After leaving the alley behind the internet café, Qin Siyang didn't head home. His departure was just a ruse. He hid on the other side of the café, listening intently to the faint footsteps echoing from the alley—Liu Dazhi was leaving. Qin Siyang stayed out of sight, quietly trailing him.
Though Liu Dazhi kept a wary eye out for followers, he never spotted Qin Siyang. Using his sharp hearing to track Liu Dazhi's location, Qin Siyang kept a safe distance, ensuring he remained unseen. Once Liu Dazhi unlocked his front door and went inside, Qin Siyang etched the address firmly in his mind before slipping away silently.
Back home, Qin Siyang's thoughts were consumed by Liu Dazhi's threat. "That scheduled email is really troublesome." He knew nothing about Liu Dazhi—what email service he used, how many accounts he had, or when he reset the send time. Killing Liu Dazhi would be easy, but keeping his secret safe afterward was another matter entirely. One misstep, and all his efforts since rebirth would be for nothing.
"I won't let such a brilliant start to my rebirth be ruined by Liu Dazhi." He needed to devise a plan quickly to eliminate this threat.
That night, after washing the lunch boxes he'd accumulated over the weekend, he took a cold shower and went to bed. Early the next morning, he got dressed, ate breakfast, and glanced at the calendar on the table:
[Blue Star Calendar, January 4, 2010]
[Gregorian Calendar: Monday]
[Lunar Calendar: 20th day of the 11th lunar month in the Jiyou Year. Suitable for planting; avoid weddings.]
He grabbed a cloth bag containing a few lunch boxes and headed out—his schoolbag had been burned, and he had no spare. As for textbooks? They'd long since vanished. He had no use for them anyway.
On his way, Qin Siyang detoured past the internet café, deliberately avoiding the surveillance camera at the entrance. Through the door, he saw Liu Dazhi sitting at the front counter, staring intensely at the computer screen with a mix of nervousness and excitement, his fingers flying across the keyboard—he was clearly engrossed in a game. Too caught up in playing, Liu Dazhi didn't notice Qin Siyang walking by.
Qin Siyang glanced at him, turned away, and headed straight for school. Today wasn't the right day to kill Liu Dazhi. "The almanac said it's not suitable for burials—turns out it was right."
On school days, the main road on the edge of the safe zone was a bit busier than the empty weekends. Many students walked in groups. Qin Siyang walked alone, not greeting anyone. At the school gate, he spotted several adults—Principal of Ju'an School, followed by a few administrators and teachers—inspecting the premises.
Qin Siyang wondered what had gotten into the principal, who rarely bothered to check the gate. Perhaps it was just his way of seeking attention from time to time.
"Good morning, Principal!"
"Good morning, Principal!"
Students greeted the principal enthusiastically, and he smiled back. Unwilling to draw attention, Qin Siyang forced a smile and greeted him too, even though he had no fondness for the man. The principal smiled in response, but as the saying goes, "The king is easy to deal with, but his underlings are tricky."
One teacher frowned and shouted at Qin Siyang: "You! Stop right there!"
The students turned to see the teacher pointing at Qin Siyang, then lost interest and continued toward their classrooms. Being stopped by a teacher at the gate was so common it wasn't worth watching. After all, the worse the school, the more petty rules it had.
The teacher approached, scolding: "Why didn't you greet the principal loudly? Don't you know the importance of respecting your elders and teachers?!"
Huh? He was being lectured just for not greeting loudly enough? Qin Siyang's fingers twitched involuntarily, as if itching to clench into a fist. "When you hold a sharp weapon, the urge to kill arises." Having killed before, his mindset had shifted—he was tempted to simply punch the teacher and show him what he thought of "respect." He owed the United Government for free schooling and meals, but he owed this teacher nothing.
Yet Liu Dazhi's disgusting grin popped into his mind. "Fine, just endure a little longer." Hitting the teacher now would force him to reveal his Sequence ability. Liu Dazhi might call the police immediately, spilling all his secrets… it was too risky. Everything would have to wait until Liu Dazhi was dead.
Fortunately, Qin Siyang was no stranger to swallowing his pride in his past life—playing coward came naturally to him. He quickly put on an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Teacher. I didn't sleep well last night, so I don't have much strength this morning. Let me greet you again. Good morning, Principal! Good morning, Teacher!"
The principal chuckled magnanimously, not caring about the volume. "Get plenty of rest from now on. You're dismissed—go to class."
"Thank you, Principal."
"Wait!" The teacher stopped him again. "Why aren't you carrying a schoolbag? What's in that cloth bag? Let me see!" Eager to show off his "keen observation" in front of the principal, he snatched the bag from Qin Siyang and opened it. "Only lunch boxes? Where are your textbooks? Did you not do your homework over the weekend?"
What was the point of textbooks? Studying them was just a waste of time. How many students actually got into United Government universities each year? Didn't he know? The school leaders all doted on the top students anyway—why bother harassing an ordinary student like him? Suppressing the urge to punch the teacher senseless, Qin Siyang's hatred for Liu Dazhi grew stronger with each passing second of patience.
Before he could speak, a girl's voice sounded from behind: "Teacher, Qin Siyang studied with me at a classmate's house over the weekend. He left his textbooks there. I promised to bring them for him today."
Qin Siyang turned to find Li Jingwen had come to his rescue. "Is that true?" He had no idea why she was helping him, but he nodded along. "Yes, it is."
The teacher glared suspiciously at them, but seeing no romantic tension in Qin Siyang's eyes—confirming there was no puppy love—he let them go. "Thank you, Teacher." "Thank you, Teacher!"
Qin Siyang noticed the teacher's scrutinizing gaze and scoffed inwardly. This lousy school even cracked down on puppy love? For whom? Most students would start working after graduation anyway—dating now and getting married after graduation would only let them focus more on their jobs. He couldn't understand why a school with such a low admission rate had so many tedious rules.
Li Jingwen hurried to catch up, walking side by side with him. "Qin Siyang, don't you have something to say to me?"
Qin Siyang looked at her bright smile, his voice cold and flat. "You think I should say thank you?"
"I helped you—it's only right for you to thank me, isn't it?"
"When I brought you breakfast and did your homework before, you never thanked me. You just said it was a test of our relationship."
"Think of this as my test for you. Not a test of whether you're fit to date me, but whether you still have a shred of humanity."
Li Jingwen's smile froze for a moment, then she switched to a coquettish tone. "I know I was wrong before. You helped me, and now I've helped you—we're even, okay? Speaking to me so coldly really hurts my feelings."
Even? Qin Siyang found it absurd. In his memories, he'd stayed up late countless nights doing her homework, skipped breakfast to bring her food. A trivial favor like this made them even? His efforts were really that worthless in her eyes. Fortunately, he'd stopped in time after his rebirth. Being even wasn't bad—once they were square, he could cut ties with her completely, no longer having to endure the nausea of looking at her.
"Fine. We're even."
"If we're even, let's start over. Qin Siyang, I'll be more proactive with you. Can you…?"
"Can I keep bringing you breakfast and doing your homework?"
Hearing him cut her off, Li Jingwen failed to detect his sarcasm, thinking he'd agreed. She nodded eagerly. "Yes! I really love seeing you care about me—it's what keeps me going every day! I realize I can't live without you." She flashed a smile she thought was irresistible.
This cheesy confession was something Li Jingwen and her girlfriends had planned over the weekend. Based on their understanding of Qin Siyang, it was sure to win him over. But Qin Siyang only said calmly: "Li Jingwen, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Ask away! I'll tell you anything!"
"Why do you insist on lying to me? Aren't there other boys willing to be your dog?"
Li Jingwen was caught off guard, stumbling over her words. "You… what do you mean?"
"If you want to chase Zhou Yang, do it on your own. Stop using me as a tool, okay? You bring him breakfast but make me buy it. You want to compare answers with him but make me do your homework. You make me do everything—why don't I marry him instead?"
Qin Siyang's ruthless words laid bare her motives, leaving Li Jingwen flustered and shocked. "Li Jingwen, stop pestering me. Find another dog to do your homework. If you bother me again…" He smiled coldly. "You don't want Zhou Yang to find out about this, do you?"