Volume 3: High School Arc - Mirror Game
This drinking session lasted for almost two hours, and I had drunk about two and a half bottles of liquor, which was a bit over two jin.
This fifteen-year-old Moutai indeed tasted rich and mellow, with a lingering sweetness that left a pleasant aftertaste.
It made me feel a little floaty, though I wasn't drunk—at most, slightly tipsy?
At the table, everyone chimed in with each other, and at some point, the former “class belle” turned into “big sis,” and that nickname stuck.
Thankfully, this group didn’t slap those two titles together, or I’d be called “Belle Big Sis.”
After three rounds of drinks and five types of dishes, everyone got a little dazed, bragging nonstop, and I lost interest in continuing to play along.
The teacher had also started sending students off one by one.
Since I didn’t need anyone to escort me—my car was waiting downstairs—I wasn’t in a hurry.
Bai Juanjuan had already gone home.
Only a few classmates remained upstairs, but they were all clearly drunk and slurring their words.
Shaking my head, I didn’t want to stay in such an environment, so I headed to a small room nearby.
In high-end hotels like this, each private room usually came with one or more small lounges.
I pushed open the door to the room next door and stepped inside.
This room was clearly cooler than the main hall.
Aside from the hum of the air conditioner, it was quiet and peaceful—no other sounds.
I walked up to the balcony, opened the window, and felt the heatwave rush in.
The alcohol seemed to surge again, making me feel a little dizzy.
Looking down, I saw that the chubby girl hadn’t drunk much.
At the moment, she was downstairs being carried on the back of a male driver toward a white BMW.
Because of the distance, I couldn’t tell the exact model of the BMW.
It looked like a 3-series, but I wasn’t sure of the specifics.
This chubby girl, Yuan Cai, had originally wanted to stir up more trouble.
But I made her drink so much she couldn’t argue anymore.
I had plenty of excuses, and the others didn’t try to stop me either.
After all, if you tried to stop me, it meant you were standing against me.
And besides, Yuan Cai had started it herself, so no one wanted to help her out.
“Heh~ You’re still too green to mess with me.”
As I spoke, I raised a hand and was about to flip off Yuan Cai downstairs.
Suddenly, a voice from behind jolted me.
“Had too much to drink?”
Hearing that voice, I frowned slightly.
The finger I had just raised subconsciously pulled back.
“Not really…”
As I replied, I slowly turned my head and saw Lu Haochen leaning against the door, calmly watching me.
“Don’t hold such a strong grudge... Sometimes, letting someone off is also letting yourself off.”
Lu Haochen’s face was slightly flushed from the alcohol, but his overall complexion hadn’t changed much.
This guy had definitely drunk over a jin, yet looked completely unaffected.
Looks like this guy’s a high-level player?
At the very least, that kind of tolerance wasn’t something a normal person could manage.
Was this guy talking about me drinking as a form of revenge?
Heh…
“In our kind of world, you still believe in letting someone off the hook? When did people like us become so naïve?”
This line was entirely to test him.
Until now, I still wasn’t sure whether he was truly a player from the game.
So I used this slightly drunk state to say these probing words.
Even if I was wrong, I could just blame it on alcohol-induced nonsense.
“No matter which side we’re on, we must follow the rules.”
There it was!
Hearing those words, I immediately looked into his eyes.
I didn’t sense deception—only a hint of sincerity and a great deal of seriousness.
Seems I was right... this guy was really a player.
Lu Haochen leaned against the doorframe.
As he spoke, I noticed his right hand had tensed slightly.
The sleeve on his right arm wasn’t hanging naturally; it was lifted a bit, clearly due to tension in the arm.
This meant his right hand was bracing for something, and at that moment... his right hand was in the pocket of his right pants leg.
Lu Haochen was afraid I might make a move once things were exposed, so he was on guard?
Looks like the player side…
I shook my head silently, sighing at how treacherous people could be.
But on the surface, I didn’t show any emotion.
He was afraid I might attack, and naturally, I was also wary that he might do the same.
At this point, I had already lost feeling in my right hand.
Correspondingly, my Evil Spirit Form had detached from it and was floating beside me.
If he made even the slightest wrong move, I would rip his soul out without hesitation.
If it came down to it, I would devour his soul.
Maybe he noticed how tense I was, because he shrugged.
“I don’t mean any harm.”
“Then what’s your right hand doing... in your pants pocket?”
I let out a cold laugh.
No hostile intentions?
Do you think I’m a three-year-old?
He paused for a moment, then gave a helpless smile.
“It’s just for self-defense.”
“And you think... I’ll believe that?”
It was my first time encountering a high-level player.
To be honest, I looked calm on the surface, but inside, I was panicking like crazy!
Any high-level player who survived this long could no longer be called normal.
Who knew what kind of trump cards he had?
...Actually, I’m a ghost.
Scratch that.
Even ghosts wouldn’t know what kind of trump cards he had.
How could I possibly believe his ghost... I mean, his words?
Lu Haochen looked at me and narrowed his eyes slightly.
I also slowly rose from my leaning position against the window, ready to enter battle at any moment.
But... in the end, we didn’t fight.
He gave up.
Lu Haochen shrugged and gently took his right hand out of his pocket.
He opened his palm, showing that it was empty.
“I don’t want any trouble. You don’t seem like someone who enjoys trouble either. So how about... we just pretend we don’t know each other’s identities?”
That’s what he said?
But...
Looking into his eyes, I was sure he wasn’t lying.
He truly didn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward me.
After all, if he had malicious intent, my Evil Spirit Form should have sensed it by now.
“Alright.”
I weighed it in my mind and quickly determined that this choice brought no disadvantage to me.
Since that was the case, I might as well agree.
Who knew—if we ended up playing the game together in the future, maybe I’d cross paths with him again.
Just as we were talking, Teacher Xue came in again.
All the other classmates had already been taken care of, and only the two of us were left.
For me, there was naturally someone waiting downstairs.
As for Lu Haochen, given his family situation, it was impossible he had a private car—he couldn’t even afford a meal, that much was clear.
"Why are you two still here? All the others have been arranged already~ Lu Haochen, you can ride in the teacher’s car later. Liu Yunyan, you—"
"No need to worry about me. I’ll sit a bit longer and then leave. There’s someone waiting for me downstairs."
Teacher Xue Li frowned slightly, then asked, "Is it that Maybach?"
I nodded.
Only then did Teacher Xue breathe a sigh of relief and say, "In that case, I’ll head out first. Haochen?"
"Mm... let’s go, Teacher."
Lu Haochen didn’t hesitate at all.
He turned and gave a small smile before walking out first.
Teacher Xue Li gave me a playful smile.
"Call when you get home! I’ll be checking with your parents!"
"Teacher Xue, you really are serious."
Looking at the playful smile on her face, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly and shake my head.
Originally, I was planning to use this chance to make a trip to the mirror factory and scout things out in advance.
Now... that wasn’t going to happen.
At least for now, given my relationship with Liu Wanqian and Gong Lianyu...
I didn’t want to do anything that would make them worry.
Forget it... I can go to the mirror factory anytime.
Today, let’s leave it at that.
"I got it."
Satisfied with my answer, Teacher Xue nodded with a smile and quickly followed after Lu Haochen’s footsteps.
As the sounds of their steps faded from the hallway... I let out a long breath.
Confronting a player was surprisingly exhausting...
Honestly, for a moment there, I really wanted to strike first.
After all, I had no idea what kind of trump cards he might be hiding.
Rubbing my forehead, even though I was wearing a watch, I instinctively reached into my pocket for my phone.
In a haze, I glanced at the screen—then jolted upright in shock!!
Cold sweat instantly soaked through my clothes.
Just before the screen lit up—
I saw that malicious smile flash across my reflection again.
In the reflection, my eyes were full of malice.
Even a single glance made cold sweat pour from me.
However, once the screen lit up... the reflection disappeared completely.
In less than a second, I sobered up almost entirely.
The heat wave struck the back of my head, lifting my damp hair.
I had no desire to stay here any longer.
I put my phone away, deliberately checking the screen again—
But the dark surface showed nothing strange anymore.
"Hiss~ Hoo..."
A deep breath helped my body relax a bit.
But my tense nerves wouldn’t unwind.
I looked out the window.
Teacher Xue Li’s Toyota had already started and left the hotel courtyard.
My Maybach was still in the parking lot—
But Shao He was nowhere to be seen?
"Where did Shao He go?"
I muttered without thinking.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind me.
"Missy, were you looking for me?"
The voice startled me so badly I nearly stumbled off the balcony!
I quickly grabbed the railing and turned around—
There stood Shao He in the doorway.
"Sister Shao He... can you please not show up out of nowhere like a ghost next time? You scared me to death."
"Missy... afraid?"
Shao He seemed to recall something, and there was a trace of surprise in her gaze.
"Of course I’m afraid. I’m still human..."
I rolled my eyes at her.
What kind of nonsense was she thinking?
Even if I was brave, I was still a human now!
Forget it.
You’re a woman—I'll let it slide!
I patted my chest... the bounce felt oddly satisfying, which instantly made me think—
Turns out, I’m a damn woman too!
Now that was a tragic thought.
I held my forehead, pushing the sorrowful mood out of my mind.
Looking at Shao He standing in the doorway, slightly tipsy from the alcohol, I walked off the balcony.
"Let’s go home."