The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

Last time, the search was rather cursory due to insufficient light. This time, however, I turned on my phone's flashlight. Although the light still couldn't compare to daytime, it was much better than before, so I wasn't dissatisfied. I searched carefully, looking through all the places I had previously searched and those I hadn't, but still found nothing. This kind of search was inefficient and aimless, and I quickly became bored due to the lack of results. I searched all the places in the vicinity where things could be hidden, but found nothing. He probably just happened to be passing by. That's fine.

I called the police and asked them to come and take the person away.

Chapter 85 Nighttime Operation

After handing the drunkard over to the police, I returned home and was surprised to find that not much time had actually passed; it was quite a bit earlier than the 11:40 AM I first arrived home. My sister was still sitting in the living room, glancing at me as I entered before retreating back to her phone. This was the third time I'd dealt with something like this, which made me somewhat amused and exasperated. I put my bag back in my room and then tried to mend things with my sister. Nothing much had changed; even without my previous explanations and words, she would probably forgive me. What she needed wasn't an apology for a specific incident, but rather that my less-than-friendly attitude had upset her. But this had been our relationship for years, so many things could be resolved with a simple apology. This was probably because we were genuine family, and that much was certain.

She still wanted to get information about Yezi from me, but I didn't give it to her. I used the excuse of taking a shower to leave the living room and went back to my bedroom, grabbing my clothes and heading towards the bathroom. Thinking about some other things, I also saw my parents' bedroom door on my way to the bathroom. I don't know how long it's been since I've had a proper conversation with them, or even eaten together in a long time. Our school, whether boarding or day school, is almost like a boarding school. From six or seven in the morning until ten at night, I don't even need to leave the school grounds; everything is handled perfectly. Although the school doesn't have strict gate restrictions, class time is arbitrarily extended, and breaks are endlessly compressed, making it difficult to get back and forth. Even for those like me who walk quickly from home to school (only about ten minutes), many don't choose to go home after early morning classes, let alone during the already short afternoon break of less than an hour. Every time I come home, I just see them sitting in the living room watching TV, with little interaction. Sometimes I don't even see them; they've probably already gone to bed. Because my relationship with my sister had improved somewhat, I started to think about my relationship with my parents again. But after thinking about it, I decided against it. The problems between us aren't so easily resolved. It's less a conflict and more like I brought this situation upon myself; you could say I created it entirely. Perhaps one day I'll decide to try and salvage the relationship, but not now. I have things to do right now. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

By the time I came out, it was already past midnight. Perhaps I had dawdled a bit too long. Even after I came out, my sister's enthusiasm remained undiminished; she wanted to ask me more questions, but I brushed them off. She simply emphasized that she would continue investigating, and then I told her to go to sleep. It was past midnight, and the time reset hadn't occurred. I consciously noted my current state, hoping to compare it later when a non-death reset happened. Maybe I could find some of the conditions that caused this phenomenon, or even grasp its pattern and use it—I have to admit, I've become slightly addicted to this phenomenon, like knowing there's a bottomless abyss ahead, but still being curious about what the bottom looks like.

I turned off the living room light and went back to my room. I didn't sit on the bed, though, because that would make me sleepy, and I had things to do tonight, so I didn't have time to sleep. I charged my phone and paced back and forth in my room, trying to stay awake. But it wasn't very effective. From the beginning to my suicide attempt and now, more than twenty-four hours had passed. It was time to sleep, and sleepiness started to creep in. It would be foolish to forcefully resist this feeling, especially since there were still more than two hours until my target time. I set an alarm for 3 a.m. and placed it by my feet, hoping I wouldn't oversleep. Then I leaned against the wall and fell asleep. Although it felt a little uncomfortable, it would help me regain some energy and prevent me from falling into a deep sleep. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, my phone next to me rang. I quickly turned it off, afraid the alarm would disturb the others in the house, and then stood up. After sleeping for about three hours, I did feel more refreshed, but when I woke up from sleeping against the wall, my whole body ached. This was because I wasn't used to this sleeping position and the sleeping environment wasn't very good. People who usually sleep in a bed naturally won't get used to sleeping on a hard surface all at once.

I stretched my limbs a bit, walked to the window, and peeked out at the sky. It was completely dark; it was time to make my move. I wasn't sure if I'd come back home, and it was so late, I was worried Lin Wan'er might be lurking around my house or somewhere else. That would be dangerous, so I needed to bring something for self-defense. I slung my backpack over my shoulder. I opened my bedroom door. The dim space hadn't changed. My parents and sister were already asleep. My room was right next to the entryway. I quietly put on my shoes, opened the door, and went outside. The light outside was much better than inside, probably because the moon was high in the sky. I went downstairs.

At the same time, my destination remained the same, but this time I wasn't following anyone; I was going to the school myself to find clues. Investigating in that kind of space during the day was practically impossible, so I decided to go at night. Although the lighting was a problem, the freedom to investigate was much greater. I could slowly investigate places I had previously suspected without rushing. I never thought I'd be able to use the route I'd taken with Ye Zi to sneak into the school again. I was sure I'd find something about Lin Wan'er today.

Chapter 86 The Vanished Name

I retraced my steps to the school, but didn't find Lin Wan'er. I thought maybe I was being paranoid, but it's always better to be cautious. If I let my guard down because I could start over, I wouldn't succeed at anything. I went to the spot where Ye Zi often climbed over the wall, found the rock nearby, and with some effort moved it. Then, using it as a stepping stone, I scaled the wall. Having learned my lesson last time, I was more careful this time and didn't get scratched. I jumped down, landing with a crisp sound. I was a little worried that I'd made too much noise, but there was no one around, so my worries were unnecessary. I quickly put the matter out of my mind and headed towards the teaching building.

Although many teachers' offices have moved to the main building due to its construction, our building is an exception. It's essentially a separate building, with teachers' offices located between the two classrooms on each floor. Many things are kept there, including frequently used or less frequently used items, ensuring they won't be taken away. Each homeroom teacher has a roster containing detailed student information, essential for quickly locating information and parents in case of emergencies. This roster only records our class, so it's definitely in the office next to our classroom, which is a key objective of my trip. I can obtain considerable information from there. However, I'm unsure how much of this information will actually be useful. While more information is always better, too much can be overwhelming and counterproductive.

I arrived at the foot of the teaching building, and sure enough, it was chained up. I looked around but didn't see anyone else, so I took the chain down. It still wasn't locked, even though the large padlock was on the iron gate. I hung the chain on the gate, then pushed it open and went upstairs to the top floor, the one where my classroom was. The office was located between the lecture hall and the regular classrooms. Rather than an office, it was more like a section cut off from the regular classrooms, enclosed by a new wall, forcibly added as a separate area for teachers' convenience. Since the number of students in the buildings wasn't actually that large, it didn't have much of an impact.

I gently pushed the office door, but it wouldn't open; it was locked, albeit an old-fashioned wooden door with an iron lock. I couldn't very well dismantle the door. I went to the window and peered inside. The office was separated by a newly built wall, and there was also a door to the classroom. I decided to try going into the classroom. The classroom door wasn't locked, and I easily pushed it open. I hesitated as I passed the lectern; Lin Wan'er's things were nearby. If I wanted to search, it would be much easier from her side, but she probably wouldn't have much information left on her seat. It was only around 3 AM; there was still plenty of time. I decided to find the office roster first before looking for clues here. The door to the office was right in front of me. I walked over, gave it a slight push, and opened easily without any resistance. Hacking into this almost undefended teaching building was far too easy.

I entered the office. To the left was a window, and directly in front was a wall. On the other side of the wall was the lecture hall; the area closer to the classroom had been raised, so there wasn't a door or anything there. The office window was always open, with a constant breeze blowing in. I checked it briefly; the window frames in this building were all made of wood and were quite old. I gently pushed one and could even hear a slight creak, but it didn't shake, so it seemed like it would last a long time. I turned to look at the entire classroom; it was very dark, and I couldn't see clearly. Although the light switch was right next to me, I couldn't turn it on. It was a little past 3 a.m., and there shouldn't be anyone else in the school, but I didn't want to take the risk. I had tools to provide light, so I didn't really need to turn on the lights. I turned on my phone's flashlight and quickly found the homeroom teacher's location. Her location was easy to find; I just needed to find the pile of exam papers for her subject.

I went to her desk. Although it was piled high with exam papers, it was clean and tidy. Apart from pens and a few sheets of paper, I couldn't see anything else. But the student roster should be in this office. I turned my attention to the two drawers next to her desk. They were just ordinary pull-out drawers, and since the desk couldn't be locked, I pulled them open easily. The left drawer was full of stationery—pens, ink, red pens, and all sorts of things, as well as clips, paper clips, and the like. The drawer wasn't deep, and I could tell at a glance that there weren't any booklets there, so I pushed it back. I pulled out the drawer next to it, which contained a pile of documents, many of them file folders, without labels or anything, so I couldn't tell what they were. I was going to check them, but then I quickly spotted the booklet at the very bottom. I put the file folders down, pulled out the booklet, and glanced at it. It was full of names, contact information, addresses, and other details. I knew this was what I was looking for. I quickly counted down the roster and flipped to the grade corresponding to me. Each homeroom teacher only teaches one class, so as long as I find the corresponding grade, I can find the correct information.

I started flipping through the pages from the back and quickly found what I was looking for. I saw my name and Ye Zi's name, but I couldn't find any evidence of the order in which they were listed. However, I was surprised to find that I didn't find Lin Wan'er's name. Our class isn't large, so finding someone's name shouldn't be difficult. I thought I was seeing things, so I counted again carefully, but I still couldn't find it. I felt a little strange. I looked at the last student's number and counted the number of seats in the classroom, but found that the number of students wasn't missing. I became even more puzzled.

Chapter 87 Wan'er's Real Name

Because I couldn't find Lin Wan'er's name, I began to doubt the accuracy of the class roster. However, the number of students on the roster was sufficient, and it was impossible for someone else to suddenly appear in our class and be replaced by Lin Wan'er. Moreover, she held the position of class monitor, so her information should have been recorded more accurately. I thought of another possibility: Ye Zi had once said that she didn't actually know Lin Wan'er's name very well; her knowledge of Lin Wan'er came entirely from what she heard from others. In other words, this part of the information could be inaccurate, which made sense. However, I didn't have much time to check her name one by one. I put the roster on the desk and returned to the classroom. Lin Wan'er's personal information, which I had planned to check last, was now forced to become the top priority. I went to her seat; she was sitting in the middle of the first row, a position I had checked several times before, so I couldn't be mistaken.

I walked over and observed her seat. Like most people, a large portion of her books were laid out horizontally on the desk, taking up about two-fifths of its width. The books on the desks of the students sitting in the middle looked like a miniature city wall, and Lin Wan'er's books were part of that wall. However, this part of the desk didn't look very familiar to me. Apart from the textbooks for various subjects that were likely to be used recently on the left side, the right side was full of workbooks. Some were issued by the school, and some I didn't recognize. They were probably bought by her. But judging from the seats around her, she wasn't the only one who had bought so many workbooks. Most of the top students sitting at the front of the classroom had a similar number of workbooks. They had indeed paid a corresponding price to be able to sit in such a position. The effort and reward were clearly reflected at this moment.

I picked up the textbook Lin Wan'er had placed on top of the table. It was her Chinese textbook. She'd probably packed her bag and left after going over the test that evening, probably because of the Chinese exam. This textbook, which she might have used or not, was naturally left behind. What I wanted to check wasn't anything she'd mentioned writing down. Someone as meticulous as her, I didn't think she'd write anything irrelevant in her textbook. My only target was her name. She had indeed written her own name, but it wasn't the Lin Wan'er that Ye Zi had told me about. Ye Zi had indeed misheard, and I'd called her by the wrong name too. Lin Wan'er wasn't called Lin Wan'er; her name should be Lin Xue. Ye Zi must have misheard her name, Wan'er, but the mistake was too bizarre. The difference between one and two characters is significant, yet Ye Zi said she'd heard it many times. I felt there might be some hidden story behind the name Wan'er, but now wasn't the time to investigate. After obtaining Lin Wan'er's name, which should now be Lin Xue, I put her textbook back down. My target remained the office roster, where the information was more obvious and likely more valuable and meaningful to me. Moreover, in terms of search efficiency, the roster was definitely faster and more convenient.

After putting down Lin Xue's textbook, I returned to my office and searched the roster again, finding her name third in the list. I was now certain that the roster wasn't arranged alphabetically by surname. Although the roster only contained one entry about Lin Xue, it was quite comprehensive, including her phone number, her parents' phone numbers, and her home address. To verify the information, I specifically looked up my name and Ye Zi's name and checked the information recorded there. I didn't have Ye Zi's phone number, but the home address alone was enough for me to confirm the roster's reliability. I glanced at Lin Xue's message again, just in case. I had saved her phone number on my phone; I could handle that kind of operation. I skipped her parents' names and went straight to the main part of the message, focusing on her house's exact location. I found her house on my mental map, but… it wasn't on the right after crossing the pedestrian bridge. If she wanted to get home, she'd have to walk a long way along the same route as me… which meant…

The moment the familiar footsteps rang out, my heart began to pound. It was Li Xue's footsteps; I couldn't be mistaken, I couldn't be mistaken. Panic began to creep in, a sense of helplessness washing over me. Although Li Xue's footsteps were rhythmic and didn't sound rushed, it dawned on me instantly: it was past 3 a.m. Who else would be here besides someone like me with a clear purpose? Ye Zi? Ye Zi's matter was resolved; barring any unforeseen circumstances, she probably wouldn't be at school at this hour for a long time. And what was Li Xue's purpose? To kill me. And to kill me, she had just followed me to the entrance of my house not long ago. I didn't believe she would come to school at this hour for no reason. Besides—maybe she hadn't even left. Before I turned back to meet that drunkard and returned home, she might have even known the exact location of my house. Why did I think she had already left? In the darkness I couldn't see clearly, the image of her silently watching my every move became increasingly clear in my mind. What should I do? Hide? But where can I hide here? Since she's already followed me here, she must know I'm on this floor. She's here to find me. Hiding is just stalling for time; it won't get me out of this dangerous situation.

Should I fight back? Lin Xue is definitely here with the intention of killing me. I don't have her determination, and I don't know if I can resist her. The two most likely outcomes are either her death or my death. This would create a lot of follow-up problems, and if Lin Xue dies here, I will definitely be found in the end, or I will die here, and everything after that will be irrelevant to me. Should I give up? Although there's a high chance of going back to twenty-four hours ago, this completely unknown situation is more like Russian roulette. If I can avoid gambling, I don't want to. But what should I do now?

Chapter Eighty-Eight: A Glimmer of Hope

Lin Xue's voice was rapidly approaching. Sweat beaded on my forehead from anxiety. There was nowhere left to hide. I considered the possibility of concealing myself in the darkness, but I didn't think Lin Xue would let me escape so easily. The footsteps grew clearer and louder. Time to think was running out. I turned to the windowsill and, without hesitation, nimbly climbed up. I had climbed to the roof from the lecture hall before. Although there were no steel beams to use as stepping stones, I remembered that old-fashioned buildings often had narrow concrete slabs above the windows for rain protection—that should be a foothold. Of course, I couldn't climb up such a narrow slab; I didn't have the strength, and it would be difficult to gain leverage. My target was the concrete slab above the window below. I hadn't measured my height and weight in a long time; I thought I should be within the normal range, but I didn't know if the concrete slab of this older building would be strong enough for me to step on without falling. The tiered floor was just a foothold; I wasn't putting my entire body weight on it. This method was very dangerous for me, but I had no other choice.

I crouched on the windowsill, turned around, and gripped the window frame tightly with both hands. It didn't look very sturdy, but it still gave me a sense of security. I tried to lift my legs off the concrete barrier, but I couldn't reach it. Because of the windowsill, I couldn't see how far below the barrier was. I started to get anxious and loosened my body a little more. But this time, the window frame that gave me a sense of security betrayed me. It slid outwards slightly, without making a sound, but my body suddenly plummeted. The feeling of being suspended in mid-air without feeling solid ground made my mind go blank for a moment, and a feeling of suffocation followed. This feeling only lasted for a moment before my feet touched the concrete barrier. The experience of going from hell to heaven in an instant made my heart pound. Before I could come to my senses, Lin Xue's unusually close footsteps pulled me back to reality in an instant. I placed my feet on the partition and quickly checked my surroundings for anything to grab onto, but there was nothing. Only the two sides of the windowsill had protruding structures the same width as the partition. I tried to brace myself with one hand, and after confirming I could get a grip, I used my other hand to brace myself against the other side, thus securing myself to the windowsill. Before me was the same endless darkness I always saw. I dared not look down; I knew the consequences. My heart was still pounding wildly. I awkwardly took deep breaths; this action, usually so easy, now felt incredibly difficult. The footsteps grew closer. They receded slightly, but soon they were slowly approaching again. I felt a sliver of light above my line of sight, shining from the office behind me. It wasn't particularly noticeable; Lin Xue probably hadn't turned on the office lights, and like me, she was using some other form of lighting.

I could hear her pacing back and forth in the classroom behind me. I remembered that I had left the class roster on the desk and forgotten to tidy it up because I was in a rush… I didn't know what the consequences would be, but I clearly had no way to change anything now. The footsteps stopped, replaced by the sound of pages turning; she was probably looking through the roster too. Soon, the sound stopped, and Lin Xue's voice came through, probably talking to herself.

"It seems he knows, which is a bit troublesome... If he doesn't come to school tomorrow, or hides, it will be difficult. But I followed him all the way here; he came straight here. Where else could he go? Where else could he go?"

She kept talking to herself, but I felt her voice was getting closer. In the darkness, some kind of malice surrounded me, making my hair stand on end and my whole body feel like it had fallen into an ice cellar. I felt I couldn't go on like this; if I did, I would die. She knew where I was; she definitely knew. But what should I do? What should I do? Go down from here? No, there was nowhere to step. To go down without making a sound was impossible. In this situation, where every rustle of wind could be heard, it would be suicide. Besides, I couldn't guarantee I'd succeed from this level; failure would only mean death. Think, think again, what other way is there? There must be some way… a way…

I withdrew one hand and reached into my pocket. Inside was nothing but my phone—probably the only thing I had besides my keys… wait, there was something else. I gritted my teeth, mentally berating myself. I'd brought it specifically for self-defense; how could I have forgotten? Ye Zi's short sword was in my backpack, which was empty except for the sword. It offered a sliver of hope if used to fight back, but I wasn't in a position to resist Lin Xue right now. I wanted to use the sword to create some noise and attract Lin Xue's attention, but my backpack was strapped to the wall. Normally, it would be easy to retrieve, but now… I couldn't. The only thing I could use was my phone. With a heavy heart, I pulled the phone from my pocket and swiftly threw it towards the concrete slab beneath me. It was near a window in the downstairs office, and like this office, the window there wasn't locked—a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. I tossed my phone in; it probably hit a book on the table, or something else, and the sound of things falling and tipping over erupted. All the sounds behind me faded into silence, then a voice, thick with unspeakable madness, rang out: "Found you..." I felt footsteps quickly moving away towards the classroom next to the office, then receding into the distance. I took a deep breath, grabbed the windowsill above my head with one hand, and then another spot with the other, turning my body around. I didn't know if Lin Xue was gone or not, but this was my only chance. I tiptoed slightly, leaping onto the windowsill. I didn't see her, so I quickly scrambled in, using both hands and feet.

Although the crisis is far from over, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Chapter 89 The Locked Iron Gate

I stood up quickly. I wasn't completely safe yet. Her words had made it clear that she was after me. Although I'd managed to get her out of the office using some tricks, if she found the phone, she'd quickly realize she'd been tricked and come back. Staying here doing nothing was just waiting to die. If I wanted to die, I wouldn't have avoided her in the first place. I'd saved her phone number in my phone, but then I threw the phone away myself. I didn't know what she'd do with it, but I figured her number would be useful eventually, so I had to write it down. However, I couldn't tear the roster out. Although it was rarely used, if it were, the homeroom teacher would definitely notice the missing information, and she'd inevitably demand to use the security camera footage to confirm who it was. If that happened, my position would be in serious trouble. It was truly a life-or-death situation, but I couldn't afford not to plan for what would happen next. I didn't know if there was a pen nearby, and I couldn't look for it. I quickly went to the table, carefully checked her phone number, and silently repeated it to myself several times. Then, trying not to make a sound, I walked back to my seat. My pen and books were at school, and I quickly found them, wrote down Lin Xue's phone number, and put it in my pocket. Now I had to hide it quickly.

I feel an adrenaline rush, and my brain is starting to race. The feeling of death seems to permeate the air. I quickly came up with a hiding place by hiding behind the office wall. I tiptoed to the classroom door again and cautiously peeked outside. I didn't see Lin Xue, but I'd spent a little time writing down her phone number. If I started running downstairs now, she might intercept me halfway. If possible, I didn't want to resort to violence, because I had no experience with that, and I couldn't act with the intention of killing her to protect my own life. If possible, I wanted to avoid contact with her as much as possible right now. So the best option was to go up to the roof. It was a relatively safe place with only one entrance, and probably only Ye Zi and I knew about it. Ye Zi even made the path herself. If I could get up there, I might be able to hide and give Lin Xue the illusion that I'd already left the building. Moreover, even if she eventually finds me, the relatively open terrain on the rooftop will be advantageous to me. Ye Zi's short sword is currently in the backpack behind me, which is my only source of confidence to resist. Only there, I might have a slight chance of winning.

Once the task at hand became clear, I immediately sprang into action. Lin Xue downstairs was likely to realize something was wrong and rush upstairs, which was definitely not a good thing for me. The surroundings seemed unusually quiet; I couldn't hear anything except the wind. This was strange, and a sense of dread gripped me. I gently pushed open the lecture hall door and peered inside. There was no one there. Without hesitation, I walked towards the window. Compared to the window near the office, I had already taken this route once, so the psychological pressure was much less. Besides, there was the pressure from Lin Xue behind me. I nimbly began to climb. I had thrown my phone into the office downstairs, leaving me without any light. The only source of illumination was the faint moonlight filtering through the bright moon. I stood on the windowsill, climbing according to my instincts. Perhaps because my body blocked the light, I felt that the area I needed to grab onto wasn't as bright as the surrounding area. My hand gripped the protruding edge of the concrete, ready to climb up.

"Found you!"

A familiar voice rang out above me. I jerked my head up and looked up. The moon, which should have been shining down on me, was obscured by something. It took me a short time to make out who she was. She looked down at me with a strange smile on her face. Her face was very close to my hand; she was probably crouching or kneeling by the railing, looking down at me. Even with her back to the moon, her eyes were still bright and filled with murderous intent. She was smiling, as if she were looking at a close friend, but this smile, accentuated by the murderous intent, became chilling. Her usually indifferent face now displayed an incongruous fanaticism. The moon behind her was completely obscured by her flowing hair. I felt my heart stop abruptly, then start pounding violently again! An extremely dangerous feeling spread from my heart throughout my body. I instinctively let go of the upward-climbing protrusion and lowered my body as much as possible. Just as I collapsed, I felt something brush past my scalp and then slam into the wall with a sharp, metallic sound. My body began to feel out of control; I clung desperately to whatever I could, my strength draining away with fear.

"Why did you dodge it? Aren't you making me make a mistake?"

Lin Xue's distressed voice came from above, followed by the sound of scraping and struggling. I looked up and could only see her upper body, but she was using all her strength to pull the sharp blade, which gleamed with a cold, moon-like light, out of the wall. I realized my situation. My heart pounded so hard that I regained control of my body in an instant. I hurriedly continued to step down, stepped on the window frame, and then kicked hard, tumbling inside and crashing to the ground. I didn't have time to feel the pain anymore. I scrambled to my feet and rushed out of the lecture hall. This was the best chance to escape; I couldn't give up now. I didn't have time to think about anything else. I rushed downstairs as fast as I could, a far cry from the ease I felt on the way up. But when I reached the bottom floor, despair washed over me again. I saw an iron door surrounded by chains, and no matter how hard I pulled, it remained firmly locked.

"I have the key."

I looked up and saw Lin Xue leaning over the railing, looking down at me with an expression like a cat mocking a mouse.

Chapter Ninety: A Slight Turning Point

Unlike the still somewhat sweltering weather at dawn, I felt my hands and feet were icy cold, and I felt weak. An immense pressure pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. I stood there, not daring to move my eyes, even blinking was something I desperately suppressed. She, the source of my greatest pressure, was no longer going to watch. She retreated, her familiar steps drawing ever closer. In a daze, I remembered the short sword I carried on my back and frantically reached for it. But in my haste, I couldn't draw it after two or three tries. The pressure on me grew heavier and heavier. I bit my tongue hard, forcing myself to calm down, and then finally drew the sword. When I saw Lin Xue's figure appear around the corner of the stairs, my body acted before my mind! I sprinted up several steps, leaping over the ten or so steps, and reached out to grab her. I didn't know what I was grabbing; I was just doing it. Eventually, my hand touched her body, probably around her neck. I continued slamming her against the wall with undiminished force, just like I had done to Ye Zi in the alley. Lin Xue didn't react in time; I locked her neck and pinned her against the wall. I succeeded!

Before I could even feel relieved, I remembered the sharp blade she still held. I had to get rid of it! In my other hand, I held Ye Zi's short sword. I released it and reached for Lin Xue's right hand, trying to control her weapon. However, my hand had barely moved an arm's length when I felt something pierce my abdomen. I looked down in horror and saw the blade embedded in Lin Xue's waist. She was using her left hand; her right hand… was empty.

"Cough, cough cough... Ha, hahahahahaha! You didn't expect I'm left-handed, did you? Hahahaha..." Even with my throat gripped, she continued laughing: "This is something even my parents don't know, hahahahaha... I'm left-handed, left-handed, but my right hand is also very convenient, like this." Her left hand quickly released the hilt of the knife, and her right hand reached for it. I used my right hand to block her hand, but I felt the blade on my abdomen being rotated again. The excruciating pain made me scream, and in an instant, it stripped me of my remaining strength. I loosened my grip on her hand and collapsed weakly to my knees on the ground. I felt blood gushing from the wound on my waist.

"Don't you know that you can't use violence against girls?"

She didn't move further, just stood there, but her tone sounded somewhat dissatisfied. I couldn't answer because of the pain, but I found myself quickly adapting to it, and I was gradually becoming able to move again. But that wasn't enough; I needed to muster some more strength… Lin Xue's knife was still inside me, but it wasn't a fatal wound. I still had a chance, I still had a chance… I continued to kneel, head bowed, feigning weakness, although a large part of it wasn't fake. Her knife strike wasn't fatal, but the wider cut caused by her twisting the hilt had instantly robbed me of most of my strength. I needed some time to regain it.

"Don't you think it's ridiculous for a murderer like you to say that?"

I don't know why I dared to speak, or why I dared to use such a mocking tone. This person who dared to kill without hesitation—I already knew exactly what she was capable of, yet I still dared to speak to her in this tone. I was probably in so much pain that I was losing my mind. But since I'd already spoken, I wouldn't back down. That would be ridiculous, and most importantly, it would be useless. I still had a chance to start over. Yes, that's right, I could try again… As long as I wasn't certain to die, I still had hope. And, in my current state, doing so was actually the best course of action—a more dignified death? I didn't have that kind of awareness. Of course, I wanted to live, but she didn't want me to live, and naturally, I was angry about that. If this continued, I wouldn't escape either; I was still doomed. So why should I grovel before someone who wanted to take my life? Would she let me go if I did? Impossible. I could only vaguely sense her eyes, her heart—that indescribable twisted feeling made me completely abandon any thought of begging for mercy. A little provocation might yield some new information, allowing me to investigate more purposefully after my resurrection. But… most previous resurrections took twenty-four hours, the shortest twenty-hour ones at least. This time, only a few hours? At most five hours. Under these circumstances, can I still successfully resurrect? Or will I just die, a pointless death? But I myself have no value. What about Ye Zi? I'm the only person Ye Zi can talk to now. What will become of her? And her family? Will they have other thoughts now that a child is suddenly gone? Will her sister feel lonely? And Lin Xue, will she face legal consequences? What will become of her? What did I do to deserve her death? What unforgivable thing did I do? I have so many questions I want answered. I don't want to die; I want to live. So what should I do now? I can't give up… I have to avenge Ye Zi… I have to avenge myself!

I looked up at Lin Xue, who was still smiling and looking down at me.

"Why did you kill me?" This was my biggest question. I didn't expect her to tell me, but I didn't know what else I could do. I asked this question simply because it was the answer I most wanted to know. Death isn't something I can't accept; it's the outcome every life must face from birth, and no one can escape it. However, that doesn't mean I'll accept such a senseless death. The reason could be absurd, like Ye Zi's, who killed me simply because I might have hindered her plans. That was because it was extremely important to her, important enough that even I, the victim, felt sympathy for her. But something like this, I absolutely cannot accept. I need a reason.

"Why?" I sensed that Lin Xue's voice had suddenly become low, so low that it was somewhat frightening to me: "Because you did something that is absolutely unforgivable, and now you still want to play dumb?"

I sensed that things might be taking a slight turn for the better.

Chapter Ninety-One: Lin Xue's Confession

Faced with Lin Xue's questioning, I couldn't help but ponder the meaning behind her words. My pain and fear lessened considerably because of the possibility of starting over, giving me the strength and space to continue thinking. I sensed I could get more information from Lin Xue, but her current state was unhealthy, a psychological anomaly. I wasn't sure if continuing the conversation would escalate her emotions and lead to her killing me. I still had the strength to resist, and the current situation was more favorable to me. Although I had thrown my short sword behind me, and Lin Xue's unknown knife was piercing my waist, fortunately, it only caused me immense pain without completely robbing me of my mobility. Whether that knife would even kill me was another matter entirely. If I acted immediately… If I can control Lin Xue, I feel I have a 40% or higher chance of successfully controlling her. However, getting the information I need from her might become more difficult. If I choose to continue dragging this out, although I might be able to obtain more intelligence, I'm already at a disadvantage. The blade that pierced my body had only pierced my waist and didn't seem to have caused any damage to my organs. But Lin Xue twisted the handle, causing my wound to tear open. The blood flowing from the wound is no joke. If this continues, I will soon suffer from excessive blood loss, and then I will truly be doomed.

My instincts told me I should immediately subdue her and try to stop my bleeding, while my reason told me I should continue to explore more clues. But this would require me to gamble with my life, using it as my only chip against Lin Xue. Even knowing that I had a high chance of returning to twenty-four hours before anything happened, I still felt considerable resistance to such an action. However, considering that even if I controlled her, I lacked the medical technology and means to ensure my safety, and I would still likely fall into a coma due to excessive blood loss, controlling Lin Xue would be futile. The final result would still be my death. From the perspective of risk versus gain, continuing to talk to Lin Xue would obviously allow me to obtain more information, and continuing to talk to her wasn't necessarily a death sentence. If I could maintain the current situation, I would undoubtedly be in a better position than Lin Xue. Her only weapon was already stuck in my body, and I was kneeling. It was impossible for her to get the knife without going around my body, and I could easily protect the knife with a slight movement. We are both high school students. Lin Xue's physical fitness should be similar to that of an average senior high school student. However, our high school physical education classes have been canceled. A group of top students like Lin Xue should spend more time studying, which will make her physical fitness even weaker. Although I am in the same situation, the natural advantage of men in terms of physical fitness gives me some confidence in controlling Lin Xue. Moreover, judging from her performance when I just pinned her to the wall with one hand, my feeling is not wrong. However, this confidence is now being eroded by the blood gushing from her abdomen.

This was a choice that didn't even require a selection. I had to, and only by continuing to question Lin Xue, seize that sliver of hope. Even if I failed, I might still obtain a wealth of clues. From a purely profit-loss perspective, doing so was absolutely the right thing to do. I focused my mind, quickly considering the questions I needed to ask. After a few breaths, I began my questioning, preparing myself to exert my strength at any moment, ready to subdue Lin Xue.

"What is that thing you mentioned?" The first question was extremely important; it was the root cause of Lin Xue's murderous intent towards me—her motive. I didn't know why she wanted to kill me, but knowing this was crucial. If I knew, I could likely avoid this death and resolve the issue between Lin Xue and me simply and clearly. Other information about her could be gathered and explored later. Furthermore, this matter was of great value in understanding what had happened to Lin Xue. After weighing everything, I felt this was the question I needed to answer first. I slightly raised my head to look at Lin Xue in front of me, but I never expected her next move.

Her hands moved, and I didn't expect her to act so directly, without any warning. I was about to kick her against the wall to create a powerful impact and put the situation in my favor. But instead, her hands unexpectedly cupped my face. I forced myself to stop myself from kicking. The distorted look in her face and eyes became even more pronounced. She clearly had something to say. I carefully cooperated with her movements, not wanting her to give anything away.

“Someone like you would never know how hard it is to be a good kid, would you?” She cupped my face, looked into my eyes, as if speaking to me, but more like talking to herself: “Do you know what it feels like to be expected of someone from a young age, and then to be held to unreasonable standards? You don’t know. Do you know what it feels like to be required to do everything perfectly? You don’t know. Do you know what it feels like to be required to be in the top five in every exam, and to be beaten if you fail? How could you possibly know? How could you trash who can’t even study well possibly know? Huh? Even if you fail an exam, no one will hit you or yell at you, right? Am I right? Your parents don’t even want to care about you anymore, do they? How could someone like you possibly know how I feel? How could someone like you possibly know how much I envy you? Why do I get beaten for just a small mistake? Why can you guys have it so easy at school all day long? I’m so jealous! I’m so jealous!”

Her hands, which were cupping my face, slid down and grabbed my collar, lifting me up with a force that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I was surprised by her strength and felt a sense of fear at the eyes that were getting closer and closer.

Do you know how difficult it is to find such a perfect substitute?

Chapter Ninety-Two: An Unexpected Target

A substitute? What substitute? I pondered, but the information she provided seemed fragmented to me. I couldn't grasp the core of her words. From what she revealed, besides the fact that her family was very strict, I couldn't think of any other implied meaning. If I were to combine her talk of a substitute with her earlier self-description, it should be something that could replace her current situation. But I couldn't imagine what that was. I wanted to press her further about what this substitute was, but she didn't give me the chance. She paused briefly, then spoke again. Unlike before, a smile appeared on her face, and her tone carried a hint of rapture. She no longer paid attention to me, but instead slightly raised her head, looking up into the pitch-black sky. From my angle, I couldn't see anything, and indeed, there shouldn't be anything there. She was simply gazing into the empty space and imagining things.

“She could walk into the classroom just before class started every day, and the teacher would never call her name. She could easily finish her homework and then not have to worry about anything else. She didn’t have to complete the tasks assigned by that idiot, and she didn’t have to pretend to be interested in talking to those good-for-nothings who were just a little bit luckier than her. She could come to the classroom when class started and leave as soon as get out of class ended. She could be free and alone all the time, without having to talk to anyone else… She could do whatever she wanted, and no one could control her or scold her for such reasons… There are so few alternatives like this.”

As she began describing the substitute, I started frantically searching my memory. To my surprise, the substitute she described was incredibly similar to something I knew: she would walk into the classroom just before class started, and even after being criticized by the teacher several times, nothing would change. She was marginalized in the class, practically invisible; once she finished her homework, she was no longer needed. This proved she didn't hold any position in the class. I couldn't actually guess what she meant by "idiot" and "good-for-nothings," but based on her complaints, I think she probably referred to the homeroom teacher and the other students in her group of high-achieving students, because only the homeroom teacher or subject teachers would assign her tasks. The "good-for-nothings" she mentioned were probably the students who ranked higher than her, the ones she had chatted happily with before. During regular exams, especially for humanities students, fluctuations in scores are inevitable. At the very top, a difference of just a few points can drastically alter their ranking. Considering her earlier words, these likely refer to the students sitting to her left. I didn't need to listen to the rest; I knew the substitute Lin Xue was talking about all too well—she was referring to Ye Zi. Her arrival time at the classroom and her behavior at school were exactly as she described.

Why Ye Zi? The moment I asked that question, Lin Xue lifted me up, her face looming close, stopping me about a fist's distance away. She roared furiously, "What right do you have to call her that?! How dare you call her that?! Ye Yuqing is one of a kind! She did everything I wanted to do but couldn't! Do you know how important she is to me?"

"If she's so important to you, then you shouldn't have killed me! I saved her life! If it weren't for me, she would have died here hours ago!"

I tried to tell her that we had the same goal, that Ye Zi was important to her, and that I had saved Ye Zi's life, and that my relationship with Lin Xue shouldn't be like this. But I never expected that Lin Xue thought differently from me. She didn't seem confused, surprised, or show any of the other expressions I had imagined when she heard my words. Instead, she became even more furious, and the hand gripping my collar tightened, making me feel slightly suffocated.

"Don't you know what you've done? Ye Yuqing should have died right now! She should have died! Being late, failing, being ignored, living alone... She did everything I dared not do. She was like me, like my substitute. She did everything I couldn't do, and dared not do. This was supposed to be the last thing, it should have ended like this... but you stopped her? She didn't commit suicide? She didn't die? Why? It was just one thing away, just one thing away from suicide! That would have been perfect! Why did you stop her from dying? Why did you go up there? Why did you, who had always been indifferent to everyone in this class, suddenly become close to Ye Yuqing? Tell me, why? Why!?"

I realized that she was completely different from me, even the complete opposite. I went up to save Ye Zi, but Lin Xue was different. From the beginning, she only hoped for one thing: to make Ye Zi jump off the building and commit suicide, thus completing her so-called perfect substitute. She had no intention of letting Ye Zi live at all. Moreover, she knew from the beginning that Ye Zi would die by jumping off the building, but she did not try to stop her at all.

I felt my anger rising, and I could no longer hold back. I glared at the ground and crashed into Lin Xue's arms. She groaned, and I grabbed both of her hands, quickly flipped her over, and pinned her hands to the wall.

"If you miss, go die yourself! Why should Ye Zi die?!"

"Why?" Lin Xue smiled, her expression unchanged. Even though she had her back to me and her face was pressed against the wall, I could still feel her relaxed and composed attitude: "Because she is my substitute."

Lin Xue is probably completely twisted.

Chapter Ninety-Three: Emergency Self-Rescue

I forcefully pressed Lin Xue against the wall, but the knife was still stuck in my waist, and the force of the movement caused me pain. However, this pain wasn't as intense as the previous tearing of the wound; in fact, my anger had somewhat suppressed it. I could feel Lin Xue's body trembling and trying to correct her movements, but she was much weaker than I had expected, and in that awkward position, I could easily subdue her. But this situation couldn't last long. I knew my own condition well; the wound, which had been bleeding profusely since the beginning, had widened again. The significant blood loss had begun to numb me, which greatly relieved the pain, but it wasn't a good thing. I felt my control over my body slipping away like sand in an hourglass; I had to find a way to escape this situation. I didn't sense much resistance from Lin Xue; she probably wasn't planning to resist. I had no idea what she was thinking.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Her voice rang out, startling me. I pressed down on her even harder, afraid that if I relaxed even slightly, Lin Xue would regain control. She groaned twice, probably feeling the pain, but she seemed to ignore it, continuing to speak with considerable excitement: "Are you really not going to kill me? If you don't kill me, I'm going to kill you later. Your strength is getting weaker and weaker."

"Shut up."

I stopped her, but her words cut like swords, leaving deep wounds on my body. I knew she was telling the truth, a truth I couldn't refute, nor could I change. If I couldn't control Lin Xue, I would be powerless and killed by her. She was fearless now; since she had stabbed me, she wouldn't hesitate to pull it out and plunge it back into my heart. Even if I wanted to control her, I had no good way. If I gave her too much freedom, I would completely lose control. With her reckless behavior, I wouldn't be able to leave unscathed; I might even die here. It wouldn't make a difference. If I hadn't misjudged and taken her knife, things wouldn't be like this. But there are no "ifs" in this world. Even if I'm starting over, the past won't disappear. I'm injured and in dire straits. This is my current predicament, my greatest challenge.

I felt Lin Xue increase her strength and begin to struggle. I could only use my natural male advantage and weight to forcefully pin her against the wall, but that was all I could do. There was no one else here; no one could save my life. If I didn't immediately incapacitate Lin Xue and provide emergency treatment, I would definitely die. I tried to think of a solution, but Lin Xue kept talking, disrupting my thoughts.