Chương 41: Skipping Class on the First Day of School

Su Yuqing slowly woke up in Lin Che's arms. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes groggily. What came into view was the boy's profile so close to her.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the willow leaves, casting a faint golden hue on the other person. His breathing was steady and gentle, as if he were gazing absently at the distant lake.

"Mmm..." She subconsciously rubbed against him, then suddenly realized that she was nestled in his arms. Her fair cheeks instantly flushed red, and even the tips of her ears turned a lovely pink.

"Awake?" Noticing her movement, Lin Che lowered his head, a slight smile playing on his lips, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Um... uh." Su Yuqing stammered in response, hurriedly sitting up straight, her fingers stiffly tidying the wrinkled collar of her school uniform, but she couldn't hide the pounding of her heart.

"Sleeping soundly, huh?" Lin Che teased her by deliberately drawing out the last syllable, gently brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

"You're even drooling."

"N-no, I didn't!" Su Yuqing immediately covered her mouth, wiping it hastily. Realizing she'd been tricked, she glared at him angrily, "You lied to me!"

"What did I lie to you about?" Lin Che innocently spread his hands, but the smile in his eyes deepened.

"You—" Su Yuqing was momentarily speechless, a blush spreading from her cheeks to her neck. She reached out and pinched his arm, annoyed and embarrassed.

"So annoying! Don't laugh!"

Lin Che let her fuss, and only after she angrily withdrew her hand did he chuckle and gently rub her head: "Let's go, class is about to start."

Su Yuqing snorted and turned her face away, but still obediently stood up, patted off non-existent dust from her skirt, and followed him toward the teaching building.

The sun was still warm, and a gentle breeze rustled through the treetops. The campus gradually returned to its afternoon hustle and bustle, with the distant sound of whistles for physical education classes and the laughter of students.

The first period in the afternoon was English class. Lin Che sat by the window, resting his chin on his hand, his gaze casually drifting towards the playground.

His gaze swept over the students running in the distance, then over the figures on the basketball court, before suddenly fixing on a familiar figure.

Luo Bingli.

She sat alone under the shade of a tree at the edge of the playground, neither wearing sportswear nor talking to anyone. She just looked down at something in her hand, her expression indifferent as if she had nothing to do with the hustle and bustle around her.

"... Isn't it gym class?"

Lin Che frowned slightly. If it was a physical education class, she wouldn't still be wearing her school uniform, and she wouldn't be without classmates around her. So why would she be on the playground at this time?

"Skipping class?"

Remembering that Su Yuqing had said her grades were average, Lin Che was still somewhat surprised that she skipped class. He looked away, his fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of his textbook.

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to go and find out what was going on, so he raised his hand and gave the universal excuse for skipping class: "Teacher, my stomach is not feeling well, I want to go to the infirmary."

After receiving permission, he got up and left the classroom. As he passed the vending machine in the corridor, he suddenly stopped and remembered that the other person liked orange juice, so he bought a bottle on the spur of the moment.

Under the shade of the tree, Luo Bingli seemed to notice the footsteps. She looked up and glanced at them. When she saw that it was Lin Che, her eyes flickered slightly, but she quickly regained her indifference.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was calm and even, yet it carried a clear sense of detachment.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Lin Che took a few steps closer, shaking the drink in his hand.

"Isn't it class time now?"

Luo Bingli didn't answer, but simply looked away indifferently: "It's none of your business."

"Skipping class isn't a good habit," Lin Che smiled, his tone relaxed, trying to ease the tension.

The girl remained silent, continuing to fiddle with the object in her hands—an old music box with some peeling paint, revealing the aged wood grain where the paint had chipped away. It looked very old, but she held it carefully, as if it were some kind of precious treasure.

Lin Che didn't urge him, but simply stood quietly to the side, waiting patiently.

"... Anyway, the teacher won't care," she finally said in a low voice, her fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the music box, and added, "Grades don't matter either."

Even if you don't care, skipping class isn't a good idea, is it?

"What does it matter?" she retorted, her icy gaze sweeping across the room like a blade.

"Anyway, nobody cares about me."

Lin Che was silent for a moment. Her attitude was sharper than expected, as if she instinctively rejected any concern.

"At least Yuqing will care." He deliberately mentioned her name.

Luo Bingli's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly, but quickly returned to normal: "... She's different."

"What's different?"

"She..." Luo Bingli's lips trembled slightly, but in the end she just shook her head, "Never mind, it has nothing to do with you."

Lin Che didn't ask any further questions, but instead handed over the orange juice: "Here you go."

Luo Bingli was clearly stunned. Her gaze shifted between the drink and him, finally settling on the can: "... Did Yuqing tell you this?"

"Yes," Lin Che readily admitted, "She said you like this."

Her eyes flickered slightly, as if she wavered for a moment, but quickly returned to her aloof indifference: "... No need."

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and left, quickly disappearing around the corner of the corridor.

Lin Che watched her departing figure, thoughtfully gripping the can in his hand. Suddenly, his gaze froze—the contracted spirit had reappeared, perched on the girl's head and making faces at him.

"Ruby has quite a personality." He shook his head and chuckled helplessly, then turned and sat down on the bench.

"Speaking of which, is this the only contracted spirit in the entire city?" Lin Che asked the system in his mind.

This is how it should be under normal circumstances.

"Then why does it stay by Liuli's side all the time?" Lin Che thought of what the other party had said before, that the contract energy's ability to perceive the phenomenon of the void infiltration was enough to cover the entire city.

"Wouldn't it be more reasonable to leave it with the most powerful magical girl?"

The fate of a contracted spirit is decided by itself; this is tradition.

"This kind of tradition is a bit too emotional," Lin Che subconsciously commented with a utilitarian mindset.

The cooperation system between the Bureau of Extraordinary Events and magical girls is already very mature and sufficient to deal with the phenomenon of infiltration from the virtual world.

"Is that so..." Lin Che remained noncommittal, stretching out on the bench with his hands behind his head.

"She skipped class on the first day of school, and we still haven't gotten a reason. Is she just trying to avoid being idle?"

[Detection indicates that a small-scale virtual boundary infiltration occurred nearby not long ago.] The system's sudden notification made Lin Che sit up abruptly, his hand instinctively gripping the transformation device in his pocket: "Where is it? I'm coming right away."

The corresponding virtual bubble has disappeared.

"I told you before, can you please stop pausing when you talk?" Lin Che complained, slowly relaxing his tense body.

But then a thought flashed through her mind like lightning: "Wait, she skipped class to deal with the infiltration from the Void Realm?"