Chapter 23

"Th-thank you..." Although Qi Yue had already turned to the next person, Zhao Yu still spoke softly after sitting down and wrote the number 397 in the information booklet.

At first, the Class F students had been frightened when Qi Yue called their names. But after he called a few, they began to look forward to it.

Over the next while, Qi Yue called many students' names. But... everyone he called had spoken up for Beixing to some extent.

That left the students who had banded together to ostracize Beixing feeling dejected.

Qi Yue won't bother with us. The same thought occurred to them all, without a word being exchanged.

Then Qi Yue suddenly called a name that surprised them.

"Zhou Wei."

"M-me?" Zhou Wei heard his heart pounding wildly as he stood up in a daze.

Qi Yue looked at the student who had repeatedly succumbed to Jin Yuxuan's money power and run laps for him in physical training class. The green health bar above his head was so feeble it could only be described as a sliver of health. His Esper Ability was evidently the weakest in the class.

"If you encounter any kind of Aberrant, I suggest you don't hesitate. Turn and run." Besides Jin Yuxuan, he also ran laps for other people. Though he had only a sliver of health, he was exceptionally good at running away. When life and death were at stake, how could kill points matter more than staying alive?

"Th-thank you." Zhou Wei lowered his head in shame. He hadn't expected to receive Qi Yue's guidance too. If Qi Yue hadn't told him, he wouldn't have known that his Esper Ability couldn't even defeat the lowest-grade Aberrant.

With Zhou Wei setting the "precedent," the students whose names hadn't been called grew hopeful and watched Qi Yue intently.

Sooner or later, each of their names was called.

In the end, only Jin Yuxuan remained.

Jin Yuxuan: "..."

There was no way he would be included...

"Jin Yuxuan." Qi Yue looked at the last student, his head aching so badly from all the brainstorming he had done in such a short time that it felt ready to explode.

"!" Jin Yuxuan's eyes lit up at that moment.

"...Jin Yuxuan, please continue using your money power." In every class, Jin Yuxuan used his money power to solve every problem and had never used an Esper Ability. Naturally, Qi Yue hadn't observed what ability Jin Yuxuan had.

"...O-okay." Qi Yue must think I'm... so weak I'd better keep relying on others. Given how reliable Qi Yue had proven to be with his "omniscience," Jin Yuxuan trusted his words one hundred percent. As he sat down, he lowered his head and said softly, "Th-thank you."

He hadn't seemed to give Jin Yuxuan any useful advice. Though he didn't understand Jin Yuxuan's thought process, the curve of Qi Yue's smile remained unchanged. "...You're welcome."

"Everyone, do your best." Finally free from having to think any more, Qi Yue silently breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Liao Yuanliang, who was sitting there at his leisure, and struggled to control his clenched fist. His voice was as pleasant as a spring breeze. "Teacher Liao, I've said everything I needed to. Goodbye."

Qi Yue gave Liao Yuanliang a slight nod, then walked straight back to his seat without waiting for him to speak.

He didn't want to spend another second at this damned lectern!

He had done his deed and withdrawn, concealing his contribution and name. Qi Yue had clearly done something important that could save lives, yet he acted as though it were a trivial matter and paid it no mind. Liao Yuanliang stood up and clapped wildly. "That's our Qi Yue!"

Qi Yue must have had some secret, unknown relationship with the YR Research Institute to know so much. He also knew the Esper Ability of every student at their Seventh Hunter Academy, even those in Class F, like the back of his hand. Was it really safe for Qi Yue to go to the YR Research Institute? In any case, he had to report this fact to the academy director as soon as possible.

He wouldn't believe Qi Yue had come unprepared, not even if someone beat him to death.

With Liao Yuanliang leading the way, applause filled the Class F classroom.

Beixing clapped the hardest of all, smacking his hands together like a seal.

The applauding Class F students watched Qi Yue walk steadily toward Beixing, their feelings mixed.

Given how they had "isolated" Beixing in the past, Qi Yue could have ignored them entirely and kept them from knowing what to do when they encountered danger. But... Qi Yue hadn't held anything back. Even Jin Yuxuan, who had shown Beixing the most malice, had received Qi Yue's guidance.

Faced with living, breathing human lives, Qi Yue had temporarily set aside his dislike and disdain for them, putting their lives first. His character... was so noble and admirable.

Beixing wasn't the only one Qi Yue "knew" about. He knew about every one of them. This fact also made the Class F students feel once more just how "terrifying" Qi Yue was.

It couldn't be that Qi Yue had been watching their every move since he transferred, could it? That was absolutely impossible.

After all, who in Class F didn't know that once Qi Yue transferred, Beixing was the only person he had eyes for? As for them, unless he needed to mock them, he couldn't be bothered to spare them a glance.

Hearing everyone applaud, Qi Yue sat back down and felt his anxiety ease for the time being.

Fortunately, he had finally managed to keep up his persona for the day.

Liao Yuanliang said a few more things about the Weekly Assessment rules, then dismissed the class and told everyone to go to the Item Depot to exchange points for items.

Aware of his own special circumstances, Beixing stayed in his seat, planning to leave after everyone else.

Because he had used his brain too much in a short time, Qi Yue's head was splitting, yet he still had to maintain a calm, composed appearance. He leaned casually back in his chair in a natural, relaxed posture.

Everyone thought Qi Yue was waiting to leave with Beixing.

Normally, Jin Yuxuan would be the first to leave wherever Qi Yue was. But this time, he deliberately waited until everyone else had gone before standing up and walking hesitantly toward Qi Yue and Beixing.

Seeing Jin Yuxuan come over with his head down, only a few steps away from entering the one-meter radius around Beixing, Qi Yue frowned. "Need something?"

Because of his headache, Qi Yue's voice was a little cold.

Chapter 23

Hearing Qi Yue's voice so suddenly, Jin Yuxuan froze and slowly raised his head to look at him. He was at a loss.

The classroom curtains fluttered in the wind, and sunlight spilled through the gaps where they had blown apart. Half of it fell on Qi Yue, who was leaning back in his chair.

Qi Yue's brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes cold as he looked at him. His chilly tone held undisguised ruthlessness and impatience.

Though he was clearly bathed in warm sunlight, Jin Yuxuan felt only cold from him.

With his smile gone, Qi Yue was still the same Qi Yue they had first known. In Qi Yue's eyes, they too were the same as before; his kindness toward them a short while ago had changed nothing.

Cold, willful, aloof...

His occasional grace was born only of respect for life, not for them, the vessels of those lives. Qi Yue's compassion was like a god's love, illusory as a bubble, impossible to touch, beyond Jin Yuxuan's reach.

"..."

Realizing this cold fact, Jin Yuxuan seemed nailed to the spot. His entire body went stiff, his awkward manner vanished, and his face turned pale in an instant.

After stopping at Qi Yue's reminder, Jin Yuxuan, who was skilled at using money power, neither spoke nor moved. He simply faced Qi Yue with a Mosaic for a face, making Qi Yue's head hurt even more.

"Hmm?"

Some of Qi Yue's finer qualities were gradually disappearing. He wasn't very patient right now and only wanted to get rid of Jin Yuxuan quickly.

Still at a loss, Jin Yuxuan heard the unmistakable chill in Qi Yue's slightly raised tone. Sure enough, just as he had thought, they were still nothing in Qi Yue's eyes.

"N-no, nothing..." Jin Yuxuan, who had originally thought he could apologize to Beixing and put his differences with Qi Yue behind him, realized how Qi Yue truly felt and mumbled a shamefaced reply.

He should never hope or presume they could put their differences behind them. That could never happen. As people had often said in the old world, if apologies worked, what would they need the police for?

"..."

If nothing was wrong, what had he been walking toward him and Beixing for? Was life so dull that he wanted to flirt with death a little? Unable to make sense of Jin Yuxuan's thought process, Qi Yue was speechless, and his frown deepened.

After Jin Yuxuan answered, he found that Qi Yue said nothing more, merely studying him with icy red eyes, his brows drawn together slightly.

The atmosphere grew even colder.

"..."

Is he unhappy with my answer? Jin Yuxuan couldn't help thinking.

Of course. Qi Yue knew everything. His clumsy lie must have looked like a joke to Qi Yue. Qi Yue's silence now surely meant he had detected his true intentions. That was why he had coldly stopped him earlier.

He had tried to hide his true purpose from Qi Yue, only for Qi Yue to see through him at a glance. That icy, utterly unfeeling gaze bore down on him, leaving him nowhere to hide. Jin Yuxuan was instantly so embarrassed he could hardly breathe.

Qi Yue said nothing, his thin lips pressed tightly into a straight line as he calmly watched Jin Yuxuan across from him. Jin Yuxuan bit his lower lip, looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated. Unable to understand what was happening, Beixing glanced back and forth between them.

Could Jin Yuxuan want to speak to Qi Yue alone, but be too embarrassed to say so because I'm here?

Unable to think of any other reason, Beixing raised his hand. "Um... am I interrupting..."

Hearing Beixing's voice, Qi Yue turned his gaze to him.

Beixing's voice drew Qi Yue's attention, finally giving Jin Yuxuan a chance to breathe in the suffocating atmosphere.

Secretly breathing a sigh of relief, Jin Yuxuan hurriedly seized the chance to escape Qi Yue's oppressive gaze and turned to Beixing instead. He lowered his head in a bow and said quickly in a low voice, "I-I'm sorry..."

Though he knew an apology was useless, Jin Yuxuan felt that if he didn't apologize, he would have endured Qi Yue's sinister stare for nothing. He might as well throw caution to the wind and say it.

"G-goodbye..."

Jin Yuxuan didn't dare stay any longer. After speaking quietly, he turned and swiftly fled the place where even the air had grown thin because of Qi Yue's presence.

"Ah... huh?" Beixing stared blankly toward the classroom door through which Jin Yuxuan had disappeared. For the moment, he couldn't make any sense of what had happened.

"He..." Beixing instinctively sought an answer from Qi Yue, who was omnipotent and omniscient in his eyes.