Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 101
by Little PandaBUG
Life and Death Examination Room 08
Examination God
Xin Lan was unaware of Wan Yan’s inner thoughts.
Although she was willing to take on underlings1, she preferred capable ones. She most detested those who, unable to do things themselves, would say, ‘The capable should do more work’2.
Xiao An was still asleep, leaning back in his chair. His breathing was steady, but no amount of shaking could wake him.
The person controlling the paper figure didn’t come; instead, it was a little girl carrying a lantern.
The little girl stood at the doorway, not entering.
She glanced at Xiao An, a gleam appearing in her eyes.
“He wants to talk with you.”
Some were completely baffled3, while others reacted with understanding.
Xin Lan sat beside Xiao An, steady as a mountain4, with Wan Yan beside her. Neither of them spoke or acknowledged the girl.
“Don’t you want to get out? Do you want to stay here forever?”
The little girl’s words caused some commotion; whispers began to spread through the crowd.
Xin Lan unconsciously furrowed her brows, a hint of impatience in her expression.
Wan Yan sensed her mood. She gently patted Xin Lan’s arm with her fingertips as if to soothe her, then addressed the crowd.
“If any of you want to go, feel free. The two of us aren’t going, and we don’t want others risking their lives because of us.”
Wan Yan spoke very clearly, very coldly. She only cared about Xin Lan; she didn’t give a damn about anyone else’s life.
She and Xin Lan exchanged a look, a glance of mutual understanding.
They didn’t need to meet any Gu Servant at all; they already knew how to get out of this place and complete this exam.
This exam wasn’t particularly difficult; the clues were obvious at a glance.
Everyone looked at each other in dismay, exchanging uncertain glances.
After all, this place was very strange; nobody knew what might happen.
Staying with Xin Lan and Wan Yan somehow felt safer.
“Fine, take us there.”
The middle-aged man whom Xin Lan had beaten up earlier stepped forward. He walked with a slight limp, still hurting from being kicked.
“I5 don’t want to entrust my life to others! This damn6 exam can’t possibly give us no clues at all. Maybe this is it! Those two people just died, are you all going to stay here and wait for death?”
The middle-aged man sneered, trying to incite more people to go with him.
Some hesitated, but no one stepped forward.
After all, staying here was safer for the time being. That paper figure seemed incredibly uncanny; perhaps going over there meant death.
The man lost face and turned away angrily.
But he had already spoken his piece and couldn’t take it back, so he had no choice but to address the little girl.
The little girl glanced at him and walked off into the distance.
The single lantern flame drifted outside like a wandering spirit in the night, then quietly vanished.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
Yuan Yuan took a look at Xin Lan, then at Wan Yan, wanting to strike up a conversation. But both elder sisters seemed unwilling to be bothered. She then looked at Huo Xu, who was also sitting there with his arms crossed, reacting exactly the same way as the first two.
Yuan Yuan could only follow their example, standing quietly to the side, silent as a chicken7.
Xin Lan sat in her chair, feigning sleep. Wan Yan didn’t need sleep; she rested her chin on her hand, watching Xin Lan.
Her gaze was hard to ignore, especially for someone as perceptive as Xin Lan.
But Xin Lan didn’t open her eyes, remaining with them closed under that stare.
Habit becomes second nature8; knowing who the gaze came from, there was nothing much to mind.
The sky slowly brightened.
The middle-aged man who had left last night returned at this moment, excited.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked extremely agitated.
“You bunch of cowards! Serves you right for not going – you’ll never know how to get out.”
The man looked at Xiao An, a touch of greed in his eyes.
The crowd grew restless. After all, nobody wanted to die here; everyone wanted to get out quickly.
Some people gradually started moving towards the middle-aged man, cautiously glancing at Xin Lan’s expression.
Xin Lan showed no expression, gazing at the sun outside the window, completely uninterested in the others’ movements.
She had no desire whatsoever to take responsibility for others’ lives.
Wan Yan stood beside her, placing a hand on Xin Lan’s shoulder.
Xin Lan didn’t object, so Wan Yan happily gave her shoulders a little squeeze.
Happy intimate contact!
Ling Jiu hugged a little yellow chick in the System Space, all alone, cold, lonely, miserable, and sorrowful9.
The Commander’s10 expression really has that sour stench of love11!
Oh, wait! They’re not even in love yet!
How to woo a wife12 in a mission world – that is an important question.
Wan Yan glanced at the small insects crawling on the ceiling while continuing to rub Xin Lan’s shoulders.
Even in a place like this, being with Xin Lan could feel romantic!
Xin Lan, oblivious to Wan Yan’s sense of romance, suddenly looked towards Xiao An.
Xiao An had also woken up after daybreak.
“It’s almost time. We should go find the Village Head.”
Xiao An didn’t ask why he was downstairs instead of in his room; he simply turned and walked outside.
The Village Head had said the ritual was at noon, but clearly, the sky had just brightened.
But time in this place was strange. If it could jump from midday to nightfall instantly, then going from dawn to high noon likely wasn’t impossible either.
When Xin Lan and the others followed Xiao An to the Village Head’s house, quite a few people were already there.
They were speaking words Xin Lan couldn’t understand. Someone came over and took Xiao An by the hand.
“Respected guests, please wait a moment. The Gu Child will go bathe. Once preparations are complete, the ritual can begin.”
The Village Head spoke, a smile on his face.
Xiao An was led away, but not long after, cries of alarm came from that direction.
Xin Lan and Wan Yan moved first, immediately rushing towards the source of the sound.
A paper figure was moving through the crowd, covered in densely packed insects. Although this slowed its movements, it didn’t stop its actions.
It held the struggling Xiao An in its arms. The insects weren’t crawling on Xiao An, avoiding interfering with the paper figure.
Someone nearby tried to grab the paper figure to stop it but got their hand cut by it.
Xin Lan walked over, frowning at the insects.
The insects, piled densely together, were truly disgusting.
“Get the insects off it.”
Hearing this, the people nearby quickly recalled their respective insects. Instantly, the paper figure regained its agility and prepared to leap over the wall with Xiao An.
Xin Lan stomped on one of its feet, pinned it down with her body, and flung Xiao An away.
Wan Yan caught him just in time and went up to help Xin Lan subdue the paper figure.
Missing a foot, the paper figure nearly fell to the ground.
It clung to the wall, trying to float away. Xin Lan initially blocked it but then let go, heading towards Xiao An.
Xiao An was surrounded by a group of people. The middle-aged man suddenly picked him up and started carrying him away.
Several people followed the middle-aged man. Yuan Yuan and Huo Xu blocked their path.
The eight surviving examinees were instantly split into two factions. The middle-aged man’s side started pushing and shoving.
“Are you crazy? Didn’t the card say to send him to the ritual altar? What are you doing?”
“Of course we’re going! If you want to live, follow us. But some people shouldn’t even think about it!”
The middle-aged man urged them on, glaring fiercely at Xin Lan and Wan Yan.
“I really hate people like this who don’t know what’s good for them.”
Xin Lan cracked her knuckles. Such self-righteous stupidity.
LP: Re-translated on March 29, 2025
Footnotes
- 小弟 | xiǎodì | Lit. “little brother”; an informal term for a follower, subordinate, or junior member of a group.
- 能者多勞 | néng zhě duō láo | Lit. “able person, much labor”; A common saying meaning that capable people end up doing more work, sometimes used as a justification for delegating or shifting burdens.
- 一頭霧水 | yītóu wùshuǐ | Lit. “a head full of fog”; An idiom meaning to be completely confused or baffled.
- 不動如山 | bù dòng rú shān | Lit. “unmoving like a mountain”; A descriptive phrase, similar to a Chengyu, meaning steadfast, resolute, or unperturbed.
- 老子 | lǎozi | Lit. “old master/father”; An arrogant and vulgar way to refer to oneself (“I/me”), implying superiority or defiance. Comparable to “Your daddy” or using “I” with aggressive emphasis.
- 見鬼的 | jiàn guǐ de | Lit. “seeing a ghost”; A common colloquial expression used as an intensifier, similar to “damn,” “hellish,” or “bloody,” expressing frustration or annoyance.
- 安靜如雞 | ānjìng rú jī | Lit. “quiet as a chicken”; A modern internet slang term meaning to be very quiet, timid, or subdued, often due to fear, awkwardness, or trying not to draw attention.
- 習慣成自然 | xíguàn chéng zìrán | Lit. “habit becomes natural”; A Chengyu meaning that something done repeatedly becomes automatic or natural; second nature.
- 冷冷清清凄凄慘慘戚戚 | lěnglěng qīngqīng qīqī cǎncǎn qīqī | A string of descriptive terms emphasizing coldness, desolation, misery, and sorrow. The last three pairs (凄凄, 慘慘, 戚戚) echo a famous line from the Song Dynasty poet Li Qingzhao’s “Sheng Sheng Man,” evoking a profound sense of sadness and loneliness.
- 指揮官大人 | zhǐhuīguān dàren | “Commander” (指揮官 | zhǐhuīguān) + “Lord/Excellency” (大人 | dàren). A formal and respectful title. “Dàren” adds a layer of deference or status.
- 戀愛的酸臭味 | liàn’ài de suānchòu wèi | Lit. “the sour-stink smell of love”; A modern internet slang term used humorously or cynically to describe the overly sweet or obvious behavior of people in love (or falling in love), implying it’s sickeningly sweet or cloying to onlookers.
- 追媳婦 | zhuī xífù | Lit. “chase daughter-in-law/wife”; A colloquial and somewhat informal term for courting or pursuing a woman with the intention of marriage.
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