《Doomsday Leader Reborn As A High School Girl》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡±


    The sound of each breath grew heavier and heavier as countless shadows were seen closing in through the reflection of the lights.


    The sound of the explosion was so deafening and was followed by a wave of immense pain. Then, her eyes seemed to have been covered up by a red-colored filter, encompassing the entire sky.


    The sound of unfamiliar footsteps gradually crept closer; it was as if their footsteps were daggers piercing through the air.


    She turned her head but could only very vaguely see a figure slowly falling onto the ground.


    Su Junxin opened her eyes; her pupils fiercely contracted, and her reddish eyes had horror written in them.


    It took her a good few seconds before she was able to regain her composure. She shut her eyes and breathed heavily as she turned her head to glance at the alarm by her bedside.


    The second hand on the alarm clock clicked; it was still three minutes before six in the morning. Below the alarm clock was a row which showed the date.


    ¡¯30th August 2097.¡¯


    That was the third day since Su Junxin had been reborn.


    During the year 2100 of the Gregorian Calendar, the end of the world arrived. A zombie virus had been released, plunging the world as a whole into a crisis that no man had ever seen.


    However, she managed to survive out of sheer luck, climbing and crawling amongst a pile of zombies for ten years before finally becoming the leader of the world¡¯s largest safe zone, ¡°Cloud.¡± However, on the very day that they were celebrating, she had accidentally fallen into a time vortex, returning to three years before the end of the world arrived. At the same time, she had been reborn as a high school student who had the exact same name and face.


    After spending all that effort to become a leader, Su Junxin had been thrown more than ten years into the past to start over before she could even reap her rewards. Su Junxin felt both helpless and aggrieved; she had spent an entire day mentally preparing herself for what was happening. After making the tough decision to finally accept her current situation, her mind was instantly flooded by a huge wave of memories from her body¡¯s original host.


    Su Junxin was born without parents; hence, she had been raised in an orphanage since young; however, her body¡¯s original host had parents ¨C her mother had passed away from contracting a plague when she was young. On the other hand, her father had also passed away in an unfortunate accident four years ago. Hence, she was living with her stepmother and stepsister during that time.


    The pair of women were no saints; her stepmother, Liu Ya, had changed from being gentle and caring to a troublemaker the moment the original host¡¯s father passed away. In fact, her stepmother had chased her away to live down in the basement where it was dark and moldy while ordering her around like a slave. Her stepsister¡¯s name was originally Liu Yi, but she changed her surname to Su afterward. She was half a year younger than the original Su Junxin had a cute and fragile facade but was a cruel and evil-hearted b*tch on the inside. Su Yi had always been secretly bullying the original host, who was weak in the past, becoming even more threatening the moment the original host¡¯s father passed away.


    When Su Junxin found out about all this, she was immediately stunned.


    ¡®I¡¯ve actually landed myself in a real-life version of Cinderella?¡¯


    Fortunately, she managed to put her mind at ease very quickly.


    After all, she was a woman who had the strongest superpower, lightning ability, who was able to be the record holder for being able to massacre hundreds of zombies with one strike. Coupled with the fact that she had managed to become a leader at the end of the world, how could she possibly be Cinderella?


    Moreover, she now possessed a special partner.


    Su Junxin got up from bed; her index finger gently tapped on her right arm.


    ¡°Rightie, time to wake up.¡±


    A silver ball of light flashed through the surface of her skin after being touched, followed by a muffled voice in the air, sounding like a cajole.


    She was dumbfounded. ¡°If you don¡¯t get up, the sun¡¯s going to be shining right on your butt now.¡±


    Right after she said that, a small, semi-transparent tail gradually appeared on her fair and slender arm.


    Moments later, a silver dragon finally revealed its true form.


    It was no longer than a foot long, and its flexible and slender body was filled with silver scales. The tip of its head had a pair of short and blunt silvery-blue dragon horns while its two little front paws pushed against her as it opened its mouth to let out a loud yawn while its big gold eyes oozed some shiny liquid crystal.


    This little silver dragon had suddenly appeared after Su Junxin awakened her superpowers. Since it loved hanging around and resting by her right arm, she named it ¡°Rightie.¡±


    Rightie had been accompanying her for ten years during the apocalypse and had also been reborn with her.


    Su Junxin snickered and deliberately extended her finger into Righte¡¯s mouth, causing it to bite a few times as it closed its mouth. When it realized that it was nibbling on its master¡¯s finger, it hurriedly spat it out. Then, it stuck out its tongue and stared at her with its cute face as it made a wailing noise from its throat, probably expressing its discontentment.


    ¡°Today¡¯s the last day of the summer vacation, so I¡¯m guessing the mother-and-daughter pair is going to be coming back. This is going to be our first war since we were reborn, so we¡¯re going to have to make sure we¡¯re thoroughly prepared.¡±


    Su Junxin caressed its head and got up before opening the basement door to head upstairs. Then, she switched on the lights and turned on the heater before washing up.


    As the woman and dragon stood before the mirror, Su Junxin brushed her teeth while Rightie did the same by very familiarly curling its tail onto the children¡¯s toothbrush. It was not until its two pairs of canine teeth were white and shiny that it spat out a mouthful of water. Then, it closed its eyes and raised its head so that Su Junxin could use a damp cloth to wipe down its entire body before they were officially done washing up.


    After changing into the only set of sportswear in the closet, Su Junxin went out and jogged for three kilometers while the sun had yet to rise. Then, she bought her breakfast and sat in a garden nearby.


    During the end of the world, everywhere became wastelands and ruins ¨C the air and water were completely filled with rot. Compared to where they were during that time, the difference was literally heaven and hell.


    Su Junxin stretched out both her legs and laid them on the chair, revealing her fair and slender legs.


    Rightie had hidden itself in her sleeves and was munching away on a little piece of bread that it was holding onto. Suddenly, it stopped its movements and took a peek towards a direction, only to see a black sedan driving past in front of its eyes. After slanting its head and pondering for a bit, it hid back inside and continued munching on its bread.


    Inside the sedan, a young man who had very fair skin gradually retracted its gaze. Then, it lowered its eyes, and its pale red, thin lips curved into a smile.


    Beside him sat a brunette boy who seemed to be about seven or eight years old, his eyes glaring at him as he spoke in rather broken Mandarin.


    ¡°Uncle, you were here yesterday, and you¡¯re here again today. Is it to see that sister?¡±


    Qin You¡¯s side profile seemed cold. As he turned to glance at the little boy, there was a hint of warmth beneath his eyes as he let off a grunt as acknowledgment.


    The little boy immediately unfastened his seat belt and ran towards Qin You when he heard that. He snickered and squinted his eyes at him. ¡°If you like her, just go ahead and get her phone number to ask her out to play. Then, tell her you love her!¡±


    Qin You raised an eyebrow ever so slightly; his voice was clear but slow as he said with a faint smile, ¡°Where did you learn all these tricks?¡±


    ¡°Daddy said he wooed mommy like that!¡± The little boy boastfully raised his chest.


    Instantly, Qin You became rendered speechless. He held onto the little boy by his collar and guided him back into his seat. ¡°Sit properly and stop being loquacious.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s loquacious?¡± The little boy pouted his lips and mumbled as he said, ¡°Is that the same as kissing?¡±


    Qin You burst into laughter and bent his slender finger as he casually knocked on the little boy¡¯s head. ¡°Go home and ask your daddy.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡®According to my memories, this original host¡¯s father should have been a rather successful businessman while he was alive; he was probably pretty wealthy.


    ¡®After he passed away, he left behind a villa and a large sum of inheritance. The inheritance has been equally shared amongst the three women while the villa is supposed to be passed down solely to the original host.¡¯


    ¡®However, this original host¡¯s character was seriously too naive and weak; she was coaxed and cheated again and again. In fact, Liu Ya had actually taken away the inheritance and land titles that were originally meant for the original owner of this body with the excuse that she wasn¡¯t of age yet.¡¯


    When Su Junxin thought of the huge sum of inheritance, she unknowingly tightened her grip on her pencil as a hint of coldness flashed through her eyes.


    Just as she had expected, the moment afternoon arrived, a brand new car was parked by the entrance of her villa.


    Then, Liu Ya and Su Yi both got out of the car.


    Liu Ya entered the villa and subconsciously scanned her surroundings, retracting her gaze in satisfaction after seeing how squeaky clean the living room had been tidied up. Then, she turned around and entered the kitchen, instantly furrowing her eyebrows into a frown when she realized that the fridge was completely empty.


    ¡°Mom, is there something to eat? I¡¯m starving¡­¡±


    Su Yi begrudgingly entered the kitchen and was also shocked when she saw the scene before her as she growled, ¡°Mom, Su Junxin clearly knew that we were coming back today, yet she hasn¡¯t left us with anything to eat!¡±


    Liu Ya¡¯s face was dark as she kicked the fridge door shut before turning around to walk down to the basement, shouting loudly as she walked, ¡°Su Junxin! I¡¯ve only been gone for two months, yet you¡¯ve actually already forgotten about the rules. Were you waiting for me to cook for myself?!¡±


    When Liu Ya realized that there was no movement inside the house, she went back to pick up the basement key before heading back into the place. However, she realized that the door had actually been locked from the inside! Upon seeing that, her face immediately became even darker.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve grown some guts; you actually dare to even lock the door now!¡± She clenched her fist and banged on the door, causing some loud noises as she threatened, ¡°Su Junxin, I didn¡¯t raise you so that you can eat and live for free without doing anything in return. Don¡¯t you come out of that room unless you think you¡¯re capable enough!¡±


    Just as she said that, the sound of the lock turning could be heard from inside; the door opened slowly.


    When Liu Ya saw this, she could not help but curl up her lips as she thought to herself. ¡®So what if this little bird¡¯s wings have grown? She still has to open up the door like a good girl¡­¡¯


    However, very soon, the smile on her face disappeared when she saw that there were two people behind the door with their eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    One of the two people was a middle-aged woman in a blue T-shirt; she sized Liu Ya up once before expressionlessly bringing out her own identifications.


    ¡°Ms. Liu, am I correct? I¡¯m Director Zhang from the City Women¡¯s Federation. Someone has reported to us that you¡¯ve been torturing a child; please come in and have a chat with me.¡±


    Liu Ya was instantly startled. She took a look at Su Junxin, who was weeping, while seated inside the room. Her heart raced. Liu Ya knew immediately that things were not looking good for her at that moment. However, she could only turn her head and force a wry smile towards Director Zhang.


    ¡°This is all a misunderstanding; you mustn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Her sentence had been interrupted by Director Zhang, who had her eyebrows closely knitted into a frown, obviously a little impatient. ¡°I will only believe what I¡¯ve heard with my own ears and seen with my own eyes. I¡¯m sure you should be well aware whether all this is a misunderstanding or not.¡±


    The other middle-aged woman who stood behind Director Zhang looked at Liu Ya in disdain. When she saw that Liu Ya still wanted to argue with them, she relentlessly blasted, ¡°You and your biological daughter are living in such a massive house, yet you¡¯ve forced your stepdaughter to live in the basement alone. As a stepmother, you¡¯re a disgrace to all of us women!¡±


    Liu Ya had gone completely mute after being criticized and could only obediently follow behind Director Zhang to the living room.


    Su Junxin was just about to enjoy the good show before her when the woman who had scolded Liu Ya earlier turned to look at her. Hence, she hurriedly lowered her head and bent her body, putting on an extremely pitiful expression on her face as droplets of tears slid down from her cheeks.


    ¡°My goodness, look how much grief she¡¯s caused this child¡­¡± A slightly rough hand wiped the tears off Su Junxin¡¯s face with a piece of tissue while her other hand gently patted on her shoulders. ¡°My child, you mustn¡¯t cry anymore. Your stepmother is an evil woman who¡¯s doomed to be in hell sooner or later! Now that you have the City Women¡¯s Federation supporting you, you won¡¯t ever feel aggrieved in the future!!!¡±


    Su Junxin wept pitifully as she snorted her nose and raised her head. She muttered very softly as she said, ¡°Thank you, Auntie Niu¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re alright now. You¡¯ve told us so much just now; I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? I¡¯ll head out and buy you some food. You stay here and be a good girl. You mustn¡¯t think about doing anything silly, understand?¡±


    Su Junxin lowered her eyes to glance at the fake injury on her wrist and nodded her head.


    ¡°Sigh, such a good girl. She¡¯s so pretty and even has good grades; how did she end up with such a stepmother?¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice gradually became softer and softer as she walked away. Instantly, Su Junxin stopped putting on her pitiful expression and walked a few steps forward to close the door. Then, she laughed so hard as she slapped her thighs while her back was against the door.


    ¡°Rightie, did you see Liu Ya¡¯s expression when she was being scolded? She looked like she had just eaten a rotten egg! That was so funny!¡±


    Rightie revealed its true form after hearing what Su Junxin said and stood on her shoulders. Its two front paws held an almost empty bottle of eye drop as it opened its mouth to giggle softly.


    Su Junxin wiped away her actual tears of joy and fist-bumped Rightie¡¯s little paw.


    ¡°Congratulations to both of us for obtaining a complete victory over our first battle with the evil stepmother!¡±


    ¡­


    Director Zhang and Auntie Niu were teaching Liu Ya a ¡°lesson¡± the entire afternoon; both of them did not stop until the latter signed a letter of guarantee.


    Su Junxin had other plans and did not plan to live in that house for the long term. Moreover, her own room had long been renovated by Su Ya into the latter¡¯s own closet. Therefore, Su Junxin rejected Auntie Niu¡¯s offer to help her move upstairs. On top of that, Su Junxin even managed to make them sympathize with her even more such that Director Zhang only felt pity for her.


    That night, Su Junxin laid in bed after washing up and soon entered Dreamland.


    However, not too long after that, the basement¡¯s door handle suddenly turned and was slowly pushed open. Then, a black figure silently walked to Su Junxin¡¯s bedside.


    Liu Ya looked down at the balled-up figure on the bed from above, and her lips were tightly pursed with flames of anger burning in her eyes.


    The more she thought about it, the more Liu Ya felt that something was amiss. ¡®Although mistreating Su Junxin is a fact I cannot deny, I¡¯ve never openly done it to her, so how could the City Women¡¯s Federation possibly know about it? Moreover, the timing of their arrival was too coincidental. Su Junxin was the only person who could¡¯ve known that I was coming back today. This would all make sense if she had pre-planned this earlier and got me caught right in the act by the City Women¡¯s Federation¡­¡¯


    ¡®You little wench, how dare you plot such a scheme to get me humiliated!?¡¯


    As she thought about that, the flames of anger in Liu Ya¡¯s eyes burned even brighter. She lowered her eyes to glance at the needle that was in her hands and coldly snickered silently.


    ¡®I¡¯ve especially custom-made this needle to be extremely fine at its tip with a slight bend for a hook. This needle will hardly leave a bruise once it¡¯s poked into flesh, but it will definitely be a lot more painful than any ordinary needle.¡¯


    In the past, Liu Ya would use this needle to poke Su Junxin when she did not do a good job of her chores. Later on, if Su Junxin showed the slightest hint of being unfilial, Liu Ya would deliberately vent her anger at Su Junxin with it. During the first two years after Su Junxin¡¯s father had passed away, Su Junxin would be poked almost every day, so much so that both her arms swelled.


    Presently, Liu Ya had the sudden urge to reuse her previous methods again¡­


    However, before she could even lower her hand, Su Junxin suddenly turned around and got up from her bed to kick Liu Ya in the knee.


    Instantly, Liu Ya shrieked in pain and lost her balance; she fell to one side, unknowingly loosening her grip on the needle at the same time.


    Then, Su Junxin pounced on Liu Ya at lightning speed and pinned her onto the floor face down; her right arm was wrapped around Liu Ya¡¯s neck while her right hand gripped Liu Ya¡¯s left hand. Su Junxin ferociously exerted force on Liu Ya.


    Liu Ya was completely caught off guard after being kicked in the knee; not only did she bang her head on the floor, but her neck was now also being choked from behind. At that moment, she was both in pain and filled with anger and the urge to scream.


    However, the moment she opened her mouth, a piece of damp tablecloth was forcefully shoved into her mouth. What followed was a pungent stink rushing up towards her nose, causing her to gag and gurgle on the spot, almost fainting right away.


    Meanwhile, Su Junxin once again tightened her grip to force Liu Ya back to her senses before the former went close to Liu Ya¡¯s ear as she silently whispered with a snicker, ¡°I knew you were going to come, mom.¡±


    The moment Liu Ya heard the voice that sounded like a demon, her heart almost stopped, and cold shivers instantly traveled from the sole of her feet to her head as she froze up in fear. Thus, she began to struggle ferociously by attempting to pull Su Junxin¡¯s arm away with her fingers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s illegal to murder someone at the moment, so I definitely won¡¯t allow you to die¡­¡± Su Junxin¡¯s arm slowly relaxed, but she once again tightened her grip just as Liu Ya took a deep breath. ¡°That being said, if I don¡¯t get what I want, I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t do anything to you!¡±


    Then, there was the sound of a car honking from outside the house as a white headlamp suddenly flashed from the little window in the basement, lighting up the scene in the basement. Liu Ya could clearly see Su Junxin¡¯s face at that moment.


    Su Junxin seemed to have transformed into another person ¨C her black eyes were only left with a cold murderous intent as they stared at Liu Ya like she was an inanimate object.


    Liu Ya shook her head and shivered uncontrollably as tears fell from her eyes. Also, her mouth kept on making ¡°uwuu¡± noises.


    When Su Junxin saw that Liu Ya was completely shocked, her lips curled into a cold sneer. She removed the tablecloth and stood up to look down at Liu Ya through the corner of her eye.


    With a very clear tone, she said, ¡°Make sure that the land title and my portion of the inheritance are prepared before sunrise.¡±


    Then, she seemed to have suddenly thought of something as she added, ¡°Oh, right. If you intend to call the police, you¡¯d best reconsider it. Do you think the police are going to believe you, a stepmother who has been torturing her stepdaughter, or me, a weak little girl who wouldn¡¯t even hurt a fly? If you even think about running away with what¡¯s mine¡­ I can promise you now that both you and your daughter won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences of incurring my wrath.¡±


    When Liu Ya heard that, her body instantly shriveled up as she helplessly gasped for air on the ground. She looked to be in extreme pain. Her neck was still the same as before as she gasped like a wind box before she nodded her head while still shivering. She did not even have the nerve to look at Su Junxin for a second more, stumbling all over as she ran away.


    Then, peace and tranquility returned to the basement once more. Su Junxin looked down to size up the line of bruises that Liu Ya¡¯s fingernails had caused as she scratched her. She then furrowed her brow as she went deep in thought.


    Rightie crawled out from her pajamas as it slowly approached Su Junxin¡¯s right arm. Then, it stuck out its tongue and carefully licked away the blood that was all over her hand as it let out a soft sob.


    Su Junxin felt a warmth in her heart, and she stopped drowning in her thoughts. She then caressed its dragon horns. ¡°I¡¯m fine; it¡¯s just a small scratch.¡±


    Su Junxin raised her right hand and rubbed her thumb and middle finger together as she suddenly thought of something.


    Suddenly, a purple light flashed in her palms! However, it faded as quickly as it flashed.


    ¡®This body is really too weak; I¡¯ve had to utilize so much energy just to pin down a normal person. In fact, I¡¯m only able to utilize less than a tenth of my power; even the storage capacity for my lightning ability is so pitifully scarce¡­¡¯


    Su Junxin¡¯s slender eyebrows curled downwards, covering the complex emotions beneath her eyes. She then clenched her fists and silently made a decision.

 Chapter 3

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The following day, Su Junxin opened the basement door as usual. However, the moment she stepped out, she quickly retracted her feet.


    She lowered her eyes to look at the floor to find a document lying on the floor. She picked it up and opened it, revealing its contents: a red-colored land title and a cheque.


    She took out the cheque first, and her eyes sparkled as she saw the number on the cheque. It was her portion of the inheritance. Nonetheless, what surprised her was, disregarding the decimal numbers, the cheque was actually worth 2.9 million yuan!


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect that cheap dad to have this much money. Also, if I combine the amount on this cheque together with the value of this villa, the first step of my plan ¨C to accumulate enough capital ¨C will be complete!¡¯


    At the thought of that, Su Junxin stopped frowning and ignored the mother and daughter who were secretly spying on her from upstairs. Then, she picked up her bag and headed out.


    Su Junxin was studying at Shi Yang High School, the best high school in South City. The school was just three kilometers from her current house, so it was only a little past 6 am when she arrived after jogging. At the time, there were only a few students surrounding a breakfast stall in front of the school¡¯s entrance.


    As she entered the school¡¯s campus guided by her pre-existing memories, she quickly noticed a large noticeboard. On the board was a table for the second year¡¯s class allocation.


    After she found the second year (12) class, Su Junxin sat in the right corner of the classroom. Taking out her sketchbook and pencil, she was quickly immersed in her own world.


    Soon, other students started flocking into the classroom, causing the once tranquil room to very quickly become filled with noise. In fact, there were even some students who were already familiar with each other that had formed small cliques. All of them had smiles on their faces as they gathered around and chatted happily.


    Su Junxin was obviously an anomaly in the classroom when faced with such a lively scene.


    From afar, it seemed that she had not even moved an inch from her seat; her gaze was fixed on the blank piece of paper on the table while she held a mechanical pencil in her right hand. She continuously drew a number of lines very quickly, sometimes even swapping hands when one was tired; nevertheless, her speed remained the same at all times.


    Her behavior had very naturally attracted several curious gazes ¨C some of them could not even help but whisper amongst themselves.


    ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that? Does anyone know her?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to recall her at all. She¡¯s probably a transfer student.¡±


    ¡°She looks very cold and distant; no one even seems to want to go up and talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s really like that or just pretending? From the way I see it, she seems to be putting on an act.¡±


    ¡°She keeps on drawing; do you think she¡¯s an art student?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we an honors class? Are art students even allowed to enter here?¡±


    ¡°Pfft; she must¡¯ve spent a lot of money then¡­¡±


    ¡­


    At 8 am sharp, the bell rang.


    Su Junxin stopped drawing and raised her eyes to look at a young woman who slowly walked into the classroom.


    Their new form teacher was actually a beautiful young woman; her entrance alone was enough to make the blood of all the men in class boil up. In fact, those who were braver even started slamming their tables and howling, causing the classroom that had just regained its silence to become noisy again.


    The female teacher seemed to have blushed from all the commotion; she walked up to the podium and raised her hand to gesture for them to stop. After seeing that everyone had become quiet, she spoke with a very gentle voice.


    ¡°Students, it¡¯s nice to meet all of you for the first time. My name is Jiang Rushi, which I¡¯m sure you might have heard from the poem ¨C ¡®I looked at the green mountain to see how beautiful it was, who knew that the green mountain would see me as such as well.''¡± As she said that, she picked up a piece of chalk and valiantly wrote down her name on the blackboard. ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me to be able to become your second-year form teacher and also your English teacher. This is also my first time being a form teacher as well, so I hope that we¡¯ll be able to have a wonderful and fruitful year together¡­¡±


    Jiang Rushi¡¯s gaze slowly scanned the entire class. When she saw Su Junxin, who was seated at the rightmost corner, Jiang Rushi gently curved her lips into a smile.


    Su Junxin suddenly stopped spinning her pencil in her hand as an image flashed through her mind like a scene in a movie. Yet, she could not clearly see the contents of the image and could only subconsciously feel that the female teacher¡¯s gaze seemed familiar.


    ¡®Could I have known her in the past?¡¯


    After that, she carried on observing Jiang Rushi for half of the day. However, she still could not recall where she might have seen that face before. ¡®Could I have mixed her up with both me and my original host¡¯s memories?¡¯ At that thought, she stopped pondering on the question.


    ¡­


    After meeting the other two main subject teachers in the morning, the final session of class for the day was spring-cleaning the entire school. Su Junxin was arranged to wipe the gangways of the public areas by the newly appointed Labour Committee. In the end, after tidying up everything and heading to the cleaning corner, she realized that all the tablecloths had already been taken away by someone else.


    Suddenly, a gentle female voice was heard from beside her.


    ¡°Are you unable to find any cleaning equipment?¡±


    Su Junxin turned her head, only to see that it was Jiang Rushi. After politely greeting her teacher, Su Junxin nodded her head.


    Jiang Rushi then smiled very naturally and took out a brand new blue cloth from the plastic bag she carried in her hands and handed it to Su Junxin. ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯ve prepared extra; you can go ahead and use this one.¡±


    Su Junxin was startled for a moment before receiving the tablecloth and thanking Jiang Rushi. She only shifted her gaze when she saw Jiang Rushi turning away to ask another student the same thing.


    However, right at the moment, a high-pitched shriek was heard, followed by the sound of glass shattering.


    Su Junxin subconsciously turned her head.


    On the floor laid a metal window frame; the piece of glass that should have been held within it had shattered on the floor with fragments of glass scattered everywhere.


    A male student crouched on the windowsill with a tablecloth in his right hand while his other hand was firmly extended to pick the window up as he frantically tried to explain himself.


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I didn¡¯t know it was going to fall like that!¡±


    After Jiang Rushi regained her senses, she quickly ordered everyone to back away and called for the Labour Committee to bring her a broom while she personally squatted on the floor to pick up the larger glass fragments.


    Nevertheless, as careful as she was, a sharp piece of glass still cut her finger.


    The moment blood gushed out of her finger, countless screams followed.


    ¡°The teacher has been injured!¡±


    ¡°Teacher Jiang, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got plaster! I¡¯ll go and get it right now!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding so much; maybe you should go to the clinic?¡±


    Jiang Rushi received a piece of tissue that was passed to by a student and wiped her hand before she quickly appeased the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m fine; all of you don¡¯t need to panic. See, the blood¡¯s stopped.¡±


    Su Junxin went up to have a look as well.


    ¡®Although her wound looks a little ghastly, the blood had actually stopped flowing out.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll head off to the clinic to tend to my wounds first. Ask the school¡¯s cleaner to come and clean this up later. None of you are to touch these fragments.¡±


    After watching Jiang Rushi being assisted by a few students, Su Junxin lowered her eyes and went deep into thought.


    She gently rubbed her fingers, and a hint of doubt flashed through her eyes.


    ¡®Would a normal person¡¯s wounds¡­ Heal that fast?¡¯

 Chapter 4

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Shi Yan High School consisted of three blocks with a long corridor that connects the second and third-year buildings. Su Junxin was responsible for wiping the gangway of this long corridor.


    There was a massive commotion in the school¡¯s campus at that very moment; people were constantly walking in and out of that long corridor, yet somehow Su Junxin was able to work through her cleaning quickly.


    However, just as she was about to go to the washroom to clean her tablecloth, a familiar voice suddenly called out to her.


    ¡°Su Junxin?¡±


    She followed the voice and turned her head, only to see that three girls were standing behind her.


    Two of the girls seemed unfamiliar, but the one standing between them instantly made her recall a few memories.


    ¡®He Wei, the only friend of my original host, also her so-called ¡°best friend.¡± Both of them were classmates during their first year. He Wei has a gentle and understanding personality; however, soon after school started, she became the person in class with the most friends. Yet, she began chatting with my original host on her own accord, pulling her to have their meals together. She would sometimes send my original host some small gifts, causing her to feel very touched. In fact, she even thought of He Wei as the only person other than her parents who sincerely treated her well in this world.


    ¡®He Wei may have been able to trick the original host of this body, but not me. The only reason why she befriended her was that the original host of my body was in the Study Committee ¨C the original host of this body would tally all the homework before it was submitted to the form teacher. After He Wei became friends with her, she would come up with all kinds of excuses not to hand in her homework.¡¯


    ¡®Since the original host of this body didn¡¯t want to lose her only friend, she would be coerced into removing He Wei¡¯s name from the name list every time. After that, the situation worsened. Not only did He Wei do that, but even a few of her close friends also followed suit. The original host of this body had unknowingly become an accessory for them to escape homework and punishment, sometimes even having to burn the midnight oil to do their homework for them.¡¯


    ¡®The original host of this body actually did try to advise He Wei against doing so, but He Wei is simply not someone she is able to go up against. He Wei would put on a pitiful expression and swear that she would change so that the original host of this body would go soft on her and let her pass again and again.¡¯


    ¡®He Wei¡¯s behavior towards her is literally another form of school bullying!¡¯


    While Su Junxin was sizing He Wei up, He Wei was also doing the same.


    She had actually grown tired of Su Junxin. Furthermore, after they had ended up in different classes, Su Junxin was no longer useful to her. She had deliberately refused to look for Su Junxin, hoping that Su Junxin would instinctively go to her class to look for her. When that happened, He Wei would cut off all ties with her. By doing so, not only would she be able to get rid of the needy girl, but she might even be able to use the opportunity to befriend the few rich students in her class.


    He Wei had already thought of her entire plan in detail, yet she did not expect that Su Junxin would not appear the entire morning. Thus, she was both angry and puzzled. Furthermore, she made use of the spring cleaning session to find out what was going on.


    As a result, what she saw made her completely befuddled.


    ¡®I¡¯ve known for a long time that Su Junxin is a beautiful woman, but because she¡¯s usually weak and has low esteem, she would usually subconsciously hunch and would always wear old-fashioned glasses for her short-sightedness. Hence, no matter how pretty she looked, she wouldn¡¯t have been attractive at all; that¡¯s why I never thought of her as my rival.


    ¡®However, she looks like a completely different person now. Her jet black hair has been tied up into a ponytail, plus her glasses have been removed, causing her to show off her exquisite features. Also, her original height, which was close to 1.7m, stood out pretty clearly now that she did not hunch and straightened her back. I just can¡¯t take my eyes off her.¡¯


    However, what shocked He Wei the most was the aura Su Junxin exuded at that moment. Not only was she extremely attractive, but the aura around her had also completely changed. In fact, when Su Junxin turned around to look at her, He Wei unknowingly felt nervous.


    He Wei was startled and was a little uncertain of herself; hence, she asked, ¡°Su Junxin?¡±


    Su Junxin expressionlessly let off an ¡°En¡± sound in acknowledgment. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    Faced with such a sudden change in attitude, He Wei thought that Su Junxin might have found out about something, so she probed by asking, ¡°Junxin, you¡¯ve really gone through a huge change after having not met for an entire summer¡¯s vacation¡­ Right, I was feeling rather under the weather today, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t come and look for you today. Are you mad at me?¡±


    Su Junxin slightly raised an eyebrow, her tone still as casual as before as she answered, ¡°No.¡±


    When He Wei noticed that Su Junxin did not seem like she was lying, she heaved a sigh of relief. Soon after, He Wei¡¯s eyes curved into a friendly smile.


    ¡°In that case, why didn¡¯t you come and look for me today? I was waiting in the classroom for you all this time. I even thought of introducing you to my new friends.¡±


    When Su Junxin heard that, her eyes swiftly scanned through the two girls beside He Wei as she let out an ¡°Oh.¡±


    After she said that, she took a few steps towards He Wei and slightly bent her waist with her eyes squinted. Her gaze scanned from He Wei¡¯s eyes down to her mouth before staring right into her eyes.


    When faced with a gaze with unknown meaning, He Wei¡¯s heart raced for a moment. She was slightly frustrated as she retreated.


    However, Su Junxin followed closely as she took a step forward towards He Wei.


    ¡°Junxin, what are you doing¡­¡±


    Su Junxin sneered, revealing her pearl-white canine teeth; her smile was slightly demonic as she spoke with a very low tone, interrupting He Wei. ¡°Introduce me to your friends, you say? After that¡­ You¡¯d ask me to do your homework for you and squeeze the very last drop of my usefulness, is that right?¡±


    He Wei¡¯s face instantly turned pale as she stuttered while being frozen on the spot.


    Su Junxin very quickly retracted her smile and straightened her back as she waved the tablecloth in her hand.


    ¡°Is there anything else? I need to head back to cleaning now.¡±


    From Su Junxin¡¯s waving cloth, a few drops of filthy water droplets stained He Wei¡¯s collar, instantly causing her to growl softly as she hurriedly retreated. Just as she was about to become angry, she instantly became mute again when she met the cold gaze in front of her.


    Meanwhile, Su Junxin turned around and walked off without even looking back once.


    At the sight of that situation, the girls who stood beside He Wei could not help but speak up; their words had a hint of sarcasm in them. ¡°He Wei, is she the little follower you were talking about? It didn¡¯t seem like that, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Didn¡¯t you say she was weak-minded and loved to stick to you? Why did I feel that she was rather cold towards you earlier?¡±


    He Wei had just regained her senses at that moment; fear still lingered within her. However, when she turned around to look at the other two girls, she instantly put on a friendly smile.


    ¡°Junxin might be in a bad mood today. After all¡­ She¡¯s from a pretty complicated family.¡±


    The moment she said that, He Wei quickly scanned the area in the direction Su Junxin had disappeared into and clenched her fists. A hint of anger and viciousness flashed beneath her eyes.


    ¡®Su Junxin, since you¡¯re the one who started to fall out with me first, don¡¯t blame me for being cruel later on. As long as I isolate you, no one will believe what you say ever again¡­¡¯


    When the two girls found out that there was some gossip to be heard, they instantly became interested.


    ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s wrong with her family?¡±


    He Wei deliberately hesitated a little while before raising her eyebrows and heaving a sigh. ¡°Actually¡­ Su Junxin¡¯s mom passed away from an illness a long time ago¡­ her father was also suspected to have committed suicide because he had owed a huge sum of money to loan sharks¡­¡±


    ¡°No wonder she¡¯s dressed so rustically; everything she wears is so old-fashioned. The reason was that she¡¯s an orphan¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft; she¡¯s even an orphan who¡¯s got huge debts! What a pitiful woman!¡±


    ¡°What else do you know, He Wei? Hurry up and tell us!¡±


    ¡°Sigh, the both of you mustn¡¯t spread whatever I¡¯m telling you now. I¡¯m only telling you all these because I trust the two of you!¡±


    ¡°We promise not to tell anyone anything!¡±


    ¡°Our lips are tightly sealed! You¡¯re the best, He Wei. Hurry up and tell us!¡±


    ¡°Alright then, it goes like this¡­¡±

 Chapter 5

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    In the afternoon, the sun was shining the brightest, and the sound of crickets could be heard continuously.


    Su Junxin had bought a microwaveable lunchbox at a convenience store. Then, she climbed to the top floor of the school building and found a cool spot to sit down, enjoying her lunch together with Rightie as she continued drawing up the blueprint of her safe zone.


    That¡¯s right; she was planning to build a safe zone of her own.


    She had already endured and fought her way through for ten years during the apocalypse, suffering countless tough moments and injuries; hence, she did not wish to relive those moments again. She decided to take advantage of her rebirth and build a safe zone that belonged to herself. ¡®When the end of the world comes again in three years, this will become the world¡¯s strongest base with an impenetrable defense!¡¯


    At the thought of her grand plans, Su Junxin suddenly had a wave of indescribable passion welling up inside her; her entire body was instantly filled with inexhaustible energy.


    She raised her head to look at the cloudless sky, and her eyes were simply filled with ambition. However, at the same time, her sharp senses suddenly noticed that there was an unfamiliar presence creeping close towards her. As she turned her head, her right hand swiftly reached out and even hugged Rightie, who was munching on a piece of beef, into her embrace.


    A tall figure suddenly appeared within her sights.


    Because Su Junxin was against the light, she could not clearly see what the other party looked like. However, she was able to confirm that it was a tall male.


    She raised her eyebrow slightly and had her guard up as she stared at him. Although she was still in a seated posture, she had already subconsciously readied herself in a defensive position.


    Qin You stopped in his tracks for a moment about two steps away from Su Junxin. There was a hint of apologeticness in his voice as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know that there was someone else here.¡±


    When she heard that it was the voice of a male student, Su Junxin lowered her guard and casually replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    However, just as she was about to retract her gaze, the sun that was shining high up in the sky was suddenly covered by some clouds, allowing her to make out the man¡¯s face clearly.


    ¡°Plunk.¡±


    The chopsticks in her hand dropped onto the floor as Su Junxin took a deep breath in disbelief.


    ¡°Cloud?!¡±


    ¡­


    Su Junxin would never have been able to forget that face for the rest of her life.


    Nobody knew Cloud¡¯s real name. However, over the ten years during the end of the world, Su Junxin would hear someone mentioning his name almost every day.


    He would always be wearing a butterfly-shaped half-mask and would never show his true face in front of others; he has also never shown his superpowers. Nevertheless, he was able to build the world¡¯s largest safe zone at the mere age of 25.


    So long as there was a homeless person who had sought his help, he would definitely open his doors for them.


    He was hailed as the world¡¯s savior! After he disappeared, the people had used his name to name their safe zones. His disappearance had always remained a mystery. However, only Su Junxin knew that he had been murdered by none other than herself.


    That evening, she personally removed his mask and watched as his corpse was burned to ashes and scattered by the hills. Only she knew what Cloud looked like in the entire world.


    At that very moment, a person who had the exact same face as Cloud had suddenly appeared in front of her.


    Su Junxin looked at the young man, and a sudden surge of lightning seemed to have struck her mind, causing each and every one of her nerves to be instantly ignited to the point where one could hear some immense ¡°crackling¡± noises.


    When Qin You noticed her expression changing, he blinked his eyes in suspicion.


    Then, he subconsciously took a step forward and was a little worried as he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Su Junxin suddenly regained her senses and swiftly stood up to distance herself from him; her voice had changed due to her nervousness.


    ¡°Hold up! What¡¯s your name? Which year are you in?¡±


    ¡°¡­ My name is Qin You; I¡¯m in my second year.¡± He paused for a moment before revealing a friendly smile. His pale lips arched into an angle that made him look pleasant, and the dimples on the sides of his cheeks made his slightly aggressive appearance seem a little more friendly.


    When Su Junxin heard him, her eyebrows were knitted even tighter.


    ¡®Second year¡­ That means he¡¯s around 17 years old. But, in my memories, Cloud was five years older than me. So, if I were to backtrack it to this timeline, he should be 19 years old now and should¡¯ve already been in college long ago.


    ¡®Although this Qin You person has the exact same appearance as Cloud, their ages don¡¯t tally up. On second thought, both have different gazes, and their personalities are vastly different.


    ¡®Cloud¡¯s gaze was always calm and intelligent¡­ he was quiet and introverted, giving off the feeling that he was like an unsoiled lotus flower. However, this person before me has the gaze akin to a deer who has just entered a new village for the first time ¨C both passionate and curious. One look at him is enough to tell that he¡¯s a talkative, silly kid who can be very easily tricked.¡¯


    At that thought of that, Su Junxin very quickly calmed herself down.


    She sized up Qin You before she carefully asked, ¡°Do you have an older brother who looks just like you?¡±


    Qin You shook his head and very honestly answered, ¡°I¡¯m the only child, and I don¡¯t have any cousins either.¡±


    Su Junxin nodded after understanding the situation. Very soon, she had come up with a reasonable explanation for everything that¡¯s happened. ¡®Since I was already able to be reborn into a person who has the exact same face as I do, it¡¯s obvious that this world is filled with wonder and mysteries. So, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for a person who looks exactly like Cloud to show up again¡­¡¯


    ¡°What about you?¡± Qin You suddenly interrupted her thoughts.


    Su Junxin was startled for a moment. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your name. I¡¯ve already told you so much, shouldn¡¯t you at least tell me what your name?¡±


    She pursed her lips as she very briefly replied, ¡°Su Junxin, Jun derived from nobility, and Xin derived from happiness.¡±


    Qin You lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before smiling as he looked at her.


    ¡°The five tones resonate in unison, causing the King to be happy and in good health. The King secretly means nobility, while happy secretly means glee¡­ Your name is very well thought through.¡±


    His expression was extremely sincere, but Su Junxin could only faintly raise her lips as she thanked him insincerely.


    She did not wish to be affiliated with that man any longer, so she packed up her stuff and prepared to leave. However, she was once again called out by him.


    ¡°Hold on, Student Su, your arm¡­ Have you injured yourself?¡± Qin You, who had shock in his tone, asked.


    Su Junxin instantly stopped in her tracks and lowered her eyes to glance at her left arm, which was revealed through her short sleeve.


    The wound that Liu Ya had inflicted with her fingernails last night may have been ghastly, but it was already slowly healing, so Su Junxin did not seem to be bothered as she shrugged. ¡°I was scratched.¡±


    ¡°Scratched? Was it by a cat? I used to have a cat that loved to scratch others as well,¡± Qin You replied very naturally.


    Su Junxin turned around to look at him after hearing his reply. She remained silent for a few seconds before expressionlessly opening her mouth.


    ¡°No, it was a mouse, a very big mouse.¡±


    When she noticed how the talkative young man had finally been shocked by her words, Su Junxin¡¯s mood improved, and she curled up her lips in satisfaction before swiftly disappearing by the stairs.


    When the sound of her footsteps disappeared, Qin You finally got out of his faze.


    He lowered his eyes, and his extremely long eyebrows covered the emotion beneath his eyes as he helplessly scoffed.


    ¡°Scratched by a mouse¡­ To think that you would even be able to come up with that excuse.¡±


    ¡­


    There was no self-study session during the first day of school, so Su Junxin went to the washroom once school was over. When she returned to her seat and was about to pick up her bags to leave, something suddenly dropped from inside her drawer. It was a rectangular-shaped box.


    She stopped for a moment before she turned around to pick it up. Then, her gaze swiftly scanned through the English letters on the packaging.


    ¡°Quick-Action Scar Remover?¡±


    Su Junxin suspiciously blinked her eyes when she suddenly seemed to make light of the situation and recalled the young man called Qin You whom she met on the top floor that afternoon.


    ¡®Could this have been given by him?¡¯


    Her eyebrow arched upwards very slightly. After thinking for a moment, she still decided to place the cream back into her drawer to return to Qin You the next day. With that, she quickly headed home.


    The moment she stepped on the first step of stairs in her villa, her sharp instinct for danger caused her to instantly stop breathing as she quickly took a large step back.


    In the next second, a large pail of black-colored blood fell from above, landing right on the spot where she had just stood a second ago.


    The pungent stench of blood instantly bombarded the entire forecourt.


    Su Junxin lowered her eyes to look at the single drop of blood that had stained her shoe and slowly raised her head, fixing her gaze at two pairs of terrified eyes on the second-floor window sill. Then, she casually curled her lips upwards.


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 6

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Liu Ya met Su Junxin¡¯s eyes, the blood instantly drained from her face.


    In a panic, she looked at the man beside her.


    ¡°Taoist Wu, she actually managed to avoid the black dog¡¯s blood! What should we do now?¡±


    The man called Taoist Wu was a man who was in his 40s¡¯. He looked skinny and tall while dressed in a well-ironed black suit. The man¡¯s temperament did somehow make him look a little sage-like.


    When Taoist Wu first laid eyes on Su Junxin, he could not help but feel a little afraid as well. However, when he heard Liu Ya¡¯s words, he very quickly retracted the shock on his face. Then, he raised his hand to stroke his beard and spoke in a deep and meaningful manner, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! This old man naturally has an excellent plan.¡±


    While the two of them spoke, Su Junxin had already gone around the black dog¡¯s blood in the forecourt and entered the villa.


    She stood still while leaning her head sideways as her gaze shifted between the both of them. Then, she seemed to be faintly smiling as she said, ¡°Mom, who¡¯s this man? Is he your new lover?¡±


    ¡®Since the original host of this body has been living in the basement, she¡¯s already seen Liu Ya returning home in various men¡¯s cars. In fact, she¡¯s also accidentally heard from the neighbors that Liu Ya was rearing some young boyfriend using her father¡¯s inheritance.¡¯


    Su Junxin knew very clearly that Liu Ya loved to pretend to be sanctimonious in front of others, which was why she used that very point to provoke Liu Ya with those words.


    Sure enough, Liu Ya¡¯s cheeks were flushed red when she heard that. She secretly gritted her teeth and angrily retorted, ¡°Taoist Wu, look! She¡¯s begun to babble some kind of nonsense again. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s been possessed by some demon!¡±


    ¡®Taoist? Demon?¡¯


    After linking together the pail of black dog¡¯s blood that was almost splashed onto her, Su Junxin instantly realized what was happening.


    ¡®No doubt, Liu Ya thinks that some kind of demonic spirit has possessed me, so she¡¯s deliberately hired a Taoist to take care of me!¡¯


    Su Junxin was a little intrigued as she wrapped her arms around her chest while standing at the exact same spot. Her sights shifted towards Taoist Wu, who had his hands behind his back as he got down from his altar and stopped about two meters away from Su Junxin. Then, he squinted his eyes and coldly snorted.


    ¡°Demon, are you still refusing to show your true form!?¡±


    Before he even finished speaking, he took out a talisman with some symbols written with cinnabar from his pocket. The amulet was held together in between two of his fingers on his right hand.


    With a ¡°swoosh,¡± the talisman broke through the air.


    The talisman seemed to shoot out yellow light, swiftly and accurately aiming itself towards Su Junxin.


    It was unknown what kind of unique material the talisman was made of, but Su Junxin¡¯s clothes were tightly glued together when it touched her.


    Nonetheless, Su Junxin was not even nervous in the slightest. In fact, it would seem as if she was watching a movie as she witnessed every scene that was happening before her.


    When Taoist Wu noticed this, he shut his eyes and held both hands together in a gesture as he chanted something from his mouth. Then, he fiercely opened his eyes and could not help but laugh as he said in satisfaction, ¡°Hmph, this Demon Vanquishing Talisman has been cultivated by me after infusing blood essence into it for 49 consecutive days. You little demon, prepare to die by my sword today!¡±


    However, after a good few seconds, Su Junxin still stood at the exact same spot unharmed. She seemed to be in perfect condition as she looked at Taoist Wu.


    Taoist Wu shook his head and retreated. ¡°How is this possible?! How is my talisman ineffective??? Impossible¡­ That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    Su Junxin very casually raised her hand and ripped off the talisman from her body before pinching it between her fingers to size it up momentarily.


    When she saw that Taoist Wu was nervously staring at her, she seemed to have made a decision inside her heart and directly ripped the talisman in two right in front of him.


    ¡°Stop! My talisman!¡± Taoist Wu growled before he actually spat out some pitch-black blood from his mouth and fell onto the ground, grabbing onto his chest as if he was in some kind of agonizing pain.


    Su Junxin actually had some recollection about the scene before her. ¡®This is how the dramas usually unfold during a backlash.¡¯


    ¡°Hmph, I thought you were some kind of scamming Taoist from the Underworld. I never expected you actually to be the real deal.¡±


    Su Junxin lightly snickered and took a few steps forward to throw the torn talisman into Taoist Wu¡¯s arms. Then, she looked down at him from above as her voice quickly turned cold.


    ¡°It¡¯s a true shame that you aren¡¯t using your capabilities the right way; you¡¯d better be careful; otherwise, the sins you¡¯ve accumulated will come back and haunt you someday. You¡¯d better scram while I¡¯m still in a good mood.¡±


    After she said that, she did not even wait for Taoist Wu to react and immediately headed towards the stairs to get upstairs. Then, she instantly kicked open Liu Ya¡¯s room door.


    When Liu Ya saw that Taoist Wu¡¯s talismans were ineffective, she knew that she was in deep trouble and was just about to jump out of the window. She did not expect Su Junxin to arrive upstairs so quickly and was so shocked that she shrieked. After that, she crawled under her bed on all fours and shivered as she prayed that she would not be found.


    When Su Junxin entered the room, she very quickly locked onto Liu Ya¡¯s position and walked towards the end of the bed before standing still.


    ¡°Are you going to come out yourself, or do I have to drag you out personally?¡±


    After waiting for a few seconds, there was no reaction at all.


    Su Junxin lowered her eyes and helplessly shook her head. Then, she bent over and held onto both supports of the bed and took a deep breath¡­


    With a loud ¡°bang,¡± a large bed frame that was almost two meters wide had actually been directly thrown to the side by her.


    Liu Ya screamed uncontrollably as she clung close to the edge of the wall and repeatedly said, ¡°Stay away! Stay away, you demon!¡±


    Su Junxin flailed her arms around and walked over before kneeling in front of Liu Ya.


    After extending a hand to pinch Liu Ya¡¯s chin, Su Junxin forced her to raise her head to meet her gaze.


    ¡°Liu Ya, where is your daughter?¡±


    When Liu Ya heard that, she stopped breathing for a while and her eyes instantly turned completely red as though she had gone mad. Suddenly, Liu Ya raised a dagger that she had hid in her embrace and stabbed towards Su Junxin as she angrily yelled, ¡°I won¡¯t let you harm my daughter!¡±


    Su Junxin did not even so much as glance at the dagger; however, her left hand very swiftly blocked it at a speed so fast that the naked eye was unable to see what was happening clearly. At the same time, she pinched onto Liu Ya¡¯s hand to make the latter drop the dagger.


    The dagger¡¯s sharp tip was directly pointed at Liu Ya¡¯s right eyeball, which was less than one millimeter away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Where is your daughter?¡± Su Junxin asked expressionlessly.


    Liu Ya¡¯s eyes were staring at the tip of the dagger; she did not even dare to take in a deep breath as she answered with a shaky voice, ¡°She¡­ I¡¯ve sent her to the Mengs¡­ Please¡­ Please don¡¯t hurt her! I¡¯m fine if you want to kill me; just don¡¯t hurt her!¡±


    For a moment, Su Junxin was unable to recall how the Mengs were related to her. However, it did not affect her from continuing to threaten Liu Ya. When she heard that, Su Junxin¡¯s lips instantly curled into a big smile.


    However, what she said next would send chills down anyone¡¯s spine.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you last night that you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences of incurring my wrath. Yet, you still refuse to turn back and give up on your intentions¡­¡±


    ¡°I was wrong; I really understand how wrong I was now.¡± When Liu Ya was threatened with imminent death, she had gradually mentally broken down. ¡°Junxin, please remember how Su Yi has been your sister for all these years and spare her! As long as you agree to spare her, I¡¯m willing to be your slave in return!¡±


    Su Junxin released her hand that was pinching onto Liu Ya¡¯s chin and took out a cheque from her pocket, which she dangled in front of Liu Ya.


    ¡°Forget slavery! Do you have anything to explain about this?¡±


    After confirming what was being held in Su Junxin¡¯s hand, Liu Ya¡¯s face instantly turned ashen. Her throat retracted for a moment, and she found it difficult to speak.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ A fake.¡±


    A vein on the edge of Su Junxin¡¯s forehead jumped, followed by the flickering of all the chandeliers in the room that were lit up.


    ¡°And the land title?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also fake¡­ The real land title is in my safe deposit box; the password is Yiyi¡¯s birthdate.¡±


    Su Junxin took a deep breath as she fought hard to suppress the flames of anger within her.


    ¡°How much did dad actually leave me?¡±


    When she saw a glimmer flashing in Liu Ya¡¯s eyes, Su Junxin squinted her own eyes and exerted a little force on her left hand as she shifted the dagger a few more millimeters forwards.


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    Both Liu Ya¡¯s cold sweat and tears flowed together as she hurriedly answered, ¡°There was actually more than 2.9 million yuan, but I took out some of it to help resolve some family matters from my mother¡¯s side; there¡¯s only about 1 million left now¡­¡±


    Su Junxin was so furious that she almost laughed.


    ¡°Liu Ya, you¡¯ve stolen your stepdaughter¡¯s inheritance to help your own family. I see that you¡¯re really shameless.¡±


    Su Junxin pinched her nose bridge and softly let out a ¡°tsk¡± before removing the dagger.


    Then, she shifted her gaze, and the slight redness under her eyes was filled with murderous intent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to go against my word; tell me where the Mengs are at.¡±


    Liu Ya was shocked when she heard that and hurriedly pulled onto Su Junxin¡¯s sleeves. ¡°I was the one who did all of this myself; this has nothing to do with Yiyi! I¡¯ll return you your money; I swear that I¡¯ll return you the full amount!¡±


    Su Junxin stood up and glanced at Liu Ya.


    After a moment, she flung away Liu Ya¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll give you another month. If there¡¯s even a single cent missing, you¡¯re never going to see your daughter ever again.¡±


    After seeing Su Junxin walking out from her room, Liu Ya finally laid paralyzed on the floor as though a heavy burden had just been lifted off of her.


    However, in the next second, the chandelier on the ceiling suddenly fell and slammed onto the ground, causing the crystal fragments to splatter and instantly leave a number of wounds on Liu Ya¡¯s face with bright red blood flowing out of them.


    Then, Su Junxin¡¯s voice could faintly be heard from behind the door.


    ¡°If a fourth person finds out about whatever that¡¯s happened here today, I wouldn¡¯t mind personally sending both you and your daughter down to hell.¡±


    Liu Ya was startled as she sat on the ground; all she could feel at that moment was coldness all over her body.

 Chapter 7

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At midnight, a black shadow passed by the rooftop of Su¡¯s villa.


    The window sill on the second floor had been silently opened before a metal cage was thrown inside.


    The mouse inside the cage was bigger than a cat, and its eyes reflected a red light. After landing on the carpet, it raised its body and sniffed the air before swiftly rushing towards the large bed in the center of the bedroom.


    ¡°Ahh¡­!¡±


    Su Junxin was fast asleep when a sudden panicked scream could be heard in her ears.


    She squinted her eyebrows and was just about to open them before a strange smell suddenly passed through the tip of her nose.


    Instantly, Su Junxin lost consciousness, and her breathing returned to being slow and peaceful.


    A cold and fair hand was then extended from within the darkness; its slightly cool fingertips were pressed onto the young woman¡¯s glabella as it very carefully massaged it to relax the frown she had.


    Qin You¡¯s breathing was like a whisper during a storm. Before anyone was able to notice him, he instantly vanished into thin air.


    ¡­


    The next day, when Su Junxin woke up, she subconsciously raised her hand to touch her forehead and squinted her eyebrows as she wondered.


    ¡®¡­Strange, why can¡¯t I shake the feeling that something¡¯s amiss?¡¯


    However, she stopped overthinking about it very soon and swiftly washed herself up before heading to the kitchen to fry some eggs. Then, she sat by the table as she quietly pondered her situation.


    ¡®My initial capital has dropped all the way from three million yuan to one million yuan. Although one million yuan may seem a lot, it¡¯s literally insignificant towards building a safe zone¡­ I¡¯ve got to come up with an idea of how to increase my inflow in the shortest time possible.¡¯


    At that moment, ¡°Tap, tap, tap¡­¡± The sound of slippers could be heard from the stairs.


    Liu Ya held her cellphone as she furiously growled at the person who was at the other end of the phone call.


    ¡°How would I know why there are mice here! Isn¡¯t this something that you people should be responsible for? That¡¯s enough, put your claims manager on the phone now¡­¡±


    When Liu Ya turned around, her sights were suddenly fixed onto Su Junxin¡¯s back, and even her speech came to an abrupt end.


    Su Junxin gulped down the last mouthful of milk and threw the glass into the dishwashing machine.


    Then, she picked up her bag and headed out. When she passed by Liu Ya, she casually glanced at her bandaged left arm but did not have any expression on her face.


    As usual, Su Junxin jogged three kilometers before she reached her school. However, just as her right foot stepped into the school building¡¯s entrance, a female voice called out to her.


    ¡®Tsk, here she comes again.¡¯


    Su Junxin could not help but roll her eyes as she turned around to look.


    The stepsister that she had not officially met yet stood a few steps away from her.


    Su Yi was wearing a uniform that was shortened at the hem; her standing posture made her look exactly like a little swan.


    Beside her was a tall man who had dyed his hair yellow and was carrying two people¡¯s bags. The man looked like a playboy.


    Su Yi had a faint smile on her face as she took half a step forward. The moment she spoke, her voice was so soft that one could probably squeeze some water out of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something to ask you, Su Junxin.¡±


    Su Junxin was caught off guard when she was cajoled and could not help but shiver. She opened her mouth and coldly uttered out a word. ¡°Speak.¡±


    When she realized that Su Junxin¡¯s attitude towards her was so much different now, Su Yi subtly frowned and felt a little annoyed on the inside.


    She looked at the man beside her and lowered her hands which were folded in front of her chest before turning around to walk towards the deeper parts of the school building.


    ¡°Follow me; this place isn¡¯t suitable.¡±


    Thus, the trio entered a half-abandoned equipment room. The man followed behind Su Junxin and stood in front of the door with his arms folded in front of his chest after the women entered. The man had a serious posture that blocked the path completely.


    Su Junxin raised her eyes to scan the ceiling before she curled her lips up into a smile of satisfaction.


    ¡®There aren¡¯t any surveillance cameras here; not bad.¡¯


    Su Yi and Liu Ya had the same eyebrows¡­ both of them seemed to have the same fussiness and scornfulness in their gazes too.


    Su Yi sized up Su Junxin and very straightforwardly said, ¡°You deliberately called the City Women¡¯s Federation the other day, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Su Junxin left off a grunt in acknowledgment and just stood still as she looked at Su Yi.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to admit to it so easily.¡¯ Su Yi was so close to letting her emotions betray her at that moment.


    ¡°What have you done to mom? Why doesn¡¯t she allow me to go home?¡±


    ¡®Liu Ya actually hasn¡¯t told her?¡¯ Su Junxin seemed to have other thoughts in her mind as she suddenly curved her lips into a smile.


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    Su Yi was so shocked that she froze when she saw Su Junxin¡¯s smile; a bad omen suddenly welled up within her.


    Before she was able to open her mouth, Su Yi merely saw Su Junxin suddenly walking towards her.


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    A loud slap fell on Su Yi¡¯s left face, instantly causing her to be startled.


    While in disbelief, Su Yi covered her face as she looked at Su Junxin. The girl really seemed to have changed.


    ¡°How dare you slap me?!¡±


    Su Junxin only coldly snickered in response.


    ¡°So what if I slapped you? Am I supposed to make an appointment with you beforehand?¡± Then, Su Junxin raised her hand to slap the girl again, this time on Su Yi¡¯s right face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s just two slaps! Have you actually lost your voice from it already? There¡¯s a saying that you must learn how to take a hit first before you hit someone. Since you¡¯re planning to bully someone through force, you should also have a taste of your own medicine first, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Su Yi was in utter disbelief as she covered up her face, which had swiftly swelled up while her tears fell onto the ground.


    ¡°Su Junxin! You¡¯re crazy!¡±


    The man who had just witnessed the scene was stunned; he put away his cellphone and said, ¡°F*ck¡± before rushing towards them with reddened eyes.


    Su Junxin did not even turn her head as she threw a punch outwards, accurately landing on the man¡¯s lower jaw. A kick quickly followed up the punch.


    The man¡¯s movements staggered as he felt choked off a painful grunt. He covered his lower body like a cooked shrimp as he shriveled on the ground. He was in so much pain that his face had been distorted.


    Su Junxin shook her wrist, which had gone numb as she lowered her eyes to look at the man before letting off a scornful laugh.


    ¡°How shameful can you be? Rushing to enter a fight between two women.¡±


    Then, she turned around to look at Su Yi, dragging her tone with unknown intentions. ¡°Now, you should probably know what I did to your mom, don¡¯t you?¡±


    That was actually the very first time Su Yi had been slapped in her life! She was both angry and panicking as her tears continued to flow down her face while she was shivering.


    She gritted her teeth and hissed as she said, ¡°Su Junxin, I¡¯m going to tell the headmaster! You can forget about even coming back to study in this high school!¡±


    When Su Junxin heard that, she did not seem to mind it at all as she tugged her lips into a smile. There was only coldness beneath her eyes.


    ¡°Fine. In that case, I might as well bring up the evidence of you cheating during the class allocation examination. Let¡¯s see which one of us gets expelled, shall we?¡±


    Right after she said that, Su Junxin walked over to the man who was still wailing in pain while lying on the ground. Then, she directly opened the equipment room¡¯s door and walked out.


    Su Yi¡¯s face had gone ashen as she breathed heavily and fell to the ground.


    ¡°How did she know¡­? No, this can¡¯t happen. I can¡¯t be expelled¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After dealing with the annoying menace, Su Junxin was finally able to calm her frustrated mood.


    The first session for the morning was her English lesson; hence, she took out her study materials and placed them on her desk.


    However, the moment she raised her head, she was startled.


    Qin You walked behind Jiang Rushi as they walked up the podium; his smiley gaze scanned the crowd.


    Whispers began to break out within the classroom.


    ¡°Oh my god! Why has the most handsome guy in our school come to our class?¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhh! It¡¯s Qin You! He¡¯s so handsome!¡±


    ¡°Eh, wasn¡¯t he in another class? Why is he here?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s even carrying his bag with him, could he be¡­¡±


    Then, Jiang Rushi tapped on the table to gesture for everyone to be quiet.


    ¡°This is a new student who will be transferred to our class from today onwards. Qin You, could you introduce yourself please?¡±


    Qin You nodded his head. ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Qin You.¡±


    Right after he said that, the women below the podium could not help but squeal out softly in surprise.


    ¡°His voice is also so gentle! I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m going to die!¡±


    ¡°The most handsome guy in our school is actually coming to our class! What kind of godly luck is this?!¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck! He¡¯s actually transferring classes. Aaaah! I hope he¡¯ll sit closer to me¡­¡±


    Qin You laughed and continued by saying, ¡°From today onwards, I¡¯ll be a member of the second year (12) class. I hope we¡¯re able to get along with each other.¡±


    Jiang Rushi scanned through the excited crowd below the podium and pointed at the empty desk at the rightmost corner. ¡°Qin You, since you¡¯re tall and there¡¯s an empty space over there, you¡¯ll be sitting there then.¡±


    The crowd gradually turned to look at the direction Jiang Rushi was pointing to when they heard that.


    When Su Junxin noticed that there were gazes looking at her from all directions, she scanned the empty seat beside her through the edge of her eyes. Then, the edge of her lips subtly twitched.


    Soon after, under the gaze of the entire class, Qin You arrived at his seat.


    He leaned his head sideways and was all smiles as he greeted her.


    ¡°Hi, Student Su; we meet again.¡±


    When faced with the man that looked exactly like Cloud¡¯s, Su Junxin¡¯s heart could not help but skip a beat.


    In fact, she found it a little hard to have eye contact with him. Hence, she merely acknowledged him before turning away.


    Suddenly, she seemed to have remembered something as she took out the scar removal cream from her drawer and placed it on the table.


    ¡°This is yours, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Qin You nodded his head. ¡°Yeap, that scar removal cream is very effective.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not using it.¡±


    Then, she pushed the cream to his side. Her tone was obviously a little cold, and after saying that, Su Junxin shifted her attention to the blackboard.


    On the other hand, Qin You did not intend to force her to keep it and merely smiled when he heard what she said. Then, he kept the cream in his own drawer¡­


    Halfway through the class, Jiang Rushi set up some questions regarding that day¡¯s lesson. The classroom was extremely quiet as they took the test. After Su Junxin was done, she spaced out with one hand supporting her chin while the other spun her pencil.


    Suddenly, something seemed to have appeared within her sights.


    Su Junxin lifted her eyelids to look at it and saw a piece of chocolate that was still wrapped in its tin foil; the chocolate was pyramid-shaped where the tip on top of the triangle had a butterfly knot on it with a very fine gold ribbon. Behind it, there was even a light blue sticky note.


    The handwriting was unexpectedly beautiful, and the words were of a thin font, seemingly written with a fine tip.


    ¡®Are you in a bad mood? Would you like a piece of chocolate?¡¯


    Su Junxin pursed her lips and extended the tip of her pen to push both the chocolate and sticky note back to where it came from.


    Then, she turned her head to another direction and faced the wall.


    A moment later, she suddenly felt as if someone was poking her arm, and she subconsciously turned her head. However, she once again saw that there was chocolate on her table.


    Moreover, there were two pieces of it that time.


    Su Junxin was a little surprised as she looked at Qin You; in return, all she saw was him blinking his eyes, gesturing towards her to look at his bag, which had many chocolates inside.


    Qin You seemed to be gesturing to Su Junxin¡­ ¡®If you don¡¯t accept it, I¡¯ll just keep giving you more.¡¯


    Su Junxin instantly went speechless.


    She stared at the two pieces of chocolate for a moment, and her fingers slid past her slippery desk. Then, she pinched the little ribbon on top of the chocolate and dragged it towards her.


    A strong taste seemed to be spreading within her mouth as she turned around to meet his gaze. At that moment, she revealed her first sincere smile since the two of them met.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After class, Su Junxin headed to the vending machine by the corridor to fetch a cup of water. When she had just returned, she noticed that her seat was already heavily surrounded by a crowd.


    To be exact, it was Qin You¡¯s seat that was surrounded.


    After slightly raising her eyebrow, Su Junxin raised her hand to tap on a woman¡¯s shoulder at the crowd¡¯s outermost area.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    The woman was startled for a moment before she hurriedly retreated. ¡°Sigh, Su Junxin has returned.¡±


    Thus, the rest of the crowd sighed the same way and gradually turned their heads to look at her. Moments later, the crowd dispersed.


    Su Junxin then sat down in her seat. She suddenly stopped drinking halfway to glance at Qin You, who was staring back at her.


    ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡±


    Qin You¡¯s gaze scanned through the crowd that was just surrounding him moments ago, and a faint smile could be sensed in his tone as he said, ¡°They seem to be afraid of you.¡±


    Su Junxin curled the edge of her lips and did not seem to mind as she let out an ¡°oh¡± noise.


    ¡®They¡¯re right to be afraid of me.¡¯


    Nevertheless, Qin You calmly sat closer towards her.


    ¡°Then¡­ Do you not have any friends?¡±


    The moment he said that, Su Junxin¡¯s hand that held the thermos cup subtly froze for a moment.


    Her breathing became a little heavier, and her lowered eyes quickly became bloodshot.


    ¡®Of course, I have friends, but they¡¯re all dead.


    ¡®They¡¯ve all died right in front of me.¡¯


    After gently blinking, Su Junxin raised her eyes, and everything returned to normal.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Qin You stopped talking after that, and just as Su Junxin thought that he would not annoy her any further, he suddenly scooched closer towards her again.


    ¡°Then, can I be your friend?¡±


    Without thinking, she rejected him outright. ¡°No.¡±


    Qin You seemed to have expected that she would react that way, so he smiled as usual as he said, ¡°But you ate my chocolate during class just now.¡±


    Su Junxin slammed her cup on her table with a ¡°bam.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who offered it to me.¡±


    ¡°But did you not eat it?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Su Junxin paused for a moment; she suddenly realized that she was actually arguing with a little kid who was ten-odd years old. Thus, she helplessly pinched her nose bridge.


    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll return your chocolate; stop bothering me.¡±


    However, Qin You was not going to let her off so easily. He let off a sly smile and continued, ¡°That was limited edition chocolate¡­ plus, its sales channels have all been closed. So, it¡¯s literally impossible to buy another one in this world.¡±


    The air instantly turned silent.


    Su Junxin¡¯s innate skepticism instantly seemed to have caused her to think about something. She squinted her eyes and sized Qin You up seriously for the first time.


    A moment later, she spoke with a deep voice.


    ¡°Are you doing this on purpose?¡±


    Qin You seemed to have been a little shocked by her sudden seriousness and blinked his eyes in slight confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood¡­ how could I have any malicious intent against you? I was just¡­¡±


    ¡°Was just what?¡±


    He pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°I only thought that you seemed to hate me a little, so I thought that I would get on your good side with some chocolate¡­ That¡¯s all.¡±


    Su Junxin¡¯s sight shifted from his slightly reddened ears to his innocent-looking eyes before she regained her calm.


    ¡°You¡¯ve overthought things; I don¡¯t hate you.¡±


    Qin You immediately squinted his eyes into a smile. ¡°So that means you¡¯ve agreed to be my friend?¡±


    Su Junxin had learned her lesson that time. She refused to be bothered by him any further and merely took out her sketchbook and pencil.


    ¡®The initial design of my safe zone is complete. Now, I just need to fine-tune some details. However, I didn¡¯t study archeology in my previous life, and I¡¯m worried I might get it wrong. It might be better if I could only imitate Cloud¡¯s safe zone based on my memories.¡¯


    ¡®The outer layer of Cloud¡¯s safe zone has a barricade which is about ten meters tall. There has never been a single zombie who was able to break through it in ten years; I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it a solid fortress.¡¯


    ¡®During a celebration party, I coincidentally heard a few sentences about the barricade¡¯s defenses and alarm system. In fact, it even had a specific codename called YC¡­¡¯


    ¡°YC-2130?¡±


    A voice suddenly barged in, interrupting Su Junxin as she recalled her memories.


    She turned her head to look at Qin You, and her voice¡¯s tone was unable to conceal her surprise. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Qin You took a look at the designs again and let off a light ¡°hmph¡± through his nasal cavity. Then, he turned his head to sit up straight.


    Su Junxin pushed the sketchbook in front of him and pointed at the half-completed barricade drawing.


    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    However, Qin You casually picked out an exercise book and opened it up, pretending not to hear Su Junxin talking to him. His lips which were arched upwards which revealed his mood at that very moment, though.


    Su Junxin was startled for a few seconds before very quickly realizing the situation.


    Hence, she could not help but laugh a few times and pushed the top of her mouth with the tip of her tongue before she replied, ¡°Alright then; I¡¯ll agree to be your friend.¡±


    After she said that, the edge of Qin You¡¯s lips turned into a smile.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Su Junxin very naturally.


    Qin You had finally achieved his goal and was elated as he smiled in satisfaction.


    Just then, the gold light from the sun entered from the window and shone on the side of Qin You¡¯s face, covering it with a layer of gold light.


    For a single moment, Su Junxin suddenly felt as though his eyes were dazzling as if they were filled with waters from the galaxy. However, she was only startled for a moment before she very quickly regained her senses.


    ¡°So, do you really know what this is?¡±


    Qin You took away the pencil in her hand and added a few more details on the drawing in various areas before showing it to her.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Obviously, he was proving his ability to her through his actions.


    Su Junxin only needed to glance at it to be able to confirm that it was really YC-2130!


    ¡°What else do you know?¡± Her voice was filled with a little panic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to tell you whatever you want to know.¡±


    ¡­


    A second before the bell for their night self-study session rang, Qin You closed up his pencil case and slammed a stack of paper in front of Su Junxin.


    ¡°The complete YC-2130¡¯s system is all here.¡±


    Su Junxin was in disbelief as she looked through the details; her fingers even brushed against some areas which still had faint ink marks on them.


    ¡°Is it really alright for you to tell me all this?¡±


    When Qin You heard that, he was actually even more surprised than she was.


    ¡°Do you know, for a military fanatic like myself, this is the first time I¡¯ve actually met someone who has the same level of interest towards YC-2130 as I do? So, it¡¯s already an honor for me to be able to share it with you.¡±


    He paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Plus, aren¡¯t friends supposed to help each other?¡±


    Su Junxin was speechless.


    She lowered her eyes to think for a moment before getting up to call out to Qin You, who was just about to leave.


    ¡°You asked me before if I was serious about wanting to be your friend; I would like to reanswer your question now.¡±


    She looked at him with a serious expression. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Qin You let out a ¡°pfft¡± and then laughed before he half-jokingly said, ¡°A stack of papers in exchange for a true friend¡­ sounds like I¡¯ve got the better end of the deal.¡±


    Su Junxin embarrassedly touched the tip of her nose when she heard that.


    ¡®Previously, I was only considering the benefits he would bring me when I faced him earlier. Hence, it is no surprise that he was teasing me this way.¡¯


    Qin You took a look at his watch. ¡°I¡¯ve got to head back now; see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, see you tomorrow.¡±


    At that time, there were only a handful of people left in the classroom; hence, Su Junxin very quickly packed up and left as well.


    Not long after she exited the school gates, a familiar voice suddenly resounded in her ears. Su Junxin subconsciously stopped in her tracks and turned around to face towards the direction of the sound.


    A few tall men in her high school¡¯s uniform were either standing or squatting in a dark little alley. All of them had a lit cigarette between their fingers.


    Amongst them, Su Junxin could recognize the one with yellow hair. After all, she had just beaten him up that morning.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got no money? Don¡¯t you know how to ask your mom if you haven¡¯t got money?¡± He then fiercely spat onto the floor and had his gaze fixed on a figure who was squirmed up at a corner in the alley. ¡°If you haven¡¯t got the money tomorrow, I¡¯m going to break down your family¡¯s stall!¡±


    After he said that, he raised his leg and kicked the person, and then turned around to take a deep drag of his cigarette.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Today¡¯s such an unlucky day¡­¡±


    When Su Junxin noticed that he had turned around, she quickly dashed and hid in a dark corner by the alleyway.


    ¡°What¡¯s gotten you to be in such a bad temper today, Brother You? Are you in a bad mood? Which idiot has actually managed to anger you? Let the few of us teach him a lesson on your behalf!¡±


    The yellow-haired man named Brother You glared at the person who spoke.


    ¡°Stay out of my f*cking business!¡±


    When the man realized that he had failed to curry favor, he shrunk his neck and did not dare to utter another word.


    When they had all left, Su Junxin entered the alley.


    The young man who was squirming on the ground shivered as he heard the oncoming footsteps and tried his best to wrap his head within his arms.


    When Su Junxin saw that, she could not help but feel a little tightening sensation.


    After pondering for a moment, she took out a box of cream from her pocket.


    The cream was still brand new and had not even been taken out from its packaging yet.


    The cream was something that Su Junxin had noticed was in her drawer before she left. Obviously, Qin You was adamant about wanting to give that to her.


    However, there was someone else who needed it more than her at that moment.


    As the sound of footsteps faded away, Li Weize slowly let go of his arms. Then, his gaze landed on that little white box that was in front of him.


    He was instantly stunned.

 Chapter 9

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With the completed YC-2130 drawings in her hands, the challenge for Su Junxin to build up her safe zone had been reduced by a whole level.


    After burning the midnight oil to finish modifying her blueprints, she raised her eyes again to realize that it was already daytime outside.


    Her brain had long but gotten used to not sleeping for a few days and nights during the apocalypse, but her current body could not adapt to it yet. She was only able to endure until the third session of class in the morning before her strong will lost to the attack of drowsiness.


    The sound of the fan coming from the classroom¡¯s ceiling had become the best lullaby. Despite counting to ten like how a little bird would peck on rice, she still gave in to her urges and closed her eyes.


    Suddenly¡­ ¡°Su Junxin, please read the third paragraph.¡±


    Humans were always very sensitive when it came to their own name; hence, the moment Su Junxin heard that, she reflexively opened her eyes and looked at the podium.


    Jiang Rushi raised her eyes to look at Su Junxin; the former had a faint smile on her face as she repeated, ¡°Please read the third paragraph from your textbook.¡±


    Su Junxin calmed herself down. As she lowered her eyes, she swiftly scanned Qin You¡¯s desk at the same time.


    Qin You made a page-flipping gesture before pointing at the third paragraph of a particular textbook.


    Su Junxin understood what he meant and took out her textbook as she swiftly flipped the pages and cleared her throat.


    The other people in the classroom were more or less anticipating a good show to come; they could even be heard silently whispering.


    However, the moment Su Junxin opened her mouth, everyone was so shocked that they did not dare to say anything anymore.


    Su Junxin had managed to speak English fluently, accurately hitting the pauses and various tones. Coupled with her innate cold voice, just listening to her speak was a form of entertainment on its own.


    After she read the last sentence, Su Junxin put down her textbook and looked towards the podium.


    Jiang Rushi had an expression on her face as if she had just found a hidden gem as she took the lead to clap her hands.


    ¡°I never expected that we would have such a professional in our class. I¡¯m genuinely pleasantly surprised.¡± She smiled and then asked the crowd, ¡°How was it? Did her speech enchant all of you? Don¡¯t you think Student Su¡¯s performance is worthy of all of your applause?¡±


    After she said that, the crowd slowly realized what had happened, and the entire classroom roared as they clapped and cheered.


    Meanwhile, Su Junxin very casually thanked everyone.


    Just as she sat down, she subconsciously glanced towards her left.


    When she noticed that Qin You was staring at her again, the smile she had just shown was very quickly retracted.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qin You did not seem to mind her cold attitude towards him at all as he curiously scooched towards her.


    ¡°Where did you learn how to speak English? You¡¯re so good at it!¡±


    Su Junxin paused momentarily while she was writing some notes. She remained silent for a moment before she answered, ¡°Private tutoring.¡±


    Qin You suddenly realized it and smiled again as he praised, ¡°That was really pleasant to my ears; it¡¯s like I was listening to a speech overseas.¡±


    Su Junxin faintly tugged her lips but did not respond.


    ¡®The person who taught me English wasn¡¯t a private tutor but a companion who was with me at the end of the world ¨C a professor from England.


    ¡®The old professor¡¯s name was Joseph, a very famous man who won Nobel laureates in Literature.¡¯


    ¡®During the time when the end of the world was incoming, he just so happened to be in China for an exchange. I just so happened to save him by chance, so the both of us became companions while we wandered around during the end of the world for about two years. I learned his language during that time.¡¯


    ¡®However, one time when we were on our way to search for food, Joseph¡¯s legs had begun to fail him because of his age; he had unfortunately been scratched by a zombie, infecting it in the process. I had no choice but to pull the trigger against his head myself.


    ¡®That was not the first time I¡¯ve killed my own kind, but for almost an entire year after that incident, I¡¯ve been haunted by nightmares every night.¡¯


    ¡­


    While she recalled her old memories, Su Junxin looked even more and more fatigued.


    When the bell for the end of class rang, she was just about to wash her face to force herself to stay awake when Jiang Rushi had called her out.


    ¡°Su Junxin, could you come with me please?¡±


    After Su Junxin followed behind Jiang Rushi and entered the teacher¡¯s building, the former sat on a chair.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    Jiang Rushi nodded her head. ¡°Do you know that our school is going to hold an All-English Competition?¡±


    Su Junxin thought for a moment and seemed to have some recollection of it. ¡°Yes, I do know about it.¡±


    ¡°Your speech today really surprised me. I¡¯ve also taken a look at your English results during your first year and noticed that you¡¯ve got a very solid foundation, plus you¡¯re able to write your essays pretty well.¡± Jiang Rushi raised her hand to push up her glasses. ¡°So, I would like to recommend that you participate in the competition.¡±


    As she said that, she opened up her drawer and took out a stack of documents; then, she picked out the flyer for the All-English Competition before handing it to Su Junxin.


    ¡°Your accent is very infectious and is very unique amongst the others who have a more American accent; this is your greatest advantage. I believe that if you¡¯re able to perform at an average standard, the prize will surely be yours¡­ Of course, it is completely up to the student whether they want to participate in the competition. So, if you refuse, I won¡¯t force you to change your mind.¡±


    Su Junxin swiftly skimmed through the contents of the flyer and made up her mind.


    ¡®The most pressing thing for me at the moment is the construction of my safe zone; additionally, I have to take my studies into account, so I haven¡¯t got enough time to spare. Moreover, this competition consists of three rounds of auditioning; just the preparations and training on its own is going to eat up a lot of my spare time.¡¯


    ¡®For me, there really isn¡¯t merit to do this at the moment.¡¯


    Hence, Su Junxin raised her eyes to look at Jiang Rushi. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she paused. That was because she suddenly caught a glance at the piece of¡­ ¡®Tsing Hua University Guaranteed Admissions Application¡¯ on the top of the stack of documents.


    In the center of the document wrote the criteria to be fulfilled to be offered guaranteed admissions that were in bold. One of the criteria had caught Su Junxin¡¯s eyes. ¡®Provincial key high school student who has won an award in a foreign language.¡¯


    ¡®Shi Yan High School is considered to be a provincial key high school; this competition will be a large competition organized by my high school as well. Plus, it just so happens that it¡¯s about a foreign language!¡¯


    ¡®If I¡¯m able to be guaranteed admission, that would also mean that I would have even more time to build my safe zone for at least the next two years!¡¯


    Su Junxin¡¯s eyes sparkled as she instantly changed her answer. ¡°I¡¯m willing to participate!¡±


    Jiang Rushi revealed a gratified smile when she heard that.


    ¡°Wonderful! So, you¡¯ve got to work hard and prepare yourself now. Come see me if you have any questions.¡±


    After exiting the teacher¡¯s office, Su Junxin¡¯s steps became significantly quicker than before.


    As she pondered about the competition, she took a turn after passing through the corridor.


    When she turned a corner, she saw a scrawny little man who was squatting there.


    He seemed a little frantic as he picked up the scattered exercise books and held them in his arms. Just as he got up, he noticed that Su Junxin was heading in his direction, and he subconsciously shrank his neck and lowered his eyes evasively.


    Su Junxin caught a glimpse of him through the edge of her eyes; her swift reactions caught onto an exercise book that was about to fall and naturally placed it on the top of the stack.


    Without saying anything, she brushed by the man.


    Her movements left a hint of coldness as well as a fresh wind in the air, causing Li Weize to be caught off guard as the smell entered his nose.


    Then, he fiercely raised his head, and his eyes widened in shock as he turned around to look at Su Junxin¡­


    The scene of her back profile slowly began to resemble the figure that he had seen under the streetlamp last night.

 Chapter 10

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Thus, the second day of school passed by peacefully. When Su Junxin returned home, she realized that there were no lights on in the villa and it was strangely quiet.


    There was a luggage bag by the sofa filled with cash inside. Also, there was a land title and an ¡®I Owe You (IOU)¡¯ with a red fingerprint on it.


    Then, she headed upstairs to open the door. Sure enough, it was already empty.


    Su Junxin lightly scoffed before heading to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.


    As the cold liquid slid through her throat, it very quickly warded off the fatigue in her entire body.


    After that, a light turned on in the basement, and the tip of a pen that had ink on it swiftly drew through pages of paper, writing sentences of fluent English words that seemed to be jumping around on a green dotted line.


    The light stayed on for a long time before it was extinguished. Soon after, daylight gradually approached.


    Rightie clearly had a very good night¡¯s sleep last night, yet it woke up in the morning with no energy in it.


    It lazily hung around on her arm and squinted its eyes as if it was extremely sleepy.


    After shoving the script that Su Junxin had written throughout the night into her bag, she very quickly arrived at school.


    Qin You had applied for leave and was not in class that day; hence, Su Junxin finally had peace and quiet for the day. Apart from attending classes, she would draw on the blueprints of her safe zone.


    Very soon, afternoon came, and the bell rang, followed by the crowd¡¯s cheers as they headed to the canteen.


    Rightie had also somewhat recovered its liveliness, its big gold eyes spun around, and its front paws caressed its grumbling stomach. Then, it playfully maneuvered against Su Junxin¡¯s arm.


    Su Junxin noticed this and washed off the pencil stains on her palms as she used a slightly damp finger to tap the tip of its nose.


    ¡°Alright, alright; I¡¯ll bring you over to get some food in a moment.¡±


    However, just as she returned to the classroom after washing her hands, she was surprised to find that there was an unfamiliar lunch box on her desk.


    There was a sticky note pasted on the lunch box cover with only two words written on it. ¡®Thank you.¡¯


    Su Junxin raised her eyes to scan her surroundings. However, apart from herself, there was no one else there.


    She began to wonder and opened up the lunch box out of curiosity.


    Then, hot steam began to rush upwards, carrying the fragrance within the lunch box and causing saliva to be excreted from Su Junxin¡¯s salivary glands. In fact, her stomach began to rumble like a drum to remind her that it was completely empty.


    Rightie¡¯s movements were faster than hers; it rushed beside the lunch box like a flash of silver light. Then, its front paw held onto a fatty piece of meat before it opened its mouth to munch away half of it.


    ¡°Eh, that isn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Su Junxin was unable to stop it in time. Hence, she could only pinch her forehead helplessly.


    She then sat on her chair and looked at Rightie, who was wolfing down its food. After that, she looked at the food within the lunchbox that was still steaming hot.


    ¡®Although I don¡¯t know who exactly gave me this lunchbox, since Rightie¡¯s already eaten it, I can¡¯t return it to its owner as it was before. So, I might as well¡­¡¯


    Su Junxin gulped while her eyes once again looked to her surroundings.


    After confirming that no one had appeared, she picked up her chopsticks without hesitation.


    ¡­


    Su Junxin wanted to ¡°catch¡± the person who had secretly sent her the lunchbox. Hence, she waited until school was over in the afternoon and took the opportunity to hide behind the classroom¡¯s door when everyone had gone out to get their dinner.


    After more than ten minutes, a figure suddenly appeared by the door. When it realized that there was no one around, it crept to the backmost area of the classroom.


    Li Weize was just about to retrieve the lunchbox that was on the table when suddenly, someone lightly coughed behind him.


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    The lunchbox slipped from his hands and dropped onto the floor.


    He was a little surprised as he turned his head around to meet Su Junxin¡¯s gaze.


    She had her arms crossed while she stood by the door as she calmly sized Li Weize up.


    ¡®He¡¯s very skinny and isn¡¯t too tall, coupled with his bangs that seem almost to cover up his eyes¡­ He looks pretty depressed.¡¯


    ¡°Were you the one who brought me lunch?¡±


    Li Weize hurriedly lowered his head, and his voice was as soft as a mosquito as he muttered, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    Su Junxin took a few steps forward to pick up the lunchbox before placing it right into his hands.


    She asked, ¡°Why? I recall that I don¡¯t seem to know you.¡±


    Li Weize was slightly startled as he raised his eyes. The moment his eyes met hers, he very quickly looked away again before he muttered, ¡°That day¡­ You helped me.¡±


    Then, he took out a bottle of cream from his pocket, which looked very familiar.


    Su Junxin then realized what was happening¡­ ¡®So he¡¯s the one who that yellow-haired guy in the alley was bullying.¡¯


    At that very moment, chatter could suddenly be heard from outside the corridor.


    Her sharp senses noticed that he did not seem to like crowded places, so she instinctively said, ¡°Are you free now? Let¡¯s find a place to chat.¡±


    Li Weize hesitated for a moment but finally nodded his head.


    Soon after, the both of them arrived at the rooftop of the school building.


    It was evening at that very moment; the clouds in the distance had been dyed orange-red thanks to the descending sun. Plus, there was a cold breeze blowing.


    Su Junxin sat down on the gangway, which stood out before gesturing to a spot next to her so that Li Weize would sit there.


    Li Weize had his head lowered to his chest and courteously distanced himself from her.


    Su Junxin did not seem to mind him doing so.


    ¡°I think you probably already know my name.¡± She sized him up with a faint smile on her face. ¡°So, shouldn¡¯t you introduce yourself to me then?¡±


    ¡°Li Weize, second year (07) class,¡± replied Li Weize with lightning speed before he buried his head even deeper.


    ¡®He looks just like a shy ostrich.¡¯


    After pondering for a moment, she asked, ¡°Can I ask why were those people are bullying you?¡±


    Li Weize shivered for a moment.


    Then, she noticed his face becoming even more ashen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand; I haven¡¯t got any malicious intentions. I was just curious.¡±


    The atmosphere became silent for a few seconds.


    Then, Su Junxin looked at the sunset as she quietly waited.


    Finally, Li Weize lifted his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ of this.¡±


    Then, he extended his left hand in front of her, which was tightly clenched before slowly opening it up.


    His hands were so skinny that you could see the joints in his bones. Even his palm and fingertips were covered with callouses.


    However, on his little pinky, there was a sixth finger that stood out. Its shape was a little odd, which seemed as if it was not able to grow properly.


    Su Junxin was speechless for a moment.


    ¡®No wonder he hid his left hand behind his back when he saw me just now.¡¯


    Li Weize very quickly retracted his hand and pursed his lips tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s very ugly, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Su Junxin regained her senses and gently smiled at him.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. In fact, I kind of envy you.¡±


    Li Weize was in disbelief as his eyes widened. ¡°¡­ What? Why?¡±


    Su Junxin laughed as she looked away to ponder seriously for a moment.


    ¡°If I have a sixth finger, wouldn¡¯t it be a simple matter for me to hold onto two eggs in one hand?¡± She raised her own left hand and waved it in the air. ¡°Also, playing on flatscreens, the guitar, poker cards¡­ If I could, I want to have a sixth finger as well.


    The sunset allowed Su Junxin¡¯s side profile to be painted with a layer of gold light. As she waved her fingers, the light on her face changed as well.


    Li Weize¡¯s gaze was fixed on her as his throat tightened. His heart seemed to have been immersed in warm water, and even the rim of his eyes became a little hot.


    ¡®No one has ever said such a thing to me. Whenever they see my strange finger, they will only have a cold, disdained, and sometimes even disgusted expression on their faces¡­¡¯


    ¡°Having an extra finger compared to normal humans isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, so there¡¯s no need for you to have such a low esteem of yourself because of this.¡± Su Junxin turned her face and had a very serious expression on it as she looked at him. ¡°On the contrary, your sixth finger is a unique characteristic only you have that no one else is able to replicate. So, you should feel proud.¡±


    Li Weize quickly retracted his gaze and felt his ears heating up.


    ¡°By the way, I have another question to ask you. Did you make the lunch I had yourself?¡±


    He nodded his head.


    A smile instantly appeared on Su Junxin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s make a deal.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After the self-study session at night, the lights in the school building gradually got put out.


    Li Weize was walking amongst the crowd with his head down to his chest, trying his best to make his presence unnoticeable.


    Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulders, and an intense smell of cigarettes rushed into his nose.


    Then, he shivered subconsciously, and his fingers tightly grasped onto the strap of his bag.


    The arm relentlessly pulled Li Weize into a small alley beside the school. After that, a palm fiercely pushed Li Weize on the back towards the ground.


    Li Weize fumbled as he knelt on the ground; a sharp and hot, stinging pain instantly welled up at his knees.


    Then, a lazy voice was heard.


    ¡°Did you bring the money today?¡±


    Youbiao had one hand in his pocket as he stood at a dark corner in the alley. Through his shaved head, the roots of his yellow and black hair could be vaguely seen.


    He took a puff of his cigarette and squinted his eyes as he looked at the young man who was on the ground.


    When Li Weize heard his voice, he reflexively shrunk his neck as a hint of hesitation while horror flashed beneath his eyes.


    Seeing that he was unwilling to utter a word, Youbiao impatiently raised an eyebrow.


    His few subordinates by his side immediately understood what he meant.


    ¡°Are you deaf? Brother You asked you a question.¡±


    ¡°Are you itching for a few punches before you¡¯re willing to speak up?¡±


    ¡°F*cking h*ll, he really is a weirdo¡­¡±


    ¡°Has the deformed kid¡¯s brain gone bad as well? Is he unable to understand the human language?¡±


    The subordinates took turns as they scolded Li Weize, their scornful gaze casually glancing at him at the same time.


    Suddenly, someone spat out a mouthful of saliva on the ground right in front of Li Weize.


    The strand of string that was tightly pulled in Li Weize¡¯s heart finally broke. Thus, Li Weize took in a deep breath and fiercely raised his head.


    His face had gone completely red as he directly looked into the eyes of the man who had been bullying him for over a year. It was the very first time he did that.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t got any money!¡±


    His voice was very loud with a little shiver and hoarseness in it, something like the final struggle of a confined beast that¡¯s about to die.


    There was a moment of silence in the alley, but the sounds of laughter quickly followed it.


    ¡°Oh ho, it seems you¡¯ve grown a pair; you¡¯ve even got the b*lls to retaliate now, have you?¡±


    ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re being rude to? Wait till I beat the s*it out of you¡­¡±


    When he noticed that a fist was rushed directly towards his direction, Li Weize hurriedly explained, ¡°Youbiao, Su Junxin was the one who asked me to convey that message to you!¡±


    Li Weize then turned his head around with his eyes shut, but the pain that he was expecting never arrived.


    On the contrary, the person who swung that punch cried out in pain as he held onto his wrist and wailed, ¡°F*ck, who¡¯s the son of a b*tch that ambushed me?!¡±


    Youbiao ignored his subordinate¡¯s cries and flicked away the half-smoked cigarette before he walked and stood in front of Li Weize.


    Youbiao squinted his eyes and looked at Li Weize from above.


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    Li Weize was extremely terrified; his body kept on shivering uncontrollably. However, he was still able to clearly say, ¡°She asked me to tell you, ¡®before you hit my people, you¡¯d better first recall how you were laying on the ground and weren¡¯t able to get up. I was able to beat you down once; I can also¡­''¡±


    Before Li Weize had finished speaking, Youbiao suddenly raised his leg and kicked a trash can that was beside him with great strength.


    After a ¡°clang,¡± the alley became thoroughly silent.


    Youbiao clenched his fists tightly as his eyebrows were pressed downwards. He stared at Li Weize with a deathly stare for a moment.


    Finally, he left with his subordinates, who had confusion written all over their faces without saying anything.


    It was not after a good long while that Li Weize was able to regain his senses from the shock.


    It took him a while before he realized how soft his limbs had gone as he slowly lowered his body while lying against a wall. Then, like a fish that has been deprived of water, he took huge breaths of air ferociously.


    His cold fingertips touched the bottle of cream that was in his pocket, and he lowered his head, revealing a smile on his face as tears fell.


    Su Junxin sat on the eaves next to the alley, constantly flinging a little pebble in the air and catching it again.


    She faintly curled her lips upwards and retracted her legs as she jumped off the eaves before she silently disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡­


    The following day, during her history lesson, Su Junxin was just about to space out when a folded paper note was suddenly presented before her.


    Then, she glanced at a smiley Qin You through the edges of her eyes before she casually opened up the note.


    ¡®Where are you planning to have your lunch today?¡¯


    She opened up the cover of her pen and scribbled down the word ¡®classroom¡¯ before she casually crumpled the note and threw it back.


    She was beginning to feel a little drowsy, thanks to the sunlight that was shining from the window. Hence, she grabbed the opportunity while the history teacher turned around to write on the blackboard to yawn secretly.


    At that moment, she did not notice that Qin You had carefully folded the note and kept it inside his bag.


    ¡­


    The moment the bell rang to mark the end of the fourth session that morning, Qin You headed out to answer a phone call, leaving Su Junxin sitting alone in the classroom as she studied the blueprints for her safe zone.


    Moments later, the sound of footsteps from one person could be heard coming from outside the door. The footsteps sounded a little light.


    Thus, Su Junxin raised her eyes to look over.


    Li Weize was holding a lunchbox in his hands tightly as he carefully asked, ¡°Have¡­ I arrived late?¡±


    Su Junxin kept her sketchbook away. ¡°No, you¡¯re on time.¡±


    Hence, Li Weize heaved a sigh of relief before moving forwards and placing the lunchbox on her table.


    ¡°Yesterday¡­ I conveyed your message to Youbiao, and they haven¡¯t caused me any trouble since.¡± His fingers subconsciously pinched the edge of his shirt. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Su Junxin opened up the lunchbox and took in a whiff of the fragrance from the food as she let out a faint smile when she heard that.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree that you would bring me lunch every day as well? That makes us equal then.¡±


    The other day, she had made a deal with Li Weize that she would protect him from being bullied by Youbiao and his gang of subordinates; in return, he would send her food every day.


    Actually, she had not done that because of how tasty the food he cooked was, but mostly because it was Rightie who liked it. Su Junxin would be able to save some time from having to go out and buy food.


    As she spoke, she took out a few red-colored banknotes from her pocket and handed it over to Li Weize.


    Li Weize was startled for a moment, not knowing what to do next.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already helped me so much. I¡­ I can¡¯t accept your money!¡±


    When Su Junxin heard that, she raised her eyes to look at him with a strange expression on her face. Then, she could not help but laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯ve overthought this; this money is for you to buy the ingredients.¡± She picked up a piece of lotus root and placed it in her mouth. ¡°I prefer to eat meat, so I¡¯ll need your help to make more meat dishes next time.¡±


    Li Weize stood where he was and appeared to have a reaction for a few seconds before his cheeks instantly flushed red.


    ¡°Al¡­ Alright, I understand.¡±


    He received those few pieces of banknotes and hurried away without even looking back after he said that.


    Su Junxin found that he was funny, and she shook her head at the thought. Just as she was about to call Rightie out so that it could eat, she unintentionally glanced over at the front door of the classroom through the edges of her eyes and was suddenly stunned.


    Qin You was carrying an insulated rice bucket made out of wood in his hands. She did not know when he had appeared, but he was silently observing her.


    Half of his face was basked in sunlight while the other half was in the dark, blocked by his tall nose bridge.


    He seemed to have a weird aura around him.


    Su Junxin was unable to clearly see what kind of expression he had on his face, but she subconsciously felt a little chill that even her arms were instantly filled with goosebumps.


    She recalled that the last time she had a sudden reaction like that¡­ her opponent was a half-human and half-zombie monster who had almost killed her.


    ¡°Qin You?¡±


    Su Junxin put down her chopsticks and probingly called out his name.


    Qin You¡¯s long eyebrow gently trembled before it was lowered to cover his eyes.


    Without answering, he turned around and left.


    ¡­


    Qin You had not returned for lessons that afternoon, nor did he show up the next day.


    Su Junxin put down her pen, looked at the empty seat beside her, and raised her eyebrows with her pursed lips.


    It was possible that because Qin You had the exact same face as Cloud and that she had always felt a little guilty towards him that she inevitably felt more concerned about Qin You.


    Thankfully, Qin You finally showed up on Thursday morning.


    He actually did not seem strange at all. In fact, he even smiled and greeted Su Junxin when he sat down.


    Su Junxin was not able to grasp who he actually was, nor did she find it appropriate to ask him why he had suddenly left that afternoon. Therefore, she could only pretend that nothing had happened.


    After school was over in the afternoon, Su Junxin went off to take a trip to the washroom. When she was just about to return to her classroom to wait for Li Weize to bring her food, she suddenly noticed that Qin You had actually not left as well.


    He was still seated in his place as he slowly took out a little lunchbox and tidily placed a piece of oil-absorbing cloth on his table.


    When he turned around to look at Su Junxin, Qin You¡¯s eyes curved into a smile.


    ¡°Junxin, I brought lunch. Would you like to eat together?¡±


    Su Junxin was stunned for a few seconds before she walked forward.


    She glanced through the exquisite food on his table, consisting of four meat dishes and two vegetarian dishes with two bowls of very compactly filled rice. Then, she glanced at the time on her watch, and her heart suddenly sank.


    ¡®Li Weize would usually bring me my food before noon, but it¡¯s already 12:20 pm now¡­¡¯


    Qin You did not notice anything strange about Su Junxin and took out a pair of chopsticks and handed it to her with a smile on his face. ¡°These are very tasty. Would you like to try?¡±


    A thought suddenly flashed past Su Junxin¡¯s mind.


    She gently placed her cup on the table and took a few steps back.


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve got some urgent matters to attend to today. You¡­ Go ahead and eat.¡±


    After she said that, she left the classroom without looking back.

 Chapter 12

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    When Su Junxin found Li Weize, he was reading a book while sitting at the cashier of a convenience store.


    There was a windchime made of fishbones hanging by the entrance, making some clear clanging noise.


    When he raised his head and saw Su Junxin, the word ¡®welcome¡¯ was stuck in his throat.


    Su Junxin glanced through his busted lip, and she then raised her slender eyebrows.


    ¡°You¡¯ve injured your lip? What happened?¡±


    Before waiting for him to reply, a middle-aged woman who carried a baby in her arms hurriedly entered from the back entrance of the convenience store. When she saw Su Junxin, she was startled for a moment but quickly revealed a smile on her face after that.


    ¡°Hi there, is there something you would like to buy?¡±


    ¡°Mum, this is my¡­ classmate. She¡¯s here to see me about something.¡±


    Li Weize¡¯s voice was a little nervous when he said that; he even tripped as he was circling around the cashier.


    Then, Su Junxin walked out of the store with him. She turned her head and looked at the middle-aged woman through the window, who was also looking around curiously. After that, Su Junxin looked at Li Weize.


    His head was slightly lowered as if he had returned to being the cowardly person he used to be.


    Then, a stack of neatly folded banknotes was presented in front of Su Junxin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯ve got some matters to attend to at home recently¡­ I won¡¯t be able to make lunch for you anymore.¡±


    Su Junxin squinted her eyes and did not reach out to receive the banknotes.


    ¡°What happened to your lip?¡± She continued to ask the same question again.


    Li Weize was silent for a few seconds, and his voice softened even further. ¡°I accidentally fell.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± She tugged her lips gently and sized him up.


    When her gaze was focused on his exposed wrist, her eyes squinted slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a hot day today¡­ why are you wearing your school blazer?¡±


    Li Weize was shocked when he heard that and subconsciously hid his left hand behind his back.


    With quick accuracy and speed, Su Junxin went forwards and pulled his wrist over before pulling his sleeves backward.


    There was a slight swell on his arm, a bruise that was almost the size of a palm spread on his skin, which was a ghastly sight to see.


    ¡°Has Youbiao and his gang bullied you again?¡±


    Li Weize wanted to retract his hand, but Su Junxin¡¯s strength was so surprisingly strong that he could only shake his head. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then who was it that did this?¡±


    Li Weize bit on his lower lip, and his head was buried even deeper.


    Su Junxin was quiet for a moment before her voice became even deeper.


    ¡°It was Qin You, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Li Weize fiercely raised his head, and a hint of nervousness flashed past his eyes. ¡°No!¡±


    Based on his reaction, Su Junxin had already gotten the answer she wanted.


    ¡­


    The curtains in the classroom had been drawn, so apart from the buzzing noise coming from the air conditioner, there would occasionally be the sound of someone writing in their books and the snoring of some students who were asleep.


    Su Junxin stood beside Qin You¡¯s table and gently tapped on his table with her finger.


    Qin You was leaning against his arms with his face inward at that moment. When he heard the tapping, he was startled for a moment before he raised his head.


    Su Junxin casually said, ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to discuss with you.¡±


    Then, she walked to the entrance of the classroom, and her gaze focused on the lunchboxes that were in the trash can by the back entrance for a moment. Her fingers by the side of her body were clenched tightly.


    The two of them then went up to the rooftop, one behind the other.


    Su Junxin turned around to look at Qin You and expressionlessly spoke up.


    ¡°Qin You, why did you¡­¡±


    Her interrogative tone suddenly changed, and Su Junxin¡¯s eyes were filled with shock.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    Qin You¡¯s skin was originally fair, but at that very moment, even his lips had gone completely pale. He seemed to be so weak that he might fall over at any moment.


    His eyes had an unnatural redness in them, and his breathing became paced as he stared at Su Junxin.


    ¡°You lied to me.¡±


    Su Junxin was still immersed in shock and was not able to regain her senses yet. Hence, with Qin You¡¯s sudden statement, she became even more confused.


    ¡°What do you mean, Qin You?¡±


    Qin You took a step closer towards her; his eyebrows were tightly knitted together. His eyes depicted disappointment and hurt in them as he gazed into her eyes.


    Then, he said, word for word, ¡°I¡¯m clearly your only friend, but you¡¯ve been eating with someone else.¡±


    When Su Junxin heard that, she instantly found it infuriating and laughable.


    ¡°I doubt there¡¯s any correlation between friends and having meals, is there? Furthermore, I couldn¡¯t not have made any friends apart from you, you¡¯re making a huge fuss about this, Qin You!¡±


    ¡°What about this?¡±


    Qin You had presented a bottle of cream that had been half used in front of Su Junxin, and there was a suppressed anger in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve given someone else something that I gave you! Are you still going to blame me for making a huge fuss?¡±


    Su Junxin was instantly speechless.


    When she saw his slightly trembling hands, the anger that she had just welled up had instantly waned like a ball filled with air that had just been cut open.


    ¡°¡­ Sorry,¡± said Su Junxin with her eyes lowered.


    Qin You retracted his hands and smiled self-deprecatingly.


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m especially easy to trick? You didn¡¯t have to spend a single ounce of effort, nor did you even have to take the initiative, but I just approached you like that for you to toy around¡­¡±


    Su Junxin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and she hurriedly raised her head to interrupt him. ¡°No, I never thought of you like that before!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, no?!¡± Qin You¡¯s fists were tightly clenched, and his voice had become hoarse. ¡°To you, I¡¯m just someone to be taken for granted! Su Junxin, I suppose it would be right of me to say that I don¡¯t even hold a single place in your heart!¡±


    Qin You then turned around and was about to leave. However, Su Junxin¡¯s heart suddenly tightened, and she immediately grabbed onto his wrist without a single thought.


    ¡°No¡­ Qin You, let me explain!¡±


    Just as she said that, her heart suddenly shrank ferociously as if a large hand had clenched onto it with great force. Instantly, she was in so much pain that she could not even speak.


    Yet, Qin You did not look back.


    When he did not hear any commotion behind him, he coldly smiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you unable to even come up with a single excuse? Then again, it doesn¡¯t matter; let me come up with one for you. To you, the only use I have¡­ Is to give you YC-2130, right?¡±


    Su Junxin grabbed onto her chest and took a deep breath before she was finally able to endure that sharp pain.


    Despite the scene before her being a little black, she still raised her eyes to look at him.


    ¡°Qin You, to me, you¡¯re even more unique than anyone else.¡±


    She paused for a moment and heaved a breath of air.


    ¡°Do you still remember my question to you when we first met? The reason why I asked whether you have a brother who looks like you is because you look very similar to a person I used to know previously.¡±


    Qin You slowly turned his head around.


    The expression on his face was a lot calmer than before, but his lips were still very tightly pursed.


    She silently heaved a sigh of relief and continued, ¡°He was an outstanding person; whatever he achieved is a height that I will never be able to overcome in my lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡°From the sounds of it, you admire him very much, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s right, from a certain perspective, he¡¯s a guide who shows me which direction I should take and the motivation for me to keep on living.¡±


    Qin You now turned around to meet her gaze.


    His lips gently opened up.


    ¡°Then¡­ Have you ever taken a fancy on him?¡±


    Su Junxin was slightly startled.


    ¡®I¡¯ve never thought about this question before. After all, I was in an apocalypse, so even expecting to live to see another sunrise was already something that was expected.¡¯


    ¡°The both of you share a very deep bond, and you do care for him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    As the image before Cloud¡¯s death flashed through her mind, she subconsciously nodded her head.


    Qin You looked at her before he suddenly revealed a sincere smile.


    He reached out his hand to pull her into his arms and embraced her tightly.


    Su Junxin was very shocked, and the first thought she had was to push him away, but his next sentence stopped her from doing so.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, whatever I said just now was just words of anger at the spur of a moment. I thought you really didn¡¯t care about me a single bit.¡± His voice had returned to being casual. ¡°Also, about the other guy¡­ I¡¯ll apologize to him later.¡±


    Su Junxin was stunned and blinked her eyes that were filled with confusion.


    ¡®Huh? He¡¯s coaxed¡­ Just like that???¡¯


    Qin You lowered his head, and the tip of his nose gently pressed in between her hair; his voice was a little dull.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be eating my lunch in the classroom in the future as well. Will you join me?¡±


    It was not an absurd request, plus Su Junxin did not want to provoke the beast that had just been tamed through a lot of effort. Hence, she agreed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Qin You squinted his eyes with satisfaction and revealed a smile. His eyes were frightfully sparkling as he softly muttered, ¡°You really do treat me the best.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Qin You¡¯s sudden outburst in the afternoon left Su Junxin feeling a little uneasy.


    She had also encountered a similar situation during the apocalypse. Some people would clearly be fine a second ago but would suddenly turn into something akin to a beast that has lost all its rationale.


    ¡®Face turning pale, bloodshot eyes, complete loss of all decision-making capabilities, desperately venting their anger¡­ It¡¯s almost the same as how Qin You had gone mad on me just now.¡¯


    Suddenly a pair of pitch-black eyes looked in her direction.


    Su Junxin was surprised for a moment and swiftly averted her gaze as she shoved the piece of rubber band that had been pinched into two sections into her palm.


    Qin You blinked his eyes.


    ¡°Was it my imagination? Why do I keep feeling that you¡¯ve been secretly watching me for the entire afternoon?¡±


    Riddled with her guilty conscience, Su Junxin gently coughed. ¡°I haven¡¯t; I was just looking at the bird that was out the window.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I thought that you were looking at me¡­ ¡± Qin You pouted his lips and revealed a disappointed expression. However, he quickly regained his smile. ¡°My cat loves to lay by the balcony to look at birds too.¡±


    By that time, Su Junxin had regained her composure, so she deliberately nodded her head casually.


    ¡°So, do you love cats?¡± Qin You asked.


    Su Junxin looked at him and hesitated for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure; I haven¡¯t had one before.¡±


    The only pet she had ever raised was Rightie.


    When he heard that, he immediately revealed an even bigger smile. ¡°Then, can I invite you to my house to play? I would really like to introduce you to my cat.¡±


    ¡®He actually wants to introduce me to a cat?¡¯


    Su Junxin thought that she might have misheard him, so she stopped writing and looked at him with a strange expression.


    Qin You seemed to have noticed this as well. He was startled for a moment before he blinked his eyes and revealed an apologetic expression.


    He was like a puppy that had just realized the mistake he made.


    He drew back his body, which was close to her, with his eyes lowered and his fingers tightly crossed.


    ¡°Sorry, I actually didn¡¯t tell you the truth all this time.¡± He lowered his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been suffering from social dysfunction since I was young, so I would sometimes find it hard to understand some of the social hints that people would give me. Also, I¡¯m not good at handling my own emotions¡­ I¡¯ve never had a good friend like you in the past, so I may have been too excited just now. Have I¡­ offended you?¡±


    When he spoke, his dense eyebrows trembled continuously under the sunlight, which seemed like a butterfly struggling to flap its wings from within its cocoon.


    Su Junxin took in a breath.


    ¡®I never expected that Qin You would have this kind of past, but this does also explain his strange actions earlier.


    ¡®The reason why Qin You would have such enmity towards Li Weize could be because of his psychological illness¡­¡¯


    At the thought of that, she could not help but feel a little pity towards Qin You.


    Su Junxin then raised her hand and gently placed it on his.


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t.¡± She then firmly repeated, ¡°Qin You, you haven¡¯t offended me.¡±


    Qin You raised his eyes to look at her; there were even some shiny crystalized liquids beneath his eyes.


    ¡°Then, you don¡¯t find me weird?¡±


    ¡°Even the moon has its own side that it doesn¡¯t wish to show others, let alone humans. Every human has their own uniqueness! It¡¯s these unique traits that allow us to be ourselves.¡±


    Qin You then looked at her in a daze. ¡°Then, do you have a ¡°weird¡± trait as well?¡±


    Su Junxin pondered for a moment when it suddenly hit her.


    ¡°Of course I do; I¡¯ll show it to you during next week¡¯s Biology class.¡±


    Only after she said that did Qin You reveal a smile on his face.


    ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s a promise!¡±


    ¡­


    It was not known what Qin You had said to Li Weize, but they did come to an agreement in the end. In the future, Qin You would bring Su Junxin lunch, while Li Weize would be responsible for bringing them dinner since Qin You would sometimes be absent from the self-study sessions at night.


    Su Junxin was unwilling to owe others any favors, so she gave Li Weize some money for the food and also shoved some red banknotes into Qin You¡¯s pocket.


    As a result, within less than half an hour, the money was returned into her hands. In fact, there was even an additional stack within it.


    ¡°Are you trying to hire me to be your English teacher?¡± Su Junxin looked at him with an expression of disbelief on her face.


    Qin You nodded his head with a serious expression. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry. I learn fast, so I won¡¯t be taking up too much of your time.¡±


    Su Junxin was dumbfounded. ¡°But, your results are clearly better than mine.¡±


    Qin You then pushed the money back to him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood; I just want you to teach me the English accent. After all, I can¡¯t find another person in the entire high school who¡¯s able to speak as accurately as you.¡±


    ¡°But, everyone¡¯s speaking with an American accent, so why would you insist on learning the English accent?¡± Su Junxin asked.


    ¡°Because we would have more things in common!¡± Qin You revealed an innocent smile on his face.


    Su Junxin stared at him for a moment and was unable to come up with an excuse to retaliate. Hence, she could only helplessly agree.


    After their self-study session that night, they discussed the details of their ¡°tuition¡± timetable as they walked. Finally, they decided for it to be done every day before their afternoon break.


    After watching him get on his transport, Su Junxin headed towards her own house.


    However, very soon, she noticed that there was something amiss¡­ Someone was stalking her, but it wasn¡¯t just one person.


    When she passed by a corner, she quickly turned back to take a glance.


    Behind her were four men in the same uniform as hers.


    Very quickly, she was able to guess what their intentions were.


    ¡­


    Three kilometers is not actually a long distance, but it was not a short one either. Coincidentally, there was a small garden nearby Su Junxin¡¯s villa.


    There would not be anyone in the small garden at night, and it would be eerily silent, exactly like a scene from a horror movie.


    Su Junxin would be surrounded by the four men in that very area.


    Amongst the four unfamiliar faces, Su Junxin was the most familiar with their leader. He seemed 80% similar to the man she had kicked a few days ago ¨C Youbiao.


    Very soon, she was able to recall that one of them was Shi Yan High School¡¯s bully, Youfeng, from the third year. A man who even had the courage to beat up the school¡¯s dean.


    Youfeng had a cigarette between his lips as he sized up Su Junxin. His voice was filled with disdain.


    ¡°Are you Su Junxin?¡±


    Su Junxin expressionlessly looked at him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re pretty skilled at beating people up, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He then took a step towards her and may have intentionally revealed the tense and toned muscle on his arm.


    The moment he took a step closer, his intense cologne rushed against Su Junxin, making it impossible for Su Junxin not to frown. She then asked, ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°You punched Youbiao, my little brother, the other day; do you remember that?¡± The other three people behind Youfeng glanced at her. ¡°We originally wanted to see how great you actually were, but now¡­¡±


    He turned his gaze away and revealed an inexplicable smile towards her.


    ¡°You seem to have a pretty nice face, so I¡¯ll forget about you beating him up. As long as you accompany me into that little forest over there, I¡¯ll wipe away everything into history. How about it?¡±


    Su Junxin turned her gaze to look towards the direction where he hinted at.


    It was the darkest corner of the garden where there were even two malfunctioned street lamps, coincidentally.


    ¡®Hmm, that really is an ideal place for me to make my move.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯ll let me go so long as I accompany you there?¡± Su Junxin asked calmly.


    Youfeng¡¯s eyes glistened, obviously not expecting her to be so ¡°cooperative.¡± Hence, he very readily said, ¡°Also, from tomorrow onwards, you¡¯ll be my woman. Within every high school in South City, no one will even have the guts to lay a finger on you!¡±


    Su Junxin lowered her eyes to ponder for a moment before her lips curled and revealed a faint smile.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Right after she said that, she turned around and walked towards the little forest.


    Youfeng was extremely elated at that moment as he spat the cigarette in his mouth onto the ground and happily followed her footsteps.


    Meanwhile, the other three behind them merely looked at each other.


    One of them could not help but be worried. ¡°Do you think that woman is playing some kind of trick? She agreed to it so readily.¡±


    Another man raised his hand and smacked the first man at the back of his head. ¡°Are you a f*cking idiot? When has Master Feng ever done something that he isn¡¯t confident of? There¡¯s no need for your needless worry!¡±


    The last man followed suit and added, ¡°Master Feng is a national blackbelt champion; how could he possibly be worried about being unable to handle a little girl?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right. With Master Feng¡¯s stature, he would even be able to suffocate her to death by slamming himself onto her. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to take care of her properly!¡±


    However, while the three of them were having an early celebration for Youfeng, a few muffled noises could be heard from within the dark little forest.


    Su Junxin heaved a long breath and slowly tidied up the collar of her uniform before she raised her hand to comb back her slightly messy hair behind her ear.


    Then, she turned around and smiled as she looked at Youfeng.


    Youfeng was lying on the ground, his body presented in a distorted state¡­ Both his legs had been bent all the way to the back of his head, interlocked with his raised wrists with a shoelace tied in between.


    The shoelace was strained into a straight line. If he were to try and move, the shoelace would pull onto his throat even tighter.


    Youfeng¡¯s face had turned completely purple, and his eyeballs were slightly bulging outwards.


    He was unable to speak; all he could do was look at her to beg for mercy.


    Su Junxin knelt in front of him and raised two fingers in the air as she spoke softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you two choices¡­ you¡¯d better think properly before you answer.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After a moment, two figures walked out from the little forest, one behind the other.


    When the other three men who were squatting and smoking a cigarette saw this, they were startled for a moment and hurriedly threw away their cigarettes. Then, they walked towards them with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°Brother Feng, have you done it?¡±


    ¡°Of course he¡¯s done it! Brother Feng, should we refer to her as our sister-in-law?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Hi, Sister-In-Law!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Sister-In-Law!¡±


    Youfeng quickly took a glance at Su Junxin¡¯s direction through the edge of his eyes, but he only saw that she still had the same calm expression on her face with slightly curled lips. In fact, there was a deep, meaningful smile within it.


    When he recalled how he was like a pig in a slaughterhouse where he was completely under her control a few minutes ago, a chill ran down his spine, and he became even more frightened.


    Then, he raised his slightly sore arm and smacked the man who had first called her Sister-In-Law on the head.


    ¡°What nonsense are you on about!? You should be calling her Boss!¡±


    When the other three heard that, they were instantly stunned as they stood on the spot, dumbfounded.


    It was not until that moment that they had just noticed that Youfeng¡¯s expression did not seem right. There was even a purplish-red laceration mark on his neck.


    When they turned around to look at Su Junxin again, not only did she look completely calm, but even her clothes were tidy.


    Before they even managed to ask anything, Youfeng spoke with a deep voice, ¡°From today onwards, she¡¯s my boss, that means she¡¯s your boss as well, understand?¡±


    Amongst the three of them, the one with the quickest reaction immediately realized what was happening and bent over to give Su Junxin a 90-degree bow.


    ¡°Understood, understood! Boss Su!¡±


    The other two men followed suit with a dumbfounded expression on their faces.


    Su Junxin curled her lips into a faint smile.


    ¡°Right, got it. However, you don¡¯t have to address me like that in school next time.¡±


    Youfeng silently rubbed his arm, which was still suffering from the sharp pain. When he heard that, he hurriedly followed up and said, ¡°Do you hear that? Boss Su wants to keep a low profile in school. So, when you guys head back, tell the others to see me if there are any issues. Don¡¯t disturb her!¡±


    The three of them were utterly dumbfounded because they had never seen their boss being so miserable before. However, they nodded their heads without hesitation.


    ¡­


    By the time she returned home, Su Junxin laid on her bed from exhaustion.


    The moment the tightly pulled rope relaxed, the body that was forcefully holding on instantly lost its support.


    She began to hallucinate that there was darkness before her eyes, so she closed her eyes to take a few deep breaths before she slowly raised her hand.


    Her white fingertips glowed reddish under the light and were shaking at a rather high frequency.


    As she rubbed her two fingers together, a silver light flashed.


    Su Junxin was slightly startled as she lowered her hand to look at the chandelier above her. Suddenly, she could not help but laugh.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been standing at the peak for too long; I¡¯ve almost forgotten how it feels to have my superpowers completely exhausted.¡¯


    ¡®Who would¡¯ve thought that this reincarnation would make me relive that once again.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll acknowledge that Youfeng was an extremely strong opponent. If I didn¡¯t use my superpowers today, there¡¯s no way I would¡¯ve defeated him.¡¯


    As she relieved the moments when she had brawled with Youfeng, she slowly analyzed her body¡¯s shortcomings. Then, she unknowingly fell into a deep sleep.


    ¡­


    During the two days over the weekend, Su Junxin had locked herself in the basement.


    After working tirelessly, she had finally drawn out a complete blueprint for her safe zone.


    The moment she laid down, she slept until the following day. She changed into her uniform and jogged to school as usual.


    However, she soon discovered something strange.


    On that day, she seemed to be garnering attention from every corner.


    Countless gazes would come at her from her surroundings, causing her to be unable to ignore them. Hence, Su Junxin stopped and raised her eyes to glance around coldly.


    Those probing gazes instantly receded.


    Then, she turned around to look at Qin You and spoke up.


    ¡°Qin You, why are there so many people looking at me today?¡±


    Qin You raised his head and revealed a surprised expression on his face. ¡°I thought you¡¯d know!¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± She frowned subconsciously.


    Qin You then took out his cellphone from his pocket and handed it to her after tapping a few times.


    ¡°There, it¡¯s because of this.¡±


    On the screen, there was a web page opened with a line of words artistically typed in gold on top of the page. ¡®The 11th Annual Selection For Most Pretty Woman in South City¡¯s Shi Yan High School¡¯.


    Below the headline, it was the ranking status via votes, and Su Junxin¡¯s name and photo were listed at the top rank.


    ¡®This photo was obviously taken in secret; it was taken during the first day of school while I was wiping the gangway in the corridor.¡¯


    ¡°There are quite a number of people who pay attention to this. Now that you¡¯ve become the prettiest woman in school this year, it¡¯s only natural that everyone¡¯s curious about you,¡± explained Qin You. Then, he suddenly changed the topic and asked with a smile on his face, ¡°Junxin, who do you think the most handsome man in our school this year is?¡±


    Su Junxin receded her gaze, which was originally on the screen, and scanned his face.


    After a moment, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s you.¡±


    Qin You instantly smiled so much that his eyes curved at its corners. ¡°Correct! You really do think I¡¯m handsome as well, Junxin!¡±


    She did not deny what he had said and returned his cellphone before sitting upright.


    She poked her paper with the tip of her pen a few times as she hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she still could not help but speak up, ¡°Qin You, could you¡­ address me as something else?¡±


    Qin You was startled for a moment, and his smile immediately receded. He blinked his eyes in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can I not call you by your name?¡±


    Su Junxin pursed her lips and frowned. ¡°I find it a little weird¡­ it feels a little too intimate to be addressed that way.¡±


    ¡°But friends are supposed to have intimate relationships,¡± interrupted Qin You. ¡°You clearly said I¡¯m special, but do I not even have the right to have a unique way of addressing you? Or do you actually think that¡­ I¡¯m not worthy of having an intimate relationship with you?¡±


    Su Junxin choked for a moment and noticed that Qin You¡¯s eyes began to turn red again. Instantly, she knew that things were going bad and hurriedly tried to coax him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me; I¡¯m not implying that you¡¯re not worthy.¡±


    She then sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s actually all my problem; I¡¯ve never been addressed like this in the past, so I¡¯m having trouble getting used to it for the time being.¡±


    Qin You blinked his eyes for a moment and quickly calmed his emotions. He then reached out a hand to hold onto hers.


    ¡°Then, let me be the first person, alright?¡± He said softly.


    His voice was so gentle.


    She lowered her eyes to look at their hands which were being held together, and instinctively wanted to retract hers; however, when she suddenly recalled Qin You¡¯s illness, she finally decided to endure it.


    When she raised her eyes to meet the pair of eyes which looked exactly the same as Cloud¡¯s, she could not help but become soft.


    ¡°Fine¡­ But you must promise me that you¡¯ll only address me like that privately. If there are others around, you¡¯ve got to call me by my full name.¡±


    Qin You immediately nodded his head ferociously.


    ¡­


    After finding out that she was receiving attention because she had been selected as the prettiest woman in school, Su Junxin ignored the gazes that were sizing her up.


    After submitting her script for the All-English Competition to Jiang Rushi¡¯s office for her review, she headed to the washroom right away.


    Nevertheless, right after she unlocked the cubicle¡¯s door, she suddenly heard her name being called, and Su Junxin instantly froze.


    ¡°Do you know Su Junxin from the second year?¡±


    ¡°The new prettiest woman in school? What about her?¡±


    ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s an orphan! Her family even owes a huge debt!¡±


    ¡°What? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice, what if there¡¯s someone here¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? Don¡¯t you see that every single cubicle door is green? There¡¯s definitely no one here!¡±


    Su Junxin¡¯s eyes were fixated on her cubicle door that had been unlocked; she faintly raised her eyebrows.


    The few voices continued to speak, ¡°Hurry up then, what¡¯s Su Junxin¡¯s situation exactly?¡±


    ¡°On the day the voting results were revealed, someone anonymously revealed that Su Junxin¡¯s mom had passed away when she was a few years old. Previously, she didn¡¯t look pretty at all, so she forced her dad to borrow from loan sharks so that she could get plastic surgery. In the end, because he wasn¡¯t able to clear up his debts, her father committed suicide!¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­ Is that true? Are you sure it isn¡¯t just rumors?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! Many people in our school know about this! That post has already been deleted, but it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve taken a screenshot of it¡­ Here, this is Su Junxin¡¯s photo in her first year. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s too much of a difference compared to how she looks now?¡±


    ¡°She really does look different, but then again, it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s actually that big of a difference¡­¡±


    ¡°Medical beauty is very advanced now; it¡¯s only normal not to be able to find any traces!¡±


    ¡°Now that I think of it, she keeps a cold face every day. Do you think it¡¯s because she¡¯s done so much plastic surgery that she can¡¯t express any emotions now?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, that¡¯s possible!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so funny. If the bunch of guys who voted for her finds out that the icy woman they¡¯ve been worshipping was actually a failed plastic surgery case, I think they¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Ka-cha¡­¡±


    A sudden noise came from a cubicle door.


    The entire washroom instantly became so silent that you could even hear a pin drop.


    Su Junxin slowly opened the door and walked out.


    She then turned her gaze to look at the three women who were talking.


    Then, she raised her lips to reveal a huge and gentle smile. However, there was a cold light flashing beneath her eyes as she calmly spoke.


    ¡°I thought it was only those sharp-tongued middle-aged women from the countryside who would gossip about others behind their backs. Who knew that these kinds of people have actually managed to wriggle their way into a high school.¡±


    She paused for a moment before lowering her eyes to heave a sigh. Then, she turned away to walk out.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ What a tragedy.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Right after she walked out of the washroom, Su Junxin¡¯s face instantly darkened.


    ¡®In the entire Shi Yan High School, there are only two people who know about my family¡¯s situation¡­ Su Yi and He Wei.¡¯


    ¡®I still have something against Su Yi in my hands, so there¡¯s no way she¡¯d be so foolish to come against me at this moment. So, that leaves He Wei as the only possibility.¡¯


    When she passed by the second year (10) class, she purposefully looked inside through the windows casually.


    He Wei seemed to be talking about something happily with a few of her classmates who were beside her. But suddenly, she felt a chill on the back of her spine.


    She reflexively turned her head over, only to meet a pair of cold eyes outside by the window.


    When Su Junxin noticed that He Wei had noticed her, she gently winked and mouthed some words.


    ¡°Game on.¡±


    Instantly, He Wei seemed as if she had seen a ghost, and her pupils dilated; the smile on her face instantly froze.


    It was not until Su Junxin¡¯s figure had completely disappeared behind the door that He Wei regained her senses.


    ¡°Hey, Weiwei, wasn¡¯t that person just now, Su Junxin?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, what would a freak like her have to gloat? If it were up to me, the prettiest woman in our school should be Weiwei!¡±


    ¡°He Wei, did she really get plastic surgery done? Why can¡¯t I tell at all?¡±


    He Wei blinked for a while to hide the nervousness she had beneath her eyes before she raised her head and spoke to them with a smile on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure about that. However, technology is so advanced now, so it isn¡¯t strange that there aren¡¯t any traces of it being done. It¡¯s possible that she found a surgeon who is very highly skilled¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Su Junxin had not returned to her own classroom yet. She noticed a bunch of people from afar who were curiously looking inside from the window sill.


    When they saw that she had appeared, the bunch of people whispered amongst themselves for a moment before hurriedly scurrying away. However, they kept on glancing at her secretly through the edges of their eyes.


    ¡®Am I really that scary?¡¯


    Su Junxin raised her eyebrow as she thought that it was weird. Then, she stepped into the front door of her classroom.


    Soon, she realized that the person who had actually scared them away was not her but¡­ Youfeng.


    Youfeng was seated in front of her table, shaking his legs as he flipped through an exercise book.


    Suddenly, he raised his head, and when he noticed that Su Junxin was looking in his way, he hurriedly got up from his seat and quickly walked in front of her.


    ¡°Boss, I heard that there have been some rumors about you being spread. Would you like for us to investigate this matter?¡±


    Su Junxin glanced at the classroom, which had instantly fallen silent and felt a little helpless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡±


    The crowd watched as the two of them walked outside, one behind the other. Soon, the classroom became noisy and began to cause a commotion.


    ¡°What the f*ck!? Su Junxin actually knows Youfeng?¡±


    ¡°I told you she¡¯s definitely not that simple; she might even be in a gang!¡±


    ¡°Do you think they might have that kind of relationship¡­? I heard that Youfeng has a lot of girlfriends¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so¡­ Youfeng especially loves the beautiful ones. Plus, Su Junxin has just been selected as the prettiest woman, so isn¡¯t this too coincidental?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a deduction! Do you think she was able to be selected because of Youfeng?¡±


    With a ¡°slam,¡± the women¡¯s chatter was interrupted.


    Qin You slammed an exercise book and gently tugged the edge of his lips.


    His gaze glanced through the few people¡¯s faces, and there was no hint of a smile beneath his eyes.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the group leader for the random recital of texts?¡±


    One of the women carefully raised her hands with her face gone red. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Has your group finished reciting everything?¡± Qin You asked in a deep voice.


    She was startled for a moment before she quietly answered, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then, hurry up and take this opportunity to recite.¡±


    After he said that, he picked up his exercise book once again before he turned around to leave.


    However, the woman who had spoken first merely frowned and raised her voice to call out to him. ¡°Qin You, isn¡¯t the deadline for this recital on Wednesday? It¡¯s not even that urgent yet.¡±


    Qin You stopped in his tracks and turned his head around to look at her expressionlessly.


    His voice was a little cold. ¡°This is an honors class¡­ if you don¡¯t find it urgent, you shouldn¡¯t stop others from studying.¡± After he said that, he looked at the rest of them. ¡°One takes on the color of one¡¯s company. I believe you should all understand the logic behind this, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    The group leader was stunned for a moment before she hurriedly nodded her head. ¡°We understand; we¡¯ll definitely study properly!¡±


    When he heard that, Qin You finally revealed a smile, it was as if the cold demeanor he had a moment ago was just a figment of their imagination.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s all work hard together then.¡±


    ¡­


    After Su Junxin ordered Youfeng not to interfere, she returned to her seat.


    She kept everything that was on her desk into her drawer and suddenly seemed to have noticed something. Then, she stopped what she was doing to look at Qin You.


    ¡°Qin You, aren¡¯t you curious why Youfeng and I know each other?¡±


    Qin You shook his head and used his sparkling black and innocent eyes to look at her with an elated smile on his face.


    ¡°I am curious, but I was waiting to see if you would talk about it on your own accord.¡±


    Su Junxin was slightly startled and could not help but laugh.


    ¡°Alright then. Actually, how I came to know him¡­ was rather complicated. However, there¡¯s no need for you to worry; he and I aren¡¯t considered friends yet.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m just his boss, and he¡¯s my subordinate, that¡¯s all.¡¯ Su Junxin silently added that sentence in her thoughts.


    Qin You¡¯s smile became a little deeper. ¡°Alright, I understand now¡­ Would you like some candy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± She reached out her hand to receive it. Then, she opened up the wrapping paper and placed the candy in her mouth.


    The sweet nectarine flavor instantly rushed into her mouth. As she gently bit into it, she suddenly realized that there was a cooling mint hidden within the candy.


    Qin You smiled as he asked her, ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Su Junxin nodded her head. ¡°This filing is actually pretty surprising.¡±


    She met his gaze, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind as she spoke out without a second thought, ¡°It feels like you ¨C sweet and harmless on the outside, but different on the inside¡­¡±


    Just as she said that, she instantly realized what she had just said. She was just about to explain herself when she suddenly saw that he was actually laughing wholeheartedly.


    He raised his finger to point at her mouth, and his smile turned a little narrow.


    ¡°What a coincidence! The candy I ate is a fruity one with a mint filling, the same as yours.¡±


    Su Junxin was momentarily startled as she looked at him in a daze.


    Right at that moment, the bell to signify the start of class rang.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Right when it was in the afternoon, there were only two people left in the classroom.


    The taste from the candy had long but dissolved within her tongue, replaced by the fragrance from their food.


    Su Junxin raised her eyes to glance at Qin You; the words that he had said that morning still repeated themselves in her mind.


    Just as she was about to say something, a voice was suddenly heard from outside the classroom.


    Li Weize stood by the entrance and was a little cautious as he looked inside. Then, he softly called out Su Junxin¡¯s name.


    Thus, Su Junxin retracted her gaze and got up to walk over.


    As she took a look at his face, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    Li Weize had changed his hairstyle into a short crop cut that made his head look like a chestnut, revealing his round drooping eyes.


    His eyes were of a rare amber color, and he had a little mole on the side of his nose bridge which normally would not stand out so much. Those cute features had always been covered up by his bangs and were finally revealed on that day.


    ¡°Nice haircut,¡± complimented Su Junxin as she stood still.


    The edges of Li Weize¡¯s ears turned slightly red before he raised his eyes to look at her and softly asked, ¡°I heard some rumors about you, are you¡­ Alright?¡±


    Su Junxin did not seem to mind at all as she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Since they¡¯re rumors, then there¡¯ll come a day when the truth is revealed. I¡¯ve got nothing to hide, so there¡¯s nothing for me to be worried about¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her wrists suddenly felt a chill, and she subconsciously lowered her eyes.


    A silver light had flashed past from the ground. Rightie had sped right towards Li Weize¡¯s feet. Then, his front paws grabbed onto his trousers and its nose wrinkled lightly as if it was sniffing the scent on his body.


    Li Weize seemed to have noticed that something weird was going on, so he lowered his head in suspicion.


    ¡®Rightie will only be invisible when it¡¯s in contact with me, so the moment it leaves me, it¡¯s going to expose itself in front of others.¡¯


    At the thought of that, Su Junxin suddenly felt shocked.


    She literally did not have time to think in detail as she extended her hand straight away to grab onto Li Weize¡¯s chin, blocking his head from lowering.


    Thus, Li Weize was forced to look right into her gaze. He was both confused and shocked as he blinked his eyes rapidly.


    His lips were pouting from being pinched, and even his words were muffled. ¡°Su¡­ Su Junxin¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Su Junxin let out a wry laugh. ¡°Oh¡­ Nothing, it¡¯s just that¡­ I think you¡¯ve really done a good job with your haircut!¡±


    As she said that, she hurriedly shot a glance at Rightie through the edges of her eyes. When she noticed that it had released Li Weize¡¯s trousers, she hurriedly retracted her hand as well.


    Li Weize felt a little embarrassed from being complimented by her, and his cheeks had slightly flushed red. Then, he subconsciously lowered his head. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Rightie leaped onto his other leg, causing Su Junxin to take a breath of cold air. Then, she once again extended her hand to grab onto his face.


    Li Weize was even more stunned this time. ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s the matter this time?¡±


    Although Su Junxin was facepalming herself mentally, she still put on a look of curiosity on her face. ¡°Ahem, I just want to ask you, where did you get your haircut?¡±


    ¡°Just beside my house. Although it¡¯s a small shop, the boss¡¯s skills are pretty good. Are you looking to get a haircut as well?¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. It just so happens that I was indeed thinking of changing my hairstyle¡­¡±


    Finally, Rightie scurried back to her.


    When Su Junxin felt the cold sensation on her wrists again, she retracted her hand as though a heavy burden had just been lifted off her.


    She then revealed an apologetic smile towards Li Weize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sometimes unable to control my hands when I get excited. I hope I didn¡¯t offend you, did I?¡±


    Li Weize was startled for a moment before he hurriedly shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ Well then, I won¡¯t bother you having your lunch then. I¡¯ll see you again tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeap, see you tonight.¡±


    When she saw Li Weize walking down the stairs, she finally heaved a long breath in relief and patted her chest to calm herself from the scare just now.


    However, when she turned around, she was completely caught off guard as she noticed a pair of smiley eyes were staring right into hers.


    Instantly, her heart sank.


    ¡®Qin You¡­ When did he show up?¡¯


    ¡­


    Her fingers that were beside her reflexively balled up into fists as Su Junxin probed, ¡°Qin You, when did you show up?¡±


    Qin You had a calm expression on his face as he pointed towards the classroom with a smile.


    ¡°The food¡¯s getting cold, but you still hadn¡¯t returned. So, I thought that I would come out to look for you.¡±


    Su Junxin was able to heave a sigh of relief when she saw that there was nothing strange with his expression.


    She then walked towards him and said, ¡°Li Weize came over to talk to me about something just now; it¡¯s not very important.¡±


    Qin You may not have been clear about rumors about her yet. Therefore, she did not intend to tell him about the matter out of fear that he might have some kind of abnormal reaction again.


    Thus, Qin You nodded his head, brought out a bag of wet tissue from his pocket, and handed it to her.


    Su Junxin frowned, slightly confused.


    ¡°Why are you giving me this?¡±


    ¡°You should wipe your hands before you eat; it¡¯s more hygienic.¡± Then, he explained with a smile, ¡°You need to wipe both hands clean.¡±


    After thanking him, she accidentally asked again, ¡°Qin You, did you see anything¡­ strange just now?¡±


    Qin You bent his head sideways. ¡°Something strange? No. Why would you ask that all of a sudden?¡±


    When she heard that, she was finally relieved. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ it was just a random question.¡±


    Then, the both of them walked into the classroom together. On the way, Su Junxin took the opportunity to throw the used wet tissue into the trash can.


    In the next second, her actions staggered slightly. She looked at her hands as she began to ponder before looking at Qin You again.


    Then, she seemed skeptical about something as she frowned.


    ¡®When has he started to develop a habit of wiping his hands before meals?¡¯


    Qin You then sat in his seat and took out a pair of chopsticks before looking in her direction.


    ¡°Junxin, come over, and let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m coming.¡±


    Su Junxin regained her senses. At the thought that it might have been something that he suddenly thought of on that day, she dropped the matter.


    ¡­


    There was a practical during their Biology lesson in the afternoon¡­ the location was at the experiment building, which was in the other block.


    They were formed into pairs of two with their deskmates with a set of electrical equipment for their experiment on their table.


    After the teacher explained the knowledge required on the podium, the students were left to operate on their own.


    Su Junxin and Qin You just so happened to be sitting at the end of the back row, so, while everyone was busily working away on their own, nobody paid attention to them.


    Su Junxin seemed to be fairly adept and experienced as she connected the circuits; after she made sure that everything was normal, she smiled and hooked her finger at Qin You. ¡°Qin You, come over here¡­ come closer.¡±


    Qin You revealed an excited expression on his face as he said in a whisper, ¡°Are you going to show me that ¡°weird¡± thing about you now?¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°Yes, watch carefully¡­¡±


    As she said that, she turned off the circuit¡¯s switch and covered her table with her left hand while her right hand¡¯s index finger gently touched the little lightbulb.


    With the faint sound of a spark, the lightbulb ferociously lit up.


    Qin You¡¯s eyes were wide open in shock as he exclaimed with a soft tone, ¡°That¡¯s awesome! How did you do that?¡±


    Su Junxin retracted her hand and raised the edge of her lips, satisfied with what she had just done.


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± She rolled her eyes for a moment, deliberately being mysterious as she paused for a moment. ¡°I have superpowers!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Qin You took in a breath of cold air and had shock written all over his face as he looked at her. ¡°Are you alright with telling me this as well?¡±


    She observed him for a moment before she was finally unable to hold it in and laughed out as she said, ¡°Of course, I was kidding. Qin You, you¡¯re so gullible!¡±


    Qin You was startled before he realized what was happening and laughed as well.


    ¡°You two at the back row, pay attention to your experiments and stop talking!¡± The Biology teacher tapped on the table.


    Thus, the both of them hurriedly retracted their smiles and lowered their heads. Then, they silently looked at each other in the eyes and coincidentally curled their lips upwards again.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Time passed by very quickly, and it was already Wednesday in the blink of an eye.


    Outside, by the corridor of the dean¡¯s building, there were more than a dozen students who were sitting scattered.


    The faint sound of someone reciting in English could be heard from within the boardroom as the seated students gradually reduced.


    Su Junxin leaned against the backrest of her chair; her eyes lowered to look at her own hands.


    ¡°Crackle¡­¡±


    A number of silvery-purple-colored light sparkled within her five fingers, causing a very weak electrical current noise.


    The other time, when Su Junxin had demonstrated her superpowers to Qin You, it was possible that the current within her body and the electrical equipment in the experiment lab had caused some kind of connection, but she felt that her superpowers had dramatically increased since then which she found mysterious.


    What was even more coincidental was, she found the exact same electrical equipment box within her own basement.


    Hence, over the past two days, she used her spare time to continuously train herself before she was finally able to recover her superpowers to a beginner¡¯s level.


    ¡®Although it¡¯s completely incomparable to how I used to be during the time the world was coming to an end, this is already godsent for my current situation.¡¯


    Su Junxin was satisfied as she raised her head. As she turned to look around, her gaze fell on a familiar figure that was walking in her direction, and she instantly raised her eyebrow in suspicion.


    ¡®He Wei is actually participating in the competition as well.¡¯


    Su Junxin sized her up and seemed to have suddenly thought of something as she slowly curled her lips upwards.


    The rumors about Su Junxin were spreading like wildfire within the school. Su Junxin herself already knew about five variances of the stories. She was still thinking about how she would retaliate, and the opportunity had shown up right at her doorstep.


    ¡®Based on my memories, He Wei¡¯s results have always been in the bottom of the class; her English isn¡¯t outstanding, to say the least.


    Under normal circumstances, there¡¯s no way she would be eligible to participate in this competition.¡¯


    ¡®However, I somehow recall that He Wei had actually deliberately mentioned that her aunt had remarried to a wealthy man by the surname ¡°Tai¡± just to boast to another student.¡¯


    ¡®There aren¡¯t many people who have ¡®Tai¡¯ as their surname. Yet, it¡¯s such a coincidence that our high school¡¯s newly appointed dean for the second year has the surname ¡®Tai¡¯ as well.¡¯


    ¡®Anyone who has the slightest ability to link things together would be able to guess that there¡¯s something fishy going on with He Wei¡¯s eligibility to participate in this competition.¡¯


    ¡­


    Soon, it was Su Junxin¡¯s turn to go up on stage.


    It was the preliminary round, and they were being assessed based on their English accent. Su Junxin¡¯s script had environmental protection as her title.


    There were five judges altogether. After listening for an entire morning, each and every one of them would inevitably look tired.


    Su Junxin scanned the scene before her and noticed that the person seated right in the center just so happened to be the dean whose surname is ¡®Tai.¡¯


    As she silently chuckled in her heart, she very calmly stood up straight.


    The moment she spoke in her fluent English, all five judges held up their heads in tandem with a surprised look on their faces.


    An English speech with more than a thousand words in it was presented. In fact, Su Junxin was the only one amongst all of the other contestants to speak in an English accent. Hence, it undoubtedly made everyone¡¯s eyes glistened.


    After she was done with her speech, Su Junxin calmly took a bow.


    Just as she was about to walk out, she was called out by a female voice.


    ¡°Hold on.¡± A female teacher who was seated second from the left pushed up her glasses as she browsed through the documents before her. ¡°Did you deliberately learn that accent?¡±


    Su Junxin stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°I learned it from an English tutor for over two years.¡± She thought for a moment and then added, ¡°I know a little French and Italian as well.¡±


    The female teacher raised her head when she heard that and revealed a pleasantly surprised smile on her face.


    ¡°How proficient are you with your French? Are you able to converse with other French people?¡±


    Su Junxin nodded her head. ¡°If it¡¯s some trivial conversation, there¡¯s no problem. However, if it involves some professional terms, then there might be a slight problem.¡±


    The female teacher looked at another person beside her, and the two of them then approached each other and discussed softly for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Student Su, could you please come here tomorrow morning at 10 am? I will apply for a leave of absence for you with your form teacher.¡±


    Su Junxin blinked her eyes. Without asking anything, she walked out of the boardroom after agreeing to the female teacher¡¯s request.


    When she walked past the few people by the corridor, she could hear a few disdained voices.


    ¡°Everyone else had only been in there for 10 minutes, yet why is it that she was in there for so long? I¡¯m sure she must¡¯ve messed up her speech and blew it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put it that way, Su Junxin¡¯s English results are actually pretty good. I¡¯m guessing she might¡¯ve made a mistake because she was nervous since this was probably her first time participating in a competition.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know yet? I heard from some people this morning in the 10th class next door that Su Junxin is really good at cheating. Her results are good because she copied from someone else!¡±


    ¡°What? Are you sure? I actually thought she was very capable¡­¡±


    Su Junxin silently rolled her eyes in her heart.


    ¡­


    When she returned to her classroom, Qin You was the first one to approach her.


    ¡°How did it go, Junxin? Were the judges¡¯ eyes glistening?¡±


    She glanced at Qin You¡¯s smiling eyes and subtly raised the edge of her lips.


    ¡°Hmm, it went alright.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so modest; I know how awesome you are after all!¡± Then, he took out a piece of throat-soothing candy from his pocket and shoved it into her palm without a second thought. Your throat must be tired, have a throat-soothing candy.¡±


    Any person would like to listen to flattery, so Su Junxin instantly felt good inside.


    She opened up the candy¡¯s wrapping paper when she suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. They asked me to go back to the boardroom tomorrow morning, and I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m able to return in the afternoon, so you shouldn¡¯t wait for me for lunch.¡±


    Qin You was startled for a moment. ¡°Why?¡±


    As the piece of candy spun around the tip of her tongue, she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I have no idea! I told them I¡¯m proficient in French and Italian; then they told me to stay behind. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s got to do with the competition.¡±


    Qin You then frowned as he began to ponder.


    After a moment, he suddenly realized what was happening.


    ¡°I heard that there would be some foreigners coming to our school for an exchange program, so it might be due to this reason.¡±


    Su Junxin was startled for a moment. ¡°Are these foreigners from France?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a French high school that¡¯s affiliated with our school. Basically, we¡¯d visit each other every year.¡±


    Su Junxin then let out an ¡°oh¡± and understood a little better about what was going on.


    ¡­


    The following day, she actually saw two foreign guests with blond hair and blue eyes.


    After being introduced, Su Junxin was able to understand the entire situation.


    Amongst the two French guests, one of them was called Camille while the other was Ben. Neither of them understood Mandarin, and their English was below average as well. Initially, there was going to be an interpreter accompanying them during that trip. However, before their flight, the interpreter had suddenly suffered from appendicitis and was sent to the hospital. At the same time, the only teacher in Shi Yan High School who knew French was also away on a business trip at the time, so they had no choice but to ask Su Junxin to save the day.


    Su Junxin was not too pressured about this last-minute ¡°job,¡± and everything managed to end smoothly before the afternoon.


    However, just as she was about to return to her classroom, Camille suddenly walked and stood in front of her.


    Camille was a friendly middle-aged woman who had beautiful blue eyes and was always smiling.


    She seemed to have a good impression of Su Junxin as she said, ¡°Su, thank you so much for today! Your French is the best I¡¯ve seen amongst all the other Chinese people I know!¡±


    Su Junxin politely smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Right at that moment, Ben suddenly interrupted them.


    ¡°Camille, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to sell off your father¡¯s manor during your trip this time? Since we just so happen to have this little interpreter with us¡­¡± As he said that, his eyes were hinting at Su Junxin.


    Camille was a little unhappy as she frowned and coldly glanced at him. ¡°We¡¯re here on an exchange program; Su¡¯s main responsibility is being a student. So, we mustn¡¯t trouble her with such private matters!¡±


    However, Su Junxin was startled for a moment as she hurriedly asked, ¡°Hold on, Ms. Camille. If I may ask, could it be that your father¡¯s manor is the one by the suburbs in South City?¡±


    Camille nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s right; my father used to live in South City. However, he¡¯s old now, and it isn¡¯t convenient for him to come back here anymore. So, he¡¯s asked me to sell off his manor on his behalf.¡±


    When Su Junxin heard that, she instantly felt elated.


    In order to build her safe zone, she went through a map of South City and realized that there was an old and uninhibited manor in the suburbs. The manor was extremely large and was in a good location.


    At the time, Su Junxin instantly had her eyes fixed on that place and wanted to buy it. However, the unfortunate thing was that there was no method she could use to contact the owner of the manor, so she had no choice but to give up.


    However, she had just found out that the owner¡¯s daughter is actually Ms. Camille, who was now standing right in front of her!

 Chapter 18

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Since Su Junxin had already found out about the relationship between Camille and the manor¡¯s owner; she was definitely not going to pass up on such a heaven-sent chance. Thus, she instantly came up with a story of how she had a relative who wanted to buy that manor.


    Camille had not expected there to be such a coincidence, so she instantly made a verbal agreement with Su Junxin, and they exchanged contact details.


    With a burden in her heart resolved, Su Junxin was so happy that she could not conceal her smile. She was even humming away as she walked towards the school building.


    However, just as she made a turn, a figure suddenly stopped her from moving forwards.


    Su Junxin retracted her smile and subconsciously took a step back, fully alert as she looked at the man in front of her.


    He was in his 20¡¯s and donned a casual Armani Couture suit with a Rolex on his wrist.


    He did not look like a teacher and most definitely did not look like a student.


    Since Su Junxin¡¯s innate senses told her that he was not a friendly character, her inner alarm began to ring continuously.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Junxin asked with her eyes squinted.


    When the man saw her, he was first startled. After he heard her question, he immediately frowned.


    ¡°Su Junxin, have you actually lost your mind?¡±


    ¡®He knows me?¡¯


    Su Junxin felt surprised for an instant and subtly sized him up.


    When she noticed the little mole beneath his left eye, she immediately recalled who he was¡­ Her fiance!


    Speaking of which, this was actually really surprising and was equivalent to a soap opera.


    The mother of the original body¡¯s owner had a best friend who had known each other since they were children called Liao Zhen. The both of them had gotten married in the same year and made a promise to each other that if their children were of the same gender, they would become best brothers or sisters. However, if they were of a different gender, they would have an arranged marriage.


    In the end, Liao Zhen had given birth to a baby boy while Su Junxin was born four years later.


    Therefore, the man before Su Junxin was her supposed matchmade fiance¡­ Meng Mingkun.


    After the original host¡¯s mother passed away, Liao Zhen impatiently went to seduce the original host¡¯s father. But in the end, her plans had been brought to light to the public. She was forced to head overseas without a single possession, cutting off all contact with both the Su and the Mengs after that.


    Su Junxin¡¯s stepmother, Liu Ya, ended up having an intimate relationship with Liao Zhen¡¯s ex-husband ¨C Meng Zhou. Hence, the both of them maintained their secret relationship.


    However, the most laughable part of it all was that Meng Mingkun clearly had an arranged marriage with Su Junxin, but he ended up having an affair with Su Yi.


    With this intricate relationship between the different people and a plot akin to a soap opera, Su Junxin instantly felt like she was living in a drama that depicted the life of the rich and the grievances behind it.


    As that thought flashed past her mind, she very quickly returned to reality.


    She recovered her calm expression and took a step back to distance herself from him before she casually said, ¡°Meng Mingkun, is something the matter?¡±


    When Meng Mingkun heard that, the gaze in his eyes became slightly complex.


    He was still stuck with the memories of Su Junxin from two years ago.


    ¡®At the time, she was clearly a timid looking and nervous, common girl. Yet, she suddenly made a huge change and is, in fact, prettier than Su Yi¡­¡¯


    As he looked at her face, and then words that he had kept in his throat for a long time were suddenly unable to leave his mouth.


    However, when he recalled how swelled Su Yi¡¯s face was as she cried incessantly, his face soon darkened as he let out a soft, ¡°Tsk.¡±


    ¡°You hit Su Yi, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Su Junxin instantly understood what was going on.


    ¡®Oh, so he¡¯s here as her reinforcement.¡¯


    At the thought of that, she ended up smiling instead, as she honestly admitted. ¡°That¡¯s right, my sister was naughty, so it¡¯s only natural for me, her elder sister, to teach her a lesson. What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡±


    Meng Mingkun was angered by her casual expression and instantly raised his voice to scold her, ¡°Su Yi only wanted to understand what had happened, yet you raised your hand to hit her. Is that called teaching her a lesson? Su Junxin, you¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Su Junxin¡¯s interrupted him by speaking faster than he did.


    ¡°Meng Mingkun, what gives you the right to raise your voice at me? Do you really think I¡¯m completely unaware of the dirty things going on between the two of you?¡±


    She folded her arms in front of her chest and sarcastically raised the edge of her lips.


    ¡°The Mengs are considered to be pretty reputable in the South City. Meng Mingkun, if I were to expose how you¡¯re having an affair with your fiance¡¯s younger sister¡­ How far do you think your family business¡¯s shares are going to plummet? I¡¯m afraid you aren¡¯t going to be able to secure your position as the next inheritor, are you?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Meng Mingkun was shocked when he heard that, but he fought hard to maintain calmness on the surface. ¡°Su Junxin, stop using this matter to threaten me!¡±


    Su Junxin scornfully raised the edge of her lips again.


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken; I¡¯m not threatening; I¡¯m warning you.¡±


    ¡®Warning¡­ That means she¡¯s here to talk about conditions then.¡¯


    Meng Mingkun¡¯s face turned pale as he felt a bad omen welling up within him.


    ¡®If she so much as dares to ask me for my company¡¯s shares, I wouldn¡¯t mind going all out at her without any regards for the risks¡­¡¯


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Su Junxin took out her cellphone and turned on the voice recorder.


    She then raised three fingers and waved them in front of him.


    ¡°Three requests.¡±


    Meng Mingkun¡¯s face turned even darker as he gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°First, cancel our marriage agreement.¡±


    Meng Mingkun instantly felt suspicious when he heard that and instinctively asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡®When she brought up my affair with Su Yi, apart from feeling nervous, I was actually a little delighted.¡¯


    ¡®I thought she was angry at me because she loved me. In fact, I was even thinking about whether I should coax her back to me. Who knew that she would actually want to cancel our marriage on her own accord!¡¯


    Su Junxin coldly stared into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never used hand-me-downs.¡±


    Ignoring his sudden change in expression, she continued and said, ¡°Second, regardless of what happens in the future, I will have nothing to do with you or the Mengs. Third, if you breach the second request, I will expose your affair with Su Yi to the entire South City.¡±


    Meng Mingkun squinted his eyes and stared at her for a moment. Then, his eyes glistened as he spoke in a deep voice, ¡°I agree to your terms.¡±


    Thus, Su Junxin retracted her hand and pressed pause before walking past him towards the entrance.


    She suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned her head around. ¡°Also, remind Liu Ya to hurry up and return me my money. Her one-month time limit is almost up.¡±


    Meng Mingkun frowned.


    ¡°Return you what money?¡±


    Su Junxin raised an eyebrow and snickered, her voice filled with sarcasm and tease. ¡°Oh, so you still don¡¯t know about it? Your little lover has been squandering the inheritance that my father left for me, living the life of a wealthy person.¡±


    When she saw him stunned, she could not help but reveal a pitiful gaze towards him.


    ¡°Ahh, I see she hasn¡¯t been telling you the truth¡­ Tsk tsk tsk, such a pity.¡±


    ¡­


    When Su Junxin had returned to her classroom, it was long past the afternoon. Yet, Qin You still hadn¡¯t eaten yet.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you not to wait for me?¡±


    She then touched the edge of the bowl and felt that it was a little cold.


    Qin You raised his head and took out a pair of chopsticks before handing it to her. ¡°That¡¯s because I knew you would be back.¡±


    Su Junxin could not help but smile faintly. ¡°I could¡¯ve come back a little earlier, but I ran into someone on my way here at the dean¡¯s building.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Who was it?¡± Qin You paused for a moment as a dark glimmer flashed beneath his eyes.


    Su Junxin told him everything about Meng Mingkun while she ate.


    After Qin You heard her story, a look of shock appeared on his face. ¡°Junxin, if it isn¡¯t because I understand you, I would¡¯ve actually thought that you made up that story!¡±


    Su Junxin could not help but laugh. ¡°You think so too, don¡¯t you? The moment I found out about it, I actually thought it was outrageous.¡±


    ¡°Then, how did you handle the matter in the end?¡± Qin You asked curiously as he bit on his chopsticks.


    ¡°I, um¡­¡± She deliberately dragged on the build-up to add to the suspense. ¡°I canceled my marriage with him and even ended up leaving him with a surprise.¡±


    When he heard the words ¡°canceled my marriage,¡± Qin You¡¯s eyes instantly became calm.


    He picked up a bamboo shoot and placed it in her bowl before he asked, ¡°What kind of surprise?¡±


    Su Junxin had a deep, meaningful smile on her face as she chuckled.


    ¡°Sometimes, there¡¯s no need to be forthright to expose a person¡¯s true character. I like throwing someone a bomb and then walking away, leaving them to light up the fuse themselves.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    That night, within the Mengs in South City.


    ¡°Good evening, Auntie Zhao.¡± Su Yi had a sweet smile on her face as she greeted the nanny, who had rushed to open the door.


    However, Auntie Zhao did not have her usual assiduous appearance.


    Instead, she had a complex look in her eyes as she looked at Su Yi. She was hesitant for a moment before she softly said, ¡°Miss Su, Young Master has returned and said that he would like to see you.¡±


    Thus, Su Yi looked towards the living room. Sure enough, Meng Mingkun had his back against her as he sat on the sofa.


    The surrounding servants were all trembling, and none of them even dared to take a deep breath.


    ¡°Is Brother Mingkun in a foul mood today?¡±


    Auntie Zhao pondered for a moment before she nodded her head. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s got something to do with your mother.¡±


    When Su Yi heard that, her face suddenly turned pale.


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Auntie Zhao.¡±


    She then took a deep breath, and her face no longer showed her flawless smile as she hurriedly paced into the house.


    ¡°Brother Mingkun, didn¡¯t you say you were only coming home during the weekend? Could it be that you were planning to surprise me?¡±


    Her tone was filled with a young woman¡¯s woo as she spoke.


    However, Meng Mingkun merely raised his eyes; the coldness on his face unknowingly waned slightly when he looked at her.


    He gestured for the servants to leave him before waving towards Su Yi.


    ¡°Yiyi, come here; there¡¯s something that I would like to ask you.¡±


    Su Yi then dropped her bag and sat beside him, blinking her eyes like an innocent little lamb. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    When he recalled the words that Su Junxin had told him that afternoon, Meng Mingkun subconsciously frowned.


    ¡°What was your relationship with Su Junxin like when you were living together?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Su Yi¡¯s eyebrows trembled for a moment as if she were slightly hesitant. ¡°I loved my sister very much. Ever since mommy remarried, I¡¯ve always wanted to develop a good relationship with her.¡±


    Naturally, Meng Minkun could tell the hidden meaning in her words. ¡°But, your sister doesn¡¯t love you in return?¡±


    Su Yi bit her lower lip and gently nodded her head.


    However, she soon added, ¡°I can understand why my sister doesn¡¯t love me. After all, I¡¯m a daughter brought into the family by her stepmother and have no blood relation with her whatsoever. Plus, after my daddy died, I kept on living in her house¡­.¡±


    As she spoke, she lowered her head, and her fingers were nervously clenched. In fact, her fingers had turned pale.


    When he noticed the state she was in, Meng Mingkun instantly felt heartbroken for her and gently said, ¡°Yiyi, you¡¯ve done your best already, so this isn¡¯t your fault. You¡¯re a good sister, so if Su Junxin isn¡¯t able to accept you, that just shows how petty she is.¡±


    Su Yi snorted her nose, and there was a little tear shed in her eyes. ¡°Brother Mingkun, thank you for standing by my side¡­.¡±


    Meng Mingkun helped wipe away her tears.


    ¡°I went to meet Su Junxin today; she deliberately tried to put a wedge between our relationship. However, I know very well that you¡¯re naive and innocent, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯d do anything to harm others¡­ However, there¡¯s something I need to clear up. Did your mother really use Su Junxin¡¯s portion of the inheritance?¡±


    Su Yi was startled for a moment and lowered her eyes to hide her nervousness.


    ¡®Su Junxin actually told Meng Mingkun about the inheritance?¡¯


    ¡®What else does he know?¡¯


    However, when she saw how gentle his gaze was, she very quickly returned to being calm.


    ¡®Based on his character, if he actually knew the truth, there¡¯s simply no way he would be sitting here and speaking to me nicely¡­.¡¯


    Therefore, Su Yi gently blinked her eyes and deliberately feigned ignorance as she asked, ¡°My mommy used my sister¡¯s inheritance? What do you mean?¡±


    When he saw her expression, Meng Mingkun instantly decided in his heart.


    ¡®I¡¯ve never liked Liu Ya, who¡¯s always been a greedy woman. Especially after I found out that she¡¯s having an affair with my father, I¡¯ve never treated her with respect after that. However, although Liu Ya has malicious intentions, the saving grace was that she didn¡¯t spoil Su Yi the wrong way.


    ¡®Regarding the Su¡¯s inheritance, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s Liu Ya who¡¯s behind it!¡¯


    At the thought of that, he could not help but feel a little guilty.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yiyi, I¡¯ve been entranced by Su Junxin¡¯s words today and actually misunderstood you just now.¡± Meng Mingkun held onto Su Yi¡¯s hands and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°You won¡¯t be angry at me for it, will you?¡±


    Su Yi revealed a smile with tears in her eyes as she ferociously shook her head.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll never be angry at Brother Mingkun!¡±


    Meng Mingkun was satisfied with her answer and pulled her into his embrace again as he coaxed her with a gentle voice.


    When he recalled Su Junxin¡¯s final statement that afternoon, he coldly laughed in his heart.


    ¡®Su Junxin, how dare you use that scheme against me? Just you wait and see¡­.¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡°Achoo¡­!¡±


    Su Junxin rubbed her nose as she wondered. ¡°Who¡¯s cursing me this time¡­?¡±


    After putting all that behind her, she continued to look at her computer screen.


    The location for the construction of her safe zone has been fixed, and the only problem Su Junxin had left was¡­ where would she fork out the money to buy that manor?


    She looked at the six zeroes in her account and fell silent.


    Rightie climbed onto the keyboard as it hugged onto a ball of thread with its front paw and gently nibbled on it with its teeth.


    She then lowered her head and reached out her hand to scratch Rightie¡¯s revealed tummy.


    It immediately let out some ¡°ge ge¡± noises as it released the ball of thread and rolled around on the keyboard. However, it accidentally fell onto the floor and made a slamming sound.


    Su Junxin could not help but laugh as she bent over to grab onto it before placing it back on the table.


    She used two fingers to circle around its tummy again as she frowned worriedly.


    ¡°You had clearly eaten so much today¡­ why have you become thinner?¡± She gently tapped the tip of Rightie¡¯s nose.


    Rightie extended its tongue and licked her finger as it stared at her with its innocent-looking eyes.


    ¡®Ever since Rightie had that abnormal reaction towards Li Weize, it has suddenly come up with a bunch of abnormal reactions.¡¯


    ¡®Previously, it would pester me to play with it in the morning, yet these few days, it¡¯s just obediently sticking to my arm, sleeping away most of the day. Plus, its appetite has increased by at least twofold, but it¡¯s just eating without growing at all. In fact, it¡¯s becoming even thinner by the day.


    ¡®Initially, I thought that maybe Rightie¡¯s ill, but when it¡¯s awake, it¡¯s still as energetic as ever. So I can¡¯t seem to find anything wrong with it.


    ¡®I¡¯m not unfamiliar with these kinds of situations, but the strange thing is that these situations would normally only happen to humans.¡¯


    ¡®When the end of the world arrived, only a small portion of the population of humans were able to activate their superpowers.¡¯


    ¡®There are two ways to activate them ¨C the first is to contract the zombie virus after being severely injured, allowing the body to generate immunity cells automatically. The second method would be the effects of the changes in the environment, forcing humans to evolve at a faster rate.¡¯


    ¡®The latter would be the norm for most cases. After they begin evolving, they would begin to behave as if they were drunk. First of all, their body would constantly jump between being cold and hot and becoming abnormally excited, followed by a blurred conscience and fatigue that made them prone to sleeping, before finally going berserk and having a sudden increase in their appetite.¡¯


    ¡®After they¡¯re able to endure these three phases, they would then evolve from being a normal human to a superpowered human.¡¯


    ¡®Rightie¡¯s current symptoms are very similar to evolving, but there¡¯s a significant difference as well. I just can¡¯t seem to understand what¡¯s happening to it exactly. Since I¡¯m inexperienced in this field, I dare not act rashly, so I¡¯ll just have to observe it more carefully.


    ¡®The good thing is that until now, it hasn¡¯t shown any other abnormal behaviors.¡¯


    Su Junxin retracted her gaze and looked at her computer screen before her; she trembled momentarily.


    It was fortunate that while Rightie had rolled over the keyboard, it seemed to have accidentally touched something. At that very moment, the computer screen was showing a page regarding the economic news with a chart about the current situation about some stocks.


    Her gaze then landed on what seemed like a mountainous curve as she squinted her eyes and began to go into deep thought.


    ¡­


    That Friday, the results for the preliminary round of the competition had been revealed.


    Naturally, Su Junxin was not worried that she would not pass. In fact, she had even prepared her script for the finals long ago.


    However, it was another matter that had surprised her.


    The fact that Youfeng had gone to look for her in her classroom the other day spread like wildfire. After that, a huge wave of gossip began to emerge ¨C most of them thought that Su Junxin was having a romantic relationship with Youfeng.


    Yet, on that very day, the rumors suddenly changed.


    The rumors about her replacing Youfeng as the new bully in their high school had been leaked out by someone unknown and spread to the entire school.


    Over the entire morning, there were so many students who had deliberately walked past to peek at her that they could even form a line.


    Su Junxin stopped writing and took a deep breath before glancing outside.


    The few heads out by the window instantly turned around.


    When Qin You saw that, he could not help but let out a ¡°pfft¡± as he smiled.


    ¡°I see being too popular isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing either,¡± teased Qin You.


    Su Junxin helplessly closed her pencil case and raised her hand to pinch her forehead.


    ¡°Forget it! It¡¯s only going to last for one or two days anyway. After that, when their curiosity has been fulfilled, I¡¯ll regain peace once again.¡±


    Qin You seemed to agree with her as he nodded his head before suddenly changing the topic. ¡°By the way, are you free tomorrow, Junxin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some personal matters to attend to¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He then replied, ¡°Oh, I just wanted to invite you to come over to my house to play¡­ Since you¡¯re busy, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    After noticing the disappointment in his tone, Su Junxin raised her eyes to look at him.


    When she saw that his eyes were lowered with an unhappy expression on his face, she could not help herself.


    After calculating the time within her heart, she said, ¡°I¡¯m free on Sunday afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Really? So, you¡¯re willing to come to my house?¡±


    She gently coughed and turned to look away.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already invited me so sincerely, if I were to reject you again, wouldn¡¯t that be rude of me? So¡­¡± She shrugged her shoulders and used her body language to replace her words.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    Qin You¡¯s expression instantly turned brighter. The speed of his change in expression left Su Junxin helplessly surprised.


    ¡­


    After school was over that afternoon, Qin You once again reminded her.


    ¡°Junxin, come over anytime on Sunday afternoon. I¡¯ll be waiting for you for sure!¡±


    Su Junxin smiled as she acknowledged him. After waiting for him to get into his vehicle, she turned away and headed in another direction.


    Soon, a little car with three wheels drove past her and stopped in front of Li Weize¡¯s convenience store.


    Li Weize pulled open the entrance¡¯s curtain and walked out before swiftly carrying a box of Coke out of the three-wheeled car.


    When he turned around and noticed Su Junxin, he subconsciously stopped in his tracks.


    Su Junxin then walked up towards him and took out a chopstick case from her bag¡¯s side pocket, and dangled it in front of him.


    ¡°You left this at my place yesterday.¡±


    Li Weize was startled for a moment. ¡°Thank¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Su Junxin then glanced at the boxes in the three-wheeled car. ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    He hurriedly answered, ¡°No thanks! I¡¯ll be able to do it alone!¡±


    Thus, she did not press on the matter and followed him into his store before casually placing the chopstick¡¯s case on the counter.


    The sound of a door opening suddenly sounded, and Li Weize¡¯s mother had entered from the back entrance with sweat all over her forehead.


    She held onto a swaddle in her left hand and a big black luggage bag in her right.


    ¡°Mom, what happened?¡± Li Weize was slightly shocked.


    ¡°Your grandmother is sick, so I¡¯m going back to the village for a few days.¡± As she said that, she opened up the cashier to shove all the money into her pockets. After pondering for a moment, she took out two 100 yuan banknotes and placed them on top of the boxes that he was carrying in his arms. ¡°This money is for you to buy food; spend it sparingly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happened to grandmother? Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious; there¡¯s no need for you to worry about this¡­ You¡¯ve got to study properly, understand?¡±


    She then pulled down the cap on the baby that she was carrying. After looking at Li Weize for a moment, she hurriedly left the store.


    Su Junxin watched as she crossed the road. When she turned back, she instead found that Li Weize was completely stunned.


    Therefore, she gently tapped onto his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; your grandmother¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    Li Weize lowered his eyes to look at the two slightly crumpled banknotes and pursed his lips.


    ¡°I know¡­ But, my mom has never given me so much money before¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the sound of a horn came from outside the entrance to urge Li Weize.


    The driver of the three-wheeled car stuck his head out of the window. ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯ve got to go to the next store!¡±


    At that moment, Li Weize snapped back to reality as he hurriedly placed the boxes on the floor. ¡°Coming!¡±


    ¡­


    Despite Li Weize insisting that he did not need any help, Su Junxin still helped him move a few boxes.


    After a carload of stock had been unloaded, both of them were so tired that they were gasping for air.


    Su Junxin tightened the cap on a Coke bottle as she squinted her eyes to burp before turning to look at him.


    ¡°I never expected that despite your skinny figure, you¡¯ve got quite a lot of strength in you.¡±


    Li Weize¡¯s reddened cheeks were still dripping sweat as he blinked his eyes, slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m used to it, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Well then, now that your mom¡¯s gone back to the village, are you still going to open up shop over the next few days?¡±


    He shook his head.


    Su Junxin seemed to be deep in thought as she sized him up. Suddenly, a thought flashed past her mind.


    ¡°Li Weize, do you have your identification card with you?¡±


    He thought for a moment before getting up to look in the drawer for a moment. Then, he flashed out a cardholder.


    ¡°Here it is! What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    After receiving his identification card and scanning it once, she silently memorized the numbers on it.


    She then picked up her bag and shot him a sly smile.


    ¡°Tomorrow at 10 am, look for me at the airport. Bring your identification card with you.¡±