"The student who was bullied on campus chose to take his revenge, and so he…"
Wang Yong lowered his voice, staring at Yue Yiyue, and said slowly, emphasizing each syllable: "…made a comeback, sparing no one."
As he spoke, the light above Wang Yong's head flickered on and off. Outside the window, a loud hualala sound erupted, as if a great wind had started to blow.
The classroom was quiet for a moment. Yue Yiyue subconsciously looked out the window. She didn't know when the clear sky had turned overcast; a storm was imminent.
"You're just spouting nonsense. This script will probably end up being some sort of revenge plot again," a corner voice scoffed, breaking the slightly heavy atmosphere.
Zhang Yang played with her hair, saying disdainfully: "I can guess it without even reading it. After a series of events, the murderer admits how they killed the people."
"If that's all, it would be too boring." Wang Yong chuckled mysteriously, picking up a bag from the side: "I read the analysis. This one has a sacrifice plot, which requires red candles, which I brought, and spirit money."
"Damn, big spenders! Immersive murder mystery game, huh?" Zhao Heyi leaned closer: "I knew you could handle this."
He then beckoned to the person sitting in the corner: "Yue Yiyue, move closer. Let's draw our character cards together."
Suddenly being called out, Yue Yiyue hesitantly glanced at the excellent position she had chosen for a quick escape, and then looked at the spot they were pointing to.
Under the eager gaze of her classmates, Yue Yiyue still moved her chair over.
However, the position she chose was still very close to the classroom door, making it look as if she was ready to bolt at any moment.
"We don't need to use spirit money and candles in the academic building. Those are open flames; it's unsafe," Yue Yiyue licked her lip and suggested earnestly: "If we set the school on fire, our wonderful university life will be replaced by a jail term before it even begins."
She had rehearsed this line in her mind over twenty times; it should be fine.
But perhaps she was too optimistic.
Because after she spoke, no one responded. In fact, except for Gu Nanqiu, the rest of her classmates looked at Yue Yiyue with a very strange expression.
There was only the sound of breathing.
The strange silence caused Yue Yiyue to lower her head, rubbing her hands uneasily, instinctively reviewing what she had just said.
Was there a problem?
Did she say something wrong?
"That's right, Yue Yiyue really noticed the detail." A clear female voice from the center came, like a savior descending.
Yue Yiyue looked up, staring intently at the young woman in the center who was smiling kindly, her eyes full of surprise.
Noticing Yue Yiyue's gaze, Gu Nanqiu tilted her head to look at Yue Yiyue. There were two small teeth marks on her somewhat dry lips, seemingly bitten subconsciously while she was thinking.
Handing over a bottle of water, Gu Nanqiu pointed to the slogan by the blackboard: "We really do have to be careful about fire safety."
"Oh, yeah, that's true." Wang Yong was stunned for a moment, then his eyes darted around twice, and he quickly picked up the thread of conversation. He patted his chest and said confidently: "Don't worry about that. I found a wide open space outside and set up two tables. Relax, I know that much common sense."
Wang Yong looked at Yue Yiyue's timid appearance, cursed silently, and impatiently waved the lighter in his hand.
"Zhao Heyi, why are you still standing there? Pass out the identity cards."
His tone was sharp and clearly conveyed some displeasure.
Zhao Heyi, wearing glasses, finally came to his senses. He reluctantly looked away, took the box, and cleared his throat: "Welcome to Class 3 of the Second Year. Today, we have gathered everyone here to celebrate the school's twentieth-anniversary ceremony."
He recited the plot in a monotone.
The people around him found it too boring and jeered: "If you have no emotion, let Wang Yong do the opening."
Zhang Yang, who was closest to the door, quickly stood up, closed the front and back doors, and drew the curtains, leaving only the light above Zhao Heyi. The howling wind outside the window became the perfect background music for the game.
"So smart. The atmosphere is just right now. Hurry, hurry!" Wang Xiaoyan smiled and poked Zhang Yang with her elbow.
"Wang Xiaoyan, you're hurting me. Go quickly and get your identity card. Oh right, for the sacrifice part of the plot later, we'll assume Nanqiu is the ghost, and only for that segment will she need to stand there." Zhang Yang looked at Gu Nanqiu as if observing a perfect work of art, a strange light flickering in her eyes. The rest of her words were mumbled indistinctly.
She pulled out an identity card and handed it to Gu Nanqiu. As she let go, she subconsciously patted the back of Gu Nanqiu's hand: "I really don't know who is lucky enough to be offered to you…"
Zhang Yang's expression changed so quickly that Yue Yiyue thought she had misread it, only to have another character card tucked into her hand by Gu Nanqiu.
She shifted her focus back to the card in front of her, which read "Script No. 4."
The sound of a chair being dragged scraped the floor.
"Would someone please grab Script No. 6 for me?" Gu Nanqiu was holding some snacks, apparently intending to distribute them.
Zhang Yang, who had just received her script, confirmed what was in her hand. She immediately handed the items to Gu Nanqiu with undue eagerness and took the opportunity to sit down next to her.
Gu Nanqiu glanced at the cover, a slight smile on her lips, and motioned for her to place it on the table. She then offered a carton of Wangzai Milk: "A thank-you gift~"
This expression made Zhang Yang's face instantly flush. She quickly waved her hands: "You're welcome, it's nothing."
But then, realizing that she couldn't monopolize that smile, she accepted the milk with some disappointment and returned to her seat.
Having finished her task, Gu Nanqiu looked at Yue Yiyue, who was standing not far away, trying to find her script. She put the last of the snacks on the table with some concern: "I'll go check on Yiyue. It looks like she was careless and mixed them up."
"Yes, that's why you often look after her. Nanqiu, you're so kind." Zhang Yang watched the girl leave with some reluctance. She carefully sniffed the slight scent the other girl left in the air and then very cautiously placed her hand on the chair that still held warmth, feeling the residual heat.
It was a relief that Gu Nanqiu didn't have a specific person she liked; she was equally attentive to everyone.
Except for Yue Yiyue, who was receiving special attention because of 'that incident.'
In a spot Yue Yiyue couldn't see, Zhang Yang stared at Yue Yiyue with a distorted expression. Something slowly, little by little, slid up her ankle from behind her. If one listened carefully, one could hear a rustling whisper: Must find a way… can't let her go back… since she likes it so much… she must stay here…
Wang Xiaoyan plopped down next to her and looked at Zhang Yang with cold eyes: "Don't forget, Nanqiu belongs to all of us."
She heavily emphasized the last few words, stressing a point.
"Shouldn't you be saying that to Yue Yiyue? If it weren't for that incident, it would have been my turn to stand next to Nanqiu," Zhang Yang's thoughts were abruptly interrupted. She didn't hide her malice toward Yue Yiyue, saying impatiently.
Zhao Heyi patted Zhang Yang: "Isn't this game all about that? After it ends, things will go back to normal, as long as we can finish it smoothly…"
The rest of his words were muffled, but the other three heard them clearly. Their eyes burned with greed as they watched the person standing tall and graceful under the spotlight by the table, feeling only that the thing standing next to her was too much of a nuisance.
A nuisance should be dealt with first, shouldn't it?
"It's this one." The slender, long fingers methodically tidied the scattered items on the table and then pushed out the item Yue Yiyue was looking for.
The veins on the pale hand were slightly raised, making Yue Yiyue inexplicably think that nurses would probably love giving injections to such a hand.
The beautiful hand slightly curved and tapped the desktop, producing a crisp sound, which finally brought Yue Yiyue back to attention.
She quickly took the script: "Sorry, the items here are a bit messy; I overlooked it."
"Yiyue, you're always like this. We're all used to it—you're so spacey." Gu Nanqiu chuckled softly, the implied affection making Yue Yiyue feel slightly awkward.
However, the memories flooding her mind as she drew close to Gu Nanqiu constantly reassured her: Yes, that's right. Your relationship is this good.
A flashback of the two of them eating together and Gu Nanqiu listening to her complaints flashed through her mind.
Was it really that good? It seemed like she had forgotten something.
She had forgotten something important, like, the diary…
Yue Yiyue nodded hesitantly: "Thank you for always taking care of me."
Just now, too—if Gu Nanqiu hadn't intervened, Wang Yong would definitely have thrown a fit. After speaking, she reviewed the situation three times before remembering that her comment had ruined a major plot point in the original novel, a very crucial sacrifice scene.
But since Gu Nanqiu had spoken up, he could only take his anger out on Zhao Heyi.
After all, that was the universally beloved Gu Nanqiu.
However, now that the sacrifice location had changed, she wondered if it would affect the subsequent plot. Her fingers rubbed the script as she recalled the later events.
She seemed to have a chance to escape before the game officially began.
"Alright, now let's read the script." Zhao Heyi walked up to the podium, waving the script in his hand, interrupting Yue Yiyue's train of thought.
She looked up at Zhao Heyi, who was acting as the host, and pointed to the sofa behind: "Nanqiu, why don't you go sit on that soft sofa in the back? We shouldn't be too close."
Following the direction of his finger, Yue Yiyue noticed that a small, vacant space had appeared at the back of the classroom at some point.
A genuine leather sofa was placed there. Apparently, for fear that the person sitting on it would be chilled by the hard leather, a layer of bright-colored soft cloth was placed over it.
Strange, was that in this room before?
Was it in the original novel?
"Sure, and can Yiyue sit near me?" Gu Nanqiu showed no suspicion, acting as if she had expected this arrangement: "We still have to go back together later, and we need to discuss going to university together."
Instantly, everyone in the room looked at Yue Yiyue. They hid the deepest malice in their eyes, a smile plastered on their faces. For a moment, a strange noise seemed to resonate in the classroom.
But listening closely, it seemed only Wang Yong was there. He turned around somewhat stiffly. Yue Yiyue offered a strange smile, her voice slightly erratic: "Of course. After all, a King needs a Knight."