Chapter of Gong Lan - The Day of Ying Kong

"Beyond observing my own future, the power I possess actually has another facet: when someone is consciously lying to me, I can automatically identify it.

"For instance, if you didn't go to school today but came to me and claimed you were in class, I would be able to clearly identify that statement as a lie. That is all—I can only detect whether something is a lie; I cannot uncover the truth. Furthermore, this ability has significant limitations.

"If you didn't go to school today, but you came to me and said, 'I didn't go to school, but I was studying elsewhere,' I would be unable to identify your lie. Because one part of the statement is true, your proactive admission that you didn't go to school restricts my ability to detect the falsehood.

"Therefore, to identify a lie, the other party must be lying completely."

Xia Hun had many paths to choose from, such as who to approach first, but these were not the problems that truly troubled him...

I should go find Ying Kong first! She is the only one among these people I am familiar with. The next problem is how to convince her to believe what I say...

Outside the door to the top floor of the first teaching building, Xia Hun stood still and began to utilize his ability.

[Sensory Simulation]

Xia Hun ran onto the rooftop in a state of extreme agitation and shouted at Ying Kong, "Ying Kong, it's bad! The school has been occupied by strange demons, and we can't leave anymore!"

Ying Kong, who had been sitting on a bench resting, was completely stunned by Xia Hun's sudden arrival. After a few seconds, she smiled and said, "Xia Hun, if you're trying to scare me because you think I'm timid, it won't work. I'm not afraid at all, because I'm always the last one to leave school. Even if it gets dark, I won't be afraid!" Although she said this, Ying Kong was actually incredibly nervous, to the point that her whole body began to tremble...

Xia Hun was speechless. Although he knew Ying Kong was timid, he hadn't expected her to be this bad. To make her believe him, he had to make it sound even more severe. He pointed at the rooftop door he had just come through and said, "Ying Kong, believe me, there really are demons, and they might be right nearby. They must want to eat us all..." Xia Hun didn't finish his sentence, because by then, Ying Kong had already fainted from fright...

[Sensory Simulation]

"Ying Kong, are you up there? It's Xia Hun!"

"Oh, Xia Hun, what's wrong?" Ying Kong's tone was perfectly normal.

Xia Hun quickly walked onto the rooftop and asked, "Did you run into anything strange just now?"

Ying Kong opened her eyes wide, shook her head, and said, "No, I've been here writing in my notebook waiting for it to get dark—Lie." Ying Kong suddenly became very nervous, even stumbling over her words.

Xia Hun smiled and continued to ask, "Don't be nervous, I just wanted to ask if you heard any strange noises!"

Ying Kong continued to shake her head and replied, "No, this is the quietest place in the whole school!"

[Sensory Simulation]

Standing on the rooftop waiting for the sun to set, Ying Kong was looking at her notes alone. To her, the Astronomy Club, with its only two members, was everything she had. If she hadn't been shocked by the scene downstairs just moments ago, she wouldn't be here looking at her notes now.

That person, was it really him?

No, that's impossible. He had clearly already left...

"You saw Lv Tian just now, didn't you, Ying Kong?" Xia Hun's voice suddenly entered the mind of the dazed Ying Kong, and in that instant, she was completely terrified.

"N-no—Lie." Ying Kong tried to cover up the truth, but it couldn't deceive Xia Hun at all.

"I know about what happened between you and Lv Tian, but let's leave that topic for now. We have a bigger problem!" Xia Hun's tone was relaxed, yet carried a weight that made it hard to refuse.

"What, what problem?" Ying Kong's tone became nervous; it was only natural for someone as timid as her to react this way.

"We've been locked inside the school. There's something like a glass barrier at the school gate, and there's no way to get out from anywhere..."

"...How could this be..."

"Come with me, Ying Kong!"

"Are aliens coming to kidnap us? We can't escape..." Ying Kong fainted.

[Sensory Simulation]

Ying Kong was a very, very timid girl. She had chosen the Astronomy Club to try and build up her courage, though it hadn't been very effective. Even so, she was now able to face the twilight and even the night on her own.

In her heart, only three people were truly important: her mother, her younger sister, and Lv Tian—the "bad" student who had protected and helped her countless times. In the end, because of her own cowardice, Lv Tian had left. He had left the school and left her side.

After that, Ying Kong swore to change herself completely.

She would start with small things.

The person she had seen on the rooftop just now could not have been anyone else; it was the Lv Tian she had been longing for day and night. But why would Lv Tian, who had already dropped out, come to the academy at a time like this? Ying Kong couldn't fathom it; she only hoped to speak with him again.

Deep down, Ying Kong still held onto her feelings and gratitude for Lv Tian, but in her timidity, she felt she would never be able to tell him directly...

"So you're here, Ying Kong!"

Lost in thought, Ying Kong looked up sharply toward the rooftop entrance. Xia Hun was standing there with a silly grin.

Xia Hun was one of the few good friends Ying Kong had. She often told him about her personal affairs, about Lv Tian, and about her own state of mind...

After her heart rate settled, Ying Kong asked, "What is it? Why come to the rooftop at a time like this? Do you need something?"

Xia Hun smiled and said, "Lv Tian asked me to find you. He's waiting at the school gate. Are you going?"

Ying Kong's heart began to race again. This was something that should have been impossible, yet it was happening. Lv Tian, who had been gone for three months, had never once sought her out. The suddenness of it was overwhelming.

Watching the extremely nervous Ying Kong, Xia Hun continued, "Don't be so nervous. It seems Lv Tian just happened to be passing by the school today and decided to drop in. Then he ran into me, and I told him you were here for club activities, so he asked me to come tell you. It's that simple. Are you going, Ying Kong? It's not dark yet, and the stars haven't even come out!"

Ying Kong let out a loud sigh, as if trying to summon the strength to agree to Xia Hun, but she couldn't get the words out.

Her thoughts seemed written all over her face. Xia Hun turned around and said, "Hurry up, don't keep Lv Tian waiting..."

Three minutes passed in reality. Xia Hun acted according to the third future he had perceived, and Ying Kong headed toward the school gate with him.

On the way, Ying Kong walked very slowly. She seemed to be pondering something, though they were merely simple questions that she had overcomplicated in her own mind. In reality, Lv Tian was not at the school gate at all; Xia Hun had only used that excuse to trick her into going there.

Even if I can see through my own future thirty minutes from now, I can never grasp the futures of those around me. That is the flaw of my power, or perhaps, a regret...

True destiny is something no person can grasp, and Xia Hun was no exception. Some things that should not have happened were the exact opposite of what should have occurred, and lies could turn into reality at any moment...

The long-haired boy standing before the school gate, wearing a red jacket and black casual trousers, was none other than the Lv Tian whom Xia Hun had spoken of...

The atmosphere grew uneasy. With the other party having already spotted them, Xia Hun could not even bring himself to use his ability.

"Oh, Ying Kong and Xia Hun. You two have come at just the right time—try this out. I can't leave the school; it seems like something is blocking me. How ridiculous!" Lv Tian spoke first, which gave Xia Hun the chance to steer the conversation away. The timid Ying Kong would never have asked on her own; she would surely be led along by Lv Tian's topic. However, another problem arose: Ying Kong suffered from a condition similar to paranoia, and whenever things exceeded her capacity for thought, she would faint...

Just as Xia Hun prepared to answer Lv Tian, Ying Kong had already spoken up, "Alright, let me try." Her voice sounded exceptionally full, to the point where one could not detect any intention of forcing herself.

This was growth...