Chapter 42

When Zhao Ziming and the others arrived at the restaurant yawning, they saw Jiang Liu already seated at a table with several small dishes laid out before her. She gave them a lazy greeting as they approached.

“You’re up so early?” Zhao Ziming asked, surprised. He stared at Jiang Liu, scrutinizing her as if trying to determine if she was an imposter.

Zhang Xiaochen was so tired he could barely open his eyes. Hearing the question, he didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids, simply pointing at the table. “With that appetite, it’s definitely her.”

His comment made everyone burst out laughing. Anyone familiar with Jiang Liu knew she had a huge appetite and would always have snacks on hand during her downtime.

As the others got their food and sat down, Jiang Liu was already half-full. She blew on her steaming black tea and glanced at Zhang Xiaochen. “How’s the injury?”

Zhang Xiaochen grinned and waved his right hand nonchalantly. “Just a scratch. I’m tough, it’s nothing.”

Jiang Liu’s gaze fell on his bandaged arm. She hummed in acknowledgment and said no more.

Perhaps because many players were entering an instance today, the breakfast hall was bustling. Numerous players were gathered together, their voices rising and falling in conversation all around, but Jiang Liu seemed oblivious, her eyes fixed on the tea before her, motionless.

She hadn’t slept well last night and a faint trace of fatigue lingered in her eyes. Had her companions observed her more closely, they would have noticed it. In the past, her dreams were filled with chaotic, jumbled memories and the recurring figure of Yang Caisi. But this time was different.

She had dreamed of a blurry figure dressed in a vintage long gown. A layer of mist seemed to obscure his face, making it impossible to see his features. The only thing she could be sure of was that it was a young man. Jiang Liu couldn’t recall the complex emotions she felt in the dream, only that she had woken up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding uncontrollably as if desperately trying to remind her of something.

“Sister Jiang?”

Zhao Ziming scratched his head. When Jiang Liu didn’t answer after he called her twice, he tentatively reached out to nudge her.

Jiang Liu was startled out of her thoughts, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. “Huh?” she asked hesitantly.

“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you sleep well?” Zhao Ziming frowned, a worried look on his face.

Entering an instance in a less-than-perfect state was not a wise move. But Jiang Liu’s vacant expression lasted only a moment before vanishing, replaced by her usual composure. “I was just thinking about something,” she said calmly. “What is it?”

“We’re about to enter the instance. Should we fill the fifth spot on our team?”

Jiang Liu thought for a moment. “Put Zhu Yan’s name down.”

She had formed the team to get matched into an Advanced Instance. Since Zhu Yan was also A-Rank, it wouldn’t hurt to bring him along.

Zhao Ziming snapped his fingers crisply and stood up, giving her a dashing salute. “As you command. I’ll go register at the front desk right now.”

Watching his exaggerated movements, Zhang Xiaochen couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Who are you trying to impress with that cheesy act?”

Xu Meng stifled a laugh and nudged him. “If you’re so capable, why don’t you try learning from him?”

Zhang Xiaochen clicked his tongue, thumped his chest, and struck what he thought was a cool pose. “We’re not the same style. I can’t learn that, I just can’t.”

The two of them joked around, filling the table with laughter. The morning sun rose, its rays slanting through the window and falling upon them. Even Jiang Liu couldn’t help but curve her eyes into a smile.

She wondered what challenges they would face in the next instance.

***

A sense of weightlessness washed over her. When Jiang Liu opened her eyes again, she found herself standing on a modern street. Cars sped past, leaving behind a choking cloud of exhaust. She instinctively held her breath and waved a hand in disgust.

Unlike the isolated Warm Sun Town, this was clearly a rapidly developing metropolis. A beverage shop on the street was playing music, and next to it was a large shopping mall with a constant stream of people at its entrance. In the distance, high-rise buildings shot up into the sky, making it seem as if they hadn’t left the public rest area at all.

Jiang Liu scanned her surroundings but didn’t see anyone else. Instead, her attention was drawn by a strange, fragrant aroma drifting on the air. Her nose twitched, and she unhesitatingly pinpointed a snack stall at a nearby street corner.

The System’s voice had yet to appear, but she wasn’t in a hurry. She strolled over. “Two roasted sausages.”

The vendor was a middle-aged woman with a kind expression. Her hands moved deftly as she prepared the food, and she spoke with a slight accent. “You’re a student at No. 16 Middle School too, little girl?”

Jiang Liu paused, looking down to find that her clothes had changed. A blue and white middle school uniform hung loosely on her frame, and a metal school badge was pinned to her chest, bearing a few neatly written words—

First Year, Class Four, Jiang Liu.

Jiang Liu was silent for a moment.

After all these years, she never thought she’d get to experience being a high school student again in a game. She didn’t know whether to call it unlucky or fortunate. She gave a vague response and was about to reach for her phone to contact the others when she realized her pockets were completely empty, save for a torn piece of a note. Not only was there no phone, but there wasn’t even a single coin.

Jiang Liu looked up and met the woman’s gaze, then stared wordlessly at the almost-ready sausages.

Five minutes later, holding two sausages, she walked away with a complicated expression under the woman’s sympathetic gaze, which seemed to say, “It’s not easy for a young girl in school,” and “Just take them, it’s alright.”

She never would have imagined that the first thing to stump her in this instance wouldn’t be a monster, but having no money. Jiang Liu took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. Only then did the System’s voice belatedly arrive—

[Dayuan Photo Studio is located near Luo City’s No. 16 Middle School. It had an agreement with the school to take photos for the students. However, one week ago, the owner of the photo studio mysteriously disappeared, and many students have since taken a leave of absence. Xiao Ji is one of them. As his friend, the player must enter the photo studio and find the reason for the students’ suspension.]

[Main Quest: Successfully find Xiao Ji.]

[Optional Side Quest: Investigate what happened inside the photo studio.]

[Special Declaration: This is an Advanced Instance. If the Side Quest is accepted, the player will receive a special item upon completion. Rewards and punishments will be determined by the Level Score. Please treat this with caution.]

[Accept the Side Quest?]

As soon as the voice faded, a countdown timer began to tick rapidly in her ears, leaving no time for consideration. Jiang Liu didn’t hesitate and answered “yes” in her mind.

The System seemed to freeze for three seconds, then the emotionless voice returned.

[Player’s team has been detected. All players in the team have accepted the Side Quest. Note: This is a Hidden Quest. Players who have accepted should proceed with caution. Failure will result in a deduction of corresponding Points.]

[We wish the player a pleasant game.]

When the voice faded, Jiang Liu felt a sudden weight in her pocket. She reached in and, sure enough, it was her phone. Tossing the bamboo skewer into a trash can, she calmly created a group chat.

***

Half an hour later, at the entrance of No. 16 Middle School.

Zhang Xiaochen, sporting a head of yellow hair that didn’t suit a student at all, appeared at the school gate, sweating profusely. His face was flushed from the heat. “Is the damn System targeting me? It spawned me ten kilometers away. I’m exhausted.”

Zhao Ziming, squatting in a shady spot, burst out laughing. “Sometimes, you really have to rely on your character.”

Since the mission location was the photo studio, they naturally decided to gather at the school gate. Jiang Liu was the closest, just a road crossing away, while he and Xu Meng were about a street away. Zhu Yan was a bit farther, but he was a genuine student. With his innocent-looking boyish face, he managed to flag down a private car, claiming he was about to be late, and a kind person gave him a ride.

Only Zhang Xiaochen had the worst luck. With his punkish aura, no one was willing to give him a ride, so he had to bike for over half an hour.

Jiang Liu put down her phone, tossed him a bottle of iced drink, and looked up at the main gate of No. 16 Middle School.

Zhang Xiaochen glanced at the blazing sun and asked, puzzled, “Why aren’t you guys going in?”

“We can’t,” Jiang Liu shrugged, nodding towards the guardhouse.

Following her gaze, they saw an old security guard sitting bolt upright in his chair. Though his face was covered in wrinkles, his gaze was as sharp and piercing as a hawk’s. Jiang Liu leaned against the wall, using the shade to hide herself, and spoke slowly. “I already checked. It’s Saturday. Everyone except the third-year seniors is on break. We can’t get in.”

Zhang Xiaochen pouted. “He’s just a gatekeeper. Can’t we just force our way in?”

With their skills, were they really going to be stopped by one person? Jiang Liu gave him a speechless look and pointed to his school badge. “We’re students right now! What kind of student barges through the main gate?”

Zhang Xiaochen scratched his head, muttering that it had been a long time since he’d been to school. “So what do we do? Go to that photo studio first?” he asked resignedly.

He had looked around on his way here but hadn’t seen a sign for it.

Jiang Liu raised an eyebrow, her eyes seeming to curve as she looked at Zhu Yan. With a smile, she asked, “What would you do in this situation?”

Zhu Yan stared at her for a long moment before silently pointing behind him. “Climb the wall.”

Zhang Xiaochen was speechless. “…”

Is there a difference? Isn’t that just another way of forcing our way in?

Seeing the question written all over his face, Jiang Liu shook her head with a grin. “Not at all. A student wouldn’t be so high-profile.”

Fine, Zhang Xiaochen didn’t argue.

The school walls were mostly not very high. Jiang Liu took a few tentative jumps, successfully grabbed the top of the wall, and swung herself over to sit on it. She then reached a hand down to Xu Meng below. “Come on up.”

Xu Meng wasn’t used to this sort of thing. She hesitated for a moment before firmly grasping Jiang Liu’s hand. With a push from Zhao Ziming, she was hoisted up. Just as her head cleared the top of the wall, she saw a familiar figure standing below.

Their eyes met, and a jolt of fear shot through Xu Meng, her body instantly stiffening. In front of her, Jiang Liu was still oblivious, encouraging her. “Don’t be afraid. You won’t even break a leg falling from this height. I’ll help you sit up first.”

“No, be-behind…”

Jiang Liu glanced behind her, puzzled. “Zhao Ziming is pushing you. It’s fine.”

Xu Meng was speechless. “…”

She hesitated for a moment, then reminded her with a tearful voice, “Sister Jiang, behind you!”

Jiang Liu instinctively turned her head and saw Yang Caisi, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on her face, holding a thick stack of documents, her gaze fixed intently on her.

For a split second, she genuinely felt the anxiety of a student caught skipping school by a teacher. She cleared her throat, quickly composed herself, and waved a hand at Yang Caisi below the wall. “What a coincidence. Teacher Yang, are you skipping class too?”