This Is A Trial

Feng Xue had already tested the effect of the Cardboard Box. Even he, who knew its properties beforehand, would briefly see the box as something that naturally appeared beside him after Chen Xiyao climbed inside, not finding it strange at all. It wasn't until he started thinking about Chen Xiyao's whereabouts and remembered he had a Cardboard Box that he would gradually recall the possibility of Chen Xiyao hiding inside.

And all of this happened while Chen Xiyao was constantly moving around inside the box.

In other words, as long as the Cardboard Box wasn't in the line of sight, even if the person inside kept moving the box to different locations, no one would notice anything amiss.

As for Chen Xiyao running off with all his belongings, Feng Xue had considered it. While he called them all his belongings, Feng Xue had secretly hidden some pages every night when he went out, including the Disassembly Madonna, in several different locations inside and outside the city. Even if Chen Xiyao was caught or ran off with the money, he would still have a chance to make a comeback.

About two hours after Feng Xue went to the Garbage Dump, Chen Xiyao, who was hiding in the Cardboard Box, started to get restless. Although sitting with her knees hugged was much more comfortable than squatting or sitting cross-legged, staying in the same position for two consecutive hours still made her body feel quite uncomfortable.

Gently moving her body, Chen Xiyao had a strong urge to get out of the box and lie down for a while, but she ultimately held back.

In reality, this was a remarkable display of willpower. It was difficult for ordinary people to muster such determination when facing a danger they had never experienced.

But for Chen Xiyao, or rather, for most junior and senior high school students, this was not a problem. This group of people, even if they stayed up until one or two in the morning, had to force themselves to wake up before dawn the next day and rush to school, enduring their sleepiness. No matter how tired they were, they could only catch up on sleep during the brief ten-minute breaks between classes (and sometimes not even that if a teacher ran late), and they had to be instantly alert when the class bell rang.

Even though most of them didn't fully understand the survival pressures that might come with not getting into a good high school or university, they possessed this kind of willpower.

High school was arguably the time when many people's knowledge, willpower, experience, and physical fitness were at their peak.

As one of those "other people's children," even if Chen Xiyao had a small hobby that wasn't fully approved by her family, she was naturally a good student who could adhere to inhumane schedules like sleeping late and waking up early. With her usual perseverance, this small problem was no longer an issue.

"Maybe I should sleep for a bit..." Such a thought suddenly popped into Chen Xiyao's mind and then began to take root and sprout uncontrollably.

It wasn't because she was particularly tired or sleepy, but simply because time inside the Cardboard Box was incredibly boring.

The novel had already been torn into colorful loose pages, and she hadn't been able to bring her confiscated phone when she ran away from home. Now, besides spacing out and sleeping, was she supposed to play with a remote-controlled toy to entertain herself?

Thinking of this, Chen Xiyao took small steps, moving the Cardboard Box with her to a corner of the room, and leaned against the wall.

Feeling the stable support behind her, she adjusted her posture slightly, took out the pants she had changed out of from under her skirt, folded them into a square, and placed them under her bottom. She then took out a small object and put it in her mouth to prevent herself from sleep-talking, and finally tied her arms to her knees with a hair tie. Although this restraint could be easily broken with a little force, it would at least ensure that her legs wouldn't spread apart and leave the box after she fell asleep.

Having done all this, Chen Xiyao, with her hair loose, tilted her head and slowly drifted off to sleep. Although the posture was not very comfortable, for students who needed to catch up on sleep at any moment, she had tried worse, more inhumane sleeping positions.

Feng Xue, who was being swept into the Garbage Dump with the crowd, was unaware that Chen Xiyao had fallen asleep. He was using his Golden Finger to quickly sift through potentially useful Elements while worrying about the girl's current situation.

He had noticed something before entering: the number of people from the Cross Sword Guild sweeping the Garbage Dump today was significantly less than last time.

Although it might have been because the exit he was using was different from the last time, it still made him suspect whether the remaining people were searching for Chen Xiyao's whereabouts.

In fact, this risky venture was not just a last resort but also a trial for Chen Xiyao. Otherwise, Feng Xue could have temporarily taken Chen Xiyao outside the city. By using Chen Xiyao's excrement as bait, he could have lured away nearby Omens in a short period, thus obtaining a relatively safe area.

But he also understood that this was ultimately unsustainable.

He had already left a deep impression on Chen Xiyao. While it might not be unforgettable for a lifetime, as long as she wore that four-dimensional skirt, she would never forget the person who made it.

So, the next step would be to send Chen Xiyao home.

However, before that, Feng Xue had to confirm that Chen Xiyao was indeed a trustworthy companion.

This wasn't to say Chen Xiyao was untrustworthy, but sometimes, people you could completely trust were more likely to become a burden. Although Chen Xiyao's performance so far wasn't that of an idiot in a cheesy idol drama who would refuse to run and drag the protagonist down with her, people ultimately had two sides.

Chen Xiyao might be quite reliable when there was no danger, but it didn't mean she would remain reliable when she was mentally stressed and anxious.

If she broke down emotionally at a critical moment, Feng Xue would truly be at a loss.

"Oh! It's a 'Cannot Be Used'?!" Suddenly, a card with an [Invalid] Element caught his eye, interrupting Feng Xue's deep thoughts. He turned his attention back to the piles of trash.

Regardless of Chen Xiyao's outcome, this would likely be his last Garbage Day in this Landfill Area, so he had to collect as many local characteristic terms as possible!

"How long have I slept?" Waking up with a slight headache from the mild lack of oxygen, Chen Xiyao quickly recalled her current predicament thanks to the physical restraint. She raised her hands, carefully moving her slightly numb limbs and buttocks, spat out the small object from her mouth, and then cautiously shifted her position, peering outside through the holes in the Cardboard Box.

The sky in the landfill area only had day and night. Using the light from inside the room, Chen Xiyao couldn't tell how much time had passed. However, the slight hunger in her stomach told her that a considerable amount of time had likely passed. But why hadn't Feng Xue returned yet?

At this moment, Chen Xiyao suddenly felt that sleeping was the worst possible choice because it made her completely lose track of time.

How much time had passed?

Three hours?

Five hours?

Or perhaps, a whole day?

"He wouldn't have abandoned me, would he?"