The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

I followed March into the classroom at a distance. This time might be normal for March, and it might be normal for the top students like her, but it wasn't normal for me. I could feel that the few people in the classroom were looking at me with surprise when I entered.

I arrived at school around the same time yesterday. They might have been a little curious about me, or perhaps they would have shown me disdain before going back to their own business. But my arrival probably brought something different to this space that had become so quiet and accustomed to its usual atmosphere.

I started to doubt whether I should be in the classroom at this time, but it wasn't my decision. I left home early as March had suggested, and even though I'd dawdled for a while, it still felt like an odd time. Was I supposed to wait outside the classroom until the appropriate time to come in?

I don't care whether I can join them or not. Their requirements are too difficult for me, and I don't want anything to restrict my actions. Only my thoughts can decide what I do, even though my thoughts are often dominated by other things now.

I returned to my seat, casually picked up a book and pretended to read, but I was actually thinking about other things. Things I should have considered long ago.

The current situation, although quite different from my initial goal, is still barely in line with my requirements. At least Yezi didn't die, and Sanyue didn't commit any murder. Even though I've distorted their daily lives, it's still better for me than for them to end up like before.

However, many things happened before things became like this. Some of these have been answered, or at least seem to have reasonable answers. Others have become untraceable due to changes in the past. And still others are things that can be answered but haven't had time to explore yet.

First, there's Ye Zi. I have no doubt about Ye Zi's feelings and thoughts; the moment she ran to me and died in my place, I lost all right and basis to doubt her. But there are still many things about her that don't make sense.

For example, my first death, and the realization that it would take me back twenty-four hours, was caused by Ye Zi. She was a kind and courageous girl; she could kill me with a knife to eliminate a potential threat, yet she could also cry for my family because I had once helped her. These contradictory traits were intertwined within her, but they didn't feel discordant to me. However, her words puzzled me.

She said she would kill me because I might be infected by her meeting that night. According to the information I have so far, no one should be attending the meeting. The person who made that promise with her seems to have completely disappeared. Apart from me, the only person who knows her plan is March. But March's plan itself will take Ye Zi's life, and I can't just let Ye Zi die like that. So I have to accept this identity.

However, I am probably the only person in all this time who has had so many normal conversations with her. She should have been able to guess that I was very likely the one who would keep the appointment, and after I went up, she confirmed my idea. She had already judged that I was likely the one who would keep the appointment.

Regardless of whether I already have the potential to become that person, even if I don't, this is the last day, and the outcome will be decided in less than an hour. Just because I glanced into the lecture hall, she concluded that I wasn't the one who would be attending the appointment but rather someone who was there to cause trouble, and then she killed me? In this situation, shouldn't it be more likely that she would conclude that I am the one who will be attending the appointment? Why would she think I would be in the way? Apart from March, herself, and me, no one else should know about her plan. Perhaps the person who told Ye Zi that she was coming to the appointment could be included, so the secrecy should be quite good.

Ye Zi's actions at this moment are somewhat illogical.

Also, I remember once after I told Yezi the time, she looked down and played on her phone. She said she was chatting with a friend. She said she had a good friend. I remember... How could I have forgotten about this? Where did Yezi get a good friend? She told me that she hadn't spoken normally with anyone for a long time. If there was even one person willing to be friends with Yezi, she wouldn't have become like this... But she still ended up like this.

Was it that her friend couldn't help her? Or perhaps her friend didn't even exist, and she was just trying to deceive me with that statement, not wanting me to investigate further. After all, it was only a few words, so it was inevitable that Yezi would be wary of me. But what was she doing with her phone at that time? What if she wasn't lying to me? Where did her friend come from? And who exactly is that friend? I checked Yezi's phone, but I couldn't find any records; they might have been deleted beforehand.

And then there are Yezi's parents, whom I've never met before. Whatever my reason, I want to see them. Maybe I don't need to go up and talk to them, but I just want to know how Yezi's parents are doing. I always have a bad feeling about this.

My relationship with Yezi has improved quite a bit now, and perhaps I can get the answers from her when she comes over. She probably won't hide anything from me anymore... However, just as I was worried, some things have never happened from the beginning until now, such as "Yezi killed me," so I'm afraid I won't be able to get answers to the questions about that matter.

However, this is still better than knowing nothing at all.

I looked up at March, who was talking to her deskmate at the front of the classroom. She would occasionally glance in my direction. It wasn't just Yezi who had problems; March also had many issues.

But just thinking about it gives me a headache. Yezi's situation is manageable; she's a good girl, and if I ask her, she probably won't hide anything from me. But March is different. If I ask her those questions, I can easily imagine what I'll suffer.

Can I really control my desires?

Chapter 173 Suspicious Security Guard

While I was thinking, Yezi arrived at the classroom. She pulled out her chair and sat down, which startled me and made me look at her. She looked at me shyly and timidly. I said "Good morning" to her softly, and her expression became happy and natural again. She hummed in agreement, nodded, and then sat down in her seat.

My gaze shifted from her to the front of the classroom, just as I expected. A few students at the front seemed to be starting to get curious about Ye Zi, who always arrived at school on time, and occasionally glanced less noticeably towards the back of the classroom. I didn't like their gazes; it made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.

I ignored them and continued reading my textbook. Yezi seemed to have developed a certain enthusiasm for studying because of the condition I had given her; she had also opened her textbook, but unlike me, who was pretending to think about other things, she was reading very attentively, as if she had been. I wasn't surprised by this scene; I already knew the cause of the matter and the consequences I would cause.

I focused on my own things and started thinking again.

It wasn't just Yezi who was acting strangely; March was included as well, and even more so than Yezi. First, there was the drunkard I should have seen when I got home last night, but couldn't. That was the most obvious difference from usual. But strictly speaking, this should also be related to Yezi, since I came from Yezi's place that night.

Although I tried my best to reconstruct the events of that day, there were bound to be omissions, which inevitably led to some things not developing as I had planned. However, this shouldn't include the drunkard. I don't know him, and although I don't know if he knows me, the connection between us should be minimal. At least, I don't believe that slight errors after I tried my best to reconstruct what happened that day could cause someone who should have been there to be absent this time.

The butterfly effect certainly exists in this world, but for such a tiny change within such a short distance and time to completely cancel someone's appearance seems less like coincidence and more like someone orchestrating something. The drunkard's appearance must have been altered by something that happened to me or these girls; he couldn't have appeared without reason, nor could he have disappeared without cause.

But where was he supposed to be, or where shouldn't he have been? Was that drunkard someone arranged by March? But because I dealt with this matter beforehand, she didn't arrange for him to be there? No, that's unlikely. That night, I rescued Ye Zi and stayed at her house until after 11:30 PM before leaving. She followed me, and judging from her actions, her purpose wasn't to assassinate me, but to track me, gather information, and then kill me at the same time and place the next day. Was arranging for that drunkard just to obtain my information?

Regardless of whether it was necessary to do so, just the fact that someone was this drunk is already an incredible feat.

The drunkard's appearance seems inexplicable; his condition appears to be controlled. But who is controlling him, and how? If no one is controlling him, why did he suddenly disappear? Or, if no one or no reason has made him this drunk, he wouldn't be here? So, what is the reason controlling whether he drinks or not?

Besides that, there are a few other things, such as how she managed to conceal herself that night in March. I remember it clearly; that chilling feeling still lingers. I clearly felt that March was close enough for her to attack me, and even her footsteps became rapid and clear, as if she was speeding up and rushing towards me. But when I turned around, I didn't see anyone. I only found the drunk man when I walked all the way to the entrance of the residential area.

However, I had considered this problem before. Due to my mental state at the time, I didn't realize that the drunkard couldn't possibly be the one who had been following me. Later, it turned out he wasn't. I didn't even know where he came from; he just suddenly appeared when I turned back, and then disappeared without a trace. This gave me a headache. The person following me at the time was definitely March. I can't forget her footsteps, and I couldn't ignore the relentless killing intent she exuded. She was always behind me, but when I turned around, she seemed to vanish into thin air; I couldn't see her anywhere.

But I know that March must have been nearby. She might not have even gone home that day, and had been hiding in the shadows waiting for me. She watched me go back to my house, then waited for me as I came out, and then followed me all the way to school... Although this is a bit illogical, I think it's possible. Given the rage March showed after her plan was ruined, I think she might have killed me without hesitation, putting everything else aside. This can be seen from the fact that she followed me to school that night and killed me without hesitation.

No, wait a minute… Although the situation was urgent and the events of March had captured my attention, it wasn't just March and I who were there that night. There was another person, a “school staff member” I'd never even seen before, who appeared under the old teaching building late at night. How could I have overlooked him?

His appearance is extremely, extremely unreasonable. What kind of school security guard would be wandering around a school in the middle of the night? This is a school, not a prison. How could anyone be patrolling at that time? He couldn't possibly be a school security guard, absolutely not.

I also recalled all the clues I had about him.

I felt his voice was familiar, but I couldn't remember if he was male or female. At that time, March took the opportunity to try to break free from my grasp. Although it was just an act, I had no idea that I could only focus all my attention on controlling March. I never expected such a big mistake to occur.

Chapter 174 Revisiting the Past

The appearance of this security guard almost reversed the situation between me and March. Putting aside the injuries March had already inflicted on me and the unknown drug on the knife that could immobilize the body but not affect consciousness, the mere appearance of that security guard posed a threat to me.

Just as I had managed to subdue March, he appeared at the perfect moment. March broke free from my not-so-tight control and made a loud noise, which the security guard heard and became alert to. I had to use drastic measures to subdue March and drag her into the office next door, but I accidentally left behind pieces of her clothes that I had used to tie her hands and feet outside.

Imagine a security guard who heard a very unusual sound. He's already upstairs and has seen the piece of clothing. That's not some cheap rag; the clothes March was wearing were made of very good material. I cut them off completely, and the wear and stains clearly couldn't have turned into an insignificant piece of cloth in such a short time. Even if it were just a piece of cloth, if he were a security guard, he wouldn't have let this piece of evidence go so easily.

There was only one staircase leading up and down the old teaching building. If he came up from there and couldn't see anyone going down, that would be enough to prove that the person or thing that made the noise hadn't left the building. The piece of cloth was just left at the office door; how could he not even keep it there for years? If he thought it was just an illusion, why was he in such a hurry to come up from downstairs? Moreover, the iron gate downstairs was locked at the time; March had wrapped the chain around it several times and even locked it.

As a security guard, wouldn't he know that the iron gate on the first floor of the old teaching building was unlocked? Even assuming his colleagues ostracized him and kept him in the dark, where did he get the key? Do they all carry keys when they patrol? Perhaps, since they're patrolling a school, it's understandable that they carry keys to all the teaching buildings. But if a security guard with even a modicum of responsibility were to patrol with keys, would he have seen the evidence yet offered such a flimsy, ambiguous answer and left?

Hearing March's voice, seeing the tattered clothes, and possibly even witnessing the blood I shed along the way... with so much to see, isn't that enough for him to just open his office door and take a look? If he were really that irresponsible, would he really come upstairs?

So why are there night patrol security guards? Aside from the old teaching buildings where the surveillance cameras are reportedly all out of order, most other areas of our school are functioning normally. Is it really necessary to add extra security personnel for night patrols? Or are the night patrol security guards just a supplement to the existing surveillance system? Why is the school's surveillance so tight? Is it to prevent something from happening? Or has something already happened?

No, that's not right, it shouldn't be like this. I followed Yezi to the school once before, around the same time. I carefully chose this time based on when Yezi left home. I didn't see anyone when I came to the school with Yezi, so why did a security guard suddenly appear this time in March? Could it really be that they arranged for someone to patrol at night the next day and I just happened to run into them?

I've encountered so many coincidences all at once, should I go buy a lottery ticket?

Moreover, it wasn't just the security guards; March herself also had significant issues. Recalling the sequence of events that day, I left home and went straight to the school. At that point, I infiltrated the school using the route Ye Zi knew. March likely used a similar method, or perhaps she had a different route, but that's not important. What's important is that after I briefly gathered information in the office, March appeared.

She followed me all the way here, then maliciously lied to me, and went up to the rooftop where she ambushed me, intending to kill me, but I was lucky enough to dodge. March knew all of Ye Zi's plans, so it's not surprising that she knew how Ye Zi got to the rooftop, but how could she know that I would choose to go up to the rooftop instead of taking the opportunity to find a place to hide, or simply run away from the old teaching building?

If I go downstairs directly, although I can't guarantee complete success, at least I'll have about a 50% chance of escaping. Even if I jump from the second floor, it won't cause me any damage that would prevent me from walking. And if I escape, March will face utter failure.

She was furious to the extreme and only wanted to kill me, but why didn't she just wait for me to come out of the classroom and then stab me unexpectedly? That would have had a high success rate, and it would have been the safest way for an enraged woman like March.

March was indeed very angry, but that didn't change the fact that she was a smart girl. She locked the iron gate, pretended not to have noticed me as if playing a prank, and started acting after confirming that she had succeeded. She pretended that she was completely under her control, making it impossible for me to leave her side. She created anger and desire in my heart, and her words and actions were all seducing me. Her purpose was clear from the beginning: she wanted to kill me and had absolutely no intention of letting me go. But why did she do all these unnecessary things?

Was it because she knew she couldn't escape punishment, so she wanted to act like a "bad girl" before being caught? No, she knew perfectly well that none of the surveillance cameras in the old teaching building were working properly, proving she had studied the building. She was in perfect condition at the time, without any damage, except for two strips of clothing that I cut off; she had no other substantial losses. She would definitely find a suitable way to disguise herself as if this had never happened before. Why would she do all this unnecessary work?

Did she already decide back then that she would destroy "herself" like this?

She should have been eager to kill me. Those two attacks at the entrance of my neighborhood were without the slightest hesitation, filled only with burning anger and murderous intent. Why was she less eager to kill me at the school? What changed?

Chapter 175 Soul and Body

That's not all. The first thing I did when I arrived at school was to go to the office to look for information related to March. However, I didn't find her right away because the information I had was different from her actual information. This led me to go back to the classroom, where I found her real name in March's seat. Then I went back to get more information, and that's how I learned where March lived and realized that March had followed me to school.

However, besides that, I also received another piece of information—March's phone number. I had hastily written it down just in case, and even copied it down. Her parents' contact information was in the latter half of the roster, where only her own contact information would be listed. But the information March gave me indicated that her phone didn't have a SIM card… This was what she said herself, and I also confirmed that her phone didn't have a SIM card.

It's not something like airplane mode; I know that. There's no indication of a SIM card on her phone anywhere. But she definitely has a phone, and her phone number is listed in the contact roster. So what's going on with that other phone number?

I had the idea of ​​going to the office to double-check, but there was no way that could happen right now, unless... unless I, having already resolved everything as I had anticipated, went to the school again around three or four in the morning to investigate the information on that roster once more. I kept this thought in mind and continued to consider it.

It was like shattering a window; all the wind that had been kept out suddenly rushed in. Things I had previously ignored suddenly came to mind one by one.

There's at least an 80% chance that the drunkard is connected to March. Even if there's no direct connection, there's definitely some indirect one. The situation with Ye Zi hasn't changed much. Leaving aside Lin Yin's matter, the biggest change is naturally with March. This incident alone proves that the drunkard and March are inextricably linked.

The remaining 20% ​​is because something else might have happened in places I didn't see, which is the reason why the drunkard ultimately didn't appear.

Yezi and Sanyue both lied to me to varying degrees, but judging from their attitudes towards me, did they really lie to me? Or were they intentionally hiding or lying about things they were trying to conceal from me?

After I rescued Yezi, she refused to talk about her original "friend," never mentioning anything about her friend, as if that friend had never existed. Yezi's life was laid bare before me; she didn't hide anything from me, telling me every detail of her past, except for the "friend" she had been communicating with on her phone.

March's phone number existed in that student roster, so it must be related to someone. Information on a roster shouldn't be something that can be filled in casually. As for the claim that March used that phone number, I don't believe it. How could a girl who secretly saves up to buy a cell phone so openly expose her number?

Firstly, March lied to me; her family doesn't actually have that much control over cell phones. However, both March and Lin Yin's information indicated that their parents didn't provide them with cell phones. Given their attitude towards their daughter, I simply don't believe they would remain indifferent after knowing their daughter secretly bought a phone, unless it was all a scam from beginning to end. But what's the point? Would they need to create such a big scam to fool me? That possibility seems highly improbable.

Secondly, March didn't lie to me, but what about her phone number? March shouldn't have a cell phone, so naturally she wouldn't have a phone number, but there was definitely a string of numbers occupying her personal phone number field. I even copied it down once, although I don't remember the exact numbers, but I definitely did do that. What did that number represent? Why was it there?

Could it be that the teacher really copied other people's information onto the document? I felt increasingly compelled to come to school again late at night, and I still had a premonition that I would discover something again. Guessing alone wouldn't yield anything useful; I needed to gather sufficient evidence before proceeding.

I snapped out of my daze and tried to shake my head to clear my head, but I found myself back in that delayed state. I realized that Yezi must have touched me. I wanted to look up at her to see what she was doing, but I felt her hand gently stroking up my thigh. The familiar feeling kept coming over me. I knew something was wrong. I struggled to turn my head to look at Yezi. She was pretending to read a book, but her face was flushed.

Her hand touched a spot that had recently become particularly sensitive to me, and I couldn't help but shiver. I used my old trick to hold Yezi's hand down, and then, despite the delayed sensation, looked at her face. Yezi is different from March. There's a clear, even fundamental, contract between Yezi and me. Given her personality, she won't disobey me until she gets enough points and attempts.

Feeling me take her hand, Yezi quietly turned to look at me. I slowly asked her, "What is she doing?" She hesitated for a moment, then stammered out her reason: "I... I saw it online. Guys must feel really bad in these situations, so..."

She didn't say it too explicitly, but I already knew what had happened. I could clearly feel the unusual hardness, but how could this be? None of what I was thinking about had happened. My body just bypassed my thoughts and reacted on its own? Are you kidding me? Is this saying my body is no longer under my control?

"Do you know what to do?" I asked Ye Zi, but I myself was plunged into an even deeper shock. I couldn't control my body, or rather, during those three seconds of delay, I could no longer control it; my thoughts and my actions were contradicting each other…

I could only watch helplessly as Yezi, with a shy expression, began to move awkwardly, and as my own body moved uncontrollably in pleasure. I wasn't a participant, but rather more of an observer…

Chapter 176 A Sudden Awakening

The physical contact was transmitted very clearly to my brain, but I found that my thoughts were not disturbed much, as if my consciousness and my body had been separated. Apart from the touch, I did not feel any pleasure, but my body still reacted quite well, which I could tell from Yezi's curious and shy expression.

This feeling of separation between body and mind is unpleasant, but it now offers me the possibility to continue thinking. Of course, Yezi's unusual behavior has also been included in my considerations.

Yezi is a kind girl, and I still believe that even though she killed me for her own purposes. But based on my understanding of Yezi's personality, I don't think she's the type to do something like that willingly. That night on the rooftop, she was probably trying to please me in this way because she realized I didn't seem to like her very much, but she lacked the necessary knowledge and experience.

From this perspective, it's understandable that Yezi would notice my reactions weren't entirely reasonable. I wonder if the separation between my body and mind has become more severe; I didn't even feel any changes within myself. My body reacted on its own without my conscious thought, but I was completely unaware of it until Yezi's hand touched my body.

But given Ye Zi's cautious nature, would she really do something so offensive? Ye Zi… for her, this is just a way to curry favor with me. We have an agreement, and judging from my impression of her, I think she should value that part of the agreement more. Things obtained through hard work should be more tempting to Ye Zi. But what's going on now?

There's something about Ye Zi that's suddenly different from how I remember her. This isn't how she is now; it doesn't align with the reasons I initially acted for her… This isn't my ultimate goal. I had considered that things might veer in a more sensual direction, but I never imagined it would turn out like this. In this environment, no one forced me; it was simply Ye Zi's desire, so I did it…

This was far too audacious for Ye Zi, and when did she acquire this knowledge? Last night? Such a short time shouldn't have caused such a drastic change. Could it have been before? But if it was before, why were Ye Zi's movements on the rooftop so stiff and clumsy, as if she didn't even know what to do? Had the theory not been translated into practice? Then why did Ye Zi suddenly undergo so many changes overnight?

To put it bluntly, Ye Zi suddenly became lecherous. However, if we look at March's situation in the same way, focusing solely on the outcome, then March is no different. She went from extreme hatred to extreme attachment and indulgence, undergoing such a significant change in such a short time, only to find out that her fundamental purpose was simply to "take revenge" on her parents?

There's also a lack of a necessary, clear, and specific reason. Ye Zi lacks an opportunity to become so proactive in trying these things; March lacks a reason to decisively abandon her long-prepared plan and instead get entangled with me; and ultimately, I lack a reason why I should be the one experiencing all of this. Regarding Lin Yin, I don't have too many doubts. Everything she's shown comes from her own thoughts, and these thoughts seem relatively reasonable to me. I'm willing to believe that these are her own thoughts.

After all, my relationship with Lin Yin is different from that with Ye Zi or San Yue. Both Ye Zi and San Yue are my classmates; one is my deskmate, and the other is my class monitor. However, my relationship with San Yue is not the first layer of our relationship. There is another layer between us: San Yue, who is my class monitor and Lin Yin's older sister.

When did my relationship with these girls begin to change? Was it when Lin Yin served me on the roof of the main building? Or when she changed her attitude in March? Or was it even earlier? Or did it begin when I saved Ye Zi? Their feelings have all become distorted, manifesting in a wrong way.

What am I doing?

I held down Yezi's still-moving hand, my heart surprisingly calm. This shouldn't continue. I looked at Yezi, whose face held a mix of shyness, confusion, and worry, and, despite the lingering feeling, slowly removed her hand. I straightened my clothes; Yezi's face was full of unease.