Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 20
The door to the principal’s office was gently knocked on, and a youthful, clear voice came from inside.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Yao Tai entered. Although she was always full of confidence, she now seemed surprisingly subdued.
The principal was writing with a traditional dip pen, a throwback to a time a hundred years earlier when retro was all the rage. Back then, people thought that emails lacked personality and persisted in handwriting. The principal was one of those people and had kept this habit until today.
Yao Tai waited for him to finish writing a sentence before saying, “Principal, the Disease Control Center has called…”
Upon hearing this, the principal’s hand trembled, causing a large drop of ink to fall and splatter across the paper.
This half-written letter was now ruined. The principal sighed, thinking perhaps he should really switch to using email.
He set the pen aside. “Is there no turning back?”
Yao Tai looked serious. “After trying for some time, we indeed can’t cure him. The Disease Control Center has been closely monitoring the data here. His psychological rating has exceeded the warning line twice. I have tried to delay as much as possible, but the center wants him to receive professional treatment as soon as possible.”
The principal walked over to the window with mixed feelings. “I’ve been inside the Disease Control Center. I know better than anyone what it’s like. Every year, hundreds of newly-adult Qizi enter, but very few come out. As a principal and a former patient of the center, I sincerely hope none of my students ever get involved.”
Yao Tai, though not having personally experienced it, understood what he meant. “This time, the responsibility mainly lies with me because of my negligence…”
“It’s not your fault,” the principal countered. “Even if you watched him for a day, you couldn’t for the second or the third… An obsession with death is terrifying. I’ve been through what he’s experienced, so I know the feeling. No one can be held accountable for this because no one can bear it. It’s the fate of every Tianxiu.”
He looked up at the sky. “If there’s someone to blame, blame our genes. Why do lovers fight to the death? Why do those who fail feel as if it’s worse than death?”
He expressed his long-standing confusion. Unfortunately, neither the clouds in the distant sky nor Yao Tai before him could answer any of these questions.
After a while, the principal seemed somewhat composed. “Did the Disease Control Center say when they would pick him up?”
Yao Tai quietly replied, “Tonight.”
The principal was taken aback. “So soon.”
“They’ve already set out and are on their way.”
The principal knew that this was inevitable and nobody could change it. He instructed Yao Tai, “Help him fulfill any remaining wishes he has here at Bikong. Once he leaves these school gates, returning would be indefinitely delayed.”
……
Ling Xiao rushed out of the dormitory like the wind, nearly colliding with a student from the next room.
“Where are you hurrying to, Ling Xiao?” the student asked in surprise.
While running, without looking back, Ling Xiao replied, “I’m meeting Ying Feng for training!”
By the time the last word reached the student, Ling Xiao had disappeared, leaving the student puzzled. Weren’t those two on bad terms? When did they become so close that they’d even train together?
By the time Ling Xiao reached the training hall, he was already late for their agreed time. Yet Ying Feng hadn’t arrived, so Ling Xiao began to warm up on his own.
Meanwhile, Ying Feng was in Yao Tai’s medical room. It had been his most frequent visit in recent times. He was there for the same reason as before.
He had thought that a simple injection would end quickly, but Yao Tai wasn’t there when he arrived. He had to wait for a while before she returned. After explaining, Yao Tai forced him to undergo another examination, causing further delay.
Once she saw the test results, Yao Tai finally believed him. The data showed an unusual level of hormones in Ying Feng’s system, far surpassing the level of the last suppressant injection he had received just a few days ago. It was bewildering.
“Are you sure you haven’t been in close contact with anyone who has awakened?”
Ever since being warned by Yao Tai, Ying Feng had kept a considerable distance from Zhu Yue. So, he naturally replied, “No.”
“There’s only one possibility left,” Yao Tai speculated. “Maybe your body has a strong resistance to the drug, and the inhibitor doesn’t work on you.”
This assumption made her a bit uneasy. “We’re about to go on a field internship. Given your unique situation, maybe I suggest you not participate.”
“I will participate,” Yin Feng decisively declined.
“Actually, even without the inhibitor during the awakening period, it shouldn’t have too significant an impact. But the field environment is complex, and you might encounter sudden dangers. What if something unexpected happens?”
“I can control myself,” Yin Feng said. “Just give me another shot.”
Knowing she couldn’t persuade him, Yao Tai understood. These fledglings are usually strictly protected within the campus, and hence, they especially treasure any opportunity to step out, let alone the annual field internships. Some even postpone their coming-of-age ceremony to participate.
Yao Tai injected him with the inhibitor once more and handed him a spray bottle.
“This is an emergency inhibitor. Use it when necessary. Carry it with you, just in case.”
Yin Feng took it and pocketed it. “Thank you, Dr. Yao.”
“How has Ling Xiao from your class been these days?”
Yin Feng wanted to say he was jumping around like a monkey but changed his words at the last minute. “He’s fine, nothing unusual.”
“That’s good. I was worried his friend’s incident would make him overly pessimistic. He hasn’t come to see me yet, which means he hasn’t awakened. Those who haven’t can experience a pseudo-awakening anytime, which can be a potential risk in the field, especially given his concerning personality. During the internship, can you please keep an eye on him?”
Yin Feng mumbled an acknowledgement. Whether or not he took it to heart, Yao Tai wasn’t sure. Knowing he dislikes mingling with others, especially since the two were so different—one was extroverted and the other introverted—she just let him go.
By the time Yin Feng arrived at the training hall and stepped in, he felt a rush of air towards him. Reacting quickly, he defended against three moves and, spotting an opening, counterattacked. The shadowy figure that ambushed him retreated with a swift backflip, gracefully landing on the ground.
“You’re late,” Ling Xiao said, looking like he had already warmed up with sweat on his forehead.
“Let’s go.” He tossed his coat aside and got into a combat stance. Through days of training, they knew each other’s moves and didn’t need any small talk.
“Don’t you need to warm up?” Ling Xiao didn’t want to have an unfair advantage.
“Fighting you is my warm-up.”
“Damn.” Ling Xiao felt the need to teach such an arrogant person a lesson and, without another word, charged forward. The two clashed intensely.
After several observations, Ling Xiao noticed Yin Feng was particularly defensive about his left chest. Though the heart was everyone’s weak spot, Yin Feng seemed overly protective, making one wonder if he had been seriously injured there before.
Realizing this, Ling Xiao focused his attacks there. Several times, Yin Feng missed golden opportunities to strike because he switched to defense. Taking advantage of this, Ling Xiao stepped up his offensive and pushed him back to the base of the wall.
When Yin Feng’s heel touched the obstacle, he hesitated slightly. Ling Xiao seized this moment, pouring all his strength into a punch. Unexpectedly, Yin Feng didn’t defend but instead landed a swift punch on Ling Xiao’s abdomen, pushing him back several steps. Ling Xiao had exposed himself, thinking Yin Feng wouldn’t attack, but fell right into his trap.
“You.” Ling Xiao groaned, clutching his stomach. “Why didn’t you defend?”
“Who said I had to?” Yin Feng replied nonchalantly.
“You were clearly nervous about that spot.” Ling Xiao felt tricked.
“Ah.” Yin Feng didn’t deny. “Just a habit.”
“Were you hit there before? Once bitten by a snake, one is scared all his life by a mere rope*?” Ling Xiao couldn’t help but ask.
*Metaphor for once you’ve been hurt, you’ll be afraid of similar things or events.
Ying Feng walked over to pick up his uniform jacket. He pulled out the peach pit from the left chest pocket and showed it to him. “Because I usually keep this with me. Since I don’t have it on me now, it doesn’t matter.”
Ling Xiao was irritated. “If that keepsake from your past lover is so precious, you shouldn’t carry it around regularly in case it gets damaged.”
Ying Feng ignored him, tucked the peach pit back into his pocket, and took out a magnetic card from another pocket.
To offer convenience for students, the training hall had installed vending machines. Ying Feng swiped the card in the scanning area, and a chilled sports drink immediately dropped from the machine.
Ling Xiao, also drenched in sweat and parched, saw Ying Feng tilting his head back to drink. He couldn’t help but focus on the Adam’s apple of Ying Feng’s throat. Due to the sweat, the skin there shimmered faintly. Every now and then, a bead of sweat slid down, disappearing into the V of the shirt, where two buttons were undone.
The cold bottle, in contact with the warm air, quickly fogged up with dew. It looked especially refreshing and appetizing, prompting an involuntary swallowing reflex from Ling Xiao.
Ying Feng noticed the intense gaze directed at him. Glancing from the corner of his eyes, he saw Ling Xiao’s comical expression. Amused, he swiped the card again for another drink and tossed the bottle to Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao was so engrossed that he caught the incoming bottle reflexively. The cold sensation from the bottle gave him goosebumps.
He paused, realizing that Ying Feng had bought it for him. Recalling his own blatant staring earlier, he felt embarrassed.
“I-I’m okay with cold water…” he said, a bit awkwardly.
It was the first time Ying Feng saw someone too broke to even afford a bottle of water putting on a brave face. He said with a hint of sarcasm, “Drink it. Consider it replenishing your energy. These days, sparring with you feels like you haven’t eaten.”
Ling Xiao retorted, “Who said I didn’t eat? I had bread, okay?”
“With your recent activity, haven’t you already finished the bread?”
“Of course not!” Ling Xiao’s response was truthful. However, the harsh reality was that he was eating more than before. What was initially enough to last until the end of the month might run out in just a few days.
From Ling Xiao’s expression, Ying Feng knew the situation. “If you run out, just say so. I don’t mind buying for you. After all, you can’t find someone to mooch food off anymore, can you?”
Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao’s expression dimmed. He lowered his eyes, not retaliating against Ying Feng’s jibe for the first time.
By the time Ying Feng realized he might have said something he shouldn’t have, Ling Xiao walked past him silently, his demeanor entirely different from before.
At the door, he turned back, raising the drink in his hand. “Thanks for this.”
It was the first thank you Ying Feng had received from Ling Xiao in a decade. Instead of feeling content, he felt uneasy.
By the time Ying Feng returned to the dormitory building, Ling Xiao had already disappeared. Ying Feng hesitated, wondering whether to visit Ling Xiao’s room. He recalled the awkward way Ling Xiao had come to apologize to him before, and now he could relate to how Ling Xiao felt then.
Sitting on the bed, Ling Xiao blankly stared at a photograph in his hand. It was a group photo of him, Lan Sheng, and Ping Zong from last year’s field trip.
Back then, he was naive and oblivious, unaware that his close friends were dating. He had innocently positioned himself between the two, radiating with joy.
In the photo, all three of them, with dirty faces and injuries from the field trip, were beaming with happiness. Although only a year had passed, now only one of them remained from that picture. If carefreeness equated to naivety and growth came at a cost, Ling Xiao would rather stay naive and foolish if it meant having the three of them together again.
Three rhythmic knocks sounded from outside. No one in Ling Xiao’s memory had ever knocked on his door so politely before.
“Who is it?”
He asked loudly, but there was no response.
Ling Xiao put the photo back beside his bed and opened the door. Outside stood a person he had not expected.
“It’s you?”
The author has something to say:
Tip: Not taking suppressants has absolutely no effect on fighting little monsters in the wild. The “risks” mentioned by the school authorities refer to the possibility of couples getting intimate when alone in the wild, impulsively entering the coming-of-age ceremony without any protective measures, leading to tragic outcomes. The person that Zhen He likes is an example of this. Therefore, the rule of taking suppressants before participating in fieldwork is not aimed at PVE (Player vs. Environment), but rather PVP (Player vs. Player).
Kinky Thoughts:
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