Bullet Fast

Of course, Ye Shuang didn’t accept Anshi Yi’s suggestion. Instead, he chose a gentler powdered cold remedy for An Shiyaya to drink. Some people really couldn’t get used to swallowing pills, after all, and powdered medicine was also absorbed more easily.

Besides, there weren’t any green onions in the school infirmary.

Judging by the eager look on Anshi Yi’s face, though, she seemed to genuinely wish the infirmary had a few green onions growing there, so they could simply be pulled out whenever a patient came in with a cold.

“Thank you…” An Shiyaya took the cold remedy Ye Shuang handed her. Compared to tablets, this seemed much easier to swallow. She carefully blew on it first, then, despite its strange taste, forced herself to gulp it down.

“Mm.”

A wail of misery.

“You can’t even swallow that? If you ever drank something thick, wouldn’t you just throw it right back up?” Hearing Ducky’s cry, Anshi Yi shook her head helplessly. “Hey, swallow it properly!”

“Huh?!”

Seeing An Shiyaya’s reaction, Ye Shuang guessed that she was especially sensitive to bitter flavors. After thinking for a moment, he opened the drawer beside him and took out a piece of candy. “Here, have some candy to get rid of the taste.”

“Thank you!”

After eating the candy, An Shiyaya finally calmed down. It was hard to imagine someone having such a difficult time taking medicine.

“Am I causing you too much trouble?” An Shiyaya asked apologetically. “I’ve been particularly sensitive to bitter tastes and pain ever since I was little.”

“Everyone has things they’re not good at dealing with.” Ye Shuang merely smiled faintly. Then he glanced at Ducky. “Your Chinese has improved a lot lately.”

“I’ve been working hard at it.”

An Shiyaya ran a finger around the rim of her cup, then glanced at An Shiyu and Anshi Yi in the distance. “Actually, I’ll be going back soon.”

“Going back? To Japan?” Ye Shuang asked.

“Yeah. My exchange-student term is almost over,” An Shiyaya said. “So I’ll have to go back.”

She hadn’t come here to stay until graduation, after all. She still had to return to her own school.

“I see. There really is no such thing as a banquet that never ends.” Ye Shuang sounded a little regretful. An Shiyaya was quite an interesting girl. She collected bottle caps, and even secretly streamed online under a virtual avatar without anyone knowing, but she really did have a pretty good personality—she was just a little too eager to prove herself.

“Everyone here is so nice. No one makes fun of my height, either,” An Shiyaya said.

“Your figure is perfect. You should be more confident,” Ye Shuang said with a smile.

He knew that the “cute” aesthetic was still fairly popular among girls in Japan. Petite girls were often considered adorable, while taller girls could easily become the subject of private jokes.

“Really? Hehe.” An Shiyaya seemed rather pleased by Ye Shuang’s praise.

As far as Ye Shuang was concerned, Ducky’s tall, curvy figure was certainly nothing to feel insecure about.

In fact, her situation was somewhat similar to Keke’s. She had every reason to be proud of her appearance; it was simply because she had endured too many comments and pointed looks that she had developed a passive sort of inferiority complex.

“I’ll head back to class first.”

“Okay.”

After taking her medicine, An Shiyaya left the school infirmary. Ye Shuang watched her retreating figure for a moment, then slowly turned toward An Shiyu and Anshi Yi.

“Ducky’s leaving. Aren’t you two going to do anything?”

“Do anything…?” An Shiyu was still sitting with her legs drawn up, gripping a game controller. Hearing Ye Shuang, she released the controls and propped her cheek up with one hand. “She’s just going home, not dying. She can come back to visit whenever she wants.”

“Like talking to a fish, all I get is a blank stare.”

Ye Shuang sighed. “Since she’s going back, shouldn’t you give her a proper farewell?”

“Summer vacation is still a long way off. Who says goodbye months in advance?” Anshi Yi stared at him with blank, dot-like eyes. Since An Shiyaya was an exchange student, she wouldn’t be leaving until at least summer vacation.

Wasn’t it a little strange to say goodbye already?

“Uh… I guess that makes sense.” Ye Shuang thought about it for a moment. Summer vacation really was still some time away. The Spring Festival had only just ended, after all.

“Come to think of it, why doesn’t An Shiyaya know any ninjutsu?” Ye Shuang suddenly asked An Shiyu. They were both members of the Anshi family, yet An Shiyaya was like a completely useless idiot who couldn’t do anything.

“I don’t know any, either,” An Shiyu said expressionlessly.

“Exactly. It’s the age of science now. What good is a dagger when bullets are faster?” Anshi Yi formed a finger gun and aimed it at Ye Shuang.

“Bang, bang, bang~”

“In this technological age, even the cultivation class next door has started practicing cyber-cultivation.”

“…”

…

Ignoring the two fishes, Ye Shuang tidied up his things during lunch break, then headed to the cafeteria to eat with Bai Yuyou and Keke.

“One takeout tonkotsu ramen.”

“One takeout bowl of luosifen.”

[These are the two fishes’ takeout orders. Please collect them.]

[Delivery fee: 0]

“Eating these in the school infirmary is going to make the place smell pretty strong, isn’t it?” Ye Shuang’s mouth twitched.

“It’s fine. When the patients come in, the smell can distract them and reduce their pain.”

“When they’re already feeling awful and then have to smell sour bamboo shoots, wouldn’t that just kill them?” Ye Shuang couldn’t even imagine such a scene. The smell of luosifen and ramen was no joke.

“This is the Anshi family’s method of treatment.”

“Anyone who believes you is an idiot.”

After leaving the infirmary, Ye Shuang headed toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria at Yinshan Academy was as crowded as ever. Even though the school had several separate dining halls, they were nearly full as soon as lunch break began.

“Hmm… What should I eat?” Ye Shuang wondered. Just then, he spotted Keke and Bai Yuyou in the crowd at a glance.

Peach was there with them as well.

“Ah, Big Brother’s over there.” The girls spotted Ye Shuang and hurried over.

“Ye Shuang.” Bai Yuyou moved close to him and buried her face directly against his arm.

Seeing the girl press her cheek against him, Ye Shuang couldn’t help smiling. He gently patted Bai Yuyou on the head, then asked Peach and the others, “What are you having?”

“Rice with toppings. The cafeteria’s new cheese-and-oyster-sauce rice bowl is especially good.”

“What kind of culinary abomination is that?”

Since Bai Yuyou hadn’t seen Ye Shuang all morning, she seemed to be clinging to him even more tightly. She was like a koala plushie that had run out of power and desperately needed to recharge.

“Yuyou, you’re standing too close,” Ye Shuang said, noticing the looks from the people around them.