After venting the fear she had suffered over the past few days, Gu Nanqiu regretted it immediately.
This would bring trouble to both her and Yue Yiyue.
They were not normal people.
This unease peaked when she saw the classmates behind her revert to their paper-figure appearance.
She seemed to have messed things up again, dragging Yue Yiyue into a dangerous situation.
She looked at Yue Yiyue behind her with a confused expression.
Yue Yiyue noticed the regret in Gu Nanqiu's amber eyes, and her face had also turned noticeably pale. She pulled the girl into her arms: "When soldiers come, we will meet them with generals; when the flood comes, we will cover it with earth. Nothing will happen."
Although the plot had collapsed to this extent, Yue Yiyue, who had read the original novel, understood that this world favored Gu Nanqiu so greatly.
If any other cannon fodder had said those words, the grass on their grave would already be three meters high.
Click—
The sound of the classroom door opening broke the stillness of the entire area.
It seemed that something inside the classroom was continuously surging, rushing toward the door.
The paper figures behind them stared fixedly at Gu Zhi.
They were terrified she might escape.
Ah… she made Nanqiu cry. She must be dealt with, immediately, right now.
Nanqiu said she didn't want to see her.
The paper figures walked orderly past Gu Nanqiu and Yue Yiyue. They roughly pushed Gu Zhi into the classroom.
Gu Zhi, who knew she was guilty, stared straight at Gu Nanqiu, trying to imprint Nanqiu's current expression into her mind. She wouldn't see it anymore… she messed up, she messed up… she's a sinner…
A white hand covered her eyes, completely blocking Gu Zhi's sight.
Click.
The door closed.
Yue Yiyue looked at the paper figures standing by the door like sentries. She held Gu Nanqiu with one hand and asked confusedly: "What are you doing? What are you going to do to her?"
The paper figure blinked its ink-formed eyeballs and squeezed out human-like syllables from its fragile throat: "Deal… deal with her… She made Nanqiu sad."
"Despicable."
Hearing this, Gu Nanqiu looked at Yue Yiyue in disbelief.
A living person was about to die because of her words.
Her legs felt weak, and her tears fell even more pitifully.
"It's just a paper figure." Yue Yiyue's free hand produced a wet wipe from somewhere.
She carefully wiped the tear stains from Gu Nanqiu's face and said again: "You don't need to feel guilty. It's just a paper figure."
"Let them know where your bottom line is. Maybe then they won't inexplicably think you're someone's subordinate."
"Besides, you don't belong to anyone. You are Gu Nanqiu."
"You don't need to rely on anyone or anything. Gu Zhi said so herself just now, didn't she?"
Realizing that she and Gu Nanqiu wouldn't be hunted by them, Yue Yiyue finally relaxed her guard and gently comforted the person in her arms.
As for the paper figure named Gu Zhi, what she did was only seeking her own end.
Nanqiu was genuinely soft-hearted, still feeling sad over this matter. If it were her, she would be secretly celebrating.
No wonder her role was the malicious cannon fodder.
Yue Yiyue caressed Gu Nanqiu's cheek: "After the commotion inside stops, I'll open the door. Just like you protected me back then, how about I do it this time?"
"They are just lifeless paper figures, and we will definitely leave this place."
"Nanqiu, school is starting soon."
Yue Yiyue swallowed. She was afraid Gu Nanqiu would collapse here, which would allow certain people to take advantage and brainwash Gu Nanqiu into staying.
The plot was already this messy. She refused to believe it could get any messier.
"We have to go back together, so let's use everything we can before they find a chance to kill us, okay?"
"If you can't bear it, I'll be the bad person."
"It's my fault for not paying attention to your feelings. I'm sorry. My mind was only thinking about how to get back quickly and how not to die here. I'm sorry. Tell me if anything sad happens in the future. I can listen."
She wasn't cut out to be an empathetic older sister.
Although Yue Yiyue had prepared herself mentally when she pushed open the classroom door, seeing the two people wrapped haphazardly in white cloth, like a scene of the Crucifixion, made her stomach churn.
That was… the Class Monitor… and Gu Zhi.
She didn't know what they had experienced, but both of them had been disemboweled, a few parts taken from each, rearranged into a new human form, and nailed to the blackboard.
Even more horrifying was that half of their faces were not contorted by death.
Instead, they bore a strange smile.
As if they had seen the happiest thing before they died.
Next to them, a cute pigeon head was drawn with white chalk.
A pigeon head…
"Yiyue…" A kitten-like sound came from her arms.
"It's fine, don't look up." Yue Yiyue stabilized her slightly trembling voice: "You don't need to worry about the Class Monitor looking for trouble with me anymore."
He was dead, so he wouldn't cause trouble.
Here, everyone who makes Gu Nanqiu sad receives this punishment?
Will I be next?
Will I be the next one nailed up there?
Gu Nanqiu tried to struggle out of Yue Yiyue's embrace to see what was going on.
Yue Yiyue pinned her down: "You'll have nightmares."
Because of the incident with Wang Yong yesterday, Yue Yiyue's sanity level had increased, and since no unexpected jumpscare occurred, she even had the presence of mind to compliment herself on her improved courage for not throwing up.
After collecting her thoughts, she patted Gu Nanqiu's shoulder.
"The Class Monitor is dead."
"Don't look, okay? Just like this. I'll take you somewhere else first."
In a place Yue Yiyue couldn't see, the cloudy eyeballs on the blackboard moved. They stared fixedly at Gu Nanqiu, whom Yue Yiyue was protecting, with jealousy and hatred.
And also with the frustration of their own failure.
Why didn't Gu Nanqiu accept them but instead stood by this despicable, disgusting lowlife?
How could she hold her…?
By what right?
However, the lowlife did prevent such foul objects from polluting Nanqiu's eyes. This is somewhat satisfactory.
If Nanqiu had truly seen such disgusting trash, Yue Yiyue would be guilty even if she died a hundred or a thousand times.
They watched coldly as the lowlife, who was clearly terrified but still grit her teeth and controlled herself to lead Gu Nanqiu out of the classroom door.
"Who will be next?"
You?
Me?
But it would never be Gu Nanqiu.
She only just arrived.
Of course, she must be with us for all eternity.
All eternity.
The paper figure looked at Yue Yiyue, who was about to leave: "Classes will proceed normally. We will ensure this place is clean and that Gu Nanqiu won't see it."
The paper figure paused, then smiled softly at Yue Yiyue: "We won't touch you until Gu Nanqiu gets tired of you, but don't try to take her away."
"She belongs to us."
The person in her arms showed no reaction. Yue Yiyue immediately realized that only she could hear those words.
"No, she doesn't belong to you," Yue Yiyue stopped, saying firmly to the paper figure: "She doesn't belong to anyone."
She couldn't let this be accepted by default. If it truly spread and was accepted, there was no telling what Gu Nanqiu's fate would be.
The paper figure stared at the impertinent lowlife: "Is that so? Then we'll have to see if you can live until that day."
"I will. Not only will I live until that day, but I will also leave with Gu Nanqiu."
"We will be able to leave. That is the natural course of things."
A soft cooing sound of a pigeon came from the corridor, interrupting the conversation.
A pure white, red-eyed pigeon stood on the railing, tilting its head to look at Yue Yiyue, though its gaze was focused more on the paper figure behind her.
Then the pigeon flew away indifferently, as if it had only paused there for a short rest.
Three regular bell chimes suddenly rang in the academic building. Yue Yiyue lowered her eyes, deep in thought.
The corridor became lively again. Students carrying school bags walked toward different classes.
Everything seemed to have returned to normal.
Yue Yiyue was certain it wasn't a reset.
The pigeon had completely disappeared from view.
Footsteps approached from a distance and stopped beside Yue Yiyue. Fan Ning looked timidly at Yue Yiyue, her concern seeming genuine: "What's wrong with Nanqiu? Is she not feeling well?"
As Gu Nanqiu was about to lift her head, Yue Yiyue expressionlessly pressed the girl into her embrace: "Nothing. I'm just exercising my arm strength."
"Oh…" Fan Ning didn't understand but didn't say anything further: "By the way, a new student arrived today. She's been asking the classmates here if anyone has seen Gu Nanqiu."
"She looks very anxious. I told her which class Gu Nanqiu is in."
"Also, that person is in Class Three, right next door to us. If you know her, you can go see her."
After saying this, Fan Ning walked back to the classroom, as if she had simply and genuinely come to tell them this.
After the person left, Gu Nanqiu peeked out from Yue Yiyue's embrace. Her eyes were still wet from crying, and her cheeks were slightly red: "Could it be Wang Xiaoyan or Zhang Yang?"
"Let's go look for her after class!"
"We need to find them quickly." Gu Nanqiu forced herself to be spirited: "I will control my emotions for the next few days. Nothing like what happened just now will happen again, and I won't drag you down."
"No." Yue Yiyue clumsily patted Gu Nanqiu. After struggling for a while, she squeezed out a comforting sentence: "Besides, you gave us new information, didn't you? Don't worry, I also learned a little secret, but I can't tell you right now."
So, they won't attack me until Gu Nanqiu gets tired of me. That means I have a lot more I can do.
Inside the Class Three classroom, Zhang Yang saw Gu Nanqiu standing at the door. She covered her mouth, and tears flowed first.
She rushed toward the door anxiously, but was blocked by a classmate.
"Don't forget what you promised us." The person looked at the flustered Zhang Yang, reminding her threateningly: "There are some things that no one should know. You understand the consequences."
Zhang Yang nodded with a gloomy face.
It didn't matter, as long as she could see Gu Nanqiu.
As long as Gu Nanqiu was fine, she was willing to do anything.
The person blocking the way finally stepped aside. Zhang Yang rushed out the door, ignoring Yue Yiyue and pulling Gu Nanqiu to an unmanned corner.
She cautiously looked around. Yue Yiyue followed but wisely didn't get too close.
"Nanqiu, I'm here. We're here. Don't worry. Wang Xiaoyan is here too. Only Zhao Heyi… it was Zhao Heyi who brought us here."
"He had already made all the preparations and deliberately lured us here just to trap you here."
In this place, Zhang Yang did not hide her emotions. She sobbed, cursing Zhao Heyi as brain-dead, sick, and deserving of death.
He couldn't accept not getting into the same school as Gu Nanqiu and feared they would never see each other again after separating, so he set up this trap.
In the shadow, Zhang Yang reached out to cover her face, not letting Gu Nanqiu see her miserable state.
In the dark corner no one saw, a small, pure white feather fell from the air and melted into Zhang Yang's shadow.
Who would allow him to monopolize Gu Nanqiu?
No one.
She would personally eliminate anyone who was in the way.
Including…
Zhang Yang looked through the gap in her fingers at Yue Yiyue, who was waiting for Gu Nanqiu not far away. She stood there stiffly, like a piece of wood that knew nothing.
Bathed in the sunlight, the red and black school uniform didn't look particularly sharp on her. Her face was unremarkable, with freckles. She wasn't particularly skinny, but because of her upright posture, she might warrant a second look in a crowd.
Yue Yiyue was too ordinary.
She was not worthy, not worthy to stand by Nanqiu's side.
Lowlife…
Lowlife…