The lady in red ghost was initially a little upset because they were badmouthing her boyfriend. But as she spoke, a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes:
“You are students, you can easily see him. Could you ask him for me when he will come to see me next time? Also, tell him, I miss him so much…”
Rong Yi felt a tug at her heart.
This girl was not only deceived by pick-up artists but was dangerously unaware of it. At this point, she still believed in that scumbag.
“If you can make him come see me, I… I will team up with you and give you all the experience points, alright?” The lady in red ghost pleaded earnestly with them.
What harm would it do to visit her once again? This abnormal and unequal relationship would continue. Rong Yi hesitated on how best to communicate with her.
Just a moment ago, telling her outright that she was being deceived by pick-up artists had already made her somewhat unhappy.
With her unwavering faith in this relationship, these newfound players who kept demeaning her boyfriend only made her wary of them.
As the saying goes, distance creates estrangement.
Before Raymond could say anything to appease the lady in red ghost, she looked at Rong Yi with pleading eyes: “Okay, tell me, who is he?”
“Rong Yi!” Raymond countered the ghost’s look and turned to Rong Yi furiously, “You know she has been deceived by pick-up artists, why didn’t you just tell her?”
The group walked on the dark playground, with sporadic lights shining from the building across.
It was now 9:40 pm, with the evening self-study ending at 10:00. Some students and duty teachers remained there.
“With your emotional intelligence, I believe you could impersonate Poseidon,” Rong Yi waved at the white ghost, accidentally slipping her hand into his semi-transparent body, feeling a sudden chill as if plunged into icy water.
An elder student promptly pulled her hand out and shook it as if she had touched something dirty inside Raymond’s body.
Raymond seemed unfazed by the jab to his stomach, “I was about to ask just now, who is this person? Why does the lady in red ghost call you sister-in-law and him brother?”
After a moment, he gasped, “Is he dumb, rich, and has multiple boyfriends?”
Rong Yi whispered to Raymond as an explanation, “Character development, campus romance, understand?”
“Your skills are amazing, managing to even trick NPCs into joining your team!” Raymond admired.
A moment of silence ensued before Zhang Haiyang dryly remarked, “It’s not about Rong Yi’s skill at all.”
Luo Huayue chimed in, “He brought this upon himself.”
Ice added, “Baby, do you know? This is a rare and highly damaging wild creature, envy is futile.”
As they conversed, they arrived at the main entrance of the teaching building.
Raymond skillfully slipped into the wall, while the others went up the stairs to the floor where the second-year students were.
“There they are!” Zhang Haiyang spotted two blurry figures at the end of the corridor, hidden in the blind spot of the classroom.
The group hid around the corner of the stairs, poking their heads out to sneak a peek.
A tall figure, holding a set square, casually brushed aside a girl’s loose hair with his other hand.
“Damn, damn, damn!” Zhang Haiyang widened his eyes, “Ice was right again, he found himself a new girl!”
Ice shrugged, unimpressed, “Men.”
Luo Huayue summoned a floating screen and carefully adjusted the angle, while Rong Yi asked, “What are you doing?”
“Gathering evidence!” Luo Huayue zoomed in on the camera function of the floating screen, “Rong Yi, you seem to have a happy love life, not much experience in catching cheaters.”
Rong Yi: “…What can you capture here?” She patted Luo Huayue’s shoulder, gesturing for her to look down the corridor.
Only a semi-transparent figure quietly emerged from the wall, silently appearing behind the man, summoning a hovering screen, aiming, and taking a picture.
The girl’s head, originally shyly lowered, lifted slightly, witnessing this scene, and she screamed in shock!
“What’s wrong?” the man asked hurriedly.
“Teacher! Behind you—”
The man turned around, but Raymond had already retreated back into the wall.
“There’s nothing here?” The man laughed, “Is it because you’re too stressed about exams lately?”
Just as he was about to reach out to touch the girl’s head, footsteps echoed around the corner, and the balding head of the headmaster popped out.
Startled, he immediately pulled back his hand and took a step back.
“Mr. Zhang, still here?” The headmaster, unaware of the ambiguous scene, greeted them familiarly, “Hey, counseling students here?”
Mr. Zhang, the math teacher, smiled gracefully, while the girl stood awkwardly by.
Luo Huayue shook her head, clicking her tongue, “If we had such teachers in high school, they would’ve been reported and expelled long ago.”
“So, this place is not reality, but a simulation.” Zhang Haiyang pointed to the others, “We old folks playing young here, who knows if that girl isn’t an adult in reality?”
“Whether they are players or NPCs, adults or minors, we can only confirm one thing,” Rong Yi frowned, “Mr. Zhang is definitely a scummy NPC.”
They all nodded in agreement, “Indeed.”
Rong Yi, feeling irritated, absentmindedly reached into her pocket, realizing too late she had no cigarettes, having already finished the two lollipops. A strawberry lollipop suddenly appeared in her line of sight.
Rong Yi looked up to see Senior A holding out a lollipop that didn’t match his demeanor and offered it to her.
Rong Yi accepted the lollipop, couldn’t find a place to throw the wrapper, was about to stuff it into her pocket when a pale hand reached out.
More star stickers, more lollipops, voluntarily taking the trash—this top student boyfriend was really obedient. Rong Yi gave him the wrapper, her mind drifting back to her younger boyfriend.
If they were to meet in reality, her younger boyfriend would also be this attentive and sweet, right?
Ice: “Tsk tsk tsk.”
Luo Huayue: “If I’m guilty, let the game cruelly torment me, instead of feeding me dog food here.”
Zhang Haiyang: “Look at the lady in red, then look at yourself. Is this the world’s disparity?”
Raymond: “Woof.”
Rong Yi blushed from their teasing and whispered, “What are you ‘woofing’ for? Don’t you have a girlfriend?”
Raymond smirked and shrugged it off. Poking his head out bizarrely from the wall, he opened the floating screen and shared the photo of them catching the cheaters in the group chat, “Concrete evidence, let’s go wake up that silly girl!”
“Wait a moment,” Rong Yi said with a lollipop in her mouth, adjusting her clothes before walking out from around the corner.
Luo Huayue was puzzled, “Rong Yi, where are you going?”
Rong Yi replied, “To fulfill someone’s request.”
She strides down the corridor, quickly catching the attention of the headmaster.
“Class 2 (3)! Rong Yi!”
The familiar shout echoed through the empty corridor, drawing the attention of the students still studying in the evening self-study session as they leaned out of the windows to watch the commotion.
“Go back and study! Everyone, back to your seats!” Principal Yu walked over, shooing the students away from the windows like little chicks.
He frowned and approached Rong Yi, “It’s late, why aren’t you in the dormitory or studying? What are you doing wandering around here?”
“Hello, Principal Yu. I have something to ask Teacher Zhang!”
Principal Yu’s stern face softened a bit. “I see. Is it about a math problem? Student A is indeed very good at math, but his approach might be difficult for you to understand. It’s better to ask Teacher Zhang.”
“But you can’t be so disorganized, wandering around during self-study in the corridor, you know?”
“And cut down on the lollipops! Watch out for cavities!”
“Got it!” She grinned, taking out the lollipop. Even before reaching Teacher Zhang, she called out, “But, Principal Yu, I’m not here to ask about math.”
“Teacher Zhang! Just now in the gym, I met a girl in a red dress with long hair!”
Teacher Zhang froze.
“She walks so strangely, almost like floating. She asked me to inquire when you will visit her again because she really misses you!”
Teacher Zhang glanced at Rong Yi with a puzzled expression and then back at the principal.
Teacher Zhang forced a smile, “What are you talking about? I don’t know her.”
“Is that so?” Rong Yi put the lollipop back in her mouth. “How strange. That girl seems to know you well. She not only knows where your office is but also which days and classes you teach and even that you’ve been working late every night recently!”
Principal Yu exclaimed, “Teacher Zhang, you haven’t been on duty during self-study recently? What class are you covering?”
Teacher Zhang’s expression soured even more as he struggled to find the right words, “Well, I haven’t been working at all during those times. So, that girl must be mistaken. I don’t know her, and she doesn’t know me.”
“Okay then.” Rong Yi scratched her head. “I’ll just tell her that you don’t know her. That should clear things up.”
With that, she swaggered into the Class 2 (3) classroom, holding her lollipop.
Principal Yu was puzzled, “There are still students in the gym at this hour?” He sighed, “Students these days, wandering outside so late is very unsafe! I’ll go check!”
Saying this, he turned back towards the stairs on the corridor’s other side and hurried downstairs.
Once Principal Yu left, Teacher Zhang exchanged a few words with the girl and swiftly followed suit down the stairs.
During self-study, with only Principal Yu and teachers randomly patrolling, and no teachers inside the classrooms, the discussions in the several classes on that floor buzzed as soon as the two important figures left.
“Weren’t you claiming you saw a ghost in the gym before?”
“Yes, yes, in red clothes! My word, Rong Yi has such nerve, delivering messages for ghosts!”
“Why specifically pass the message to Teacher Zhang?”
“Teacher Zhang is the campus heartthrob! If I were a ghost, I’d cling to someone good-looking too!”
“What I find more curious is how Rong Yi can converse with ghosts?”
“Go, go, go, ask her if she’s afraid of talking to ghosts!”
As they turned to ask, they found Rong Yi’s seat empty.
People followed from afar, trailing behind Teacher Zhang as he headed towards the gym. Instead of taking the main entrance, he veered towards a secluded side door of the gym and softly called out:
“Anna!”
The woman in red immediately appeared, moving so fast it was like a flicker!
“You finally came to see me!” She excitedly bounced into Teacher Zhang’s arms, but passed through his body and ended up behind him.
Feeling embarrassed, Anna scratched her head. “I always forget that I’m a ghost.”
Teacher Zhang smiled indulgently and made a motion in the empty space as if tucking the stray hair behind her ear. “It didn’t look good to start with, your hair was messy.” He teasingly scolded.
Rong Yi: …Is this a fixed routine?
Teacher Zhang: “I really miss the days when I could touch you.”
Blushing, Anna said, “I do too… You said before that by accumulating enough points, I could buy a card to change my status. How many points do I still need?”
Teacher Zhang mentioned a staggering number, and Zhang Haiyang exclaimed, “With those points, I could buy wish items!”
Anna sadly lowered her shoulders. “Still need so many points…”
Teacher Zhang sighed, “Work has been really busy lately, and my salary hasn’t increased much. I see your monthly points are also decreasing. At this rate, our future seems distant!”
Feeling sorry, Anna said, “Because you never come to see me, I’ve been distracted at work lately. I’m sorry.”
Teacher Zhang gently reprimanded, “The days of struggle are often few and far between. You need to adjust your attitude and focus on work to earn more points. That way, we can shorten our time apart, isn’t that better?”
“If you’re not doing well, this job really suits you. You must cherish it, you know?”
Then, Teacher Zhang’s expression turned serious. “Another thing. If you want to see me, just communicate directly with me. Why make students pass messages?”
“Did I not tell you? Now you’re a ghost, and not good-looking. It’s easy to scare people, so you must hide well, except during missions. Did you forget?”
Anna was frightened by his stern tone. “I’m sorry! I… I have contacted you through communication, but you didn’t reply… that’s why I…”
“I didn’t reply because I’m too busy! Didn’t I tell you? I have evening self-study sessions every night!”
“You used to be so sensible, why are you being so stubborn now?! You know how hard I’m working to earn points to buy you a status change card, why can’t you understand and support me?”
Tears welled up in Anna’s eyes. “I’m sorry… I won’t disturb your work anymore…”
“From now on, you can’t do this anymore, do you hear me?”
“Okay, okay… I’m sorry… *sob*”
Seeing Anna cry so much, Teacher Zhang sighed and gently hugged her. Then, he lifted his arm behind her and checked the time.
“I’ve been away for too long, it will cause trouble if the supervisor comes to check the post.” He said, patting Anna’s long hair in the empty space.
“I’m leaving, be good.”
Anna nodded, seemingly wanting to say something to make him stay, but afraid of interrupting his work and making him unhappy, she could only watch him leave with eager eyes.
Rong Yi glanced at the time, realizing there were still 20 minutes left for today’s skill duration. He activated the [Meet Parents] skill and walked up with everyone.
Anna saw them and forced a smile. “He really came to see me, you guys are amazing.” She summoned her floating screen and sent friend and team requests to Rong Yi.
“I will do as I said. Starting today, I will assist you in completing the mission of the copy.”
Zhang Haiyang cheered. Raymond, however, hesitated and exchanged glances with Rong Yi.
Rong Yi nodded.
Although the woman in red had become a member of their team, she was in a state of being seduced, mentally unstable, and lacking in work enthusiasm. Besides not having to worry about her committing suicide, she was not a reliable partner in any other aspect.
Rong Yi’s requirement for the work team has always been: wholehearted dedication.
A part of the red-clothed female ghost’s heart had been ruthlessly taken away by Teacher Zhang. Since she was unable to retrieve it herself, it naturally fell to Rong Yi, the team leader, to retrieve it for her.
This was the salary she set for the red-clothed female ghost.
First and foremost, it was to gradually dismantle the image of Teacher Zhang in her mind.
With Rong Yi’s approval, Raymond sent the photos of the affair to the red-clothed female ghost: “We feel that you need to see what Teacher Zhang is like where you can’t see him.”
The angle of the photo was clever; Teacher Zhang lifted the stray hair of the girl in front of him behind her ear, and the gentleness on his face was strikingly similar to Anna’s.
Anna pursed her lips and only spoke softly after a while, “…This angle can only see half of his face. I don’t think it’s Teacher Zhang.”
Raymond couldn’t believe she could lie with her eyes wide open: “How is it not Teacher Zhang? I took it from behind him, so of course, you can only see half of his face! Look at this outline, this nose, where isn’t it—”
At this point, he suddenly faltered.
Zhang Haiyang asked strangely, “What’s wrong?”
Even in her ghostly state, Rong Yi could see that Raymond was beginning to show signs of embarrassment.
“…This is Teacher Zhang…” He suddenly rambled, “…this half face, this outline, this nose, it’s Teacher Zhang…”
“I once saw a person outside the infirmary.”
“At that time, I saw it from behind, and now thinking about it, it’s this half face, this outline, this nose…”
Rong Yi was puzzled: “Teacher Zhang went to the infirmary? Is he sick?”
Raymond shook his head: “…When you went to the infirmary, did you notice a rose on my desk?”
Rong Yi nodded. Wasn’t that something he conjured himself?
Raymond covered his face in anguish, only managing to utter a sentence from between his teeth after a long while:
“…That person was left at my door, given to me…”
Everyone:…
Everyone: !!!”
The author has something to say: He who teases is always teased.
Raymond is going to do what he does best: flirt.
