A Mask Worn Too Long Cannot Be Removed

"H-Senior He Wei Ni Ya?!" Auger was very surprised. "You, how did you get here?"

"I already told you not to call me senior, we're clearly in the same year... and I might even be younger than you." He Wei Ni Ya tilted her head, her now fully golden curly hair cascading down like a waterfall. "Besides, didn't I already say I came here to hang out with you?"

"Looking for... looking for me to play with?" Auger still couldn't believe it.

He Wei Ni Ya patted the chair next to her. "Don't stand, sit down."

Although he didn't know what was going on, when He Wei Ni Ya patted the chair and told him to sit down, his brain didn't process much before his body was already seated.

In the dim candlelight, He Wei Ni Ya's perfect profile was faintly visible, causing him to subconsciously shift his gaze downwards.

Then he saw He Wei Ni Ya's body wrapped in his robe.

Auger was not tall, even shorter than He Wei Ni Ya by a head, and was particularly thin, so his robe was also a size too small.

So when He Wei Ni Ya wore the robe, it didn't look like an overcoat, but rather like close-fitting clothing, clearly outlining the curves of He Wei Ni Ya body that were usually hidden under loose coats.

So Auger only glanced at it, but his cheeks immediately turned red, and he had to look down again.

But then I saw He Wei Ni Ya's small, bare feet exposed.

Now there was really no way to avoid it. Auger had only been sitting for less than ten seconds when he suddenly stood up again.

"What's wrong?" He Wei Ni Ya asked.

"You, you, you're not wearing shoes."

"Ah, you mean shoes?" He Wei Ni Ya looked down at her feet, then shrugged. "I had a really bad day on my way to find you. I accidentally stepped into a snowdrift and fell pretty badly. I'm soaked to the bone, so I had to take them off for now. I need to borrow your clothes... Hmm, is that not okay? Don't be so stingy. I'll wash them for you."

Auger was a little stunned. He felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out why. He didn't even know where to look. After a long while, he finally managed to stammer, "I'm sorry."

"Huh? Why are you apologizing to me?"

"If you hadn't come looking for me, you wouldn't have fallen." Auger could only look down at his old shoes. "So... I'm sorry."

He Wei Ni Ya burst out laughing, "Your reason is really... okay, okay, then it's your problem. Can you sit down?"

"I'll stand..." Auger was still hesitant to sit down.

He Wei Ni Ya sighed, "Please, I've already fallen and gotten really badly hurt and tired. Do you really want me to keep looking up at you?"

Auger sat down immediately.

"Look up," He Wei Ni Ya said again.

Auger subconsciously raised his head.

Then, He Wei Ni Ya pulled a corner of her undergarment out from the collar of her robe and said lazily, "I'm wearing clothes underneath."

Auger wanted to back down again.

"Don't bow your head," He Wei Ni Ya said. "I came all this way to find you, and you won't even look at me? Don't you consider me a friend?"

Auger dared not lower his head and could only stare at He Wei Ni Ya with a stiff upper lip.

"That's more like it." He Wei Ni Ya nodded in satisfaction. "It's like being in class. You dared to look at me even under Professor Ariana's nose, but now you don't dare to look at me?"

He Wei Ni Ya propped up the book that Auger had spread out on the table, using it as a small cover. Then she bent down, hid her head behind the book, looked at Auger, and made a shushing gesture.

"How does it feel? Doesn't it feel like we're back in class?" He Wei Ni Ya deliberately lowered her voice as she spoke. "Be careful! Don't let Professor Ariana see us!"

In that instant, Auger felt as if he were being pulled back to the classroom where he first met He Wei Ni Ya. Back then, He Wei Ni Ya was just like now, using her upright books to cover herself, and whispering to him, "Hey, hey, hey, what's your name?"

Auger relaxed, and the tension and unease in his heart vanished at that moment.

"He Wei Ni Ya ...do you know I'm on watch tonight?" Auger asked.

"Of course," He Wei Ni Ya said with a smile. "You told me, didn't you?"

Have you said it?

Auger couldn't quite remember.

But he didn't think about it too much, and just asked with slight concern, "Is it really okay for you not to come home at night?"

Then, Auger heard He Wei Ni Ya sigh softly, "Auger, you're really bad at chatting."

"...ah?"

"Let me teach you," He Wei Ni Ya said. "When you encounter something like this, don't ask such practical questions right away. I've already gone out to play in the middle of the night, why do you think that is?"

Auger panicked again. "Ah, I don't know."

"You don't even know this? How can you call yourself my friend... Pfft, okay, okay, don't make that face. I was just joking." He Wei Ni Ya slumped onto the table, her voice gradually softening. "I'm just... a little tired and want to escape for a while, so could you please not ask so many questions?"

"...good."

"Also, don't tell anyone, okay? You know, if my Mentor finds out I stayed out all night, especially when there were Snowthorn Beast around, he'd definitely kill me."

"Of course!" Auger said very seriously, "I won't tell anyone."

"Yes," He Wei Ni Ya said with a smile, "I believe you."

Seeing He Wei Ni Ya's smile, Auger subconsciously lowered his head again, but then suddenly remembered that He Wei Ni Ya hadn't told him to lower his head, so he immediately raised his head and saw He Wei Ni Ya studying the book he was going to read that night.

"Really? I thought you'd be reading something interesting," He Wei Ni Ya said, somewhat surprised. "So late at night, you're reading a textbook? 'The Use of Common Staffs,' isn't that Professor De La Man's 'Player Basics' course?"

Auger said somewhat embarrassedly, "I... I'm not able to attend Professor De La Man's class yet."

As he finished speaking, Auger noticed that He Wei Ni Ya's brow furrowed for a fleeting moment, and he immediately apologized.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be looking at these things as a Bronze Tier player..."

What are you thinking about?

Before he could finish speaking, he felt something gently tap his head. When he looked up, he discovered that what He Wei Ni Ya had used to tap him was a staff.

"I am a little unhappy, but not because you are looking at this textbook, but because...why didn't you just ask me?"

"...Huh?" Auger, somewhat bewildered.

In fact, He Wei Ni Ya's frown just now was indeed a sign of anger.

But he wasn't angry at Auger, he was angry at himself.

She hadn't even remembered that Auger, being a Bronze Tier individual, was not eligible to take the "Player Basics" course.

This was a complete brain freeze, mainly because the battle with Ayman had exhausted her physical and mental strength, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted and unable to keep up with her thoughts.

But she still couldn't allow herself to say those words, because they might hurt Auger's pride and cause Auger to unconsciously distance himself from her, thus ruining the persona she had created for Auger over the past year.

This is something He Wei Ni Ya absolutely cannot accept.

Therefore, she must come up with a solution immediately.

That's how it is now.

"Ask you?"

"Yes." He Wei Ni Ya wrinkled her nose, looking even more displeased. "What, are you questioning my abilities? You know I got... a passing grade in Professor De La Man's class!"

His initial burst of energy faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained it and spoke with unwavering momentum.

"But I'm more than capable of teaching you!"

"Come, let me first tell you what the Universal Notes that come with the staff are and what the staff's own Exclusive Notes."

"Universal Notes are engraved on the staff and can replace various notes for a short time, but they need to be used in conjunction with the player's own notes."

"For example, to use a spell with four notes, you need your own Exclusive Notes plus the three Universal Notes on your staff."

"Therefore, the player must rely on a staff to use spells that can produce two or more notes."

"The number of musical notes that can be engraved on the staff directly determines its value."

In the flickering candlelight, a girl with animated expressions explained knowledge to a shy yet earnest boy.

"Come, you try it out and use the spell."

"Oh, that's not good, it might damage your staff..."

"Hmm? You don't like my staff?"

"No, no, no..."

"Ah, did you understand everything?" He Wei Ni Ya rubbed her sleepy eyes as she turned the pages of the book. "Then the next point is the composition of an orchestra."

"Uh... He Wei Ni Ya, if you're sleepy, go and rest."

"Sleepy? Not at all! Not sleepy at all, I'm radiant! Tonight I'm going to give you a thorough explanation, ah..." He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but yawn, "These points, hurry up and take notes!"

"...good!"

"Hmm... do you understand now?"

He Wei Ni Ya slumped onto the table, her eyes barely open.

"Next is music... The more notes a piece contains, the more difficult it is to compose... and therefore, the more... complex it becomes."

"He Wei Ni Ya... why don't you rest?"

"Shut up." He Wei Ni Ya lowered her head. "I, I'm perfectly fine... Have you ever heard the music of the seven notes...? I, I have."

"I also want to... compose... Seven-Note Melody..."

"Huff... huff... huff..."

He Wei Ni Ya began to snore softly.

Auger finally closed his notebook, which was filled with notes for an entire page. He looked at He Wei Ni Ya, who was now fast asleep, and then stood up quietly, careful not to wake He Wei Ni Ya.

He wanted to give He Wei Ni Ya another layer of clothing, but he had no clothes left. He wanted He Wei Ni Ya to be able to sleep in a bed, but there wasn't a bed here at all, and even if there were, he wouldn't dare touch He Wei Ni Ya.

After hesitating for a long time, he could only push the candle closer to He Wei Ni Ya, then turned around and prepared to leave the room.

But just as he was about to reach the door, he remembered something, so he turned around, bowed very solemnly to He Wei Ni Ya, and then said in a low but firm voice.

"Thank you, He Wei Ni Ya."

Finally, he left the room with his notes and books, leaving behind only the Magic Power candle that could keep him warm.

With a "click".

The door closed gently.

Almost simultaneously, He Wei Ni Ya opened her eyes.

At this moment, her eyes no longer held any trace of innocence or weariness, but only a coldness as solid as ice.

She sat up and began to straighten her clothes.

Just then, Bai Wei's lazy voice rang in her mind. "Is it really necessary to go to this extent?"

Although she wasn't surprised by Bai Wei's appearance, He Wei Ni Ya paused for a moment before asking calmly, "Mr. Visas, don't you need to rest? Why are you watching me all night instead of sleeping?"

"That's not true." Bai Wei said with a smile, "Sleeping is not as interesting as watching you. You are so interesting, more interesting than my two previous partners. After all, watching you alone is like watching a whole bunch of people."

He Wei Ni Ya ignored Bai Wei's teasing. She looked out the window, knowing that dawn would break soon, and quickly began to clean up the traces of her presence.

For example, the bloodstains on the ground.

Then, she heard Bai Wei slowly say, "Let me give you a piece of advice: if you wear a mask for too long, you'll easily become someone you don't recognize."

"Mr. Visas, have you experienced this as well?"

"Of course," Bai Wei said with a smile. "I can relate."

He Wei Ni Ya frowned slightly. Normally, she might have pondered the meaning behind Bai Wei's words.

But she didn't have time at that moment. If she didn't go back before dawn and was then trapped in the library, it would be troublesome.

But not now.

After waiting patiently for about twenty minutes, He Wei Ni Ya pushed open the door.

Then I spotted Auger sleeping on the counter in the lobby.

She knew Auger would definitely fall asleep because He Wei Ni Ya had added some hypnotic tunes during her explanation to Auger earlier, which wouldn't be difficult for her now.

She had originally intended to leave, but when she saw that Auger was shivering slightly because he was only wearing a single layer of clothing, she went back and took out the Magic Power candle from the room, placing it next to Auger.

Just then, she noticed an open ancient book on the front desk.

It must have been Auger who saw it while he was sitting here.

She didn't pay attention, only glancing at it subconsciously, and then her pupils narrowed slightly.

Because there was a familiar word on that page—"Visas".

Realizing what Auger was looking at, He Wei Ni Ya subtly slid her right hand off the table, then naturally tucked the book under her arm, and prepared to leave.

Then she heard Auger's murmured words in her sleep, "Thank you... He Wei Ni Ya..."

He Wei Ni Ya seemed not to hear, and without the slightest hesitation, stepped straight into the snow that was about to burst into dawn.