Whispers and Stares
"Eh? Who's that guy? Why is he walking with Hinai-sensei?"
"H-He just… got in her car?!"
"No way. A man actually got into Hinai-sensei's car?!"
"Holy shit, who the hell is this legendary man who managed to conquer the so-called Ice Queen?!"
Some students whispered among themselves.
Others said nothing—just stared daggers at Li Zhu, as if their gazes alone could kill him a hundred times over.
Meanwhile, Hinai Arisu walked ahead, unfazed by the murmurs around her.
Her black high heels clicked against the pavement, exuding an air of confidence and aloofness. She didn't acknowledge the attention—but Li Zhu sure as hell did.
His head was lowered, his expression grim.
'This is bad. Really, really bad.'
'Why is this woman so damn noticeable? She's more dangerous than the heroines!'
Just walking beside her had drawn this much attention—by tomorrow, wouldn't he wake up to hundreds of death threats?!
"I wish Hinai-sensei would step on me with those high heels…"
"Same. Heh heh."
"Count me in."
Li Zhu broke into a cold sweat.
'Isn't this supposed to be the country's top school?! Why are there so many perverts?!'
'Can we get more respectable people like me here, please? Officer!'
…
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.
"Wait… isn't that Li Zhu?!"
"Bro, which class is he in? I just wanna talk to him. Y'know, give him a warm welcome."
"Count me in."
"Same here."
…
And just like that, Li Zhu openly and shamelessly stepped into Hinai Arisu's blue Porsche—headed straight for Sakurai Yuko's home.
Arrival at Sakurai Yuko's Residence
"Hinai-sensei's background must be pretty solid."
"Not just anyone can casually drive a luxury car like this for their daily commute."
That thought didn't surprise Li Zhu.
After all, in this school, wealth was never in short supply.
…
The ride was silent.
…
"We're here. Get out."
Hinai Arisu parked in front of Sakurai Yuko's house, prompting Li Zhu to step out.
What greeted him was a tall silver-gray wall.
Through the grand iron gate, a lavish mansion could be seen, glimmering under the evening sun.
Standing guard at the entrance were several towering security personnel, all well over 190 cm tall.
Even Li Zhu couldn't help but marvel at the grandeur.
"Damn. This is next-level wealth."
"One day, I'll get a place like this for Mom, too."
…
A sunglasses-wearing security guard approached.
"Good evening. May I ask the reason for your visit?"
Hinai Arisu elegantly tucked her hair behind her ear and smoothly pulled out her teacher's certification badge from her bag.
"I'm Sakurai Yuko's homeroom teacher. Since she hasn't been to school for three days, I came to conduct a home visit out of concern."
The guard's expression shifted slightly.
"Oh, you must be here for the Second Young Miss. Please wait a moment while I make a call."
"Alright."
…
Less than a minute later, the guard jogged back and gestured for them to drive inside.
Following their escort, Hinai Arisu carefully maneuvered the car through the estate's backyard driveway.
Since the car windows were slightly open, Li Zhu's face was fully visible.
…
As they passed the side of the mansion, Li Zhu felt a sudden chill.
A strange, unshakable feeling—like something ominous was watching him.
Goosebumps crawled over his skin.
…
His eyes darted around.
Finally, on the third floor, he spotted a figure by a window.
A pale-faced girl in a white dress, her hair messily draped over her shoulders.
Her hollow eyes locked onto Li Zhu.
She was pressed against the glass, staring at him unblinkingly.
…
'What the hell is that?!'
Li Zhu's body instinctively leaned back, an eerie shiver crawling down his spine.
Just then—
The figure noticed him looking.
She pressed her entire face against the glass, distorting her features, and flashed a wide, unsettling grin.
…
'She's… smiling at me?'
…
'Holy shit—holy shit—holy shit!'
His scalp tingled.
A wave of cold fear surged from his spine to the top of his head.
This was straight out of a horror movie.
Not even three minutes inside, and things were already this messed up.
If he actually stepped foot inside the house…
Would there even be bones left of him by the time he got out?!
…
"Sensei… do you see that? The third-floor window…"
Li Zhu pointed towards it, his voice unsteady.
"Hm?"
Hinai Arisu glanced up, scanning across all six windows on the third floor.
"I don't see anything. What did you see?"
Her tone was calm, but Li Zhu's face had gone pale.
"…Maybe I just imagined it."
He tried to laugh it off, but his right eyelid twitched violently.
If it weren't for the faint white smudge left on the window glass, he would have genuinely thought he was hallucinating.
…
"Right eye twitching… That's a bad omen."
Li Zhu used to believe in science.
He never bought into superstitions.
But after transmigrating, he now believed in everything.
"Sensei… let's just leave."
"Why?"
"This might not be the best time to visit. We can come back another day."
Hinai Arisu turned to him, her expression unreadable.
"You look… guilty."
Her voice was casual, but Li Zhu nearly choked on air.
'Big sis, please don't say the word guilty right now! It's super unlucky!'
"Not at all! I just—uh, I left something in the classroom. Makes me feel a little uneasy."
That part… was actually true.
"Enough stalling. Let's go."
Hinai Arisu firmly parked the car in the underground garage and unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Besides, if we take too long, your mother might start worrying."
"Don't worry. I already informed her in advance."
"Hm?"
She gave him a strange look.
"I mean, I told her I'd be visiting a friend after school. If I'm late, she shouldn't wait for me for dinner."
…
"You're staying overnight at Sakurai's place?"
Her eyes widened in shock.
Then, she crossed her arms and interrogated him on the spot.
"Oh? You still claim you're not dating her?!"
"What? No! You're twisting my words!" Li Zhu panicked.
"I never said I was staying over!"
But Hinai Arisu simply raised an eyebrow, smirking ever so slightly.
Li Zhu's soul nearly left his body.
"Shit, shit, shit—I should've just asked a classmate instead!"
…
Too late.
"Enough talking."
She clapped her hands together and started walking toward the entrance.
"Let's get going."
…
At that moment, if there were special effects above Li Zhu's head—
There'd be a massive, glowing danger sign.
Li Zhu was stunned.
'I literally just said I might not make it back… meaning if something happened to me, I wouldn't be able to return home. How the hell did she twist that into me spending the night at Sakurai's house?!'
He spent a solid few minutes explaining to Hinai-sensei before she finally let go of her weird assumptions.
Meanwhile, on the Third Floor
Inside a dimly lit bedroom…
A figure sat motionless.
Her long, disheveled hair covered most of her face, making her resemble a horror movie ghost.
Her lips moved silently, repeating a single name.
"Li Zhu…?"
"Why is he here?"
Had Li Zhu been present, he would have immediately recognized this terrifying presence as the same one that had been staring at him from the third-floor window.
"If he rejected me, why did he come looking for me?"
A gleaming kitchen knife reflected a pair of reddened eyes, filled with madness.
"I was already prepared to die together with him…"
"Could it be… he regrets it? He wants to reconcile?"
"How bold of him~ To come straight to my house like this… I understand now. I'll make sure to properly forgive you~"
A sinister smile crept onto Sakurai Yuko's lips.
The once gentle and reserved aura she carried was completely gone.
All that remained…
Was undisguised desire.
Thinking about seeing him soon, a violent surge of emotion overtook her.
She collapsed onto the bed, clutching her face in her hands, her body trembling with excitement—
Like a poisonous flower, finally blooming under the touch of corruption.
"Li Zhu… Hehe… Li Zhu~"
The Meeting
Led by a stern-faced head maid and two young maids, Li Zhu and Hinai Arisu were brought to the third floor—the designated private guest area of the Sakurai residence.
"Young Miss, your guests have arrived. We will take our leave now. If you need anything, just use the intercom."
With a small bow, the maids left.
A lavish tea set was laid out on the table—three cups of steaming red tea alongside delicate desserts.
Hinai Arisu waited for a long time.
Yet…
The door to Sakurai Yuko's room remained shut.
There was no movement from inside.
"...Sakurai-san, aren't you coming out? Li Zhu and I came to visit you."
A muffled voice responded from behind the thick wooden door.
"I know. Sensei, you can go back now. I have something I need to say to Li Zhu alone."
Her tone was distant and restrained—as if she was suppressing something.
At least, that's how Li Zhu heard it.
Because to him, her voice carried a chilling sense of foreboding.
At that moment, memories of that night flooded back—
The night he stayed awake, trembling, knowing that his scripted death was approaching.
The agonizing wait for doom, the sheer mental torment of expecting to die at any moment.
If his fears were right, then the phone call to his mom earlier…
…Was actually his final goodbye.
Hinai Arisu frowned.
She had already lost count of how many times she had furrowed her brows today.
Ever since she met Li Zhu, things just kept escalating in unexpected ways.
Her gaze lingered between the boy and the tightly shut door, silently assessing their relationship.
"Fine, I'll leave. Make sure you come back to school soon, alright?"
In the end, she gave up trying to figure it out.
Before leaving, she patted the still-stunned Li Zhu on the shoulder—
And added a warning:
"You better not bully Yuko."
"If she gets hurt in any way… hmph, let's just say teachers have very effective ways of disciplining bad students."
Bully her?
By the time this was over, she'd probably be the one begging him not to die!
A Locked Room
"Can't we just talk from out here?" Li Zhu asked, his voice tinged with desperation.
"I can hear you just fine from outside—"
Creak—
The door opened slightly.
The invitation was clear.
…
"Why are you still standing there? Go inside."
Hinai Arisu shoved Li Zhu forward, smirking meaningfully before walking away.
Inside, the room was pitch black.
The curtains were drawn tight, blocking out all light.
As soon as Li Zhu stepped in, a faint, sweet fragrance hit his nose.
'What is that smell…?'
Before he could react—
BAM!
The door slammed shut behind him.
Li Zhu froze in place.
The room was now in complete darkness.
Not even a single sliver of light remained.
"Li Zhu~"
A voice whispered beside his ear—soft, warm breath brushing against his skin.
At the same time, a delicate body pressed against him.
The sweet scent in the air grew even stronger.
Anyone would be terrified if something like this happened in complete darkness.
Li Zhu was no exception.
On pure instinct, he pushed her away.
"Hehehe~"
A soft, bell-like laugh rang out.
His eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark.
And when he finally focused—
He saw her.
…
The "white-clad ghost".
But it wasn't a ghost.
It was Sakurai Yuko.
"What the hell happened to her?!"
"Sakurai-san, calm down!"
His voice wavered slightly.
"Why do you look like this?!"
Sakurai Yuko just smiled, slowly stepping closer.
For every step she took forward, Li Zhu stepped backward.
"S-Sakurai-san, let's talk, okay? No sudden movements."
Within a few short moments, his back hit the edge of the bed.
Sakurai Yuko didn't stop walking.
"Wait, wait—Sakurai-san! Don't come any closer!"
"Sakurai! Sakurai Yuko, I'm warning you!"
Desperate, Li Zhu grabbed a pillow from the bed and held it in front of him like a shield.
By now, she was less than half a meter away.
Her smile—even in the darkness—looked disturbingly twisted.
Suddenly—
A strange sensation swept over him.
His body began to feel weak.
His head grew heavy and foggy.
Even the pillow in his hands felt like a useless prop.
"W-what's happening to me…?"
"What… did you do…?"
Sakurai Yuko pressed against him again, her fingers gently tracing his cheek.
He couldn't push her away.
A thick wave of the same sweet scent washed over him, clouding his thoughts.
And then—
His consciousness slipped away.
Just before he blacked out—
A realization hit him.
'Shit… I got drugged…'
'I… I…'
…
"Sorry, I love you. Sorry, I love you. Sorry, I love you. Sorry, I love you. Sorry, I love you. Sorry, I love you. Sorry, I love you—"
…