Vol. 1 Chapter 10 – Fresh Flowers Scorched Earth Campus. (10)

Yin Liuming made up a reason to send Chi Xi away and looked for an empty classroom so he could call Ye Qingqing.

After letting Ye Qingqing out last time, he didn’t take her back to the illustration book, allowing her to hang out with the students like before.

He had noticed something odd about Ye Qingqing’s perception—she seemed completely unaware that she was a monster in the Nightmare Game and still thought of herself as a regular student. However, when Yin Liuming recalled and released her using the illustration book, she didn’t show any surprise and didn’t think anything was wrong.

Yin Liuming couldn’t figure out if this was just how a dream monster was supposed to be or if it was because of the illustration book’s influence.

If Shen Lou were to come out now, he could ask him.

Thinking of Shen Lou, Yin Liuming suddenly realized something.

Shen Lou hadn’t come out of the illustration book for an entire day.

Even though he hadn’t known Shen Lou for long, he noticed that Shen Lou would always jump in to make his presence known whenever there were no players around.

Yin Liuming wasn’t really used to this kind of ‘enthusiastic’ interaction. Nonetheless, he realized that Shen Lou might have been stuck in the illustration book alone for a long time before signing the contract with him, so he must have felt very lonely and wanted someone to talk to. Because of this, he decided to let Shen Lou be himself.

He gently stroked the illustration book and turned to the first page.

The record for ‘Zombie Student’ began on the second page, while the first page had just one grid showing a man with an unnatural beauty.

Although the portrait wasn’t as clear as a photograph, it still conveyed the man’s arrogance and grandeur through his raised chin and disdainful gaze.

Compared to the loud yet useless Shen Lou in front of Yin Liuming, it wasn’t just a matter of being different; it felt like entirely different people.

Yin Liuming paused for a moment with his finger on Shen Lou’s portrait before turning to the next page and landing on the illustration of the ‘Zombie Student.’

In a daze, Yin Liuming seemed to hear a ‘hmph.’

He first put Ye Qingqing back to the illustration book and then let her out again.

Ye Qingqing propped herself up on the desk and said, “Teacher, wait a moment. This is too fast; I’m feeling a bit dizzy.”

Yin Liuming first confirmed the time with her. “You have an exam the day after tomorrow?”

“Correct.”

“Is this exam difficult?”

Ye Qingqing hesitated for a moment before saying, “It shouldn’t be too difficult; only a few people might have issues.”

“A few people… who are those?”

Ye Qingqing thought for a moment and replied, “Well, like Yan Hang and the others, they don’t attend class at all and often skip evening self-study sessions, so they definitely won’t do well. And then there’s Qi Xiaobei, who really struggles with his studies…”

Yin Liuming seized this key point and asked, “Does Qi Xiaobei perform poorly in his studies?”

“He actually studies quite seriously, but…” Ye Qingqing clasped her hands over her chest, her expression conflicted. “It might be a little discouraging to say this, but some people really aren’t suited for studying. Plus, Yan Hang and the others always bully Qi Xiaobei…”

“Why do Yan Hang and the others bully Qi Xiaobei?”

“Do those guys need a reason to bully someone?” Ye Qingqing pouted. “Who in the class hasn’t been bullied? They just see that Qi Xiaobei is timid, so they ‘take special care’ of him.”

Yin Liuming recalled Qi Xiaobei’s numb eyes in the school clinic and asked, “Did your teachers or classmates not help him?”

“We don’t dare!” Ye Qingqing sighed. “Last semester, a classmate couldn’t take it anymore and fought with Yan Hang, but he ended up getting cornered by Yan Hang and his gang outside the school gate and was beaten so badly that his leg was broken… In the end, he transferred schools. Because Yan Hang has a grandfather who is the vice principal, none of the teachers can manage him. Only Director Jiang, who has a peculiar temperament, occasionally intervenes, but he has so much on his plate himself, so…”

She hesitated for a moment before adding, “Moreover, Qi Xiaobei always looks dirty, doesn’t talk much, and has poor interpersonal skills.”

Yin Liuming nodded thoughtfully.

This explained why there was only Director Jiang as a teacher in Anyang High School. In Qi Xiaobei’s subconscious, he might have felt that only Director Jiang, who occasionally scolded Yan Hang, could provide him with a sense of safety and protection.

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

“Yesterday?” Ye Qingqing seemed confused. “Didn’t we meet yesterday?”

Yin Liuming stroked his chin; it appeared that Ye Qingqing’s memory hadn’t been reset.

“What about the day before yesterday?”

“The day before yesterday…” Ye Qingqing frowned and suddenly shivered. “I had a nightmare where a fierce and evil guy pinned me to the ground and beat me, then ripped me to pieces—what a nightmare! It was terrifying!”

Yin Liuming: “…….”

He coughed lightly and straightened his posture, asking, “Was the background in the dream set in the dormitory?”

“Yes!”

“And it seems you also turned into a plant?”

“Yes!”

“Let me guess… has your memory of afternoon classes been a bit hazy lately?”

“Teacher, you know everything!”

Yin Liuming’s smile was gentle.

Not only did he know, but he was also the one who brutally crushed the ivy in the dream.

It occurred that the ivy represented Ye Qingqing’s ‘soul,’ while the zombie was merely the physical body she occupied.

Every night, countless ivies devour zombies, which could simply be a straightforward matter of students searching for their own bodies.

If, at noon, Yan Hang’s bullying affected Qi Xiaobei so deeply that it caused the lives of students from his dream to be stripped away and turned into zombies, then the riot of the ivies at night would be those affected students’ souls returning to their original states, seeking to return to their bodies.

Yin Liuming increasingly felt that the Nightmare Game was fascinatingly unique.

Ordinary dreams certainly wouldn’t have such detailed settings or characters like Ye Qingqing and Chu Dang, who were completely indistinguishable from real people.

Is the cyclical life and death of the students meant to increase the ‘fun’ of the game, or is it a reminder for the players?

If those densely packed flowers in the school garden were indeed the failed players in this instance, then how long has Qi Xiaobei been in this dream? Is Qi Xiaobei in reality in a constant state of slumber?

Or perhaps… Does Qi Xiaobei not exist at all?

“Teacher?”

Yin Liuming lifted his head from his deep thoughts, just in time to meet Ye Qingqing’s eager gaze.

Ye Qingqing’s memory in the ivy state wasn’t very clear; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to talk to him so naturally.

“What is it?”

Ye Qingqing looked at him with bright eyes and asked, “Teacher, have you finished asking your questions? Can I ask you a few questions?”

Yin Liuming was a bit puzzled and replied, “Go ahead and ask.”

Ye Qingqing somehow brought out a small notebook and was ready to record. “What’s your name, teacher? How old are you? Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend? What type do you like?”

Yin Liuming: “……”

Yin Liuming responded, “Are you conducting a census? I’m Yin Liuming, 24, and I don’t have anyone—also, teacher-student relationships are strictly prohibited.”

“Oh.”

Ye Qingqing felt a bit disappointed but quickly perked up, asking, “Then, teacher, what’s your relationship with that lovely teacher before? Do you share a room?”

“We have a normal acquaintance; we don’t share a room.”

Ye Qingqing pouted, “Teacher, you really don’t give any sugar¹[T/N: 磕糖 is fandom slang in Chinese, where 糖 (sugar) = romantic moments, sweet interactions between characters. 磕糖 (kē táng) = to “eat sugar,” i.e., to enjoy or support romantic CP (couple pairings)] at all.”

Yin Liuming chuckled a bit. “Aren’t you supposed to study hard since you’re in your senior year?”

“Ai, it’s exactly because I’m in my senior year that I’ve abandoned all the dramas and novels I was following! I can only grab some sugar to nibble on now.”

Ye Qingqing felt no embarrassment at all as she examined Yin Liuming for a moment, still a bit unwilling to believe. “Teacher Yin, you’re so handsome. Don’t you really have a girlfriend?”

“No,” Yin Liuming said, clasping his hands together and replying with a smile. “I have a bad temper and I’m afraid of scaring others.”

Ye Qingqing murmured, “I think your temper seems quite good.”

Yin Liuming raised an eyebrow and smiled without speaking.

In the distance, a faint laugh echoed around them.

Ye Qingqing jumped in surprise. “Who is it?”

Shen Lou slowly appeared behind Ye Qingqing, his sea-blue eyes filled with sarcasm. “Good temper? Heh.”

Yin Liuming turned around in surprise. “How come you’re out?”

Shen Lou sneered. “What, I can’t come out?”

Yin Liuming rubbed his chin and replied with a smile, “No, I just thought Mr. Shen would be better at enduring loneliness.”

Shen Lou: “…….”

He definitely didn’t come out simply because he was bored staying alone in the illustration book!

Shen Lou’s translucent light blue form rippled like a stone thrown into the water.

Seeing this, Yin Liuming wisely stopped teasing him and turned to look at Ye Qingqing.

Ye Qingqing’s cheeks were flushed as she covered her heart and swiftly jotted down in her notebook. “Heavens! A person not knowing how to express many affectionate words silently protects someone. An undying love between human and ghost! This sweetness is going to kill me!”

Yin Liuming: “……”

What the hell is this ‘undying love between human and ghost’?

He rubbed his forehead, stood up, and said, “Thank you for your help. You can go back to your class now.”

“Ah? Teacher Yin, about you and Mr. Shen…”

The classroom door cut off Ye Qingqing’s eager gaze.

Yin Liuming sighed.

If he were the discipline director, he’d definitely enforce strict rules about students reading novels.

Shen Lou floated leisurely beside him, his deep blue aura still apparent, showing no signs of wanting to go back.

Yin Liuming pondered Shen Lou’s attitude for a moment.

Shen Lou must have been trapped inside the illustration book for who knows how long. He finally encountered a carefree, sweet person like himself and signed an unfair contract, so he was probably very lonely. Both emotionally and logically, he should also show some kindness as a good youth and care for this ‘lonely old man.’

Thus, Yin Liuming pleasantly invited, “Mr. Shen, would you like to watch the plot together?”

“What plot?”

“Qi Xiaobei.”

“I already watched it yesterday.”

Though he said this, Shen Lou’s complexion greatly improved, returning to its original light blue hue.

… It was still the boiled water room, still a few delinquent students surrounding and beating on Qi Xiaobei alone.

Ning Yuanyuan²[T/N: Not a typo, the author indeed wrote Ning Yuanyuan instead of Yin Liuming.] and Chi Xi had been waiting at the door of the boiled water room, having finished watching all the scenes together.

Yin Liuming and Chi Xi brought Qi Xiaobei back to the school clinic again.

As before, after changing the bandages, Qi Xiaobei’s face remained numb; he quietly thanked them and then left silently.

Chi Xi leaned over the table and quietly said, “At least today he had bandages on his hands; that bastard Yan Hang didn’t burn him.”

“This is not good news.” Yin Liuming threw away the used disposable medical supplies into the trash can, speaking lightly, “This means he hasn’t been revived like the others.”

Chi Xi was momentarily stunned, and his expression changed.

In other words… Qi Xiaobei has been trapped in a loop of being beaten, bullied, and neglected by Yan Hang, endlessly repeating a day full of school violence and indifference.

Perhaps he had struggled, sought help, and suffered at the beginning—unsure of how the previous players had treated him. However, with players coming in waves, his suffering never found relief, ultimately leading him to become gradually silent and numb.

Chi Xi took a deep breath. “Brother Yin, can we complete the makeup lessons mission today?”

If possible… at least it would push the time forward to the next day.

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  [T/N: 磕糖 is fandom slang in Chinese, where 糖 (sugar) = romantic moments, sweet interactions between characters. 磕糖 (kē táng) = to “eat sugar,” i.e., to enjoy or support romantic CP (couple pairings)]
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  [T/N: Not a typo, the author indeed wrote Ning Yuanyuan instead of Yin Liuming.]