People at the practical education center only want to drop out.

"The problem is, I've hired you, so this part of your time is now mine. You need to spend enough time on my things. Can I consider your so-called 'saving time' as slacking off? If so, I don't need to pay you your full salary."

So, when it comes to helping you, I'll also 'cut corners,' how about that?"

"You mean the more seriously I take my job as a 'shield,' the more seriously you'll help me gain my brother's approval, right?"

At this point, Horikita seemed to have made up his mind, nodding firmly and saying, "In order for you to do your best to help me gain my brother's approval, I will do my best to be your 'shield'! Just you wait and see starting tomorrow!"

Seeing Horikita's serious expression, Bai Lan immediately smiled with satisfaction.

Bai Lan discovered that persuading the stubborn Horikita, who was as stubborn as a block of wood, was actually a very fulfilling thing.

and many more?

What was Horikita's last words?

"Starting tomorrow"?

And Bai Lan is told to "watch closely"?

Why "tomorrow"?

What does “look at” mean in “瞧了了”?

For some reason, Bai Lan suddenly felt uneasy.

The alarm bells of self-preservation were ringing loudly in my heart.

Bai Lan felt that there seemed to be a trap in Horikita's words.

Thinking of this, Bai Lan couldn't help but say to Horikita, "Don't do anything unnecessary! If you do something I didn't ask you to do that ruins my plans, I'll make you pay for it!"

Horikita replied, "Don't worry, I won't do anything unnecessary, and I won't waste my precious time. So everything I do is necessary as a 'shield'."

If you find that I've done anything that doesn't fit the job description of my role as a "shield," you can point it out. I'm willing to forgo any "compensation," and if this causes any losses, I'm also willing to pay the corresponding compensation.

Based on Bai Lan's impression of Horikita, Horikita shouldn't be the kind of person who likes to exploit loopholes.

So, since Horikita has assured him of this, he should be able to rest assured.

"I'm probably overthinking it. How could someone as dense as Horikita, who only thinks in one direction, have any bad intentions?"

Thinking of this, Bai Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief and then happily drank the rest of the juice.

After throwing the can into the trash can, Bai Lan said, "I've finished my juice and we've talked. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."

"Where are you going?" Horikita asked.

"Go back to the dorm, wash up and get ready to sleep."

"Oh, you can go now."

Then, Bai Lan turned and walked towards the dormitory.

Bai Lan had only taken a few steps when she heard footsteps following closely behind her.

Bai Lan turned around and saw a beautiful figure approaching from beside her.

Bai Lan tilted her head, looking puzzled, as if there was a big question mark above her head.

Horikita: "I'm going back to the dorm too."

Bai Lan: "Do we really have to go together?"

Horikita glanced over and said, "It's just a job of being a 'shield'."

Bai Lan: "But, now that there are no arrows coming at me, I don't need a shield. I'll call you when I need it."

Horikita: "This is called 'laying the groundwork'. If we don't usually have any friendly contact, and suddenly you pull me out as a shield, people might not believe it."

Bai Lan: "No way, we even had rumors about each other before, and I think they would believe it, right?"

Horikita: "Rumors have a certain level of popularity, and so do relationships. The popularity will fade over time, so it's still necessary to walk together occasionally to maintain the buzz and prevent others from forgetting about it. Since we happen to be going the same way today, we might as well walk together. That's more efficient."

“That’s not wrong.” Bai Lan nodded, accepting this statement.

Soon, Bai Lan and Horikita returned to their dormitory building together.

Enter the main gate and then take the elevator.

There were only the two of them in the elevator.

At this point, Horikita spoke up: "We didn't encounter any eyewitnesses on this trip, so it would be best to find another suitable opportunity to go together again tomorrow."

"Looks so professional."

"No, I'm not a professional. I haven't studied this subject yet, but I'll catch up on my knowledge as soon as I get home tonight so I can do this job perfectly."

"Ah, keep it up!"

"So, what's your answer? Do you have time to go out together again tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes, sure."

"so be it."

"I have to say, Horikita is surprisingly reliable when he gets serious," Bai Lan thought to herself.

However, what Bai Lan didn't know was that his idea for tonight would soon be overturned by him.

Yes, it really hasn't been long.

The very next day...

95. Horikita: It was all just... a mission.

Early the next morning.

Bai Lan woke up naturally at seven o'clock. After washing up, she went downstairs and exercised for half an hour to keep her body from getting rusty.

After finishing his workout, he went out for breakfast.

I got back to the dorm before eight o'clock.

There was still more than half an hour before the morning meeting.

In short, there is still plenty of time to waste.

Bai Lan sat on the bed, leaning against the wall, using meditation to control her body and adjust the state that had been lowered due to the consumption of physical strength and eating.

After coming here for a while.

Bai Lan's phone rang.

He took out his phone, opened one eye, and glanced at it.

It turned out the call was from Horikita.

"What's up?" Bai Lan asked directly after answering the phone.

After he finished speaking, he turned on speakerphone and closed his eyes.

Horikita: "Where are you now?"

"In the dorm, what's wrong?"

"That's perfect, let's go to class together."

"Want to go to class together?"

"Yes, didn't we agree yesterday? We'll find a suitable opportunity to go together. If we go to class together, we won't have to spend extra time and energy. We can just finish our daily tasks and also take care of the daily task of 'going together' to maintain our popularity. That's more efficient."

“I can understand using routine tasks to complete the mission, but the problem is, there’s still a long time before the bell rings! Why go so early? When you get to the classroom, all you’ll hear is people yelling, and Kushida will come after you as soon as you arrive. Wouldn’t it be better to stay in your room a little longer and have some peace and quiet?”

"Although there is still some time before the bell rings, the whole school is already entering the peak period for going to school, and the flow of people heading towards the teaching building is starting to increase dramatically."

In this situation, if we go to school together, the frequency of our 'walking together' behavior will be the highest, and the efficiency of the task will also be the highest.

Based on my memory over the past month, the peak time for school arrivals usually only lasts 10 to 15 minutes.

In other words, the peak period will end in as little as 10 minutes.

At my usual pace, from getting ready to leave now until arriving at the classroom, it will take about 5 minutes. Considering the possibility that you might be busy, such as using the restroom, eating, or relieving yourself of a male high school student's dirty physiological needs…”

"Could you please stop using 'going to the toilet' and 'eating' together? It's ambiguous! People who don't know better might think I'm eating something else! Also, what does 'the dirty physiological problems of male high school students' mean? Explain it to me clearly if you dare!"

Horikita ignored Bai Lan's words and continued to explain: "In short, in order to prevent you from having time to prepare, I notified you 5 minutes before the end of the 'shortest time during peak hours'. However, after my conversation, you now only have 4 minutes to prepare."

"Don't act like I've already agreed!"

"I'm downstairs. If you're free, please hurry to the entrance to gather so you don't miss the peak hours."

"I... okay, I'll go down now."

Although Bai Lan wanted to continue enjoying her solitude and didn't want to go to the classroom so early to face those troublesome classmates, Horikita said she was already waiting downstairs.

Ultimately, it was Bai Lan who asked Horikita to do this "shield" job.

As the one seeking help, Bai Lan didn't want to keep the person helping her waiting too long.

Moreover, given Horikita's enthusiasm for her work, Bai Lan didn't want to dampen her spirits.

Bai Lan used a "dragon tail flick" to swing her legs, which were originally sitting cross-legged on the bed, into the air, and then her feet landed precisely in the slippers next to the bed.

Driven by her legs, Bai Lan's upper body also rose into the air. During the ascent, Bai Lan grabbed her phone with one hand and her coat with the other.

The moment her feet stepped into her slippers, Bai Lan also put on her coat and put her phone in her pocket mid-air.

He buttoned his clothes as he walked.

Just as he was about to close the door, he kicked off his slippers and then slipped his feet into his outdoor shoes.

Finally, he turned the doorknob with one hand to open the door, and quickly picked up the heel of the shoe with the other hand.

When he stepped out of the room, he was dressed in formal attire, carrying his backpack in his left hand and the trash he was about to throw away in his right.

From preparing to leave home to actually leaving, the whole process took less than 10 seconds.

Soon, Bai Lan met Horikita, who was waiting at the entrance of the dormitory building.

After meeting up with Horikita, the two headed straight for the teaching building.

At this moment, Horikita suddenly asked Bai Lan, "How do you say 'hearing' in Chinese?"

Bai Lan: ?

"Why are you suddenly asking about Mandarin?"

"It's just about finding something to talk about. I read in the research that when people who are close to each other get together, they usually talk about something. I was just observing other people, and they seem to do the same. If you're going to act, you should act it convincingly."