Is it a coincidence

【Hahaha, execute Brother Coffin by firing squad? Old Wang, that idea of yours is a little dangerous.】

【The light of righteousness shines upon Brother Coffin’s face.】

【Brother Ao’s expression is terrifying. By the way, does Ao-boy know who did it?】

【Poor Brother Ao still has no idea. He’s completely in the dark.】

【Am I the only one wondering what Brother Coffin is thinking while listening to his own glorious deeds?】

Chen Guan had blocked the comments. He wasn’t thinking about anything.

Before doing it, he’d had a few other thoughts. Now, however, his mind was as calm as still water.

All he could think was that the sunlight was nice today, and the professor at the lectern would be arriving soon. This class was bound to be a complete snooze, so he might as well catch up on his sleep.

Baobao had woken him up early that morning, and he was still a little drowsy.

Just then, a gentle voice joined the discussion.

“I saw that too this morning. The mayor of Yunlan City was also killed last night.”

An Changqing had appeared at some point. He stood in the aisle, the usual smile absent from his face.

If attacking a building was a provocation, assassinating a mayor was an act of war.

“The mayor died too?” Wang Hanyue’s eyes widened like copper bells. “Why didn’t the news go into detail?”

“The authorities are still suppressing the news. Even the outlets that mentioned it were called in for questioning. I heard about it from someone in my family,” An Changqing explained.

He glanced at the blurry figure wearing a white mask on the screen. It was the only footage of the attacker that the news had managed to obtain.

An Changqing’s brows drew together.

He remembered the message his father had sent him two days ago.

The south. Dangerous.

So this was what it had meant.

His father had known this would happen all along? Or was it just a coincidence?

His gaze swept across the classroom before finally settling on the figure in the back row, who seemed almost to blend into the scenery outside the window.

Chen Guan was idly spinning a pen in his hand, the picture of a student slacking off during class.

An Changqing moved. He walked through the aisle between the desks and stopped beside Chen Guan.

“Chen Guan,” he called softly.

Chen Guan’s pen stopped for a moment. He looked up, his eyes carrying the faint confusion of someone just dragged back from a daydream.

“Hmm?”

“Tianze City is right next to Yunlan City.” An Changqing stared at him, concern in his eyes. “There was so much commotion over there last night. You were right next door. Didn’t you notice anything unusual?”

In an instant, Wang Hanyue and Long Ao turned around from the row in front.

Chen Guan’s fingers tightened slightly around the pen.

After a moment, he shook his head.

“No.”

“I went to bed early. I didn’t hear anything.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the pen began circling through his fingers again, unhurried and steady.

An Changqing studied Chen Guan. There was nothing in those eyes, which were so clear they reflected nothing but the daylight outside the window.

The excuse that he had gone to bed early was so plain that it sounded like the truth.

And yet, the more natural it seemed, the more distinctly An Changqing felt that something was wrong.

It was as if someone were whispering in his ear, reminding him that there was something he had overlooked.

The textbook smacking against the lectern drew everyone’s attention. The professor cleared his throat, and the noisy discussion in the classroom instantly quieted.

A dull theory class officially began.

Chen Guan lowered his head onto the desk again, resting his cheek on his arm as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

Baobao stirred on his shoulder. Its tiny paws pressed against the back of his neck, as if searching for a steadier place to sleep.

The academy allowed students to bring small pets to class. Ever since White Tiger had said that Baobao shouldn’t be kept cooped up all the time, Chen Guan had done his best to let it out for some fresh air.

【An Changqing’s suspicion level +1. The protagonist’s instincts are kicking in.】

【An Changqing: I can feel it—a sinister aura.】

【Brother Ao’s been looking so serious this whole time. Is he thinking about something too?】

【Ao-boy is just naturally stone-faced.】

Chen Guan’s gaze swept over the comments. Watching those ridiculous remarks, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

The professor’s voice was the finest lullaby in the world. As Chen Guan listened, his consciousness gradually blurred.

……

The end-of-class bell rang like salvation.

“Come on, come on, let’s go to the cafeteria. I’m starving.” Wang Hanyue was the first to spring from his seat. He hooked an arm around Long Ao’s neck and reached out with his other hand to tug at Chen Guan.

The sudden pull made Chen Guan stagger. Baobao, fast asleep in his arms, let out an unhappy yowl and opened its golden, slit-pupiled eyes, giving Wang Hanyue a warning glare.

“Hey, this little thing’s got quite the temper.” Wang Hanyue pulled his hand back and gave an awkward chuckle.

Long Ao expressionlessly freed himself from Wang Hanyue’s arm and looked at Chen Guan and An Changqing.

“Let’s go.”

The four of them walked shoulder to shoulder out of the classroom. From behind, they looked no different from any ordinary group of students at the academy.

……

Night fell deeper, and the academy’s daytime bustle settled into silence.

Only a single desk lamp lit the dormitory. Chen Guan closed the theory notes on his desk.

As a diligent student, Chen Guan reviewed his lessons every night.

After all, even though he had been in this world for over a year, he still felt that he didn’t understand it well enough.

“Yowl.”

A soft cry came from beside his feet, carrying an unmistakable note of impatience.

Chen Guan lowered his head and saw Baobao rubbing its fluffy head against his calf. Its golden, slit-pupiled eyes were filled with anticipation.

“I know. I’m coming.”

He got up and walked to a corner of the room. From his storage space, he took out a newly purchased metal food bowl, followed by a sealed bag.

Inside was a grayish-brown powder he had specifically exchanged for that day—special cat food made by grinding down demon cores.

Maybe Baobao would like this better than regular human food.

With that thought in mind, Chen Guan poured some powder into the bowl, added a little water, and mixed it into a paste. Then he placed the bowl in front of Baobao.

“Go ahead. It’s a new flavor.”

Baobao curiously approached the bowl and sniffed around its edge. A distinctly human look of disdain flashed through its golden eyes.

It raised its head and looked from Chen Guan to the paste in the bowl, as if confirming that its master wasn’t joking.

One second later, it turned around and walked away without hesitation.

The little creature made a light leap onto Chen Guan’s bed, walked straight to the pillow, and lay down with its rear facing the desk. Its purple tail swished lazily back and forth in the air.

Every part of its posture conveyed the same three words:

I’m not eating.

Chen Guan stared at that round little backside, at a loss.

“This stuff is expensive,” he tried reasoning with it. “It costs far more than the dried meat you usually eat.”

The only response was a more vigorous swish of the tail.

“It’s nutritious. It’ll help you grow faster.”

The tail stopped, then changed direction and continued swishing.

Chen, the pet owner, finally gave up on communication.

He sighed and resigned himself to opening the storage space again. A powerful aroma of meat immediately wafted from his fingertips.

It was a piece of premium beef, air-dried to perfection. The meat was an enticing dark red, and a thin layer of fat had congealed across its surface, gleaming under the lamplight.