——It's Lin.

The girl with long black hair had a brilliant smile on her face, as if she was genuinely happy.

It was unclear what she was so amused about.

Seigetsu Zhu almost thought that the monster capable of scaling walls had invaded the school in broad daylight. She breathed a sigh of relief, but something felt off.

"Um... where did you come from?"

Seigetsu Zhu stared at the girl who had suddenly appeared behind her, then glanced at the railing beside her. Her expression became subtle.

"You, you didn't climb over from there, did you?"

"Don't sweat the small stuff."

Starry Lin's response was as casual as ever.

However, compared to her cold treatment of others, her attitude towards Seigetsu Zhu was relatively friendly.

"...You're right."

Seigetsu Zhu coughed lightly, a smile reappearing on her face.

"Did you need something from me, Lin?"

"I came out of the classroom and saw Sunny talking to you, so I thought I'd come over."

Starry Lin chewed her gum, casually asking, "Do you have a napkin?" After receiving one from Seigetsu Zhu, she spat her gum into it, wrapped it up, and casually tossed it into a nearby trash can.

"...I just didn't expect him to leave before I got here. I had nothing to do, so I thought I'd come and see you. You seemed a bit scared yesterday, didn't you?"

Of course, she was lying.

After leaving the classroom, Starry Lin had noticed the two of them talking. However, she didn't immediately make her presence known. Instead, she deliberately hid in a place where she could hear their conversation clearly, until she heard that sentence...

"I'm fine." Seigetsu Zhu coughed lightly, "I think, Lin, you have a question for me, don't you?"

"Mm~ Not really, I just saw you looking like you were about to cry..."

"Cry...?"

Seigetsu Zhu touched her face in surprise.

"Did I?"

"Ah, maybe I exaggerated a bit."

Starry Lin heaved herself up with her hands, lightly jumping and sitting on the railing.

Her hands gripped the railing, her legs swinging back and forth.

Such a posture could easily cause her to lose balance in the wind and fall backward. Even if she tried to hold on tightly, it might not help.

This was obviously a very dangerous action, not to be imitated by ordinary people.

But looking at Lin sitting on the railing with a relaxed and comfortable expression, her long hair fluttering slightly, she looked so cool that it was almost ridiculous. Seigetsu Zhu hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she didn't tell her to come down.

After all, the other party was not an ordinary person, but a martial arts master who wouldn't get hurt even if she fell in the eyes of others. And Seigetsu Zhu knew even better that Lin's real identity was even more exaggerated than what people guessed. She was a genuine...

"Superpower user."

Seigetsu Zhu's vision seemed to blur for a moment.

"But, you do feel disappointed, right?" Starry Lin's words brought her back to reality, "After all, Sunny didn't act like other boys, who would be willing to help as soon as you ask."

"...Lin, I think you misunderstand me."

Seigetsu Zhu came back to her senses and shook her head vigorously.

"I didn't ask anyone for help because I know I don't have the right to do so. Including what just happened, I misspoke. I, Sunny Xu, and you, Starry Lin, are just ordinary classmates. There's no reason for me to ask you for help. I think Xu must have considered this and refused before I could ask."

"...Don't you feel uncomfortable?"

"No, I think what Sunny Xu did was absolutely right."

"You can try asking me, maybe I'll really agree."

Starry Lin had a beaming smile on her face.

"Guess what, if you really asked me for help, do you think I would agree or disagree?"

"I... don't know." Seigetsu Zhu's answer was still soft but firm, "But I won't ask."

Starry Lin's happily swinging feet suddenly stopped, and the smile on her face disappeared.

"I'm sorry, I misspoke just now."

"It's okay."

The girl shook her head gently.

"But... Seigetsu Zhu, I think you might have noticed, I... uh, how should I put it..."

When it came to the point, Starry Lin began to stutter. She scratched her long hair in frustration.

Search "pawℝead.com" for the original.

Facing Seigetsu Zhu's curious eyes, after a long hesitation, she finally spoke honestly:

"—I'm a bit annoyed with you."

Honest words can really hurt!

"...Why?"

Although, as Starry Lin said, Seigetsu Zhu had a premonition; hearing it from the person herself still made her a little sad.

After all, Seigetsu Zhu had decided to become friends with her, but she encountered unexpected obstacles right from the start.

She even thought to herself, if the reason was because of Sunny Xu, it would be too unjust. She would become like a bad woman trying to interfere in a loving couple's relationship.

Of course, the reason Starry Lin gave was not as... superficial as she had imagined.

The long-haired girl stared at her face for a while, making Seigetsu Zhu a little nervous.

She was thinking, why is this person just like Sunny Xu, always staring at people's faces and not letting go? But the next second, Starry Lin did something even more surprising:

The long-haired girl sitting on the railing suddenly let go with one hand and reached out to her, as if to touch her face—no, more accurately, to lift her chin with her hand, just like the standard action of a playboy teasing a girl in a TV drama.

"Ah, sorry."

Starry Lin seemed to realize that this was inappropriate and quickly withdrew her hand.

"What... what's wrong?"Could it be that there's really something on my face? Seigetsu Zhu couldn't help but doubt it a little, and couldn't resist touching her own cheek.

"I just think that you really look like a porcelain doll."

Starry Lin smiled.

"Look, your bangs are cut so neatly, as if measured with a ruler. Your eyebrows, eyelashes, they all look so delicate, as if they're repaired every day. But the most important thing is the smile on your face... it's really perfect. I don't think anyone would dislike a girl who smiles like that, right?"

"Um, thank you for the compliment?"

Although she still couldn't quite understand, Seigetsu Zhu still expressed her gratitude for the praise.

The same compliment can have different effects when said by different people.

"You're so beautiful!" This sentence has accompanied Seigetsu Zhu as she grew up.

After entering high school, although no one would say it so openly to her, just by looking at the expressions of her peers, she could tell: sometimes boys would stare at her face in a daze, and some even looked lewd. The envy and even jealousy of the girls were also easy to notice.

But Starry Lin was different. In her own eyes and the eyes of others, the other person was also an outstanding beauty, so the weight of her words was different...

"So that's why I think there's something wrong with you."

"Huh?"

"I've always found it strange myself, why I feel uncomfortable when I look at you. But last night, I noticed something that made me finally understand the reason."

Starry Lin stared at her pupils, her expression becoming serious.

"Actually, even before rushing into the classroom, that monster had already climbed in through the window. You should have all noticed it. Its eerie posture even made me feel creepy, and the first time experiencing it would definitely be terrifying. For example, Sunny, his expression was very nervous, so nervous that it was a bit ridiculous..."

"But, Seigetsu, you're different."

The girl with long hair pointed directly at the face of the girl with short hair.

"Even in such a life-threatening situation, you were still smiling, right?"

Seigetsu Zhu's beautiful and clear eyes widened, staring unblinkingly at the fingertip that was close by.

Starry Lin leaned closer, unabashedly examining her from top to bottom.

"Since then, I haven't been able to let go of my... prejudice against you, so to speak."

"...So what?"

Seigetsu Zhu remained silent for a moment, smiling as she asked in return. Both her tone and her smile showed no significant change.

"Just because of this? I think people should smile more, as the saying goes, 'a smile makes you ten years younger.'"

"I'm not joking with you."

Starry Lin snorted lightly.

"Someone once told me that being human means crying when you want to cry and laughing when you want to laugh. But your smile is not like that, it just makes me feel uncomfortable."

"But I've always been like this." Seigetsu Zhu sighed softly, her voice low. "If you really dislike me because of this, it's really quite sad."

"I, I'm just telling the truth..."

"And, it's different from Sunny. I've mentioned to Sunny before that I've always wanted to be friends with you."

Seigetsu Zhu raised her face and looked directly into Starry's eyes, her gaze equally serious.

"This thought, even until now, has not changed."

The two girls on the corridor silently locked eyes for a while. Just then, a gust of wind blew across the platform, lifting their fluttering clothes and ink-black hair, carrying the scent of shampoo and the warmth of the sun.

In the end, Starry Lin turned her head a little unnaturally.

She put her hand to her mouth and coughed lightly.

"Then you continue to work hard. Anyway, let's get back to the main point. I just asked you, if you really asked me, do you think I would agree?"

Starry Lin jumped down from the railing, one hand on her waist, her expression serious as she said:

"To tell you the truth, I would agree."

"..."

Seigetsu Zhu didn't answer.

"I want to kill that monster."

The girl's voice was resolute.

"It broke into this school and almost harmed my best friend. Whatever its true purpose is, I only know that its actions are destroying the life I have now, and I can't tolerate such a thing happening again."

"It escaped last time, but not this time. As you know, since I have this ability..."

Starry Lin raised her hand, squinting at the fingerprints on her palm. Her skin seemed transparent in the sunlight, and then she slowly clenched her fist.

"We must completely eliminate this hidden danger."

She turned her head and said to Seigetsu Zhu:

"So, if you just want to find the monster as soon as possible and make it die quickly, I will help."

"I understand."

Seigetsu Zhu nodded.

"With so many people helping you, maybe we can really find some clues..."

"What exactly do you mean by clues?"

"Well..."

Starry Lin hesitated a bit.

Now she could understand Sunny Xu's previous feelings. At times like this, it seems that only the truth can be told.

"Um, for example, things like hair or skin tissue, it would be best if it fell off its body, it could be a body part or a personal item... if that thing has any. Do you understand? If you really find something, you can give it directly to Sunny."

"Okay."

Seigetsu Zhu pondered for a moment, then nodded gently.

"...There's one more thing. When you were talking to Sunny, your expression seemed urgent. Can I ask why?"

"I'm worried about myself."

Seigetsu Zhu's attitude when answering was very natural.

"I suspect that the monster has a target, and that person is very likely to be me."

"Sunny said the same thing. But don't worry."

Starry Lin showed a cheerful smile and patted her shoulder.

"Seigetsu Zhu, as long as there are clues, we will solve it as soon as possible."

...

The bell for class rang, and the two girls walked towards the classroom, one in front of the other.Seigetsu Zhu, who was walking behind, suddenly spoke up.

"'Cry when you want to cry, laugh when you want to laugh'... The person who would say such things to you must be someone who cares about you a lot, right? You should cherish them."

Starry Lin turned her head, looking at the figure standing above the stairs.

The girl was slender, with long legs. She placed her hands behind her, as if quietly looking down at herself.

Seigetsu Zhu stood with her back to the sunlight, her face obscured by the shadow of the stairs, making it impossible to see her expression.

"...I don't need you to tell me that."

Starry Lin didn't pay much attention, waved at her, and headed downstairs.