Glancing back at Lin Xue’er who was hot on her heels, Xia Mengxi ran with all her might, yet the distance between them gradually closed over time.
What was even more infuriating was the other party’s composed expression, making her realize that Lin Xue’er hadn’t been serious about catching her the previous two times.
She had long been aware of this, but what she hadn’t anticipated was Lin Xue’er getting serious so quickly, instantly reversing the slight advantage she had managed to gain.
“Xiao Xi! Stop running! If you obey now, I can still make you lose your freedom painlessly. Otherwise, I’ll make you watch with your eyes wide open as I break your wings!”
“I—I’m a freaking normal person! How… how could I possibly accept such a fate!”
What to do?
What to do!
She’s catching up!!!
Seeing Lin Xue’er wielding metal tools and getting closer, Xia Mengxi panicked like never before, instantly unleashing the potential humans exhibit in life-or-death situations, her speed increasing dramatically.
Yet even so, she couldn’t shake off Lin Xue’er.
The faster she ran, the faster Lin Xue’er pursued, rendering her efforts futile.
Damn it! If this continued, she would soon reach her physical limit and end up like a lamb to the slaughter.
The thought of permanently losing the ability to walk or run made Xia Mengxi grit her teeth and keep running, even as her lungs burned and her legs ached.
Perhaps Lin Xue’er had run out of steam.
After passing one fork after another, Xia Mengxi finally looked back and saw no trace of her pursuer.
“Did I… shake her… off…?”
Deep down, Xia Mengxi knew the answer-Lin Xue’er wouldn’t be so easily shaken off.
Why Lin Xue’er couldn’t catch up, she didn’t know, nor could she fathom the other’s thoughts.
But for her, this was an opportunity, even if it was deliberately given.
“Pant… pant… pant…”
The intense exertion left Xia Mengxi gasping for breath.
If possible, she would have liked to stop or sit down to rest, but the situation didn’t permit it.
She could only slow her pace and press on.
So, what should she do next?
Hide in the storage room again?
No, absolutely not! If she wasn’t mistaken, Lin Xue’er’s leniency this time was surely a trap, possibly to lure her back to her hiding spot.
What a clever move-cornering her like a turtle in a jar. Lin Xue’er, you’re ruthless!
“In that case, I’ll I go straight for the tools and hot water to proceed with the next step.”
The best tools to remove hardened glue were sharp, metal knives, which could be found in the cafeteria kitchen.
Hot water was also available there, so her next destination was clear.
But as mentioned earlier, if she went to the cafeteria and Lin Xue’er found her, she might end up trapped with no escape.
She needed a way to get in and out safely.
“If the main entrance might be guarded by Lin Xue’er, focusing on it would be futile. Then, is there another way out besides the main door?”
Although she hadn’t explored the cafeteria’s layout much, Xia Mengxi thought for a moment and actually came up with a second escape route-the ventilation ducts.
She didn’t need to worry about whether the cafeteria’s ducts had iron bars blocking them like the storage room’s, because she planned to enter through an external vent.
If she could get in, that meant there were no barriers; if not, then there were.
So, as Xia Mengxi made her way toward the cafeteria, she kept looking up to see which vent she could crawl into.
After some investigation, the bad news was that all the vents inside the corridors required something to stand on or a tool to reach them.
The good news? In one of the rooms she happened to explore, there was an A-frame ladder.
“But if I climb up, won’t Lin Xue’er find the ladder?”
The issue of what to do with the ladder afterward was now a problem for Xia Mengxi.
Not only would it reveal her intentions to Lin Xue’er, but it would also trap her in a real “catch in a barrel” situation.
To solve this, she’d better not climb into the vents from the main walkways.
However, this sole idea was quickly shattered by reality.
Xia Mengxi carried the ladder into several unknown rooms, checking their vents, only to find that none of them led anywhere.
“Of course, every room’s vent has iron bars blocking it. That means I have to figure out how to deal with the ladder…”
Xia Mengxi sighed helplessly.
The only partitioned space connected to the main ventilation duct-the restroom—had been reinforced by Lin Xue’er after her first escape attempt.
Even the vents in other restrooms had been affected.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have to agonize over this and could just climb up the nearest restroom vent.
Truly, this was all the result of her past misdeeds!
Wait-no.
Though she had considered escaping back then, the one who actually made her act was that damned… cough, cough!
Can’t say it, can’t say it.
Her mental cursing of a certain entity abruptly stopped.
Instinct told her that if she really insulted that being, it might just decide to make her stay with Lin Xue’er forever out of displeasure.
“So how the hell do I rewind time?! I’ve already pissed off Lin Xue’er, so why isn’t it working yet?”
Xia Mengxi glanced at the necklace beneath her collar and frowned.
But since the necklace had never done anything before, she quickly shifted her focus.
“Huh? Dammit! Why am I still wearing this thing?!”
Having grown accustomed to the collar, Xia Mengxi barely noticed its presence anymore-she practically treated it like part of her clothes.
If she hadn’t just looked at the necklace, she might have completely forgotten about it.
“Ugh, habits are terrifying!”
She tugged at it, but the leather collar couldn’t be ripped off by brute force. Giving up, she abandoned the idea of removing it.
“Without the key, I’ll have to find a knife to cut it off. Perfect—I’ll head to the kitchen later for sharp tools and grab a knife to deal with this.”
Bringing her thoughts back to the cafeteria, Xia Mengxi pondered for a moment.
When she spotted a bundle of rope among the pile of debris on the floor, a sudden inspiration struck her.
Then, holding the A-frame ladder in the passageway, she compared its size to that of the ventilation duct’s outlet.
She realized that when stood upright, the ladder’s length and width could perfectly fit through the vent opening.
“Perfect! The space in the passageway isn’t exactly spacious, but it should be enough to carry this ladder through. This way, I won’t have to worry about cleanup afterward!”