Chapter 11

“Should we go take a look?” It was Li Yue who said it.

But everyone present was probably thinking the same thing.

“Sure, let’s go check it out.”

The timid ones hung back, arms linked together, looking all nervous and hesitant, while the bold ones pushed forward. No matter how scared they were, they all wanted to see for themselves.

“Meng Bai, Meng Bai, can you go up front?”

Of course Meng Bai had to take the lead—only then could she see clearly.

The teaching building was swarmed with people, mostly boys there for the spectacle. When the girls tried to push through, all they saw was a sea of heads blocking everything.

“Excuse me, can I squeeze in?” Meng Bai tapped the shoulder of the boy in front of her. He turned around, looking none too pleased.

Meng Bai explained, “I heard it’s Ye Hong. She’s a good friend of mine. Can I just take a quick look?”

The boy hesitated for a moment but stepped aside a bit.

Like that, Meng Bai parted the crowd bit by bit and finally made it to the front row. She could only stand outside the caution tape. Ye Hong lay in the corner of the flower bed, too far away to make out clearly.

Even standing on her tiptoes and straining her eyes, all Meng Bai could see was a white sheet draped over the flower bed, with two police officers crouched down taking photos.

Maybe the students’ curiosity was wearing thin on the cops’ patience. One officer strode over, waving them off. “Move along, all of you! Back to class!”

Meng Bai was quick on the uptake. “It’s a girl, right?” she blurted out.

She still couldn’t bring herself to believe it was really Ye Hong.

The officer didn’t answer. “Step back, everyone! Step back!” His voice boomed as he pointed toward the teaching building across the way. “Get to class, or I’ll call the principal to dock your conduct points!”

That did the trick.

In an instant, most of the students scattered. Meng Bai didn’t budge, persisting shamelessly. “Officer, officer, do you know Zhou An? She’s a girl too, and she went missing not long ago.”

The officer frowned, giving Meng Bai a once-over before waving her off with a big hand. “What are you still doing here? Get to class!”

No sooner had he spoken than a gut-wrenching wail erupted from behind them. A middle-aged woman, her face twisted in agony, cried out in a voice that tore at the heart: “Hong! Mom didn’t push you, didn’t push you at all! Why’d you have to be so foolish, Hong…”

Ye Hong.

Her mother had arrived, collapsing to her knees as if her soul had fled her body.

It really was Ye Hong who’d died. Meng Bai’s heart clenched, pounding fiercely.

She turned away, unable to face Mrs. Ye’s expression. From the playground, the disciplinary director came charging over, barking at everyone. Soon, the onlookers were herded back into the teaching building.

The school wasn’t that big, after all.

On one side, the girl with no vital signs lay in the flower bed as officers photographed her body. On the other, the teaching building—emblazoned with the motto “Seek tranquility and reach far; embrace simplicity and aspire to wisdom”—continued with classes as usual.

The two scenes were separated by nothing more than a basketball court.

~~~

In the classroom, even though most of the students were already there, you could hear a pin drop. The air felt thick with tension, as if even breathing was strained.

Their math teacher, Teacher Xu, stood at the front of the room. Her brows had been furrowed the entire time.

She was a new teacher who’d come from the big city to teach here this semester. In her mid-twenties, probably fresh out of university, she still carried that unmistakable campus vibe.

The class was deathly silent until a girl’s voice shattered it.

She sat toward the back of the room, and when she spoke, her voice rang out loud and clear. “Teacher, is Ye Hong never coming back to class?”

Yes, Ye Hong would never return to class. Everyone knew it deep down.

But someone had to be the one to say it.

The girl’s name was Xu Zhou. Up until now, Meng Bai had never really paid her much attention.

From what she remembered, Xu Zhou wasn’t much of a talker—extremely reserved. Or rather, not reserved: aloof. When your eyes met hers, you’d catch that hint of disdain, like she was saying, “I don’t have time for your nonsense.”

That was exactly why Meng Bai had never spoken to her.

But now, Meng Bai couldn’t help stealing a glance at Xu Zhou, who sat in the last row by the window—

Shoulder-length black hair, skin so fair it seemed it might bruise at a touch, big eyes, a straight nose, and even with her sharp, slender chin, her features softened into something gentle overall. She looked like the picture-perfect girl next door, but unfortunately, her appearance didn’t match her vibe at all.

Xu Zhou sat there utterly composed and even spoke up again. “Does the teacher know how Ye died?”

The blunt question left Teacher Xu at a loss for words.

Teacher Xu’s brow creased further. She seemed about to say something, but right as the words reached her throat, she swallowed them back. Instead, she opened her textbook and said evenly, “It’s class time now. Let’s get back to the lesson.”

Senior Year 3 was all about review, with the schedule packed tight. And since Teacher Xu was covering solid geometry, Meng Bai didn’t dare zone out.

She pushed down all her swirling questions and tried to focus.

But midway through, her mind wandered briefly.

Xu Zhou.

Meng Bai glanced back toward her—and wouldn’t you know it, Xu Zhou was looking right at her.

Coincidence or not? Meng Bai had no idea. She turned away quickly.

Up at the board, the young Teacher Xu gripped her chalk, drawing an auxiliary line on the geometric figure. Her voice was clear and steady. “So, classmates, if we connect AQ, making QD perpendicular to AQ, that’s equivalent to…”

The bell rang all too soon, signaling the end of class. Teacher Xu grabbed her textbook and hurried out.

The room erupted in chatter—

“Li Yue, Li Yue—” Classmates crowded the windows, peering toward the playground. “Looks like they’re carrying the body away.”

“But her mom’s still crying.”

“So sad. I think she doesn’t have a dad. Her mom must be…”

Snatches of conversation filtered into Meng Bai’s ears, making her head ache. She decided not to join the gawking.

In the relentless grind of Senior Year 3, with friends vanishing and classmates dying, it was all too much—Meng Bai could hardly breathe.

The small town felt different now, oppressive and terrifying.

Why were all the victims young girls?

Seventeen or eighteen, the prime of youth, when life should be blooming.

On a brighter day, both Zhou An and Ye Hong would probably be sitting right here, free to chase their futures without a care.

But when even one’s life was no longer guaranteed, acquiring knowledge inevitably became something unattainable as well.

Thud—

Something bumped into the back of Meng Bai’s head.

She turned around to look and saw a crumpled note on the ground.

She picked it up and read it; the content consisted of only six words: Come over, talk about Zhou An.

Meng Bai looked up and discovered that Xu Zhou in the back seat was watching her. Clearly, Xu Zhou was the one who had thrown the note.

This Xu Zhou seemed to care quite a bit.

They were only a few steps apart from each other, so Meng Bai stood up. She thought to herself that today, she had to break the curse of never having exchanged words with Xu Zhou.

Xu Zhou was a strange person—truly strange. She seemed to enjoy blending into the background, even choosing a seat in the very last row where the underachievers sat, and it was a single desk at that, ensuring no one would notice her.

Meng Bai walked up to her. “You threw the note?”

Xu Zhou lazily lifted her eyes and nodded. “How’s the search going for Zhou An’s dad? Do you have any news on your end?”

“How do you know her dad is looking for her?” Meng Bai bent down, lowering her voice considerably. “Do you know something?”

“I know quite a bit.” Xu Zhou curled her lips upward. “So what’s the situation with her dad right now?”

“Do you know where Zhou An is?”

Xu Zhou shook her head. “Of course I don’t know.”

“Then why should I tell you?”

Xu Zhou’s smile faded, but her tone remained light and airy. “Meng Bai, don’t you still not know who your enemies and friends are? Do you think there are many good people in this town?”

Meng Bai pushed the words right back at her. “I don’t know, so I can’t trust just anyone, can I? If I remember correctly, we haven’t spoken more than a handful of times since becoming classmates.”

Xu Zhou laughed again and nodded in agreement. “No worries—it’s never too late to get acquainted. So what’s the situation with Carpenter Zhou? If you don’t tell me, I won’t tell you either.”

Xu Zhou really knew how to beat around the bush. It left Meng Bai feeling utterly confused, with an itch in her heart.

“So why did you ask Teacher Xu that question during class today?”

Xu Zhou replied, “To get your attention.”

“Me?” Meng Bai found it a bit odd. “I thought you knew something about Ye Hong’s death.”

“I don’t know.” Xu Zhou twirled the neutral pen in her hand. “But I did express my doubts.”

Their gazes met for a moment, an unspoken understanding passing between them—they were thinking along the same lines.

Classmate Ye Hong’s death surely wasn’t just because she had argued with her mother a few times; there had to be more to it.

“But I have no evidence.” Xu Zhou shrugged. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

Ring ring ring—

The class bell rang at the most inopportune moment.

Their conversation cut off halfway, leaving both of them unsatisfied. Meng Bai had no choice but to return to her seat.

She truly hadn’t told Xu Zhou anything, but in reality, Xu Zhou hadn’t revealed much either.

Yet from Xu Zhou, she had picked up a clear signal:

Was she trying to convey that she was interested in these matters involving Zhou An and Ye Hong?

That line about “who is enemy and who is friend” left Meng Bai’s mind in turmoil.

If enemies truly existed, then who would want to become her friend?

With that thought, Meng Bai turned back for another glance at Xu Zhou.

At that moment, Xu Zhou was bowed over her textbook, her expression perfectly composed, as if nothing had happened at all.

Xu Zhou—a girl like her—could she become Meng Bai’s friend?