Unexpected Encounters and Shifting Fates

Inside the principal’s office, the middle-aged man with a scruffy beard stared wide-eyed, his face a mask of profound shock.

“What? Are you truly serious?”

“Indeed, of course. If you still wish for this investment, then you will proceed exactly as I instruct.”

As he listened to the girl’s gentle, yet firm, voice, the middle-aged man’s formidable demeanor noticeably softened.

“Ah, you are one of our school’s most brilliant students. Why must you insist on… ”

“I tell you to do it, and you do it. Understood? Principal… *sir*?”

At her words, a shiver of goosebumps prickled the middle-aged man’s skin. This young girl typically presented herself as soft and delicate, yet he had never anticipated such an overwhelming aura from her.

After a moment of profound deliberation, the middle-aged man could only concede.

“Alright, I agree to your terms. However, you must first discuss this with your family.”

“Then many thanks, Principal! Of course!”

Watching the girl depart, the middle-aged man sighed in resignation, then took a sip of the tea resting on his desk.

“Ah, these young people nowadays.”

****

Ding-a-ling. The moment the dismissal bell chimed, Lin Ling swiftly snatched up his schoolbag, eager to escape the classroom. Yet, just as he took his first step out the door, a voice called out to him.

“Lin Ling, it’s your day for duty.”

A familiar voice resonated, and Lin Ling turned, his gaze cutting through the bustling throng to locate its source. The brown-haired girl slowly approached him, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Class Monitor Qin, I… I was just on my way to rinse the rags, haha.”

He offered two awkward chuckles, then swiftly grabbed the neatly arranged rags from his desk. Just as he started to turn, he felt his arm gently encircled by slender, delicate fingers.

Lin Ling stiffened, utterly stunned by Qin Ruoxue’s touch. A quick blush flooded his face, and fine beads of sweat pricked his forehead. It was his first time being held by a girl in such a way, and he couldn’t help but notice the surprising softness of her skin.

Realizing this, Lin Ling abruptly halted his train of thought. The girl before him was, after all, a hidden yandere. To entertain any improper notions about her? What a jest! Did he truly wish for his life to be cut short?

“Lin Ling, cleaning the blackboard is my responsibility. You should go rinse the mop first; by the time you return, everyone else will have already left.”

Fortunately, Qin Ruoxue appeared to be in her usual state. Lin Ling exhaled a silent sigh of relief; normal student interactions often unfolded like this, so there was no need for him to dwell on it.

Still, her continued grip on his arm felt somewhat awkward. Only after he subtly gestured with his eyes did Qin Ruoxue finally realize she was still holding Lin Ling’s arm.

“Ahem, hurry along now. Don’t even think about slacking off.”

Releasing his arm with a blush, Qin Ruoxue returned to her seat, her eyes darting uncertainly. Lin Ling merely shrugged, then casually made his way to the cleaning corner at the back of the classroom and retrieved a mop.

Strolling down the somewhat boisterous corridor, Lin Ling reached the restroom. As he gazed at the reflection of the rather handsome, yet undeniably young, boy in the mirror, he found himself momentarily lost in thought.

The young man’s features were sharply defined, his amber eyes shaped like ‘peach blossoms,’ bestowing upon him both a youthful innocence and an alluring, almost mischievous, charm.

He suddenly understood why girls always seemed to flock to the male lead. This face, akin to that of a celebrity, was nothing short of devastating for young girls at this impressionable age.

Clutching his head with a burgeoning headache, he realized he couldn’t dwell on such thoughts now. It wasn’t as though he could simply tear off his face.

Lin Ling, with a sigh of resignation, placed the mop down and turned on the faucet. He listened to the rushing sound of the water, attempting to drown out the myriad of distracting thoughts.

As he listened, a sudden urge to relieve himself arose. It was precisely then that his peripheral vision caught a fleeting glimpse of a white shadow darting across the mirror.

In that very instant, Lin Ling’s urge to urinate vanished. He rubbed his eyes, then stared wide-eyed in disbelief, yet the reflection in the mirror remained perfectly normal. Still, his intuition screamed that the white shadow he had just witnessed was undeniably real.

A wave of icy dread washed over him. The corridor grew increasingly deserted, and Lin Ling’s scalp prickled with unease. All he desired was to finish rinsing the mop and swiftly retreat to the classroom.

Yet, at that precise moment, a sweet, spring-like voice drifted into the boy’s ear. Lin Ling stiffly lifted his head, and sure enough, there stood the silver-haired girl.

“Ahaha, Chen Sishi, what brings you here?”

The silver-haired girl tilted her head, a charmingly puzzled expression gracing her features.

“Eh? Am I not permitted to be in the restroom?”

“Ahem, that’s not quite what I meant. I was merely a little surprised.”

“This must be our destiny, hehehe.”

Chen Sishi’s words were spoken so softly that Lin Ling, preoccupied with rinsing the mop, didn’t quite catch them and therefore gave them no further thought.

“Lin Ling, is it your turn for duty today?”

On their way back, Chen Sishi asked casually. Lin Ling, without a moment’s hesitation, nodded in affirmation.

“It is my duty today. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing at all. I was just curious.”

Silently noting the date, Chen Sishi offered Lin Ling another innocent smile. Yet, for reasons he couldn’t quite place, that smile sent a shiver of unease down Lin Ling’s spine.

They reached Class Three after a brief walk. As for Chen Sishi, she still had to pass another classroom to reach Class One, and so, the two parted ways.

Returning to the classroom without further incident, Lin Ling leaned against the doorway, feeling somewhat drained, yet a faint smile played on his lips.

Having just conversed with Chen Sishi, Lin Ling now felt a certainty: their relationship was currently nothing more than that of normal friends. What did this imply? It signified that altering certain established plotlines was, in fact, achievable.

This meant that by not confessing to Chen Sishi earlier, Lin Ling had already altered the world line. As long as he gradually ceased interacting with her, he could avert the dreaded ‘cleaver ending.’

But… was it truly this simple? For safety’s sake, Lin Ling decided it would be prudent to observe for a while longer. If no further complications arose after some time, he would then ponder how he had arrived in this world, and, more importantly, if a return was possible.

A pang of heartache struck Lin Ling as he thought of his parents, undoubtedly worried sick at home. As for whether he could return, he realized he could only take things one step at a time.

“What are you doing? Come over here and help.”

Qin Ruoxue’s voice held a trace of annoyance. She had just watched Lin Ling enter and immediately prop himself against the door, his gaze unfocused and his attention scattered, as if lost in a daze. Seeing him so openly shirking his duties, Young Miss Qin’s temper flared.

Startled by Qin Ruoxue’s sharp call, Lin Ling quickly snapped back to reality, responding with a hint of embarrassment.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Don’t rush me.”

He swept his gaze around the classroom; by now, most of the students had already departed. Lin Ling wasn’t in a rush, content to wait for the last few to leave. Finally, under Qin Ruoxue’s almost murderous glare, he gritted his teeth and swept the floor.

Ordinarily, three students completed the after-school cleaning duties, yet today, it was only Lin Ling and Qin Ruoxue. According to the original narrative, it was supposedly due to some unforeseen circumstances at the third student’s home.

It appeared that even with certain alterations to the main plot, other narrative branches remained largely unaffected. Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qin Ruoxue’s voice suddenly echoed from nearby.

“Lin Ling, do you know a silver-haired girl?”

“Ah? Yes, I do. Why do you ask?”

Qin Ruoxue paused for a moment in silence, then spoke with utmost gravity.

“Nothing. Just be careful these days.”

Lin Ling scratched his head, completely bewildered by Qin Ruoxue’s cryptic, out-of-the-blue warning. Surely, Chen Sishi couldn’t have already turned dark, could she?

He chuckled at the thought.

“How could that possibly happen? I’ve already escaped that deadly fate, haven’t I?”