Chi He hesitated with every step as he left the room, but the moment the door closed, his expression became visibly excited, like a weasel about to steal a chicken.
"Yueyue finally remembered me? Don't worry, I won't hold anything back from you."
Nan Yue rolled her eyes. Zhu Xi Ning had used her ability and was too weak to go. Gu Xiang Kai was powerful but too straightforward. She wasn't worried about the others being paired with someone else; she was just afraid of someone being caught by Chi He.
Furthermore...
Nan Yue always felt that although Chi He didn't actively harm people, his malicious nature of enjoying the fear and panic of others meant that if he were paired with a newbie, they probably wouldn't make it back.
It was better for him to be with her. Although she had no obligation to save anyone, they had all spent twenty years studying hard at the training academy; Nan Yue still didn't like seeing people die in front of her.
Chi He didn't mind Nan Yue's coldness. He followed behind her with a smile, his steps as light as if he were strolling through a garden.
They stopped at the door of the first dormitory. Chi He poked his head forward. "Do you want me to clear the way, Boss?"
Nan Yue ignored him. She raised her hand and knocked on the door, calling out, "Dormitory Inspection," before opening it.
Nan Yue held her breath and glanced inside. The room was brightly lit, and the three children were sitting obediently on their beds, looking toward the door.
"Hello, Teacher Nan."
Nan Yue felt slightly relieved. She made a mark on the paper, gave a few instructions, and closed the door.
"Seems pretty easy."
Chi He had been following behind Nan Yue the whole time. They had twenty minutes, which was more than enough to finish the inspection.
They continued to take turns inspecting the rooms. Nothing happened throughout the process, yet Nan Yue found herself covered in a thin layer of sweat by the time they finished.
Seeing Chi He walking ahead as if nothing had happened, Nan Yue suddenly asked a question just as they were about to return to their rooms.
"Are you... that Crane?"
Chi He stopped in his tracks and turned around, an ambiguous smile on his face. "Do you think I am?"
Nan Yue had her answer. Her tone didn't change, but it carried a hint of respect reserved for the powerful.
"Goodnight."
Chi He watched as Nan Yue entered her room and closed the door, his gaze deepening with unreadable emotions.
"Interesting..."
"How was it, Sister Nan? Did anything happen during the inspection?"
Nan Yue shook her head. "No, all the children were in their rooms."
Only then did Zhao Zhenzhen breathe a sigh of relief and go to bed.
Bai La La silently used a chair to wedge the door shut and smiled at Nan Yue.
As Nan Yue lay in bed, she reminded herself not to sleep too soundly. In this room, one person couldn't hear, and the other was a newbie. If something happened, they could all be wiped out at once.
Time slowly ticked toward two in the morning. A dormitory door opened, and Jiang Mu peeked out nervously.
Everyone was currently fast asleep, and the school was silent. He closed the door and stood in the hallway, his face pale.
He thought back to what Engineer Yang had told him while he was washing vegetables in the kitchen that afternoon.
"Our school has a secret regarding the person in charge."
Engineer Yang looked like a skeleton, and his voice was unnervingly low.
"They say the person in charge comes out to patrol the school every day at three in the morning."
After saying that, Engineer Yang revealed a terrifying smile, looking like a failed attempt at mimicking a human grin.
"I'm only telling this secret to you."
This was Jiang Mu's second mission since finishing his qualification exam. He was a complete newbie. He knew there were many newbies in this mission and that the high-level players couldn't look after everyone.
He had it all planned out. Jiang Xi Cheng had mentioned that the rules didn't say they couldn't use the restroom at night, but it was best to be careful and go in pairs.
However, since he was the only one who knew this clue, he certainly wouldn't share it with anyone else.
He wouldn't strike up a conversation with the person in charge; he would only watch from a distance. As long as he got even a small lead, it should be enough to make the high-level players see him in a different light.
He had done the same in his last mission, exchanging clues for protection from the high-level players.
Therefore, he knew very well that high-level players didn't like vague clues; they wanted specific information.
He would pretend to be going to the restroom. Even if he ran into someone, it wouldn't be considered a violation of the rules.
Jiang Mu lingered in the hallway for a while, feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat eerie. Suddenly, a dormitory door opened, and a cute little girl walked out while rubbing her eyes.
"Teacher, what are you doing? You're being so noisy."
Jiang Mu's entire body stiffened instantly. He had been pacing back and forth in the hallway because he was too nervous, and he hadn't expected to wake a child.
"I'm... I'm sorry. I just got up to use the restroom."
Jiang Mu made up a random excuse. The little girl still looked unhappy about being woken up. She tilted her head and looked toward the restroom. "Teacher, I want to go to the restroom too. Can you come with me?"
Jiang Mu hesitated. Although the high-level players currently judged the children to be victims of abuse, and the real danger might be Director Wu's trio or the dead spirits, he still felt it was a bit creepy to accompany a little girl to the restroom in the middle of the night.
The little girl looked a bit scared and anxious. She stomped her feet. "Teacher, I can't hold it anymore."
Jiang Mu crouched down and asked, "Does the life teacher usually take you to the restroom?"
The little girl's expression slumped. Jiang Mu understood. Given the physical and mental abuse in this school, there was no way the staff would accompany them to the restroom.
Even though the little girl was pitiful, Jiang Mu didn't really want to go to the restroom. He hardened his expression. "Then that's that. You're a big girl now, you shouldn't be afraid of such things. Go by yourself. I'm going back to sleep."
As Jiang Mu left, the little girl pouted as if she were about to cry, but she still walked toward the restroom.
Jiang Mu breathed a sigh of relief. He lurked by his door and saw the little girl finish using the restroom and run back. However, even after waiting for nearly an hour, the patrolling person in charge never appeared.
Realizing he had probably been played by Engineer Yang, Jiang Mu muttered a curse.
He returned to his room and lay on the bed, forced to swallow this grievance.
Fortunately, he hadn't impulsively told the high-level players. If they had waited all night for nothing, he would have definitely offended them.
In his half-asleep state, Jiang Mu heard a dripping sound.
Strange, was the dormitory leaking?
Jiang Mu opened his eyes, and his groggy mind instantly cleared. It felt as if he had just inhaled a bottle of mentholated oil; a cold chill shot through his head.
He wasn't in the dormitory.
He was in the washroom.
The incandescent lights in the washroom were blindingly bright, making the white tiles look like a snow cave.
"How... How did I end up here?"
Jiang Mu's voice was trembling. He swallowed hard and tried to calm down, looking around.
He had previously felt that this place was eerily empty. It was fine when everyone was washing up here, but after those hours, passing by the empty washroom to get to the restroom always felt unsettling.
He was currently in the washroom near the student dormitories. Toward the back of the room, there were washed bedsheets hanging up to dry.
Jiang Mu noticed that one of the bedsheets still had faint bloodstains on it.
Rate on N.U.
