Chapter 125: Meow meow meow

The rolled up sleeves revealed slender arms with pale skin as transparent as paper, blue veins winding underneath were clearly seen, seeming like a noiseless river.

The sharp needle pierced the skin, the syringe was pushed forward softly and the faintly green liquid from the needle was injected into his body.

Ge Xiu skillfully drew the needle, stopped the bleeding, handled the needle and lowered his sleeves.

It should take a few minutes to take effect.

He leaned his head back, rested the back of his head against the wall, closed his eyes, and waited silently.

The icy liquid circulated throughout the body along the blood circulation, a strange tingling climbed and gnawed along the bones, and a dark fire burned in the internal organs, but the temperature on the skin seemed to be abruptly pulled away.

Ge Xiu felt a little dizzy.

He leaned most of his body weight against the wall so that he would not slip to the ground.

Needle-like tingling sensations came from the top of his head and his tail.

After a few minutes of wait all the reactions in his body subsided and only then did Ge Xiu slowly open his eyes.

He raised his hand and as he touched the top of his head he could only feel the soft hair. The place where before grew two cat ears was empty.

Ge Xiu probed towards his lower back again.

The skin on his tailbone was flat and smooth, the tail has also disappeared.

He glanced downwards at the watch on his wrist. It was 7:30, so the effect of the injection would probably disappear around 12:30. If all went well, he should have left school by then.

Ge Xiu stuffed the hat into his schoolbag and walked towards the campus area.

There was a newly placed huge iron metallic instrument at the school gate. The detection field radiating from the above covered the entire school gate. Every collar wearer would make a “beep” sound when passing by and a green light would flash, recording their passing.

Ge Xiu passed by the instrument without changing his face.

The instrument was silent.

He walked in the direction of Chen Ziyan’s class along the route he remembered.

Before he could approach the classroom door, a voice called him from behind: “Chen Ziyan?”

He turned his head and saw that it was the head teacher who he had met on the first day of this world. The teacher came over and looked at Ge Xiu, asking with concern: “How is your body?”

Ge Xiu nodded: “It’s much better.”

The head teacher waved at him: “Come on, come to my office.”

Ge Xiu followed behind the head teacher and walked through the bustling corridor to the teacher’s office.

The door to the office closed behind him, blocking out the loud footsteps in the hallway and the sound of the early reading bell.

The head teacher pulled away the chair beside the desk and sat down and then pointed to the chair opposite the desk:

“Sit down.”

Ge Xiu sat down obediently and put his schoolbag on his lap.

The head teacher handed over several forms: “This is what the school requires for you to fill out.”

Ge Xiu glanced over the papers briefly — the content on them was similar, except for the basic identity information, it was to report where he was for the past period of time, including his whereabouts and fixed address.

He opened the cap, and Chen Ziyan’s handwriting flowed out from under his pen, neatly filling in the blanks.

Every place at each time was well documented.

Both the medical history records and the records of diagnosis and treatment were true. According to the written contact information, they could even call Chen Ziyan’s attending physician.

Neither deceiving elderly nor children*, if it’s fake it will be refunded by the shop**.

*童叟无欺 [tóng sǒu wú qī] – neither deceiving elderly nor children (fair honest trade)

** 如假包换rú jiǎ bāo huàn if it’s fake replacement guaranteed (by the shop, a show of credibility) both idioms sarcastically proving credibility of these statements

Ge Xiu put down his pen and handed the filled form back to the head teacher, with a well-behaved and innocent expression on his face:

“Teacher, I have finished writing it.”

The head teacher took the form, glanced at it briefly, and put it in the drawer.

He took out another form and questioned Ge Xiu carefully.

Ge Xiu answered fluently.

After the head teacher asked the routine questions, he began to talk to him about the complexity and dangers of the recent situation, and then handed Ge Xiu several booklets that wrote the latest rules and regulations in the school, along with lengthy explanations and overly detailed advice.

The bell outside the office rang and then rang again before the head teacher finally stopped talking abruptly.

He unscrewed the thermos cup, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and then said mercifully:

“Okay, you can go to class, if there are any other questions I’ll call you then.”

… At least it was finally over.

Ge Xiu secretly sighed.

He put the bag on his back, then turned around and was about to walk out.

Just as he put his hand on the doorknob, he could hear the head teacher’s voice behind him again:

“Wait.”

Ge Xiu stopped, turned his head and looked behind him calmly: “Is there anything else? Teacher.”

The head teacher raised his finger and pointed to a table in the corner, with a large stack of papers and reference books on it, and said: “These are the assignments for various subjects that you missed during your absence. Take them away when you leave so that you can find your classmates to ask about the progress. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come to the office and ask teacher at any time.”

“…” Ge Xiu was silent for a moment:

“Okay, thank you teacher.”

Ten minutes later, he held a large stack of reference books as he walked through the corridor, struggling to shuttle in the crowded narrow place, students in school uniforms passed by him like a river and the bustling noise filled his ears.

Ge Xiu let the books stay on the railing next to him, moved his sore fingers and shoulders, and took a breath.

He looked down at the thick stack of books in front of him and began to think seriously.

Should he just turn around and leave.

In any case, he won’t be an obedient student doing homework in this world!

In this moment, a low voice came through the noisy background:

“Need help?”

Ge Xiu turned his head sharply and saw a familiar person standing a few steps away, lowering his head to look at him.

Shen Boyan.

He stood in the endless stream of people, the loose school uniform couldn’t cover fully his wide shoulders and long legs, his face had deep and sharp features, his slightly drooping eyes were dark and gloomy, like a bottomless well that did not reveal any superfluous emotions.

The icy metallic collar was wrapped around his neck, reflecting a faint cold glint.

The crowd subconsciously separated around him, as if the river water was split by a reef.

Shen Boyan’s expression was very calm, he stood leisurely with one hand in his pocker, as if he just asked an ordinary question.

——This was a very ordinary question indeed.

But it shouldn’t have come from a person of his character who wouldn’t have asked it a classmate he never met before.

Ge Xiu couldn’t help feeling slight tingling in his scalp.

His expression was a little stiff, as he slowly shook his head: “No need, I can do it…”

Before Ge Xiu could finish speaking, Shen Boyan stepped forward without changing his face. He stepped back reflexively, but the other party just stopped beside him, bent down and lifted the heavy stack of tutorial books with ease, then turned around and walked towards the classroom without changing his face.

Ge Xiu stared at the back of the other person and swallowed the words he had not blurted out yet.

He could only complain inside his heart.

At this moment, the class bell rang, and the crisp and pleasant bell sound echoed in the corridor, the students who were still talking and walking in the corridor rushed to their respective classrooms all at once.

Ge Xiu took a deep breath, accelerated a few steps, and kept up with Shen Boyan’s pace.

He deliberately kept a certain distance from him.

But Ge Xiu’s worry clearly got proved to be superfluous. Along the way, Shen Boyan didn’t say a second sentence.

The two walked into the classroom one after the other.

The students in the classroom were subconsciously quiet for a moment when they saw Shen Boyan walk in, their stares were focused on him and everyone had an odd and complicated look in their eyes, as if they were watching someone who had trespassed in their group. At the same time, a vigilant atmosphere filled with hidden fear instantly spread in the classroom, making one’s heart tense subconsciously.

Shen Boyan turned a blind eye to this.

He turned to look at Ge Xiu: “Where is your seat?”

Ge Xiu was called back to his attention.

He looked back, raised his hand and pointed at the seat by the window: “Over there.”

Shen Boyan walked through the aisle between the tables and chairs, put the papers and counseling materials on Ge Xiu’s seat and turned to leave without saying anything. He returned to his seat calmly and sat down.

The atmosphere in the classroom, which had dropped to freezing point, showed signs of warming up slightly.

Whispers rang out from all corners of the classroom.

Ge Xiu thoughtfully glanced at the counseling materials placed on his desk, then pulled out his chair and sat down.

His deskmate came over, with a nervous, fearful but also excited expression on his face and and lowered his voice to ask: “Chen Ziyan, do you know Shen Boyan?”

Ge Xiu shrugged and replied noncommittally: “Everyone in this class knows each other, right.”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant.” the tablemate was a little impatient: “You know what I’m talking about, personally knowing him, personally!

Ge Xiu’s hand that was packing out things paused slightly.

“I just happened to meet him in the corridor and he helped me carry the books.”

The tablemate nodded: “That’s good.”

He leaned closer again, saying in a mysterious and intimidating voice: “Have you seen the latest news?”

The tablemate clicked his tongue: “Speaking of which. I really don’t know why the school still allows this group of people to come to class, they should be centrally controlled and stop affecting social order… In the future, you must stay away from collar wearers like Shen Boyan, in case his collar suddenly fails or something, we would be in danger, plus Shen Boyan…”

Ge Xiu glanced at him.

The eyes narrowed into a narrow slit, the icy pitch-black irises seemed to be filling the eyes, the black and cold pupils were like a dark abyss, something that could be only bloodthirsty beast’s nature was stirring and rising at the bottom of his eyes.

He also came closer, lowered his voice, indifferently responding:

“Sometimes, minding yourself is the most important thing.”

The corners of the teenager’s lips curved, revealing a warm smile: “Isn’t that right?”

The fleeting eyes of the other person made his tablemate’s feel chill all over his body, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. An instinctual sense of fear dominated his nerves, and every cell was clamoring for panic and danger.

It took him a long time to recover and to feel the temperature of the sunlight falling on him.

The other person however, had already turned his head away and was looking at the textbooks spread out on the table.

The tablemate blinked in surprise, for a moment he was not quite sure whether what he felt just now was real.

He swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty, turned his sight away with dodgy eyes and began to covertly read the textbook on his desk.

Ge Xiu’s eyes drooped slightly, his unfocused gaze fell on the book in front of him.

He frowned unnoticeably.

——His emotions were a little too easily provoked.

Ge Xiu raised his eyes covertly and looked around the entire classroom — this was a self-study class and everyone was basically busy with their own affairs. No one noticed the commotion here except his ignorant tablemate.

His vision swept across the other corner of the classroom, but unexpectedly met a pair of dark eyes.

Shen Boyan leaned on the back of the chair, his eyes narrowed slightly, his deep pupils full of unfathomable emotions as he looked in his direction with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Ge Xiu turned away his head sharply.

He raised his hand to hold his forehead in annoyance, letting the drooping forehead hair block his face.

——Since no teacher was at self-study, the classroom was noisy and chaotic, and their seats were far apart, basically located in the two opposite corners of the classroom. According to common sense, it should be unlikely for him to hear it.

……right.

·

The self-study class ended soon.

While the others were still packing their things and schoolbags, Ge Xiu stood up and walked out of the classroom first, as if someone was chasing him.

He glanced at the classroom door behind him from the corner of his eye, secretly relieved when he confirmed that no one was chasing after him.

Ge Xiu glanced down at the watch on his wrist.

The current time was 12:05, so there were still 25 minutes before the time when the drug and its effects expire.

He only needed to leave the school’s detector range within this time and find a hidden place to cover his ears and tail. From this perspective, there was still plenty of time.

Ge Xiu walked towards the outside of the teaching building, but before he could take a few steps he saw the face of an old acquaintance again.

When Gao Cheng and his two followers saw him, their eyes could not help but light up slightly, and then they both rushed over quickly, blocking Ge Xiu’s path:

“Chen-ge*!”

*ge means older brother, a respectful form of adress

Ge Xiu: “…”

Gao Cheng kicked the two brothers behind him: “Call Chen-ge!”

The two people in the back straightened their backs subconsciously, and shouted in hindsight: “Hello, Chen-ge!”

Ge Xiu: “…”

He turned his head and glanced at the students who passed by him. After confirming that none of them noticed the turmoil, he frowned slightly and asked: “…Are you guys so kind to everyone who kidnaps you?”

Gao Cheng shook his head like a rattle: “Of course not.”

“That’s right! Only you, Chen-ge.” The two agreed.

Immediately afterwards, Gao Cheng seemed to remembered something, right away hurriedly explaining with some eagerness: “Yes, yes, Chen-ge, you can trust me, we definitely didn’t reveal half a word about you, we all can see you are highly capable and skilled with high ability!”

With his expression exceedingly sincere, his eyes earnest, he was almost swearing at the sky to prove himself.

Ge Xiu was worried that they would attract other people’s unnecessary attention, so he frowned impatiently, glanced down at the watch on his wrist and interrupted the other party’s eloquent monologue unceremoniously:

“If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

Gao Cheng’s expression became serious, he took a deep breath and then asked: “Have you seen the latest news, Chen-ge?”

Ge Xiu narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly.

Gao Cheng lowered his voice, approached Ge Xiu’s ear, and asked in a low voice: “I still remember that you collected some things from our collars before. Did you find something wrong with the collar?”

Ge Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at him noncommittally.

Gao Cheng hurriedly waved his hands: “I didn’t tell anyone! Really! And many collar wearers around me have similar guesses, thinking that there is something wrong with our collars…”

His expression became heavy, his face shrouded in shadows, but he gritted his teeth and continued:

“Actually, it doesn’t matter whether we are human or a beast —— but I don’t want to become an irrational monster that only knows how to attack and kill.”

Having said this, Gao Cheng raised his head abruptly and held Ge Xiu’s arm eagerly:

“So…if you can do anything…”

He became so emotional that he couldn’t continue.

Ge Xiu pulled his arm out of the other’s hold, then reached out and took out his mobile phone from his pocket, throwing it into Gao Cheng’s arms.

Gao Cheng caught it in a hurry.

Ge Xiu raised his chin: “Enter your contact information.”

Gao Cheng was stunned for a moment, his face brightened little by little. He hurriedly turned on his phone and quickly entered his phone number and name, then hand it back to Ge Xiu: “Thank you Chen-ge!”

Ge Xiu took the phone and shook it: “I can’t guarantee anything.”

Gao Cheng nodded heavily: “We understand!!”

Ge Xiu: “……”

I don’t think you understand anything.

At this moment, a low and hoarse voice came from behind Ge Xiu: “Excuse me.”

Ge Xiu’s back stiffened, he turned his head slightly, and saw Shen Boyan walking to his side.

He was at least half a head taller than the three in front of him, and when he looked down at them, an indescribable sense deterrence and ferocity pressed down on them, the kind of oppression that seemed to ooze out of his bones, which made people want to retreat and avoid subconsciously.

Shen Boyan naturally put his palm on Ge Xiu’s shoulder.

He looked at Gao Cheng and the others, without the slightest emotional fluctuations on his face, as calm and unpredictable as the ocean.

Shen Boyan said in a deep voice,

“Since your talk is over, don’t mind if I borrow this guy for a while.”