encounter, Lu Yuanming cried loudly, tears streaming down his face. Anyone who didn't know better would think Yan Chi had done something to him.
"This… this player, calm down." Yan Chi tried to free his leg from Lu Yuanming's grasp.
"Okay, I'm calming down." Lu Yuanming loosened his grip for a second, then immediately hugged back, shaking his head desperately, "No, I need to cling to a powerful figure, I can't calm down!"
Damn it, this player really seems to have gone mad.
Shen Chang Le frowned and tried to pull Lu Yuanming away, "Let go!"
Lu Yuanming cried even harder, "Waaah, I won't let go, I won't let go..."
The viewers in Song Qian's livestream were particularly excited.
[Damn! Who is this guy? How dare he steal our Xiao Qian's thunder!? Pah! Shameless!]
[Xiao Qian, hurry up and cling to the other leg! I think that scoundrel Zheng Yu is eyeing it too, if you don't go soon you won't have a leg to cling to!]
Song Qian saw this comment, looked back, and sure enough, Zheng Yu was eagerly eyeing Yan Chi's other leg.
Zheng Yu raised an eyebrow. "You want to go? Fine, I'll let you have it, but you'll owe me a favor."
Song Qian: "...Owe you a favor, my foot!"
Suddenly, Yan Chi felt his leg loosen. Lu Yuanming lay unconscious on the ground. Shen Mingsu had appeared beside him at some point, looking at Lu Yuanming with disgust. He grabbed Lu Yuanming by the collar and threw him aside, almost hitting Xing Zhinan.
"Getting revenge on me?" Xing Zhinan waved at Yan Chi with a grin. "Congratulations, Teacher Chi."
Congratulations? Congratulations on what?
Yan Chi was puzzled and turned to look at Shen Mingsu.
Shen Mingsu looked like he had just taken a shower; he was still damp, his hair wet, and he had just casually wrapped a coat around his pajamas.
He crouched down and patted Yan Chi's trouser leg, lowering his eyes slightly to conceal the possessive and obsessive glint in them. When he looked up at Yan Chi, he wore a sweet, obedient smile. "Take a shower later when you get back."
Yan Chi inexplicably felt that Shen Mingsu was dangerous. He hummed in agreement, "I'll shower when we get back."
"Good boy." Shen Mingsu's hand tightly gripped Yan Chi's fair, slender leg. He stared at the slightly reddened flesh, then, as if burned, immediately released his grip.
Shen Mingsu stood up and scanned the crowd. Xingluo and the other four lowered their heads, secretly exchanging glances.
—The principal looks very angry now, but they clearly didn't do anything. It shouldn't have anything to do with them, right?
Shen Mingsu put his arm around Yan Chi's shoulder and looked at Feng Yun. "If there's nothing else, we'll be going now."
Feng Yun: "Let's go, I'll handle the rest."
Yan Chi was half-carried away by Shen Mingsu. He looked up at Shen Mingsu's tense jawline and gently shook his clothes. "Are you angry?"
Shen Mingsu: "...I'll tell you when we get back."
Yan Chi felt uneasy. After spending so much time together, this was the first time Shen Mingsu had shown anger in front of him. His mind was in turmoil on the way back, wondering how he had upset Shen Mingsu and how to appease him.
After entering the room, just as Yan Chi was about to apologize, Shen Mingsu pushed him to the bathroom door and found him new pajamas. "Go take a shower first."
Yan Chi: "..."
What should he do now that he was even more panicked?
He nervously finished his shower, opened the bathroom door, and saw Shen Mingsu sitting silently by the window, staring at the swirling snow outside.
"I...I'm done washing." Yan Chi took a deep breath and walked to Shen Mingsu's side. "I'm sorry, I was wrong just now. I shouldn't have pushed you away."
Shen Mingsu was taken aback. He took Yan Chi's hand, pulled him onto his lap, hugged him tightly, buried his face in Yan Chi's shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, "I'm not angry with you, I'm just very scared..."
"Scared of what?" Yan Chi asked, puzzled.
“I’m afraid you’ll follow in your father’s footsteps.” Shen Mingsu was silent for a moment. “Xiao Chi, didn’t you feel it? Your abilities have manifested.”
“My abilities?” Yan Chi inexplicably recalled Feng Yun’s strange gaze earlier, and the player’s sudden madness. His mind was a mess, and it took him a long time to sort out his thoughts. “Was it…was it me? I killed him?”
Shen Mingsu: “Yes.”
Yan Chi looked at his hands in disbelief. “How could this be? But I didn’t do anything. How could I have killed him?”
“You don’t need to do anything.” Shen Mingsu kissed his lips, telling him, “The world revolves around you, so you don’t need to do anything. Your thoughts will become the laws governing the world.”
Yan Chi’s eyes were blank. He slowly shook his head. “…I don’t understand.”
“Remember when I said your father’s name was Yan Qingyuan…” Shen Mingsu relayed Xing Zhinan's words to Yan Chi: "In the end, Yan Qingyuan completely distrusted everyone, including his friends. He believed that Xing Zhinan and Li Xian's kindness was something he had forced upon him..."
"So he broke down, even beginning to deny his own existence."
Shen Mingsu hugged Yan Chi tightly, terrified that Yan Chi would end up like Yan Qingyuan.
But after hearing his words, Yan Chi was stunned for a long time. "You must have misunderstood… I don't have the kind of ability you're talking about."
Yan Chi raised his beautiful amber eyes, looking at the uneasy Shen Mingsu, his voice gentle, "According to you, the world revolves around me, but that's not how it works."
"When I was little, I wanted many friends, but in the end, I only had Xie Tao. I wanted to get into the best university, but I missed the mark by one point on the college entrance exam. After graduation, I wanted a good job, but I ended up working at a shady tutoring institution, and I almost didn't even get my wages back…"
As Yan Chi spoke, he laughed at herself, "I'm so unlucky, so Shen Mingsu, the world doesn't revolve around me."
Shen Mingsu didn't speak this time, stroking his chin, scrutinizing Yan Chi.
Yan Chi: "That look in your eyes... do you suspect I'm sick?"
Shen Mingsu nodded seriously, but halfway through, he saw Yan Chi narrow his eyes dangerously and start struggling to get off him. He quickly explained, "No, no, I didn't mean to insult you."
Yan Chi was already very sleepy, but he still couldn't sleep, making him a little irritable. "Then what do you mean?"
Shen Mingsu: "Wait a minute, I'll go call Xing Zhinan."
He simply grabbed Yan Chi by the waist and picked him up. Startled, Yan Chi quickly hugged Shen Mingsu's neck and punched his shoulder. "You scared me to death!"
Shen Mingsu put him on the bed. There was a knock at the door. He opened it and brought Xing Zhinan to Yan Chi's side.
Yan Chi was shocked that Xing Zhinan had arrived so quickly. Had he teleported here?
"Yo, thanks for the buff, Teacher Xiaochi." Xing Zhinan's figure suddenly appeared in the doorway, then swiftly appeared in front of Yan Chi. "Thanks."
Yan Chi's eyes widened slightly, pointing at himself. "I helped you?"
"Yes, I don't have the ability to teleport, but I do now. It seems your ability's duration isn't very long."
Xing Zhinan spoke while stroking his chin, carefully examining Yan Chi, and nodded thoughtfully.
Under Xing Zhinan's gaze, Yan Chi felt a strange sense of shame, as if he had been stripped naked, causing him to shrink back uncomfortably.
Xing Zhinan gave Shen Mingsu a reassuring look. "Don't worry, his father isn't a completely irresponsible bastard. Judging from Teacher Xiaochi's current situation, his ability is suppressed. According to the player's level classification, it should be A-rank."
Shen Mingsu visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Xing Zhinan held up an empty water glass. "Teacher Xiaochi, imagine this is a glass full of water."
Yan Chi didn't understand, but he did as he said.
One second, two seconds… the glass remained unchanged.
Yan Chi sighed, "I told you, I don't have that ability you're talking about. You must be mistaken."
"No, we're not mistaken. But you have to genuinely believe there's water in the glass." Xing Zhinan patiently guided him. "Try it again."
Yan Chi looked at the empty glass, imagining it filled with hot water, steaming, the surface rippling gently…
Soon, the empty glass in Xing Zhinan's hand filled with hot water. A smile flashed in his eyes as he handed the glass to Yan Chi. "See, I wasn't wrong."
Yan Chi took the glass. The warmth of his palm constantly proclaimed his presence. He couldn't deny this scene; his feelings were incredibly complex.
Xing Zhinan: "Can you distinguish between your two changes? In other words, do you know how to control your ability?"
Yan Chi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. With Xing Zhinan's guidance, he naturally discovered his ability, as if a newborn baby was born knowing how to suckle.
However, the line between consciously altering the existence of an object with thought and simply thinking about it was too blurry. Yan Chi was worried he might make a mistake.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Xing Zhinan knew he had grasped the concept. He patted his shoulder with a sigh, "Your ability is indiscriminate and prone to losing control; you'd better use it sparingly. Otherwise, you'll end up like your father, acting crazy and paranoid all the time."
Yan Chi nodded, looking at Xing Zhinan. "Zhinan, are you close to my father?"
"Yes, we grew up together." Xing Zhinan lowered his eyes, a mocking smile on his face. "Me, your father, and Li Xian... I never thought I'd be the one left behind..."
Although Xing Zhinan still maintained his carefree, jovial demeanor, Yan Chi sensed an immense loneliness emanating from him.
Wait... he's his father's childhood friend?
Yan Chi had always considered Xing Zhinan a peer, but according to seniority, Zhinan is actually of his father's generation, while he is actually of Xingluo's generation?!
Yan Chi's feelings were complicated. He wanted to comfort Xing Zhinan, but a persistent drowsiness overwhelmed him. He drowsily closed his eyes, vaguely hearing Shen Mingsu's hushed voice.
"He's asleep."
"Yeah, he's gone."
...
Yan Chi slept straight until ten in the morning. Since his biological clock was set at 7:30, he had never slept this late.
Shen Mingsu had probably already gone to the "viewing room." After getting up and washing, Yan Chi went to the window. The snow was still falling heavily, a vast expanse of white. Several crimson flowers were buried under the snow, almost completely covered.
Yan Chi looked at the flowers, gently squeezed his hand, and a flower covered in snow appeared in his palm.
This ability was quite convenient. Yan Chi smiled, shook the snow off the petals, found a vase, and placed the flower inside.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Yan Chi glanced at Shen Mingsu, who had just entered, and pointed to the vase. "Is it pretty?"
"Yes, it's pretty." Shen Mingsu handed Yan Chi a small notepad. "This is about Xingluo and the others' rule violations last night."
Yan Chi opened the notepad, surprised. "They made players do their homework for them?"
"The one who clung to your leg yesterday did it." Mentioning this, Shen Mingsu became angry. "These players have no basic sense of distance. Just kill them all."
Yan Chi, noticing his obvious jealousy, smiled, knowing he was joking. Speaking of last night, he asked, "Nothing else happened last night, right?"
"One player died."
Yan Chi was shocked. "How did he die?"
"He was killed by the player next to him." Shen Mingsu, unfazed by such matters, reacted calmly, "Someone's trying to frame us, stirring up trouble. Looks like there'll be some excitement in the next few days."
Yan Chi, however, didn't see it as something to watch. "Won't Xingluo and the others get hurt...?"
"Sigh, our little teacher Chi," Shen Mingsu seemed helpless against Yan Chi's worrisome nature, "Your precious students aren't as fragile as you think, nor are they easily broken."
"Then what level are they?" Yan Chi asked curiously, "They're ranked, right? Yesterday, Zhinan said I was A-rank, so what level are the kids?"
Shen Mingsu: "S-rank."
A little taken aback, but Yan Chi persevered, "...And you?"
Shen Mingsu: "Super S-rank."
"...And Zhinan and Feng Yun?"
"Also Super S-rank."
Yan Chi slumped, his once expectant, sparkling eyes dimming. He turned away unhappily, pretending to admire the scenery, completely unconcerned.
In the end, it turned out he was the weakest.
A deep laugh sounded from behind Yan Chi. Shen Mingsu pulled Yan Chi into his arms, enjoying holding him tightly. "All things considered, our little teacher Yan Chi is only five months old. It's normal that he can't compare to them."
Yan Chi corrected him, "I'm 22 years old this year."
Shen Mingsu countered, "Are you human?"
Yan Chi suddenly realized, oh right, he wasn't human anymore.
Suddenly, he realized a very serious problem. He pursed his lips and asked Shen Mingsu very seriously, "Tell me the truth, how old are Feng Wang and the others?"
Shen Mingsu pondered for a moment, "A hundred or two hundred years old, I guess."
Yan Chi was dazed. So Xingluo wasn't joking when he said he was younger than them? Was he really the youngest teacher in the class?!
Shen Mingsu: "So, Teacher Xiao Chi, don't treat them like babies. There aren't babies that big."
Yan Chi thought about it and realized he couldn't do it. Even knowing they were several times his age, he would still subconsciously treat Xingluo and the others like children, worried they might get hurt.
"That's it!" Yan Chi had a flash of inspiration. "Since I was able to shut down that player's system space yesterday, could I shut down all players' system spaces?"
"Then I could stipulate that Xingluo and the others can't use their abilities, and players aren't allowed to do homework for others. That would be a fair and just exam."
The more Yan Chi thought about it, the better the idea seemed, but Shen Mingsu didn't quite agree. "Xing Zhinan told you to use your abilities less."
Yan Chi: "...I'll try to use them less, but let me try this time, okay?"
Shen Mingsu couldn't persuade him otherwise and could only nod in agreement.
A moment later, the castle was filled with the wails of players.
"Damn it! I can't open my system space! What happened? Can you check if you can open it?"
"Me neither! This has never happened before! Is the system malfunctioning?"
"Without system space, we can't even access our items! What are we going to do? How are we supposed to beat those NPCs?"
"It must be a problem with this dungeon! I knew it! I knew there were no safe dungeons! We're all going to die here..."
"..."
Since entering the Infinite Game, the system space had always been an indispensable part of the players' lives. Now that it had suddenly disappeared, the players were in a panic, as if they were about to die at any moment.
In the room, Feng Wang, who loved watching the excitement, was already standing at the door. Listening to the players' commotion, he relayed the news to his friends, his tone brimming with undisguised schadenfreude, "The players' system spaces have disappeared."
Li Huai and his three companions were all astonished. The system space was bound to the player, only detaching upon death. What had happened?
“Never mind them, we haven’t finished our homework yet.”
Xingluo, unconcerned, had already decided how to handle the homework. “We’ll call Song Qian and the others later. They’re veteran players; they’ll definitely know more about Lu Yuanming.”
“Yesterday, Lu Yuanming wrote for almost two hours and only managed five hundred words. I’m speechless.”
Ahui hit the nail on the head. “You were chatting with him the whole time.”
Xingluo defended himself. “I thought it would inspire him, but who knew he’d be such a talkative guy.”
Sigh, at least there are still five hundred words left.
Xingluo took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and was instantly dumbfounded. He stood up abruptly, examining the crumpled paper repeatedly, and exclaimed in shock, “Where are the words?!”
The paper was completely blank. The five hundred words were gone!
Xingluo's world had collapsed.
Whhhahah I knew itttt
ReplyDelete