Before going to college, Lai Jiayi quickly changed to a brown shirt. The shirt had a boy scout vibe. To look more formal, she didn't forget to wear the white-maroon-navy tie around her neck.
"Yosh, let's go to college!" Lai Jiayi stretched and fixed her ponytail.
The girl then headed to college while wearing a black skirt, reaching her thigh. Even though she wore a skirt, the girl still used a bicycle to go to college.
15 minutes later.
Lai Jiayi and Yaya had just arrived at college. The girl parked her bicycle and walked to her department's building when suddenly, she heard a few students around were talking to each other.
"Hey, is it true that the campus' goddess drops out?"
"Yeah, that's what I heard. Xuan Lincheng, right? She suddenly resigned this morning!"
"What?? Why is that?"
"Some people said that it's because her only family passed away. Her brother? I forgot."
"Aish, what a pity. So, did she move out or what?"
"No one knows, ah. But I heard from her followers that she goes out of town, trying to live a new life or something."
The two students' conversation was loud enough for Lai Jiayi to hear it. The two students were looking at their bangle as they spoke. They had just read the school gossip forum.
Lai Jiayi abruptly halted her steps. The autumn wind suddenly blew hard, swaying the girl's ponytail.
"Did you...hear that?" Lai Jiayi looked down at Yaya, who was hiding inside her black tote bag.
When Lai Jiayi asked, her voice sounded like someone who's about to cry.
"Uh...yes, quack, " Yaya quietly murmured.
'This is bad. Now Jia knows what Xuan Lincheng lost, Jia will blame herself!'
"Is it...true? Her brother passed away– like...last night?" Lai Jiayi's shoulders were shaking as the girl continued to walk at a slow pace.
"It...is true, quack." Yaya nodded. But then, he hurriedly tried to explain. "Don't get me wrong, quack. Xuan Lincheng's brother has been ill for a long time. He just passed away from illness, quack."
Lai Jiayi slanted her lips. "But it was coincidentally yesterday, the day Xuan Lincheng got eliminated." A chill ran down Lai Jiayi's spine.
The girl gripped her left arm tightly.
'I think...Xuan Lincheng's brother died because of the game. He might be the most important person in Xuan Lincheng's life.'
Lai Jiayi looked at Yaya with a sneer. "This has something to do with the game, right?"
'There's no way it isn't!'
"...it is not your business, quack. Just focus on your game, okay?" Yaya turned around and hid inside Lai Jiayi's bag. The duck refused to come out.
When Lai Jiayi saw Yaya was suddenly so harsh toward her, the girl smiled bitterly. She didn't say anything else and just entered her classroom.
'So it's true. The rule of the game...we will lose one of our most important things or person...that is real.'
Lai Jiayi felt her eyelids turn hot. Her chest tightened, and it's hard to breathe.
'I know the rule from the start. But witnessing it happening around me...is another matter.'
Lai Jiayi subconsciously clutched her chest. The image of Xuan Lincheng with her brother just came out.
Even though Lai Jiayi had never seen Xuan Lincheng's brother before, her heart just ached for him.
'If only Xuan Lincheng isn't eliminated. But...in the end, only one person can win. Everyone will lose and accept punishment.'
Lai Jiayi felt her blood was boiling. She got reminded again that there would be only one winner or no one at all.
The girl gripped her fists tightly and silently strengthened her will.
'I have to win. For my father!'
12 p.m
"..." Lai Jiayi went out of her campus in silence. The girl didn't even speak with Yaya and just aimlessly headed toward the exit gate.
It was lunch break, and the other class would start from 1 p.m until 3 p.m. There's still an hour left for the girl to go somewhere else.
'I should just eat at the internet cafe.'
Lai Jiayi tightened her grip on her tote bag and was about to go out of the gate when a floating silver car suddenly passed by in front of her.
…??
Lai Jiayi halted her steps. The girl's eyes followed the silver car. The car slowly stopped next to the automatic pedestrian.
….eh? Isn't that...Zhao Yang's car?
Lai Jiayi blinked slowly. At this moment, she would usually speak to Yaya, but somehow, the girl didn't say anything to the duck.
Yaya sensed that Lai Jiayi just stopped walking. He subconsciously frowned.
'Why is she stopping?'
Curious, Yaya popped out his head from the tote bag, and the first thing he saw was a young boy waving his hand toward them.
The boy was wearing a black, long-sleeve uniform coupled with a brown cape. The cape had a Dracula-like collar, looking cute. Since the uniform came with short pants, the boy really looked like elementary schoolers.
The black-haired boy waved his hand energetically, swaying the small police hat on top of his head. He looked like a mini officer with his yellow tie.
The only boy who would wear such a costume even though it wasn't futuristic…
Could only be Zhao Yun.
"Miss, miss, come here!" Zhao Yun mouthed. The boy then ran away from the gate.
Lai Jiayi stayed silent. The girl didn't know why but she was reluctant to go with Zhao Yun.
'...I don't have the mood to go...I should just decline them– '
TING! [Otome game assistance activated!]
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