Time had already reached around six in the afternoon, and the corners of the Teaching Building were devoid of any light. Only by borrowing the last rays of the Sun was it barely possible to make out the surrounding environment.
Under Su Xiaoli’s confused gaze, Meng Wange walked to the door of the Physical Education Equipment Room and tried to push the heavy door.
“Good, it’s not locked here.”
Looking at the door before her that offered almost no resistance as she pushed it open halfway, Meng Wange turned her head and smiled gently at Su Xiaoli.
“Miss Xiaoli, let’s hurry before it gets dark.”
“Hurry what?”
What exactly was Meng Wange here for?
Could it be that during the morning when they rolled around on the gymnastics mats, she accidentally lost something here and was now trying to find it?
Or maybe Meng Wange had originally intended to punish her during PE class but hadn’t gotten the chance before the teacher caught them, and now she was prepared to make up for it?
No way, right? And besides, the System never mentioned Meng Wange being the type to seek trouble on purpose.
A flood of questions swirled inside Su Xiaoli’s mind, but before she could voice any of them, Meng Wange stepped inside the Equipment Room ahead of her.
Facing the dimmer Equipment Room, even darker than at noon, Su Xiaoli swallowed nervously but still steeled herself to follow Meng Wange inside.
Recalling the choking dust that had almost made her cough for half an hour earlier, Su Xiaoli instinctively held her breath as she stepped inside.
Yet the room was much cleaner than she had imagined. The dust was all swept away, the shelves and gymnastics mats looked freshly wiped, and the air carried a faint hint of fresh moisture.
Standing at the far end of the Equipment Room, Meng Wange pulled the curtains wide open, letting the last rays of sunlight fully flood the room. She then turned her back to Su Xiaoli and spoke softly—
“Sorry, Miss Xiaoli. It seems I didn’t tidy up thoroughly enough this morning. Just one afternoon and the Equipment Room seems to have gathered quite a bit of dust again. Is your nose still uncomfortable? Do you need a handkerchief?”
…What did that mean?
So, Meng Wange wasn’t lost this morning, but was actually cleaning this rundown Equipment Room?
How much time would that take? And what exactly was she aiming for?
A thousand questions crowded Su Xiaoli’s mind, but in the end, all of them gathered into one sentence.
“…Meng Wange, why did you bring me here?”
Meng Wange didn’t answer immediately but instead smiled faintly and turned to ask Su Xiaoli—
“Miss Xiaoli, how is the Testing you gave me today going? Has it ended?”
…Testing?
Su Xiaoli blinked dumbfounded and looked back into Meng Wange’s clear eyes.
“What Testing? What do you mean by that?”
“Hehe, could it be that I misunderstood?”
With the faint light behind her, Meng Wange loosened the hair tie at the nape of her neck and shook her head gently, letting her light brown hair, originally tied in a ponytail, fall softly onto her shoulders.
“First, you had me answer as many questions as I could in History Class, then you asked me some Math World’s Century Problems, and finally, you expected me to impress everyone in Art Class. Miss Xiaoli, aren’t you doubting whether I, as your strategist and tool, am competent enough?”
“Uh—”
There was also this kind of Testing?
Su Xiaoli scratched her nose awkwardly and turned her gaze away.
“I didn’t think of it that way. You’re overthinking it.”
“…Really? If that’s true, then good.”
Meng Wange smiled and shook her head. She stepped forward and gently took Su Xiaoli’s hand.
Just as Su Xiaoli thought Meng Wange was about to apologize for that rash question, Meng Wange bent slightly and lightly brushed Su Xiaoli’s cheek with her fingertips.
A soft, delicate sensation traveled from Su Xiaoli’s fingertips into her mind, as if what they touched was not skin but a piece of smooth white jade.
Along with that touch came Meng Wange’s gentle, soft voice—
“But, Miss Xiaoli, you seemed uneasy all day, as if bearing some invisible pressure. Is that just my imagination?”
Hearing this, Su Xiaoli silently swallowed hard.
Oh no!
Could it be that Meng Wange had detected the System controlling her own behavior logic?
Would such a breaking of the fourth wall count as her own mistake? Was this afternoon’s Equipment Room episode about to become reality?
[Don’t worry, Host. The System has not detected any major incidents in your performance. Perhaps your actions today lacked some rationality due to the repetitive nature of the System’s tasks. Just provide a reasonable explanation for the heroine.]
Easier said than done!
Su Xiaoli forced a smile and took two steps back, putting some distance between herself and Meng Wange.
“…Invisible pressure? That’s not true at all.”
“Is it? Then just consider it my subjective guess. No need to deny it so quickly.”
Meng Wange shrugged and smiled.
“In any case, after noticing your unease, I’ve been trying to calm you down—whether by cheering you up, distracting you, or fulfilling your requests—but you never relaxed. Your brow remained slightly furrowed.”
“So, I boldly guessed that your unease might stem from anxiety?”
“Anxiety?”
“That’s right. Maybe your abilities and identity don’t match yet, or your progress hasn’t met your expectations, or…”
Meng Wange sighed softly, as if making a resolution, then spoke the rest—
“…you feel a bit defeated compared to those around you.”
“Miss Xiaoli, when I vaguely realized this, I started working hard to show you my harmlessness, my loyalty, but none of it put your mind at ease. So, I thought maybe I should be more straightforward.”
With that, Meng Wange stepped closer again and cupped Su Xiaoli’s hand in hers.
Then she bent down, bent her right knee, and gently placed her left knee on the ground—
“Don’t worry, Miss Xiaoli.”
Meng Wange looked up, gazing into Su Xiaoli’s eyes.
“Just as I promised before, my life, my talents, and my future—all of it belongs to you. This is what I owe after accepting the Su Family’s grace, and what you rightfully deserve.”
“The life called Meng Wange.”
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