The morning classes finally ended amid Qiu Mian’s wild thoughts and covert observations.
The moment the lunch bell rang, the classroom filled with a relaxed, noisy atmosphere.
“Qiu Kui, want to go to the cafeteria together?” The same girls from this morning enthusiastically invited her again.
Qiu Kui instinctively looked toward Qiu Mian.
Qiu Mian was slowly packing up her textbooks, her face expressionless, but her mind was racing with calculations.
Eat together? With so many people, maybe I can overhear more campus gossip—it could help with the investigation? But Qiu Kui is so socially anxious; she’ll probably feel even more uncomfortable in a crowd… Plus, I need to talk to her alone to probe about the “original owner,” this family, and even that Yellow Hair from this morning…
After weighing the pros and cons, Qiu Mian made her decision.
She lifted her head, her gaze indifferently sweeping over the girls before settling on Qiu Kui. “She’s coming with me.”
The girls showed understanding mixed with a hint of regret but didn’t press further. They just waved at Qiu Kui. “Alright then, Qiu Kui. Let’s go together next time!”
Qiu Kui responded softly and carefully followed behind Qiu Mian as they left the classroom.
The two remained silent on the way to the cafeteria.
Qiu Mian walked ahead, brows slightly furrowed as she pondered entry points for her investigation.
The killer is the white-masked girl. Motive unknown, but since she could access the rooftop, she’s most likely someone from inside the school—either a student or staff?
Those three known yanderes—the fox-masked girl, the black-haired girl, and the evening-gown girl with the black tea—look like students age-wise, and they seem to have high status here. At least they move freely.
What exactly is their relationship with “Qiu Mian”? Love turning to hatred? Or some other entanglement? And does the white-masked killer have any connection to them, or is she a separate force?
Then there’s Yellow Hair from this morning. Her malice toward Qiu Kui is crystal clear, and she seems to know a lot about “me” too… Could she know something?
There’s too little information… It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Do I have to start by investigating “Qiu Mian’s” own social network? But right now I am Qiu Mian, and I know nothing about myself. How am I supposed to investigate?
The more she thought, the more her head hurt.
This opening difficulty was basically the ultimate punishment for a professional procrastinator like her.
Holy Iris Academy’s cafeteria was spacious and bright. Several not-too-long lines had already formed, and the aroma of food mixed with the students’ chatter created a lively atmosphere.
Qiu Mian and Qiu Kui silently joined the end of one line.
As Qiu Mian absentmindedly shuffled forward with the line, her gaze unconsciously sweeping across the cafeteria entrance, her body suddenly stiffened.
The Yellow-Haired girl was walking in with her two lackeys, chatting and laughing.
She seemed to sense something. Her eyes locked precisely onto Qiu Mian and Qiu Kui.
Then, under Qiu Mian’s icy stare, Yellow Hair’s face bloomed into an extremely bright—and frankly exaggerated—”cute” smile. She even gave a tiny wave in their direction, like greeting an acquaintance.
Immediately afterward, her gaze shifted to Qiu Kui behind Qiu Mian. The smile stayed on her lips, but the mockery deep in her eyes was so obvious that Qiu Mian could feel it even from a distance.
Qiu Kui clearly saw it too and shrank further behind Qiu Mian.
Qiu Mian said nothing. She simply withdrew her gaze with a blank expression, as if she hadn’t seen the other girl at all.
But the stifled anger in her chest flared hotter and hotter.
Putting on an act! Smiling with a knife hidden behind it!
She stewed in silent fury, and even her tone when speaking to the lunch aunties grew a few degrees colder. Her frosty attitude earned her an extra scoop of vegetables.
The two found a relatively quiet corner and sat down.
Qiu Mian was still thinking about Yellow Hair’s nauseating smile and the possible threat it posed. She poked at the rice in her tray without tasting a thing.
I need to figure out Yellow Hair’s background… She looks like a promising lead. At least she seems to know a lot about “Qiu Mian” and Qiu Kui’s past…
While thinking, she unconsciously reached with her chopsticks, picked up a piece of tender stewed carrot from her own tray, and placed it into Qiu Kui’s without even glancing over.
Then another piece of meat.
Then a mouthful of greens.
She repeated the motion, her mind completely elsewhere.
Qiu Kui stared at the growing mountain of food in her tray—clearly taken from her sister’s own portion—and froze.
She lifted her eyes to Qiu Mian.
Qiu Mian was slightly tilting her head, gaze locked intently on a girl who had just stood up to leave a seat not far ahead.
The girl was alone, carrying a common dark canvas shoulder bag.
What caught Qiu Mian’s attention was the moment the girl turned, when a corner of a familiar fox mask peeked out from the half-open zipper of the bag!
Qiu Mian’s heart skipped violently.
She stared hard, trying to catch the girl’s profile. The girl seemed to sense something. Her steps paused for a fraction of a second, but she didn’t turn around. She simply quickened her pace toward the cafeteria exit.
Is that her? The fox-masked girl? What does she look like without the mask?
Qiu Mian’s entire focus was drawn away. She leaned forward slightly, eyes following that retreating figure, completely forgetting what her hands were doing.
Her chopsticks reached into her tray again, picked up something, and deposited it onto Qiu Kui’s plate without a second look.
Qiu Kui stared at the ever-growing “mountain” of dishes in front of her, then at Qiu Mian’s serious profile—brows tightly knit as she stared into the distance. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end simply picked up her chopsticks, lowered her head, and began eating in small, determined bites.
Jie-jie gave these… I can’t waste them.
But… there’s so much…
Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she ate, looking like a little hamster desperately storing food. A faint watery sheen gradually misted over her purple eyes—somewhat aggrieved.
From time to time she would secretly lift her eyelids, sneak a quick glance at the still “distracted” Qiu Mian, then continue chewing with resigned determination.
Just when Qiu Kui felt she was about to burst from this sudden “affection” and finally couldn’t hold back, whispering in a tiny voice, “Jie-jie… I-I can’t eat anymore…”—
“Yo! Qiu Mian! Qiu Kui! What a coincidence! You’re eating here too?”
A lively voice suddenly rang out beside their table.
Qiu Mian startled back to reality. She turned her head on instinct and met Xia Qingkong’s brilliantly smiling face.
Somehow the other girl had already appeared carrying her own tray, standing at their table with easy familiarity. Her bright eyes were full of friendliness and curiosity.
And Qiu Mian’s turn also let her see, right beside her, Qiu Kui’s watery purple eyes carrying a tiny hint of complaint, along with the mountain of food piled in front of her—clearly far more than one person’s portion.
Qiu Mian: “…”
She looked at Qiu Kui’s puffed cheeks and slightly reddened eyes, then at the chopsticks still in her own hand, at the noticeably reduced amount in her own tray, and finally at the “small hill” in Qiu Kui’s…
What on earth did I just do?!
A rush of heat instantly flooded Qiu Mian’s face. She hurriedly set down her chopsticks, trying to explain, but the “villainous big sister” persona left her tongue-tied. She could only squeeze out a few stiff words. “…How… how did you…”
“I saw an empty seat here so I came over!” Xia Qingkong sat down naturally in the chair across from her, as if she hadn’t noticed Qiu Mian’s embarrassment or Qiu Kui’s aggrieved expression at all. She kept smiling cheerfully. “Eating alone is so boring! By the way, how were your morning classes? Our math teacher talks way too fast—I almost couldn’t keep up! Qiu Kui, your face looks a little red. Are you feeling unwell?”
She changed topics at lightning speed, her gaze turning concerned as it landed on Qiu Kui.
Qiu Kui grew even more embarrassed at the question. She shook her head quickly and answered in a tiny voice, “N-no… it’s just… I’m a little full…”
As she spoke, she shot another resentful glance at the remaining food in Qiu Mian’s tray.
Qiu Mian felt her scalp tingle under that look. The embarrassment made her toes curl. She could only force her face into a stern expression to cover her slip, abruptly changing the subject. “…Just eat your own food and mind your own business.”
Xia Qingkong blinked. She took in Qiu Mian’s deliberately cold face—yet ears burning red—Qiu Kui’s pitiful but silent expression, and the obviously weird distribution of food between their trays. A knowing, amused smile spread across her face.
“Oooh—” She drew out the sound, her smile growing even brighter. She didn’t press the matter, instead following Qiu Mian’s lead and chatting about everyday school topics: which clubs were interesting, which cafeteria dishes were the best, what classes were coming up that afternoon, and so on.
Qiu Mian listened absentmindedly, occasionally giving a noncommittal “Mm,” while her mind was still occupied with the girl who had carried the fox mask and with her own completely out-of-character actions earlier.
Qiu Kui, meanwhile, gradually lowered her head again amid Xia Qingkong’s lively chatter and Qiu Mian’s occasional stiff replies. She continued taking tiny, laborious bites of the “mountain of love” in front of her.
Only in a corner where no one was looking did the corners of her mouth quietly curve upward into a sweet little arc.
Jie-jie… was looking in my direction the whole time earlier…
Even if… it wasn’t actually at me…
But… she gave me so many dishes…
Was she… worried I wouldn’t have enough to eat?
She let out a tiny breath. It felt as if some soft, warm thing had gently filled a corner of her heart.
Even though… her stomach really was a little full…
She secretly rubbed her tummy, then picked up another piece of carrot her sister had given her and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly.
And Xia Qingkong, while talking, subtly observed the pair of sisters whose atmosphere was strange yet strangely harmonious. Deep in her eyes, the curiosity and scrutiny grew thicker and thicker.