An Unsettling Apology

Fu Ziqing floated upstairs.

The classrooms upstairs were empty, yet all the desks and chairs were neatly arranged.

Hiding in the deserted classroom, a sense of regret began to settle over Fu Ziqing once the quiet enveloped her.

Such incidents, where boys would secretly tug at her hair, had actually been quite common during Fu Ziqing’s middle and high school years.

Back then, she would warn those little rascals. If that proved ineffective, she would resort to the ultimate threat: telling the teacher.

Yet, she had never truly employed this so-called ‘killer move’. As someone who had experienced it herself, she understood it was merely one of the self-important ways those young boys expressed their affections.

Provided the boys didn’t go too far, she would usually just ignore them. Without any reaction, most wouldn’t be interested for long, unless their personalities were exceptionally extreme.

Having both teased girls by pulling their hair and having her own hair pulled by boys, she considered such incidents nothing more than minor interludes amidst their studies.

Why did she cry?

Perhaps different people simply had different thresholds for tolerance.

Fu Ziqing could only conclude this much.

After wandering through the deserted classroom for a while, Fu Ziqing ultimately decided to go back and check on the situation.

It suddenly occurred to her that, compared to the girl, Ming Zhong would likely face far greater trouble.

Making a girl cry could sometimes be a source of pride for a boy, but more often than not, it would brand him as scum in the eyes of others.

Though some might secretly wish to be that very ‘scum’.

Fu Ziqing returned to the back door of the classroom, her head phasing through the door panel to peer inside.

There was no commotion as she had expected. Some students were engrossed in practice problems, others quietly reading, and the classroom remained as peaceful as when she first arrived.

However, she noticed many students whispering amongst themselves, occasionally glancing covertly in Ming Zhong’s direction.

The undercurrents beneath a calm surface were often far more perilous.

The girl was no longer crying, but she remained slumped over her desk. The girl in front of her and another beside her were offering comfort.

Ming Zhong, meanwhile, kept his head down, staring at the test questions on his desk, his thoughts unreadable.

Then, he suddenly turned, catching sight of the face that had phased through the door panel.

Ming Zhong’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this.

A flicker of panic crossed Fu Ziqing’s face, and then Ming Zhong watched her retreat back through the door panel.

After a brief moment of surprise, Ming Zhong rose to his feet, causing the chair behind him to scrape with a not-too-loud sound.

Yet, in the quiet classroom, even that small sound was distinctly audible.

Consequently, every pair of eyes in the room turned towards him in unison.

This included Li Yu, who was still slumped over her desk.

Simultaneously, Ming Zhong pulled open the back door of the classroom and dashed out.

Ming Zhong glanced left and right, spotting a flash of white at the stairwell, and immediately gave chase.

He pursued the figure up one flight of stairs, then another, until he saw the white specter float into yet another classroom.

Ming Zhong reached the classroom door. It wasn’t locked, opening easily with a push.

Finally, Ming Zhong clearly saw her: a Miss Ghost in white, sitting in the center of the classroom.

“Senior, why are you running?”

After a slight exhalation, Ming Zhong smiled.

“I wasn’t running. I was floating.”

Fu Ziqing didn’t even glance at Ming Zhong, who stood at the classroom entrance; she seemed to be talking to herself.

Ming Zhong shook his head, a chuckle escaping him.

“Senior, are you still a child?”

The very words Li Yu had used to describe Ming Zhong earlier, he now uttered here.

Fu Ziqing listened, a strange feeling stirring within her. She tilted her head and replied,

“I’m not human…”

Her words sounded more like an attempt to rationalize something, so she quickly corrected herself.

“Aren’t you afraid of being thought a lunatic, talking to me in your classroom?”

Ming Zhong paused, then said,

“I’ve already been labeled a hooligan. Being called a lunatic on top of that hardly matters.”

“…”

Fu Ziqing opened her mouth, but no words came out.

This kid’s words are so sarcastic.

A flicker of irritation crossed Fu Ziqing’s mind, yet she couldn’t find a single reason to retort.

She turned her head to look out the window, where the sunlight was growing steadily brighter.

“Senior, did you need something from me?”

Ming Zhong walked into the classroom.

The classroom was profoundly quiet, save for the occasional bird call drifting in from outside the window.

A moment later, Fu Ziqing turned back. Ming Zhong had already settled into the chair beside her, his head tilted as he watched her.

Just as Fu Ziqing opened her mouth to speak, three figures suddenly burst through the classroom door.

“Second Brother, are you alright?”

“Son, fear not! Your father has arrived!”

“Ming Zhong, how are you?”

A muscular man, a chubby boy, and a skinny fellow like a bamboo pole.

Fu Ziqing fell silent, while Ming Zhong looked towards his three dorm mates.

“Why are you all here?”

Even as Ming Zhong posed his question, his three brothers had already encircled him.

“Son, you’re quite the man!”

Wang Dongdong, the chubby boy, flashed an admiring look, giving a plump thumbs-up.

“Fatty, don’t talk nonsense! Second Brother isn’t like that!”

Zhang Qiang slapped Wang Dongdong’s fleshy back, making him wince in pain.

Wu Daqing adjusted his glasses, remaining silent. Yet, the cold gleam of his lenses could not conceal the genuine concern in his eyes.

Ming Zhong gazed at his three brothers, and a thousand unspoken words condensed into just three short ones.

“I’m fine.”

“Good, as long as you’re fine.”

Zhang Qiang patted Ming Zhong’s shoulder, not thinking much of it.

“Ming Zhong, what exactly happened?”

Wu Daqing, however, pressed for details.

Ming Zhong instinctively wanted to glance at Fu Ziqing but held back. He said,

“It was just a small misunderstanding. I’ll explain it clearly to Li Yu myself when I get a chance, so you don’t need to worry.”

“If you ask me, that Li Yu definitely has a thing for you. She deliberately wanted to get your attention.”

Wang Dongdong stroked his rounded chin, analyzing the situation.

“I don’t know what happened between you two before, but that final ‘hooligan’ she shouted was clearly meant for the entire class to hear. It was to make other girls avoid you and for the boys to ostracize you.”

“And her crying? She just slumped over her desk without a sound. Based on my many years of watching anime, that was fake crying, designed to elicit your guilt and sympathy. I bet when you go to explain things to her later, she’ll quickly forgive you and use it to get closer to you.”

“After that, because of this incident, you’ll be in a vulnerable position in your relationship. Slowly, she’ll gain complete control over you!”

“Ming Zhong, I think you’ve encountered a yandere!”

Wang Dongdong’s analysis was remarkably well-reasoned. He concluded with a decisive slap on the desk.

Everyone present gasped in surprise.

Of course, there was also a ghost, equally dumbfounded.

“Wang Fatty, don’t go spreading such talk everywhere!”

Zhang Qiang shot Wang Dongdong a stern glare.

“It’s just us few; no outsiders are around. I’m just speaking freely. I’m not a busybody, so why would I spread rumors everywhere? Besides, I’m just worried our brother is being played.”

Wang Dongdong seemed a little indignant.

Ming Zhong quickly interjected to smooth things over.

“Alright, alright, I know you brothers are all concerned about me…”

He subtly glanced at Fu Ziqing, then continued,

“Hmm, you guys should head back and review. The mock exam is coming up soon.”

“What about you? Aren’t you going back?”

“I want to get familiar with the exam venue first. Plus, it might not be the best idea for me to go back right now.”

Given Ming Zhong’s words, the three of them considered the awkwardness of him returning to face Li Yu, who was sitting right in front. They said no more and left the classroom.

“Senior?”

After watching the three exit the classroom, and waiting a moment, Ming Zhong turned his gaze to Fu Ziqing.

A smile played on his lips, and his eyes held a mixture of anticipation and encouragement.

“Senior, is there something you wanted to tell me?”

“…”

After a prolonged silence, Fu Ziqing finally spoke.

“I’m sorry!”

Having said it, she no longer deliberately avoided his gaze as before. Her pale, grayish eyes met Ming Zhong’s directly.

A moment later.

“The second time.”

“Hmm?”

“This is the second time you’ve apologized to me.”

Ming Zhong smiled faintly.

Fu Ziqing’s complexion was, and could only be, stark white; it was impossible for her to blush. Nevertheless, her tone grew somewhat fervent.

“It won’t happen again!”

She glared with her pale, grayish eyes, her sockets widened so much it seemed her eyeballs might pop out.

The sight was somewhat unsettling, causing Ming Zhong to instinctively avert his gaze.

However, he quickly turned his face back, fixing his stare on those pale, grayish eyes.

“Ming Zhong.”

Suddenly, another girl’s voice echoed through the classroom.

At the classroom door, Li Yu stood.

Her eyes were still faintly red, her brows furrowed, and her lips pursed, presenting a truly pitiful sight.