Chapter 89 – Farewell Gift

Walking out the metal gate, the corridor was empty.

The men in sunglasses on both sides had vanished.

Lin Du sighed, lowered his head, and walked heavily.

He needed to think carefully about what to do from now on.

A familiar voice sounded from ahead.

Lin Du jerked his head up.

At the end of the corridor stood an old man with gray hair.

“Lin Du.”

He was wearing a plaid shirt and carrying large bags, as if he had just come back from the supermarket.

“Director?”

“Ah,” the old man raised his hand and waved.

“Not anymore.”

Lin Du was stunned.

“What happened?”

“Maybe they didn’t like the look of me,” the old man shrugged, a bitter smile on his lips.

“Or… they needed a scapegoat.”

“I submitted my resignation this morning,” he raised his hand to check his watch.

“It’s time to take a good rest and enjoy retirement.”

Only then did Lin Du understand that he had gotten off scot-free not because of luck.

The reason the review committee hadn’t held him accountable or made him pay compensation was because the old man in front of him had taken everything on himself.

The stones that should have been thrown at him had fallen, one by one, onto this gray-haired old man’s back.

“Sorry… it’s all my fault.”

Lin Du’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white.

“It’s not your fault, young man.”

The old man walked over and patted his shoulder, his palm thick and warm.

“Ever since the first recorded Strange Person appeared in this world decades ago, the battle has never stopped.

In the past… we took many detours, even foolishly trying to arm ourselves with the enemy’s power.”

He paused, his gaze falling on Lin Du’s face.

“Your road is still long.

Walk it well.”

Lin Du gritted his teeth and nodded hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

The old man put on his straw hat, the brim covering half his face, making him look like an old man heading to the beach for a vacation.

He turned around, took two steps, then stopped.

“Oh, right, this is for you.”

He pulled a paper bag out of one of his shopping bags and handed it over.

“Think of it as a farewell gift.”

Lin Du took the bag suspiciously and peeked inside.

The silver gray wristband lay quietly inside, the red gemstone glowing faintly.

“This is…!!”

The old man put a finger to his lips in a “shh” gesture.

The corners of his eyes crinkled, like a child hiding candy.

“It’s just a little magic trick,” he whispered, his voice so low only Lin Du could hear.

“Keep it for self-defense if you want.

Do you think you can control it?”

Lin Du gripped the paper bag tightly, his knuckles pressing into the paper’s texture.

“Yes!”

He nodded firmly, his voice resolute.

“Good kid.”

The old man smiled, turned around, and waved at Lin Du.

“Take care.”

Footsteps faded down the corridor.

The receding figure in the plaid shirt grew smaller and smaller, finally disappearing around the corner at the end of the hall.

Red Sands Middle School, front gate.

School was out.

The sunset dyed the entire street a tangerine red, even the plane trees along the road were gilded with a golden edge.

Students poured out in twos and threes, footsteps and chatter mixing together.

“Hey, did you guys see?

That Magical Girl from recently.”

A boy raised his phone, the screen bright.

Several heads immediately leaned in.

“Yeah, yeah, the one who put out the fire this morning.

Someone got a high-definition picture!”

“Oh, I know, the pink Magical Girl, right?”

The boy holding the phone shifted the screen toward the center, lowering his voice as if sharing a national secret.

“I’ll tell you a secret—”

He dragged out his tone deliberately, scanning the faces around him.

“That Magical Girl isn’t wearing… safe–ty shorts~”

The air was silent for half a second, then suddenly erupted.

“No way?!”

“What the hell, why didn’t you say so earlier?!”

“Let me see!

Seriously?”

Several boys lunged at each other, wrestling, fighting over the phone in the middle like a school of koi fighting for food.

Backpacks swung behind them.

Someone stumbled, nearly crashing into a trash can, catching himself on the rim just in time.

“Holy crap… that’s too bold?

Is this the legendary gap moe?”

A boy with glasses pushed up his frames and leaned his eyes toward the screen.

“Saving people from fires by day like a saint, but underneath…”

“Stop grabbing!

I’m not done watching!”

Another boy clung to the edge of the phone, veins bulging in his fingers.

“Didn’t you already look?!

My turn!!”

“One more look!

Just one!

I’m checking the angle of the skirt flare…”

“Checking the angle?

You’re a crotch-watcher!”

A burst of laughter erupted.

A few passing girls frowned and detoured around them.

Bai Li and Xiao Yu stood at the school gate, ignoring the commotion.

“My phone—!!”

A heart-wrenching cry rang out.

Bai Li glanced at the boy kneeling on the ground clutching his phone, twitched her mouth, and looked away.

She rubbed her fingers on her backpack strap.

“Do you… want a gift?”

“Huh?”

Xiao Yu tilted her head.

“Um… Xiao Yu.”

She spoke, her voice a little hesitant.

“A gift?”

Xiao Yu blinked.

“Yeah, a gift for you.”

Bai Li gave an awkward smile, already regretting her decision.

She had thought since it was the last day, she’d get a farewell gift for her deskmate as a gesture.

But now she barely had any money in her pocket—what if she couldn’t afford it?

That would be embarrassing.

“But… my birthday is still a while away.”

She counted on her fingers.

“Still three months.

Why the sudden thought of giving me a gift?”

She leaned in, her eyes scanning Bai Li’s face.

“What’s going on??”

“N-Nothing.”

Bai Li waved her hands.

“I’m just asking, thinking ahead about what to get.

Don’t they say girls like surprises… I wanted to scout in advance.”

Xiao Yu stared at Bai Li’s face for a moment.

Those eyes were like two little brushes, capable of sweeping out whatever was hidden in a person’s heart.

“But I feel like you…”

Xiao Yu looked up at the setting sun.

“It’s like you’re leaving tomorrow and busy arranging your affairs today.”

Bai Li’s heart jumped.

Xiao Yu paused.

“You’ve been out of it all day.

The math teacher called on you, and you stood up and said, ‘The answer to this question is B.’

Your deskmate was dumbfounded.

That question was a fill-in-the-blank.”

“How could…”

Bai Li lowered her head.

“Is it because Lin Du isn’t here?”

Xiao Yu asked.

“Well… this… it’s because Lin Du—class also had its share of jokes.”

“Hee hee—”

The corners of Xiao Yu’s mouth curled into a sly arc.

She leaned in and gently nudged Bai Li’s arm with her elbow.

“Caught red-handed.

You miss him?”

“H-How is that possible!”

Bai Li made a big X with her arms in front of her chest.

“I’m not even close to him, okay!

Not close!

Not at all!”

Bai Li got flustered.

She started counting on her fingers.

“Look, he’s so quiet, always has a straight face like everyone owes him money.”

She lowered her voice and leaned into Xiao Yu’s ear.

“And you know what?

His fridge only has leftovers—not even any snacks.

What normal person does that?”

“Mm.”

Xiao Yu nodded, the corners of her mouth already starting to tremble.

“And last time he called me out because he had something to say, but it was just to make me buy groceries!

Groceries!

He wouldn’t go himself, so he made me run the errand.”

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.”

Xiao Yu kept nodding, barely holding back her smile.

“The worst was last night…”

Bai Li suddenly stopped.

She realized she couldn’t say this—absolutely couldn’t let anyone know.

“Anyway… anyway, this person is annoying!

Super annoying!

I don’t miss him at all!”

Bai Li finished in one breath, arms crossed over her chest like a cat with its fur bristled.

She waited for Xiao Yu to agree with her, condemn Lin Du, say something like “Yeah, you’re right.”

But Xiao Yu didn’t agree.

She just covered her mouth, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

A bad feeling rose in Bai Li’s heart.

“What are you laughing at?

What are you laughing at?!”

“Nothing.”

Xiao Yu shook her head.

“I just suddenly remembered… something funny.”

Bai Li was about to say something when a voice came from behind her.

“Bai Li.”

She jumped as if electrocuted, almost losing her footing.

She turned slowly, her neck creaking like a rusty gear.

Not far from the school gate, a familiar figure stood there.

He stood in the sunset, his expression hard to make out.

But the posture, the silhouette—Bai Li knew who it was without seeing his face.

Lin Du.

Her heart slammed against her rib cage.

‘Did he hear that?

How much did he hear?

Which part did he start from?

From “I’m not even close to him” or from “this person is annoying”?’

Bai Li didn’t dare think further.

Xiao Yu stood beside her, looking from Lin Du to Bai Li.

The curve of her mouth finally gave way, and a Pfft of laughter escaped.

“Um… I have things to do at home.

I’ll head out now~”

She covered her mouth, took two steps to the side, and tactfully retreated from the battlefield.