"Come?" Gao Yang panicked slightly. "Come where?"
Qing Ling's legs bent, pressing down on Gao Yang's body. The moonlight highlighted her collarbones, making them shimmer enticingly—a soulful, lethal beauty.
She let out a contemptuous sneer. "Where else? Don't act innocent."
Gao Yang was dumbfounded.
Qing Ling wasted no words. She swept her hair back and leaned in toward Gao Yang's face.
"Wait!"
Gao Yang shouted. He wasn't a prude—he'd watched his fair share of adult films. But the speed of this development was too fast; it screamed "conspiracy."
"What?"
"If I'm guilty, let the law punish me. Don't torture me like this..."
"You're very guarded," Qing Ling noted.
Isn't this a normal reaction? Gao Yang thought.
Three hours ago, his most trusted childhood sweetheart had tried to crush his skull. Now, a beautiful stranger was throwing herself at him. He had every reason to suspect she planned to torture and kill him.
"Relax." Qing Ling's voice softened.
"..."
"If you really hate me, you can imagine someone else's face." Qing Ling placed her hand on Gao Yang's chest and slowly moved it lower.
"I think... we should skip this. Maybe start as friends..."
Suddenly, Qing Ling stopped.
Gao Yang was drenched in sweat, not daring to breathe.
Qing Ling got off the bed and put her clothes back on. "That's enough."
Gao Yang was bewildered. He sat up in bed, only to discover a small, sharp dagger hidden under his pillow.
Fully dressed now, Qing Ling flicked her hand gently. The dagger flew back into her grasp. She twirled the weapon in her slender fingers, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished.
"Were you... planning to kill me just now?" Gao Yang asked, fear lingering in his voice.
"That depended on you," Qing Ling said.
"What do you mean? If I couldn't resist the temptation and had evil thoughts, you would have killed me?" Gao Yang deduced reasonably. "So, it was a test. I passed the test and gained your trust?"
"Wrong on all counts." Qing Ling turned her back to him, tying her ponytail. "If you hadn't reacted, I would have killed you."
"Why?"
"Beasts don't have real reproductive systems."
Gao Yang instantly understood. "So after all that, you were verifying my identity!"
"The one you encountered today was a Wrath Beast (Chen Beast)."
"Wrath Beast?"
"There are many kinds of beasts; the Wrath Beast is just one. In short, they are cunning, good at disguise, and can pass off as real people," Qing Ling explained. "If you want to survive in this world, trust no one."
"Then how can I trust that you are human?" Gao Yang countered.
"Not bad. You learn fast." Qing Ling remained expressionless. "Verifying if a female is a beast is much more troublesome. You have to actually do it."
"Uh..."
Qing Ling tossed a small bottle to him. "This is special medicine. Dispose of it after use. Don't let anyone see it."
Gao Yang caught the bottle and examined it closely. It looked like a bottle of ordinary blue potion, nothing special.
He hid the medicine under his blanket. He still had so many questions for Qing Ling.
What exactly are beasts?
Why do they kill humans?
What is my current situation?
What is Qing Ling's Talent? She seems much stronger than me.
How can I become stronger?
Bang!
The door was kicked open, and his sister rushed in.
Gao Yang jumped in fright, standing up shirtless. "No! It's not what you think..."
"What?" His sister looked confused.
Gao Yang turned around. Qing Ling was gone. Only the swaying curtains and a patch of bright moonlight remained.
No way, she moves too fast! Like the wind...
"Suspicious..." His sister looked Gao Yang up and down, then suddenly grinned mischievously. "Bro, were you doing that?"
"I wasn't! I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!" Gao Yang wanted to cry. "Also, knock before you enter next time!"
"I know, I know!" His sister suddenly leaned in with an ingratiating smile, hugging Gao Yang's arm. "Bro, let's discuss something."
"Speak."
She immediately whipped out her phone. "Look... isn't this Lolita dress pretty?"
"It's nice..." Gao Yang realized. "What do you want?"
"It's only 498! Super cheap! If I buy it now, I save 198."
"If you don't buy it, you save 498."
"My birthday is in 11 months!" She pouted. "Can't you treat it as an early birthday gift?"
"I'll be dead in seventy years. Can't you treat me as already dead?"
"You don't care about me! You don't love me! You don't deserve to be a brother!" She started shouting. "I'm going to tell Mom and Dad you went out fooling around tonight and came back with a bloody face!"
"Fine, fine, fine!" Gao Yang panicked. He took his phone and transferred a few hundred yuan from next month's allowance to her. Compared to the money, his priority was to keep things quiet.
"Best brother ever! Mwah~ I love you the most!"
His sister ran off happily with her phone.
Watching her close the door cheerfully, Gao Yang let out a sigh of relief.
The special medicine Qing Ling gave him was incredibly effective. By the next morning, the wounds had mostly healed, leaving only red marks that looked like scratches from mosquito bites.
Gao Yang ate breakfast and went to school.
In the classroom, Li Weiwei's seat was empty.
Gao Yang felt a hollow ache in his chest, a dull pain as if a piece of him had been gouged out.
He thought of the past twelve years with Li Weiwei: going to school together, eating together, doing homework together, setting off fireworks on New Year's Eve... the first time he saw her smile, saw her cry, saw her get angry... All these familiar, beautiful memories had been torn to shreds by that "Beast" last night.
Gao Yang wished he could separate them into two beings: the innocent human girl and the evil, unknown monster. But they were one and the same.
He couldn't accept it.
By the end of the morning study session, Li Weiwei's seat was still empty. Several girls in the class began to whisper; they probably already knew something had happened to her.
Gao Yang hadn't slept much all night. He had too many questions for Qing Ling.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the study session ended, Qing Ling walked over. In front of the other students, she loudly questioned him, "Gao Yang, where is Li Weiwei?"
Gao Yang paused. What's happening? Is she acting?
"I don't know," Gao Yang replied.
"You don't know?! Weren't you with her yesterday?"
"Yeah, we went our separate ways at night..."
"What happened? She's not answering her phone or WeChat, and she didn't come to class." Qing Ling frowned, looking annoyed. Seeing she couldn't get an answer, she flicked her hair and walked away.
The first period was math, taught by their homeroom teacher.
The homeroom teacher walked in with a heavy expression. He placed his textbook on the podium and pushed up his thick glasses on his flat nose.
"Students, before class begins, I have something to tell you."
"Our classmate, Li Weiwei... was killed last night."
The class erupted in shock.
"What?!" Qing Ling stood up excitedly.
Gao Yang froze, then suddenly felt admiration: Life is a stage, and it all depends on acting skills.
Qing Ling and Li Weiwei were inseparable. This reaction was perfectly normal. It also reminded Gao Yang that as a childhood sweetheart, his own reaction was too abnormal.
Gao Yang quickly stood up, feigning shock and confusion. "Impossible! I saw her yesterday afternoon!"
"She was killed late at night on her way home. Preliminary reports suggest a robbery. She was stabbed in the chest and died on the spot..." The homeroom teacher sighed. "That's all I know."
"Oh my god! How could this happen?"
"So pitiful... I never thought something like this would happen to her."
"The killer must get the death penalty!"
Sob, sob...
The boys who liked Li Weiwei burned with anger, shouting emotionally, while her close female friends reddened their eyes and wept softly.
"Students, I am also very sad and angry about Li Weiwei. The police are doing their best to catch the killer and bring him to justice!"
"Those who wish to bid farewell to Li Weiwei can come with me to the funeral home tonight..."
"Now, let's compose ourselves and continue with the lesson."
The math teacher opened his book, then remembered something. "Qing Ling, Gao Yang, go to my office."
Gao Yang went on alert. "Is something wrong, teacher?"
"The police are here. Just cooperate and answer a few questions."
Red-eyed, Qing Ling rushed out of the classroom first, as if desperate to see the police. Gao Yang followed.
They walked through the corridor one after the other. Confirming no one was around, Gao Yang quickened his pace to catch up with Qing Ling. "Let's get our stories straight first."
"What story?" Qing Ling turned her head, her eyes a mix of sorrow and rage.
"About Li Weiwei."
Qing Ling paused, then grabbed Gao Yang by the collar. "You do know something! Did you kill her?"
"Huh?" Gao Yang was confused.
What act is this? Are you addicted to acting?
"Stop acting! It's not the time!" Gao Yang said.
"Who's acting with you?!" Qing Ling looked serious. "You are suspicious. Why didn't you walk her home last night? Why was she killed? I bet it has something to do with you!"
No! This isn't what we agreed on!
What is Qing Ling playing at?
"Speak! Didn't you always want to date Li Weiwei? She didn't like you and rejected you, so you held a grudge and killed her, right?" Qing Ling was aggressive.
Gao Yang's brain raced. There were only two possibilities:
* The Qing Ling in front of him wasn't the Qing Ling from last night. (Probability: Extremely Low)
* Qing Ling was still acting. She had decided to sell him out to save herself. She did say yesterday: trust no one.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Gao Yang lowered his head and sidestepped Qing Ling. Loose lips sink ships. He decided to shut up.
"Stop pretending! I'll have the police investigate you thoroughly! If you killed her, I won't let you off!" Qing Ling stormed into the office furiously.
Just as Gao Yang was about to follow, a tall figure reached out to stop him.
Gao Yang looked up. It was a man in a police uniform, about thirty years old, with a clean buzz cut, a broad chin, sharp features, and eyes that were experienced and piercing.
"Are you... Officer Huang?"
"Heh, we meet again." Officer Huang smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
Three nights ago, the policeman who shot the "mental patient" and "saved" Gao Yang was him—Officer Huang Qi.
Officer Huang patted Gao Yang on the shoulder. "Come with me to another office."
Gao Yang's heart sank.
It's over. The Prisoner's Dilemma.