She endured the erosion of the white powder particles without expression, only pulling her foot out once the last bit of it had left the Swimming Pool's water.
Only then did someone's back truly emerge from the water...
She set her foot back on the poolside, then looked at Lin Yi.
The white ceramic tiles beneath Lin Yi's body were faintly distorting, but-distorting was all they did.
She bent down and reached out, ready to pull Lin Yi out of the water.
But before she could finish bending down, Lin Yi had already popped out of the water himself, his face wearing a strangely confident smile that practically said, "I came prepared."
He gave off a distinct air of "The same move can't work twice on a Saint."
The Sports Department Girl froze for a moment. Lin Yi's adaptability had exceeded her expectations, so...
She pressed down on Lin Yi's shoulders and shoved half his body back underwater.
"Keep practicing."
Seeing that Lin Yi was fine, she straightened up again and walked toward the other side.
"Um..."
Lin Yi's voice suddenly sounded behind her.
She stopped and turned, revealing her flawless profile.
"What is it?"
"Are you all right?" Lin Yi asked with some concern.
She realized something, and her gaze shifted down to the white powder particles that had climbed almost halfway up her thigh.
"That's none of your concern."
She spoke coldly, then headed straight toward the edge of the Swimming Hall.
Lin Yi puffed out his cheeks, but his gaze continued to follow her.
Naturally, she could sense it. She deliberately stopped and said:
"What are you staring at? Get back to practicing!"
With that, she continued toward the edge of the Swimming Hall.
Lin Yi ducked his head and quietly kicked in the water.
For some reason, after being stepped on twice, he felt as though all the channels in his body had opened up. He felt completely refreshed, as if some kind of shackle had been shattered.
He knew this had to be thanks to the Sports Department Girl, so he stole a glance at her retreating figure, then immediately looked away.
The Sports Department Girl kept walking toward the edge without stopping, merely muttering:
"Idiot."
"You think I can't feel that?"
At the edge of the Swimming Hall was a deep, dim Covered Corridor.
An old Kerosene Lamp hung at regular intervals along the Covered Corridor.
She approached the Covered Corridor and stopped before a white line.
This white line was the one specified in the Gymnasium Rules to mark out the experience area for participating students.
She glanced at the white line, then lifted the leg covered in white powder particles and stepped across it.
Covered in the white powder particles, her leg looked as though it were clad in a thick, white over-the-knee stocking. As she extended her foot into that area, the light of the old Kerosene Lamps immediately enveloped her leg.
"Whoosh..."
The flames of the old Kerosene Lamps flickered slightly, swaying as though a gale had blown against them.
She watched her leg. Under the light of the old Kerosene Lamps, the white powder particles hardened at a speed visible to the naked eye.
They changed from white powder particles into a white plaster-like substance.
The leg soon looked as though it were made of plaster.
She frowned, golden flames rising in her eyes.
She lifted her foot and stamped hard on the ground.
"Cr...ack..."
Fine cracks spread across the plaster-like substance at the sound.
She shook her foot, and the white plaster-like substance covering almost her entire leg fell away with a rustle, like withered old bark.
She gave the white plaster-like substance an indifferent glance, withdrew her leg, then walked back toward Lin Yi without looking back.
Lin Yi hurriedly averted his gaze and buried himself in practicing his swimming.
"Come out. We're done," the Sports Department Girl said flatly as she reached the poolside.
"I was actually checking the time just now..." Lin Yi argued. "I've only been swimming for fifty minutes. It hasn't been a full hour yet..."
"Then keep going. I'm leaving." With that, the Sports Department Girl headed straight toward the Women’s Changing Room.
A splash came from behind her. Without even thinking, she knew Lin Yi had climbed out of the water and onto the poolside.
"Um... you seem to be all right now?" He looked at the Sports Department Girl's leg. It had looked as though it had been coated in white paint earlier, yet after that short trip, it had returned to being fair and flawless, even gleaming faintly under the LED lights as though coated with oil...
"Your eyes are saying a little too much. Look once more, and I'll throw you into the Swimming Pool."
The Sports Department Girl's icy voice made Lin Yi shudder. He hastily looked away and stood up straight.
"Today's Swimming Class is over. Remember to be on time for the next one," she told Lin Yi calmly.
Lin Yi felt a surge of delight. "Will you be the one teaching my Swimming Class next time too?"
In a rare moment of consideration, the Sports Department Girl thought about it, then gave a slight nod. "Unless something unexpected happens, yes."
"Then... what should I call you?" Lin Yi asked awkwardly. "Oh, right. My name is Lin Yi."
"I know your name is Lin Yi." The Sports Department Girl glanced at his waterproof card holder, then said, "As for me, you can call me what they do..."
"'Boss.'"
"Boss...?" Lin Yi murmured, repeating it. For some reason, calling someone else Boss, especially a girl, always felt a little strange.
It was like living off a woman, except this meal ticket was clearly tougher than he was...
"Oh, right. Remember to rinse off before you leave. If there's another Athlete Student around, you can ask him to keep watch, then wash your hair properly."
"In your condition, I wouldn't recommend washing your hair in the Dormitory."
After saying that, Boss headed straight toward the Women’s Changing Room.
Watching Boss disappear around the bend in the passage to the Women’s Changing Room, Lin Yi slowly withdrew his gaze.
He glanced back at the pool. Now, he was the only person left in the Swimming Hall.
A cool breeze blew past, and he gave an involuntary shiver.
May 7, X023, 15:53, Gymnasium, first floor, Swimming Hall, Shower Area.
"Shhhhh-"
Lin Yi stood under the hot shower. Steam spread around his calves, filling his shower stall with drifting white mist.
After weighing his options, he ultimately decided not to wash his hair for now. His scalp felt a little uncomfortable, but scratching it had helped somewhat.
Besides, although the notice in the changing room had mentioned what he could do if he wanted to wash his hair, Boss had said it was best to have an Athlete Student keep watch. That made him feel there might be more to it.
And since there were no Athlete Students around, he would leave it for now.
Surely he couldn't ask Boss to keep watch while he washed his hair?
She would probably knock the top of his skull clean off.
After briefly thinking it over, he decided he would just wet a towel after his shower and give his head a cursory wipe.
But while he was showering, he suddenly picked up on a slight disturbance in the mist in the Shower Area...
The changing room was a relatively enclosed space. The mist in the Shower Area had been spreading naturally, dissipating as soon as it left the Shower Area.
Yet that sensation just now had been like someone knocking the clay seal off a wine jar, letting fresh air rush inside and wash through the wine fumes already within.
Someone... came in from outside?
A sharp glint instinctively flashed through his eyes.
Immediately afterward, a faintly chilly current darted over along the floor, making his hairs stand on end.
He quickly reviewed his memories.
If he remembered correctly, everyone in the pool had already left. A few people had still been changing in the changing room, while the Shower Area had been almost empty...
And that sensation just now had felt like someone opening the changing room door to leave or enter, bringing a rush of outside air with them.
It seemed perfectly normal, but something about it felt wrong to Lin Yi.
Because...
There's too much yin energy!
He had only ever felt this kind of sinister chill from those classmates who weren't quite right!
Someone like that can show up in the Gymnasium too?
He didn't believe it, but it was better to assume the danger existed than that it didn't.
Without turning off the shower, he silently gathered his swimwear, took his towel to the adjacent shower stall, then quickly dried his body and hair. Holding his discarded clothes, he tiptoed out of the Shower Area.
As he left the Shower Area, he scanned his surroundings warily.
No one.
There wasn't a single person in the changing room. At least... no one within his field of view!
But cold was spreading along the nonslip flooring. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it.
He quickened his pace toward his locker.
Several rules had mentioned the concept of "ignoring." Since there was no one in his initial field of view, all the better. He wouldn't even have to bother ignoring anyone!
Now he only needed to do one thing-get dressed, then leave.
Before leaving, he could simply toss all his swimwear into the Recycling Bin.
Besides, the Gymnasium Rules had already stated:
[As long as you remain within the experience areas marked on the Map, the Gymnasium is the most normal and safest place during your time at school (bar none).]
With such a powerful protective charm right before his eyes, there was no reason not to believe it.
He swiped his Student ID to open his locker and reached for the clothes inside. Just then, however, he suddenly felt an icy gust blow against his back...
It was as though something had closed the distance between them at incredible speed, then slammed on the brakes directly behind him!
Although the thing had stopped, the wind it had stirred still struck Lin Yi's back.
The Shower Area was right beside him, and warm steam was still spreading. Yet an icy presence that had no business being there had appeared in what should have been a warm changing room.
A chill that pierced flesh and bone!
Ice that froze the soul!
Fuck, what the hell just showed up?!
I took the cup!
Curses flooded Lin Yi's mind. The evaporating moisture and the enveloping chill made his body tremble slightly.
A sentence surfaced in his mind-
[Do not look back!]
When in doubt, weld your gaze to a fixed reference point!
He didn't know whether the rule about staring at a streetlamp would work in this situation, but since that strange thing hadn't attacked him, its behavior probably followed a logic somewhat similar to that thing suspected of being a Female Teacher, which had lingered behind him in the thick fog...
He gritted his teeth and fixed his gaze on the depths of the locker.
Then he gingerly took out his clothes, presenting his bare backside to the thing behind him, and pulled them on swiftly and neatly.
Soon, only one shoe and... a pile of socks remained.
The corner of Lin Yi's mouth twitched violently.
Damn it! No socks, then!
Gritting his teeth, he stuffed all the socks into his pocket, then took his Student ID out of its Waterproof Card Holder and clutched it tightly.
Throughout the process, he could feel that faint, intermittent icy breath washing against his back.
His body shuddered uncontrollably, and he could clearly feel the other party circling him.
An image naturally appeared in his mind-an ice sculpture, circling him with predatory intent.
"Gulp..."
He swallowed, struggling to suppress his fear, and shakily wrapped all his swimwear in the towel. Then he mentally reviewed his route out.
Once he had finished, he took a deep breath, then...
Took half a step back.
The nonslip flooring was slightly cool, but his footing was firm.
Safe. Very safe...
Keeping his gaze fixed in place, he continued slowly stepping backward.
Good, good, good. That's the feel-oh, fuck!
His ankle struck a bench in the changing room, sending a sharp jolt of pain through him.
Damn it... didn't think through the details...
He steadied his breathing and continued backing up...
He retreated roughly three to five meters in succession. The feeling of being watched intently never faded and only grew stronger, but he still wasn't attacked.
He felt a little more reassured, thinking that spending so much time with Liangzi hadn't been entirely without benefits. At least, in a critical moment, a sudden brainwave really could produce some unorthodox tricks...
Although he still couldn't match Wei Liang's Unorthodox Tricks, this was enough to pack quite a punch.
But he had barely had time to feel pleased with himself when suddenly...
Thud!
He felt his back press against something icy cold.
Like rotten wood that had soaked in water for years, like a smooth stone covered in slippery moss, like a sculpture constantly shedding sludge, like... an ice sculpture covered in a thin layer of ice and snow?
Just then, a low voice finally came from behind him, so cold it felt as though he had been plunged into an icehouse:
"Classmate... swimming takes a lot out of you. Have something to eat and replenish your strength?"
A gaunt hand, pale and utterly bloodless, quietly emerged beside Lin Yi's neck and shoulder.
It held a scarlet tomato, slowly bringing it toward Lin Yi's lips.
"A freshly picked tomato... fresh, delicious, and tasty... why not have a bite?"
The cold, demonic voice carried a hint of beguilement, swirling around Lin Yi's ears like an icy wind.
Lin Yi's gaze remained welded to the inside of the locker, but he could do nothing as this thing deliberately raised the tomato from beside his mouth to right before his eyes...
"Fine, fine, fine, so this is how you're fucking playing it...?!"
Lin Yi ground his teeth with hatred, his mind racing wildly.
But he still saw the tomato.
"Holy shit, this tomato... wait, is this fucking thing a tomato?!"
He stared in disbelief at that pale hand. Somehow, a fine network of blood vessels had appeared across the surface of the tomato it held, and the whole tomato was faintly pulsing with a "gurgle, gurgle"...
Was this a fresh tomato? This was clearly...
"A... heart!!"
Thank you to the reader "The Evening Breeze Hides Lingering Regret" for the tip!!
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