Vol. 1 Chapter 12 – Fresh Flowers Scorched Earth Campus. (12)

The next day, Chi Xi heard from Ning Yuanyuan about what had happened the night before, so he went out of his way to visit the third floor and see for himself.

After a night had passed, the six ruffian students were still hanging on the two iron poles. They had been soaked by the rain all night and then dried by the wind. Their dyed yellow hair hung down, completely losing the arrogance they once had.

Feeling relieved but also a bit worried, Chi Xi asked, “Brother Yin, should we take them down? Could something happen to them if they stay hanging like this?”

Yin Liuming yawned and said, “No need. They’ll come down by themselves when the story moves forward.”

“What will happen in the plot today?”

“Don’t forget what day it is today.”

Chi Xi thought for a moment. “The day before the exam?”

“Chu Dong’s birthday,” Yin Liuming said, pinching the bridge of his nose to wake himself up. “Let’s go find her.”

Yin Liuming walked around the flower garden near the school building twice before he found Chu Dong.

Chu Dong stood amid the flower bushes, holding a small pair of scissors. She focused intently on pruning the branches, trimming off less vibrant flowers, removing excess leaves, wrapping them carefully in paper bags, and then hanging them on the back of her backpack.

Whether it was Qi Xiaobei’s secret love filter for Chu Dong, the sunlight seemed to soften as it touched her, casting a warm, bright orange halo around her hair. Even her loose, clean school uniform radiated an elegant charm.

If one didn’t consider that these flowers were players who had died in this instance in the past, the scene was indeed very beautiful.

Yin Liuming also saw a few boys nearby who pretended to pass by but were actually sneaking glances at Chu Dong as she pruned the flower branches.

Yin Liuming stepped forward. “Classmate Chu.”

Chu Dong raised her head and smiled as she put away the scissors. “Hello, Teacher Yin.”

Yin Liuming’s eyes swept over Chu Dong’s backpack full of flowers before quickly retracting. “What are you doing?”

“Pruning flowers that have grown too much. If the flowers bloom too much, the soil nutrients will not be able to keep up, so it’s better to prune the excess flowers and leave only the best one,” Chu Dong said, shaking the rose she had just cut off. “The cut flowers are not wasted either. After processing and drying, they can be made into very beautiful specimens or decorations.”

Chi Xi was a little surprised. “You really know a lot.”

Chu Dong was slightly embarrassed. “My family is in the floral business, so I know a bit from being around it.”

Chu Dong’s words and actions were cheerful and sincere, calm and easy-going. It was clear that this young girl came from a loving and harmonious family. She was beautiful, academically accomplished, and possessed a natural grace. No wonder Yan Hang, Qi Xiaobei, and the other boys just beginning to experience love all had a crush on her.

Yin Liuming nodded. “How long have you been pruning flowers here?”

Chu Dong looked a little dazed. “Um, I can’t remember either.”

Chi Xi slightly revealed a hint of sympathy.

Although Chu Dong didn’t have to experience the cycle of life and death every day like other students, being confined to the flower garden to plant, water, and prune flowers forever still gave an indescribable sense of coldness.

Yin Liuming’s expression remained unchanged, and he just nodded. “By the way, I heard it’s your birthday today. Happy birthday.”

Chu Dong was very happy. “Thank you, Teacher Yin!”

She rummaged in her backpack and took out a delicate bouquet of roses. “This is my return gift to Teacher Yin!”

Yin Liuming took it.

The flowers in the bouquet were not fresh but dried, smoked, and preserved to maintain their original appearance. The colors had become lighter and more transparent. They were tied with soft-colored silk paper and thin ropes, and their fragrance lasted longer than fresh flowers.

Just then, a rustling sound suddenly rang in his ears, followed by a rigid mechanical voice:

[Side mission started: Chu Dong’s birthday gift.]

[On Chu Dong’s birthday, she received a surprise gift that touched her deeply. To show her gratitude, Chu Dong decided to create a special dried flower decoration herself as a return gift for the classmate. Please help Chu Dong craft the return gift discreetly, without interrupting her.]

[The mission can be accepted or rejected.]

Yin Liuming was surprised.

Side mission?

He glanced at Chi Xi and found that Chi Xi didn’t seem to hear the system sound at all.

Reject or accept should refer to the gift Chu Dong gave.

Yin Liuming thought for a moment and did not refuse. “Thank you.”

Chu Dong showed a cheerful smile.

Chi Xi said, “Classmate Chu, why don’t I have one?”

Chu Dong smiled and winked. “Only Teacher Yin gets one because he’s handsome.”

Chi Xi: “……”

Even the NPCs in the dream cared about looks, so this world truly felt hopeless.

Yin Liuming asked again, “What are you planning to celebrate today?”

“The exam is tomorrow, so there’s no time to celebrate,” Chu Dong said, looking worried. “I can only study hard. Luckily, we’ll have a holiday after the exam, and my parents are taking me to the beach for vacation.”

As soon as she mentioned the plan after the exam, Chu Dong’s face lit up with excitement.

“Have you received any gifts?”

“We’re all classmates, so there’s no need to give gifts. Just a kind blessing makes me really happy!”

Yin Liuming frowned slightly: Was he wrong?

He had originally thought there would be a celebration for Chu Dong’s birthday, then Qi Xiaobei and Yan Hang would have a conflict… But seeing the side mission said Chu Dong got a special gift; maybe it’s not time yet?

Yin Liuming asked a few more questions but still couldn’t find any clues. His brows tightened as he said goodbye.

Today, without the pressure of the main mission, they wandered around the school but found no hints related to the exam.

During the lunch break, Yin Liuming made a special trip downstairs to the dormitory building to observe Yan Hang and the others hanging on the clothes-drying poles.

They were rained on all night and hungry all day, yet their spirits remained high as they shouted while hanging on the poles. Even after the lunch break, they didn’t turn into zombies like yesterday.

Chi Xi then realized Yin Liuming’s intention behind having Yan Hang and the others hang on the poles.

“It seems the students’ full zombification is directly linked to Qi Xiaobei’s mood,” Ning Yuanyuan said thoughtfully, lighting a cigarette. “The main mission is to help the students pass the exam, which should align with Qi Xiaobei’s desire to graduate smoothly and earn his diploma.”

Based on their investigation over the past two days, Qi Xiaobei’s academic performance was awful. He was not intelligent and came from a poor family, which had fueled his feelings of inferiority and introversion. On top of that, being bullied by Yan Hang and others had made him even more withdrawn, rarely interacting with classmates and barely able to speak a few words to the teacher.

Perhaps Qi Xiaobei’s ultimate wish was simply to obtain his high school diploma, then leave school to work and earn money. The reason the focus wasn’t on the college entrance exam was likely because he had lost hope in ever taking it.

Chi Xi’s eyes were a little red.

He knew that everything in the dream was illusory, but he still couldn’t help feeling sympathy and pity.

“The question goes back to the beginning — how can Qi Xiaobei possibly pass the exam in his current state?”

Having clarified the dreamer’s wishes, the next step was to find a solution. Many people dream of their desires as a way to mask their shortcomings—but in Qi Xiaobei’s dream, he was still being bullied by Yan Hang, and his academic performance hadn’t improved.

He didn’t even dare to hope when dreaming.

Chi Xi thought for a long time without finding an answer and subconsciously glanced at Yin Liuming for help.

Yin Liuming toyed with the dried flower Chu Dong had given him, noticed Chi Xi and Ning Yuanyuan’s gaze, looked up, and chuckled, “What are you looking at me for? I haven’t thought of anything yet either.”

Chi Xi scratched his head. “Sorry, it’s just that Brother Yin, you always manage to find the key points, so I subconsciously…”

Ning Yuanyuan flicked away her cigarette butt and reminded him, “Don’t rely too much on others; breaking through is your own responsibility.”

Chi Xi’s face turned slightly red, and he nodded.

“The dreams in the Nightmare Game are all based on ‘dreams,’” Ning Yuanyuan said again. “You can refer to the logic of your dreams.”

Chi Xi was slightly stunned. “There’s logic to dreaming?”

“Of course,” Yin Liuming said. “According to Freud’s theory, dreams are the symbolic satisfaction of repressed desires and instinctive impulses of the subconscious. Regardless of the bizarreness of the dream, it is essentially a synthesis of your knowledge, experiences, and desires, and it doesn’t generate anything on its own. Carl Jung, on the other hand, believes that dreams are a manifestation of the collective unconscious…”

Chi Xi was dazed for a moment before scratching his head and asking, “Brother Yin, are you majoring in psychology?”

“No.” Yin Liuming said lightly, “I’m just interested in dreams.”

“Analyzing your own dreams?”

Yin Liuming leaned against the cement ping-pong table, looked up at the sky with an expression as if he were staring at clouds at the horizon. “No, I never dream.”

He had never dreamed.

Ning Yuanyuan looked at him with some surprise. “You don’t dream?”

“I’ve had trouble sleeping for as long as I can remember. I wake up shortly after falling asleep, and I haven’t had a dream since I was a child,” Yin Liuming said, shaking his head with slight regret. “I also picked up a bit about dreams while trying to solve my insomnia.”

Ning Yuanyuan’s eyes gradually changed as she looked at him.

After a long pause, she shook her head. “You haven’t gone crazy after not having a good night’s sleep for so many years.”

“Who knows?” Yin Liuming smiled, brushing it off and changing the subject. “There should be a plot today. Let’s wait and see.”

……

They waited like this until late into the night.

At midnight, Yin Liuming’s expression was calm and peaceful, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He wore a cute eye mask, with his hands resting flat on his chest.

His insomnia was grave. It was almost impossible for him to sleep, and even if he fell asleep, he would wake up after a short while. However, he had become accustomed to this state over the years, and apart from becoming particularly irritable at night, there were no other noticeable effects.

Just imagine the warm, peaceful sunny beach…

Suddenly, Yin Liuming heard a few knocks, followed by Chi Xi’s anxious shout. “Brother Yin! Come out quickly! Something happened!”

Yin Liuming took a deep breath.

After uncovering the eye mask, the expression in his eyes changed from warm and blossoming to cold and piercing.

Opening the door, before he could speak, Chi Xi urgently said, “The office building is on fire.”

Yin Liuming’s eyes darkened. “Wait for me to change clothes.”

Chi Xi: “…Okay.”

By the time Yin Liuming changed his clothes and rushed to the office building with Chi Xi, the entire building was already engulfed in flames.

The fire started on the third floor of the office building. Raging flames engulfed the old walls, leaving shocking black marks; thick smoke swept upward into the clear night sky like a cruel, dark rose. The sound of burning and exploding glass constantly echoed from the blaze.

Ning Yuanyuan and Yang Jiao were already waiting downstairs.

Seeing Yin Liuming approaching, Ning Yuanyuan quickly said, “The cause of the fire is unknown. I heard some calls for help, but I’m not sure who they were from.”

She paused, then added, “Ding Pei’an has already gone inside.”

Chi Xi looked shocked. “What did he go in for?”

Judging from Ding Pei’an’s past behavior, there was no sign he was the kind of person who would risk his life to put out fires.

“Maybe he found some clues.” Ning Yuanyuan said, “Don’t forget the name of our copy.”

—Fresh Flowers Scorched Earth Campus.

The flowers have now been confirmed, but there was no sign of scorched earth before.

Yin Liuming gazed at the billowing smoke above and pondered for a moment.

He remembered the burnt smell he had noticed on Qi Xiaobei earlier.

“I’ll go in and take a look.”

Chi Xi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Brother Yin?!”

Yin Liuming stepped toward the office building. “Wait for me outside.”

Ning Yuanyuan stepped forward, flipped her hand, and a small talisman appeared in her palm. “This is a fire avoidance talisman.”

Yin Liuming looked at her.

Ning Yuanyuan raised an eyebrow. “Consider that you owe me a favor.”

“No need.” Unexpectedly, Yin Liuming refused Ning Yuanyuan’s item. “I know what I’m doing.”

After saying that, he walked straight through the entrance of the office building.