Gaoyang slowed his pace. He soon made up his mind and started heading toward a busier area.
In theory, if a fight broke out in a crowded place, it would only attract more Wrath Beasts, increasing his chances of dying. But on closer consideration, if a Wrath Beast was following him, that meant it had already discovered-or at least suspected-that he was an Awakened.
Yet it hadn't attacked him right away, choosing to follow him instead. That meant this Wrath Beast wanted him all to itself. And if it wanted him all to itself, it certainly wouldn't strike in a crowded place.
Soon, Gaoyang passed a twenty-four-hour convenience store. He took a deep breath, turned, and walked inside.
A girl in a school uniform, her hair cut just above her shoulders, soon came running around the street corner. She followed him to the convenience store entrance, hesitated, tidied her straight bangs with one hand, and approached the store.
The moment she pushed the door open, she came face-to-face with Gaoyang.
She jumped in fright. "Ah!"
Gaoyang had only decided to turn the tables on his pursuer after working up his courage. Seeing her face surprised him at first, but he soon breathed an inward sigh of relief.
"Xiao Si?"
The girl was his classmate, Wan Sisi. She was shy and introverted, and everyone called her Xiao Si.
Completely flustered, Wan Sisi clutched the shoulder bag tucked under her arm and launched into a stiff, nervous performance. "H-hi... What a coincidence! You're here too? I... missed my stop, and then I happened to get a little hungry, so I thought I'd buy some snacks..."
"You were following me, weren't you?" Gaoyang cut straight to the point.
Wan Sisi flushed from her neck to behind her ears. "I-I, um..."
Gaoyang glanced around. The cashier and customers were all looking their way curiously.
The two of them blocking the entrance did look a little strange. Gaoyang took Wan Sisi by the hand and led her to a corner of the store, where they sat side by side by the display window. Then he bought some food and drinks.
A minute later, Wan Sisi was taking tiny sips of instant coffee. Gradually, her nerves eased, and she even felt a little giddy. She lowered her head and murmured, "He held my hand, and he bought me coffee..."
"What did you say?"
"Ah, nothing!" Wan Sisi looked up in a panic. "Thank you for the coffee."
Gaoyang took a bite of his hot dog. "So, tell me. Why were you following me?"
Wan Sisi lowered her head again, her voice growing quieter. "Gaoyang... You must be really upset about what happened to Li Weiwei, right?"
Gaoyang paused, slightly taken aback, but said nothing.
"It feels like you've become a different person lately. You hardly talk to anyone in class anymore, and you just sit by yourself staring into space every day." Concern colored Wan Sisi's voice.
"Have I?"
Gaoyang felt grateful. Thanks for the reminder. Looks like I'd better try to keep up my old social circle from now on, or I might give myself away.
"The dead can't come back to life. None of us wanted something like this to happen..." Wan Sisi stole a cautious glance at Gaoyang. "Please don't get trapped in your own thoughts. If anything's bothering you, you can talk to me."
Gaoyang stopped eating and turned to study Wan Sisi seriously. She had short-to-medium-length hair, straight bangs, an oval face, clear skin, and a slender, petite figure. Her large eyes always blinked shyly and nervously, like those of a timid fawn.
Wan Sisi always spoke softly. She seemed a little insecure and rarely dared to look people in the eye-the sort of sweet, gentle girl everyone liked to tease.
Quite a few boys liked her, actually. She simply hadn't noticed.
Normally, Gaoyang got along fairly well with Wan Sisi. She was the class representative for English, and he occasionally asked her for help with English exercises.
Since Li Weiwei's death, Gaoyang had barely spoken to her. No wonder she was concerned.
Under Gaoyang's unblinking gaze, Wan Sisi blushed again. She awkwardly looked away. "Sorry... Just forget what I said..."
"Thanks." Gaoyang gave her a grateful smile. "I didn't realize you cared about me so much."
"No! I don't!" Wan Sisi denied it outright, but her expression had already given her away. "We're classmates. It's only natural!"
"Don't worry. I'm not dwelling on it. I'll be fine after a few days to adjust," Gaoyang said.
They chatted a little longer about this and that-life, their college application choices-until their hot drinks were drained and their snacks were gone.
Wan Sisi got up to throw away the trash. She glanced around, then secretly slipped her disposable coffee cup into her pocket while no one was looking, her face radiant with happiness.
None of it escaped Gaoyang's notice.
Could Wan Sisi have a crush on me?
Then Gaoyang remembered Li Weiwei, who had almost killed him on his birthday night. Perhaps Wan Sisi was the same: one second she was telling him she liked him, and the next she would turn into a terrifying Wrath Beast and devour him alive.
Gaoyang was filled with conflicting emotions.
They parted ways after leaving the convenience store. Only when Wan Sisi's happy figure disappeared around the street corner did Gaoyang open the system again.
His Fortune point gain hadn't doubled. It seemed Wan Sisi really wasn't dangerous.
After that little detour, Gaoyang continued on his way. Less than two minutes later, he stopped again.
Wait... Why does it still feel like someone's following me?
Come to think of it, I've become a lot more perceptive. It's probably because my "Mental Strength" went up. Looks like raising these stats really does help.
Gaoyang suddenly quickened his pace, rounded the next corner, quickly tossed aside his schoolbag, and slipped behind a vending machine, holding his breath.
Seven or eight seconds later, a figure came jogging around the corner. He immediately noticed the schoolbag at his feet. Just as he bent down to pick it up, Gaoyang sprang out. "Wang Zikai?!"
Wang Zikai jumped in fright. "Ah-"
"You're following me?"
Wang Zikai chuckled. "Damn, bro! I hid so well, and you still spotted me!"
"Didn't I tell you to stay home and focus on your training?!" Gaoyang was exasperated, and his head started aching again. Bro, if you're this determined to get yourself killed, I won't be able to save you even if I want to.
Wang Zikai looked miserable. "This training is so fucking boring! I really can't take it anymore!"
"How are you supposed to get stronger without training?"
"Can't we go kill monsters? Or do something else... Can sitting around meditating every day really make me stronger? It feels fucking useless!"
Of course it can't.
But if you stop causing trouble, at least you'll stay alive.
Gaoyang sighed. "Your constitution is very unusual. You develop more slowly than the rest of us, but once you've mastered it, you'll be stronger than all of us too. You have to be patient. As the saying goes, before Heaven entrusts someone with a great responsibility, it first tests their resolve, exhausts their muscles and bones, starves their body, and leaves them destitute..."
"I get all that." Wang Zikai looked thoroughly aggrieved. "But it's just so boring!"
Gaoyang fell silent.
Seeing Gaoyang's expression darken, Wang Zikai immediately put on an apologetic smile. "Bro, bro, don't be mad. I'll go back and keep training, okay?"
"Don't talk."
"What's wrong?" Wang Zikai lowered his voice and craned his neck to look around, actually starting to get excited.
"We're... being followed."
Gaoyang was about to lose his mind.
Would this ever end?!
Before you continue