During the morning’s public lab session, students from various majors gathered in the classroom. A figure walked through the door.
Short hair, glasses, and a white lab coat. She looked to be in her early twenties.
“Hello, everyone. I am the new lab teaching assistant. My name is Lin, Lin Yuanyuan. I’ll be in charge of your lab classes from now on.”
Her voice was flat and “royal” (cool/mature), devoid of any fluctuation. Her gaze swept across the room, lingering for a moment on Lin Mo’s face.
At that moment, a chill ran down Lin Mo’s spine.
This person looked incredibly familiar; Lin Mo recognized her almost instantly.
It was her. It was definitely her. The person who had been standing outside the window of Room 406 at night. Or perhaps it wasn’t a ghost—she looked exactly like her. Though the outfit was completely different—now she wore a lab coat—that face and those eyes were identical.
Lin Yuanyuan looked away and began the lecture. Her voice remained flat, as if she were reading from a script. However, her hands were trembling slightly. She was nervous. She had noticed Lin Mo staring at her and had seen the flash of shock in his eyes.
Why is there shock in his eyes?
Lin Mo continued to stare, his mind racing.
She’s not a ghost? She’s a teacher? A lab TA? Then why was she standing outside the window at night? Why was she trying to scare Shen Qingyue? Are “it” and “she” really the same person?
Lin Mo felt like he had grasped a crucial clue, but it flickered away. He needed time to straighten it out.
Lin Yuanyuan wrote on the blackboard. The chalk snapped. She bent down to pick it up, her movements very slow.
Lin Mo noticed her body was still shaking. Why is she so nervous? It’s not like she’s carrying some “adult toy” with her, right? That would be too intense and perverted… Wait, what am I thinking? This isn’t a hentai.
Ruling out the impossible, could it be? After seeing him, she recognized him. If the thing standing outside the window really was her, she had seen him. That’s why she’s nervous. Lin Mo knew his imagination was running wild, but what if? He had always possessed the ability to think from unique angles. The more he thought, the more it made sense.
The corner of Lin Mo’s mouth curled slightly. Regardless, she didn’t know he was immune to all supernatural powers. If it really was her that night, she didn’t know he could see her. This was his advantage.
The bell rang. Lin Yuanyuan closed her textbook. “That’s all for today. If you have questions, you can find me in the office.”
She hurried out of the classroom as if she were running away from something.
Su Qianqian (Su Qing) leaned in from beside him. “Lin Mo, you were staring at that TA the whole time. Don’t tell me you like that type?”
Lin Mo caught the hint of jealousy in her tone.
“Was I?” Lin Mo played dumb.
“You were,” Su Qianqian stared at him. “You looked at her several times.”
After saying this, Su Qing suddenly realized her words didn’t quite fit her persona. After all, her current “mask” was Su Qianqian; saying this made her sound like a jealous lover.
But she just couldn’t help herself.
Lin Mo said nothing. Su Qianqian reached under the table and squeezed his finger. “You’re not allowed to stare at her. Otherwise, I’ll tell Shen Qingyue.”
Lin Mo glanced at her. Her face was still Su Qianqian’s, but for a split second, her eyes held that possessive, non-negotiable gaze—the gaze of Su Qing. She quickly masked it.
“Okay,” Lin Mo said.
Su Qianqian smiled, and her hand retracted. Shen Qingyue turned around from the front. “Qianqian, what are we having for lunch?”
“Whatever works. You decide, Qingyue.” Su Qianqian’s voice returned to its gentle tone.
Shen Qingyue glanced at Lin Mo and then turned back. Lin Mo sat in the middle, with Su Qianqian to his left and Shen Qingyue in front of him. He felt like a piece of meat being eyed by two wolves.
The key was that Su Qianqian was actually Su Qing. Seeing her act like this, Lin Mo had already figured out about seventy or eighty percent of her reasons for using a disguise.
( -_- )
In the afternoon, there was another lab session. The laboratory was located in the old building behind the teaching block. The corridors were long, and several light tubes were flickering or broken.
When Lin Mo entered the lab, he saw Lin Yuanyuan already standing there. She had changed into a fresh lab coat and tied her hair up, revealing her fair neck.
“Four people per group, form your own teams,” she said in that same flat voice.
Lin Mo was assigned to the group directly supervised by Lin Yuanyuan. He stood at the lab bench, less than two meters away from her. He could smell her scent.
As Lin Yuanyuan explained the experimental steps, Lin Mo noticed her gaze subconsciously drifting toward him. She was observing him.
Lin Mo pretended to listen intently, occasionally looking up at her. Every time their eyes met, she was the first to look away. But from her micro-expressions and unnatural body language, Lin Mo could tell she was hiding something. After all, when it came to acting, Lin Mo was at an Oscar-winning level.
The experiment began. Lin Mo followed the steps while Lin Yuanyuan guided him from the side. She stood very close—close enough for him to feel her body heat. Her voice was very soft, audible only to him.
“Student Lin Mo, do it like this. Keep your hand steady.” She reached out and held his hand.
“Thanks.” Lin Mo didn’t look up.
Using the guidance as an excuse to hold his hand, Lin Yuanyuan asked a question, her tone casual as if she were just teasing him.
“Are you very popular with the girls, Lin Mo? I saw quite a few female students chatting with you today.”
Lin Mo looked up at her. Her eyes were slightly evasive.
“Maybe the school just doesn’t have enough guys,” Lin Mo replied noncommittally.
“Oh.” She nodded and didn’t ask further.
Lin Mo continued the experiment, but his mind was spinning. What is she trying to confirm? Everything about her screamed that something was wrong.
Class ended. Lin Yuanyuan packed up the equipment. Once the other students had left, only Lin Mo and she remained in the lab.
“Student Lin Mo,” she spoke again.
“Yeah?”
“Have you… encountered anything strange lately?”
“What counts as strange?” Lin Mo countered.
Lin Yuanyuan opened her mouth as if to say something, but finally just shook her head. “Nothing. Just asking.”
Lin Mo nodded and walked out. At the door, he glanced back. Lin Yuanyuan was standing at the lab bench, staring at the direction he had left. Her expression was a sight to behold.
From Lin Yuanyuan’s perspective, things had spiraled out of her control long ago. She had originally come back to get revenge for Duoduo and settle scores with Tingting. But after realizing that Tingting and Duoduo were currently in a temporary truce…
She realized their common enemy was Shen Qingyue. Thus, she became curious about who this “Shen Qingyue” was, while also wanting to vent some frustration on behalf of her “wife,” Duoduo.
So, she used her supernatural ability to prank Shen Qingyue.
However, the moment Lin Mo arrived at the girls’ dorm, the plan went off the rails. Especially the sight of the three of them sharing a bed at night—that had absolutely stunned her.
Most importantly, from her vantage point, she saw clearly that both girls were secretly “snuggling” with Lin Mo like they were having an affair. It was incredibly stimulating, to the point where she felt like she was “steaming” from the physical and psychological shock.
( ꒪Д꒪)
Nighttime, Room 406. Shen Qingyue came out of the shower, her wet hair wrapped in a towel. She sat on the bed in her pajamas, her face still looking pale.
“Lin Mo… can you stay again tonight?” her voice was very small.
Lin Mo looked at her. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were dry. She hadn’t slept well for days.
“Okay,” he said.
Su Qianqian came out of the bathroom, also in pajamas. Her hair was wet, too, with droplets landing on her shoulders. She glanced at Lin Mo but said nothing.
The three of them sat on the bed. The lights were on. Silence filled the room.
Ten o’clock. Eleven o’clock. Nothing happened. Shen Qingyue grew sleepy and leaned against Lin Mo’s shoulder. Su Qianqian followed suit, leaning against his other side. Lin Mo didn’t sleep. He stared at the window. The curtains were drawn; he couldn’t see anything.
He didn’t know if “it” would come again tonight, or if it was already standing outside, watching them.
But it’s better if she comes.
The corner of Lin Mo’s mouth curved slightly. She thought she was the hunter. Very well—if she really came back tonight, things were about to get interesting.