A Jealous Encounter in the Stairwell

The dismissal bell echoed through the halls, and the cacophony of voices slowly swelled. At the stairwell on the side of the teaching building, Li Yan watched Lin Yi, who was bustling about, with a look of utter bewilderment.

“Seriously, Lin Yi, what exactly are you searching for? You’ve been at it for almost an entire class period.”

“Just don’t worry about it, let me continue my search.”

Without pausing his movements, Lin Yi ran his hands over the wall repeatedly. When he found nothing on one side, he moved to search elsewhere. The ceaseless search made Li Yan feel increasingly drowsy.

“Alright, Lin Yi, you keep at it. I’m going to catch some sleep.”

Li Yan didn’t give it much thought. He assumed Lin Yi was searching for something like a disciplinary notice, which the student council typically issued to students who had committed serious offenses.

As Li Yan sat on the stairs, his mind grew increasingly hazy. Just as he began to drift off, a sudden gust of wind swept past him, carrying with it a faint, sweet fragrance.

He lifted his head, only to find a breathtaking silver-haired girl standing directly in front of him. His dazed mind instantly sharpened. Frowning, he regarded the solemn-faced girl and tentatively spoke.

“Sister-in-law, when did you get here?”

It had to be said, Li Yan’s casual address of “Sister-in-law” was quite pleasing to Chen Sishi. She offered him a gentle glance before firmly seizing Lin Yi’s wrist and tugging him towards the upper floor.

Before Lin Yi could even register what was happening, his balance faltered, and he nearly fell to the ground.

“Sishi? What are you doing down here? Didn’t we say we’d meet at noon?”

At his words, Chen Sishi’s cheeks flushed faintly as she mumbled something under her breath.

“I just couldn’t wait…”

Her voice was so faint that Lin Yi couldn’t quite make out her words.

“What was that?”

“Nothing at all. Come on, Lin Yi, let’s head back to class.”

With that, Chen Sishi tried to pull Lin Yi upstairs once more. Yet, being merely a girl, she couldn’t possibly budge him.

Observing the deepening gloom on Chen Sishi’s face, Lin Yi quickly interjected.

“Hold on, Sishi. If Ling Qianwu comes back and finds me gone, I’ll be absolutely miserable.”

“Hmph, she’s utterly insignificant. At worst, I’ll just have her removed from her position.”

Pouting her lips, Chen Sishi let out a cold huff and clung tightly to Lin Yi. She was practically melded to him, allowing him to even feel the soft, tender skin of the young woman beneath her clothes.

How could Lin Yi possibly tolerate such intimacy? He strained to pull away, but Chen Sishi pressed even harder against him. Inch by agonizing inch, they gradually shuffled towards the stairwell landing.

Witnessing their impending departure, Li Yan, who had been sitting idly, instantly sprang to his feet. He absolutely could not let Lin Yi leave like this; if Lin Yi was going, he had to bring Li Yan along. Being left alone to contend with Ling Qianwu would surely lead to his demise.

“Lin Yi, don’t leave me behind! I can’t be without you!”

Lin Yi’s heart gave a sudden lurch. He stiffly turned his head to meet Chen Sishi’s gaze, finding her already looking at him, their eyes locking.

As if sensing the icy chill in her eyes, Lin Yi’s body began to tremble involuntarily. Chen Sishi, no longer looking at him, turned her head to face Li Yan.

Her icy stare pierced Li Yan’s heart like a dagger. Realizing that something was gravely wrong, Li Yan hastily clamped a hand over his mouth and stumbled backward.

Chen Sishi watched the awkward Li Yan, her eyes utterly devoid of light. A morbid smile spread across her lips as she advanced, step by deliberate step, towards him.

“What exactly… were you saying, Student Li Yan…?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. He instinctively glanced at Lin Yi’s expression, but Lin Yi merely offered him a look that conveyed, ‘You’re on your own,’ before pointedly ignoring him.

Though Lin Yi maintained a composed expression, inwardly, he was far more panicked than Li Yan.

It was, however, too late for Lin Yi to feign deafness, as Chen Sishi’s gaze had already fixed upon him.

“Lin Yi, what exactly was he saying? Was he perhaps… claiming he couldn’t leave you?”

Her lifeless eyes bore into Lin Yi, her expression a complex mix of emotions. The atmosphere grew thick with a chilling, murderous intent, making it feel as though Chen Sishi was moments away from producing a knife.

Realizing the trouble he had stirred, Li Yan nervously pressed his lips together. While he was aware of Chen Sishi’s wild side, he had never imagined her to be *this* unhinged. He had a sinking feeling that if this continued, Lin Yi would surely face dire consequences.

Finally mustering a sliver of courage, Li Yan straightened his posture and cried out.

“Sister-in-law, I was just joking around, merely joking! You really don’t need to take it to heart.”

Chen Sishi’s mind, however, automatically filtered out Li Yan’s frantic words. She continued to silently fix her gaze on Lin Yi, her expression unchanged.

Lin Yi’s scalp prickled under Chen Sishi’s intense gaze; she clearly looked prepared to draw a blade. He knew all too well the terrifying depths of a yandere’s jealousy. When a yandere became possessive, bloodshed was inevitable, and it could very well leave no survivors.

If Li Yan had been a girl, Lin Yi might have understood her jealousy. But Li Yan was a boy, and Chen Sishi’s possessiveness in this context was utterly baffling to Lin Yi.

His mind, overwhelmed, struggled to process the situation. He stood with his mouth slightly agape, utterly at a loss for words.

When Lin Yi remained silent, Chen Sishi’s eyes grew noticeably dimmer.

“Lin Yi isn’t speaking. Lin Yi isn’t speaking. Why aren’t you speaking? Could it be that you and he actually… did something?”

As she spoke, she produced a small knife, lightly tracing its tip along Lin Yi’s neck. The expression on her delicate face was one of pure, unbridled madness.

“Sishi, where is your mind going? My orientation is perfectly normal.”

He gave her a sharp tap on the head. He absolutely had to redirect Chen Sishi’s strangely misplaced jealousy.

Chen Sishi winced, covering her head. She blinked her watery blue eyes, and a flicker of light seemed to return to their depths. Tilting her head, she looked surprisingly cute.

Noticing the shift, Lin Yi promptly seized the opportunity.

“What bizarre thoughts are swirling in your little head?”

To be addressed in such a way by Lin Yi made Chen Sishi feel a touch of injustice. She slowly lowered her head, the elegant, slender knife hanging listlessly from her hand.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Lin Yi… I shouldn’t have…”

Chen Sishi’s apology was cut short as two figures appeared at the stairwell entrance. The moment they saw the small knife in Chen Sishi’s hand, the shorter of the two girls instantly lunged forward.

With an almost instinctive evasive maneuver, Chen Sishi took a small step back, then deftly used a reverse grip to seize the petite girl who had lunged at her.

“Huh? What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

Her eyes were clouded with confusion as the knife in her hand twirled idly between her fingers.

“The school prohibits carrying controlled weapons!”

Despite being held by Chen Sishi, Ling Qianwu’s forceful presence utterly eclipsed her captor’s.

“Oh, but this isn’t a controlled weapon~”

Chen Sishi, convinced she held the advantage, allowed an almost imperceptible glint of murderous intent to flash in her eyes. She twirled the small knife at her fingertips, already envisioning plunging it into Ling Qianwu.

Yet, Ling Qianwu’s grip on her wrist was unyielding, holding them in a tense stalemate for a considerable moment.

Seeing the scene unfold, Qin Ruoxue, who had just arrived, chose not to intervene directly. Her immediate reaction was to pull Lin Yi behind her, then fix Chen Sishi with a wary, watchful gaze.

Moments later, their positions dramatically reversed, with Chen Sishi now pinned against the wall by Ling Qianwu. The turn of events was so swift that Chen Sishi had no time to react.

Ling Qianwu, now holding the clear advantage, arched an eyebrow in disdain. Though she wasn’t as tall as Chen Sishi, she possessed a wealth of combat skills. With her current strength, subduing Chen Sishi proved to be no challenge at all.

Snatching the sharp knife, Ling Qianwu swiftly passed it to Qin Ruoxue. Without her weapon, Chen Sishi was rendered powerless to resist, leaving her no choice but to remain firmly pinned against the wall.

“Ruoxue, please take the knife to the student affairs office later.”

Qin Ruoxue nodded in assent, then began to curiously examine the small knife in her hand. It resembled a utility knife, adorned with numerous charming, girlish decorations.

Its handle was notably long, roughly ten centimeters, making it feel more like a pen in her grasp.

In stark contrast to its lengthy handle, the blade itself measured only three centimeters, falling far short of the legal limit for a controlled weapon.

“Chen Sishi, you’re coming with me to the student affairs office.”

Her voice was cold. Ling Qianwu pushed Chen Sishi a couple of steps forward, and it was then that Qin Ruoxue called out.

“Be careful. I’m heading back with Lin Yi now.”

“Understood.”

****