Jiang Xiuxiu had some impression of the director of Cihe Academy.
Around forty years old, lean, serious-looking, and about her height, the director didn’t appear robust.
If it were the principal, Jiang Xiuxiu might worry about her strength, but with the director, she believed
she could manage.
She found her way to the director’s apartment and peeked through the window. As expected, the blood jade had
ended up in the director’s hands.
Inside the dimly lit room, the director held the jade, examining it under the light.
Unlike what Jiang Xiuxiu had anticipated, the director’s gaze wasn’t fervent but rather filled with an
indescribable worry.
Frowning as she looked at the blood jade, the director didn’t resemble Teacher Wang, he was more like the
principal.
Could it be that the jade's influence varied among people?
Curious, Jiang Xiuxiu watched more intently.
Then, the director suddenly turned her head and caught Jiang Xiuxiu watching.
Jiang Xiuxiu: “...”
Director: “...”
Seeing Jiang Xiuxiu's face pressed against the window, the director sighed and, surprisingly, didn’t get
angry.
She just sighed and waved Jiang Xiuxiu in. “Come in, Jiang Xiuxiu.”
Seeing the director's clear eyes and sane demeanor, Jiang Xiuxiu hesitated.
She pointed at the blood jade through the window. “Director, do you know what’s going on with that jade? Did
it influence Teacher Wang and the principal?”
The director, or the principal, had been at Cihe Academy since its inception. They likely knew a lot,
certainly more than she did.
Jiang Xiuxiu’s intuition told her she might get an entirely different answer from the director compared to
Xu Bai.
Moreover, if she was right, everyone here was already dead.
They were merely repeating events from over twenty years ago in spiritual form.
Didn’t they have any idea about the truth behind their deaths?
Jiang Xiuxiu doubted it.
While Teacher Wang might not know, the director surely knew the academy’s hidden secrets.
Though game rules might prevent her from telling the players directly, she could hint.
“A jade? Do you mean that stone?” the director asked, smiling wryly.
“A stone is just a stone. How could there be a stone that can deceive people?” the director shook her head.
It’s never the stone that harms or deceives, but another person, or perhaps another ghost.
Late at night, just minutes before midnight, Jiang Xiuxiu arrived at the Cihe Academy gate as promised.
She held the director’s coat, with the blood jade in its pocket.
Xu Bai was already waiting by the gate when Jiang Xiuxiu arrived.
He blended into the darkness, his pale face illuminated by the cold moonlight.
Jiang Xiuxiu thought that every time she saw Xu Bai, he always had this innocent, gentle, and pure
appearance, contrasting sharply with his true nature.
He never hid his deceitfulness. Despite this, Jiang Xiuxiu often found herself inexplicably drawn to him,
forgetting that in his eyes, she was no different from any other player.
Who would spare a pig in the pen because it looked pleasant or had a playful personality?
Seeing her approach, Xu Bai tilted his head and smiled warmly. “Did you get it?”
Jiang Xiuxiu didn’t reply.
She just held the coat, staring at Xu Bai with an unusual determination on her usually calm face.
“I’ve been thinking about something these past few days,” she said softly. “Why did Shu Xin, who gave me
money in the morning, turn against me in the evening?”
In the morning, Shu Xin had believed in her. Shu Xin had been wary of her because she survived until the
third day.
Jiang Xiuxiu wasn’t highly emotionally intelligent, but she wasn’t stupid. She was aware of Xu Bai’s
manipulation and Shu Xin’s intentions.
But now, this issue couldn't be ignored.
She smiled slightly, tilting her head at Xu Bai. “Xu Bai, what do you think? Do you know why?”
“What do you mean?” Xu Bai asked.
At some point, his smile had completely vanished.
Under the cold, pale moonlight, his deep, dark eyes looked at Jiang Xiuxiu coldly, with a sharp, frightening
gaze.
Oppression, fear, dread, and murderous intent rushed towards Jiang Xiuxiu.
“I mean nothing else.”
Under his gaze, Jiang Xiuxiu remained unflinching.
She stared at Xu Bai, her voice steady and firm. “I just want to get back what I lost.”
As she had wondered before, someone like Shu Xin wouldn’t be too absolute.
Even if she doubted Jiang Xiuxiu’s information, she wouldn’t label her a “liar” based on mere guesses or
completely break ties with her.
Unless the “concrete evidence” Shu Xin mentioned truly negated everything Jiang Xiuxiu had done.
Jiang Xiuxiu thought Shu Xin chose her because she could survive the boss.
Shu Xin valued this, she wanted the information Jiang Xiuxiu could get from Xu Bai.
Everything between Shu Xin and Jiang Xiuxiu was based on the premise that Jiang Xiuxiu had seen the boss.
This condition’s witnesses, Li Xiaoxiao and the middle-aged man, were both dead—one by the boss, the other
by Jiang Xiuxiu.
With this, the only ones who could confirm that "Jiang Xiuxiu had seen the boss" were Jiang Xiuxiu herself
and the boss, Xu Bai.
So, what if Xu Bai told Shu Xin he had never seen Jiang Xiuxiu?
The answer was clear.
Shu Xin naturally wouldn’t doubt the boss, she would think Jiang Xiuxiu was deceiving her.
This led to their falling out, leaving Jiang Xiuxiu isolated and desperate, with no choice but to cooperate
with the boss.
“It was you,” Jiang Xiuxiu said calmly, “you deceived Shu Xin, causing me to lose the 15,000 yuan I
deserved.”
After crying last night, Jiang Xiuxiu quickly figured this out.
She also reflected on her actions since entering the game.
From the start, after getting the useless skill of costume change, she had been seeking death, not intending
to stay in the game.
Then, she was luckily spared by Xu Bai and discovered by Shu Xin, who enticed her with benefits, so she
chose to stay.
Throughout, she had been cautious, never harming or betraying anyone.
Even if it was just a game, she tried her best to complete Shu Xin’s tasks, never intending to cut corners
or take advantage.
At least in her mind, her efforts were worth it.
So she couldn’t stand it.
If Xu Bai had only used her, it wouldn’t matter much; it was just a game.
But losing 15,000 yuan meant a deep-seated grudge against Xu Bai.
15,000 yuan was almost three semesters of tuition, enough for her to buy 21 packs worth 688 yuan each, with
over 500 yuan left over.
This grudge had to be avenged.
“Interesting,” Xu Bai said slowly. “I underestimated you.”
He looked at Jiang Xiuxiu with interest, as if seeing her for the first time, trying to see through her.
She should have been humble, lazy, stupid, and useless, like trash.
But now, she figured out his tactics and was seeking revenge.
“You’re right,” Xu Bai laughed, openly admitting, “I did deceive Shu Xin. But what can you do about it?”
He had no fear, as his strength didn’t require him to worry about Jiang Xiuxiu.
To him, Jiang Xiuxiu, Shu Xin, and other players were like mice or ants, easily manipulated.
He never treated them as equals or acknowledged them.
“I can feel it, the blood jade is with you,” the boy said as he approached. His face still wore an innocent
smile, but his words were chilling. “You completed your task, so I’m satisfied. I’ll give you a quick end.”
He lunged at Jiang Xiuxiu.
She felt a change in the wind and saw a shadow before her.
Prepared, she immediately crouched and swung the director’s coat at the shadow.
She remembered Xu Bai saying the blood jade’s "evil energy" affected him.
No matter how much truth there was to his words, he did fear the blood jade.
As expected, Xu Bai was indeed restrained by the jade.
When the jade got close, his face turned pale, and he swiftly retreated, dodging Jiang Xiuxiu’s swing.
Seizing the opportunity, she threw the coat four or five meters away.
Between useless Jiang Xiuxiu and the crucial blood jade, Xu Bai’s choice was obvious.
Ignoring Jiang Xiuxiu, Xu Bai flashed towards the coat.
As he picked it up, an unexpected event occurred.
“Dong dong dong dong dong dong.”
The midnight clock chimed in the silent academy.
It was midnight.
Xu Bai realized this and quickly looked down.
His face changed.
The coat he held shook twice in midair and then disappeared.
What was happening? Why?
His eyes flickered for two seconds before he looked straight at Jiang Xiuxiu.
“Was it you?” he asked coldly, “Did you do something?”
“Of course,” Jiang Xiuxiu replied casually, smiling.
If it were someone else, they might not have achieved this. But her special skill was costume change.
One feature of costume change was replicating clothes along with their contents.
From the beginning, she never intended to truly cooperate with Xu Bai or give him the blood jade.
Long ago, after confirming the information from the director, she hid the real blood jade in a safe place.
What she held was a replica with a five-minute duration.
Now, seeing the furious boss, she smiled triumphantly.
Even a salted fish has sharp spines. Xu Bai underestimated her and now faced her counterattack.
“Want to know where the real blood jade is? Want me to get it for you?”
Her eyes gleamed with an ambiguous light in the darkness. “Take off your pants, and I’ll tell you.”
In her pocket, the cat tail underwear was eager to see the light of day.