Side story: Castorice's high school life (4)

During the preparation period for the cultural festival, the campus was like an overactive beehive, with noise and chaos filling the air.

Every class and club is racking their brains for the upcoming presentation, and Class 3 of Grade 11 is no exception.

After several rounds of voting, the final plan was "a retro cafe & a slightly haunted house mixed experience area".

The idea was good, but its execution was fraught with problems, especially in prop making and set design.

"No way! This cardboard coffin shakes at the slightest touch! What's so scary about it? It's ridiculous!"

Sports committee member Yang Shan patted a crooked "coffin" made of old cardboard boxes with a look of disgust.

The girls in charge of graphic design pouted and retorted, "Easy for you to say! You try it yourself! We've never been to a real funeral home, how would we know what a coffin should look like!"

The words "real funeral home" slipped out unconsciously, and several people's eyes simultaneously and subtly glanced at Castorice was quietly tidying up black fabric in the corner of the classroom.

Castorice seemed not to hear, or rather, did not care.

With her characteristically precise and efficient movements, she was cutting a large piece of thick black velvet into the right size to cover the window and create a dim atmosphere.

Her fingers brushed along the edge of the fabric, as if performing some kind of solemn ritual.

Murong Xue, who was directing people to hang up some cheap plastic spider webs, scoffed upon hearing this. "Of course! Isn't there a 'professional' right here? Maybe he can offer some 'valuable advice'."

The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.

Luo Li was helping to secure the wooden window frames of the café in the next area when she heard this, and her brows immediately furrowed.

He put down his tools and was about to speak when a clear but slightly lazy voice rang out.

"The real terror comes from the unknown and psychological suggestion, not from the realism of the props, Murong."

Polyxena leaned against the wall near her sister, playing with her white cane. Her misty eyes "looked" in Murong Xue's direction, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

"It's like some people who are terrified inside but pretend to be very loud—that's what makes it interesting."

Murong Xue was so choked that her face turned pale. She glared at Polyxena but couldn't refute her, so she could only turn her head away angrily.

Seeing this, Luo Li suppressed the words that were about to come out, but her protective instincts only intensified.

He walked over to Castorice, squatted down, and pretended to examine the fabric beside her. "Need any help? This looks quite heavy."

Castorice glanced at him, then gently shook her head. "No need, it'll be over soon."

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, as if sensing his suppressed anger, and she said softly, "Don't worry about trivial matters."

She's always like this, like a bottomless ancient well, the disturbances of the outside world seem to have little effect on her.

But Luo Li felt that the more this was the case, the more he wanted to shield her from those malicious dusts.

"I know."

Luo Li picked up a scrap of fabric left over from cutting and unconsciously twirled it. "It's just annoying to listen to."

Just then, the squad leader came in, sweating profusely, carrying a large box of purchased miscellaneous items. "Who can do an inventory and sorting of the supplies? There's too much stuff, we need someone careful!"

The crowd's gazes swept around, but most eventually settled on Castorice.

She was known for her meticulousness and organization, but this somewhat stereotypical assignment still created a slightly awkward atmosphere.

Before Castorice could respond, Luo Li suddenly stood up.

"I'll do it."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough.

The classroom fell silent for a moment, and even Castorice looked at him with slight surprise.

Luo Li? Meticulous? This guy can't even tidy up his own desk properly, but he's a pro at twirling a pen.

The class monitor was also taken aback. "Luo Li? You... are you sure you can handle this? There's so much stuff here, it's all very mixed up..."

"Give it a try."

Luo Li walked over, took the heavy box, and placed it on an empty table.

"I'm quick-witted, so the inventory should be quite efficient."

He was telling the truth.

The C-level superpower "Super-Speed Reaction" can indeed play an unexpected role in these trivial tasks that require rapid identification and classification.

He just doesn't usually bother using those abilities for this.

For the next half hour, the entire class witnessed a "classification magic trick."

Luo Li stood by the table, his hands moving in two blurs. The items in the box—ribbons, thumbtacks, light bulbs, imitation candles, plastic skulls, coffee bean packets—were taken out, identified, and categorized into different areas with astonishing speed.

The entire process was smooth, precise, and even had a strange sense of rhythm.

His expression was focused, and his usual carefree demeanor had vanished, replaced by a rare, calm seriousness.

Wow... Luo Li has this skill?

"With that kind of hand speed, it's a real shame she's not working in a factory..."

"It seems... to be quite reliable?"

Whispers arose, this time with less skepticism and more surprise.

Yang Shan leaned over and patted Luo Li's shoulder exaggeratedly.

Kong Yan'er appeared like a ghost at some point, adjusted her air glasses, and whispered, "The target, ' Luo Li,' is actively displaying her 'potential survival value' in front of a specific person; her behavior pattern matches courtship..."

Luo Li's hand trembled, almost crushing a small light bulb. She glared at Kong Yan'er, annoyed, and said, "Shut up!"

He glanced at Castorice instinctively.

She had stopped what she was doing and was quietly watching him.

The purple eyes were no longer completely calm, but held a hint of... appreciation? and a barely perceptible glint of curiosity.

When Luo Li finally sorted out the last item and clapped his hands, Castorice came over and handed him an unopened bottle of mineral water.

"You've worked hard." Her voice was still cool, but the gesture of handing her water was perfectly natural.

Luo Li paused for a moment, took the water bottle, and her fingertips inevitably brushed against hers lightly.

The slightly cool touch made his heart skip a beat, and his ears began to feel faintly hot again.

"N-nothing."

He unscrewed the bottle cap, took a big gulp, and tried to calm his racing heart.

Several classmates witnessed this scene and exchanged knowing glances, but this time, there was no mockery, only good-natured teasing.

Luo Li's unexpected performance somewhat reversed the negative impression brought about by the "funeral home incident".

The last weekend before the cultural festival saw the final sprint of preparations.

As evening approached, most of the students had already left, leaving only Luo Li and Castorice, along with a few class committee members who were still finishing up the last bit of work in the classroom.

Luo Li was in charge of checking all the circuits and lighting effects, while Castorice was checking whether the set design for the "haunted house" area was secure.

As dusk fell, the classroom lights were dimmed to match the haunted house atmosphere, with only a few small, eerie green and dark red lamps flickering, casting eerie shadows on the swaying black curtains.

Luo Li was squatting in the corner inspecting a faulty flashing light when she suddenly heard a soft "crash" sound, followed by a very low groan from Castorice.

His heart tightened, and he immediately got up and looked in the direction of the sound.

At the entrance of the "haunted house," a large black curtain, originally used as a partition and covered with imitation spider webs, had fallen down, covering half of Castorice's body. Next to it was a tilted metal support used to hold the curtain in place.

"Castorice!"

Luo Li rushed over in a few steps.

Several other classmates also gathered around upon hearing the commotion.

Are you alright?

"How did this shelf fall over?"

Castorice had already broken free from the fallen curtain. She shook her head, her brows furrowed slightly, and her left hand instinctively covered the area above her right elbow.

"I'm fine—the shelf wasn't secured properly, and I slipped."

She tried to keep her tone steady, but Luo Li keenly noticed her sudden pallor and the fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Let me see."

Luo Li spoke without hesitation, her tone carrying an undeniable insistence.

He stepped forward and, in the dim light, gently pulled away her hand that was covering her right arm.

The sleeve of the school uniform shirt was torn, and on the fair skin below, a small abrasion, about an inch long, was slowly oozing blood, and the surrounding area quickly became red and swollen.

It didn't look particularly serious, but it stood out starkly against her slender arms.

Luo Li's breath hitched, and a surge of emotion, a mixture of heartache and anger, welled up inside her.

He turned his head sharply, looking at the fallen metal support with eyes so sharp they seemed to want to melt it.

"Who's in charge of securing this?!"

His voice unconsciously rose, carrying an unusual sternness.

The students around him were startled and looked at each other, none of them daring to say anything for a moment.

Luo Li is usually cheerful and easy to talk to, but when she suddenly gets angry, her aura is quite intimidating.

"Never mind, Luo Li."

Castorice gently tugged at his sleeve. "It was just an accident."

Luo Li took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He ignored everyone else and focused his gaze back on Castorice's wound.

"It needs to be cleaned up."

He spoke softly, his tone softening but still carrying an air of undeniable authority. "There should still be someone on duty at the infirmary."

He looked around, his gaze landing on a pile of junk he had just cleared out, where there was an unopened individually wrapped pack of wet wipes and a few band-aids.

He walked quickly over, picked up some wet wipes and band-aids, and then returned to Castorice's side.

"It might be a little chilly."

He unwrapped the wet wipes with unprecedented care and gentleness, carefully and meticulously wiping away the dust and bloodstains around the wound.

Castorice stiffened slightly, but did not flinch. She lowered her eyes, looking at Luo Li's focused profile.

In the dim light, his long eyelashes cast shadows on his face, and his tightly pursed lips betrayed his nervousness.

The warmth of his fingertips seeped through the damp cloth, contrasting with the coolness of her own skin, sending a strange shiver down her spine.

It was quiet all around, with only the soft sound of each other's breathing remaining.

The other students seemed to realize the awkward atmosphere, and they tacitly dispersed to continue their own finishing work, leaving this corner to them.

After cleaning the wound, Luo Li tore off a band-aid and, with clumsy but unusually focused movements, applied it to the wound, ensuring complete coverage.

"Let's leave it at that for now. It would be best to disinfect it again with iodine when we get back."

He looked up and met Castorice's gaze.

Their eyes met.

Under the eerie light, a blend of dark green and crimson, and in the shadows of the swaying black curtains, the air seemed to freeze.

His figure was clearly reflected in Castorice's purple eyes. Her usual calm was broken by a complex emotion: surprise, emotion, and perhaps... a slight flutter of emotion that she herself was not clear about.

Luo Li's heartbeat was so loud it almost shattered her eardrums.

He could smell her unique, cool fragrance, mixed with a hint of blood and dust.

His gaze involuntarily and slowly moved downwards, landing on her slightly parted, pale pink lips.

A thought flared up like wildfire, burning his throat and making his blood rush.

He wanted to kiss her.

The impulse was so strong that he could hardly control his urge to lean forward.

Castorice seemed to sense the heat and intent in his gaze. Her body tensed instantly, her pupils contracted, and a blush quickly spread across her face.

She didn't back down, but her hands, placed at her sides, unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Everything around them seemed to disappear, leaving only their increasingly close breaths, and the distance in the ambiguous light, restless and poised to cross a certain boundary...

"Sister? Luo Li? Are you still there?"

Polyxena's voice, accompanied by the soft tapping of her cane on the ground, came from the classroom doorway, breaking the enchanting silence.

The two separated as if they had been electrocuted.

Luo Li abruptly took a step back, her face flushed red, and she coughed awkwardly, her eyes darting around in a panic.

Castorice quickly turned around, pretending to tidy up the fallen curtain beside her, but her bright red ears and slightly rapid breathing betrayed that she was far from calm on the surface.

"Yes, I'm here!"

Luo Li responded loudly, her voice still a little strained. "It'll be finished soon!"

Polyxena groped her way in, her misty eyes scanning the two people in the strange atmosphere, a knowing smile curving her lips.

"Oh~ it seems the 'haunted house' atmosphere was created quite successfully." She chuckled meaningfully, "Even the staff almost got 'hooked' in?"

Luo Li: "..."

Castorice: "..."