Lin Yi's Actor Moment

"Pfft."

The people off-stage couldn't help but laugh when they saw Lin Yi's dramatic performance.

On the podium, Director Su rubbed his temples and whispered to Teacher Li beside him, "This kid... he's acting a bit too convincingly."

Teacher Li held back his laughter. "Indeed. If I didn't know his true thoughts, I'd probably believe it myself."

"Let's keep watching." Director Su's gaze was sharp. "Tang San clearly doesn't fully believe Lin Yi's act either."

On the stage, Tang San's brows furrowed even tighter.

If Lin Yi were truly this weak, why did everyone pay so much attention to him?

Why did Zhou Ming surrender without a moment's hesitation?

Why did even Xiao Wu...

Thinking of Xiao Wu, Tang San's eyes dimmed.

He took a deep breath. "Since Student Lin is unwilling to make the first move, don't blame me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately unleashed his first soul skill, Mother's Embrace.

In an instant, dozens of Blue Silver Grass vines burst from the ground, surging rapidly toward Lin Yi to bind him.

Tang San only used fifty percent of his strength for this strike; it was enough to test the opponent's true power without actually hurting Lin Yi.

However, things did not go as he wished.

Lin Yi looked at the overwhelming mass of Blue Silver Grass vines and thought, Good grief, but his face displayed a perfectly timed look of terror.

He raised his hands, pretending to block.

The moment the Blue Silver Grass vines touched him, he let out an exaggerated cry, then fell backward and faked a faint.

The entire process was smooth and fluid; from the fall to the "unconsciousness," it took no more than three seconds.

Everyone off the arena, except for Yu Xiaogang, was left speechless.

That acting skill was top-tier.

[Perfect. Now I just have to pretend to be out cold.]

[But honestly, with acting like this, doesn't the Oscar owe me a golden statue?]

Although Lin Yi was lying on the ground, he was still smugly complaining in his heart.

Tang San couldn't hear his inner voice, but he could sense that something was wrong.

His strike had been perfectly measured; even if Lin Yi's martial soul was useless, he shouldn't have fainted, right?

And...

And why did the students and teachers off-stage look so helpless?

It was as if Lin Yi's loss was entirely expected and had nothing to do with him at all.

"Student Lin Yi?" Tang San called out tentatively.

Lin Yi on the ground showed no reaction, his breathing as steady as if he were truly unconscious.

[Don't mind me, I'm already out.]

[Also, is Teacher Zhang blind? I'm like this, why hasn't he announced the end of the match yet?]

"Hahaha."

A burst of stifled laughter erupted from below. Lin Yi was too bold—he actually dared to curse Teacher Zhang?

Teacher Zhang's mouth twitched.

This brat, if you're going to fake a faint, just do it, why are you cursing me?

Though speechless, he walked to Tang San's side and said, "Tang San, Lin Yi has lost his combat capability."

Tang San looked up at Teacher Zhang, wanting to confirm, "Teacher, has Lin Yi really fainted?"

"It should be so," Teacher Zhang said with a straight face. "He might have hit his head when he fell just now. You are the winner; the match is over."

Tang San wanted to say more, but Teacher Zhang had already begun to announce loudly, "Second round, first match, Tang San wins!"

As the words fell, sparse, symbolic applause rang out from below.

In the corner, Yu Xiaogang's brows were tightly locked.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Logically, Tang San winning a match should have earned him thunderous applause and made everyone look at this work-study student with new respect.

But now...

The expressions of those students were too strange.

Some were curling their lips and shaking their heads, some were whispering, and some were even turning red from holding back laughter.

But without exception, the way they looked at Tang San carried a sense of distance.

Or perhaps, was it a silent judgment?

Yu Xiaogang felt a surge of intense unease in his heart. He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, attempting to find an answer within those subtle expressions and movements.

Yet no matter how he looked, he could not make heads or tails of it.

Just then, Tang San stepped off the arena and came to Yu Xiaogang's side, asking in a low voice, "Teacher, what do you think?"

Yu Xiaogang pulled back his thoughts and spoke, "Something is not right."

Tang San's breathing hitched slightly: "You feel it too?"

"The match just now," Yu Xiaogang analyzed, "the timing of Lin Yi's fall was too coincidental. Your Blue Silver Grass had only just touched him, and he already toppled over."

He followed Lin Yi, who was being carried away, with his eyes and continued his analysis: "Furthermore, I can sense that you did not use your full strength. Under such circumstances, even if Lin Yi is an auxiliary-system Spirit Master with weaker physical constitution, he shouldn't be fragile to this degree."

"Unless..." A flash of coldness crossed Tang San's eyes, "he was faking it."

"This is getting interesting." A rare arc appeared at the corner of Yu Xiaogang's mouth. "Why would he fake fainting in front of everyone? What is he hiding?"

The master and disciple looked at each other, both seeing the same question in the other's eyes.

Meanwhile.

On the other side, several work-study students gathered around Lin Yi, who had just been carried down.

Xiao Wu looked at the still-unconscious Lin Yi, a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

This guy, he was putting on quite a convincing act of fainting.

If she couldn't hear his inner voice, she would have truly believed he was injured.

[Don't touch me, don't touch me, let me lie here a while longer.]

[Once they carry me back to the dormitory, I can wake up.]

Lin Yi muttered in his heart, yet his body remained completely motionless.

Wang Sheng scratched his head: "This..."

Xiao Wu smiled slyly and intentionally said loudly, "Lin Yi's injury is quite serious. Let's take him to Teacher Yuan and have her take a look and perform some acupuncture."

Teacher Yuan was an instructor at Notting Academy who possessed a healing-type Spirit.

She usually handled medical check-ups and the like for the students.

Hearing this, the others roughly understood Xiao Wu's intention; if you want to pretend, then we will let you pretend to your heart's content.

Once you get to Teacher Yuan, let's see if she pricks you or not.

Wang Sheng rolled his eyes and volunteered: "Alright, I'll carry him."

[Holy crap, acupuncture? What is this little rabbit plotting?]

[And I've heard that Teacher Yuan's Silver Needle Bee Spirit is incredibly painful when it stings; it's no joke.]

Lin Yi wailed in his heart, but on the surface, he maintained the appearance of being unconscious, allowing Wang Sheng to hoist him onto his back.

Watching Lin Yi's eyelids twitch slightly even in his "fainted" state, Xiao Wu nearly burst out laughing.

She quickly covered her mouth and feigned worry, saying, "Wang Sheng, be careful, don't jostle him."

"Alright, I got it." Wang Sheng replied, carrying him as he headed toward Teacher Yuan's location.

Lin Yi lay on Wang Sheng's back, squinting to watch the students receding behind him, while his heart was filled with frantic complaints.

[No way? Are they actually going?]

[Wait, Xiao Wu is coming too?]

[Hold on, don't you guys have more matches later? Are you just skipping them?]

[No, no, I have to find a way to wake up, otherwise it'll be a disaster if I actually get needled.]

Just as he was pondering how to wake up naturally, Xiao Wu's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

"Lin Yi, stop pretending. I know you're already awake."