CH 14

Zhou Wenyan tapped on the elevator button.

The student of a spirit bound to the soil beneath the elevator seemed to understand what he wanted to do in seeking him out, and while the lights for the elevator panel changed with each flicker, the elevator doors did not open. 

Zhou Wenyan hummed a ‘ding’ before he promptly acted. Black mist seeped out of the fingers he had pressed against the gap between the elevator doors and it tangled with something, directly yanking the student out.

As soon as the student appeared, he hugged his head and shouted: “I don’t know anything!”

Shen Dongqing stood by the side and uttered, “Isn’t that the same as admitting that you know everything?”

The student stiffened and changed his style: “I won’t say anything.” 

After he spoke, he looked at Zhou Wenyan cautiously, and it was evident that he was extremely afraid of the big boss who could take him out. Weakly, he added, “If you continue to look for it, you’ll hurt the entire student population and they will all die.”

Zhou Wenyan smiled: “If you don’t speak, you’ll leave a step earlier than your schoolmates.”

An indisputable threat.

The student was so frightened his visage became ashen and he did not know whether he should choose to leave first alone or be in the company of his fellow schoolmates.

Despite the fact he had to leave either way, he had no intention of sacrificing himself for the sake of others; he bit his lip and said: “She’s in the stadium.”

After he spoke, the student seemed to be drained of all his energy as he laid on the ground, murmuring, “The whole school will be screwed, you’ll kill everyone…”

Shen Dongqing threw a look over his shoulder and wondered, “Are all of you even human anymore?”

The student froze in his place. 

The pair walked along the cobblestone path that wrapped around the field, and at the end of the road was the stadium.

They had found the doll in the grass near the path.

Before they reached the stadium, they could hear the balls bouncing against the ground being emitted from the premise. 

Shen Dongqing entered and surveyed the scene, noticing that there was a group of boys playing basketball while there were cheering students seated at the side. From the school badges that they wore, it was apparent that they were from the same class.

Underneath the stage, students were gathered together and they were chattering continuously.

“Someone from our class got caught by that old witch again.”

“If that’s the case, the class civil award for this semester is gone again.” 

“Could that old witch be targeting us?”

“I think she’s having her menopause; no matter who it is, they will never be pleasing to her eyes.”

This group of students had lively expressions and they were brimming with youthfulness, which was very different from the students they had encountered.

Zhou Wenyan said: “A repeat of the past.” 

It looked like a flashback; where the Campus’ Strange Talks had yet to start and Qinghai High School was a normal school as well.

The two looked on silently.

An intermission. 

The students who had been playing came down for a water break and took a rest. And it was at this moment where a little girl in pair of pigtails and holding a doll in her arms walked in.

“Older brothers and sisters.” The girl’s voice was very small, and she had to say it twice before she was heard.

The students stopped.

“Prc’a atja atf biv klamt’r vjeutafg?” 

“Qts vlv rtf gec tfgf?”

Ktf ulgi wera tjnf ofia atja atfgf kjr rbwfatlcu kgbcu klat atf jawbrqtfgf jr rtf rtgecx tfg cfmx jcv ktlrqfgfv: “Yivfg ygbatfgr jcv rlrafgr, vb sbe xcbk ktfgf ws wbatfg lr?”

Ktf akb raevfcar ktb kfgf ifjvlcu atflg mijrr fzmtjcufv ibbxr jcv atfs gfnfjifv jc ecojatbwjyif rwlif.

“We know.” 

One of them pointed: “Your mother is over there.”

He was pointing in the wrong direction.

But the girl remained ignorant and thanked him sweetly. With a bounce in her steps, she walked over and her small figure disappeared behind the door shortly.

It was only then someone at the scene spoke up: “It’s not very nice to lie to a child like this, is it?” 

“Well,” the student who had shown her the way shrugged his shoulders, “Who told her to be so stupid? Serves her right.”

Another echoed: “Yeah, since that old witch is always prying for our misconducts, why should we care about her, let’s continue playing basketball.”

Thus, the group of students tossed aside the brief episode and began to play their basketball with much noise and excitement.

Shen Dongqing followed after the little girl. 

The little girl was not aware that she had gone the wrong way and she bypassed the basketball court and walked towards the swimming pool.

The swimming pool was filled with smell of chlorine, and because the swimming pool was not open at this time, there was no one present by the pool side.

At the little girl’s age, she did not know the terrors of the water as she inched closer to the edge of the swimming pool while she hugged her doll.

Once she tired herself from walking, she simply sat down on the ground and placed her doll aside. 

Seated by the side of swimming pool, she dangled her legs and swung it, and she was even singing.

However, as she was about to climb up since she was done resting, her foot slipped. Her entire person plunged headfirst into the swimming pool, and it issued a ‘putong’ sound on impact.

Subconsciously, Shen Dongqing wanted to reach out to help her but his hand went straight through the little girl’s body.

Zhou Wenyan said, “This is just the past.” 

It was like he was trying to soothe him.

Shen Dongqing retracted his hand, and he could only watch as the girl thrashed around in the water.

Fortunately, it did not take long for the students who were playing basketball to realise that something was amiss before they came searching.

They found the little girl struggling in the swimming pool but instead of jumping into the water to save her immediately, they stood by the side, encircling her. 

Someone said: “Shouldn’t we be saving her?”

After a moment of silence, people in the group started speaking up.

“I don’t know how to swim.”

“I think we should find a teacher.” 

“I’m afraid.”

…

In the corner, a vicious voice abruptly sounded out, “I hate that old witch.”

“Just because she’s the Director of Teaching Affairs, she thinks she has to control everything.” 

“Doesn’t matter if it’s relationships, whether you eat in class, or how you manage your hairstyle…”

“Even if she drowned, the blame can’t be placed on our heads.”

After he finished speaking, the person left.

The remaining people looked at each other. 

After hesitating for a while, they walked out one by one.

In the end, the little girl was left alone, quietly floating on the water surface.

“Big brother,” The little girl who had become drenched raised her head to look at Shen Dongqing, “I can’t find my doll, and I can’t find my mother.” 

Shen Dongqing extended his hand to her. “I’ll bring you to find your mother.”

The little girl placed her wet and small hand in his and said sweetly, “Thank you, big brother.”

The two of them walked out of the stadium while Zhou Wenyan followed behind them.

Zhou Wenyan looked at the two figures – one big and one small – and questioned: “Do you like children?” 

He was so much gentler towards the little girl in comparison to other ghosts and monsters.

“I don’t,” Shen Dongqing pondered, and decided to put it another way, “It’s etiquette – Cherish the young, nothing more.”

Zhou Wenyan asked: “Then what do you like?”

Shen Dongqing answered without any hesitation: “I like delicious and fun things.” 

After hearing his answer, Zhou Wenyan touched the tip of his own nose.

It did not take much to find the Director of Teaching Affairs.

She was at the main entrance of the teaching building. Unlike the strictness and solemnity she used to enforce upon herself, her hair was dishevelled and her high heels had been kicked off her feet. As she held onto the doll with one hand, she would use the other to grab students who were passing by to question them.

“Have you seen my Tiantian?” 

The poor student was nearly scared to death on the spot, having assumed that they had broken the school rules.

The Director of Teaching Affairs casted the speechless student aside and went to find another target.

Just then, Shen Dongqing led the little girl into her frame of view.

The Director of Teaching Affairs rushed over like a mad woman and hugged the little girl tightly, calling out unceasingly, “Tiantian, mother’s Tiantian…” 

Thankfully, Shen Dongqing evaded in time or he would be in her arms as well.

The girl stiffened briefly before she raised her hands to hug the Direction: “Mother don’t cry, I found mother.”

The Director caressed the little girl’s head and closed her eyes but two streams of tears fell down her eyes.

“Yes, Tiantian found Mother, we will never be apart again.” 

It was unknown how it took before the Director stood up as she hugged her daughter, while the little girl was holding her doll.

She uttered: “Thank you.”

Through her lenses, you could see that her eyes were clear.

The little girl followed and said: “Thank you big brothers.” 

Shen Dongqing accepted their gratitude and opened the《Campus’ Strange Talks》and said to himself: “This should be considered completed, right?”

【 Lost Doll: Tiantian had a doll but she lost it, and it was given to her by her mother. Tiantian also lost herself, and her mother could not find her. Help Tiantian find her doll, or help her mother find Tiantian. 】

Rather than a Campus’ Strange Talk, it felt more like a fairy tale.

Shen Dongqing closed the book and heard the old man’s voice speak: 

【 You have cleared the C-level copy, Campus’ Strange Talk 】

The voice fell but Shen Dongqing did not leave the world immediately. He lifted his head and saw the Director standing there. He sighed quietly.

“I wanted to protect this school.” Deep woe was buried in her eyes, “But in the end, I even lost my Tiantian.”

“Now, I understand that only my Tiantian needs my protection while this school should have disappeared long ago.” 

The Director hugged Tiantian and walked towards the gate of the school.

A sudden fire broke out in the classroom building.

Every time she stepped closer to the school gate, the fire would blaze higher, until the entire school gradually went up in ashes.

Fang Qi thought he was going to die but he did not expect that when he opened his eyes, he received a clearance prompt.

He looked at the familiar ceiling in disbelief. After lying in the room for a while, he rushed out and shouted to the people downstairs: “I came back alive again!”

The person seated downstairs was a little cold: “Oh.”

Fang Qi: “I won while lying down in another copy again.” 

The man sneered: “It was just a C-level copy, you can clear it and come back alive by finding the Campus’ Strange Talks, what are you being so proud for?”

Fang Qi showed a delayed reaction:” Find it… and live?”

Why was it so different from his experience?

“C-level copies are hardly dangerous; the clues are all there, especially the one that requires you to help the little girl find her doll. It’s so easy that it’s basically insulting our IQs.” 

Fang Qi: “?”

Even if it was said out loud, you might not believe it. It was actually simpler than what you said, and I cleared it while I was taking a nap.

【 Congratulations on completing the task, Closing in Progress– 】 

【 ZIZI – – 】

The old man’s voice jammed before he said soon after:

【 Due to an irregular playing method, the C-level copy [Campus’ Strange Talk] is permanently closed. Deducting 1500 points from the player and entering Punishment Mode 】

【 Current Player Points remaining: – 500 】 

Before Shen Dongqing could be annoyed by the fact that he had no points to exchange for snacks, he heard a countdown sound.

【 Punishment Mode Initiated 】

【 Countdown three, two, one…… 】

This chapter made me whimper a lil’ while translating. 

New Arc next chapter though~! I love the next one so much~