Strange Ear Mouse

"What's wrong?" Seeing Xiao Xiao suddenly stop, Zhuge Yun and the others looked at him strangely. They followed his gaze, but saw only a row of ordinary plane trees. White snow covered the brown branches, revealing hints of pale green. Students walked briskly in twos and threes towards the teaching building ahead.

"Did you see someone you know?" Zhao Luzheng offered a plausible guess.

"Huh? No, I was mistaken." Xiao Xiao shook his head and took the lead. "Let's go, class is about to start."

Xiao Xiao and the others ascended the stairs. Their classroom was on the fourth floor.

The semi-open staircase offered a better view of Yan University's snowy landscape as they climbed higher.

The cold air pierced to the bone, and the biting wind swirled past their hair and clothes.

Compared to others who were hunched over, Xiao Xiao, whose physique had greatly improved, didn't feel the bone-chilling cold. He only felt a slight coolness refreshing his senses. The air seemed even clearer and colder after the snow.

Suddenly, Xiao Xiao's eyes flickered, and his body stiffened for a moment. His steps faltered. What was that?

Xiao Xiao looked down nervously. Familiar silver-grey fur met his eyes. An Ear Mouse?!

Before he could react, the preparatory bell for class suddenly rang. The clear, high-pitched sound echoed across the entire campus, shaking snow from the trees.

Xiao Xiao couldn't worry about the mysterious Ear Mouse for the moment. He hurried after Eldest Brother and the others towards the classroom.

In the classroom, the students clearly weren't in the mood for class. A subtle restlessness rippled through the air. After all, it was the first snow of the year, and everyone was still excited.

This was an elective class, so there weren't many people. Xiao Xiao and the others, arriving late, managed to pick good seats by the window, which was naturally convenient for admiring the snow.

It must have been during the short time they were running down the corridor that light snow began to fall again outside.

The light snow only enhanced the serene beauty of the campus. Especially now, during class time, the vast campus was almost deserted. Footprints crisscrossed the snowy ground, shallow and deep. The small river gurgled, creating small ripples.

Soft, white, and cold snowflakes drifted down gently, like goose feathers or willow catkins. Though they filled the sky, they fell silently, as light as nothing, beautiful like a dream.

However, Xiao Xiao had no interest in admiring the snow at the moment. The Ear Mouse was perched on the windowsill next to him, tilting its head slightly. Its gaze felt so intense it could bore a hole through him.

Its scarlet eyes were quite unsettling.

Especially when they gleamed, Xiao Xiao felt like the creature was sizing him up, looking for a place to start biting.

Unfortunately, Xiao Xiao couldn't make any overly conspicuous moves in the classroom.

Fortunately, Xiao Xiao didn't have to endure it for too long.

After a few words from the teacher, he asked the students by the window to draw the curtains. The classroom plunged into darkness, and the projector lit up. It was an old movie, an art film.

This was, after all, a film appreciation class.

Slowly shifting light and shadow flowed with melodious, ethereal music, creating a captivating tranquility and a hint of melancholy.

Xiao Xiao wanted to focus on the movie, but he saw the Ear Mouse, which he had shut out the window, brazenly appear on his desk. Its expressionless face had a pair of dead fish eyes.

Fine, he shouldn't have expected to easily isolate a monster.

However, Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow. Was he that familiar with this monster? Why did it seem like this Ear Mouse had fixated on him?

Did it need his help with something?

Xiao Xiao thought for a moment and guessed the Ear Mouse's intention.

He tried to communicate with the Ear Mouse with his eyes, but was met with the Ear Mouse slightly raising its chin and looking down at him.

It was a completely undisguised look of disdain.

Uh, fine. Xiao Xiao looked away. He was a little provoked. What an unlovable monster!

He felt that his slight good impression of it earlier was completely mistaken!

Xiao Xiao's expression turned serious, and he focused on the projector, pretending the Ear Mouse in front of him didn't exist.

Of course, he would never admit that he was deliberately ignoring the creature because of its contemptuous gaze. He wasn't that petty or vengeful.

He was just attending class seriously.

After this self-justification, Xiao Xiao instantly felt at ease and immersed himself in the movie's light, sound, and music.

The Ear Mouse didn't cause any more trouble. Ear Mice, which often appeared on campus, naturally understood that one shouldn't make noise during class. Looking at Xiao Xiao's focused profile, the Ear Mouse lay down, resting its head on its clasped paws. Although a hint of worry and imperceptible urgency flashed in its slightly cold and sharp vertical pupils, it quietly waited for the end-of-class bell.

It lay on Xiao Xiao's desk, facing him, with its back to the podium.

After silently staring at Xiao Xiao for a while, the Ear Mouse slowly closed its eyes.

With its dangerous blood-red eyes hidden, the Ear Mouse immediately appeared much more harmless. Its small figure exuded a cute, well-behaved charm. If any girls saw it, they would definitely exclaim "So cute!" and hug it tightly.

It was predictable that this Ear Mouse would be a weapon for attracting girls.

But Xiao Xiao maintained a cold expression. What use was it if girls couldn't see it, no matter how cute it was?

So, when the movie ended and the bell rang, Xiao Xiao looked down and saw the Ear Mouse opening its eyes and looking at him. He really couldn't put on a good face.

Serves you right for looking down on me. If you're so capable, don't come looking for me, Xiao Xiao thought fiercely, maintaining a cool facade.

In the blink of an eye, most of the students had left the classroom.

Xiao Xiao and the others stood up, preparing to return to their dorms. They only had two film appreciation classes this morning.

The Ear Mouse persistently followed Xiao Xiao.

As if sensing Xiao Xiao's dislike, the Ear Mouse consciously kept a distance behind him, not making a sound, just silently following.

Xiao Xiao felt a bit helpless about this. He had no interest in having a persistent pest tagging along.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, you guys head back first. I have something to take care of."

The snow had stopped during the second class.

Xiao Xiao stepped on the soft snow, his shoes sinking in and then being pulled out. The wind that hit him was biting cold. Xiao Xiao felt he was really going all out just to find a place to talk to a monster.

It didn't take long for Xiao Xiao to find a secluded corner. After all, such corners weren't too hard to find on a university campus.

This was at the corner of an old teaching building, where several strong, thick banyan trees perfectly blocked any outside view.

Xiao Xiao stopped and turned to look at the Ear Mouse that had been following him all along. It had a small body but was very agile, treading on snow without leaving a trace, not sinking into it at all.

Xiao Xiao felt that although it was a bit unbelievable, his guess that the Ear Mouse needed something from him was becoming more certain.

Otherwise, why would it have been following him so obediently?

Although, he was deeply doubtful about how he could help this strange Ear Mouse.