Who left their last words here?

Chapter 85 Please step in and save this school!
How could Fang Xiaoyan have never existed?!

Bai Zhou's bewildered gaze swept over the students in Class 3.

Soon, he found the two classmates who had chatted with Fang Xiaoyan last time among the students who were taking a break.

—Yes, and them too!
But from them, Bai Zhou received the same bizarre answer.

"Have you... heard the story of the Exam King?"

Without showing any outward emotion, Bai Zhou asked again.

"Teacher, you mean... that 'chicken soup for the soul' character who combines elements of 'studying by the light of a hole in the wall,' 'hanging one's head from the rafters to prick one's thigh with an awl,' and 'rising at the crowing of the rooster'?"

"It's just a ghost story. How could there be such a person in real life, like the kind of person teachers and parents often talk about..."

"Someone else's child!"

"—Not crying or making a fuss, not complaining or feeling tired, not causing the teacher any trouble, but that doesn't exist either."

"..."

Bai Zhou remained silent.

The sudden change made things complicated and confusing.

How could Class Monitor Fang, who was just jumping around and asking for help a moment ago, not exist?
—It can't be that he himself has a mental problem!
The strange sense of déjà vu made Bai Zhou almost feel as if he had returned to the Special Administration Bureau's Branch 36 and reenacted his first meeting with Ya.

However, the situation of Squad Leader Xiao Fang should not be confused with that of Ya.

Then Bai Zhou thought of the mysterious girl in the photo album that Fang Xiaoxia had forgotten.

However, at this moment, he cannot be certain whether the two situations are caused by the same reason.

Just as he still cannot know, Fang Xiaoyan...

Did it "disappear suddenly," or "never existed at all"?
The former might be because of that exam king.

But the latter shows that Fang Xiaoyan herself has a problem!
A hazy mist shrouded Bai Zhou's vision.

He can't see clearly!
"..."

His mind was filled with doubt and tension, but his outward expression quickly returned to normal.

After thanking the two puzzled classmates, Bai Zhou hurriedly left.

"Who is that?"

Watching Bai Zhou's hurried departure, a classmate asked a question out of curiosity.

"Judging from the name tag on her chest, she looks like a school counselor?"

Following the topic, they began to discuss:
"Psychology counselors... what do you think psychological counseling is like?"

"It could be medication, or it could be electrotherapy?"

"Really? I feel like I could be turned into a superhuman by electricity if I'm not careful."

"...Watch less anime, kid."

……

With a thousand and one chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind, Bai Zhou wandered aimlessly around the campus.

Before they knew it, they found themselves back in the grove where Fang Xiaoyan had met the exam king.

Bai Zhou had searched this place before, but found nothing unusual.

Even so, he, who was always cautious, still scanned the entire grove of trees with his eyes once again.

On the shady grass, the cicadas chirped so loudly they were almost driven to exhaustion.

In the shadows beneath the trees, a single white dot stands out conspicuously, seemingly drifting in the wind as if about to take flight.

"That is……?"

The previously unseen "white" color caught Bai Zhou's attention.

I walked over and carefully picked it up.

Bai Zhou then realized it was a blank sheet of paper.

A line of large characters written in crayon caught Bai Zhou's eye—

"Always number one!"

"this is……"

—Is this a self-portrait of Fang Xiaoyan's future?!
Bai Zhou immediately realized what was happening.

With a "whoosh",
He turned the drawing paper over.

What comes into view is a crayon drawing of a character who looks like Fang Xiaoyan, wearing round glasses, a school uniform, and pigtails, but with childlike strokes.

According to Fang Xiaoyan...

This must be a drawing Fang Xiaoyan made in kindergarten, depicting her imagined future self.

...You know what. In a way, Fang Xiaoyan's inspirational story is quite remarkable.

He truly became the person he wanted to be when he was a child.

But as the gaze shifts...

Bai Zhou noticed that at the very top of the portrait, a signature written in unusually childish, crooked, and large characters was...

—"Fang Xiaoxia"!
Fang Xiaoxia?
Bai Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and he felt completely bewildered.

Where did this Fang Xiaoxia come from! Isn't it Fang Xiaoyan?
Two people who are completely different in temperament and appearance can at most be relatives.

How could that be—

Finally, they cleared away the fog before their eyes, only to find that behind it lay an even deeper fog, and the land beneath the fog had unknowingly transformed into a swamp where it was impossible to move an inch.

Just as Bai Zhou was filled with doubts...

He heard an urgent call in his ear—

"I've finally found you, teacher!"

Bai Zhou's pupils suddenly contracted, and he turned his head to look.

The girl who was supposed to disappear suddenly reappeared.

Panting heavily, Fang Xiaoyan jogged along, rushing aimlessly to the end of the tree-lined path.

The sunlight shone on her, lengthening her shadow.

Sweat-drenched pigtails swayed, a hazy figure leaning on her knees, breathing heavily.

—It seems she came to see Bai Zhou.

It was still the same hurried and panicked feeling as when we last met.

But at this moment, "Fang Xiaoyan" also showed a weakness that Bai Zhou had never seen before.

Fang Xiaoyan's gaze fell upon the drawing paper Bai Zhou was holding. She paused for a moment, instinctively touching herself, then suddenly realized:

"I was careless! I left my drawing paper here!"

"...Who exactly are you?"

Bai Zhou frowned, looking at this "Fang Xiaoyan" with wariness and suspicion.

Even now, Bai Zhou still can't figure out Fang Xiaoyan's true identity.

There were no last words above his head, nor did he sense any spiritual activity.

Furthermore, Bai Zhou's spirit did not send any warning signals whatsoever.

It was as if she really was just an ordinary student.

"I am Fang Xiaoyan!"

The other party answered without hesitation.

Faced with Bai Zhou's wariness, she thought for a moment, then slapped her forehead and added:
"Of course, my name is also Fang Xiaoxia... but that's not important!"

"It's a long story, but there's no time to go into it now."

Fang Xiaoyan's face showed urgency:

"Do you remember when I asked you for help?"

"The King of Exams is back! He's become even stronger, and I can't stop him anymore."

"A female student, under his influence, is about to hang herself!"

Squad Leader Xiao Fang looked at Bai Zhou with a mixture of urgency and hesitation, trying to focus on the key points when he spoke.

Facing Bai Zhou's furrowed brows, after much hesitation, she finally spoke in a low voice:
“Teacher, I know you are extraordinary.”

"Although I don't know what your purpose is in infiltrating the school, you seem to be very interested in the Exam King."

“I really have no other choice, and I feel like you are a good person.”

"so--"

A "swish" sound.

Fang Xiaoyan stood on the grass not far in front of Bai Zhou.

She took a slow, deep breath and bowed to Bai Zhou.
"Teacher, a life is in imminent danger."

"You can refuse, but if you can..."

The girl bowed at a ninety-degree angle, causing her hair to hang down completely.

This girl, who was both "Fang Xiaoxia" and "Fang Xiaoyan," pleaded with a mixture of trepidation and utter helplessness:
"Could you please lend a hand—"

"Save this school?"

(End of this chapter)