The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

"Before you kill me, I want to ask you some questions. Is that alright, considering what we just did?"

"Sure, but just in case, I have to tell you something. The medicine only takes a few minutes to take effect, but it lasts for a surprisingly long time, about three or four hours. It might be because my physical condition is not very good, so it lasts for so long. I'll only give you ten minutes."

"It doesn't have to be said so clearly. I don't have any hope of walking out of here alive. I just hope to understand some things before I die. I have many questions for you."

"Oh, I see... Then go ahead and ask. I'll tell you, because I was just having a good time." Lin Xue didn't seem to care, while I started preparing my questions.

"First, you want to kill me because I ruined your plans, but what are you going to do after you kill me? Do you think you can escape legal punishment? This teaching building is full of cameras, and if something happens to me, you will definitely be found out. Have you thought about what will happen next?"

"What happens next? I probably won't be in any trouble. You know, all the security cameras in this building are broken. Although a few are still lit up, none of them are working properly. All the cameras are more like decorations now. This building is very old, and the school doesn't seem to have any intention of spending too much money here."

Lin Xue's words made me feel like my previous careful attempts to avoid being discovered were idiotic.

"Then, the second question: after you killed me, did you just leave my body here? Don't you think there's a good chance I might have evidence pointing to you on my body?"

“That makes sense… I originally planned to take you somewhere else to kill you, but now it seems unnecessary, because I realize I can’t move you.” Before I could even feel happy, Lin Xue continued, “So I’m going to speed things up. After I kill you, I’ll go find Ye Yuqing and tell her I killed you. She should kill me then, right? As expected, I’m different from Ye Yuqing; I still don’t have the courage to commit suicide.”

"Why do you insist on killing Ye Zi? What does she mean to you? What do you gain from killing her?"

“You’re wrong about one thing. I didn’t want to kill her. I wanted her to commit suicide. As for why, it’s because I couldn’t do it myself. If you can’t do it yourself, you’ll place your hopes on someone else. Isn’t that normal? I’ve wanted to commit suicide for a long time, but I’ve never been able to because I’m too timid.”

If you can't do it yourself, why do you place your hopes on others?

"Why should you expect others to do things that you yourself can't do?!"

"Just as actors exist to act, others succeed because they are actors, while I cannot because I am not an actor. Isn't it normal for me to expect them to be able to act?"

Normal? Are you kidding me? Was Ye Zi born into this world specifically to commit suicide?

Even though I understand that Lin Xue has a problem, I am still annoyed by what she said.

Chapter 103 The Road Ahead

"Ah, are you angry?" Before I could speak, Lin Xue had already started talking. Perhaps she sensed my emotions from my tone or expression, and she made a simple but accurate judgment about me. However, she didn't seem to want to apologize for what she said. I looked at her, and instead, she paced back and forth in front of me, explaining something to me: "You feel angry, but I think it's normal. Everything in this world is predetermined from birth. Just like my grades are very good now, while yours are very bad. It's all predetermined. I'm unlucky; I was born into a family that would inevitably make my grades better, but at the cost of losing more. Like parts produced on different assembly lines at the same time, I'm responsible for excellent grades, always at the top, while you're responsible for being at the bottom and having fun, to highlight my existence. It was predetermined from the beginning."

"From the very beginning, I knew what I could do and what I couldn't do, so I've always walked a path that has never gone astray. Do everything you can do, and leave everything you can't do to others who can. Clear division of labor is the foundation of human society's development to this point. Whether you like it or not, you can only accept it; there's never been a choice. This is the life of a human being. Avoid doing things you haven't done or can't do. Doing less means making fewer mistakes. Saying things like 'failure is the mother of success' is just sophistry on a spiritual level. If you don't succeed, no matter what you do, it can't be considered a success. This world doesn't need subjective processes; it only needs objective results."

"If the future is already predetermined, then why would people need to work hard? Your reasoning is simply untenable."

"No, actually it's true. Because from the very beginning, there's only one path that one person can walk. There's no choice in that. But you can choose how you move forward—walking, running, or standing still. You can also choose how much time you spend moving forward—an hour, a day, a week, a month. From the very beginning, you're standing at the lowest point in your life. Everything you do is moving forward, climbing upward. Your efforts determine the height of your life. You can become an ordinary, low-level teacher, or you can become a renowned teacher with countless students. This is something that can be changed through effort; it's a person's depth. But it doesn't mean it can change a person's breadth. You can be a teacher, but you can't be a doctor, a lawyer, a bodyguard, or a policeman, because these are things you couldn't become from the beginning. Just abandon those impassable paths and run along the predetermined road until you reach your limit. That's how you reach the pinnacle of life. That's the most fundamental difference between me and you people."

"Then who decides which path you should take? Who can determine which path is best suited for you? Who can see through a person's future? If everyone's future is already predetermined, then who decides their respective futures?"

"Is there even a question? Of course, it's your family." Lin Xue looked at me with the innocent eyes of a child who didn't understand anything, her face showing the pity she felt for me. "Everyone in this world has desires for others, just like you have for me, or I have for you. We all have desires. Only your family won't harm you. Everything they think and do is for your own good. They use all the information they've collected in their lives to compare and tell you what you should and shouldn't do, how you can quickly rise above everyone else, and use everything they have to support you towards a perfect future. Their plan is flawless; as long as you do as they say, there won't be any problems."

Indeed, Lin Xue was the complete opposite of Ye Zi. At first, I only saw the superficial similarities between them, but I didn't see the differences between Lin Xue's and Ye Zi's parents. If Ye Zi represented children whose parents were busy working away from home, then Lin Xue was more like a representative of children who were burdened with even greater expectations in this era. Her family's financial situation wasn't necessarily good or bad, but her parents had too many feelings and dissatisfactions about their own life experiences. They had experienced too many setbacks that life would bring them, and after overcoming these setbacks, these experiences became stepping stones for their future, a source of confidence for overcoming difficulties, and the fundamental method they used to educate their children. Like most parents, Lin Xue's parents hoped their child could have a good life and avoid the hardships they had endured. Based on their own experience, they presumptuously saw through the nature of the world and, with their strong self-confidence and existing foundation, planned out their child's future path. After doing all this, all that remained was to constantly urge their child not to deviate from this path and keep moving forward. They used their own life experiences to clear all obstacles from their child's way forward. Lin Xue's path forward was smooth and without any doubts. All she had to do was move forward, even if there were cliffs that only her parents could leap over or abysses that would shatter anyone else.

"Have you never considered that what your parents tell you might not be right?" She must have thought about it. Since her parents could plan her path, since they loved her so much that they were willing to sacrifice themselves to ensure their child's smooth future, they couldn't possibly have taught her to hurt herself. The things she did before couldn't have been taught to her by her parents; it's the complete opposite. This means Lin Xue must have had doubts about her parents. Even if she's followed her parents' plans from birth until now, she must have had moments of "rebellion" against them because of certain things, and her slightly stunned expression completely proves what I think.

Chapter 104 Strange Current Situation

Although Lin Xue did waver slightly, that was all. She quickly adjusted her mindset and returned to her previous relaxed state.

"Everyone makes mistakes, but smart people know how to correct them. As long as the outcome of the plan is not affected, then even if mistakes are made, they won't have a big impact."

Lin Xue's statement itself isn't wrong. In this world, as long as people continue to live, it's impossible not to make mistakes. Making mistakes is an inevitable problem from the beginning, and it will inevitably affect one's actions. Moreover, this effect isn't fixed; it's like striving to get closer to the future peak, as Lin Xue mentioned. However, mistakes are more like sand in an hourglass, accumulating over time. The remedy is the action of turning the hourglass around. But these words from Lin Xue are unreasonable, or rather, in my opinion, she doesn't stand on the grounds to say them. Logically speaking, her current actions are absolutely wrong, because taking someone's life is not right, both morally and legally. She went astray from the start. She knows the principle of correcting mistakes, but she's still doing it, which means she has doubts about her past actions, or perhaps the complete opposite—she doesn't think what she's doing is wrong, so she doesn't hesitate at all. But it's precisely this that makes her so terrifying to me.

Do your parents know you're doing this kind of thing?

“My family is very strict; you have to go home after school.”

She didn't answer my question directly, but I already had the answer. Given the curfew, she couldn't have done this without her parents' knowledge. It's around 3:30 AM, which is very late even for families without curfews. For her, her parents must be right. I also think her parents probably didn't know she was going to do this. If I could talk to her parents, I might be able to resolve her current problem and situation. Having her parents tell her directly that what she did was wrong, and since she trusts them so much, this is probably the best choice.

But is this really the right thing to do? I looked at Lin Xue, who was smiling, though her smile held a deep madness. But at its core, this was a problem caused by her parents. I recalled Lin Xue's earlier words, and a girl like her came to mind: she had confident and domineering parents who arranged everything for her—her direction, the extent of her efforts, even controlling her thoughts. She had once doubted her parents, but having never experienced a major setback, her life had been too smooth. Her remaining doubts had gradually faded away, and she held absolute trust in her parents, even though such trust seemed utterly unreasonable to me.

Everything her parents did for her stemmed from their love, but that love now seems less than perfect. They probably never imagined things could turn out this way. Murder is ultimately the last line of defense for a person; once crossed, it's all over. If her parents loved her, they would never have let her become like this. And a life planned by others wouldn't include a step where she would kill. She said she was afraid to commit suicide, so she wanted Ye Zi to do it for her, which means she had considered suicide. She couldn't do it, so she naturally pushed it onto someone who "could." Ye Zi was almost the complete opposite of her and was admired by her, which means Ye Zi actually represented her ideal state. She wanted Ye Zi to die, which could also be interpreted as her wanting to die herself? She must have known the current situation was abnormal, and she was trying to resist, but she never had the courage to voice her dissatisfaction, or even if she did, her confident parents rejected it, instead continuing to instill their own "correct" ideas into Lin Xue.

This absolutely cannot be revealed to her parents. This is my predicament, but also my opportunity—a chance to pull Lin Xue back onto the path I believe is right. This thought is no different from her parents', but at least I can make her life a little better now. Her murderous intent wasn't directed at anyone, but at herself. However, she lacked the courage to commit suicide, so even that murderous intent was transferred outwards, becoming what it is now. Therefore, as long as the source of her murderous intent is cut off, all the problems will be solved. Her cherished future? Who cares about that? She made me die at her hands once, forced me to commit suicide once, and now she's even thinking of killing me again. What kind of bright future can a murderer have? This matter will never end until Lin Xue is pulled out of this situation. She became like this for various reasons and has her sights set on Ye Zi. If I want to save Ye Zi while ensuring my own safety, pulling Lin Xue out of this situation is absolutely essential.

Although the tasks were laid out in the open, it felt like there was a pane of glass separating them—visible but unachievable. I needed a tool to shatter that glass; I needed more information. I looked at Lin Xue, pondering what else I absolutely had to figure out. Many of the issues I'd considered before could be postponed; there was no need to rush. But there was one question, a very important question.

"What time do you usually leave home? I think I arrive at school quite early, but you're always already in the classroom when I get there. Is it okay for you to leave so early?"

"Your question is so strange. Do you want to ask something like this before you die? But it's no big deal to tell you. I leave home at 5:30 every day. It takes about ten minutes to get to school, and it's still a while before it gets light. As the class monitor, I have to lead the way. It seems like time is almost up."

My goal was achieved, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I was too lazy to think about anything else; the information seemed sufficient for now. So I casually asked, "Lin Wan'er, it seems many people call you that, right? Lin Xue, Lin Wan'er, which one is your real name?"

“Both of them are me.” Lin Xue smiled and whispered in my ear, “But I don’t really like either of these names.”

Then, I felt something pierce my heart, and the familiar feeling spread throughout my body once again. Before I died, I heard Lin Xue speaking in my ear again.

"Good night."

Chapter 105 A Strange Experience

My consciousness was once again plunged into darkness by the sharp pain of the blade piercing my heart, but it quickly vanished as if erased. I tried to move my body, but something pressed down on me. I found myself unable to open my eyes, but strangely, I didn't panic. I was immobilized, so I calmly focused on my current state; this was all I could do. I felt something brushing against my entire body in the boundless darkness, from head to toe, and then from toe to head. It was a soft, slightly cool sensation, like a hand. The places it touched felt awkward, but I couldn't move, I couldn't resist.

Soon, that feeling disappeared. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt a bit bored, so I tried to move my body again. This time, the heavy feeling was gone. I tried to open my eyes, and I succeeded. What I saw was my own room, not much different from complete darkness. I could only vaguely make out the shape of my room by the moonlight filtering through. I propped myself up and sat up, looking around to confirm that I was indeed in my room. I woke up from the bed; I had returned to the past once more. But what was that feeling? I'd never experienced anything like it before. Was it because of Lin Xue that I was subconsciously starting to think about these things? I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't quite manage it.

I'm feeling a bit groggy, but my mind is clear. My brain probably hasn't fully cleared yet. I sat quietly, taking some time to come to my senses. I found my phone on the bedside table, turned it on, and saw the time was 3:47 AM, and the date was… September 11th. I had indeed returned to yesterday, twenty-four hours earlier, instead of going to some unknown underworld or heaven. The initial feeling of relief was rare now; I was probably getting used to the process of dying and being reborn. I had decided what I needed to do before Lin Xue completely killed me, and since I had plenty of time, I got out of bed, quickly changed my clothes, and left the room.

I need to take advantage of the time between Lin Xue leaving her home and arriving at school to control her and then find a way to solve her problem—to wrest absolute authority from her parents. This is the root of the problem. Once I can eliminate their influence, I'll have the potential to change her mindset. My only task is to completely shatter the sacred position her parents hold in her heart. Her faith in her parents has already wavered to some extent, and I can use this small opening to widen the rift. Her parents have only told her what she must do, things related to self-improvement, but she's starting to become interested in other things. She's doing these things behind her parents' backs, developing this personality. So, I just need to fill her head with things she shouldn't be exposed to, making her dependent on me. This might have been difficult before, but Lin Xue's situation is strange, giving me an opportunity. She's constantly pushing my boundaries, which has lessened my resistance to this. If I can achieve my goal, I won't refuse some necessary small measures.

However, I'm not sure if Lin Xue will carry that knife with her. Whether she's applied medicine or not, just having it on her would pose a great threat to me. I need something that would allow me to easily control her or protect myself, but I can't think of anything that could achieve that effect. After thinking about it, I decided not to bring anything. However, I randomly picked up some books and put them in my bag. If I could swing them around, they would have some offensive power without being fatal. Ye Zi's short sword is still with Ye Zi. Now, I can only rely on myself.

I tiptoed to the front door. I had a feeling something was nearby, perhaps inside the house, so I looked back but saw nothing. I figured I was probably just scaring myself, so I ignored it, quietly opened the door, and went outside. I had already investigated where Lin Xue lived beforehand; the information on that roster was enough to find her, and she had already given me her departure time. Now I just needed to wait for her on her usual route. I had originally planned to follow her, but I didn't think I could hide from her while concealing myself.

I left home and headed towards the school. Although the school has several intersections, the road in front of the main gate is practically the only way through. The back gate is rarely opened unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, there's a perfect spot on that road for my attack—the alley where Ye Zi and I were before. It's dark, perfect for hiding, and rarely frequented. If I could subdue Lin Xue there, I could easily conceal myself. Lin Xue leaves around 5:30, and it takes her ten minutes to get to the school. I should be able to wait for her near the end of the journey.

I arrived at this familiar alley in the same amount of time. It was quiet all around, without a sound. I could even hear the sound of the river flowing in the distance. The surroundings were too quiet. I could hear the slightest rustling of wind. It was not very suitable for hiding. However, it also allowed me to find Lin Xue's whereabouts in advance. After all, her footsteps were very obvious and distinctive. Judging from the information she had revealed before, her footsteps were probably greatly influenced by her parents. It was also a testament to the fact that discipline and excellence filled her whole being.

I hid in the alley, leaning against the wall. Lin Xue was less than an hour away from arriving, and I was a little bored. I stood there looking around, but there was nothing to see. Then I took a few steps deeper into the alley. Apart from the narrow path where you almost bump into the wall every few steps, there was nothing else. The feeling of being observed by something, though faint, lingered.

Chapter 106 Familiar Things

I wandered around the alley, finding nothing suspicious and hearing nothing at all. Aside from my own footsteps, there was no wind, no insects, no birds, no dogs barking—it was eerily quiet, almost unsettling, but it confirmed that no one was around. The only thing that could probably see me was the old security camera that couldn't see me anymore, but that camera monitored the main road to the school and couldn't see me there. And unless something serious happened, even if the security cameras were on, it was unlikely anyone would be watching me. A small town has dozens, even hundreds of cameras; would they really waste dozens, even hundreds of people monitoring them day and night? That's impossible. I'm probably just overthinking it. Although surveillance cameras claim to have real-time monitoring capabilities, they are mostly converted to video and recorded in segments by time, only to be reviewed when needed. Besides, at this hour, anyone out and about is either up to no good, and even I wasn't here with any good intentions. If someone wanted to do something malicious, they would have confirmed I was alone before stepping out. But the surroundings are as quiet as outer space, which feels abnormal. However, it's only 3:50, not even 4:00 yet; no living thing would be active at this time, so the lack of sound is normal. Perhaps the gaze I feel is just an illusion caused by recent stress. I calmed myself and waited for Lin Xue's arrival. Time ticked by. Something similar had happened before, except back then I was following Ye Zi downstairs. Without realizing it, I seem to have done many things I shouldn't have done, leaving me with mixed feelings. But what's done is done, and I won't hesitate any longer. Trouble won't stay away just because you don't think it's a good thing. I waited patiently there for who knows how long. I even saw the sky begin to lighten slightly. I started to doubt whether the time Lin Xue had told me was accurate, or if something had happened to cause the discrepancy. Just as I was pacing impatiently, I heard some very faint sounds—Lin Xue's footsteps, which I had heard many times recently. They quietly rose in the open space and grew louder. I stopped pacing and walked to the corner at the entrance of the alley, waiting for Lin Xue to approach. I made no sound, hiding myself in her blind spot. She probably never imagined she would be ambushed like this, just like the day she followed me back to my doorstep. I estimated the distance, and when Lin Xue was almost at the alley entrance, I took a deep breath, banished all distractions, and ran out around the corner of the alley. Even though it was still dark, I could easily make out her figure in the darkness. Using the almost non-existent light, I confirmed that the surprised figure who had come out of the alley was Lin Xue. Without hesitation, I rushed forward. When she saw me, Lin Xue made a clear attempt to defend herself, but she was caught off guard. Before she could even turn around, I grabbed her shoulder. Before she could even make a sound, I had already seized one of her hands, and then I used my other hand to grab her neck. She wasn't carrying a knife, and I was in good physical condition, so I wasn't worried about her being able to resist. She whimpered and struggled, but she wasn't very strong. Her struggles were fierce, but she couldn't break free from my grip. She tried to raise her left hand behind her to attack me, but her strength wasn't enough to cause me any real harm. I ignored her attacks and dragged her backward tightly. She lost her balance and leaned against me, which made it easier for me to move. I slowly but surely led her into the alley. The process was quiet, without making much noise. It might have taken ten or twenty seconds, but definitely no more than twenty minutes. I didn't know what Lin Xue was feeling right now. Perhaps she was terrified, or perhaps, as I had seen before, there was a hint of joy in her. I didn't have time to care. I pulled her back into the alley. Her struggles gradually lessened, and my actions became clearer. I had originally intended to keep her where I had been talking to Ye Zi, but what I was doing now was even more egregious in nature than what I had done to Ye Zi. To prevent anyone from interfering, I led her a little further into the alley. Although I apologized, just to be safe, I pinned her against the wall. The hands she had been using to block my arm and hold her neck were now behind her back, and I clasped them tightly together with one hand. Her wrist was actually quite slender, a perfect fit for me. In this way, I successfully subdued her, but that wasn't my goal. Simply doing this was meaningless to me. I needed to disarm Lin Xue and retrieve her phone. Although her phone didn't have a SIM card, if I remember correctly, all phones can make emergency calls without a SIM card. Last time, Lin Xue revealed everything largely because I had been stabbed and was under the influence of drugs; she was playing a cat-and-mouse game with me. But now it's different. Now, it's her, not me, who's being attacked. Whether she can calm down is another matter. To prevent any unexpected situations, disarming her and removing her communication devices is absolutely necessary. It was impossible for her clothes to have a blade of that size, so the only place she could hide it was in her schoolbag. I managed to get her schoolbag off, and at that moment she struggled a little. I applied a little force, and she seemed to feel some pain and cried out, but she quickly quieted down. I threw the schoolbag aside and then went to get her phone. I knew where it was. Lin Xue's body began to tremble.

Chapter 107 Unreasonable Deception

I took Lin Xue's backpack off and kicked it away. It felt quite heavy; I only used a little force and couldn't kick it more than a meter, but that distance was enough. I continued searching for her phone, my hand slipping up her waist. The familiar texture of her fabric washed over my skin. I moved quickly, not wanting to linger, and directly touched where her phone was. I felt Lin Xue's body begin to struggle more fiercely. I didn't gag her; I used one hand to restrain her while searching for her phone with the other. I thought I could quickly pull out Lin Xue's phone, but I couldn't find it. It wasn't on either the left or right side; she had hidden it somewhere else.

While I was distracted for a moment, Lin Xue immediately made a move to scream. I had already figured out a solution. I applied a little more force to her, and Lin Xue's scream instantly turned into a whimper. Even her struggling body went limp. This was far too effective for her. Although using this method wasn't exactly a good thing, I wasn't a good person either, so I didn't feel guilty about it. It was not controlling Lin Xue and letting things continue like this that would make me feel much more guilty. This was nothing at all.

Having successfully subdued Lin Xue, to prevent her from screaming any further, I whispered in her ear, "It's a little past five in the morning, not quite six. No one will be passing by here at this time. The people who live in this alley won't come this way either; they'll head towards the main road. No matter how much you scream, it won't do any good. Although we only have about half an hour, it's enough time for me to do a lot of things, do you understand?"

I couldn't see Lin Xue's face, but I could hear her sobbing softly. She didn't seem to have considered that my flawed statements were unreasonable. She was worried about her situation, which surprised me, but also made me feel fortunate. It's much harder to get someone you don't know to cooperate than someone who is afraid of you, because fear will crowd out your thinking space, preventing you from considering whether things are reasonable and making you focus on protecting yourself. This means that she might choose to comply in order to protect herself from harm or to avoid further harm.

I waited a few seconds. Lin Xue was still sobbing softly, anxiously trying to turn around to see who had done this to her. But I didn't have time to waste. Although there was still over an hour before class, the time before a large number of passersby appeared was fast approaching, and I had to hurry. My hand rummaged inside her clothes. Her clothes were the same as yesterday's—no, the same as the clothes she would wear tomorrow morning. There weren't any extra pockets for anything. According to her, she could only put her phone inside her bra. I checked several times; besides her body, which was starting to make my mind wander, there was nothing else there.

I withdrew my hand and ran it over her pants pocket. The tight jeans were smooth, and I could feel Lin Xue's thighs and buttocks with a light press—there was no way she could be hiding anything there. Could she have put it in her bag? With the knife? But I couldn't let go of Lin Xue to check her bag right now, so I tried another method, putting my head close to her ear again.

"Tell me where you put your phone."

“I…I don’t have a cell phone,” she answered me in a very soft voice, sniffling as she cried.

"You can't lie to me, you know? I know you very well now."

I gently placed my hand on her abdomen, this time through her clothes, because I didn't intend to examine her, but just wanted to scare her, but she still denied it.

"I really don't have a cell phone; we're not allowed to bring cell phones into my family."

Perhaps because she heard me asking about money, she thought I wasn't after anything physical, and her trembling lessened slightly. But this wasn't good for me. Fear is a more powerful weapon than violence, and using violence is only a last resort for me. Although both are heinous, I don't want to hurt her if I could. However, I need to maintain her fear of me now.

My hand, which had been stroking her abdomen, gradually moved upwards, reaching her chest once more and gently covering it. I felt her pressing against me, as if trying to get away from my hand. Her hands never stopped struggling, but she wasn't very strong, and I didn't feel much pressure. I sensed a resistance from Lin Xue that I had never felt before.

"I know you hid your phone in your underwear, so just hand it over obediently, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Lin Xue shook her head in alarm.

"I really don't have a phone. My parents won't let me buy one. I really don't have one... I have a little money. I'll give it all to you. Please let me go. I won't call the police. I absolutely won't."

She still wasn't telling me the truth; perhaps I need to push her a little harder.

“I told you, don’t lie to me. I also said I know you very well. I know you have a cell phone, I know you bring it to school every day, and I know you hide it in your underwear. I know you better than your parents do. I know what kind of person you are better than anyone. Lin Xue, hand over your cell phone.”

I felt Lin Xue's trembling body suddenly stop. I think it's because I exposed her disguise, so she's no longer going to pretend. I tightened my grip on her wrist with my left hand to prevent her from suddenly breaking free and making things complicated. My right hand... was placed on the safety device. This is a good way to control her if she makes any big movements, although it is indeed a bit shameless.

“That…that’s my sister’s name.”

When I heard Lin Xue say that, I naturally didn't believe her. If I could be so easily fooled, then I felt I truly deserved to be killed. I chuckled lightly, indicating my disbelief.

“That’s my sister’s name…” Lin Xue said softly again.

Chapter 108 The Girl's Name

"That's my sister's name..."

Lin Xue kept repeating those words in a low voice. I didn't want to believe it, but I didn't sense any sign of her struggling. I tried to stimulate her, moving my right hand slightly downwards, and her body began to tremble slightly again. But she still didn't try to struggle. Instead, she turned her head slightly, as if trying to see my face. Although I didn't have any reservations, it wasn't so bad for her to stay like this since she couldn't see me. The unknown always brings more fear than the known.

"You're still lying to me. I've never heard of Lin Xue having a younger sister. You're lying to me."

"Haven't you heard... That makes sense, because my sister and I are completely different. She has no talent, and if she were to be compared to me, she would probably get angry."

Lin Xue's body seemed to relax again, as if she had let out a sigh of relief. She even seemed less concerned about my hand pressing against her chest. This made me start to doubt Lin Xue, or rather, the possibility that this girl was indeed Lin Xue's sister. I had never heard of Lin Xue having a sister, probably because I hadn't known her for very long. Even the information I had now would have been impossible to find if I hadn't had the chance to start over and taken such a great risk to explore. And none of my sources of information about Lin Xue mentioned whether she had a sister.

I hesitated, undecided, whether to believe her. If it were so easy to simply trust someone's information, then I'd rather not do anything at all, because the outcome, as Lin Xue said, was already predetermined. But I couldn't ignore what she said. This sudden turn of events, which had seemed certain, was quite perplexing. I still couldn't confirm her identity, and I remained hesitant to let go.

“How are you going to prove you’re not Lin Xue, but her sister? If you say you can’t prove it, I won’t believe your nonsense.” I tried to get her to explain her identity herself, hoping to glean something from her excuses that would reveal her true nature, but it wasn’t very effective. I looked at her with her back to me and shook my head: “You can’t prove it like this…”

Her words had the opposite effect on me. Instead of denying it, she chose to let the situation continue, making me believe her even more—a classic case of shooting myself in the foot. Something occurred to me, and I shifted my gaze to the girl's schoolbag on the ground beside me. Perhaps I could find the answer there. I had looked through Lin Xue's books before; her name was indeed neatly written on them. That textbook was a Chinese language textbook, needed for both arts and sciences subjects. Even Lin Xue couldn't have known in advance to prepare a set of books with a different name to mislead people, could she?

"What's your name?"

"...Lin Yin."