Aftermath and Accusations

Bai Ruoli was in a daze, staring at her computer screen, where a new Word document lay open. She glanced at the time. More than an hour had passed, yet she hadn’t written a single word. Or rather, she had. She’d begun countless times, only to delete, then delete again. Writing, too, had its good days and its bad. Her head throbbed. She rubbed her dry, weary eyes, unwilling to endure the screen’s fluorescent glare any longer. She rose, turned, and collapsed onto her bed. The duvet smelled of fresh sunshine, and her anxiety began to dissolve. ‘Mmm~’ ‘Thank you so much!’ ‘My great goddess Ruoruo!’ “…” The Yu Cai Middle School incident had concluded, leaving numerous teachers and staff members dead. As enforcers of the rules, they were the initial targets, only to be replaced by her own involvement. Yet, miraculously, most of the students had survived. The casualties this time had not exceeded one hundred. Seventy-eight people—that was the precise number Dandelion had provided afterward. Bai Ruoli rolled over, gazing at the ceiling, her hand pressed against her forehead. She truly didn’t know what to think. To others, these were mere numbers, but to her, perhaps with just a little more effort, she could have reduced them. Had she not tried hard enough? She had. Bai Ruoli turned onto her side. She had tried with all her might, believing she deserved praise, even. Seventy-eight people. Beyond that, among those seventy-eight were Ruoruo’s own classmates and teachers. Was this result, achieved through such effort, truly her limit? Could she only accomplish this much? ‘Saint Lily, you are too weak. The ‘Lucky Garden’ you lead has no future.’ ‘I will challenge you for the position of ‘Lucky Garden’ captain.’ White Rose, the child she held in highest regard, had challenged her after that incident. The agreed time was Friday, just two days away. But why had things come to this? Bai Ruoli’s forehead felt faintly warm, and a wave of discomfort washed over her. She was exhausted, sleepy, yet sleep eluded her—as if this was a punishment, denying her any easy escape. If that was the case, she could only continue to think, to clarify matters, and to find answers. ‘Yes, I truly am weak.’ If left to her alone, the casualty count wouldn’t have stopped at seventy-eight. It would have been far higher, perhaps enough to cast a lifelong shadow over countless individuals. The primary hero of this incident had been Su Mo. The one at the very top of the villain list. Indeed, without her, the Yu Cai Middle School incident might have taken an entirely different, unknown turn. The ‘Lucky Garden’ had merely contained the security guards, successfully completing the rescue of the survivors. Whether middle school or high school, those students had survived because of a girl who could summon fire. Crucially, Yu Cai Middle School hadn’t transformed into a domain for rule-based disaster beasts, indicating that someone had dealt with the rule-based disaster beast. This was not the achievement of the Frost Snow Sovereign who had arrived. That individual had recklessly flaunted their power, and if Bai Ruoli’s reaction had been even a moment slower… Bai Ruoli clenched her fists. Had the Frost Snow Sovereign intended to eliminate even White Rose and her companions then? Unfortunately, she hadn’t had the chance to question them. The other party had pursued a fire dragon and vanished, and Bai Ruoli hadn’t seen them again during the aftermath. So, what exactly had she come for? Possessing such power, yet acting as if it were a game, with no regard for the lives of others. Su Mo. Frost Snow Sovereign. These two stood at the pinnacle of super-powered beings, wielding strength that Bai Ruoli lacked—one a paragon, the other a villain. The previous rumors now seemed to shift. After this direct encounter, the scales in Bai Ruoli’s heart tipped towards the villainous ability user, whom the world refused to acknowledge. “At least in this matter, Su Mo wasn’t the villain. Frost Snow Sovereign was in the wrong.” **** “Big Blockhead, I came to play with you~” Opening the door, Su Mu smiled at Bai Ruoruo, who was beaming and waving. He stepped aside, allowing the child to enter. “Big Blockhead, what’s the WiFi password?” “The password hasn’t changed.” “Oh.” “Black tea or milk?” “No cola?” “Cola isn’t really good for kids, is it~” “What are you talking about? Big Blockhead, you’ve definitely been fooled by those online marketing accounts!” “Really?” Bai Ruoruo nestled into the sofa, taking a sip of iced milk. A ring of white foam clung to her lips, which she licked clean with her small tongue before picking up her phone to browse the internet. “…” “That Ruoruo is from Yu Cai Middle School, right?” “That’s right!” “Are you alright?” Su Mu paused, then asked, a lingering concern in his voice. After returning home, he had been too exhausted and simply fallen asleep. Now, he couldn’t help but worry if exposing a child to such a gruesome scene would leave psychological scars or trauma. “Aren’t I sitting here perfectly fine now!” Bai Ruoruo flashed a bright smile. “Plus, I don’t have to go to class for a whole month! Yay!” “…” Su Mu watched her, his gaze lingering for a long moment. This made Bai Ruoruo feel a little helpless. “Honestly, I’m really fine, okay? And compared to my other classmates…” Bai Ruoruo paused for a moment, then chuckled again. “I was like a princess from a fairy tale, saved by Su Su and Sister Lily. I even saw fireworks and flew around like a magical girl~” “I bet you, Big Blockhead, haven’t experienced any of that!” ‘…’ *What’s the wager? I won’t lose!* “I’m already doing great. If I couldn’t even be happy, then Su Su and Sister Lily, who worked so hard for me, would surely blame themselves and think it was their fault.” [Host, little Ruoruo is so sensible~] “Mm.” Su Mu gazed at Ruoruo tenderly, gently ruffling her hair. “Hey! You’re messing up my hair~” Bai Ruoruo shook her head, pouted, and with a slight blush, pulled away from Su Mu’s large hand. “Big Blockhead, you don’t think I was talking about you, do you? Su Su is my new friend, a cute girl just like me!” “Mm-hmm.” “I really wasn’t talking about you!” “I know~” Su Mu shrugged. “After all, I didn’t actually help. I only offered my concern afterward.” “Eh? That’s not what I meant either. Besides, Big Blockhead had his own things going on back then. Nobody knew it would suddenly happen…” Her voice trailed off. “Cough, cough~” Su Mu cleared his throat, thinking, ‘Seriously, how did I step on a landmine again?’ He quickly changed the subject. “Oh right, I also bought some snacks. Ruoruo, do you want some?” “Yes!” “Alright, I’ll go get them!” Su Mu rose and went to the cupboard, searching for the large snack package he had specially prepared. They were new types of snacks that children were sure to love. Chips, Chocoz, Snickers, O-Pin Foods, Three Squirrels, and many more—a huge pile recommended by the supermarket attendant. Su Mu gathered the snacks in his arms and returned to the living room. Just then, he heard a voice. “That’s not true at all!” “What’s wrong?” Su Mu asked, puzzled. “Su Su isn’t a bad person! This clearly has nothing to do with Su Su!” “…” Su Mu quietly edged closer, observing Bai Ruoruo, who was indignant and completely focused on her phone. The headline read: ‘[#Shocking! Yu Cai Middle School Tragedy! Inhuman Demon Girl! Su Mo’s Crimes Are Too Numerous To Count!]’ [Su Xiaoqian: #Shock! Hmm… Host, do you think little Ruoruo might have realized that Su Su is Su Mo?] [Su Mu: Very likely. By the way, was my disguise that much of a failure this time? Little Xiaoqian, can I return it?] [Su Xiaoqian: No, darling~ Goods sold are non-returnable and non-exchangeable (●’◡’●)~]