Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 16

by Little Panda

Breaking the Cage

Escape 16

Legal Hunting

When the bell rang, everything fell silent.

Some poked their heads out from their hiding places; others stopped running.

Hell returned to the human realm, as though no struggle had ever occurred.

Shen Shuiyan had originally thought that after seeing ghosts and blood today, she would have a hard time falling asleep. But as it turned out, she didn’t.

Xin Lan’s sleep quality seemed extraordinarily good; she seemed to fall asleep almost instantly upon lying down and closing her eyes.

Shen Shuiyan didn’t know whether to say this person was simply carefree, or if her strength was so overwhelming that she had nothing to worry about.

Swayed by the steady rhythm of that breathing, she drifted off to sleep as well.

Shen Shuiyan remembered what Xin Lan had said about not waking her up, so she kept her sleeping posture very disciplined, terrified that she might accidentally roll onto Xin Lan and wake her. Yet, when she opened her eyes the next morning, she realized that Xin Lan’s sleeping posture was much less disciplined.

Xin Lan’s leg was draped over hers, and her hand was resting on her waist. Her beautiful face possessed a rare trace of tranquility and softness, making her look almost sweet.

For some reason, Shen Shuiyan thought that Xin Lan in this state resembled a deeply sleeping tiger. Overlooking her usual ferocity, she looked so cute that one couldn’t help but want to pet her fur, pinch her cheeks, and give her a kiss. But she could only fantasize about it. After all, once the beast opened her eyes, she was fully capable of tearing a person apart and eating them alive, piece by piece.

A few minutes after Shen Shuiyan woke up, Xin Lan opened her eyes as well.

“Do you smell something?”

Shen Shuiyan sat up in bed and twitched her nose, catching a strange, indescribable stench.

Xin Lan said nothing, merely motioning for her to get out of bed.

“It does feel like there’s some kind of foul smell, though I don’t know where it’s coming from.”

Xu Deng sat up in bed as well, rubbing her eyes and putting on her damaged glasses.

Shen Shuiyan’s toiletries had already been brought to Xin Lan’s dorm, and Xu Deng needed to return to her own dorm. Watching the two of them walk out ahead, Xin Lan looked back at Xiao Chun.

“I hope you’ll clean up the garbage you made.”

Xiao Chun was taken aback. Her lips trembled slightly, and she nodded.

Just as Xin Lan was about to step out, Xiao Chun called out to her again.

“Can I join your team? I can give you everything I have.”

Xin Lan shook her head, and Xiao Chun’s expression instantly dimmed.

“Do you think I did something wrong?”

“If you have a grudge, settle it; if you have a grievance, avenge it—I won’t interfere. Doing whatever it takes to survive is understandable, but that doesn’t make it right.”

“But only one team can survive, and your team only has three people. Why won’t you let me join?”

Xiao Chun’s eyes welled with red, completely uncomprehending.

When Shen Shuiyan didn’t see Xin Lan come out, she poked her head back inside upon hearing the commotion.

“I can do better than the new teammate you took in last night! I can do so much more for you. Why won’t you let me join?”

Xiao Chun stared stubbornly at Xin Lan, desperate for an answer.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have her own calculations, but after comparing their combat stats, Xiao Chun knew she stood zero chance against Xin Lan. She simply wanted to escape this hellhole.

“Did Zhou Mingfang ever attack you?”

Xin Lan’s abrupt question caught Xiao Chun completely off guard.

Without another word, Xin Lan turned and left the room.

Xin Lan rarely misjudged people. Xiao Chun had been severely bullied at school, so it was only natural for resentment to build up in her heart. But that was no excuse for her actions.

If possible, Xin Lan only wanted teammates who were decent and upright.

But in a desperate situation like this, how many people could truly hold onto their moral baseline?

It wasn’t that Xin Lan had never considered leading Xiao Chun out of this place, but Xiao Chun had ruined her own chances.

She was no saint, nor could she deliver all living beings¹.

“What were you two talking about just now? I’m completely in the dark.”

Shen Shuiyan caught a vague inkling, but their exchange had been too cryptic, leaving her unable to piece everything together.

“Didn’t you just say there was a foul odor in the room?”

“Yes.”

“There is likely a corpse stuffed inside the wardrobe opposite my bed.”

“Zhou Mingfang?”

Shen Shuiyan didn’t actually know who Zhou Mingfang was, but she guessed she was the one who slept in the bed opposite Xin Lan.

“Perhaps.”

Xin Lan couldn’t say for sure who was hidden inside the wardrobe, but she already had an answer in her heart.

The reason she knew something had happened to Zhou Mingfang was that she had spotted blood splatters on Zhou Mingfang’s desk and chair, as well as a bracelet on the balcony.

Xin Lan had seen that bracelet on Zhou Mingfang’s wrist before. Later, she’d had Zero Nine scan the grassy patch beneath the balcony, confirming that a body lay there.

Yet those clues alone weren’t enough to draw a definitive conclusion. It was only when she questioned Xiao Chun just now that her suspicions were confirmed.

“You knew last night?”

Xin Lan nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was worried you’d be too scared to sleep,” Xin Lan spoke in a teasing tone, taking a long stride past Shen Shuiyan.

Shen Shuiyan froze for a moment, then caught up with a smile.

The gentle side of a tiger was truly hard to resist.

At the same time, she was also somewhat curious about what kind of person Xin Lan had originally been.

She must have been a very cool, very handsome girl, just like she is now.

Clad in steel armor, seemingly capable of anything.

For their discussion, Xin Lan and the others chose their dormitory room.

Shen Shuiyan produced one fragment, Xu Deng brought out two, and Xin Lan presented five.

When Xu Deng saw the five clue fragments Xin Lan pulled out, she secretly rejoiced that they were on the same side.

“We have eight fragments here. Two of them can be joined together, but they only form a corner. The rest don’t fit at all.”

Of Xin Lan’s five, one was her own, one was Tao Ling’s, one was a rule reward, and two were from anonymous casualties.

“Who said we only have eight? Give me a moment.”

Shen Shuiyan grabbed a pen and paper from the desk and began drawing the patterns from memory.

“Are those clue fragments?” Xu Deng asked in shock as she realized what was being drawn.

“Zou Yunfei’s group’s?” Xin Lan asked, and Shen Shuiyan nodded.

Shen Shuiyan sketched four fragments in one go, and incredibly, two of them fit together.

“Excellent.” Xin Lan arched an eyebrow at Shen Shuiyan, earning a sweet smile in return.

“Based on what happened last night, things will only get worse from here. So, the three of us must stick together. Do not act alone under any circumstances.”

Xu Deng nodded. Being alone was far too dangerous.

“In my experience, thoroughly searching the classrooms during hunting time might yield pleasant surprises. Also, during class, answering the NPC’s questions might earn you rewards.”

“Do you mean the teachers by ‘NPC’? The teachers in our class have never asked any questions,” Xu Deng said.

“It might just be a matter of chance.”

Shen Shuiyan tapped her fingers on the table.

“Let’s not overanalyze the nature of this game for now. Maybe it’s just a sick prank. Regardless, it’s definitely a supernatural event, something far beyond our understanding. The sole purpose of a game like this is to force the players to slaughter one another. Sometimes, these games might not even have an exit, but we have to believe that one exists.”

Shen Shuiyan looked down at the twelve fragments before them. Even ignoring the ones that didn’t fit, they still needed thirty-eight more.

If everyone’s pieces are completely different, we’ll have absolutely no way to find the exit unless we collect fifty of them.

“Follow me tonight. We’re going to take them by force.”

Xin Lan gathered the pile of fragments, her expression calm and steady.

Honestly, she preferred not to beat up women unless absolutely necessary.

But now, it was absolutely necessary.

In truth, Xin Lan didn’t harbor much pity in her heart—only deep disgust for this game.

“Openly rob them?” Xu Deng swallowed hard.

“Otherwise?”

Under these circumstances, there’s absolutely no way anyone would willingly go to their deaths, but Xin Lan was also reluctant to resort to despicable schemes.

Xin Lan narrowed her eyes, staring at her hands.

She might not have been cut out to be a thorough bad person, yet she’d still become an excellent villain.

Xin Lan could still faintly recall that her very first world had been an apocalypse, where she had played a world-destroying maniac.

In the end, she had died from zombie bites. Upon returning from that mission, she had suffered from nightmares all night long.

That was why, from then on, she always chose to blur her memories and detach herself emotionally. She still remembered the events, but they remained highly obscured.

As she became increasingly adept at her job, her personality had inevitably shifted.

Gloom, paranoia, anxiety, madness—these were merely facets of her character.

She hoped she’d always remember that she had once been a decent, kind person. Yet in reality, when she faced a survival game like this and looked at those people, she didn’t care in the slightest whether they lived or died.

When Xin Lan walked into Class 1, Zou Yunfei and his group were already seated inside.

At the sight of Xin Lan and the others entering, the expressions of both Zou Yunfei and Chu Lu darkened, particularly Zou Yunfei’s.

Just looking at Xin Lan made his wounds from last night throb with agonizing pain.

If he didn’t avenge this humiliation, how could he ever show his face again?

Seeing Shen Shuiyan beside Xin Lan, Zou Yunfei felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Why did she have to side with Xin Lan and betray their team?

Their relationship had been much closer, hadn’t it?

Zou Yunfei glared fixedly at Shen Shuiyan, but she showed no sign of discomfort, offering him a smile instead.

As always, it was polite and courteous.

Yet a fire flared in Zou Yunfei’s chest, convinced that Shen Shuiyan was mocking him.

Clenching his fists, Zou Yunfei muttered a low “bitch” under his breath.

Chu Lu and Zhou Zhou looked equally displeased. Zhou Zhou tugged at Zou Yunfei’s sleeve, urging him to restrain himself.

Their four-man squad had shrunk to three, with two of them injured. Combined with Xin Lan’s terrifying combat prowess, Zhou Zhou’s heart sank.

Zero Nine: “Lan-jie! The ex-boyfriend is calling Shen Shuiyan names!”

Xin Lan: “What an absolute brain-dead idiot. Doesn’t he like Shen Shuiyan?”

Zero Nine: “Based on my experience, a scumbag like him definitely thinks Shen Shuiyan betrayed him or something!”

Xin Lan: “Betrayed him my ass. Who the hell does he think he is?”

Noticing that Zou Yunfei was still glaring in their direction, Xin Lan stood up and hurled a book, hitting him squarely on the head with unerring precision.

“What are you staring at? Never seen a gorgeous girl before?”

“You!”

Zou Yunfei’s forehead turned instantly red from the impact. Combined with his bruised, swollen face, he cut an exceptionally hideous yet comical figure.

“If you’ve got a problem with it, come hit me.”

Think you can actually beat me? Hah.

The author has something to say:

Xin Lan: Being arrogant is non-negotiable! Even if I’m the one pinned down in bed, I’ll still be arrogant!