Chapter 24 Part 1

Yu Xingzhou returned to the classroom and slowly sat down, his mouth still carrying the fresh, sweet scent of peach.

“It’s all your fault. I was going to throw it away, but you shoved it straight into my mouth.”

The Evil Spirit sounded a bit angry.

Yu Xingzhou’s eyes curved in a slight smile. He licked his lips with the tip of his tongue, savoring the lingering sweetness, then turned to ask:

“Not sweet?”

The Evil Spirit was suddenly at a loss for words. He shifted uncomfortably and muttered:

“It’s just average. It’s not like I haven’t had it before.”

The Evil Spirit was still being stubborn.

How could it not be sweet? To Yu Xingzhou, this candy carried a special meaning far beyond its sugary taste.

When Jing Chi approached, Yu Xingzhou immediately ducked his head, resuming his usual do-not-disturb demeanor.

Jing Chi just smiled. He knew the other boy wasn’t as standoffish as he pretended to be.

He was simply curious about how the police would rule on the case.

A few days later, after conducting thorough routine interviews, the police closed the matter as an accidental death. No one could explain the strange details, and it ultimately became a campus ghost story.

Li Ze’s parents, of course, were far from satisfied. They stormed the school several times before finally settling with a payout from the administration.

The incident had a sobering effect on the entire class. Everyone buckled down to study in quiet earnest.

Jing Chi and Yu Xingzhou also enjoyed a pleasant week together—at least, Jing Chi found it pleasant.

Another Monday afternoon found Jing Chi sprawled lazily across his desk.

But Yu Xingzhou, ever the punctual model student, failed to show up for class on time.

A flicker of concern crossed Jing Chi’s mind.

“System, where’s Yu Xingzhou?”

The System, which had been quite responsive lately, replied promptly:

“Replying to Host. Upon checking, the villain has been cornered in the restroom by the group of boys who used to run with Li Ze.”

Jing Chi’s expression darkened at once.

He shot his hand up, clutching his stomach in feigned agony, and called out to the teacher at the front: “Teacher, I need to use the restroom.”

The teacher sighed and waved him off with a helpless gesture.

Jing Chi slipped out of the classroom and hurried to the restroom. Ever since the murder, hardly anyone on this floor used it anymore. They all preferred trekking to a farther one.

That made it the perfect spot for these thugs to target Yu Xingzhou.

Sure enough, as he drew near, Jing Chi heard sleazy voices echoing from within.

“Come on, spill it. Did you curse Li Ze to death or what?”

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Gone mute now?”

They had Yu Xingzhou pinned in the corner. He kept his head down and said nothing, huddling tight against the wall behind him.

The boys exchanged glances and burst into mocking laughter at his cowering form.

One of them grabbed Yu Xingzhou’s chin and forced his head up.

With his head always lowered, no one had ever noticed just how striking Yu Xingzhou’s features were.

The boy leered at the delicate face, a filthy grin spreading across his own.

“Not bad. This little punk’s actually pretty good-looking. No wonder he’s a fag. How about we strip him naked, snap some pics, and post them on the forum?”

His words drew wicked chuckles from the others.

“Sounds like a plan,” one agreed.

“Let’s check if he’s even a real guy, acting like such a wuss.”

They closed in, hands groping for his clothes.

Yu Xingzhou clutched his shirt in a death grip. His pupils contracted sharply, the whites of his eyes fading away.

But no one seemed to notice the change.

At that moment, Jing Chi cleared his throat loudly. “Yo, what are you guys doing? Skipping class?”

They hadn’t expected anyone to show up during lesson time.

“None of your damn business.”

The group froze, not daring to act so brazenly with a witness present. The ringleader whipped his head around first.

From the back, Yu Xingzhou frowned.

Why did this guy always have to show up at the worst possible moment? Ruining everything. What a meddlesome busybody.

In the next instant, he lost control of his own body.

The Evil Spirit: ???

“Don’t you need me to deal with them?” He hadn’t even gotten comfortable yet.

Yu Xingzhou replied softly: “Not this time.”

His gaze locked straight onto Jing Chi.

He felt a twinge of uncertainty, but for some reason, he trusted the other boy implicitly—as if something deep inside was quietly urging him to do so.

The Evil Spirit inwardly groaned. This wasn’t his doing. He was going to get himself killed with this kind of stupidity.

Over there, Jing Chi continued, “Yeah, it’s not really any of my business.”

“Then get lost quick, or we’ll beat you too,” the boy snarled viciously.

Jing Chi couldn’t fathom where a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old kid got off talking with such bravado.

The Evil Spirit never missed a chance to fan the flames. “See? He even said it’s not his business. Let me handle it. I guarantee they’ll stay here forever.”

Yu Xingzhou lowered his gaze, his eyelashes quivering faintly.

“Is that so? He’s fake too, right?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” The Evil Spirit hurriedly agreed, afraid Yu Xingzhou might change his mind.

But in the next moment, Jing Chi drawled leisurely, “But since it concerns my desk mate, it is my business.”

The boy’s eyes lit up at once. He completely ignored the Evil Spirit.

Evil Spirit: Aaaah, how can he be so infuriating!!!

The boys’ expressions shifted in an instant. Then, as if struck by the same thought, one of them sneered mockingly, “Oh ho, what a rare sight. Someone actually sticking up for him. Have you two slept together? Is he a slut or what?”

No sooner had he spoken than the others burst into laughter, their lecherous gazes darting back and forth between Jing Chi and Yu Xingzhou.

Jing Chi felt his ears polluted by the sheer filth of it. High schoolers these days talked so dirty. Li Ze had been bad enough before, but this took the cake.

“Heh, looks like your mouth needs a good washing.”

Jing Chi’s expression turned icy. He strode forward and seized the speaker’s wrist.

With a single squeeze of his fingers, a howl of agony burst from the boy’s mouth. “Ow, ow, ow! It’s breaking!”

In the next instant, Jing Chi dragged him to the sink, shoved his head under the faucet, and cranked the water on full blast, straight into his face.

“Clean yet?”

“Fuck, you motherfucker, I…”

Jing Chi pressed the boy’s head down harder and said offhandedly, “Guess not clean enough.”

The others were utterly dumbfounded by Jing Chi’s actions. One of them started forward to intervene, but Jing Chi glanced up lazily, his gaze carrying a clear threat. “You wanna try too?”

That sent the boy scurrying back in fright.

Five minutes later, Jing Chi yanked the drenched boy upright. He coughed violently, his head thoroughly muddled.

Jing Chi tossed him back to his friends, who immediately dragged him away without so much as a backward glance.

To them, Jing Chi seemed like a devil incarnate.

In truth, they ought to thank him for saving their lives.

Jing Chi sighed, feeling a touch depressed.

Truth be told, he didn’t believe in fighting violence with violence.

He looked up, his gaze settling on Yu Xingzhou, who leaned against the wall with a dazed expression.

It was Monday, time for the flag-raising ceremony, so everyone was in their standard uniforms. The boy’s collar had been tugged askew in the earlier scuffle, revealing a glimpse of his slender shoulder.

Jing Chi walked over, unsure whether he was facing the Little Evil Spirit or the real Little Pitiful.

He reached out and gently pried the boy’s white-knuckled grip from his collar.

He had expected some resistance, but to his surprise, Yu Xingzhou released it without a fuss.

Jing Chi lowered his eyes slightly and straightened the boy’s disheveled collar with careful fingers, smoothing out every last wrinkle one by one.

Unintentionally, his fingertips brushed against Yu Xingzhou’s bare skin, and the boy gave a faint shiver.

Jing Chi withdrew his hand at once. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you.”

Yu Xingzhou clutched at his clothes and shook his head. His lips parted, but his voice was barely audible. “It’s okay. And… thank you.”

Jing Chi had to be watching closely to catch that murmured gratitude.

He smiled. “No problem. We’re desk mates, after all.”

Then, struck by a sudden realization, he smacked his forehead with a groan. “I told the teacher I was just going to the restroom, but we’ve been gone forever. We’ll get the third degree if we go back now. Better wait until class ends.”

Yu Xingzhou nodded obediently.

A little while later, Jing Chi assumed he wouldn’t say anything more.

But then, the boy murmured shyly at his side, “I really envy you.”

Jing Chi turned his head. “Envy me?”

Yu Xingzhou let out a soft hum of affirmation.

If only he’d possessed abilities like Jing Chi’s back then—would he have endured all that bullying? Would he have taken that fateful path and ended up like this?

Jing Chi’s hand came to rest on the boy’s shoulder. In a low voice, he said, “Look up at me.”

Yu Xingzhou obeyed, lifting his gaze. Jing Chi’s serious expression filled his vision, and in those beautiful eyes, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection.

Jing Chi enunciated each word clearly. “You don’t need to envy me. We’re both ordinary people. The reason you’re bullied isn’t because you’re weak—it’s because they’re rotten to the core. It’s them who need reforming, not you.”

Right on cue, as his words hung in the air, the bell rang to signal the end of class.

“Besides, now that I’m here, remember to call on me if anything comes up. After all, we’re deskmates.”

They would still be the closest of people someday.

Of course, Jing Chi kept that last part to himself, murmuring it only in the privacy of his thoughts.

With their exchange concluded, Jing Chi gave the boy’s shoulder a reassuring pat before heading out. Yu Xingzhou trailed after him.

“Sigh.” The Evil Spirit let out a heavy breath. It chafed at him that he couldn’t just deal with those punks from earlier.

Then, out of nowhere, Yu Xingzhou said to him, “His fingertips were warm.”

The Evil Spirit blinked. “???”

Was that even relevant? A living person’s hands were supposed to be warm. If they were ice-cold, wouldn’t that put him in the same boat?

“He said I could come to him if anything happens from now on.”

The Evil Spirit listened to the joy in Yu Xingzhou’s voice and felt a pang of bitterness.

He had admired Jing Chi’s ruthless edge just a bit for that earlier stunt.

But the truth was, the Evil Spirit didn’t want his host getting hurt again. The kid was fragile enough as it was.

Hope only bred disappointment. Better not to hope at all.

He growled a vicious warning. “He’s just stringing you along. Mark my words—he’ll ditch you before long.”

And then, just like that, he lost his connection to his host.

The Evil Spirit: ???