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Bonus chapter! Thank you to alyanna for the donation! ^^
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Ning Su glanced at Zhou Xiang.
He wiped his forehead, gripping his pen tightly, and bowed his head to jot down key phrases from the lecture notes.
Even though his head was bowed very low, his tension and fear were evident from the way his chin trembled and beads of sweat rolled down it.
The classroom was silent for a long time before the teacher’s command brought back the sound of reading aloud.
As soon as the teacher left, Ning Su turned around and asked Ling Xiao’s desk mate, Zhong Huiling, “Where was he taken? Is he going for treatment like Wang Zhiqiu?”
Zhong Huiling nodded. “He was having memory problems due to exam stress, so he’s going for treatment.”
Ning Su: “How long will the treatment take?”
Zhong Huiling: “Two months.”
The college entrance exams would be over in two months.
So, losing memory didn’t necessarily mean death, but being discovered by the teacher with memory loss definitely meant death.
As Ning Su turned his head back, he caught a glimpse of Ling Xiao watching him.
He paused for just a second before turning back.
Ling Xiao stared at the back of his head for a few seconds, then opened [Middle School English Vocabulary].
After morning study was breakfast time.
The school cafeteria was a good place for players to communicate.
Seats were confirmed during the first meal.
At the six-person long table, Ning Su sat across from Shi Tianzhu and asked her, “President, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Shi Tianzhu took a sip of coffee and glanced at the table where the Yongming Guild was seated. “But I feel like something happened to someone.”
Ning Su followed her gaze, “The Human Pupa Master?”
Shi Tianzhu nodded.
The others were stunned.
The Human Pupa Master was a well-known expert at the base, yet something happened to her as soon as she entered the instance.
In the minds of many players, losing memory in this instance was equivalent to death.
Naturally, without memory, it’s impossible to score 600 points; failing to score 600 points meant failing the instance’s task, and that would mean dying in the instance.
The fact that the Human Pupa Master entered the instance for three days and then fell into a dead end naturally made people surprised and amazed.
Shi Tianzhu leisurely ate her meal, swallowed the bitter melon in her mouth, and said, “Perhaps something marked us when we entered the Reflection Hall. Who knows when some invisible creature will come to suck away our memories?”
She said to the two Yinhua players, “If something happens to me, all Yinhua players should listen to Ning Su.”
Ji Zeming opened his mouth and said with difficulty, “Alright.”
Seeing that Ning Su was still looking at her, Shi Tianzhu said, “Don’t worry, it’s unlikely that the seventy-eight people destined to die were decided as soon as we entered the instance.”
“Huh? Was President Shi just giving her last words? No way, this is only the beginning of a level six instance.”
Several people looked up and saw Shi He, the player ranked first in his grade.
The top ten students in the grade have privileges anywhere in the school, including the cafeteria.
The top students eat on the second floor of the cafeteria, have their own tables, and didn’t have to waste time waiting in line.
When they were just starting to eat, he had already finished and came downstairs. It was clear what his intentions were.
In the individual competition, he had been killed by Shi Tianzhu as soon as he entered the instance.
“I don’t think it’s necessary. Isn’t Ning Su the only one left in your Yinhua Guild? The others have all gone to the Reflection Hall, and you’re still talking about listening to Ning Su?”
Ning Changfeng: “Get lost.”
Shi He: “...”
Shi He: “Ning...”
Ning Changfeng: “Get lost.”
Shi He: “...”
Shi He tried to speak again, but Ning Changfeng said, “Don’t you understand human language? Who are you? Do you think you have a right to interrupt our conversation?”
Shi He left with an ugly expression.
Ning Changfeng glanced at Shi Tianzhu, who was quietly eating her meal.
He then looked at Ning Su, who gave him a thumbs-up.
Ning Changfeng finally felt better and said, “President Shi is right, everything will be fine. Don’t worry.”
Shi Tianzhu responded with a soft “hmm.”
Ning Changfeng was stunned for a moment and quickly added, “Today, in several classes, there were players who were exposed, lost their memories, and were dragged away. Be careful.”
Shi Tianzhu looked up at him and didn’t say anything.
Ning Su followed Ning Changfeng and said, “President, be careful. If anything happens, just tell us.”
Shi Tianzhu smiled and said, “Okay, don’t worry.”
Breakfast lasted only an hour, and after finishing, they each returned to their classes.
Lu Yue walked back with them, rubbing his stomach, and said to Zhou Xiang, “The noodles at the cafeteria are pretty good. They taste a lot like the ones we had in the <Years> dungeon, don’t they?”
Zhou Xiang paused for a moment, and Ning Su noticed the confusion in his eyes. Then he smiled naturally and said, “If you like them, we can have them again tomorrow morning.”
Lu Yue nodded with a smile. “We all said they were delicious back then and always missed them. Now we can finally have them more often, so you won’t keep thinking about them.”
“Yeah,” Zhou Xiang nodded, ruffling his hair with his fingers, and turned to Lu Yue with a happy smile, “From now on, I won’t think about them anymore.”
Ning Su pressed his lips together and walked forward with his head down.
Someone caught up to him with long strides. That person had long legs and walked steadily alongside him.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
Ning Su: “Thinking about going to the <Flower Servant> world after leaving the dungeon.”
Ling Xiao: “What for?”
Ning Su: “To go to the Flower Temple and get your heart back for you.”
Ling Xiao: “...”
As they were about to enter the teaching building, Ling Xiao grabbed his arm. “Let’s go to the bathroom together.”
Ning Changfeng: “Why are you two acting like girls, needing to go to the bathroom together?”
He thought for a moment, then said to Ning Su, “It’s good to be together all the time. Go with your Uncle Ling.”
Ning Su: “...”
Breakfast was only an hour, and they had discussed the dungeon in the cafeteria. After eating, there wasn’t much time left.
Most people had already returned to the classroom, so the bathroom was empty.
Ling Xiao pulled Ning Su into a stall before letting go of his hand.
As soon as he let go, before Ning Su could speak, he said, “Sorry, I said something wrong last night.”
He was about to give his heart back to him, and even though he wasn’t good at understanding emotions, he could tell that Ning Su was angry.
Reflecting on his own behavior and what might have made Ning Su angry, he arrived at a conclusion that softened his heart and left him at a loss.
Ling Xiao gently grasped Ning Su’s hand. “My heart is inside your body. Even if I lose my memory, I will still follow you.”
Last night, he had told Ning Su that it wouldn’t matter even if he lost his memory, and Ning Su had gotten angry.
Ling Xiao speculated that Ning Su was actually a little afraid that he would forget him if he lost his memory.
The young man was anxious.
He might not have realized this himself.
His chest throbbed, as if a heart was beating inside.
In this small space, Ling Xiao tightened his grip, holding Ning Su’s hand tightly, and looked into his clear eyes, saying, “Actually, I feel a bit uneasy.”
He might have lived for hundreds or even thousands of years and should have long-lasting memories.
Those memories were chaotic and fragmented, and he didn’t care—perhaps those long memories were dull and tasteless.
But there was one thing that stood out.
When he realized that Ning Su might be erased from his memory, he inexplicably felt a sense of panic.
He wouldn’t die, but when he opened his eyes again, would he still know that in the vast universe, there was this wonderful young man?
Would he still know how that young man came to his side?
The young man carried his energy, had his heart inside him, and walked from the future to stand beside him.
Such a miracle might not happen a second time.
Ling Xiao: “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to put it. It’s probably like this: In the infinite chaotic universe, a rose quietly blooms, and I’m afraid I might forget what it looks like.”