Chapter 9: The Unyielding Man of Steel

Even after experiencing those bizarre events together yesterday, Yang Xuefei, who was well accustomed to all kinds of boys, did not develop the slightest interest in Yan Yu.

More than half of the boys in Class 2, Senior Year Three, had confessed their feelings to Yang Xuefei, employing every manner of approach imaginable. Yet never had anyone, until Yan Yu, dared to claim she had menstrual irregularities!

Yang Xuefei was both embarrassed and infuriated.

"Even when you're angry, you look so pretty. No wonder everyone in the class is drawn to you," Yan Yu said with a smile. "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon says: 'Those with beautiful eyebrows have abundant blood and energy along the Foot Taiyang meridian, while those with poor eyebrows have little.' In other words, thin, sparse, or lifeless brows often mean a deficiency of blood and energy, which leads to menstrual issues... Even if your brows are drawn on, I could tell at a glance!"

Never before had Yang Xuefei so badly wanted to strangle a man.

It was one thing to be accused of menstrual problems to her face, but to be told her brows were sparse, and then mocked for drawing them on!

Was he the most obtuse man in the universe?

"Your complexion looks even worse. Want me to take you to the infirmary?" Yan Yu asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Get lost."

Yan Yu shut his mouth, shrugged, and assumed Yang Xuefei simply didn't appreciate his good intentions.

The math teacher, a man nearing forty in a buttoned-up shirt, delivered his lessons in a dry and tedious manner. With the college entrance exams approaching, the curriculum had already been covered; all that remained was endless worksheets, solution explanations, and plugging gaps in knowledge.

In truth, back at the nunnery, Yan Yu had learned all the content for high school—and even college—with his five mothers. Therefore, he paid no attention to what the math teacher was saying.

He wasn't the only one; about eighty percent of the class, Yang Xuefei included, seemed equally disengaged. She was absorbed in Stanislavski's "An Actor Prepares," clearly intent on her future path.

Bored, and with Yang Xuefei refusing to acknowledge him, Yan Yu soon lay across his desk and drifted into a deep sleep.

Elsewhere in the classroom, Li Kang and Xu Jin huddled together, whispering.

"Principal Deng's tone this morning was off. I don't think Yan Yu is as simple as we imagined," Xu Jin murmured.

Li Kang nodded. "That guy is definitely up to something. Yesterday at your place, I felt something was off—he appeared out of nowhere, then teamed up with Master Cao to catch a ghost, and we saw nothing the whole time. I didn't think much of it then, but the more I consider it, the stranger it seems... I suspect he's working with Master Cao."

Xu Jin looked surprised. "But isn't Yan Yu Zhou Xiaowan's distant cousin? Surely Zhou Xiaowan wouldn't deceive us?"

"Those two things aren't mutually exclusive. Most likely, Zhou Xiaowan told Yan Yu about our ghost encounter, then Yan Yu brought Master Cao into it, and together they set us up," Li Kang analyzed.

"Who would have thought—he seems so plain, yet he's so cunning!"

A shadow crossed Li Kang's eyes. "In Rong City, no one's ever gotten one over on me, Li Kang. No matter who this guy is, I'll make sure he pays."

Xu Jin gave a cold chuckle. "Didn't Fat Zhu and Big Hao want to mess with Yan Yu? Let's let them test the waters first."

Yan Yu slept soundly.

As the saying goes, the restroom is the best place for playing on your phone, the bathroom is the best place for singing, and the classroom during lessons—the best place for napping.

He slept through two full periods without being disturbed. Only after the math teacher left did the fat kid and the tall oaf finally lose patience, waking Yan Yu and shoving a crude letter of challenge into his hand.

"A challenge? What's this?" Yan Yu wiped the drool from his mouth, curiosity piqued.

"You can pick one of us to fight solo, or we'll both take you on together," Fat Zhu declared shamelessly.

Yan Yu caught on. "So you guys want to beat me up?"

"After school, meet us behind the hill. If you don't show, you're a coward!" Big Hao threatened.

Yan Yu glanced at the signature on the challenge letter: Zhu Xiangyang and Hao Zhuang.

So those were their names?

Yan Yu stood up, both boys' eyes immediately locking onto him. He shook his legs. "Bathroom break—either of you want to come?"

Neither replied, so Yan Yu wandered off alone, bladder nearly at its limit after his long nap.

Just as he left the classroom, a small figure collided with him. Yan Yu stood unmoved, while the other boy tumbled to the ground.

"You alright?" Yan Yu reached out to help him up, only to realize it was He Qing, whom he'd met the day before.

He Qing was a quiet, evasive boy, clearly not part of Li Kang's crowd. Zhou Xiaowan had said He Qing had also seen Zhao Qingqing after her death, which made Yan Yu curious about his relationship with her.

"It's you?" He Qing was visibly startled to see Yan Yu.

Yan Yu smiled. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I—"

He Qing had just started to reply when Li Kang suddenly appeared behind him, clapping a hand on his shoulder and speaking in a low voice: "Didn't I warn you not to pass by our classroom again?"

"I'm sorry, Kang, I’ll go now..." He Qing apologized repeatedly, bowing before scurrying off.

Yan Yu frowned slightly, sensing that He Qing might be hiding something.

"Cousin of Xiaowan," Li Kang said, turning to Yan Yu, "I'm honestly surprised you made it into Rong City No. 1 High. Our Class 2 isn't that big, so there can't be two tigers on one mountain—you get what I mean?"

"It's just the last three months. I don't want any trouble," Yan Yu replied coolly.

Li Kang smiled. "Good, I like people who understand the way things work. And... you’d best stay away from He Qing. Otherwise, you won't last long at Rong City No. 1."

"Bathroom break—interested?" Yan Yu met Li Kang's gaze.

Li Kang grinned, stepping aside.

Yan Yu headed for the restroom, but at the turn, he changed direction and quietly followed He Qing.

He'd sensed earlier that He Qing was cloaked in resentment.

Yin energy and resentment are two different things—yin energy is what ghosts naturally emit, much like how humans sweat; wherever there are ghosts, there is yin energy.

Resentment, however, needs to be attached to an object—a haunted house, for example, or the wooden comb Zhou Xiaowan gave to Zhao Qingqing.

Or, perhaps... a person haunted by a resentful spirit.

Yan Yu shadowed He Qing all the way to the sports equipment room.

He Qing cautiously opened the door, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then slipped inside.

Yan Yu followed, but instead of entering, he climbed up the wall to the window and peered quietly inside.

There were usually no PE classes in the morning, so the equipment room was empty. Once inside, He Qing brought out some offerings—fruit, steamed buns, a small bottle of spirits, and even three sticks of incense.

He Qing arranged everything, lit the incense, and knelt, bowing deeply in a particular direction.

"Qingqing... you can't blame me for your death. I had my own reasons I couldn't speak of. Today I bring these offerings to honor you. I hope you can understand, and stop haunting me..."