The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Noisy Classroom

I arrived at the school and followed my familiar route, quickly reaching the foot of the teaching building. I paused before the steps leading upstairs, briefly reflecting on my actions that day, repeatedly reminding myself to be more cautious. Finally, I stepped onto the stairs. As I ascended, I consciously or unconsciously observed the passersby, trying to spot anyone I recognized. Human observation is actually quite broad; anything that happens around us leaves an impression, more or less. Even without meticulous observation, a seed can be planted, and with sufficient stimulation, that seed can still sprout. People with certain training can have superior observation, memory, calculation, and reaction abilities compared to the average person. The human body is far from reaching its full potential, but improving these abilities naturally requires a corresponding price. I've never spent time practicing these things, let alone purposefully training these skills; I've just been relying on luck.

I walked to the floor where the classrooms were located, turned a corner, and arrived at the lecture hall. I glanced at it briefly before quickly heading back inside. There was no need to go in now, and there were no clues pointing to the scene related to Ye Zi. I felt a sense of unease about this place where I had given my life, and I didn't really want to go in. Passing the lecture hall, I arrived at the classroom door. I went in, and the first thing I saw was that the classroom was the same as before. A few people were chatting, but it was relatively quiet. The top students in the front row were almost all there. I looked at the front of my group, and just like last time, the class monitor was standing there talking to the girls sitting in the first row. I still couldn't understand what they were saying, but standing at the door wasn't a solution. I walked towards my seat and saw Ye Zi sitting there. Although she was reading a book, she noticed me as soon as I got close, and it was clear she wasn't paying much attention. This is normal. People who don't usually like studying can't suddenly develop a strong liking for studying even after experiencing so many things like "yesterday." As things stand, Yezi's slow learning progress is actually a good thing for me, as it further reduces the likelihood of her achieving her goal.

"Good morning." I greeted her gently. She seemed a little flattered and quickly stood up to make way for me.

"Good morning."

She replied with one sentence and then fell silent. I went to my seat and put down my empty backpack. However, it wasn't entirely empty; Ye Zi's short sword was currently in my backpack. After everything that had happened, even though it was a controlled weapon and belonged to Ye Zi, I probably wouldn't return it anytime soon. It was currently my only tool for self-defense. And frankly, I didn't want Ye Zi to possess something like that. Although I decided to trust her, I couldn't deny her strong will to make decisions and act decisively in crucial moments, even facing death head-on. I wasn't entirely comfortable entrusting her with that short sword. I wasn't sure about Ye Zi's mental state; I wasn't a psychologist. I could only do my best to keep her in a safe environment. The rest was up to me to adapt to the situation, or perhaps time would tell.

Yezi sat back down and continued reading, but I noticed her eyes kept glancing at me. I could understand that; she cared about my opinion of her, ever since we met on the rooftop of the teaching building "yesterday" last night. She was the first girl who cared about me so much—my sister didn't count, and even if she did, she probably didn't care about me as much as Yezi. If I let her keep looking at me like that, I wouldn't be able to get anything done.

“You came early today, and I’m glad you listened to me.”

I felt there was something wrong with what I said, but I'm not very good at speaking, and given Yezi's personality and current state, she probably wouldn't care too much. Since that's the case, I didn't bother spending time correcting my language. What I said made Yezi look at me, showing a slightly relieved expression. Even a simple, unimportant remark could make her happy; even though I felt Yezi was already quite pitiful. Although it was a bit overconfident and presumptuous, I still reminded her about going to the cafeteria with me today, and she nodded happily. I didn't have anything else to say, so I told her to continue reading and looked up slightly at the front of the group, where the class monitor was talking to other girls. That annoying laughter rang out again and again, and this time it was especially irritating. At this distance and in this environment, I couldn't hear what they were saying at all, and lip-reading, a skill I'd only ever seen in TV dramas, was something I could never learn, even though I desperately needed it right now.

Perhaps because I was staring at them, I felt the class monitor, who was facing me, slightly raise her head and look in my direction. I had to pretend not to care, and after looking for a second or two, I looked away. She probably wasn't entirely focused on her conversation with the girl in front of her, although the girl at the first table was still chattering away. It seemed I wasn't the only one annoyed by her rapid-fire remarks, and I couldn't help but let out a soft hum. This was the reality of friendships here. In this school, aside from the students at the bottom who had given up on their grades, any student with even a little competitiveness had no true friends. Watching them seemingly chatting easily, I could see they were probably thinking about how this person's grades had improved and they were about to surpass mine—that annoyed me more than silence. Although I didn't have the chance to join in that conversation, because my academic improvement relied entirely on my own interests, and currently, breaking into the group of top students was practically impossible.

No, perhaps even making that a goal is a bit too extravagant.

Chapter Seventy: The Difficult Search

Unable to glean any information from their conversation, I quickly abandoned this futile endeavor. I considered ways to obtain information about her from other sources, but found it difficult. The class monitor was different from Ye Zi. Ye Zi wasn't inherently difficult to get along with; her current state was entirely due to other factors, and she even craved interaction, which gave me an opportunity. Moreover, Ye Zi was my deskmate, sitting right next to me, making it easy for me to obtain information about her and communicate with her. But the class monitor was different. Although the official term for the class monitor was to act as a bridge between learning and the teacher, this rarely applied in practice. Firstly, the class monitor possessed exceptional personal abilities, a necessary quality for her election. However, in this school, high-achieving students belonged to a high-achieving circle, and low-achieving students to a low-achieving circle. Aside from occasionally developing additional connections with family, friends, and childhood acquaintances, most of the time, everyone's circle was fixed. The only way to change this was to improve one's own abilities.

Those who excel academically naturally enjoy a superior status in school, looking down on the other group—the struggling students—and attempting to maintain this sense of superiority. The distinction between the elite and the underdog has long existed. They despise those who don't study well, considering them stupid and wondering how their grades could be so poor. Conversely, those who don't study well also look down on those who do. Compared to the high-achieving group who dedicate more time to academics, they spend more time on physical activities and competition, holding an advantage in physical abilities. They also look down on those who are good for nothing but academics. These are two completely incompatible groups. Although it may seem foolish, it exists, and it has ample reason to exist.

Humans are social beings; they prefer collective action and need to live in groups. Few can live alone outside of a group. This applies to both different groups, and groups exist precisely for this reason—to unite people in similar circumstances into a collective with the same characteristics. People gain a sense of belonging within a group, which is the most basic and easily obtained proof that a person is needed. At the same time, groups are also exclusive. Regardless of the differences between individuals, the differing ideologies of two groups are enough to create discord. These discrepancies can lead to hostility from those belonging to two opposing groups. In other words, a circle is relatively closed and stable; it is difficult to integrate into a circle, and it is even more difficult for those whose ideologies clash with the circle to join.

If I want to establish a sufficient possibility of communication with the class monitor, I absolutely need a circle that can accommodate both of us. However, our natures and characteristics are basically opposites, and I can't think of any circle that would allow me to build a foundation for communication with her. This is currently the most difficult point to resolve. Another point is the physical distance between us. Because I sit very close to Ye Zi, I have ample time to interact and exchange information, and thus I have obtained a lot of information. But the class monitor is different. As the class monitor, she is also a member of the high-achieving group. She sits in the middle of the front row of the class. Her grades aren't the absolute best, but she's a regular in the top five. She sits in what is arguably the most conspicuous position in the class. How can I possibly interact with her? Although I don't belong to the other group, I don't usually like to talk to others, I have a low profile, and my grades are mediocre. Currently, apart from Ye Zi, probably no one in this class is willing to talk to me. Putting aside the fact that I brought this upon myself, the difficulty of obtaining information from the class monitor is unbelievably high. Moreover, I can't find any information about her from her personal belongings like I could with Ye Zi. To me, she's more like a precious but unattainable luxury item. She contains a lot of information, but I don't know where to start.

Using my free time to search her things is still a bit unsettling for me, but even without any psychological pressure, it's incredibly difficult. Why? Because there's no possibility of everyone leaving the classroom at once. The top students spend almost all their time studying in the classroom. They eat lunch about twenty minutes before class, when the cafeteria is less crowded, saving them the time I used to have to squeeze through the throngs. Meanwhile, another group likes to race to the cafeteria as soon as get out of class is over. With these two groups constantly occupying the classroom, there's simply no time for me to search. And ignoring either group and just starting to search? That's absurd. The class monitor is definitely supported by the top students; if I went to search her things immediately after class, I'd definitely be stopped and reported to her, with consequences I can't even begin to imagine. And if I waited until the top students were all gone, ignoring the idle students behind them? They're the kind of people who love a good spectacle. If I actually did that, they'd definitely report me to the teacher and make fun of it. And from the very beginning, my actions couldn't possibly be on the side of justice or fairness; I'd inevitably be the one to suffer the consequences. Not to mention her own modus operandi; I have no idea what she'll do next. She's the biggest variable in this situation, making the operation even more difficult. I don't even see any hope of success.

I had to find another method, a more feasible one. It didn't have to be guaranteed to succeed, but it had to have a probability of success. Such a method wasn't easy to find; I had no ideas. My troubled expression didn't escape Ye Zi's notice. She asked what was wrong, and I just shook my head. Ye Zi couldn't be of much help in this matter. Asking her might change the original plan and would also make her focus on something unrelated—not worth it. There was no other way. If I couldn't think of a better solution after this, I would have to temporarily abandon the search for clues about the class monitor and stick to the original plan: repeat this day, and then try to catch the murderer directly.

Chapter Seventy-One: The Class Monitor's Name

Afterwards, I sat in the classroom waiting for the teacher to come, and the morning reading session passed peacefully as before. Nothing strange happened, and even if something did, I wouldn't have noticed. With so many people in the classroom, each with their own behavior and actions, it's difficult for one person to observe everything they're doing at the same time. After another fruitless morning reading session, I prepared to go to the cafeteria for breakfast, just like last time. The class monitor, as before, came over and stood next to Yezi: "Homework is due."

I subtly expressed my confusion and asked Yezi what the assignment was. Yezi, just like last time, gave me the answer, everything as I expected. However, I hadn't paid attention to the class monitor last time, but this time, with my own purpose, I observed her while holding the assignment. I quickly realized she didn't care about me. She only glanced at me once, when she said that one sentence; otherwise, she was looking elsewhere—at Yezi or other classmates, but only with a fleeting glance. The top students group, counting three rows from the front, was no longer considered part of the group, and neither Yezi nor I, nor the students walking alongside or behind me, belonged to this circle. She seemed uninterested in us and didn't seem to want much contact. She was only there to complete her work, which aligned with my initial impression of her. In that case, without a specific opportunity, I'd likely find it difficult to strike up a conversation with her. I decided to temporarily exclude her from my plans and make other arrangements after solving tonight's mystery.

After handing in my homework, I walked out from the spot Ye Zi had made for me. The class monitor continued walking to the back to collect other students' homework. I ignored her and left the classroom, heading to the cafeteria. The cafeteria was just as crowded as the last time I'd seen it. I bought something to eat and returned to the classroom. After taking only a couple of steps, a strange sense of familiarity suddenly welled up inside me. I quickly glanced around, not knowing where the feeling came from or why I felt familiar. It was just a feeling, something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but one that I couldn't ignore. However, the feeling quickly disappeared. I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, or if I was overly nervous and agitated by the surrounding noise. I shook my head and continued walking towards the teaching building.

I went upstairs and back to the classroom. I returned to Yezi's side, and before I even walked past her, the class monitor came in from outside. She no longer had the stack of homework in her hand; she'd probably gone to hand it over to the teacher. Anyway, the class monitor's job is basically just these kinds of things. When it comes to actually managing things, the older person is always the one in control, because older people represent experience, even if that representation isn't always valid. I sat in my seat. There were still a few minutes before class started, and there wasn't much I could do. Yezi, sitting next to me, was still reading. I felt like she wasn't turning the pages; either she wasn't reading anymore, or Yezi's learning efficiency wasn't high. I was more inclined to believe the latter.

I suddenly realized something. Although I don't remember the names or any information about the people in my class because I don't interact with them often, Yezi might know. Although her situation is actually similar to mine, compared to me, who avoids contact with people, Yezi seems to be the type who wants to connect but can't. She might have some clues about other people.

"Ye Zi, I want to ask you something," I said softly. She looked up at me and asked, "Do you know what the class monitor's name is?"

"The class monitor? I remember the class monitor's surname is Lin, and her name is Lin Wan'er. The girls who are close to her seem to call her Wan'er. I don't know if her name is Lin Wan or Lin Wan'er because I haven't talked to her much."

Ye Zi hesitated for a moment before asking me, "Do you care about the class monitor?"

"No," I denied. It was better not to let Ye Zi get too involved in this matter. "I just suddenly realized that it's been so long and I still don't know the class monitor's name. I'm just a little curious."

"Really?" Although she still had some doubts, Yezi seemed unwilling to delve any further. I had some other questions I wanted to ask Yezi, but seeing that she wasn't quite herself, I felt it wasn't the right time. I looked around; there were still many people, so the methods I used before to comfort her wouldn't work now. Instead, I quietly took her hand and, with a slightly surprised look in her eyes, said, "Don't worry about it, I'm just curious."

I felt I was being a bit redundant, and my actions even seemed a little narcissistic, but I knew this was one of the most effective methods for Yezi at the moment. To avoid affecting the overall situation, it was best to keep this small matter hidden. After calming Yezi down, I glanced up at the class monitor sitting at the front of the classroom, Lin Wan'er, or Lin Wan—it didn't matter to me, it was just a title. She was currently looking down at her desk, I couldn't see what she was looking at, but it was probably some textbook or exercises. After all, maintaining her grades required time and effort. She wasn't much different from the other top students, I categorized her, and quickly stopped paying attention to her, waiting for the break to end and the teacher to come to the classroom to begin the lesson.

The morning class was uneventful, the same as always. I only listened briefly because I was bored. I figured this day would likely repeat itself, and I'd master the material eventually anyway. Since there were no other clues, I decided to make the most of it and learn what I was going to learn anyway, so I could use my time more effectively. However, as I tried to keep up, I realized there was a significant gap between my plans and reality. After ten minutes of studying, I gave up on the blackboard and looked out the window. The dense text on the blackboard held no appeal for me. But Yezi next to me was listening attentively and taking notes diligently; I could tell she was putting in the effort.

Chapter Seventy-Two: A Strange Coincidence

The morning passed by in my constant daydreaming. I heard the familiar midday bell ring, knowing all the morning classes were over. After stretching a little, I turned to look at Yezi. I hadn't forgotten our promise to eat lunch together in the cafeteria. Yezi clearly remembered too; when I turned to look at her, she stared at me with wide eyes. I couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Let's go eat together."

I invited Yezi again, and she nodded and quickly stood up. I stood up too, and we walked towards the cafeteria together. I wasn't in a hurry because our classroom was quite close to the cafeteria. Although some people rushed there as soon as get out of class ended, they wouldn't fill the entire cafeteria in just a minute or two. I usually had plenty of time to eat. After walking downstairs with Yezi, we hurried towards the cafeteria. I led the way again, and we arrived at the second floor to get our food. I didn't remember what Yezi had eaten last time, nor whether she liked it or not. I only remembered that she ate slowly. So this time, I slowed down my eating speed to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on Yezi. To match her eating speed, I even finished my meal a little later than she did. She just sat quietly, waiting for me to finish. To be honest, this was the first time I had eaten so slowly, and I wasn't used to it. The cafeteria food wasn't suitable for slow chewing; chewing it too much gave me a familiar but not very pleasant feeling.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

Yezi simply shook her head, saying nothing, a gentle smile on her face. She's always like this, so I didn't think much of it. After helping her put the tableware back in the recycling cart, we left the cafeteria. This time, I went to the convenience store again, buying a bottle of water for both Yezi and myself. Yezi, just like last time, cherished the things I bought her, and I could only repeat what I'd said before she finally opened the bottle. Although repeating things I'd already done once or twice made me a little annoyed, seeing Yezi's smile made me feel inexplicably happy, which, to some extent, was a form of mental self-comfort.

Ye Zi and I went upstairs. I remembered that there was supposed to be a scene where Lin Wan'er suddenly walked out of the classroom, so I thought it would be better to go up first and avoid her at the end. We hadn't run into her before because we weren't prepared, so now that we were, we were even less likely to. Besides, making time repeat itself was one of our goals. It's not necessarily about finding the culprit immediately; he'll definitely come back to kill me anyway. What I'm doing now is increasing my leverage, putting myself in a safe position while still being able to find the culprit. The more information I have about the other party, the more cards I have to play to solve this problem.

But when I stepped forward to avoid her, the expected encounter with Lin Wan'er didn't happen. I was puzzled; that strange feeling I had during breakfast flashed through my mind again. I paused, then saw Lin Wan'er walking out of the classroom. I realized that Ye Zi and I had returned earlier than usual, which I found slightly unbelievable. After almost bumping into me, the class monitor apologized briefly and quickly left. Looking at her, a hint of doubt crossed my mind. I thought she might be related to that familiar feeling that had just crossed my mind, but I wasn't quite sure what it was. I could only vaguely sense that it was something important, but I just couldn't remember. I kept this in mind and went back into the classroom with Ye Zi.

Lin Wan'er's actions made me think about her again, and I found a reason to investigate her. That familiar feeling—I don't know exactly what it is, but I'm sure it's related to Lin Wan'er. Just as that feeling flashed through my mind, Lin Wan'er came out of the classroom. There was no one else in the corridor except for me, Ye Zi, and Lin Wan'er. And her actions were exactly the same as last time, except this time there was an added element of being momentarily stunned by that familiar feeling. But now that I think about it, it's really strange. Last time, Ye Zi and I went to the cafeteria for lunch. I ate very quickly, making Ye Zi wait quite a while. After that, Ye Zi and I returned to the classroom and encountered Lin Wan'er, almost bumping into her, but that shouldn't be possible. Today, my actions are trying to mimic the situation from that day as closely as possible. Last time, I ate quickly, and Ye Zi, under pressure, also sped up. We happened to run into Lin Wan'er leaving the classroom on our way back. And this time? I slowed down to wait for Yezi, which meant our meal would definitely be slower than last time, and significantly slower. But on my way back, I ran into Lin Wan'er leaving the classroom. Why was this changed?

I can think of two reasons right now. First, my previous actions unknowingly changed something. After all, I'm not a machine; I can't make things unfold exactly as I experienced last time. I can only try to move in that direction, but in doing so, I inevitably changed some things, creating a butterfly effect that delayed Lin Shiyin's departure from the classroom. Second, Lin Shiyin actually went out more than once. She went out once when Yezi and I returned to the classroom last time, and she went out again just now. But honestly, I think this is unlikely because I almost bumped into her both times. From my perspective, this is too much of a coincidence, and I can't accept this result with a clear conscience. However, the first reason also faces the same problem: even if something was changed, causing Lin Shiyin's departure time to change, why could she still happen to bump into me? Is it really just a coincidence? This reason isn't very credible either.

I started to get a little confused.

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Emerging Mystery

Although there was a reason to continue investigating her, how to contact her and obtain the necessary information remained an unresolved problem. The obstacles and misinformation arising from cross-group communication could render the exchange meaningless. If a catalyst could be found, many problems could be solved. Moreover, that familiar feeling remained vague; I still couldn't pinpoint its source, but it was definitely related to Lin Wan'er. There must be some connection between us, but I hadn't yet remembered it. If I did remember, it might become that catalyst, but without communicating with her, I couldn't recall it. Calling it an opportunity was less accurate than calling it a double success—getting one meant getting the other, but I couldn't get either. I remained relatively quiet during the afternoon classes, letting things remain as they were, but I was no longer very attentive. My actions had somehow altered Lin Wan'er's behavior, and my objective had fundamentally failed. Or perhaps not, but I couldn't find evidence of her leaving the classroom twice. It was only a possibility that allowed me to maintain the current situation, but my dedication had significantly diminished. Lin Wan'er piqued my curiosity, and I spent the entire afternoon sitting in my seat observing her.

However, I didn't find any useful clues. She returned to the classroom quickly after a short while and went back to her seat. I regretted my decision to go back immediately; I should have followed her to see what she was doing. But for now, it's over. If I have another chance, I'll pay attention again. Back in the classroom, Lin Wan'er perfectly demonstrated the qualities of an "excellent" student. She remained seated throughout the entire afternoon, without getting up or making any other movements. If it weren't for the occasional unscrewing of her water bottle on the corner of the desk, I would have suspected she was a robot. Aside from these small actions, she simply sat in her seat, listened attentively in class, took careful notes, and actively raised her hand to answer questions, always providing the correct answer. The class progressed smoothly thanks to the teacher's questions and the combined efforts of the top students. Lin Wan'er was a truly exemplary student. She was in my sight all afternoon. Although I was sitting behind her and didn't know what she was doing, Lin Wan'er was sitting in the front row. If she did anything wrong, the teacher would notice. Perhaps the teacher would point it out, or perhaps the teacher would choose to protect the image of the top students and turn a blind eye, just like the teacher did to the students in the back of the classroom.

This afternoon, I also took some time to reflect on what I should have done. Honestly, I felt that repeating today's events according to the original plan wasn't very meaningful anymore. But even if it was just for show, I felt I had to do it once to see what would happen, and to write down any significant or subtle changes, so I wouldn't be completely clueless the next time. Like now, I have a lot of things to confirm but no templates to compare against; all the information has to be collected from scratch. Actually, this is a bit of a stretch, since I don't even know if I've truly emerged from any particular state. I don't know if what I've memorized will be useful; it doesn't have its own markers for things that need special attention or memorization. I can only record anything I find questionable, but humans aren't electronic devices; how can they possibly record everything perfectly? A flood of useful and useless memories and fragments will fill my mind, while the truly important things won't have "I need to remember" written on them. This isn't an exam; there's no teacher to highlight the key points. Everything depends on myself. Remembering unnecessary things and ignoring what's truly important will inevitably be a frequent occurrence, something I can't control. But I have no choice but to do it because everything that's happening now is entirely up to me to solve.

Whether I remember it or not, I need to retain a general impression for reference. Because time will eventually reset, I can't use any electronic devices to record anything, not even handwritten notes. Anything less than 24 hours old will be wiped out the next reset. The reset isn't something I can control. I'll start over if I'm killed, or even if I just drift off to sleep. I'm somewhat certain about the possibility of starting over after being killed, but why die if I don't have to? I still don't have the courage to test this possibility with my life. If starting over after being killed means starting over, then it will happen naturally; if not… well, that's just how it is. Starting over in life is already an extra part of the normal life process, so I have nothing to complain about.

The afternoon was completely wasted. Aside from watching Lin Wan'er being a top student, I gained nothing. Lin Wan'er is probably just a typical top student; I can't gather information about her from the usual sources. I don't know how much useful information I have about her, but at least for now, she's still completely transparent to me. I called Ye Zi to go to the cafeteria for lunch. Ye Zi, as always, expressed her happiness and compliance with my suggestion. Only when I'm with Ye Zi can I feel at ease. We walked out of the classroom together and headed downstairs. This wasn't just completing a formality for me; it was also a kind of self-adjustment.

I'd only taken a couple of steps when I suddenly remembered that I'd meant to ask Ye Zi if she knew anything else about Lin Wan'er at lunchtime, but I'd completely forgotten. My memory probably starts to deteriorate right now, I chuckled to myself, and continued walking. I'd ask her the questions later in the cafeteria.

Chapter Seventy-Four: A Small Gain

Yezi and I arrived at the cafeteria. After getting our food, we went to the spot where we had eaten together last time. Nothing had changed, or rather, I always managed to find a spot where no one liked to be near us. The table where Yezi and I sat was almost always just the two of us. People always choose to stay with those they know well and try to stay away from those they don't know very well. Because we arrived early, there were many empty seats in the cafeteria, and most people were sitting quite far apart, which wasn't strange. In fact, this was a better situation for me. I didn't really want others to know what I had asked Yezi. Yezi ate quietly with her head down. I casually picked at my food for a bit and then asked Yezi my question.

"Ye Zi, I have a few questions for you."

I saw Yezi stop eating and look at me, so I continued talking.

How much do you know about the class monitor?

I looked at Ye Zi, and naturally, I could see she was looking at me too. Her demeanor was noticeably different from before; she seemed downcast, probably because I had asked her if she knew anything about Lin Wan'er. Was there some conflict between her and Lin Wan'er? I wasn't sure, but since Ye Zi had been in a situation where no one wanted to talk to her, she probably didn't have any grudge against Lin Wan'er. I waited for Ye Zi to give me an explanation, and she didn't disappoint me, although the process was slightly different.

"So you really care about her more, is that right?"

"Ye Zi asked me that," I thought. But I didn't know how to answer her. Because of what happened at noon, my excuse—that I just wanted to know some things about Lin Wan'er—would no longer hold water with her. Bringing her directly onto my side and having us share information was also a serious matter for me. My intention wasn't to involve her too much in this. I needed to find another excuse, but looking into Ye Zi's eyes, which were staring directly at me, as if telling me not to lie to her anymore, made me hesitate again. However, the conclusion I had reached earlier surfaced in my mind: Ye Zi really wasn't suited to be involved. I quickly tried to find an excuse, but they all seemed weak and ineffective against Ye Zi in her current state. I decided to try a more shameless approach—I reached out and gently rubbed her head.

"I was just a little confused. Don't I already have you?"

Perhaps my words had an effect, or perhaps my touching her head had an effect, because Yezi's condition returned to normal. She was a little shy, but she quickly raised her head and looked at me.

"Actually, I don't know much about the class monitor. I've mentioned her name before, but I'm not sure if it's Lin Wan or Lin Wan'er, although many of her friends call her Wan'er. It seems like the class monitor has a good relationship with all the teachers, but the best relationship is probably with Ms. Mu, who is also the homeroom teacher. I often see the two of them walking and talking together."

I know Ms. Ye, the homeroom teacher Ye Zi mentioned, quite well. Unlike Ye Zi, Lin Wan'er, or the other classmates, I actually remembered her name. Our homeroom teacher's surname is Mu, and her given name is Die; she's a female teacher. She's very capable, young, and strict. Moreover, she doesn't teach just one of the three core subjects: Chinese, math, or English. She teaches history and practices a rigorous approach to it. If someone isn't particularly interested in history, they're very likely to lose focus during her lectures—I'm one of those people. It's not uncommon for the homeroom teacher and class monitor to communicate frequently. The former uses the latter to learn about class information, assign tasks, or for the latter to convey students' needs. Their responsibilities dictate that they need to spend more time communicating and collaborating; this is an inevitable situation, and there's no room for doubt.

Ye Zi was still racking her brains, trying her best to recall everything she knew. Although she tried hard, her lack of interaction meant she didn't have much to remember. An apologetic look appeared on her face; it seemed I couldn't get any more information.

"It's alright, I was just asking. Let's eat first."

I comforted Yezi and we continued eating. If there was any information, we could listen further, but Yezi didn't know much, and waiting for her to tell us would just be a waste of time and put unnecessary pressure on her. It didn't seem worthwhile. But to my surprise, Yezi gave me a pleasant surprise at the end.

“I remember now, I’ve heard that the class monitor sometimes comes back late. He usually arrives in the classroom about half an hour before class starts, but sometimes he doesn’t come in until just before class starts. But I usually arrive at the classroom very late, so… is that okay?”

"Of course. You're working hard." I only praised her verbally because the cafeteria was getting crowded, and if she and Ye Zi were to be seen being too intimate, it could cause unnecessary trouble. What Ye Zi just said did have some merit. Currently, all I could see was that Lin Wan'er sometimes arrived at the classroom late, and I didn't know the significance of that. But now was the time to gather intelligence extensively; even the smallest details related to the target should be noted. Ye Zi seemed slightly happier after hearing my words, but not as much as before. She continued thinking, trying to glean more information from her memories. I interrupted her, telling her to eat first, and we could discuss it in the classroom later.

Because I had eaten with Yezi last time, I had a better grasp of her eating speed. This time, I tried to shorten the time I ate with her. Although I was still not used to eating slowly, the difference in time between me and Yezi was not too obvious.

Chapter 75 Common Behaviors

After finishing my meal and returning to the classroom, I didn't see Lin Wan'er; she wasn't there. Ye Zi entered the classroom before me, and just as I was about to follow, that strange feeling returned. I realized Lin Wan'er might be behind me. I turned to look at her, and she was indeed walking towards me without carrying anything. Although I should have been within her line of sight, I felt her eyes weren't on me. She wasn't walking fast, but the distance wasn't long either. She was gradually approaching me, and I felt an urge to back away from her. I didn't know where this urge came from, but I still gave her enough space to pass. However, this distance didn't make the unease in my heart disappear. She quickly passed me and went into the classroom. I saw Ye Zi, who was already standing in the classroom, leaning against the wall, and let her pass. I kept watching her, but she didn't make any move, as if she treated Ye Zi and me as if we were invisible.

This wasn't exactly something to be happy about, but I actually felt a sense of relief. Ye Zi looked at me with some confusion and worry. I shook my head at her and went to the back of the classroom. I was incredibly curious about Lin Wan'er. My instinctive urge to avoid her just now didn't seem fake; it was probably a sign of fear. But I didn't feel afraid when I was facing her, and I didn't know why I should be afraid of her. I was curious about this inexplicable feeling and was trying to find some possible connection between us, but so far I hadn't found anything special. I pinned my hopes on Ye Zi, returned to my seat, and continued to ask her if she knew any more clues about Lin Wan'er. Unfortunately, Ye Zi shook her head, saying she had no more information, so I had to give up.

If all goes well, setting aside the majority of clues that haven't been found or those that can't be investigated, I've roughly gathered all the leads about Lin Wan'er. Whether they're valuable or not, so far there's nothing more to connect them to for in-depth investigation, and the information I have is very limited. Even if I continue to persistently explore, the chances of making any discoveries are probably not high. Regardless of my interest or what kind of clues Lin Wan'er has, or how suspicious they are, I think I have to put this matter aside for now, because there's something more important waiting for me. It's about 6:20 PM now, and class is about to start. Also, in about three and a half hours, evening self-study will end. Suddenly, my second death will reappear, or perhaps because I haven't collected all the elements that could cause today's recurrence, it will produce a different result. I'll only be able to determine this when I reach that crossroads.

I reached into my bag and found the short sword; it was still there. Its presence gave me a sense of security; it was the only thing I could use for self-defense. Given that I might have a direct confrontation with that person tonight, I felt it was necessary. It's never wrong to think things through beforehand. Yezi, it would be best to accompany her to the bridge after school again, like last time, so she could go home. This time, I absolutely had to confirm the true identity of my killer. If I survived, this would be the foundation for my investigation; if I died, I didn't want to die without knowing why. If he didn't show up… Although I still cherish my life, I found my fear of death was gradually fading. I had to resolve this completely before becoming numb. The worst thing for me was that he didn't show up.

The teacher arrived in the classroom quickly. Nothing strange had happened tonight. I glanced at Lin Wan'er sitting in front of me, but she was always in the same state, which made me lose confidence and patience. I stopped observing her and focused on adjusting my own state. The guy I was going to face later was a killer, and I had an indomitable fear of him. But it was something I had to do; there was no escaping it. So I could only try my best to be in good shape to face the impending crisis. I noticed the gaze directed at me. I turned around and saw Ye Zi reading a book, but her eyes occasionally glanced in my direction. She was probably concerned about my current state, but this was none of her business, and I didn't want to involve her. If there's nothing I can do, then I'll just pretend I didn't see anything. The more I do, the more mistakes I make. Although doing nothing won't lead to any progress, occasionally remaining unchanged won't have a significant impact on a person.

During the break, I originally planned to stay in the classroom and not go anywhere, but I saw Lin Wan'er, who was sitting at the front of the classroom, stand up. My irrepressible curiosity about her made me feel that I should follow her to see what she was up to, so I stood up too. I told Ye Zi that I needed to go to the restroom, and she quickly stood up, let me go out, and then returned to her seat to continue reading. I slowly walked towards the classroom exit, trying to stay behind Lin Wan'er to observe her. The crowd of people who also wanted to leave the classroom after class provided me with the best cover. I blended into the crowd and followed Lin Wan'er to the public restroom. I understood her purpose and instantly lost my curiosity and anticipation. After all, she was still alone, and this kind of thing was quite normal. I had just hoped that she would do something surprising, which would become a clue for me to investigate further, but such thoughts rarely happened anymore. I didn't have much to do, so I went to the restroom briefly and then returned to the classroom. Lin Wan'er wasn't as fast as me, which was to be expected. I went to my seat, and Ye Zi was still reading. This time she didn't notice me approaching. It seems she can't always detect me getting close to her.

I chuckled at myself and asked Ye Zi to make way for me to get to my spot.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Prelude to Death

Aside from going to the restroom during break, I didn't leave the classroom. Firstly, there was no need to go out, and secondly, Lin Wan'er didn't make any other moves and stayed in the classroom the whole time. I had no reason to leave, so I didn't want to cause trouble. I stayed in the classroom until evening school ended, and then I packed my bag. If I had chosen to go with Lin Wan'er now, I might have gained something, but today I needed to find the true identity of the murderer who killed me. I didn't have the extra time or energy to deal with her. Now, I had to get Yezi home first. I waited for Yezi to finish packing. She put the books she had been reading all day into her bag, intending to take them home and continue reading. I never imagined that such a simple promise would make her work so hard. If Yezi had normal life experiences, she would probably be one of those people sitting at the front of the classroom right now.

She was pretty much like me before, not much of a packer, but today she needed to pick up some books to read, so she was a bit slower than usual. She seemed to realize this, stood up first, got out of her seat, made way for me, and then continued packing her things next to her seat. I didn't move, waiting for her to finish. I remembered that I hadn't told her about walking home together after school, so she was probably worried that packing her bag would get in my way. But I was going to wait for her to go home together anyway, so I wasn't in a hurry. After she finished packing and looked at me, I stood up.

"Let's go back together," I said to her, noticing a hint of surprise on her face. She nodded quickly. I walked out of my seat, glancing at the front row of the classroom. Lin Wan'er was sitting quietly reading. She probably lived at school, or perhaps she lived nearby. Those who weren't going back soon either lived nearby and could go back a little later, or they lived at school. Those who lived further away were planning to leave after school and wouldn't linger. I turned around and continued walking out of the classroom. Ye Zi followed behind me, leaving the classroom and heading downstairs without saying a word. But she wasn't particularly talkative, so I didn't mind. We walked back the way we came, through the gate, and arrived at the small street selling retail goods. I glanced at Ye Zi; she seemed to understand what I meant and shook her head. I didn't insist. If Ye Zi didn't want it, then we didn't need to buy it. We continued walking.

After walking for a while, I felt Yezi's footsteps fading into the distance. I couldn't help but look back and found her staring blankly at a dark alleyway. I recognized it as the very alleyway I had taken Yezi into almost twenty-four hours ago when I woke up. I waited for her, but she showed no sign of coming back to her senses, so I went back and called her name. She snapped out of it and quickly apologized twice. I didn't feel there was anything to apologize for. If one day someone suddenly took me to an alleyway, used violence, and forced me to commit suicide, I probably wouldn't forget it either. It wouldn't just be the memory of Yezi that would remain, but also a lingering sense of guilt towards her. These feelings hadn't disappeared, and instead of apologizing, I was receiving an apology from her. I couldn't help but sigh, unsure of what to do. So I simply reached out and took Yezi's hand. It was already quite dark, and the streetlights weren't very bright. If it was just this, no one would bother me, and no one would recognize me, someone who doesn't stand out much, or Yezi, someone who also doesn't talk much.

"Stop spacing out, let's go back."

There wasn't much to say. I wasn't good at apologizing, thanking anyone, or anything else, and I was too embarrassed to say anything. My request was simple: I just wanted Yezi to understand me. Fortunately, Yezi was an easily satisfied girl. She nodded and moved closer to me without hesitation. I turned around and pulled her along. Soon we were back on the pedestrian bridge. The night wind was strong, and standing in the middle of the bridge even made me feel a little cold, but Yezi's hands were quite warm. The pedestrian bridge wasn't long, and we quickly crossed it, reaching the end of the bridge. It was time to part ways. I let go of her hand and looked at Yezi. There was a clear look of disappointment on her face. Only a girl like Yezi could let me understand her feelings.

"Go back now, see you at school tomorrow."

I said the same thing to her again. Yezi nodded, but didn't leave. She was still looking at me, and I was looking at her. Last time, after I said the same thing, Yezi refused to go back until I left. No, I didn't actually know if Yezi had gone back. Unconsciously, the possibility that Yezi was the murderer came to mind again, and I felt pathetic and angry at myself for even having such a thought. But it wasn't good to keep Yezi here any longer; I still had things to do. I tried a different approach to urge her to go back quickly.