Social Death and a Feast

The next morning, Yang Chen was jolted awake by the vibration of his phone.

Class group chat: 99+.

Bleary-eyed, he tapped it open. The next second, he shot upright in bed.

[Local News Flash: A Fallen Beast Has Appeared at People's Park! Magical Girl Knight Purifies It with a Thunderous Strike!]

The video thumbnail showed Knight's lightning sword aura cutting across the entire plaza.

Yang Chen let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. They filmed Knight. It has nothing to do with me—

Then he saw the second video.

[Exclusive Footage: In a Moment of Crisis, Kindhearted Citizen Steps Forward and Pushes Away Trapped Mother and Child!]

The video had been filmed by an onlooker from a distance. The image was somewhat blurry, but it was clear enough—clear enough to see a figure suddenly charging out of the crowd, pushing the fallen mother and child aside, and then being completely swallowed by a wave of black sludge.

The comments had already exploded.

[Whose daughter is this? She's so brave!]

[Can't see her face, but she looks so delicate and pretty. Long hair—she's a girl, right?]

[Definitely a girl. +1. Her movements were so slick. I'm in Love! Love!]

[She looks like such a cute little girl. I hope she's all right.]

Girl.

A girl...

The hand holding Yang Chen's phone trembled slightly.

He was screwed.

Those were the only words left in his mind.

Because the latest message in the class group chat read—

[@Everyone Watch this video! Don't you think this figure looks a little familiar?]

[Holy crap, this silhouette...]

[The length of that hair...]

[No way, no way, no way!]

[@Yang Chen Miss Yang, is this you?! Are you still alive?]

Yang Chen entered the classroom wearing a hat and keeping his head lowered.

Then he discovered that it was useless.

"She's here, she's here! The person in the news is here!"

"Miss Yang! Mind giving us an interview? What were you thinking when you bravely saved that mother and child?"

"What do you think about netizens calling you 'such a delicate and pretty girl'?"

At first, everyone had actually been quite worried about Yang Chen. After seeing the news, they had asked Chen Qianqian about his condition. Only after learning that he was fine did they finally relax.

Then again, they were young people in the prime of their youth. Naturally, they were incredibly curious about what had happened at the park.

Thus, the moment Yang Chen arrived in the classroom, everyone began bombarding him with questions.

"What am I supposed to think? I didn't even know about this. Do you want me to storm the news station and make them add a line saying the kindhearted citizen was a boy?"

"Hahahahahaha—"

The entire class burst into laughter.

Seeing that Yang Chen could still joke around with everyone, they figured he really was fine.

Yang Chen walked expressionlessly to his seat, sat down, lay forward, and buried his entire head in the crook of his arm in one smooth motion.

As long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassed one is someone else.

As long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassed one is someone else.

"Hey, don't play dead." His deskmate leaned over, struggling to hold back a laugh. "Seriously, was that really you in the video? You're way too fierce. That was a Fallen Beast! You actually dared to charge at it?"

"If you'd accidentally died, I, your deskmate, would've been so heartbroken!"

"...That was just a matter of perspective," Yang Chen said sullenly. "I was only passing by. My foot slipped."

"Besides, I've got a tough life. How could I die that easily?"

"Your foot slipped and you slid out at the speed of a hundred-meter sprint?"

"The ground really was slippery."

"Pfft—"

His deskmate ultimately couldn't hold back her laughter.

The worst part came later.

After second period that morning, the homeroom teacher summoned Yang Chen to the office and solemnly praised his "noble act of bravery in helping others" in front of every teacher in the office. He also announced that he had recommended Yang Chen for the school's "Virtue Youth" selection this semester.

Thus, that afternoon, an announcement rang out over the campus broadcast:

"Yang Chen, a student from Senior Three Class Two of our school, stepped forward and bravely rescued a trapped mother and child during yesterday's Fallen Beast attack at People's Park..."

The broadcast echoed through every corner of the campus.

It echoed through every classroom.

It echoed beside every pair of ears.

And then...

"Miss Yang is awesome!"

Yang Chen pressed his face against the desk, feeling his soul slowly float out through the top of his head.

"Miss Yang, congratulations~"

Su Wan's voice drifted over from beside him, carrying undisguised schadenfreude.

Yang Chen lifted half his face from his arms and glared at her mournfully. "You're still laughing. If you hadn't insisted on going out at that exact time..."

"Hey, that's not fair." Su Wan put her hands on her hips. "What inevitable connection is there between me insisting on going out and you insisting on charging out at that exact moment?"

She leaned a little closer and lowered her voice with a wicked grin.

"Guess whose call I received before I left the house this morning?"

Yang Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

"You... You wouldn't..."

"Mm-hmm." Chen Qianqian hummed a tune as she turned back to her seat. "Good luck, Virtue Youth."

That evening, Yang Chen stood outside his own home for ten minutes.

After taking three deep breaths, he still didn't push open his own door. Instead, he slowly shuffled next door.

He couldn't avoid it forever. Rather than wait for Uncle and Auntie to come storming over, he might as well walk into the tiger's den himself and seek leniency.

The door wasn't locked.

He pushed it open a crack and poked his head inside—

All the lights in the living room were on.

Chen Zhou sat in the very middle of the sofa, arms crossed and expression stern.

Su Wan's eyes were red, and she kept her head slightly bowed while tapping away at her phone.

The husband and wife heard the door and turned their heads in unison.

Two gazes pinned Yang Chen in place.

"Uncle, Auntie, good evening..."

Yang Chen forced out a smile.

"Indeed, it is." Chen Zhou nodded. "When my colleague told me today that my family had a fine child, I was pretty confused... It happened yesterday, yet I only found out today—and from my colleague, no less. What a fine child, huh?"

Yang Chen's scalp prickled.

"Close the door behind you."

Yang Chen obediently entered, obediently closed the door, and obediently sat on the little stool opposite the coffee table, placing both hands on his knees like a criminal awaiting sentencing.

He carefully craned his neck to see what Su Wan was watching.

[On-Site Analysis: Terrifying! Beautiful Girl Nearly Dies]

[A Miracle of Courage! She Narrowly Survives a Certain-Death Situation]

What are you analyzing this nonsense for, guys?! Are you actually trying to get me killed?

But on closer consideration, they hadn't analyzed it incorrectly. He really had been hit head-on. If he hadn't possessed Magic Power to raise a shield, he probably really would have died.

Sure enough, as Su Wan continued watching, she reached out and wiped away another tear.

"Yang Chen." Chen Zhou spoke, his voice low and heavy. "We know everything about what happened at the park now."

"Uncle, I—"

"Did you know that was a Fallen Beast?"

"I knew..."

"Did you know you're just an ordinary person?"

"I knew..."

"Did you know—" Chen Zhou's voice suddenly choked. This man, who had been strong for most of his life, saw his eyes redden without warning. "Did you know that if something had happened to you, how would I explain it to your father?!"

The living room fell silent.

"Old Chen." Su Wan gently pressed down on her husband's hand, then turned to Yang Chen.

Her eyes were red too, but her voice was steady.

"A Chen, Auntie won't stop you from doing good deeds. You saved a mother and child. Auntie is proud of you. I really am."

"But you have to remember—"

"You're also someone precious to other people. This may not be the nicest thing to say, but I still want to tell you... Your life doesn't belong only to you."

Yang Chen lowered his head. Something clogged his throat, and only after a long while could he squeeze out a sentence.

"...I'm sorry. Uncle, Auntie, I was wrong."

This time, he wasn't being perfunctory.

He truly meant it.

"It's good that you know you were wrong."

Su Wan stood up, then abruptly changed the subject.

"Are you hungry?"

"Huh?"

"Stay there." She walked toward the kitchen and tied on an apron. "Auntie made sweet-and-sour ribs, cola chicken wings, braised lion's head meatballs... Go wash your hands."

Yang Chen froze.

The kitchen door opened.

Chen Qianqian poked her head out and pulled a face at Yang Chen.

"Mom! Is the meat ready?"

"Can't you look for yourself?"

Su Wan, her eyes still red, angrily pulled Chen Qianqian away.

"You can't even cook a meal. Who would be willing to marry you in the future?"

"I..."

Chen Qianqian glanced at Yang Chen, only to find that Yang Chen was no longer looking her way.

"Someone will..."

Before long, the family of four—without anyone realizing it, and without anyone finding the number strange—sat around the dining table.

The sweet-and-sour ribs were piled up like a small mountain. The fragrance of the cola chicken wings mingled with the steam rising from the rice, warming the entire room.

"Eat. Why are you just sitting there?"

Su Wan placed the largest piece of meat in Yang Chen's bowl.

Yang Chen lowered his head and shoveled in a mouthful of rice.

The rice was a little hot.

Hot enough to make his eyes sting.

On the television, the local news was replaying the story.

After praising Knight, they heaped praise on the kindhearted citizen as well. Finally, the host said in a mysterious tone:

"In addition, according to information obtained by this station, the Magical Girl Association is searching for a new magical girl who recently appeared in our city. Reportedly, this magical girl calls herself—the 'Pure Love Warrior'..."

"Oh, speaking of that!"

Chen Zhou suddenly perked up again.

"I have to tell you all the story about how my pure Love moved a magical girl one more time."

"Pfft—!"

Yang Chen sprayed out a mouthful of soup.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Su Wan hurriedly patted his back.

"Nothing, nothing..." Yang Chen coughed until his face was bright red. "The soup... The soup was just too delicious..."