Everyone Knows

Silence and darkness shrouded the land, filled with an eerie stillness.

A black figure suddenly drew near, letting out a sinister cackle.

It had no limbs, only a body the size of a human head floating in midair. Its dark red eyes stared at the girl in white as though she were prey.

The next instant, a hand with only two fingers suddenly grew from its limbless body and reached for the girl's heart.

The hand passed through the girl's body and came up empty.

The black figure's eyes widened in disbelief.

The girl raised her head, and a faceless visage slowly appeared on the screen...

"Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog lunged into Qiao Sang's arms.

It didn't want to watch anymore!

Qiao Sang stroked its head, feeling a little regretful...

The next two days happened to be the weekend. Qiao Sang turned down Fang Sisi's invitation to hang out and stayed home alone to study.

Aside from taking time to go to the Pet Tamer Center to register herself as a pet tamer and register Fire Fang Dog's household information, she spent almost all her remaining time buried in books.

Perhaps because of her awakened brain domain, her memory was much better than in her previous life. She could more or less remember everything after reading it just once.

Before long, it was time for school again.

"Fire Fang Dog, be good. I'll let you out after school," Qiao Sang coaxed.

Ever since Fire Fang Dog had grown tired of playing its game of entering and leaving the Pet Beast Codex, it had refused to go inside again.

This time, when Qiao Sang wanted it to go back in, it seemed rather resistant.

It preferred staying outside to being in the Pet Beast Codex.

"Fang."

Fire Fang Dog shook its head to indicate that it didn't want to go in.

Qiao Sang felt a little helpless. The school did not explicitly prohibit students from bringing pet beasts, but with everyone else still not having contracted pet beasts, keeping Fire Fang Dog outside would draw far too much attention.

Qiao Sang did not want to be stared at.

"If you go in, I'll buy you Red Millet Fruit when we get back," Qiao Sang tempted it.

Fire Fang Dog haughtily turned its head aside.

It didn't want any.

Qiao Sang's mouth twitched.

Her mother had bought six Red Millet Fruits last time. She had fed four of them to Fire Fang Dog on the first day, then one each over the next two days.

Had it already gotten tired of them?

"If you won't go in, I can only leave by myself."

"I'm leaving."

"I'm really leaving."

Qiao Sang went to the entryway, crouched down to put on her shoes, and made as if she were about to head out.

"Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog threw itself into Qiao Sang's arms and looked up at her with wet, pitiful eyes.

"If you want to come with me, you have to go inside first. I promise I'll let you out as soon as school ends," Qiao Sang said.

"Fang." Fire Fang Dog lowered its head and responded weakly.

Qiao Sang's heart melted.

It was still just a child.

Qingcheng Jiayuan was in Wencheng Middle School's school district. It was only nine kilometers away, and Bus Routes 23, 36, and 57, as well as Metro Lines 5 and 7, all went there directly.

Qiao Sang did not choose to take the subway as usual.

On Bus Route 36.

Fire Fang Dog happily stuck its head out the window from Qiao Sang's arms, the oncoming wind tousling its fur.

It looked excitedly at the world outside.

"When we get to school, you need to go back inside nicely, okay?" Qiao Sang said with a smile.

"Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog answered energetically.

Qiao Sang could not help rubbing its head.

After getting off the bus, Fire Fang Dog obediently allowed Qiao Sang to put it into the Pet Beast Codex. It even wagged its tail happily.

Class 3-7, Wencheng Middle School.

"Did you finish your homework? Let me copy it."

"Can't you see I'm still copying it myself?"

"..."

"Did you watch yesterday's match in the Lianbo Region?"

"Obviously. I'd been waiting in front of the TV since seven in the evening. Lin Jinyang's Blood Azure Dragon was unbelievably cool!"

"Yeah, yeah, and that Scale Eating Ant! It was golden! I've never seen a golden Scale Eating Ant before! It nearly blinded me!"

"..."

"I heard Dai Shushu from Class 9 got recommended directly to Saint Water High School."

"Wasn't the rumor last time that it was Litan Pet Beast High School?"

"Looks like her slot got cut."

"As expected of our province's top high school. Even Dai Shushu couldn't get in."

"Why don't you get into Saint Water High School and show me?"

"..."

A slender figure appeared at the classroom door.

As the figure walked in, the discussions suddenly quieted down.

Qiao Sang sat down at her seat and noticed several classmates stealing glances at her.

Sensing the strange atmosphere in the classroom, Qiao Sang touched her nose and lowered her voice as she asked Fang Sisi, "Did you tell the class about my self-awakening?"

Fang Sisi was still frantically copying homework. Only when she heard someone beside her speak did she realize Qiao Sang had arrived.

"Boss, you're finally here." Fang Sisi leaned closer, her eyes shining. "How could I say anything without your permission? Do you need me to spread the word for you in class?"

"Absolutely not." Qiao Sang hurriedly shook her head, then asked in confusion, "Then why are they all staring at me?"

"Didn't your mom come to the school twice? Then you took a day off and skipped another day. Everyone's been guessing whether something happened to you," Fang Sisi explained.

Qiao Sang froze. "I skipped a day of school?"

"Yeah."

Although she had guessed that her mother might have forgotten to request leave for her, when her guess turned out to be true, Qiao Sang still felt rather stifled.

My homeroom teacher won't call me to the office for another saliva-filled assault, will he...?

Just then, Fang Sisi added, "Also, everyone knows you got a zero on this mock exam."

My homeroom teacher had not called Qiao Sang out by name to criticize her in class because he wanted to spare her some dignity. But afterward, he had asked the class study representative to call Qiao Sang to the office, and later he had even summoned her parent to the school.

Normally, if that had been the end of it, no one would have been interested. After all, Qiao Sang's grades were poor, and being called to the office for a reprimand was nothing unusual for her.

But calling in a parent made the matter serious.

After all, aside from fighting and brawling, my homeroom teacher rarely notified parents to come to school.

At the time, after school had ended, Qiao Sang said nothing, the class study representative said nothing, and the homeroom teacher said nothing, so hardly anyone knew.

Then Qiao Sang requested leave the next day, and on the third day, she simply skipped school altogether.

Requesting leave and skipping class at such a critical time already explained plenty. Everyone's gossiping instincts flared up, and before long, they had learned the whole story.

Qiao Sang did not know whether to laugh or cry, but she did not feel much about it.

In the small world of school, news spread especially fast.

It was not a distortion of the facts to say that she had gotten a zero and had her parent called in. Kids this age might feel ashamed if others found out, but Qiao Sang had no such psychological burden.

"By the way, did you do the Spirit Plant Analysis homework? Let me copy it." Fang Sisi nudged Qiao Sang's arm.

"How would I know what homework there was when I wasn't here? Besides, you're fourth from the bottom in class, and you want to copy from someone who's third from the bottom. Isn't that embarrassing?" Qiao Sang said speechlessly.

"Boss, I won't allow you to talk about yourself like that." Fang Sisi reproached her, then made a resentful expression. "I thought your mom came to school on Friday and brought your homework along, okay? I'm so jealous of you people who don't have to do homework."

Qiao Sang: "..."

Ignoring Fang Sisi's antics, Qiao Sang fell into thought.

She seemed not to know why her mother had come to the school last time.