Chapter 199: A Slip of the Tongue

“Teacher Ming?”

White Moonling tilted her head. It was two in the afternoon; why was Teacher Ming calling her during the day? Didn't she have to go to work at school?

Oh, right, today was Sunday. Never mind.

In this world, students enjoyed fixed two-day weekends. This was an unshakable rule; there would never be a single-day weekend or the pointless, soul-crushing rat race of having no days off at all.

Most students started class at nine in the morning and finished at four in the afternoon. They could participate in all sorts of extracurricular activities, and their weekly schedules were well-organized. There were no concentration-camp-like evening self-study sessions, nor were there heaps of meaningless homework. Both students and teachers could fully enjoy the pleasures and joys of life.

This relaxed working system also meant that even though Teacher Ming usually had to work, she still had plenty of time to play World of Fate.

“Hmm... why is Teacher Ming calling me at this time?” White Moonling pondered with a hint of doubt in her heart. “Could it be she wants to play games with me again? But World of Fate is under maintenance today.”

After thinking it over without any conclusion, White Moonling decided to hang up once and wait a moment to see if Teacher Ming would call back.

Her experience with social anxiety accumulated over two lifetimes told her that if it wasn't something important, the other person probably wouldn't call back in a short period. This way, she could avoid the interaction entirely. If the other person asked about it later, she could just say she forgot, her finger slipped, or she was feeling depressed—there were plenty of excuses anyway.

However, if the matter was extremely urgent, then shortly after hanging up...
Ring ring ring ring ring --

Looking at the phone that rang immediately after being disconnected, White Moonling could only obediently pick up. She turned on the speaker and shouted, “Hello? Teacher Ming, I'm so sorry, I'm in the shower. Is something the matter?”

While speaking, she had already reached the bathroom. She turned on the shower head, letting the sound of rushing water echo.

The first purpose of doing this was to discourage the other party and get them to hang up for now. After all, showering meant the person was busy, and talking while in the shower was somewhat embarrassing.

Second, it gave her a legitimate reason to selectively “ignore” certain words. If asked later, she could just say the water was too loud and she didn't hear.

Third, the bathroom would get very misty, making the phone screen slippery. It would be perfectly normal to “accidentally” hit the hang-up button.

A single small maneuver, yet Little White could play it with a hundred calculating thoughts.

Sure enough, Teacher Ming's voice sounded a bit surprised: “Are you in the shower?”

“Mm-hmm~”

Perfect. According to the normal flow, Teacher Ming should say “Finish your shower first” and then hang up.

Instead, Teacher Ming continued: “Then can you wrap yourself in a towel and come out for a moment to open the downstairs door for me? Teacher will come up and help you wash.”

“Oh, okay...”

White Moonling instinctively walked toward the door. Just as her finger touched the door release button, she was suddenly startled.

Wait, Teacher Ming said she's downstairs?

Downstairs?!

White Moonling peeked cautiously out the window.
She saw an elegant and dignified woman with long, straight purple hair standing downstairs. She wore round, black-rimmed glasses and a black short-sleeved shirt. The hem of the shirt was tucked into a wine-red high-waisted fishtail skirt, and her slender legs were wrapped in black stockings. She carried a delicate little bag, her entire being radiating a conservative and intellectual aura.

This was Teacher Ming, whom White Moonling hadn't seen for over a year—and didn't want to see.

And at this very moment, she was waiting right downstairs!

“What do I do, what do I do, what do I do...?”

White Moonling felt like she was facing a formidable enemy. Her legs went weak, and she began to tremble with nervousness.

A teacher she hadn't seen in over a year suddenly showing up at her door? She's definitely here to use a ruler to strictly inspect my homework!

At that moment, a questioning voice came from the phone again: “Little White, are you ready?”

“Ah, this... that... the button to open the door is broken!”

“It's broken? Then you keep washing. When you're finished, come down and open the door for me.”

“This...”

The lie about the broken button only treated the symptoms, not the cause.

She had to find a reason that would make Teacher Ming give up completely!

White Moonling racked her brain. Just then, the voice on the other end of the phone suddenly said:

“Ah, wait, Teacher sees Mu Yao. It seems she lives here too?”

“Then let Mu Yao open the... open... open what?!”

White Moonling looked out the window again, her eyes wide. She saw a girl with a brown ponytail walking from a distance, cheerfully greeting the purple-haired woman.
“Oh? Mu Yao, do you live here too?”

“Yes, Teacher Ming! I'm neighbors with White Moonling from your class.”

“Then help Teacher open the door. I'm planning to go upstairs to find White Moonling.”

“Okay~”

With a “click,” the downstairs door was opened, and the call was disconnected.

Despair washed over White Moonling's face. She wished she could grab Mu Yao's chubby little face right now and scream: “Do you even know how to play, you pig teammate?!”

No matter how much she complained, it was useless. She didn't have much time left.

“Jelly, get down here! I need to change into a normal dress!”

“You dare command me like that?”

“Sigh... Respected Her Majesty the Queen, please come down.”

“No.”

“You...!!!”

“What style of dress do you want? I can just shapeshift for you, can't I?”

“Oh, right! Just give me a plain white dress. Also, transform into a pair of sunglasses, a mask, and a hat for me.”

“Why are you wrapping yourself up so tightly?”

“Because when I have to interact with people I'm not familiar with face-to-face in reality, my social anxiety kicks in.”

After a flurry of activity, White Moonling finally had Jelly transform into the desired shapes and colors.

At the same time, a familiar rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.
Creeeak --

A familiar cute girl entered her sight, her bright eyes flickering with liveliness and innocence. She laughed happily: “Ling-ling~ World of Fate is under maintenance today! You must have turned into a do-nothing waste of a person!”

“I have not,” White Moonling muttered, turning to look at the person beside her... Hmm, so big, so slender, so beautiful.

She didn't even dare look at Teacher Ming's face, only daring to stare at her black stockings.

Seeing White Moonling wrapped up from head to toe, Teacher Ming asked in confusion: “Little White, are you feeling unwell?”

“T-Teacher Ming, you know... I'm not good at interacting with people...” White Moonling said with her head bowed.

Even though she was a “Dragon King” who could summon the wind and rain in World of Fate... No, wait, she was a “Sea King.” But in the real world, Little White was a genuine, hardcore social phobic.

The reason she could interact normally with Mu Yao was because Mu Yao was a childhood friend she had grown up with. The reason she could interact normally with Teacher Ming on the phone was because there was a phone between them.

Hearing White Moonling say this, Teacher Ming's bright eyes suddenly dimmed. Her slightly furrowed brows were like misty, dark-colored mountains, containing a hint of sorrow.

Just then, Mu Yao hugged White Moonling and said with a giggle: “Ling-ling, why didn't you wear that pink latex—mmgh mmgh mmgh!”

White Moonling quickly covered Mu Yao's little mouth, but Teacher Ming had already heard. Her eyes widened slightly as she asked in confusion: “Pink latex what?”

She remembered meeting a girl in the game who liked to wear a pink latex suit.
That girl was called “Priest Hero.”