The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

"Your strength is really getting weaker and weaker. Why don't you just kill me already? Otherwise, even if I do nothing, you'll definitely die. Killing me will give you a chance to live. Do you want me to tell you how to do emergency bandaging? Tear your clothes off, tear them into strips, and then wrap them around the wound. Remember to wrap it tightly so that it can compress and stop the bleeding. The clothes I'm wearing fit perfectly; they're a good brand and very breathable..."

I couldn't take it anymore, and I was also furious at her contemptuous and provocative behavior. I tilted my head back slightly and slammed it into the back of her head. I felt a jolt and pain on my forehead that made me dizzy, and my grip loosened involuntarily. But realizing I was still in a very dangerous situation, I quickly regained my strength. Lin Xue became quiet; all her resistance stopped instantly. I was worried that I had gone too far, since her head was pressed against a solid wall on the other side, and such a blow could very likely cause a concussion. But my situation wasn't good either, and I didn't have time to worry about her anymore. I tried to loosen my grip on her, remaining vigilant in case she was just pretending to faint, but as her body went limp and slumped down, I grabbed her to prevent her from hitting the steps directly. She fell against the wall, probably really unconscious. I had no time to worry about her anymore. I looked at the knife still stuck in my waistband, blood soaking my clothes. I had to treat the wound. It had pierced right through my clothes; I had to get the knife out first. I knelt down, concentrating all my strength and attention on my hands, gripping the hilt, and slowly pulled it out. Every inch I moved brought immense pain. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead from the prolonged, intense pain. Along with the knife, my endurance and strength were being pulled out; I was almost exhausted. But the knife was still a short distance away. I gritted my teeth, mustered my last bit of strength, and with a final, desperate pull, I yanked the knife out. An impact more unbearable than any pain I had ever experienced struck me instantly. I growled, and everything went black as if I were about to faint. My breath trembled. The darkness before my eyes gradually dissipated. I regained my senses and continued to move. If I didn't continue, I would die soon. I had to move.

I took the knife and started tearing my clothes. I roughly ripped them into three strips, wrapping each strip tightly around the wound twice. The pressure from the wound made me feel flustered, yet also somewhat relieved. I didn't know if this would help, but I'd already treated it; it was much better than just waiting to die. I knelt down, panting and resting. I looked up at Lin Xue, who was slumped against the wall. I was worried she might suddenly wake up. When I regained some strength, I tried to tie her up, but I realized I had nothing left to use to restrain her, and I was at a loss.

Problems exported from Chapter 94

Looking around, there was nothing I could use. I set my sights on Lin Xue's clothes… I couldn't care less about anything else now. Since it was a brand-name garment, the quality should be pretty good. Cutting off just a piece wouldn't be a big problem. Without hesitation, I reached my left hand inside Lin Xue's clothes. After touching her skin, I pulled the clothes up, slightly lifting the hem. With my right hand, I used a small knife to make a cut in the clothes, then slashed along the blade. Although she couldn't resist, she was lying on the ground, and cutting her clothes wasn't an easy task. I cut off a piece of fabric about the width of an arm. She was now lying face down against the wall, which saved me some effort. I placed Lin Xue's hands behind her back and bound them tightly with the fabric, weaving it around her arms. If I had just wrapped them around her arms, she would have easily broken free. I didn't even know that.

I gently pulled on Lin Xue's hands, trying to separate them, but the knot I had tied held them in place. I was satisfied with this result and finally breathed a sigh of relief. I sat down on the ground to rest. Looking at the girl I had bound so tightly, many thoughts flashed through my mind. Sensing a certain impulse flash through my brain, I couldn't help but laugh—a laugh at my own cowardice, thinking about such things even though I was almost dead. Then I put it aside; I had many other things to consider, and this problem wasn't within my scope of consideration.

Tonight, or rather, in the early hours of the morning, a lot happened, and I suffered a rather serious external injury that will likely require treatment. This injury will undoubtedly cause me a lot of trouble. I can't treat it at home because I lack the necessary expertise to care for such a wound. I don't know the extent of the damage Lin Xue's stab caused, the severity of my injury, or whether hospitalization is necessary. Moreover, this injury will likely attract considerable attention, primarily from my parents, my guardians. If I'm injured and taken to the hospital, they will undoubtedly know my condition. I can't predict their reaction, but I'm certain it will severely impact my plans. Going to the hospital will draw attention and significantly hinder my investigation, so I can't go, at least not unless absolutely necessary. Besides the wound, there were also many unexpected surprises today—if these can truly be considered surprises.

First, I learned Lin Xue's real name and some related information. This information was recorded by the school teachers in the student roster, and after verification, it can be considered quite credible. From this, I deduced that Lin Xue had pretended to go home while secretly staking out my house, leading to the current situation. Since I'm still alive, my gains must be substantial. Firstly, regarding Lin Xue's personal information, the reason she was previously called Lin Wan'er has become a question that needs to be investigated and is now before me. This is probably related to her family. From her words, it's not difficult to discern the immense pressure she bears. Such things are common, but they seem particularly severe in Lin Xue's case. However, this still needs confirmation; perhaps there really is a problem, or perhaps Ye Zi misheard and gave me incorrect information. I now know Lin Xue's address. Our routes home overlap for a short distance from the school up the hill. From here, she continues along the river to reach her house, while I go uphill to the same altitude as the hospital. Lin Xue's upbringing seems to be very strict, which is something that needs to be investigated.

Secondly, Lin Xue's current situation is somewhat complicated. Before discussing her goal—her motive for killing me—she harbored genuine murderous intent towards me, and that was precisely why she came. I'm just lucky I wasn't killed; instead, she's now bound and unconscious on the ground. The first two times she acted, she didn't hesitate at all. I don't think she's the type to easily abandon a target. However, this changed after she revealed her true objective. She knew about Ye Zi and had been waiting for Ye Zi's death. This was supposed to be the initial script, but my appearance changed the outcome, which angered her to the point of wanting to kill, leading to all the subsequent events. She said Ye Zi was a substitute, but I find her thoughts difficult to understand. She seems to envy Ye Zi—this is my subjective guess based on her words. However, watching the person she envies die makes me suspicious. If she envied Ye Zi, would she let Ye Zi die so easily? Moreover, there are quite a few people like Ye Zi who meet Lin Xue's criteria. At least I am one of them. Apart from the fact that I actively avoid contact with people, which is the opposite of Ye Zi, we have almost no other differences. So why does Lin Xue have to target Ye Zi? After she mentioned Ye Zi, her murderous intent seemed to weaken a lot. Even though I had a huge advantage, she started to provoke me instead, which was blatant contempt for me. It was as if she knew I wouldn't kill her. She was able to resist, and she could have avoided giving me this advantage from the beginning. Her behavior was less about wanting to kill and more about wanting to be killed. Her words and actions proved this.

I had a headache. I couldn't understand Lin Xue's motives, and I had little influence over her. She wanted to kill me, so naturally she wouldn't care about my pleas or other actions. She wasn't afraid of me killing her; in fact, she seemed to be actively seeking death, constantly provoking me, reminding me that she was a dangerous person and needed to be killed as soon as possible. I couldn't fathom what she was thinking. She was like a fearless madwoman, but compared to a madwoman, she retained her own way of thinking, which didn't fit the characteristics of a madwoman. I simply couldn't define her.

Chapter Ninety-Five: The Hidden Cellphone

Besides, I realized another problem. Lin Xue's thoughts about Ye Zi stemmed from something strange. She knew about the promise Ye Zi had made, because she had just come down from above and almost killed me on the outer wall of the teaching building. Unless she knew Ye Zi well, she wouldn't know that spot; you had to stick your head out of the window and observe very carefully to find it—I confirmed that myself. It's possible Lin Xue saw Ye Zi when she went up there. Although Ye Zi usually climbed over the wall at night, she occasionally went up there during the day, so it's possible she saw her then. However, there's another possibility… that she already knew Ye Zi would be there today and that she wouldn't see anyone and would die. If that's the case—I remembered the mysterious person Ye Zi mentioned sitting on the bridge. Could it be such a coincidence? Lin Xue was the one who told Ye Zi to wait on the upper part of the teaching building today. But thinking about it this way makes a lot more sense, because I just threw away more than two years of preparation. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't let it go so easily, let alone someone as obsessive as her. However, I still have doubts about whether Lin Xue is that person.

Lin Xue said Ye Zi was like a substitute for her, but no matter how I look at it, Ye Zi could never be a substitute for Lin Xue. Ye Zi almost perfectly replaced Lin Xue in every aspect. She was decisive, clear-headed, and ruthless, acting with clear hatred and murderous intent. She maintained an excellent facade, always sitting at the front of the class, making her an elite even among such a group of top students, and she maintained relatively good relationships with the other members. Although this is only from my observation perspective, Ye Zi lacked the qualities of a substitute for Lin Xue; on the contrary, Lin Xue should have been Ye Zi's target. If Lin Xue wasn't delirious and speaking ironically, then Ye Zi must have possessed some quality that Lin Xue admired. I don't remember her exact words, but the gist was that she envied Ye Zi's current situation—marginalized, lonely, and unappreciated—all things Lin Xue lacked. This was what she meant by envying Ye Zi. Could what she said be a lie, meant to mislead me? I think it's unlikely, because the situation she described earlier is quite clear. I was at a significant disadvantage, and to her, I was just a dying man. Deceiving her wouldn't bring her any benefit. While I can't completely rule out the possibility that my inability to understand Lin Xue's thought process is the cause, I am more inclined to believe that what she said is the truth. She has her own independent and systematic way of thinking, and what she said doesn't sound like nonsense. Let's consider this possibility for now when addressing the next question.

Lin Xue envied Ye Zi's qualities, qualities that Ye Zi herself despised. This meant Lin Xue yearned for Ye Zi's situation, and perhaps even made this decision after understanding Ye Zi's suffering. People's actions are based on mutual benefit; Lin Xue decided to continue because she judged that what she gained outweighed what she lost. Therefore, compared to Ye Zi's situation, Lin Xue found her current predicament far more unbearable. What exactly is her family's situation? I was slightly curious—no, this was something I absolutely had to find out. I glanced at the still unconscious Lin Xue. Getting the information I wanted from her would likely be quite difficult. Previously, she had the upper hand, which was why she revealed so much information to me, but now that the situation had reversed, she might not be very cooperative. Even if she did speak, I would have to carefully consider whether what she said was true or false. I probably had to start from other places to obtain information.

I can think of three places right now. One is Lin Xue's home, but unlike Ye Zi, her parents are probably both home. Not all parents are like Ye Zi's, so investigating there would be extremely difficult. Therefore, I'll have to put that aside for now. The second is our classroom. Since I've already subdued Lin Xue, there shouldn't be any other external factors interfering with me at this point. I can easily and thoroughly investigate Lin Xue's seating arrangement and might find some information. But before that, I need to go upstairs to get my phone. It should still be in the office on the third floor; I don't know if I can even get in. The third place is Lin Xue's phone. She should have it with her; these days, very few people go out without their phones. I can check her phone and take a break while I'm at it. I moved a little closer to her and started searching her. She was dressed quite lightly, wearing only a long-sleeved shirt that I had cut off at the edges, with no pockets. She was wearing capri pants, so her phone could only be there. But when I reached into her pocket, I was surprised to find that there was no phone there. I thought I hadn't looked carefully enough and had overlooked it, and was about to look again when Lin Xue's voice suddenly rang out beside me.

What are you looking for? My phone?

Her tone was calm, even soft and friendly, but I was startled and quickly held her down, pressing my entire weight onto her to prevent her from making any moves.

When did you wake up?

"I just woke up. More importantly, are you looking for my phone? You won't find it looking like that." Her tone lacked any awareness of being controlled; it even sounded somewhat high-pitched and trembling. I wasn't sure if it was because I was pressing down on her and squeezing her vocal organs that her voice changed, but her current tone sent a chill down my spine. She was pinned to the ground, and even so, she still tried to turn her head to look at me, reaching the limit of her neck. I saw one of her eyes glancing at me out of the corner of her eye: "My phone is inside my underwear."

"you!"

I was speechless.

Chapter Ninety-Six: An Awkward Personality

After turning her head, Lin Xue lay there with her cheek pressed against the ground, looking almost content. I could feel that I was already within her gaze out of the corner of her eye.

“My family doesn’t allow me to use a cell phone, and they’ve even made connections with the teachers, telling them about this. I even had to secretly save up to buy my own phone, and I always hide it. Now that it’s summer, there’s nowhere to hide it, so I have to hide it inside my underwear. At first, I wasn’t quite used to it, but there’s nothing I can do. Do you want my phone? I advise you not to unbutton your underwear, or I’ll definitely kill you. If you want the phone, take it yourself.”

"Do you think I wouldn't dare? Or do you think I'd have any reservations? You want to kill me? Do you think I can't even do something this simple? Don't underestimate me!"

"But after saying all this, you still haven't taken any action, have you? You can't do it. The phone is right here, but you can't get it."

Lin Xue successfully provoked me, and I deliberately increased my intensity. But she was right; I was still hesitant to take action. There was a question of my personal bottom line involved. Her constant provocations were infuriating, and her attitude also seemed strange. She knew what I wanted to do, even hinting at the location of what I was looking for. But this was illogical, because Lin Xue was there to kill me, and she was already halfway there. Under these circumstances, I couldn't afford to be careless. The clue I was looking for was also crucial to me, and the possibility of crossing my bottom line was already high. Yet, she still revealed the location of her phone. This was tantamount to her laying bare something she needed to keep secret in front of me, leaving behind a bottom line that had an over 80% chance of failing and was entirely up to me to decide. Humans are driven by self-interest; everything they do is for a better outcome, even if that outcome seems insignificant to others. Just like me now, I can't figure out what Li Xue's actions might be hoping for. By telling me where her phone is and constantly provoking me, she's only pushing herself to the edge of a cliff. I can't see what she can gain from this behavior.

I wondered if she had left some kind of backup plan, but she was completely pinned down, lying face down on the ground, her hands tightly bound with clothes I'd cut from her body. She was incapacitated. How could she possibly resist me in this state? I couldn't figure it out. And Lin Xue hadn't stopped her provocations while I was thinking, which only deepened my confusion. But I needed her phone. Even though I didn't know if it contained any useful information, that wasn't a reason to let it go. Lin Xue's contempt for me infuriated me. Finally, I made up my mind: I had to get the phone; I couldn't let go of that information. But I had to stick to my indifferent bottom line: nothing else mattered except getting the phone. I doubted my ability to stick to my decision, but now I had no choice but to do it.

My hand slipped inside her clothes where I'd cut them. Even though the clothes weren't completely form-fitting, my hand inevitably touched her skin. I felt her flinch slightly the moment I touched her; she seemed quite uncomfortable with the situation. To prevent any sudden movements, I applied pressure with my other hand, pressing her to the ground. This made her body slightly weigh down my hand, and I felt her body rapidly heating up. "She can't possibly explode, can she?" I joked to myself, but then stopped. I observed Lin Xue to see if she made any strange movements to avoid reversing the situation again. But after I stopped, Lin Xue continued talking.

"Are you just putting on an act? You're still too cowardly to take action, a good-for-nothing who can't accomplish anything."

My anger flared up instantly, but was quickly suppressed by overwhelming doubt. I looked at Li Xue, who continued to provoke me even while being suppressed. My right hand slid up her skin slightly, and her voice immediately softened. When I stopped, she resumed her mocking tone. I… I instantly lost interest in suppressing her. I had always thought that people like her only existed in novels; I never imagined I would encounter someone like her. All my speculations about Lin Xue having a backup plan were overturned at this moment, and my wariness of her dropped to its lowest level. I simply couldn't be too wary of someone with this kind of personality. Although it was somewhat inappropriate, Lin Xue's revealed personality at this moment completely destroyed the previous tense atmosphere. I pulled my hand out from under her clothes, leaving only my left hand still pressing down on her, because she was indeed an individual who posed a considerable threat to my life, even if she was an outright psychopath. I can't even describe my current feelings.

"Useless, useless, useless, useless..." The same word kept coming out of her mouth, but I couldn't get angry at her anymore. The thought that she would get excited while being bullied like this made me feel extremely awkward. Perhaps because she realized that I wasn't going to continue, her somewhat excited expression gradually faded, and that familiar, somewhat morbid smile returned to her face: "Are you really not going to kill me? If you don't kill me, you won't have another chance in a little while."

Despite her threatening words, I remained unfazed. I composed myself and asked her again, "Where exactly is your phone?"

"I've already told you, there's nothing I can do if you don't believe me." She seemed indifferent, even lacking her previous energy. I had no choice; although it felt awkward, getting the phone was necessary. This time, however, I didn't hesitate much. My right hand, which I had just pulled out, slipped back inside her clothes. But she was lying face down, and I didn't know the phone's exact location. I might have touched something I shouldn't have, but I no longer cared about that. I quickly felt something hard, something enveloping me. I took a deep breath, biting my lower lip, trying my best to ignore the soft touch, and quickly pulled the phone out. Lin Xue's panting could be heard beside me as I held the phone, trying to calm myself down.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Locked Password

After pulling Lin Xue's phone out of her clothes, I continued to hold her down with my hand. The sounds she made made me a little distracted, and the warmth of her body on the phone made it impossible for me to completely ignore the meaning behind my actions. Lin Xue recovered faster than me. Her face was flushed, visible even in the dim light, and her breathing became weak. I felt that she was looking at me with a gaze that I wasn't used to, that felt awkward, but strangely, I couldn't feel any aversion to.

"This is the first time... Don't you want to continue? I have no power to resist right now." She tempted me with her words. Knowing her personality, I immediately guessed what her purpose was. Although I felt awkward, my thoughts kept moving in that direction. I shook my head, preparing to continue checking Lin Xue's phone to distract myself. I turned on the phone screen, but what appeared before me was an unfamiliar image, though I recognized the words—"Please enter password." Lin Xue had locked her phone. I had to look at Lin Xue herself. She hadn't been still the whole time, and even now she was fidgeting restlessly.

"You want to unlock my phone? Sure, if you keep going, I'll tell you the password."

I turned off Lin Xue's phone screen, and darkness returned. Holding her phone in my hand, I pressed two fingers against my temples, feeling a headache coming on. I didn't know Lin Xue's phone password, and it was impossible for me to know it. She had secretly bought the phone from everyone—her parents, our teachers, and her friends—and even hid it inside her underwear. No one could possibly know the password she set. I didn't know any characters or numbers that held special meaning for her. Trying them one by one would waste a lot of time, and giving up now would mean all the sacrifices I'd made…or rather, all the advantages I'd gained would be for nothing. Moreover, the fact that Lin Xue had locked her phone meant there was a high probability she had recorded some important information on it. Whether this information was useful to me or not, it was something worth recording for Lin Xue. In this situation, I needed a lot of information to compare and verify everything, and logically, I shouldn't give up. However... just now I could convince myself that I had no choice but to cross my bottom line, but now I have no reason to continue taking action. I tried to propose a deal to Lin Xue.

"Tell me your phone password, and I'll change my terms."

She lay on the ground and shook her head, softly uttering a sound of refusal: "This is my only request. If you don't agree, I won't tell you."

I felt conflicted, hesitating whether to exchange my phone's password as she suggested. It wouldn't actually harm me, but was it still worthwhile to stick to my principles? No one would care anyway; if I just crossed that line and went a little deeper, I could easily get the answer. My teacher said that from any perspective, this was the best course of action for me. I'm a normal person with my own desires and thoughts, but I never imagined I'd solve this problem in this way, at this awkward time and place. I hesitated, flipping through Lin Xue's phone, my fingers lightly tracing a dented area. I found it strange, picked up the phone, and examined it closely. The dent was in the center of the back, not a damaged part. I vaguely remembered it, but wasn't sure what it was; my knowledge of phones wasn't actually that extensive.

I gently rubbed my finger against it; it felt smooth, and that was about it. Before I could check it further, I noticed Lin Xue's phone screen lit up by itself. I flipped the phone over and saw the words "Fingerprint unlock failed." I remembered what this was for. Although my phone didn't have it, my sister's did, and she always used it to unlock her phone. It seemed to recognize fingerprints as long as you placed your finger on it, and if the owner had registered their fingerprints, it could easily unlock the phone. I seemed to have stumbled upon a solution, but Lin Xue, who had been watching, didn't seem to react. Lin Xue was lying face down, her hands tied behind her back. If using a phone with one hand, the finger used to register fingerprints is usually the index or ring finger of the right hand. I found Lin Xue's two fingers and pressed them. First, the index finger, but the phone didn't unlock. Then I tried the middle finger, picked it up and looked at it—still no unlock. Was she using her ring finger or thumb to unlock it? I was a little skeptical and was about to try it when I suddenly remembered something. I looked at the wound on my body, which Lin Xue had stabbed me with a knife not long ago, and it still hurt a lot. But she had also mentioned that she was actually left-handed, so perhaps she was the opposite of others. I tried it on her left index finger, and to my surprise, it actually worked.

"What a pity." Lin Xue sighed softly, but I didn't sense any frustration in her voice. I didn't want to bother with her; I still had many things to check. After the phone was turned on, I first checked the contacts, where people save their contact information. Naturally, there would be a lot of information there, but when I opened it, it was completely blank—nothing at all. I was puzzled for a moment, then realized I'd made a foolish mistake again. Lin Xue had already said she bought her phone secretly, so it was impossible for her to have anyone else's contact information saved, not even her close friends. Therefore, there was probably no need to check the contacts or text messages. What else on the phone was worth checking? I started to think.

Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Target of the Transfer

Besides the contacts and text messages, the phone should also have social media apps installed. I'd only seen these on my sister's phone once or twice, but I wasn't particularly interested; I just knew they existed. So I started looking through Lin Xue's phone to see if there was anything similar. But after flipping through it, I became even more confused. Lin Xue's phone was very simple. Apart from some pre-installed apps, I didn't see anything else. It was even more basic than my phone. At least my sister had used my phone and installed some things I didn't know how to use. As for social media apps, that was utter nonsense. I didn't even see any of the slightly fashionable icons, even though I didn't really know what constituted "fashionable."

"I don't have any software to communicate with others, after all, I don't even have a phone card." Lin Xue kindly reminded me, but it couldn't really be called kindness. Her purpose had become singular and focused ever since she was exposed: "If you just do what you just did, I'll tell you some good news, okay?"

I ignored her words and continued checking her phone. I pressed every button on her phone, quickly checking everything, even the alarm clock and calendar—functions that were obvious and not suitable for recording things—but I didn't find anything worthwhile. Could it be that Lin Xue had already deleted all the messages before coming over? I thought it was possible, but I felt she must have been confident in herself tonight, and if she was confident, she wouldn't have deleted the messages so easily. Either I hadn't found anything hidden on her phone, or she had indeed deleted them as a precaution. I looked at Lin Xue, trying to get some information from her, but this time she had learned her lesson.

"I won't give you any more hints before you make your move. You've taken so much from me without doing anything; that's too cunning. How about you touch it a little more? You won't lose anything anyway."

As she said, from my perspective, I wouldn't lose out. However, by upholding my principles, my suspicions lessened somewhat. At the same time, Lin Xue's shameless demands deepened my wariness of her. I felt there was something about her that could have a fatal impact on me. I had been lucky enough to avoid it before, but Lin Xue's repeated requests were undoubtedly pushing me to take further risks. I still believe that humans are driven by self-interest; no one does anything without personal gain. Some seek material benefits, while others seek spiritual ones. Essentially, all human actions are aimed at obtaining something—that much is certain. But Lin Xue's current behavior doesn't fit this. She's using every trick in the book to manipulate me into taking advantage of her, and on the condition that it's something she needs. How can such a good thing exist in this world? Is she just a simple pervert? But how could such a pervert possibly be so ruthless? I didn't want to believe that, so I could only try my best to act cautiously. But if I continued like this, I wouldn't get anything. I was wondering whether I should sit down as Lin Xue suggested and exchange it for a clue. I changed my mind. I already had her phone. If I didn't thoroughly check it and missed some information, it could have a huge impact on me. But if I risked death by blindly doing what Lin Xue said for personal reasons and then died, that would be meaningless. I decided to check other places first before continuing to explore the phone.

I felt my strength had returned considerably. Although my abdomen still ached, I wasn't completely unable to move. I had a slightly better understanding of my own recovery abilities. Ignoring Lin Xue's continued seductive words, I picked up the two sharp blades I had thrown behind me. One was Ye Zi's short sword, which I had carried with me but hadn't used much, so it was very clean. The other was the knife Lin Xue had brought; the blood on it hadn't even completely dried, and I could still see some flesh and blood. Seeing the flesh and blood that should have been on my body sticking to the knife made me feel a little uncomfortable. I gently shook it to remove a lot of the blood and bits of flesh, and then I saw the knife in its entirety. The knife wasn't actually that big, about the size of a common household fruit knife, maybe a little bigger, more like a dagger. But I noticed a considerable number of barbs near the tip, like spikes. I lightly ran my finger along one of them and felt a stinging pain. The dagger was very sharp, and the barbs were just as sharp. Being stabbed in the body by such a knife, having it twist and turn, and then being pulled out by my own strength, I felt it was normal for me to lose strength from the pain. I even felt incredibly lucky that I hadn't fainted.

"Where did you get this knife?" I tentatively asked Lin Xue, but she didn't make a sound. She was very quiet; if it weren't for her eyes still staring at me, I would have thought she was dead. She probably didn't want to give me any more information until I continued doing what she asked. But let's leave that aside for now; I have other things to deal with. First, I need to retrieve my phone, which I left in my upstairs office—that's something I absolutely must get back. Then I need to go back to the classroom to search for Lin Xue's location. I hadn't even had a chance to check her location before I was chasing after her, so I don't need to worry about her now. But leaving Lin Xue here alone is impossible; I can't let her out of my sight until I'm completely safe. I put both knives into my backpack on my back. I only just realized they were still there; I'd almost forgotten about them while I was focused on other things.

After I finished packing, I went to Lin Xue's side. She looked at me with joy, but what I was going to do was not quite what she expected. I was strong enough, and Lin Xue was not actually that heavy. Although it was a bit of a struggle, I still lifted her up horizontally. If I carried her on my back, I was a little worried that she might do something underhanded. But if I carried her, I didn't have to be afraid. I took her upstairs.

Chapter Ninety-Nine Absurd Things

I initially thought she would struggle if I held her, but she was much quieter than I expected. Although I couldn't exert much strength due to my injury, I was probably helpless against Lin Xue if she caused me even the slightest disturbance. Even so, carrying her up to the third floor still took a considerable amount of effort. The bandage, which had been tightly wrapped and had begun to stop the bleeding, started seeping blood again. I had to put her on the floor of the corridor in front of the office door and let her rest against the wall for a while. She seemed to be making some movements while lying down, but I quickly held her down. Although it wasn't easy to see what she was doing behind her back, it actually made it easier for me to control her. If I let her stand up and escape my control, things would instantly turn into the worst situation. But her sudden quietness, even stopping her previous chatter, struck me as odd. I didn't believe it was because she thought her words had lost their effect and gave up on her futile efforts; she should have known this during our first attempt to control her. Yet, she seemed unaffected. I watched her, trying to guess her possible actions. I saw her eyes fixed on me, occasionally blinking, but nothing else… Could she be doing something I couldn't see? I reached behind her and touched where her hands were bound. I didn't sense any attempt to break free, so I relaxed for the moment. Although I didn't know why, I needed some time to deal with my own matters.

However, I still can't leave her here alone, or rather, her current condition isn't very safe. Although I've tied her hands, she hasn't lost her ability to move. If I could tie her feet as well, it would be much safer, but I don't have anything else to restrain her feet. Should I cut another piece off her clothes? It's not impossible. I've already cut one layer, so cutting another layer won't be a problem. Too many lice don't itch, cutting one layer or two layers makes no difference. I looked at her, straightened her body, and was about to take out the short sword from my backpack to continue cutting a piece of clothing off her when I suddenly heard some other noises. I stopped and listened quietly to the source of the noises... It seemed that someone else had come downstairs, not inside the school building. I had just confirmed this when a beam of light shone up from downstairs, illuminating the entire school building without any specific target. I didn't know who it was; perhaps it was the school's night watchman or something, but would someone like that be at this hour?

My location was on the third floor, a relatively high floor, and not near the railing, so the light couldn't reach me at all. I was planning to wait until this person noticed nothing and then leave on their own, but I felt Lin Xue, whom I was holding down, suddenly shout "Ah!" She had been so quiet before that I had slightly overlooked her and hadn't had time to cover her mouth. I tried to cover her mouth with my hand as a last resort to stop her from speaking, but this action was ineffective. I felt the light sweeping up and down around me, trying to pinpoint the location of the sound.

"Is anyone there? Who's upstairs?" It was a very awkward yet somewhat familiar voice. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was strange about it, and I didn't have time to think about it. Lin Xue's struggles suddenly intensified. I used one hand to firmly cover her mouth, but she struggled violently, her body on the ground swaying slightly. Both of her hands suddenly emerged from behind her back! I was surprised that she had broken free at some point, but her hands were reaching for my wounds. I quickly blocked her outstretched hand with my right hand, but she still touched my wounds. Her movements were somewhat distorted, probably because she had just broken free. I quickly removed my hand from her mouth and used both hands to pin her wrists back to the ground. But now there was nothing to stop her from making a sound. I looked at her, took a breath, and without thinking, lowered my head and covered her mouth. Her violent struggles instantly subsided. This was enough to control her slightly, but it wasn't over yet.

After subduing Lin Xue, the surroundings became quiet again. The clanging of metal downstairs immediately made me realize that the person who had been shouting was probably already unlocking the chains on the iron gate and preparing to go upstairs. Whoever it was, if they found out in this situation, it would definitely not end well. I had to find a place to hide with Lin Xue, but that was proving too difficult for me. She had somehow broken free, and now I was the one controlling her. Finding a quick hiding spot wasn't realistic. The other person had a flashlight, and if we couldn't hide in a classroom or somewhere else, we would be spotted very quickly. I had to drag Lin Xue away to hide.

I tried to loosen my grip on one hand, but as soon as I loosened it a little, her hand started moving again. I had to quickly press her hand down again. This wouldn't work; I had to think of another way. But the person downstairs was almost here, and this dawdling couldn't go on. I remembered the secret I had just discovered about Lin Xue. Although I was conflicted, now was not the time to hesitate. I used a little force to pull both of her hands above her head and cross them together. Then I used one hand to press them down firmly. I was still covering Lin Xue's mouth, so I couldn't see what her hands were doing, but that was enough. My free hand quickly... climbed up to Lin Xue's chest and grabbed her hard where one hand could barely grasp. I felt Lin Xue's body tremble violently. She seemed to make a sound, but it was muffled by my mouth.

This is the most absurd thing I've ever done in my life.

Taking advantage of Lin Xue's moment of weakness, I changed my position, wrapped my arms around her chest, and dragged her backward toward the office. I gently nudged the office door open with my back; it wasn't locked either. I led Lin Xue into the office, closed the door with my foot, leaned against it, wrapped one arm around both of Lin Xue's arms, and covered her mouth with the other, making the room quiet.

Chapter 100 The Right to Action

After subduing Lin Xue, I held my breath, waiting for the other person to arrive. I was worried about being discovered. Whoever it was, if they found out about Lin Xue and my current situation, neither of us would be safe. I waited quietly for their arrival, thankful that I no longer had any intention of resisting. Even though her hands had broken free, I was only superficially restraining her. If she wanted to resist, I could barely suppress her, but if she wanted to make a commotion that would attract attention, I would be helpless. I tried my best to clear my mind of anything related to Lin Xue and focused on listening to the person lingering downstairs. Although the sound of him going upstairs usually wouldn't reach this office, which was only ten meters away, I could still hear him clearly in this unusually quiet environment. I also knew that this meant if I made any noise, he would hear it just as clearly. If I was discovered, should I take action?

Although I don't know who the other person is or what their size is, the success rate of a surprise attack in the dark is quite high. However, this would inevitably cause them harm. I'm not the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve my goals, and besides, I've never killed anyone... no, I have. To achieve my current state, I killed myself. But that doesn't mean I can abandon all reason and principles to kill for my purpose. Precisely because I've paid such a high price, I should adhere to my principles even more. Moreover, objectively speaking, attacking the other person is not an easy task. Even if I disregard their life and use a short sword, I'm not absolutely certain of success. Furthermore, I don't want to kill anyone, which will inevitably make my actions hesitant. I also don't have a suitable tool to knock them unconscious. In addition, if I want to attack them, I will inevitably have to release my grip on Lin Xue, which would be even more dangerous for me. Therefore, the best approach right now is to quietly wait here for them to finish their examination and then leave on their own. I don't know how he'll check, but if I create the illusion that the door is locked from the inside, he probably won't check too carefully. After all, this is a classroom office, and it's late at night, so there's a good chance I can get away with it.

Although sitting idly by and waiting for death is not my preferred way of doing things, there are no other ways to make me safer now. Just controlling Lin Xue and my own thoughts is already making me feel somewhat powerless.

I heard footsteps approaching from the door behind me. A beam of light swept across, and I could only see a beam of light shining through the window, unable to discern the situation outside. However, the light source didn't seem to be moving; the person was merely conducting a cursory inspection. I breathed a sigh of relief; their perfunctory inspection made me feel safe. All I had to do was wait for them to finish checking this floor and the floor above, and it should be over. Then I heard the footsteps, which had paused briefly, begin again. Before I could even feel happy about this, I realized the footsteps were getting closer. Was he coming to inspect this floor? I wasn't sure. All I could do was remain silent and prepare for his inspection. But for some reason, I felt that he stopped just as he reached the office door, and I started to tense up.

Did he find me? It's very possible. After all, he stopped right in front of the office. If he hadn't seen Lin Xue and me, why would he have stopped here? He already knows Lin Xue and I are here. What should I do now? I have no idea who he is, nor what he plans to do with Lin Xue and me. In any case, if we're discovered in our current state, it will be a huge problem. I have an injury on my waist, my clothes are torn into strips and tied around my body, and there are two sharp blades in my backpack that are clearly controlled knives. Lin Xue isn't in much better shape; I cut a piece of her clothing to tie her hands… Damn it! I left that piece of clothing outside! Lin Xue somehow managed to free her hands from the cloth, and I was so focused on keeping Lin Xue from being discovered that I forgot about the cloth! Damn it! So this is where things went wrong?

Should I change Yuanlai's plan and attack him? No, absolutely not. Putting aside my personal thoughts, the success rate of doing so is actually quite low. Even if I used a controlled knife to kill him, I would be in a very bad situation. Although this teaching building is old, it still has surveillance cameras, but since nothing has happened, the school rarely checks them. But now it's different. If I attack this person, there will only be two outcomes. One is that he is someone who has no connection with the school and I don't know what he's doing here at night. But after I attack him, he will either be unconscious here or die here. If he is unconscious, he might just swallow his anger and suppress the matter, after all, his identity is not good. But this possibility is not high. What kind of thief in this world would come to a school building to steal things, and even use a flashlight while stealing? That doesn't make sense. Another possibility is that he's actually a school staff member. But that would make my situation even more dangerous. If I attack him and knock him unconscious, he'll demand the school check the security cameras. I don't know which cameras in the building are working and which are broken. There's a high chance Lin Xue and I will be caught on camera walking around the building, and that would still cause trouble. And if I kill him… the situation won't change either, except that the people taking over me won't be the school or my parents, but the police. And as I thought before, attacking him would also cause Lin Xue to lose control. The former might have a significant impact on me, but the latter could directly kill me. I don't want either outcome, so I absolutely cannot attack him.

I realized that I could only sit and wait for my fate; I had no right to act.

Chapter 101 The Blade of Applying Medicine

I felt a beam of light shining through the window into the office from behind and to my side. I instinctively pulled my leg back slightly, but I was powerless to do anything about Lin Xue. Making too much movement would alert the person behind me; maintaining the status quo was the safest course of action for me. The light swept across the window horizontally before fixing on the office, and I felt a force pushing me inward from behind, but it quickly disappeared. Footsteps sounded behind me again, moving towards the classroom next to the office along with the light. I breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then I remembered that the office and the classroom were connected. If this person chose to enter through the classroom door, all my preparations would be nothing but self-deception. Fortunately, the other person didn't seem to intend to thoroughly check. I could hear him muttering in the hallway.

"This is really strange. I clearly heard a sound just now... Could I have really misheard? Is this just a piece of cloth that flew in from who knows where? What bad luck."

The light quickly swept across the window again, and the footsteps began to approach again, then fade away. I guessed he had probably left. But Lin Xue's behavior of waiting for me on the rooftop had left a psychological scar. Even though I suspected he was gone and that wasting more time was wrong, I didn't immediately check to see if he was really gone. Instead, I remained where I was for about two or three minutes. I vaguely heard the sound of an iron gate sliding down from downstairs to my floor. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. My hand, which had been covering Lin Xue's mouth, loosened slightly. Perhaps because I had been too tense, I felt a little weak. But I could still manage to move a few things.

Chapter 102 The Reason for the Murder

“Do you know what this means?” Lin Xue asked me, but she didn’t give me time to think or answer. Her question wasn’t really a question: “It means that you can now clearly see what I’m doing, feel what I’m doing to you, and think about what I want to do to you. Like this.”

She controlled my hand, moving it from my abdomen upwards to my chest, the soft touch returning to my hand. Her other hand wasn't idle either, gently pressing my head down before kissing me. She released me after about ten seconds. I didn't move, completely at her mercy. She herself was slightly out of breath, but a bright smile graced her face, though it might not have seemed so radiant to me. Now, I finally understood what was strange about Lin Xue. Despite being in a position where she would definitely struggle to escape or kill me, she was unusually quiet—all because she had this backup plan.

“So, I did a great first time on the first try. I was really lucky today, wasn’t I? But you should have been the one doing all this. I’m satisfied.” After Lin Xue finished speaking, she leaned back for a moment, then quickly removed my hands from her body and stood up. At this moment, I finally saw her full face again. She looked down at me as before, and that familiar feeling made me feel like I was falling into an abyss once more. She grabbed my hand and tried to pull me up from the ground, but she wasn’t strong enough, and she failed.

"Oh dear, I forgot I'm not that strong anymore." She sounded a little distressed, but I saw a glimmer of hope.

"What if I said I could do even more with you?" I asked Lin Xue. Judging from her behavior just now, she might be tempted, but my assumptions were far too simplistic. I looked at Lin Xue standing there with her arms crossed, her smile unchanged.

"I'm actually quite happy that you can say that, but don't you think it's a bit unrealistic to say this now? I'm not the kind of person who forgets things easily, or do you think I was lying before?" Lin Xue shook her head, and when I looked into her eyes again, I saw the familiar madness: "I told you, didn't I? You'll definitely die once I break free. Although I don't hate you that much, I'm still going to kill you."

"No room for thought at all?" I shook my head at Lin Xue, having given up completely. Since my life was already in danger, I shifted my focus to another area. Lin Xue had said she killed me because I had disrupted her plans, and she specifically mentioned Ye Zi. Clearly, she killed me because my actions had deviated from Lin Xue's plans, causing her dissatisfaction. She valued Ye Zi highly, but she wanted Ye Zi dead, likely in a way she had meticulously planned. However, my appearance disrupted her plans, enraging her and leading her to want to kill me. She succeeded once, I committed suicide once, and this was the third time. She was now on the verge of success; there was no doubt she could kill me now, defenseless. But what Lin Xue would do after that, I still didn't know.